Chapter 115

Kwon Mieon couldn’t tear his eyes away from Yeonhoo’s face for a moment. Then he abruptly turned his head and let out a heavy sigh.

The truth was, asking Yeonhoo to play the game with him had only ever been a flimsy excuse.

Kwon knew all too well how expertly Yeonhoo could wriggle out of things like an eel. That was why he’d tried to arrange things so Yeonhoo would have absolutely no way to refuse.

“I’ll take responsibility even if you suck, okay?”

And yet Yeonhoo, completely oblivious to what was going through Kwon’s head, was acting as innocently as ever.

“You really do love taking responsibility for things, don’t you?”

Watching Yeonhoo chatter away, utterly absorbed in the game, Kwon let out an incredulous little laugh.

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Nothing. Let’s hurry up and kill these.”

That damn responsibility.

Something from the past seemed to cross Kwon’s mind, his expression darkening briefly. But a moment later, as though nothing had happened, he applied another buff.

What did he say just now?

Yeonhoo wanted to ask him to repeat whatever he’d muttered under his breath, but Kwon didn’t seem particularly interested in talking about it, so he let it go.

But is Kwon Mieon... actually having fun?

He’d been the one pestering Yeonhoo to play together, yet now he was just moving his character around with a completely flat expression.

Yeonhoo found himself studying the striking profile of the man sitting beside him.

And to think Kwon Mieon is Miu.

It still didn’t feel real.

Looking at his face alone, you’d think he’d never touched a game in his life.

It seriously doesn’t suit him....

Kwon Mieon and gaming.

Could there possibly be a stranger combination?

Kwon was almost offensively glamorous. Even that conspicuously dyed hair of his somehow got overshadowed by how vivid his features were. Letting a face like that rot away at home almost felt like a national loss.

If I had that face, I’d never stop modeling. I’d take pictures all the time, too.

And not just pictures. He’d probably be appearing in every kind of media imaginable and dragging hordes of fans around with him.

But he said he doesn’t model anymore, right? Why did he quit? Come to think of it, if you search his name, he comes right—

“Why do you keep looking at me, Yeonhoo?”

“...Me? Huh? What?”

The chain of thoughts snapped at the sudden voice, and Yeonhoo jolted in alarm.

Still facing his monitor, Kwon only tilted his head slightly toward Yeonhoo.

He’d been caught red-handed sneaking glances.

“No, you just kept staring at me. Were you not?”

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t looking at you. Why would I look at you?”

Yeonhoo whipped his head away so fast he practically bounced in his chair, nearly burying his nose in the monitor.

Kwon shrugged at the vehement denial.

“If you weren’t, then fine. Why are you getting so defensive?”

“I’m not being defensive. Just hurry up and kill the Spreaders.”

He had to tack on one last feeble protest, unwilling to lose even a single exchange.

Kwon finally gave in.

“Yes, yes. I’ll work hard.”

His voice softened again as if nothing had happened, and Yeonhoo relaxed too.

Feeling a little guilty for snapping at him, he glanced sideways at Kwon and added in a rapidly shrinking voice,

“Yeah. But d-don’t work too hard. You shouldn’t wear yourself out....”

Kwon snorted at the way Yeonhoo’s voice had ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) suddenly turned so pathetic.

Yeonhoo missed the smile entirely and focused on the quest.

They were currently hunting monsters out in the field.

Kill the Plague Spreaders guarding the source of contamination!

Current Progress: 7%

Reward: Researcher Lily’s Journal

(This journal appears to contain secrets about the zombie outbreak. It might be worth checking...?)

Killing the Plague Spreaders guarding the contaminated area didn’t look particularly difficult.

I swear we’ve killed like thirty already. How are we still only at seven percent?

But once they actually started combing through the forest for them, the quest turned out to be far more annoying than Yeonhoo had expected.

They had to kill a ridiculous number of monsters.

“Ah, someone stole it again!”

The Spreaders respawned far too slowly, while there were far too many players doing the quest.

The player who had just snatched the monster Yeonhoo had been aiming for immediately dashed off toward the next one.

They’d probably have to charge around the field that aggressively if they wanted to finish the quest anytime soon, but Yeonhoo’s own movements remained sluggish.

I feel bad. Seriously.

Yeonhoo glanced awkwardly to the side.

Since Kwon was playing support, he wasn’t really participating in the fighting. Killing the monsters was entirely Yeonhoo’s job as the damage dealer, and guilt started creeping in at the thought that his lack of speed was dragging things out.

“Yeonhoo, what is it? Need something?”

“Huh? No.”

Seriously, nothing gets past him.

Kwon had caught even that split-second glance.

Embarrassed, Yeonhoo turned back to the monitor.

One spawned right in front of me!

As luck would have it, a Spreader rose from the ground directly ahead.

Monsters remained invincible for a few seconds after respawning. Yeonhoo readied his weapon, waiting for the immunity window to end.

Oh. That guy’s coming over again.

The same player who had stolen his last monster was sprinting toward him.

But Yeonhoo was already standing right there. At this distance, he clearly had the advantage.

(Notification) Kill the Plague Spreaders guarding the source of contamination!

Current Progress: 8%

“Wow. Getting even one percent takes forever....”

At long last, the bar moved from seven percent to eight.

Still... this place is really peaceful.

This server was definitely nothing like X-1211.

Even though they were out in a field with PVP enabled, everyone seemed to be considerate of one another while questing.

There was a little competition over monsters, sure, but still.

If this exact situation had happened on Server X....

Wouldn’t it already be a bloodbath?

Yeonhoo could practically see the hellscape in his head, bodies scattered everywhere.

And that wouldn’t even be the end of it. Their inventories would’ve been picked clean down to the last pathetic item, not a single gold left, everyone bawling their eyes out.

I really did pick the weirdest server possible back then....

Eden and Server X were worlds apart.

Yeonhoo gave a bitter little smile as memories surfaced of all the times he’d been extorted without even realizing it.

(Global) BirthDateTime: ?

(Global) BirthDateTime: what r u doing

Then the player whose monster Yeonhoo had just taken—BirthDateTime—suddenly posted in chat.

Of course, the messages were immediately pushed upward by everyone else’s chatter, and Yeonhoo had no idea they were directed at him.

He simply started heading toward another likely spawn point.

...Hm?

BirthDateTime stepped directly into his path.

Yeonhoo assumed their routes had overlapped and tried to go around.

The other player stubbornly blocked him again.

Eventually Yeonhoo stopped.

Kwon, who had been moving beside him, stopped as well and stared ahead.

(Global) BirthDateTime: ???

(Global) BirthDateTime: IOnly.

(Global) BirthDateTime: hello????

Who the hell is IOnly... Oh. Me.

He was still so much more accustomed to being called Momo that the nickname IOnly felt bizarrely unfamiliar.

Still looking confused, Yeonhoo started typing.

(Global) IOnly: Huh? Me???

(Global) BirthDateTime: dude. been holding this in for a while.

(Global) BirthDateTime: why do u keep stealing???

(Global) IOnly: stealing..?

Stealing? As in taking someone’s stuff?

(Global) IOnly: I didn't steal anything... 😭

The moment Yeonhoo sent the bewildered reply, BirthDateTime unloaded on him.

(Global) BirthDateTime: u keep stealing my mobs

(Global) BirthDateTime: u dont know ppl have spots here?

(Global) BirthDateTime: why do u keep butting in and stealing mine?

(Global) BirthDateTime: seriously have some manners;

Spots?

Yeonhoo tilted his head, baffled.

Does every monster spawn have an assigned spot, and I broke some kind of rule?

Then had he really been behaving like an asshole?

Yeonhoo suddenly wondered what Kwon—the Zombie Village veteran—thought about it.

He glanced over at him.

Huh. No reaction.

Kwon was simply staring at the screen without saying a word.

I guess I really did screw up.