Chapter 46

But he absolutely, positively was not.

Today was the first time he had ever even seen the core, and he had only just now learned that Build Mode could be used inside alliance territory....

No, more importantly, I don’t even know anyone in this game. Who the hell would I even sell information to?

Still, he thought it made perfect sense that the alliance members were suspicious of him right now. He was the only recent recruit, and this had happened almost as soon as he joined.

So even if they questioned him, Mo Yeonhoo figured he would handle it coolly....

(Alliance) Miu: Okay, for now, got it

(Alliance) Miu: Momo

(Alliance) Miu: Could you log out of the game for a bit

(Alliance) 0momo0: Why??

(Alliance) Miu: I’m going to move the core first

Coolly....

(Alliance) 0momo0: Because you think I’m the one who leaked the core info???

(Alliance) Miu: Yes

(Alliance) 0momo0: Huh???? Because I seem like a spy???

(Alliance) Miu: Yes

No way in hell could he stay cool!

He had been trying to tell himself there was no helping it if people suspected him, but the second he saw Miu asking him to shut down the game because he seemed like the spy, Yeonhoo was dumbfounded.

youve gotta be kidding me how does someone who didnt even know what the core WAS leak anything??? just because my whole recruitment process looked like the spy track doesnt mean this isnt too much!!! all ive done since joining this alliance is break my back gathering resources and what about the Siege War yesterday i spent the whole damn day hammering the outer wall back together so how can you do this to me??? youre telling me to leave~?!?!?! you SAW me trying my best!!! then why are you only telling me to get out??? is it because youre close with MouseTrap and Opening?? if youre kicking people out then send everyone out together do you not know how group life works?? what is this some old-boys-network school-ties hometown-ties gaming-ties bullshit this cartel is rotten to the core and this is unfair22.gif

Furious, Yeonhoo typed like a man possessed, then froze. Looking at what he had written, even he could tell his temper had exploded all the way.

Calm down. Calm down.

The other person was Miyoung. The one who smiled sweetly at him, held out a little handheld fan to him, was always kind, gentle, and unbelievably cute—that baby rabbit....

Right. We raided all night and then went straight into a Siege War. He’s probably just on edge. And honestly, anyone would think I looked the most suspicious, wouldn’t they? I’m the bigger person here. I’ll let it go.

His temper cooling by sheer force, Yeonhoo thought of Miyoung and barely managed to calm himself down. He erased everything he had written and tried to type it again as evenly as possible.

Baby rabbit can make mistakes too. Miyoung is cute, so it’s fine. If I just explain myself properly, then obviously....

(Alliance) 0momo0: But it really wasn’t me

(Alliance) Miu: What

Seeing the next message, Yeonhoo had one very serious thought.

(Alliance) Miu: Why are you still not off?

...Had Satan possessed the rabbit?

(Alliance) ShinJadu: Uh; leader..;;?

(Alliance) 0momo0: YES!!!!!!!!!!!

(Alliance) 1Poop1: wait no hold on

(Alliance) 0momo0: I’m going! I’ll log off right now!!!

(Alliance) 0momo0: I was getting sleepy anyway from staying up all night gaming!!!!

(Alliance) 0momo0: bet you wish id disappear forever huh Miu?? but what are you gonna do because im logging back in tomorrow???!!

(Alliance) 0momo0: and im gonna stick myself right next to you so hard itll be unbelievable??????

(Alliance) 0momo0: have a fucking GREAT time gamingㅗ!!!!

(Alliance) BBQ: Momo

(Alliance) FUNK: waitwaitwait Momo

The other alliance members called out to him in alarm, but Miu did not so much as blink.

(Alliance) Miu: Okay, get home safe

Yeonhoo glared at Miu through the screen, typed one more message, then immediately held down the power button on his computer tower.

(Alliance) 0momo0: the ㅗ was a typo!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was the last thing on the screen before it went black in an instant.

Reflected in the dark monitor was Yeonhoo’s deeply scowling face. Seeing the crease in his brow, he awkwardly rubbed the space between his eyebrows and thought,

...Did I quit too hard?

In his head, he knew Miyoung was a good person, but for a moment he had just gotten angry. Maybe he had snapped back too sharply and closed the game too abruptly, but...

I was upset. What was I supposed to do?

Still, this was bad. It would have been one thing if he had just failed to make a good impression, but now he had not even cleared himself of the spy accusation, and on top of that, he had practically shouted at them. The only comfort was that Miyoung did not know that he, in real life, was 0momo0.

I was trying to use the game to make contact in the first place, so how did it turn into this?

Wasn’t it supposed to be easier to get close to people in games than in real life? Kim Seongjae made friends and girlfriends left and right just fine, so why did it only ever go like this for him?

Game or reality, this is all way too hard....

Yeonhoo wilted.

The Miyoung he knew in real life and the Miu he knew in the game were just too different. It was to the point that he could hardly believe they were even the same person. From the way they spoke to the way they acted, not one thing felt similar.

When he looked at Miyoung, he felt fluttery and shy. But when he looked at Miu, he liked him because he was so cool, and then wound up feeling hurt and angry too.

Lately, because of that, there were times when he found himself thinking of Miu and Miyoung as separate people without even realizing it, and that was exactly what had led to this result.

Right. Get it together. Miyoung is Miu, and Miu is Miyoung. So tomorrow, I’ll log in and apologize for getting too emotional....

He still felt wronged, but wasn’t it always the person who liked the other one more who lost?

I’m tired.

The moment he shut off the computer, exhaustion crashed over him.

The whole day had been brutal. He had gone into a try, then gone straight to see Miyoung, then run into Kwon Mieon, then come back only to be thrown immediately into a Siege War....

I really hope everything gets cleared up in the game tomorrow....

Even as sleep rushed over him in an instant, Yeonhoo’s last thoughts were still about Zombie Village.

It’ll work out.

But his wish did not come true.

(Alliance) Miu: Where do you think you’re relogging into

(Alliance) Miu: When you’re a spy

The misunderstanding...

(Alliance) Miu: Why aren’t you answering again

(Alliance) Miu: Did you turn on Build Mode? lol

(Alliance) Miu: But what do you think that’s going to do

(Alliance) Miu: This time the core’s hidden tight, so you won’t find it lol

...did not clear up at all. If anything, it only got worse!

*****

As soon as day broke, Yeonhoo turned his computer on.

To be honest, before logging into the game, he had been feeling confident.

I’m not going to care no matter what anyone says now!

No matter how much they accused him of being a spy, he had done nothing wrong, so he just needed to act openly and honestly.

But despite that firm resolve that nothing would faze him...

What if the second I log in, people start throwing rocks at my character? No, honestly, rocks would be better. They’re not all standing there waiting with machine guns, right? Or did they already kick me out of the alliance?

His legs were trembling a little, regardless of what his mind wanted.

Welcome back, Survivor!

The loading screen, which felt slower than ever today, finally ended, and at last he logged into the game. The very first thing he checked was right above 0momo0’s character’s head.

<47>

Thankfully, the alliance logo was still quietly sitting there. Only after seeing it did Yeonhoo finally let out the breath he had been holding and feel relieved.

(Alliance) ShinJadu: welcome back Momo!!!

(Alliance) FUNK: hihi Momo hihi

(Alliance) MouseTrap: welcome back!!!

(Alliance) GoodLuck: Momooooo~~~~ hiya~

(Alliance) CheersInMyEyes: lolllll hi

(Alliance) BBQ: hiii

(Alliance) Opening: hi

And the alliance members were even greeting him warmly!

Was it just his imagination, or did they seem even more energetic than usual?

Hello!!22.gif

Yeonhoo had been about to greet them back just as brightly, but he paused and rolled his eyes around instead. A few users who happened to be in alliance territory were nearby.

...No guns, right?

Just in case, he carefully inspected their hands, but there were no machine guns.

(Alliance) 0momo0: Hello!!

Anyway, the misunderstanding had obviously been cleared up. Everyone was greeting him so warmly, after all. But his happiness lasted only a moment. Tilting his head at the unfamiliar scenery thick with overgrown brush, Yeonhoo realized something.

Right. I logged out near the core yesterday.

Since the core was no longer nearby, it seemed they really had moved it after he logged out.

(Alliance) 0momo0: What are you guys doing??

(Alliance) GoodLuck: repairs~~ the ground is totally wrecked~~

(Alliance) BBQ: lolol even all the trees got cut down so we’re fixing that too lol

(Alliance) FUNK: filling in all the damaged ground

GoodLuck, 1Poop1, BBQ, and FUNK were diligently packing down the earth in front of him with shovels in hand.

(Alliance) 0momo0: Do you have to fix holes manually???

(Alliance) GoodLuck: pretty much yeah~ battle scars like this usually only fill in after time passes~~ if you want to repair it fast you gotta fill them with shovels like this~

(Alliance) GoodLuck: they hit pretty hard around the core side too~~

Yesterday he had been too out of it to really look, but the side where the core had been must have taken concentrated fire, because the holes were enormous.

Yeonhoo was about to ask how he could help too.

(Whisper) ShinJadu: um.. Momo

(Whisper) ShinJadu: there’s something I need to tell you