Chapter 6

What the hell had just happened? Yeonhoo was staring, baffled, when Hhumble spat out a string of vicious curses and started hammering the chat like he’d lost his mind.

(Global) Hhumble: FUCK

(Global) Hhumble: What kind of fucking bastard—

(Global) Hhumble: Do you know what alliance I’m in, LOL? Are you insane? LOL

(Global) Hhumble: FUCKING HELL

(Global) Hhumble: You not coming out???

(Global) Hhumble: Hurry up and finish me off, you fucking piece of shit. Then I’ll watch the death cam and clap back—my alliance will hunt you down. You fucking bad-mannered trash.

(Global) Hhumble: If I catch you, I’m killing you. I swear to God.

Hhumble looked furious. He was spewing curses nonstop when, from somewhere, another player came trudging over and stopped beside the downed Hhumble and Yeonhoo.

The first thing Yeonhoo noticed was the long, sleek sniper rifle. The avatar was a male character in the kind of tactical gear you always saw in zombie survival games, with sunglasses tucked up on his head.

(Global) Miu: Hello.

Yeonhoo expected Hhumble to blow up even harder, but instead—Hhumble didn’t say a single word.

Why did he suddenly go silent?

Yeonhoo blinked, staring, and then another message popped up.

(Global) Miu: What alliance are you in?

It wasn’t even aggressive. It sounded like he was just asking out of mild curiosity.

And yet—

(Global) Hhumble: I’m so sorry I’m so sorry

(Global) Hhumble: Ah—this has nothing to do with my alliance, seriously

(Global) Hhumble: Please don’t make an issue out of it

(Global) Hhumble: I’m begging you

(Global) Hhumble: I’m really sorry, sir

The chat was coming so fast it almost looked like panic. Yeonhoo watched, fascinated—then froze.

Wait.

Oh my god.

user: Miu

My baby rabbit?

Yeonhoo couldn’t believe it. He stared at the screen. Then stared again.

How could he ever forget that name? He’d started this game because he saw that name stamped on the screen in the first place.

[user: Miu (X-1211)]

It really was Miu.

No matter how many times he looked, it was the exact same name he’d seen on her phone.

This game didn’t allow duplicate nicknames. That was why he’d ended up as 0momo0 instead of just Momo.

“This is insane.”

Even while Yeonhoo stood there stunned, the chat kept going.

(Global) Miu: You said you’d catch me.

(Global) Miu: ?

(Global) Miu: Answer me.

But the Ms. Miyoung of real life and the Miu in front of him felt like completely different people.

This is Ms. Miyoung...?

The Ms. Miyoung he’d imagined in-game had been a cute character with a cute way of talking.

But the Ms. Miyoung standing in front of him now—she felt nothing like what he’d pictured.

(Global) Hhumble: Y-yes, yes...!!!

(Global) Hhumble: I’m sorry... I misspoke, sir;;; but seriously, one last thing—my alliance has absolutely nothing to do with this!!!!

(Global) Hhumble: I did it on my own

(Global) Hhumble: I’m sorry;;

Kinda cool.

Yeonhoo didn’t know why, but watching Hhumble—who’d been so busy cursing Yeonhoo out—suddenly bowing and scraping in front of Ms. Miyoung was... weirdly entertaining.

Do they know each other?

While Yeonhoo wondered what kind of connection they had, the conversation continued.

(Global) Hhumble: But this pose is kinda uncomfortable, and... T_T

(Global) Hhumble: Can I stop the bleeding and heal first????

(Global) Miu: Yeah.

(Global) Hhumble: Thank you!! T_T T_T T_T!!!!!

Hhumble pulled out a medical kit and jabbed it into himself. A green “+” floated above his head, and he popped out of the incapacitated state.

So that’s how you heal.

That’s it? Can you buy that in the shop too?

(Global) Hhumble: Thank you for forgiving me so generously

Hhumble kept doing this deep-bow interaction over and over. Even while he grovelled, the speech bubble above his head never stopped.

(Global) Hhumble: I’m truly sorry

(Global) Hhumble: Then I’ll be going!!!!!

(Global) Hhumble: Have a wonderful day!!!!

Hhumble bowed again and again as he backed away, getting farther from the two of them.

But—

BANG!

He didn’t get far.

At the sudden, thunderous gunshot, Yeonhoo’s eyes went wide as he stared at the screen.

(Global) Hhumble: Huh...?

The Hhumble who’d been walking away just fine was sprawled out again.

Startled, Yeonhoo nudged the mouse and lifted his view slightly.

Did Ms. Miyoung shoot him?

Miu had his gun trained on Hhumble.

Ms. Miyoung trudged over, then lowered herself into a crouch in front of him.

(Global) Miu: I didn’t tell you to go.

(Global) Hhumble: Ah... ah;;!!!!

(Global) Hhumble: You’re right, I’m sorry T_T T_T

(Global) Hhumble: Is there... something you wanted to say to me, or...

(Global) Miu: You’ve got mail to send me, don’t you?

(Global) Hhumble: Pardon...?

Hhumble asked back, staring up at Miu like he was being inspected.

(Global) Hhumble: What mail...

(Global) Miu: Don’t tell me you don’t know how to use the mail system.

(Global) Hhumble: ?? Sorry??

(Global) Hhumble: I mean—

(Global) Miu: There’s an envelope icon top left, right?

(Global) Miu: Put “Miu” as the recipient.

(Global) Miu: And check “ALL” for the gold.

But something about this felt... familiar.

(Global) Hhumble: A-all of it????

(Global) Hhumble: Ah... um... but, sir, I... T_T T_T I... the money...

(Global) Miu: You don’t have money?

(Global) Hhumble: Yes, yes... I did gear gacha;;; so I don’t have anything right now :( Please, just this once—can’t you let it go?

(Global) Hhumble: I already have a lot of debt, too... T_T I have to pay it back... T_T

(Global) Hhumble: So... I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can give you money...

(Global) Miu: Then you’ve got no choice.

(Global) Hhumble: Oh—thank you so much

(Global) Hhumble: I’ll repay this kindness, I swear!

(Global) Miu: Shop.

(Global) Hhumble: Huh???

(Global) Miu: Hit settings on the right and go into the shop.

(Global) Hhumble: Why the shop...

(Global) Miu: You can top up.

Wasn’t this... exactly what had just happened?

(Global) Miu: Sincerity.

No. This wasn’t Yeonhoo imagining things.

(Global) Miu: I’m curious about your sincerity, LOL.

Miu was acting exactly the way Hhumble had acted when he’d been cornering 0momo0.

It’s like Ms. Miyoung is getting revenge for me.

Yeonhoo watched the screen with bright, fascinated eyes.

This is so funny.

Is this why people play games? Because you can’t predict anything even a second ahead?

While Yeonhoo stared, wide-eyed, getting his first real taste of a PVP-centric game, Hhumble went quiet. There was no reaction at all—so little that Yeonhoo almost wondered if he’d gone AFK.

But he probably can’t log out anyway...

This game was pretty strict. If you quit while incapacitated or during combat, it automatically counted as death.

Sure enough, Hhumble hadn’t left. He wasn’t typing, but his character twitched like he was about to do something.

BANG—!!

With the gunshot, Hhumble went limp.

Whoa. He’s dead.

The instant Hhumble moved, Miu pulled the trigger.

Staring at the body that had become a corpse in the blink of an eye, Yeonhoo felt weirdly amazed.

This game is literally survival of the fittest.

Hhumble seemed like a longtime player too, but in front of Miu, he folded like wet paper. It was almost surreal.

Ms. Miyoung is so cool.

And Yeonhoo, proud and dazzled by his forty-sixth love, leaned so close he almost looked like he was about to crawl into the monitor.

Now Hhumble was dead, and only Miu and 0momo0 were left there. From the first-person view, Yeonhoo kept sneaking glances at Miu, fingers fidgeting.

I want to say something.

But the words that had poured out so easily at Hhumble wouldn’t come out for Miu.

Knowing Ms. Miyoung was on the other side of that name made him tense up—even if it wasn’t quite the same as having her standing right in front of him.

Still, he didn’t want to finally meet her and then let her leave without even managing a single word. He was forcing himself to speak—anything at all—when Miu typed first.

(Global) Miu: Your revive cooldown should be up.

Revive... cooldown?

Yeonhoo didn’t know what that meant, but he turned his attention to Miu anyway. Like Miu had been watching his movements, Miu’s face slid right into view.

(Global) Miu: Press Shift and R together.

Shift and R...

As if Miu’s words were law, Yeonhoo didn’t hesitate. He pressed the keys immediately.

And the 0momo0 who’d been writhing on the ground in an incapacitated state a moment ago pushed himself up—steady and strong, back on his feet.