Chapter 16: PC Café
After having the beef bone soup with Seo Yerin, we were out walking for a while.
Actually, to be entirely honest, I was trying to go home, but Seo Yerin just followed me without saying anything.
At first I thought about just telling her to head home, but that felt like I was kicking her out.
Do you have anything urgent to do?
I casually asked if she had other plans. Someone like Seo Yerin would usually have some other plans, right?
She is very popular and has a pleasant disposition too, after all.
None, I dont have any plans. Its usually time for my lectures now.
But the words she said weighed on my heart, almost making me sick enough to throw up the beef soup I had.
D-did you skip class on purpose?
I asked shocked but she just fidgeted with her fingers and said,
Y-yes, I came here because I heard you were here.
It wasnt like I had to worry about Seo Yerins grades, but the fact that she skipped a lecture to meet me felt a bit hard for me.
I felt like I would be guilty if I just sent her away now.
Is she fidgeting like that to make me feel guilty or something?
The way she was fiddling with her fingers like a hamster somehow made her seem more pitiful.
In reality, if I just sent her away now, she would be an insane person who skipped her class just to eat a regular meal.
Haa, but what is there for me to do with her
I thought there would be nothing, but then this one thing caught my eye.
A PC caf.
It was a street where many college students living in the studio apartments resided, so naturally there were many places to hang out.
You said you play LOF, right?
Recalling what I heard during the last lecture, I mentioned it and Seo Yerin also looked at the PC caf and nodded.
Lets go.
So, oddly, I ended up going to a PC caf with Seo Yerin.
Looking at the time, it was 4 p.m. now.
Since I was supposed to meet Choi Yiseo at 6 p.m., two hours seemed like the perfect amount of time to play games.
As we entered the caf, the gazes of the many guys who were using the computers naturally turned to Seo Yerin.
I couldnt help but wonder if they were always this good at multitasking, given that they just curse at each other and focus on their games, whenever I walked in before.
Is she always going around giving off this vibe?
I hesitated, feeling a little burdened at the intense gazes she was drawing to us.
What is it?
Seo Yerin, the focus of all the attention, asked me.
No, its not that shes acting like this doesnt matter to her.
She was just used to it.
To stares from people around.
Just by entering the PC caf, people started staring at us, whispering about her appearance and evaluations could be heard.
Honestly, it was the first time I felt bad for her. I understood again why Seo Yerin was active under the pseudonym of Anonymous69.
I like the corner seats.
Ah, me too.
Seo Yerin immediately responded to my words, so I deliberately gave her the seat next to the wall and sat beside her.
Woah, look at that face.
Go talk to her.
Have you lost it? Shes here with her boyfriend.
Those types of girls end up being celebrities, right?
Even as I turned on the PC, the mumbling wouldnt stop. I could hear all they said which meant that Seo Yerin must have too.
But she acted like nothing was wrong and turned on LOF.
Woojin, whats your ID?
I simply turned my head slightly to her question and took down the headset hanging on the wall and handed it to her.
Put this on.
But am I not sitting right next to you? Why use the mic?
Uh, I always wear one when I play games.
No.
To be honest, I dont like wearing headphones that much. But it was better to just put this on now than listen to the talks floating around.
I am not Seo Yerins boyfriend, so I have no reason to protect her, nor am I good at fighting just because I work out or have guts.
So, Ill just ignore it.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om
With that in mind, when I offered the headset again, she looked at me blankly for a moment and then nodded with a strange smile.
A gaming expert huh?
With a bit of humor in her voice.
Ah. It was fun. Real fun.
I didnt find it fun at all.
Hehe, sorry. I got too excited playing together and just did this.
Haa.
Cant spit on a smiling face is what they say. Seeing Seo Yerin happy and saying she had fun made me think I shouldnt get too heated about the game.
You could do it with the others too. Youd be happy if the boys youre close with asked you to join, right?
When I said that, Seo Yerin scratched her cheek with a smirk.
Usually, they just ask me to go eat or drink.
You could suggest it then.
Then people around me would say that Im seducing them? There could be more rumors of me dating them.
Uh.
This wasnt normal paranoia.
The strange emotions displayed on her expression had come from experience.
It could have been that in her high school, or in the first semester that such a thing happened.
I thought I should offer her some comfort, but I didnt have the words to say it, and we werent that close.
Press ready, lets play the game.
With those words, Seo Yerin also smiled and looked back at the screen.
By the time we played about three rounds, we began to sync.
Through an odd duo of top and support, we werent doing badly.
Especially from the second game, since Seo Yerin began to follow my lead, we managed to win.
Yah! They are taking the dragon! Can you come here?
I dont have teleport!
Wonderful, you brat. While the enemy top comes over whenever they are bored, you wont even show your face here!
Stop fighting and back off! Im pushing for the inhibitor!
But our team got wiped out trying to take on an unnecessary fight; I was the only one left, trying to escape.
Block them from getting home! Ill try to end this!
Suddenly, Seo Yerin, having both Ghost and Flash, started to push the tower.
I wonder if she is insane, but then her axe skills were no joke.
And following my order, she would immediately risk her life to cut off the enemys return.
One pulls, another hits, and another cuts off the return, intending to kill.
Ah.
I sigh in regret as I see my character turned into nothing.
I managed to stop three, but two eventually made it back.
Just when I thought the game would end with Seo Yerins death as well.
-Enemy killed!
-Double Kill!
The sound of victory rang out in my ears.
Surprisingly, Seo Yerin took the heads of the returning enemy.
Achieving the remarkable feat of taking down one with each axe. Seo Yerin then completely destroyed the enemys base.
Uh, uh?
What appeared on the screen were letters that spelt Victory.
Seo Yerin and I looked at each other at the same time. The adrenaline which surged in an instant exceeded the lethal dose, and we both took off our headsets and shouted.
Generalllll!
Thats meeee!
Even if you act like a fool for 54 minutes and 30 seconds in a 55-minute game, being good for just 30 seconds can instantly make you a general.
As I joyfully danced around with General Seo, the General looked pleased, took her shoes off and climbed onto the chair with both hands raised to enjoy this victory.
General, general! General!
Me! Its me! I am General Seo Yerin! Thats me!
We were forgetting that we were in a PC caf and enjoyed the movement.
Ah, for real?
Then a chilly voice came from behind us. It was definitely autumn, so the air was cool and I thought it had to be the air conditioner.
As I slowly turned my head there was this familiar voice.
There stood Choi Yiseo, with one hand on her hip, looking at me, displeased.
Dressed head to toe in her workout attire, no less.
With a feeling of disbelief, I stopped praising the general and checked the time display on the computer.
[6:24]
I stared at the clock and then sighed as I told Seo Yerin.
Yerin, thats why I said we shouldve stopped 20 minutes before.