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“Hmm…” Kim Rok Soo rolled the strawberry lollipop in his mouth as he looked at the controls of a game. “W, A, S, D…”
“Ugh. Can we just start already?” Choi Jung Soo complained out loud as he groaned. He had been waiting forever for Kim Rok Soo to download and familiarize himself with the game.
“He needs to know the controls at least, Jung Soo,” Choi Han chastised.
“He’ll learn along the way! That’s the best way to learn!” Choi Jung Soo retorted.
“Alright, fuck it,” Kim Rok Soo said, joining the game queue. He was tired of hearing Choi Jung Soo whine.
Choi Jung Soo cheered and put on his headphones. “Alright guys! Just follow my orders. I’ll carry all of you—wait, what the fuck?”
They found a match and their opponents were similarly flabbergasted. The chat turned alive with a flurry of messages.
Yo wtf am i seeing this right???
What?? A level 1 player!!!!
I’ve never seen one for years LOL how did we even get matched
Wait the team average KEK WTF the other guy is level 999
“You said you barely play this game!” Choi Jung Soo turned to Choi Han with a look of betrayal. He gestured at the screen with two hands. “What is this!?”
Choi Han, the owner of the level 999 account, gave a one-shoulder shrug. “It’s true. I haven’t touched the game ever since I started high school.”
“I didn’t know you liked games,” Kim Rok Soo said softly to himself, but Choi Han heard him anyway.
“Well… there wasn’t much else to do during the school holidays with covid going on,” Choi Han said sheepishly.
“True.” Kim Rok Soo agreed, but he had honestly just spent most of his days slacking and sleeping away. It was only after he met the Chois that his scope of activities expanded.
He was lost the moment the game map loaded. “...Where do I go?”
“We’ll each take a lane!” Choi Jung Soo yelled as he headed for the top lane instantly.
Kim Rok Soo decided to go to the middle lane, and he was surprised when Choi Han’s character followed his.
“Don’t worry, Sunbaenim. I’ll protect you.”
Choi Han’s character was all decked out in thick, shiny armour with an elaborate dragon-styled sword. It was a huge contrast to Kim Rok Soo’s character, which was dressed only in the most basic starting gear and a basic sword.
Kim Rok Soo walked on the path carefully and cautiously. Choi Han always stayed close to his side.
Soon, an enemy player ran towards them at top speed, unleashing a ton of skills at once.
Kim Rok Soo panicked and glanced down at his keyboard.
“Shit. What was the control for the ult again?”
“Press ‘u’, Sunbaenim,” Choi Han explained patiently as he made quick work of the enemy with a series of rapid keystrokes and mouse clicks.
Kim Rok Soo’s ultimate skill unleashed after the enemy was dead. His character spun around uselessly in place with a flurry of sword slashes that did no damage. “Oh…”
“Now your skill is on cooldown, so you can’t use it for 10 seconds. You need to wait for it to reload. Here. Press ‘p’ to pick up the health pack and press’ k’ to use it.”
It felt like he had an in-game instructor. Kim Rok Soo did as Choi Han told and watched as his in-game character bandaged himself.
“Yes, good job, Sunbaenim!” Choi Han praised.
“You’re praising him for healing?” Choi Jung Soo said in disbelief. “Not even for a kill or anything?”
Choi Han straight-up ignored his cousin. He continued to explain and guide Kim Rok Soo, who was new to the game. “If you want, there are monsters you can fight in the forest areas and loot you can pick up. But the ultimate goal is to get strong enough to destroy the enemy’s base before they can destroy ours.”
“I see.”
Kim Rok Soo explored the forest and found a treasure chest full of gold coins. “Nice. If only this was real life.”
Choi Han laughed as Kim Rok Soo’s eyes shone at the sight of the money.
The game objective flashed in the upper left corner to remind them what they needed to do. However, being overwhelmed by all of the information and game graphics, Kim Rok Soo didn’t notice it. Choi Han did , but he didn’t care.
This time, two of the enemy players rushed at them at once.
“Shit,” Kim Rok Soo cussed under his breath as he tried to retaliate. The movements of his character were clumsy and he managed to do some damage, but it was Choi Han who got the double kill.
“Nice assist, Sunbaenim.”
“Mm,” Kim Rok Soo hummed in acknowledgment. He was starting to have fun now that he knew how to play. He continued to look for more loot and Choi Han followed him as he explored the map.
Choi Jung Soo’s screen was a flurry of activity and colors as combat continued to take place. In comparison, their screens were peaceful as though they were having a lovely picnic in a forest.
Kim Rok Soo glanced at the chat. Then, his character paused in place.
“What’s wrong, Sunbaenim?” Choi Han asked. He killed another enemy who came at Kim Rok Soo, then he turned away from the screen to give Kim Rok Soo a smile. “Are you tired? Should I go get you some water?”
“No… nothing’s wrong.”
“Water?! There is no eating or drinking when we’re in war, you punks!” Choi Jung Soo yelled as he spammed keystrokes and mouse clicks.
Everyone was cussing them out in the game chat.
Shit. I thought the noob would be an easy target.
What kind of playstyle is this?! A knight and his princess???
It must be some asshole showing off to his girlfriend. Oi, fuck off!
Are you here to game or to date?!
Feeling his conscience pricked, Kim Rok Soo suggested, “You should go fight, Choi Han.”
“No. I need to protect you, Sunbaenim.”
“But we might lose at this rate.”
“Even if we lose, I’m happy doing it with you.”
Kim Rok Soo’s heart did a little squeeze. The lollipop in his mouth cracked from him suddenly biting down on it. Even though the taste in his mouth was sweet, the sensation of his warm heart was even sweeter.
Was this why everyone hyped up gamer boyfriends and girlfriends on social media? Kim Rok Soo was beginning to get it now.
Poor Choi Jung Soo was getting attacked by the enemy team. “Can you guys stop flirting?! Help me! I’m trying to grind levels here!”
Choi Han made no moves to go rescue Choi Jung Soo. He continued to stick around Kim Rok Soo like a little guard dog.
“Choi Han! Hurry up!” Choi Jung Soo shouted desperately.
“You’ll get experience points even if you lose,” Choi Han replied calmly.
“Yeah, like five times less! Stop being so biased towards your Sunbae and help your family out a little!”
“You should go, Han-ah.”
Choi Han pouted, but he relented. “Alright. I’ll be right back, Sunbaenim.”
As always, Choi Han only listened to Kim Rok Soo.
Choi Han moved his character towards Kim Rok Soo’s for a moment, as though giving him a quick peck on the lips, before moving through the jungle rapidly.
When Kim Rok Soo realized what had happened, he froze in place, and his face turned red.
Choi Jung Soo groaned. “I can’t stand you guys. Hurry up!”
Choi Han smiled. Contrary to his smile, however, his voice was low and threatening. “Do you want to die?”
“No! Please come and save me, Hyungnim!” Choi Jung Soo simpered, throwing away his pride as he pleaded to his younger cousin for help.
Kim Rok Soo thought he heard a hint of gamer rage in Choi Han’s voice. It was pretty hot, honestly. Or maybe he was just insanely whipped for Choi Han.
He secretly watched from the corner of his eye as Choi Han fought the enemies with a serious and focused expression. It was a side of Choi Han he rarely got to see, since the boy was always smiling around him.
Yeah, it was definitely hot.
Choi Han’s character ran back to him after killing all of the enemies on Choi Jung Soo’s side. The game announced the triple kill right before Choi Han’s character popped back into view. “I‘m back, Sunbaenim!”
“Good job.”
This time, Kim Rok Soo was the one who moved his character to give Choi Han a kiss.
“Hehe.” Choi Han giggled, pleased.
“I definitely feel so single right now,” Choi Jung Soo sighed as he took over a tower. “God, this is the last time I ask you guys to help me with a game.”