LG Chapter 23

Translator: She.Wee

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Chapter 23

Kyungsoo examined the captured battle report screen, scanning who had the highest kill count in Melody. True to his “slaughterer” title, Sunset overwhelmingly took first place. Even with a six-month hiatus, his skills hadn’t dulled. Kyungsoo didn’t know how it was possible to dominate with a class often called “pretty trash,” but he had a strong feeling that if he asked, Sunset would explain it in detail.

Just then, Kyungsoo’s phone vibrated briefly.

 

Noeul: Kyungsoo hyung, do you have time right now?

Me: Right now?

Noeul: I got movie tickets!

Kyungsoo could almost hear Noeul’s voice through the message. He shook his head to push it out of his mind. No doubt he would ask him to come out. Kyungsoo still hadn’t taken off his school uniform, but he was too lazy to go out. Without thinking further, he replied.

Me: Sorry, I already watched it.

Noeul: You don’t even know what movie it is yet…ㅠㅠ

Oops, maybe I was too harsh. I should have at least asked what movie it was before claiming I’d seen it.

Me: What is it?

Noeul: Beyond Heaven!

Me: I watched it yesterday, sorry.

Noeul: ㅠㅠ It hasn’t even been released yet….

“…”

Kyungsoo had nothing to say. A quick internet search revealed that the movie really hadn’t been released yet. In fact, it was still listed as being filmed without a set release date. He was baffled that Noeul had even mentioned such a title.

Noeul: I’ll be passing by your house soon. Let’s hang out!

Me: Huh, at this hour? What about your cram school? Don’t you go every day during the week?

Noeul: I’m not going today. I told you, I got movie tickets! Let’s go watch a movie together.

Me: Don’t be ridiculous! As if you got them, you probably bought them yourself.

Noeul: Correct! To be precise, I’m going to buy them. I’ll give you the honor of watching a movie with me as a reward. Congrats!

That’s not a reward, it’s a punishment.

Me: No thanks. If you’re lonely, clasp your hands together and watch it. It’ll feel like you’re holding someone’s hand.

Noeul: No, I’m downstairs. Come out ㅇㅅㅇ.

This sense of him not listening to a word I said was a very familiar feeling.

Seriously? Does he think I’ll come out just because he’s calling? When Kyungsoo snapped back to reality, he realized he had already thrown a hoodie over his school uniform. After turning off the computer, his phone rang just in time. Instead of answering the call, Kyungsoo walked down the stairs and called out to Noeul, who was staring at his phone in front of the lobby. Noeul looked up and met his eyes.

“What?”

“…….”

Noeul stared silently at Kyungsoo for a while before breaking into a smile.

“It’s been too long.”

“Has it? I don’t think it’s been that long….”

“I missed you a lot.”

“Oh? Oh, uh, okay.”

Kyungsoo answered awkwardly, not knowing what to say, and Noeul smiled brightly again, as if immensely pleased by it. “Let’s go,” he said as he placed a hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Kyungsoo glanced down at the hand on his shoulder but didn’t bother to shake it off. The air had become quite chilly. Somehow, the sound of Noeul breathing next to him felt oddly prominent.

****

“How are you so good at games, hyung?”

“I don’t know? Maybe it’s natural talent.”

Kyungsoo, who had almost never lost a game except for those with money on the line, hummed in satisfaction at the compliment. Every time he pressed the small button, the green dinosaur made a cute burbling sound, spitting out bubbles. He kept surviving while Noeul used up all three of his lives. Although he didn’t make it to the final round, Kyungsoo proudly placed third. Noeul hugged the stuffed animal Kyungsoo had won and stood up with him. Elementary school kids watching from behind quickly filled their spots and fed coins into the machine.

The arcade was buzzing with students in school uniforms, as well as couples. Although Cheon Noeul wasn’t exactly a friend or anything close to a romantic partner, it couldn’t be helped. The movie they had planned to see was sold out, leaving Noeul sulking, and the arcade happened to be conveniently across the street.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yup.”

“We can see the movie another time, so cheer up.”

“Will you really go with me? I barely managed to make time for this….”

“I’ve been busy lately… Alright, alright! Stop pretending to cry!”

It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, but seeing the liveliness on Noeul’s face wasn’t so bad. When I first saw him, his face wasn’t this bright. I guess the stress from school is no joke. That’s why I don’t bother studying. Kyungsoo shook his head slightly.

 

“Wanna try that next? When those people leave.”

 

Kyungsoo lifted his head to where Noeul was pointing.

 

“That’s… no.”

 

Normally, he’d go along with it, but this time it was a dartboard. Who knew if Noeul might throw the darts straight at his face? If he threw all ten darts at him, it’d surely become a spectacle. Like a monkey in a zoo… Kyungsoo took a step back, his face weary. Noeul, noticing this, reassured him in a low voice.

 

“I won’t throw them at you. That looks dangerous.”

 

“… So you were considering throwing them at me?”

 

The darts weren’t the kind with suction cups like last time. These ones had sharp tips that stuck into the board. Getting hit might actually be deadly. Although he said he wouldn’t throw them, Kyungsoo remained tense, knowing better than to underestimate Cheon Noeul. As he was on edge, Noeul made another suggestion.

 

“How about the loser has to reveal a secret? What do you think?”

 

“Why are you always so eager to make bets whenever you see me? Do I look like an easy target?”

 

“It’s not that I’m desperate…”

 

“And besides! If you’re willing to say it, how is it a secret?”

 

“… So you’re not confident, huh?”

 

“Let’s do it!”

 

Noeul smirked. As soon as the couple in front, who had been flirting rather than playing darts, left, Kyungsoo rushed toward the dartboard. The employee, who looked bored, explained the rules, but Kyungsoo wasn’t listening. He was already fired up with competitiveness, mentally calculating how to land the dart exactly in the center.

 

Noeul swung his arm and threw the dart first. Despite his confident demeanor, the dart landed in the 5-point zone. Seeing the 5 flash on the screen, Kyungsoo felt a surge of hope and silently celebrated.

 

“Ah, that’s unfortunate.”

 

He clicked his tongue as his dart narrowly missed the 9-point zone. Noeul didn’t show any impressive skill in the next five rounds either. But he didn’t look anxious. Unlike Kyungsoo, who was fiercely competitive, Noeul didn’t seem to care much about winning, which made Kyungsoo wonder if he was just that kind of person.

 

– Impressive! 10 points!

– 7 points!

– Impressive! 10 points!

– 6 points!

– Impressive! 10 points!

– Not bad! 9 points!

– Impressive! 10 points!

 

“……”

 

Due to Noeul scoring four consecutive 10-point shots, by the ninth round, the score was tied.

“Should I throw with my eyes closed for the last round?”

Kyungsoo instinctively turned to Noeul with a scowl.

“What did you just say?”

“Why? Wouldn’t it be more fun that way?”

“Are you saying you can win even if you take it easy? No way am I closing my eyes!”

“What’s the fun in that? Fine, I won’t close mine either.”

Noeul responded provocatively, and by then, a crowd had gathered around them. Kyungsoo swallowed hard, watching Noeul prepare to throw with a determined look.

“Not bad! 9 points!”

“Agh…”

Noeul sighed in disappointment, though the audience seemed more regretful than he did. Now, only one chance remained. The eyes on Noeul shifted to Kyungsoo. He wasn’t nervous, having long grown used to being the center of attention. The only thing on his mind was that if he didn’t score a 10, he couldn’t win. There was no particular reason to care about winning, but losing wasn’t an option either.

I’ll just play along for a bit, no need to get serious. Kyungsoo lightly focused on the center of the target. The dart flew straight from his hand and struck the bullseye. A fanfare sounded as Kyungsoo clenched his fist and pumped it into the air.

“Wow! 10 points!”

“Player 2 wins!”

As Kyungsoo basked in victory, Noeul clicked his tongue, watching him with a disappointed expression. He then gazed into the distance and muttered sadly.

“Too bad. If I’d won, I was going to ask what color you’re wearing today.”

“What color of what?”

“Never mind that for now. Anyway, since I lost, I’ll tell you a secret.”

Noeul smiled mischievously and motioned for Kyungsoo to come closer, as if he wanted to whisper something.

“…?”

When Kyungsoo leaned in, Noeul chuckled quietly and whispered in a voice only Kyungsoo could hear.

“To be honest, I was never bad at controlling the game. It was all an act… Sorry.”

“…”

“And actually… I’m pretty famous.”

“…Huh?”

“And I’m also the guild leader of a guild you know.”

“Oh… sure.”

Kyungsoo gave Noeul a pitying look.

“Now do you get who I am?”

Noeul, with an unusually serious face, waited for Kyungsoo’s response. Kyungsoo bit his lip, feeling sympathetic. He thought to himself, He’s lost it. All that studying every day must have driven him mad. He promised himself to ask Minjae to keep an eye on Noeul at school.

“Yeah, I know.”

Noeul squeezed his eyes shut.

“You’re ThousandSunsets. The famous player with bad game control.”

“No, that’s not it… It’s just two characters.”

“Noeul?” [T/N: Noeul would roughly translate to Sunsets so…yeah]

“That’s right, but also not.”

“What are you talking about? A warm iced Americano?”

“Hyung, you’re not believing me, are you?”

“Would you believe it if you were me?”

Kyungsoo laughed as he waved his hand dismissively. Noeul’s lips twitched like he had more to say, but Kyungsoo grabbed his arm and dragged him to the nearby shooting game booth. He handed Noeul a toy gun, and Noeul, fiddling with the barrel, mumbled with a sullen face.

“…I’ll confess again later. I just don’t have the courage right now.”

“…?”

Confess? What about the one you already made? Knowing that Noeul liked him, another confession seemed pointless. But Noeul’s unusually serious expression made Kyungsoo nod reluctantly.

\*

That night, Kyungsoo tossed and turned, thinking about Cheon Noeul. He kept replaying Noeul’s words in his head but could only conclude that he was delusional. How could someone so normal suddenly start having such wild fantasies? Stress was terrifying. But what troubled Kyungsoo more was Noeul’s promise to confess again.

“I’ll confess again later.”

“…”

Kyungsoo was scared of Noeul. Part of it was due to his unpredictable behavior, and part of it was the thought that Noeul might make a public confession in front of a crowd. Knowing Noeul, the scale of such a confession would likely be huge. The thought of cheesy proposals he’d seen on TV passed through Kyungsoo’s mind, making him more miserable.

A path lined with yellow candles and rose petals. Colorful balloons floating in the air. If Cheon Noeul were to stand in the middle of a crowd, holding a bouquet and shouting, “I’ll say it properly this time! Hyung, I like you! I don’t care what anyone says! Please go out with me!”—Kyungsoo feared he’d lose his sanity. He might even become a criminal by the end of the day, with so many witnesses, and no one would take his side. That terrified him the most. Noeul just might do it.

One thing was clear: Cheon Noeul was not in his right mind.

The next day, as soon as Kyungsoo logged into the game, he checked his friends list. Sunset and Jung Minjae were online. He hesitated to mention Noeul in front of Sunset, as Sunset seemed almost as obsessed with him as Noeul. It felt like he was attracting weird people all year. Maybe he should get a talisman…

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Hey, what are you up to right now?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Huh? Why so sudden? Just hanging out in the union room… Still an hour before practice games. Why?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: It’s about Cheon Noeul. I need to ask something…

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: ??? Okay, be there soon.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Meet me at the Märchen Tavern.

It wasn’t going to be a long conversation, but it could drag on. Kyungsoo mentally rehearsed how to bring up the topic.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: I’m here, hehe.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: It’s nothing big, haha.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: ???

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: How’s Noeul doing? At school, I mean.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: ?? He’s doing fine, why?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: He’s doing really well, why?

Hearing that made Kyungsoo feel even worse. It seemed Noeul was hiding his issues from his friends too. Remembering Noeul’s excitement over a simple arcade game yesterday made Kyungsoo feel sad for him. It must mean there’s not much joy in his life lately.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Just… look out for him at school, okay?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: …? Huh?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: You want me to?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Yeah.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Lol why tho?;;;

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Why should I look out for him? I’m not his keeper…

“…?”

Hearing Minjae call him Cheon Noeul’s keeper made it sting even more.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Seriously? You’re going to say that too? You’re not, and you know it. You’ll regret it later, lol.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Hahaha, well it’s funnier because it’s true. After you left yesterday, we were joking around about it with Poseidon. Thanks for the laughs, haha.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: What joke?

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Wait, don’t tell me…

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: No, we didn’t spill any secrets… but someone asked about your mushroom-picking nickname, so we had to explain… lol. So funny.

“…?”

Kyungsoo’s head began to spin. He had hoped to keep that nickname under wraps, but now it was another piece of ammunition for the guild to tease him with.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: I feel bad for the unintentional backstabbing, but Poseidon already roasted all of us after you left, so at least we all suffered, haha.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Glad to hear it.

No wonder everyone in the guild chat was just laughing all morning. They were all gleefully plotting to mock him.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: If you’re mad, go ahead and take it out on me. I’m ready to die, lol.

But what’s done is done. Stopping what might happen next was Kyungsoo’s real concern. He quickly got back on track.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Anyway, that’s not the issue, so it’s fine.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ… Hyung, are you perhaps the angel Lucifer? (T_T)

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Isn’t Lucifer a demon?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: Whatever, it’s touching anyway (T_T)

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Stop changing the subject and listen.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: It seems like Cheon Noeul is stressed out from attending cram school lately.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: LOL? How would you know that? Did he say he’s stressed?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: If he did, that’s total bullsh*t, don’t fall for it.

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Nah, he asked me to hang out for a bit last night.

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: ? Last night? LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: His face looked pale, though. What kind of academy is he attending that’s wearing him out like that?

[Whisper] SpadeQueen: LOL LOL LOL LOL Oh my god, so that’s why he went out LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

[Whisper] MeowieMeowMeow: Yeah, he asked me to go out.