HFS 21
by Emerlyn[Inbox]
From: Ittorang
Do you want to make up with me?
[🍎Big Apple] x1]
It was the culmination of a long wait. Though it was a woefully inadequate email with a ridiculous item, it was enough to calm Seo Hee-won’s frayed nerves. What mattered most was that Ittorang had lowered his tail first and apologized to him first.
As expected, how long could he last without me? While thinking this, Seo Hee-won still felt a sense of defeat and wounded pride. Soon after, Ittorang entered the guild room and cautiously approached him.
[General] Ittorang: Seohee1.
[General] Ittolang: Did you see my email?
[General] Seohee1: Yes.
[General] Ittolang: I just picked it, so it’s fresh.
[General] Seohee1: So?
[General] Ittolang: Let’s make up haha
[General] Seohee1: Why? Go live in public parties.
Of course, if he really went to live in public parties, Seo Hee-won really wouldn’t let him get away with it.
[General] Ittorang: What?
[General] Ittorang: How could I live without you, Seohee1…
[General] Seohee1: Will you
[General] Seohee1: Overextend again like today?
[General] Ittorang: No…
[General] Ittorang: I’m really sorry…
[General] Seohee1: If you leave the party on your own one more time, know that you won’t be able to come back.
[General] Ittorang: Yes…
Though part of him wanted to press Ittorang down further as he showed submission…Seo Hee-won wanted to end this fight as soon as possible. After hours of dealing with frayed nerves, he was quite exhausted by the whole thing. Completely forgetting his earlier thought of retraining him, he asked a question he already knew the answer to.
[General] Seohee1: Did you kill the Sea King?
[General] Ittorang: I almost had it.
[General] Ittorang: But thinking about you and our guild members struggling without me
[General] Ittorang: My heart hurt too much and I was too worried, so I let it go.
[General] Seohee1: We’re going again tomorrow evening so keep your schedule clear.
[General] Ittorang: Hahahaha
[General] Ittorang: Okay.
Though he found the pathetic display of aegyo unsightly, a subtle satisfaction welled up inside of him. Now he surely wouldn’t think of leaving the party again…Seo Hee-won switched his damage-dealing weapon for his healing-exclusive weapon and finally found peace of mind.
The very next evening after Cheong-hyeon made up with Seo Hee-won, Cheong-hyeon kept his mouth shut and focused solely on clearing the Sea King, reducing the clear time by 5 minutes compared to usual.
[Party] Heekkom: Ittorang why are you trying so hard ă…
[Party] Heekkom: You must have had a hard time in the public party…
Seemingly having earned everyone’s sympathy, Tiramisush even gave Cheong-hyeon some advice.
[Whisper] Tiramisush: Just accept it!
[Whisper] Tiramisush: It’s easier if you do what Seohee1 says ㅇㅅㅇ
[Whisper] Tiramisush: Now whenever I get scolded, I just think of it as them rapping.
The words weren’t particularly helpful and became more distressing the more he heard them. Nevertheless, Cheong-hyeon showed insane concentration while taking down bosses, dreaming of his “revenge.” Someday, when Cheong-hyeon left the party, Seo Heewon would be the one begging him to stay.
[Guild] Heekkom: Anyone for mini-dungeon~
[Guild] Marachip: Me me!
[Guild] Marachip: If I collect enough points today, I can buy clothes!
[Guild] Marachip: I’m going in serious mode.
[Guild] Capybara: What’s serious mode?
[Guild] Marachip: Playing like Ittorang.
[Guild] Capybara: Ah.
[Guild] Heekkom: Don’t tease adults.
Regardless of how others saw him, Cheong-hyeon continued to write his success story by consecutively reducing boss clear times. Despite these efforts, there was no particular reaction from Seo Hee-won for a while. Just as questions began to arise in Cheong-hyeon’s mind about whether he was just becoming a diligent damage slave…
“Yes, I’ll come down for Lunar New Year. Is Ittorang doing well?”
“Talk about a dog with a lucky life…The kid has been eating so many snacks lately that he’s gotten quite plump.”
“Haha. Don’t give him too many snacks.”
“When he looks up with those big round eyes, your father feels sorry for him and keeps giving him treats. Can’t stop him…Oh, your father went to the hospital the other day.”
“Hospital? Why, what happened?”
Cheong-hyeon had called his mother for a casual check-in, but the unexpected news made the call last longer than anticipated. His father had fallen rather badly on an icy road but fortunately hadn’t broken any bones. Only after thoroughly nagging his father to be more careful when he took the phone did Cheong-hyeon end the call.
…What time is it now?
Heaving a deep sigh, Cheong-hyeon suddenly remembered something and urgently checked the time as he turned on his computer. They had agreed to go on a boss raid at 9 o’clock today, but he had completely forgotten while talking to his parents. It was Cheong-hyeon’s first tardiness, when he usually logged in 10 minutes before the appointed time.
While logging in, Cheong-hyeon picked up his phone to send a message but was shocked. Over 300 messages on Scico had accumulated in his notifications. They were all from Seo Hee-won.
Seohee1: Why aren’t you coming?
Seohee1: Are you on your way?
Seohee1: What are you doing?
Seohee1: Where are you?
The messages, which started calmly, gradually became engulfed in anger as more time passed.
Seohee1: What kind of manners is it to be late without saying anything?
Seohee1: When are you coming?
–
Seohee1: Hey
Seohee1: You
The threatening messages continued to arrive without pause, dropping formal language and accusing him of running away again, promising consequences, saying they would forgive him if he logged in now. After quickly reading through these menacing messages, an undeniable smile formed at the corners of Cheong-hyeon’s lips.
Someone might have thought he was a pervert for smiling while being cursed at, but Cheong-hyeon’s mind filtered Seo Hee-won’s harsh words and interpreted them as something like “There’s no dealer as good as you, so please come quickly. ă… ă… ” Until now, despite Cheong-hyeon’s impressive dealer performances and significant party contributions, there had been no particular reaction, so he had almost been deceived.
He had thought he was seen as just one of many interchangeable dealers, but for Seo Hee-won to make such a fuss after just five minutes, it seemed that Cheong-hyeon’s departure from the party had been quite a blow to Seo Hee-won as well. It was truly a historic moment for Cheong-hyeon, fulfilling his own oath to put Seo Hee-won in the same position as himself.
After that day, having satisfyingly released the vengeful feelings that had been constantly boiling toward Seo Hee-won, Cheong-hyeon could deal with him with a much lighter and more relaxed mind. On the other hand, Seo Hee-won…
[Guild] Seohee1: What? Are you afraid I’ll get your number and sell your personal information?
[Guild] Seohee1: It’s frustrating when you’re late like last time and I can’t contact you.
[Guild] Ittorang: I’ll contact you through Scico haha
[Guild] Seohee1: You didn’t check Scico – –
[Guild] Seohee1: I’m saying give me your number for emergencies.
[Guild] Ittorang: Ah.
[Guild] Ittorang: Is this that thing?
[Guild] Ittorang: A trick to get my number?
[Guild] Seohee1: Ha
Cheong-hyeon had planned to tease him a bit more before telling him, but Seo Hee-won left in disgust. Just when Cheong-hyeon thought he had given up, a whisper arrived shortly after.
[Whisper] Seohee1: 010-xxxx-xxxx
[Whisper] Seohee1: Save it
[To Seohee1]: ^/^
[Whisper] Seohee1: So annoying.
And so, a new number was saved in Cheong-hyeon’s phone under the name [Seo Hee-won]. While things remained relatively peaceful despite the occasional bickering with Seo Hee-won, there was just one obstacle to the Normal People Guild’s peace.
[Server] bowwow: Ah I want to do Holy War.
[Server] bowwow: I want to fight that bat guild soon.
[Server] bowwow: Oh! Can’t that guild even pass the preliminaries?
[Server] bowwow: Better to wait for the brawl lol
[Server] bowwow: Holding my breath until the ranking matches open!
[Server] Pupuding: Is this idiot using server chat alone?
As the Holy War and Brawl seasons approached, Seven Guild’s one-sided provocations began to intensify. It was a daily occurrence for them to blast server megaphones aimed at Normal People Guild, unable to resolve their animosity, and recently Capybara had even been chased by a group from Seven in the field.
Capybara, who had barely escaped from the Seven Guild members who had issued duel requests in groups, had been quite dejected for a while afterward. Though anyone would have had to run away, he seemed to think he had caused trouble for the guild due to his own weakness, as Capybara glumly apologized.
Guild members gathered instantly upon seeing their downcast youngest member. Led by the particularly enraged Marachip, they rushed to the scene to exact punishment, but the Seven Guild members had already disappeared. The Normal People Guild members had consistently ignored Seven’s provocations, but they could no longer just stand by.
[Server] Lucky: Seven Guild, the undisputed #1 in Holy War, recruiting new members 🙂
[Server] Jimni: Seven Guild, record holders for most trapped dummies, recruiting new members 🙂
[Server] bowwow: lmao your guild master is Seohee1.
[Server] Spectator: lolololololol damage tutoring huge loss.
“This…this…! Like their guild master is any better!”
Bang! It was Jimni who slammed his desk and exploded in anger. As if about to engage in a full keyboard battle, the sound of keyboard tapping intensified.
“Stay calm, stay calm. If we get angry here, we really will lose.”
Just as Cheong-hyeon was barely managing to soothe Jimni, Seo Hee-won, who had been watching the drama unfold from a distance, sent a server megaphone.
Jjokbari is a Korean language ethnic slur which may refer to Japanese citizens or people of Japanese ancestry.