GBAS 60

Thump-!

Hyunwoo, who had strode back into the small restaurant, immediately gulped down cold water as soon as he sat down. He downed two glasses in a row, but it wasn’t enough to soothe his insides, which were boiling with indignation.

‘Should I just chew on some ice?’

Just as Hyunwoo, with a woeful expression, was catching his ragged breath, Namyoung, who had moved one seat over to where Jooin had been sitting, asked casually.

“Was the phone call not so good?”

“…….”

“Take this. You look like you need it.”

He then handed Hyunwoo a small glass and said.

Does this person know something?

Hyunwoo, who had been staring at Namyoung with a contorted face, let out a sigh. It was because he remembered Jooin’s last words.

‘……If Baek Jooin says so, then it must be so.’

When Hyunwoo took the glass he offered, a surprised Namyoung’s eyes sparkled with an intrigued expression.

“Oh.”

“…….”

“Feeling like being friends now? Yahoo-. I really thought you disliked me because I was bothering Jooin.”

Namyoung, with the same good-natured smile as when they first met, filled his and Hyunwoo’s empty glasses with alcohol.

As he immediately downed the lightly clinked glass, the sweet alcohol ran down his throat.

“Here you go.”

As if he knew he was looking for something to eat with his drink, Namyoung served the properly reduced dish onto a plate for him. Hyunwoo, holding chopsticks, put a piece of chicken, thoroughly cooked in the red sauce, into his mouth.

“It’s delicious, right? This has been my mother’s regular spot for 30 years.”

As Namyoung said, the food was very delicious. To the point where it was annoying to have discovered this place today, when he couldn’t fully enjoy it.

When Hyunwoo nodded, Namyoung grinned and picked up the bottle to fill both their glasses.

The glasses clinked once more, and after emptying his glass, Namyoung glanced at Suchan, Jihwan, and Taeil gathered at the next table.

“So, you’re saying Hyosung-hyung sent a DM to your girlfriend?”

“Isn’t he a crazy bastard?”

“I don’t know, fuck. Lee Hyunmin got it too, apparently.”

Reassured by the atmosphere that seemed completely oblivious to them, Namyoung looked at Hyunwoo across from him.

At the same time, Hyunwoo picked up a spoon, cooled a potato well-stewed in the sauce by blowing on it, and took a bite.

“Mr. Hyunwoo.”

Namyoung, lowering his voice, leaned in and subtly approached. When Hyunwoo, wondering what was up, leaned in as well, Namyoung, after checking his surroundings once more, asked.

“By any chance.”

Go board, 0 and 1, silver, northeast, and carrots.

“Do you like Jooin?”

Namyoung looked straight at Hyunwoo.

Crunch-.

At the awkward texture in his mouth, Hyunwoo’s head turned towards the spoon on his plate. The cross-section, hidden by the red sauce, was orange.

An unknown voice brushed past his ears.

‘Be careful of this one thing!’

It was a carrot.

After meeting Baek Jooin and his band members, Hyunwoo’s mental health had deteriorated a bit.

While eating, while showering, while sitting in a lecture hall. The words Baek Jooin had said that day, and the voice of Cheon Namyoung, who had landed another counterpunch on his already seriously injured self, would sporadically pop up and torment him.

Today was no different.

Hyunwoo, who had been lying sprawled on his bed doing nothing on his hard-earned day off, let out a sharp cry.

“If you don’t like it, you end it?!”

Flipping over onto his stomach, Hyunwoo buried his face in his pillow and screamed with all his might.

After venting all his pent-up frustration. The next course of action was to browse Baek Jooin’s social media.

Baek Jooin wasn’t the type to give out his account information himself, so he found it on his own through the follow list of the band’s official account. For someone who was reluctant to share so much, he seemed thoughtless about this kind of thing, as his account was public and could be viewed without following, making it easy to snoop.

Turning on his phone and bringing up Jooin’s profile, Hyunwoo began to scan through the photos he had already seen enough to wear them out. From the present to the past. As he scrolled down, Cheon Namyoung and other people were invariably stuck to the side of Jooin, who gradually showed more of his youthful side.

Just a while ago, he had thought they were a bit too overprotective of Baek Jooin. But after checking his social media, he realized how futile his worries had been. In high school, Jooin had lived half-buried among them. After becoming an adult, the current situation was much better than back then.

Hyunwoo’s hand, which had been scrolling down rapidly, stopped on a photo of Baek Jooin in a school uniform.

“…….”

The post was dated roughly 5 years ago. So, around when Baek Jooin was 19. It seemed like something had happened to him.

He wanted to ask him himself, but now he couldn’t. It was because he had heard it directly from him: don’t worry, don’t fret, and don’t interfere.

“Haa.”

How did he end up giving his first time to such a promiscuous rock star? The fact was so frustrating, miserable, and despairing.

He wanted to confide in someone and be comforted, but the only people around him were his university classmates who knew all about his failed love life, and his game friends who knew both him and Jooin, so he couldn’t open his mouth carelessly.

The king has donkey ears-!

These days, he could understand the feelings of the person from the old tale who went to a bamboo forest every day, wanting to tell a secret.

The sun was high in the sky. It was when he was getting up from his spot, thinking he had to do something,

that a very good idea to resolve this frustration came to mind.

“……Not bad?”

👾🎮

Upon logging into the game, Hyunwoo immediately went to someone’s housing.

He had been in line for 2 hours already. After a long wait, it was finally his turn.

His own appearance, draped in rags to protect his personal information, resembled a one-dimensional ghost he had seen in a foreign fairy tale.

“Last person.”

It was difficult to move because of the costume, which was just a piece of cloth with two eyeholes. With the help of someone who appeared to be a secretary, Hyunwoo opened the door to the hut and went inside.

Creeak-

The inside was dark and quiet, without any decorations. In the middle of the hut’s living room, where the only light came from the attic window, stood a simple wooden confessional, the kind you would see in a cathedral.

Finding the one with an open door, Hyunwoo went in and sat down. A keyboard appeared on what looked like a desk. When he touched the keyboard, a window shaped exactly like a real-life messenger chat room appeared in the space that looked like the confessional’s window.

Hyunwoo immediately typed a greeting.

Anonymous

Hello

Counseling Center

Hello!

The place Hyunwoo had come to was an in-game counseling service called ‘We’ll Listen to Anything’.

This place was famous for strictly protecting anonymity and even preventing one’s identity from being leaked through their voice by using only the messenger. The counselor was not an NPC but a regular user, and his gender and age were said to be shrouded in mystery.

Counseling Center

What troubles brought you here today?

Please feel free to speak when you’re ready!

As the counseling center signaled the start of the session, Hyunwoo, sitting in the small wooden box, took a deep breath. Then he placed his hands on the keyboard in front of him.

Anonymous

There’s someone I like

But I don’t think they like me back

No no

More than not liking me, I think they just hate that I like them

He started by laying out the most basic premise. Then, three dots slowly blinked at the bottom of the screen, indicating that the counseling center was typing a reply.

Counseling Center

I see!

Then you’ve come to the right place.

I have one question, would you be able to answer it?

Anonymous

Yes yes

Counseling Center

Then, what kind of relationship would you like to have with that person?

Anonymous

……I haven’t thought about that yet

Counseling Center

Ah, then please take your time to think about it!

Knock-knock-

The secretary, who had walked from outside the hut, knocked twice on the counselor’s booth with a sharp rap.

“Delivering the document.”

It seemed the form he had filled out in advance had arrived just in time. He heard the quiet rustling of paper from the next booth.

Counseling Center

First, I’ll check the document you’ve written

Anonymous

Okay

Counseling Center

It hasn’t been long since you started liking them?

Anonymous

Yes, that’s right

Counseling Center

How did you know that they don’t like you back?

Anonymous

Well, it’s a bit of a long story

And there were some, you know, things that happened

Counseling Center

It’s okay. Please take your time and tell me as much as you’re comfortable with when you’re ready!

As if to give him time to think, the sound of paper turning started again from the next room.

Staring at the window floating in front of him, Hyunwoo clutched his head.

Ah, what should I do. A new problem has arisen before the old one is even solved.

How much should I tell? From where to where?