SMNTCERR, Chapter 18 <11> #5.

   “Ohhhhh….”

   As soon as the door opened, Jaeyoung let out a big sigh. Sangwoo tossed the jelly bag onto Jaeyoung’s tray.

   “Just order once, please.”

   “Ohhhhhhhh….”

   “And if there’s something to say, say it. Don’t just keep sighing.”

   “It hurts, it hurts so much.”

   “Will I ever know what to do?”

   Sangwoo sighed and turned around to face Jaeyoung. As he grabbed the doorknob of the smoking zone, he heard a loud sound from behind.

   “I was thinking of ordering until you asked why I keep sighing.”

   Sangwoo just chuckled. If there’s something to say, then say it. Why use roundabout ways to waste money and time?

   “So why do you keep sighing then?”

   “My notebook is broken.”

   Jaeyoung sighed as if he had been waiting all along. At the same time, it felt like he was just speaking in passing, making Sangwoo wonder.

   “What’s the problem?”

   “I don’t know, it makes a beep sound and won’t turn on.”

   “The memory card [1] might have come loose from the slot [2] or there may be an issue with the motherboard [3]. If the RAM is loose, you can just put it back in and it should work, but if there’s a problem with the chipset, you might have to take it to a service center to diagnose the issue based on the number of beeps.”

   “I’m not good with computers, I really don’t know.”

   Jaeyoung spoke softly and took another deep breath.

   “What should I do? I might have to sell it for scrap metal. Maybe I’ll get around five hundred thousand won for it.”

   ‘You believe in easy solutions.’

   Sangwoo turned around and hugged himself. Jaeyoung sat on the chair, looking at Sangwoo. Then he started murmuring as if talking to himself.

   “Even though I brought it here, it doesn’t mean I can fix it. I’ve been playing games for a while, but I’ll probably have to go to a service center. And by the way, is there any place open at this time? It’s so annoying.”

   “Give it to me then.”

   Sangwoo blurted out. It wasn’t out of pity, he just wanted to solve the problem right in front of him. Jaeyoung clapped his hands and widened his eyes.

   “Really, you’re a computer expert, aren’t you? We should be able to fix the computer together.”  “I’ll take a look.”

   Jaeyoung handed over his green notebook bag without hesitation. Sangwoo took the notebook and went back to the counter. When he opened the bag, he found a white notebook with a 14-inch display, a brand he was familiar with because he had used it before, and it had been on the market for two years.

   When he pressed the power button, the laptop didn’t boot up as Jaeyoung had mentioned, and there were two beeps. Not four beeps, but two beeps, indicating a problem with the memory. Sangwoo held down the power button to force shut down the notebook, then took out a screwdriver and started disassembling it.

   “Can this really be fixed?”

   When he opened it up, he found that not only had the RAM come loose from the slot, but there was no RAM at all. Sangwoo immediately messaged Customer 22 through the store’s internet system.

   [Admin: Hi. There’s no RAM_20:16.]

   [Guest22: What?ㅠㅠ, Let me check in my bag_20:16.]

   Upon seeing the guest’s distressed response, Sangwoo frowned, but upon inspection, there seemed to be no damage. So he searched in the small bag, and inside, he found the RAM, unbelievably intact.

   [Admin: It’s in the bag, and why did you take out the RAM? _20:18.]

   [Guest22: It came out when I pulled it out, here it is ㅠㅠ_20:19.]

   ‘Are you going to say that the computer parts came loose by themselves when you opened the case?’

   This is the most meaningless statement among all the things Jaeyoung has ever said. However, when he inserted the RAM back and turned on the machine, it worked fine. But it seemed like this notebook had more than just a hardware issue [5] because it took longer than usual to boot up.

   After 5 minutes, the desktop appeared on the screen. When looking at the desktop, Sangwoo was speechless. The majority of the desktop space was occupied by graphic design software icons. There were also folders for pictures, videos, documents, and many others. Because of this, he couldn’t see the face of the female celebrity that was set as the background image.

   [Admin: The boot-up is very slow. Organize the icons on the desktop. 

   Delete any unused programs _20:27.]

   [Guest22: Is it broken? ㅠㅠ_20:27.]

   [Admin: It’s not completely broken. I will install optimization software 

   [6]. If possible, buy an SSD [7] and install it _20:27.]

   But it’s not something that software can fix. Just opening a web browser takes up to 1 minute, so it’s obvious how the owner has been using this computer despite its age.

   [Admin: Formatting might improve it _20:32.]

   [Guest22: Please do it ㅠㅠ_20:32.]

   [Admin: I don’t have the OS, unfortunately _20:32.]

   [Guest22: It looks like there’s a CD in the bag _20:32.]

   Is there anyone on this planet who carries a computer operating system in their bag? But even though it’s hard to believe, it must be true. Inside the small bag behind him, there is a copyrighted OS CD. Sangwoo couldn’t find words to say.

   [Admin: Do people usually carry an OS with them? _20:34.]

   [Guest22: I don’t know ㅠㅠ. Maybe it’s a thank-you gift _20:34.]

   [Admin: Okay. You should back up your data _20:35.]

   [Guest22: What is backup? ㅠㅠ_20:35.]

   [Admin: Find a flash drive with plenty of space. Otherwise, use a portable hard disk. If you don’t have one, use online storage _20:35.]

   [Guest22: I’ll check in the bag _20:35.]

   It’s unbelievable that there is actually a 1TB portable hard disk in the inner pocket of the bag. This bag can be called a universe bag, huh? Someone who doesn’t know what a backup is but carries such a large-capacity portable hard disk, it’s really surprising.

   [Admin: I will format it. Will Partition [9] split automatically? _20:37.]

   [Guest22: Divide it into drives, C, and D, each half. Install Windows on 

   Drive D_20:38.]

   [Guest22: I don’t know anything at all ㅠㅠ, but I see that it’s a good way to divide it. _20:38.]

   [Admin: Yes_20:39.]

   He moved the slow data of the laptop to the portable hard disk, then formatted the computer, boosted its performance, and installed various basic programs. Sangwoo proudly folded down the screen. After doing something useful, time passed productively, and he himself felt better.

   “Hmm, your eyes seem tired.”

   Jaeyoung stood with his chin on the counter, looking at Sangwoo. The other side had been there for a while. Sangwoo didn’t notice.

   “Is it finished already? Impressive.”

   Sangwoo just figured it out when the cable went off, because he kept fixing the notebook for the other party. So he lost two hours, and this was something he did on his own without anyone ordering him. Nevertheless, it’s still this junk hooligan’s annoying notebook. Even though the guy himself didn’t act maliciously like before. But still, Sangwoo packed the equipment in a bored and indifferent face and handed it to Jaeyoung.

   “The specs don’t support graphic software, so don’t install those programs.”

   “Thank you.. Sangwoo.”

   Jaeyoung’s three-word remark had an odd weight in his heart. He felt a little strange. How can two hours of labor be repaid with just a simple thank you? But the moment he heard those words, he felt as if all the fatigue didn’t matter. Sangwoo looked away without making eye contact with Jaeyoung.

   At that moment, the late part-time employee arrived and switched places with Sangwoo, while Sangwoo packed his lunch and put on a coat. Jaeyoung slung the notebook bag and stood by the door.

   Sangwoo walked without thinking for a moment. Then, when the NDorphin spray came out while dealing with the computer, he found himself walking next to Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung walked alongside, swaying his hand and humming a strange song, but there was no sign of any intention to provoke or show off.

   “What are you doing, sunbae?”

   “Huh?”

   Jaeyoung made a face as if he just realized that Sangwoo was walking beside him.

   “Where are you going, senior?”

   “Am I? Oh… How about home?”

   “This is the way to my house.”

   “I’m going this way too.”

   If that’s the case, it can be explained why the other party is walking beside you on the way back home. Not following him.

   “Sangwoo, you’re really good with computers.”

   “I just have everything I need in my bag, that’s all.”

   “I should express my gratitude a little bit.”

   “Don’t mention it. I only did it because I couldn’t stand watching.”

   Sangwoo spoke sharply, saying he didn’t know what else to do to show gratitude, and he didn’t want anything like that.

   “No, no, if you intend to do it, you must receive a reward.”

   “It’s okay.”

   Jaeyoung stayed quiet for a while and then asked suddenly.

   “Do you want to watch a movie?”

   Sangwoo wasn’t interested in movies, but he knew that the equation “cinema = dating place” was a common perspective in society.

   “Why do I have to go watch a movie with you sunbae?”

   “Huh? I didn’t invite you to watch it together. I just bought a ticket for you to watch alone.”

   “…”

   Sangwoo felt uneasy as to why these past few days he had been thinking on his own. He couldn’t breathe properly.

   “Whatever you say, if that’s the case.”

   He quickly said something and walked away, lucky to have reached home. Jaeyoung’s footsteps stopped in front of an apartment, while Sangwoo walked towards the door as if he was escaping.

   “Sweet dreams.. Sangwoo.”

   That was an unnecessary gentle farewell, but Jaeyoung’s farewell today made Sangwoo feel uneasy inappropriately. He didn’t know why the other party seemed different than usual.

   “…you too, sunbae.”

   Sangwoo spoke without caring whether Jaeyoung would hear or not. Then he ran up the stairs two steps at a time.

   ________________________________________.

[1]      Memory card. In this case, it refers to RAM “Random-access memory” or “ram.” the main memory unit of a computer that is an important component affecting overall performance and also has an impact on system speed.

[2]      Slot. It is a slot for inserting devices such as RAM, modem, internal expansion cards, or other devices that help enhance the capabilities of a computer on the motherboard.

[3]      Motherboard or mainboard. It is the main circuit board that controls the operation of connected devices according to instructions. The chipset is the main and crucial component, considered the heart of the system, responsible for coordinating the operation between various devices on the motherboard.

[4]      Boot. It prepares the computer for use and is the first thing that appears after pressing the power button. It checks the status of the machine, provides various details about the computer, such as how much RAM is available, what buses are present, and the CPU speed, using BIOS software.

[5]      Hardware. It comprises the physical components of a computer, including peripheral devices related to the computer that can be seen and touched, such as the main unit, display screen, keyboard, and mouse, among others.

[6]      Optimization software, also known as cleaning software or junk file cleaners, helps remove unnecessary files from computers, tablets, or smartphones, and improves the overall system performance “also called optimization”. Antivirus programs also have tools for this purpose.

[7]      SSD “Solid State Drive”. It is a type of data storage device used with computers or laptops to store data persistently, similar to a hard disk drive “HDD”, but faster and more reliable.

[8]      Format. It is the process of erasing all data on a drive. In the case of the C: drive or the drive where the OS “operating system” is installed, a new OS must be installed afterward.

[9]      Partition. It is the act of dividing the space on a hard disk into sections or multiple drives for convenient access to data and programs.

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