Author: joell55

SMNTCERR, Chapter 2 <1> #2.   

   When they locked eyes, the other party pointed at Sangwoo.   

   “Why?”   

 

   Sangwoo subtly touched his cheek as if to ask if there was something on his face. The other party looked surprised, but then their eyes gradually returned to normal. Sangwoo didn’t want to work with this person, but he reluctantly sat down, thinking that he should follow the basic steps. He intentionally avoided looking directly at the other person and picked up a pen.   

   “Are you the designer in your senior year?”   

   “Yes.”   

   “Do you already know what needs to be done?”   

   “Roughly?”   

   “Right now, I’m developing a 2D action game. I’m using Framework[1] Cocos2d[2] as the main tools. The game will be an adventure featuring a child protagonist and will have a single-player perspective.”   

   But it seemed like the man wasn’t paying attention to what Sangwoo was saying at all. He sat leaning back in his chair, shaking his leg. He even grabbed Sangwoo’s notebook without permission, flipping through its pages while saying, “Seriously focused, huh?” Plus…   

   “So boring.”   

   He complained as he sighed loudly before diverting his gaze from the character concept of the “Vegetable Man” that had been created with intention.   

   “My friend  said you are talented. But this feels half-hearted, it’s the real concept, but you don’t seem to care much. The sketches are also rough.” He slid the paper document forward. As the paper fluttered in the wind, the corner of the paper hit Sangwoo’s nose. Sangwoo frowned and placed the paper on the notebook. He intended to show and explain it, but his patience had reached its limit… Sangwoo thought it might be better if he left. There was no point in wasting his energy here.   

   “It seems like you don’t click with me. In that case, I’ll go find another designer.”   

   He prepared to put the notebook and documents into his bag, but the other party suddenly spoke up.   

   “You’re a junior who can write code that well? If I ask you to create something, how much can you do?”   

   “Just design it well. I can do all the necessary things for a 2D action game.”   

   “You’re quite confident in yourself.”   

   Those words sounded belittling to Sangwoo, spoken that way because they saw him as just a student or someone who had recently returned to studying.   

   Sangwoo felt unwilling and retorted.   

   “Especially debugging[3] and optimization[4]. I’m confident in those areas.   

   In my final project, I’ve created an income and expense tracking app using   

   HTML5[5] and developed an arcade game[6]…”   

   “Not like that.”   

   The young man adjusted his glasses slightly and tapped on the draft documents of the “Vegetable Man” with his finger. Then he continued speaking.   

   “Just having a well-functioning system doesn’t mean it’s good enough. A game needs to go hand in hand with fun. The controls and movements need to feel natural, and it’s not solely dependent on graphics. BGM[7] is also important. That’s why I’m not okay with this planning approach. I want to trust you and invest my valuable time in you, can I?”   

   It was difficult for Sangwoo to understand him. On the surface, it seemed like he didn’t care about the job, but suddenly he became serious. He decided to lower his head and hug his chest.   

   “Well, if you trust me, I will do my best.”   

   Sangwoo responded calmly before feeling that something wasn’t right. He realized that this person was actually the team leader and the true employer. There was no reason for him to bow down to his employees. Sangwoo straightened his back and sat up, embracing his confidence.   

   “Actually, have you ever made mobile games before?”   

   A fitting retort came at the right time, even though it was from someone seemingly inexperienced. Whether it was his lack of ability or not, he would just walk out of the room.   

   “No, I haven’t.”   

   “Goodbye then.”   

   “But I’ve made games on the web platform.”   

   Sangwoo was about to stand up, hesitating. If he could handle designing, UI[8] for websites, then he should be able to develop apps as well, as they are smaller in scale. Although he needed to be cautious about optimization, the main factors were similar. Besides, the senior who didn’t seem trustworthy had praised him highly.   

   “May I see your portfolio?”   

   The other party smirked and pulled out a tablet from his jacket pocket, tapping on it a few times before handing it over.   

   Sangwoo quickly scrolled through the showcased works on the bright white background, zooming in on each image for a closer look—website designs, posters, logos, and illustrations. This man could do many things at once, and the quality was on par with professionals, almost not resembling the work of a student.   

   ‘This is even better than the average professional’s work!’ ‘The efficiency of the UI, pass!’ ‘The simplicity of the UI, pass!   

   ‘The appropriation of the illustrations, pass!’   

   Especially the lines art form, it has a distinctive and lively quality. Sangwoo even went as far as erasing the blueprint of ‘Vegetable Man’ that was etched in his heart.   

   “Wherever I go, people just admire how talented I am.” The young man glanced at Sangwoo’s face and continued.   

   “sunbae, did you do everything himself?”   

   The young man chuckled in response to Sangwoo’s question, picked up a pen, and comfortably started sketching in his notebook. In just twenty seconds, he produced a cartoon-style character that differed greatly from the previous designer’s style. This character looked a bit worn and tattered but had a lot of style. In the end, Sangwoo had to admit that the other party was good enough to have a conversation with.   

   ‘That’s impressive.’   

   Sangwoo felt his heart racing. He had to calm himself down before expecting too much. There was still something he was worried about.   

   “Can you devote your time to this project next semester?”   

   “Yes, actually, I made a slight mistake with my plans when the previous project ended, so I’ll be free next semester.”   

   “If you get the job, I will work on it until it’s completed.”   

   Just as Sangwoo was about to accept him, someone arrived forty minutes late and seemed unbelievable at first glance but gradually became someone trustworthy. If he’s this talented, no matter how unenthusiastic he appears, Sangwoo was ready to open his heart to that possibility. Moreover, as someone who values sincerity, this decision was monumental for him alone.  

   “In that case, may I have your phone number?”   

   When Sangwoo handed his mobile phone politely, the young man calmly entered the number and handed it back. Meanwhile, his facial expression changed, and the young man furrowed his brows, gradually shifting his gaze towards Sangwoo.   

   “You already have your number.”   

   “It can’t be.”  

   “Look here.”   

   His voice sounded assertive. Sangwoo took his phone back, still not understanding the situation.   

   [NonPaddler 3 is Calling…]   

   ________________________________________ .   

1.    Framework: Development of foundational systems, command sets, or basic formats to enable developers to easily and quickly invoke commands, formats, or systems. In other words, a framework is a convenient tool for programming, web development, game development, etc.   

1.    Cocos2d: A framework for game development.   

1.    Debugging: Resolving flaws or troubleshooting errors in computer programming.   

1.    Optimization: Improving efficiency. In this case, it refers to making a game run smoothly while using fewer resources, such as reducing file size while maintaining quality, smooth gameplay, and high-quality graphics, but with minimal memory “RAM” usage.   

1.    HTML5: A computer language used as the primary language for writing web pages. HTML has been developed in several versions, and version 5 is the latest.   

1.    Arcade Games: These include pinball games, Street Fighter, racing games, puzzle games, etc. Originally, arcade games were played on arcade cabinets located in game centers or shopping malls, but nowadays, arcade games can be played on computers or mobile devices.   

1.    BGM: Background music used to enhance the atmosphere of a particular situation.   

1.    UI: User Interface, what the user sees. Whether it’s a web page, app screen, or various visual components such as buttons and icons that allow individuals to interact with a product or service.   

      

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SMNTCERR, Chapter 1 <1> #1.   

   The first semester of the third year was packed with 23 completed credits. What made Sangwoo struggle the most was not the renowned challenging major courses but rather an elective course worth only 2 credits called “University Han Gook Image Training.” It was a mandatory elective where if you didn’t attend the lectures, you couldn’t pass. The task at hand was simply attending easy lectures and working on a group project that wasn’t too demanding.   

   The presentation topic was extremely straightforward. At first, he thought it was a joke, even though there was one group member who used participating in a competition as an excuse for not attending class. He still didn’t think it was a big deal. But then, one person remained unresponsive from the previous day until the day of the presentation. If he had done it alone from the beginning, he would have finished the work in just one day, but now he had to constantly contact his friend to send him the information, wasting both time and mental peace.   

   Although Sangwoo felt annoyed, once the presentation was done, he completely forgot about it. However, after the grades were released, problems started to arise.   

   [NonPaddler 1: Did you remove my name?? Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t me who couldn’t attend because of your grandma’s funeral? How can you treat me like this???_10:04.]   

   [NonPaddler 2: Yes, fuck  whatever. Are you satisfied? ^^ㅗ_15:29.]   

   [NonPaddler 3: I have to thank you for making me not graduate. Can we talk a bit, little hubaenim? [1]_20:23.]   

   On the day of the grade announcement, Sangwoo received a continuous stream of messages. Although the first two people sent only one message and then stopped, the other person asked to meet and kept calling persistently, so he blocked that number.   

   Then came the end of the semester. Sangwoo had planned to reduce his workload next semester and work on a mobile game project. Therefore, he self-studied programming language [2] on ordinary days and worked parttime at an internet cafe on weekends. Everyday life went smoothly, but there was one troubling issue.   

   That day was a Saturday when he went to work at the internet cafe as usual. Two students came to the shop and used the services all day. Sangwoo was stationed at the counter, handling payments and overheard their conversation.   

   ‘Don’t you know, Jaeyoung didn’t graduate.’   

   ‘Why? Was he planning to study abroad?’   

   ‘Well, it’s because of the elective course worth two credits, that…personal image something. Some people complained about attendance, so they got an F.’   

   ‘Can’t they request a grade change?’   

   ‘It seems like the professor favored the student who complained, so it’s impossible to get it changed.’   

   ‘Sounds like they’re being left to clean up their own mess.’   

   It felt like he had heard a similar story somewhere before. Sangwoo pretended to clean something near the counter while secretly eavesdropping.   

   ‘But I heard that guy doesn’t answer phone calls.’   

   ‘Which top student is it?’   

   ‘He doesn’t have a pager, just a computer. Jaeyoung said he would kill him if he finds him. Now he’s trying to track down his address, but it seems like he’s a person no one knows. It’s really troublesome.’   

   ‘Oh, so it’s just a lawsuit. Probably some justice seekers.’   

   Listening and listening, it seems that Sangwoo has gotten involved with some bad influences since he entered university. Although there have been conflicts, he has managed to solve them well. In one year, he almost got involved with senior students who forced him to drink alcohol, and he once refused to pay the student union fee until he was interviewed by a newspaper. He had arguments with people in the park that escalated into fights, and he even had an altercation with someone who cut in line, resulting in a visit to the police station. But when compared to someone who didn’t graduate, those incidents became insignificant.   

   Sangwoo seriously considered changing his phone number, but he didn’t do anything wrong, so teasing him would be funny. Therefore, he didn’t do anything, but after that day, he became paranoid every time he heard the notification sound of his phone.   

   [Senior Han Sooyeong, Virtual Arts Design: Junior-Dev [3] ^^! By coincidence, I have received a job and won’t be able to continue working on the project. I apologize, but I kindly request my skilled classmates from the same batch to attend the meeting in my place, okay?_12:31.] The messages received over several days turned out to be disappointing. Senior Han Sooyeong was very busy with work and although it took a long time, she helped him with the drawings until they were completed. And now Sangwoo has planned a game that suits the style of the other party, so the need to change the designer halfway through is considered bad news.   

   In university, there are countless irresponsible individuals, but even so, it would be fortunate if this person found someone to take over for them. Even though there is nothing to guarantee the abilities of that party, well, what can you do?   

   [It’s a pity. I liked your designs Noona-12:33]   

•    [Han Sooyeong, Virtual Arts Design: That friend is better than me, trust me! Can I give him your phone number? 12:34]   

   [Can I have that senior phone number?_12:34]   

•    [Senior Han Sooyeong, Virtual Arts Design: Before this, I lost all the numbers I had saved, so I don’t have any numbers now; But when we met yesterday, I told him the time and place clearly. He’s in the same year as me, his name is Jang Jaeyoung! ^^12:34]   

   [Okay_ 12:34]   

   Sangwoo finished the conversation and headed towards the university. He scheduled a meeting for 4 o’clock, but he arrived at the meeting place three hours in advance to organize the storyline and sketches of the characters in the game with senior Jang Jaeyoung, an excellent graphic designer. Other than what senior Han Sooyeong mentioned in the message that the other party is talented, Sangwoo didn’t know anything else about this person.  

   Whether it’s their gender or drawing style.   

   It’s possible that a senior in a higher year might be busy, so they probably wouldn’t withdraw midway through since they have a job, just like senior Han Sooyeong. Sangwoo wasn’t sure, but he had to meet this person face to face and find out.   

   Sangwoo got up from his seat at 3:55 PM and walked up the stairs. He had reserved a small meeting room on the third floor of the library. He arrived at the meeting room one minute before the scheduled time, carrying a notebook and pen, ready and prepared.   

   But the designer didn’t show up.   

   If it were any other appointment, he would probably leave without looking back. But this project was something he couldn’t do alone, and a designer was necessary. Sangwoo picked up his mobile phone and started playing games. In the meantime, ten minutes passed.   

   The designer still didn’t come.   

   Did they get the time wrong? Did senior Han Sooyeong give the wrong time and location? Or did they change their mind? Or did something unexpected come up? As numerous unanswered questions flooded his mind, another ten minutes passed.   

   The designer still didn’t come.   

   ‘A habit of being late.’   

   Someone who doesn’t value time isn’t suitable for this work. Working with someone like that, the project definitely won’t be able to move forward. While Sangwoo was boiling with frustration, another ten minutes passed.   

   The designer still hadn’t arrived.   

   ‘Finally, the last ten minutes.’   

   He had faith in senior Han Sooyeong, who was kind-hearted and capable. So Sangwoo waited for another ten minutes. Even though he tried to calm his restless mind, but until the end, the designer didn’t show up.   

   He clenched his teeth and got up from the chair. Sangwoo tended to avoid doing anything wasteful, but among all those things, he hated wasting time the most. The second he reached out to grab the doorknob, it was pulled away.   

   (Here, right?)   

   Sangwoo looked at the other person with a scowling face. A man wearing a black beanie walked in nonchalantly and sat on the chair opposite him. He wore large glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose, and one ear was adorned with three metal piercings. Despite coming for a meeting, he came empty-handed, taking both hands out of his shirt pocket and raising his chin.  “Oh!”   

   ________________________________________ .   

   [1]. In the original print, it was typed without spaces, reflecting Jang Jaeyoung’s chat typing habit.   

1.    Programming Languages: High-level computer languages such as Pascal, C, VB, Java used for program development.   

1.    Dev comes from Developer, referring to a developer, which in this case means a game developer.   

     SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME 

   Introduction: <0>.   

   Synopsis.   

   Chu Sangwoo, a third-year engineering student in the Computer Engineering department, was living a straightforward life as a robotics enthusiast. He made the decision to leave the NonPaddler group “a bunch of slackers” during a group project because they refused to contribute. As a result, he caused one senior to fail and not graduate.   

   NonPaddler 3: [I have to thank you for making me fail, let’s talk a little. You, my junior] – 20:23.   

   Jang Jaeyoung, a fourth-year art student from the prestigious School of Fine Arts, was about to pursue a Master’s degree at a renowned university abroad. Despite being well-prepared with talent, looks, and status, everything fell apart because of Chu Sangwoo alone.   

   Chu Sangwoo didn’t care about seniors he never met because they probably wouldn’t meet again, but who would have thought they had to work on a mobile game project together!   

   “At first, I thought of letting it pass, but I changed my mind. Let’s wait and see what happens next semester.”   

   Red duck shirt, red jersey, red cap, and a Coke can! Semantic Error, the fiery character, is about to shake Sangwoo’s perfect world!   

   Will he be able to fix this bug? Or one day… Error, this character will become a permanent part of the operating system.   

   ________________________________________.   

   Introduction.   

   In a lecture hall at a certain university, more than half of the students were in a state of disarray. Even the professors couldn’t make the students in the large classroom pay attention to the lecture. Furthermore, the appearance of the person who went out to stand at the podium did not attract any glances at all.   

   The presenter wore an oversized checkered shirt and dark jeans that were not trendy. He also pulled down a low-crowned cap, making his face unclear. But when he pressed the button on the PowerPoint remote, the audience’s bored expressions were instantly dyed with surprise.   

   [Good Personality and Social Role of Hankuk University Students]   

   The seemingly large font size of about 93 points made it feel quite overwhelming. What was even more surprising was that he used the GulimChe font. I had no idea whether the biggest problem was the faint background image of Bobo x Bono or the excessive use of rainbow colors to decorate each letter one by one.   

   “With your permission, let’s start the presentation.”   

   The presenter moved on to the next slide with a nonchalant expression, as if mocking the audience’s reaction. Although this time the slide only had subheadings in yellow letters on a black background, he still maintained the intimidating font size and eye-straining font.   

   “For this presentation, I have conducted research on the integrity of Hankuk University graduates. To what extent they are innovative thinkers and dedicated workers based on the voices of renowned alumni of Hankuk University, who are well-known in society. I have also redefined the suitable personality traits and explored the roles and responsibilities of new students in the future.”   

   The students, who had been daydreaming, became alert again after seeing the shocking PowerPoint slides projected through the projector. The presenter’s voice remained flat, neither high nor low. Moreover, the suspense built up as they waited for him to continue speaking but he didn’t finish his first sentence.   

   “First and foremost, here, is an individual known for their integrity, ladies and gentlemen.”   

   The presenter thoroughly researched whether the training of personnel displayed on Hankuk University’s website was genuine or not. And he concluded that it was not. The mentioned examples of alumni included politicians who were removed from their positions due to corruption cases, university professors who fabricated research papers, and businessmen involved in financial scandals.   

   In terms of content, it can be said that it delves deep into unexplored territories. In terms of presentation, it was logical and reasonable. For a group project worth only 2 credits, it was extremely difficult to find students who were genuinely honest. Unfortunately, it seemed that there were only a few people who stayed attentive throughout the entire presentation, even with the inclusion of professors. The presenter emphasized the importance of honesty and fairness. The presentation lasted only about ten minutes, yet there were still a few claps.   

   [Group Leader: Chu Sangwoo   

   Presenter: Chu Sangwoo   

   Research in Part 1: Chu Sangwoo   

   Research in Part 2: Chu Sangwoo   

   Data Summary: Chu Sangwoo   

   Presentation Organization: Chu Sangwoo   

   List of Contributing Members: Chu Sangwoo]   

   The professor adjusted his glasses with a puzzled expression, struggling to speak. At the same time, the students expressed their dissatisfaction with audible sighs when they saw the tense atmosphere in the lecture hall. Chu Sangwoo, the presenter, believed that the popular cartoon character displayed on the background of the slides received a positive response.  return 0; [3.]   

   A student wearing a cap and a face mask walked into the teacher’s office. Then the person, who turned out to be the professor, gestured for the other party to sit down with a troubled face.   

   “So, Student Sangwoo, I called you here because of today’s presentation.”   

   “Is there a problem?”   

   “The content was impressive, but…”   

   The professor flipped through the list with a concerned look. Although Student Chu Sangwoo presented the content in a shocking manner, it was still a group project. There were three more members in his group.   

   “Other group members. Did they not contribute at all?”  

   “Yes.”   

   The student responded with a blank expression.   

   “Can you tell me in detail?”   

   “Initially, my role was only to research and create the slides for the first part. However, the person assigned to research the second part, who promised to provide the information by 6 PM yesterday, didn’t follow through. So I had to do it all on my own. As for the presenter, they are upset because their aunt, who is also their mom’s sister, passed away and they couldn’t participate. So I had to take responsibility for that too.”   

   “There’s still one more person, right?”   

   “I’ve never met that person before.”   

   The professor paused and checked the attendance list. At that moment, they started scrutinizing it as if they found something.   

   “This group also has a senior who is about to graduate. They had to participate in an international competition, so they sent an email requesting permission to skip classes this week.”   

   “I heard someone went to participate in a competition.” The professor looked at the student in front of them.   

   “That’s unfortunate. Did you remove their name from the group just like that?”   

   “No. I didn’t think that way.”   

   “Why not?”   

   “If they had been actively involved until now and only missed one class, I would have listened to their reasons. But that person has never attended a single meeting during the class, nor did they contribute to the project at all.” The professor sighed and flipped through the attendance book, looking at the student directly.   

   “This is quite a situation. You should have removed their name earlier, don’t you think?”   

   “No. I didn’t consider that.”   

   “Why?”   

   “If they had participated before and had just missed today’s class, I would have probably listened to their reasoning. But that person has never attended any class meetings, and they haven’t contributed to the project at all.” The professor pushed the attendance book forward.   

   “Look here. Apart from the previous class and this one, they attended every single class…”   

   “I don’t know. Maybe they sent someone else to check their attendance.” The professor heard that and made a frustrated face.   

   “Well, in that case, I understand now. You may leave.”   

   “Thank you.”   

   The student left the professor’s office with a nonchalant expression, just as they had entered.   

1.    Laser Pointer: A device that emits a small, focused beam of light that can be used to point at specific points desired by the user. It produces a clear visible light and is developed to aid users in pointing out details on slides from a distance.   

1.    GulimChe: The font style used in the Korean language. It has a thin and difficult-to-read appearance, so it is not commonly used for presentation slides or formal documents.   

1.    return 0;: A programming command that signifies returning a value of 0 to the main function, indicating that the program has executed correctly and successfully completed its operations. In this context, the author used  

   “return 0;” as a way to separate scenes.   

      

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