SMNTCERR, Chapter 33 Cyan #6.

   Daily Log <Observation Log of Chu Sangwoo>.

   (1.)

   Tuesday, April 8th, Day 5 of the office takeover.

   Room entry time: 18:31 / Room exit time: 22:00.

•                                                 Significant event: Choi Yoona vs. Chu Sangwoo.

   “Here, Chu Sangchu.”

   “Please do not change the nickname of others according to your whims.”

   “Why do you always act confused whenever I play a song, but when

   Jaeyoung plays, you don’t say anything?” Yoona started the scene with a fierce attack.

   “Because my senior, Jaeyoung, takes an average of 9 minutes during break time to make sure he takes his break. So I tolerate it. It’s different from some people who play songs for twenty-four hours straight, right? When I go back home, I turn off the sound sometimes. I feel sorry for the headset.”

   “…”

   Chu Sangwoo-Shield-Strike and Miss Choi Yoona Lost-Knockout.

•    Notable points: Resolving differences willingly, calling names, “speaking names”.
•    Opinion: Nothing abnormal or exceptional.

   (2.)

   Wednesday, April 9th, Day 6 of the office takeover.

   Room entry time: 18:31 / Room exit time: 22:00.

•    Significant event: When Chu Sangwoo was most angry.

   “If it keeps spinning like this, I might actually throw the computer screen out the window.”

   “I think you should seek treatment for your anger management issues a little bit, hyung.”

   Sangwoo struggles to distinguish between playfulness and reality.

   “Since when have you been the angriest? Try telling me three things.”

   Jaeyoung sensed that break time was about to end, so he deliberately brought up a new topic because if Sangwoo was asked, he would have to give a definite answer, as expected. The other party stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.

   “Um… When you invited me to watch a movie.”

   “Would you say that was the angriest moment of your life?”

   This life has never been in crisis, right? Otherwise, just watching a movie would affect your mind that much, huh?

   “Yes. As for the second point… It’s about washing my face in the bathroom during the first break of the “Embedded System” class this semester.”

   Oh, both the first and second ranks, huh? Jaeyoung stayed quiet, thinking that he was digging his own grave.

   “The third point is about the swimming competition in sixth grade.”

   “Why? Because it wasn’t there in the first place?”

   “It was in first place.”

   “Then why?”

   “I hate myself for only remembering up to 622. After that, I tried to remember until 1024, sir, but if I try to remember more than that, it feels like a waste of time, so I stopped.”

   “You’re not ordinary either. Seriously.”

•    Notable observation: Confirm once again that he accurately remembers negative memories of the opposing faction.
•    Opinion: There’s nothing unusually special.

   (3.)

   Thursday, April 10th, Day 7 of occupying the office.

   Entered the room at 18:31 / Left the room at 20:25.

•    Significant event: Platinum and Diamond.

   At that time, the UI, characters, items, effects, maps, and the game world were all completed. Although there were still many pages and UI elements to work on, it was a normal thing to want a break from the exhaustion and to enjoy a sense of relief after completing a major project. Whether it succeeds or not. Jaeyoung was still exhausted.

   “Let’s investigate the data.”

   “Please explain in plain terms.”

   “It’s about inviting you to experience the movement in games and the feeling of playing games from other successful companies, analyzing the pros and cons. Then we can discuss, draw inspiration in terms of art, and explore the success in popularity from players. At the same time, it’s a way to strengthen relationships within the team and relieve stress.”

   Sangwoo sat there quietly, seeming not to understand what Jaeyoung was saying.

   “Are you inviting me to play games?”

   ‘This kid, he understands quickly now.’

   “Go for about two hours and then come back, the postponed work, tomorrow will make it all complete, promise.”

   “Do you believe me?”

   “Of course, I don’t believe you.”

   When exhausted and irritated, Sangwoo began to believe that data exploration was necessary… but in reality, Jaeyoung had a hidden intention. He was used to being the one carrying the game because he excelled at almost every game. Everyone wanted to be on the same team as Jaeyoung, so he was quite proud. Another thing is that this is an opportunity to use gaming skills to gain respect from Chu Sangwoo, who is not easily impressed by skateboards.

   They went to the internet cafe where Sangwoo worked. The owner of the cafe was delighted to see Sangwoo as a customer for the first time and offered them free drinks.

   “What should we play?”

   “Play the game that you want to play. I can play any online game released in the market.”

   “What have you been playing a lot lately… PUBG? OW? LOL? Which game are you best at?”

   “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Overwatch. That’s fine. As for

   League of Legends, I’m not that good. I haven’t played it in a while.”  “Then let’s play that game.”

   Jaeyoung teased, but Sangwoo happily replied, “Let’s do this” And doubleclicked to enter the game.

   Jaeyoung chose a stealth assassin character who could continuously attack and had strong offensive power, while Sangwoo chose a support tank character with utility benefits despite its unimpressive appearance.

   While waiting for the game to start, Sangwoo accessed the game’s information website to view detailed skill sets of various characters and item details. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung was so engrossed in reading webtoons that he was startled when the game loading window popped up.

   “You said you’re not good, but you made it to the Grandmaster rank?”

   That meant Sangwoo was a high-level player in the top 1-2% of the previous season… Jaeyoung was even sweating.

   The villainous plot emerged in the game. While Jaeyoung relied on the spirit of animals and the physical abilities of his character, Sangwoo meticulously calculated the enemy’s movements to secure victory.

   “Can’t you calculate the damage of the skills [2]?”

   “Can’t you calculate the cooldown of the opposing team’s skills [3]?”

   “When I tell the gang [4], we have to trade [5 ]and reduce the enemy’s movements.”

   “Why is CS [6] like that in the middle of the game?”

   “If it’s not time to kill, just collect the flesh and keep it for a while.”

   In those two hours, Sangwoo didn’t scold even once. He only used a calm tone to reprimand Jaeyoung. The excellent gameplay that Jaeyoung usually demonstrated to everyone turned into mere fumbling when faced with Sangwoo. The gameplay that had been based on instinct seemed to transform into a helpless experience without calculation. Finally, going outside to change the atmosphere had no meaning. The atmosphere remained the same as when they were in the office room.

   It is not advisable to approach Chu Sangwoo with “PUBG.” “OW.” “LOL.” or “StarCraft.” Jaeyoung kept this note in mind.

   “What the heck, why would you invite me to play KartRider [7.]?”

•    Notable observation: Chu Sangwoo is a genius at playing games.
•    Opinion: There’s nothing unusually special.

   (4.)

   Friday, April 11th, Day 8 of occupying the office.

   Entered the room at 18:31 / Left the room at 22:02.

•    Significant event: A kiss?

   At that time, it was around 3:30 AM after finishing the status window, inventory, and skill window. Jaeyoung was completely exhausted. He told Sangwoo that he would take a 15-minute break. Then he lay down on the folding bed and fell asleep for a moment.

   “Hyung, it’s time for me to go back.”

   Then he was awakened by Sangwoo’s voice, but because he was still drowsy, he intentionally pretended to be asleep. Jaeyoung felt too weak to bid farewell to Sangwoo and ask him to go home. After a while, he heard the sound of items being collected from the table.

   “Wake up. Will you finish the roulette and title today?”

   That voice came from afar. Even though the tone was harsh, he enjoyed listening to it.

   “Are you still sleeping?”

   The other side asked, but Jaeyoung didn’t answer.

   “Hyung, are you sleeping?”

   It was still the same question, but the voice sounded slightly closer.

   “Sleeping… Are you really sleeping?”

   The voice came closer. What is it? Is he going to write on my face again? In order to startle Sangwoo, Jaeyoung decided to pretend to continue sleeping.

   “Are you really asleep, hyungnim?”

   Hyungnim… 

   That word made Jaeyoung think that he could not let go of his previous intention to tease the other side. It was like being attacked by a skill that immobilized in all forms, turning into hints, stunned, slowed down, transformed into stone, stopped time, causing confusion. Jaeyoung felt that Sangwoo, who was right in front of him, had closed his eyes tightly and carefully examined his own face.

   “Are you for real?”

   The voice was faint, barely reaching the tip of the nose. Sangwoo’s hot breath fogged up his glasses, and the tip of his fingers grazed his forehead and slid through his hair. What was this situation? Jaeyoung breathed faster but still pretended to be asleep, continuing the drama with a calm heart.

   The difficult and enduring phase continued. Jaeyoung thought that if he had to endure more than this, his face would have stiffened and twitched, so he decided to turn over and lie on his side. At that moment, there was something soft touching the corner of his mouth.

   He endured without opening his eyes, maintaining his composure beyond human limits.

   Then, something slipped away. When he opened his eyes, Chu Sangwoo’s back had disappeared behind the door silently.

•    Noteworthy point: Fskhdfaskfhasf, are we going to kill each other?
•    Comment: *Clearly detected signs of abnormalities*.

   ⌘W.

   ________________________________________.

[1]      Tank. A character with high health or skills that can absorb attacks for teammates, likened to a frontline fortress, suitable for opening combat scenes for the team.

[2]      Skill damage. The amount of damage caused by using a skill.

[3]      Cooldown. In the game, it refers to one of the game’s mechanics, a period of time that players have to wait to use the same skill again.

[4]      Gank. The act of one or more players sneaking up and attacking another player in a different lane. This term is often used for players in the jungle position “the position that focuses on killing monsters to earn money for item purchases in the jungle” because players in this position are responsible for helping manage players on their team in each lane to give an advantage to their own team.

[5]      Trade. An exchange of attacks to prevent being at a disadvantage by being continuously attacked by only one side. It is often used in engagements where different sides attack each other, like gun duels in cowboy movies.

[6]      CS “Creep Score”. The number of creeps killed by each player. It has a significant impact on the in-game economy, and a higher CS gives the team a better chance of winning, especially for the carry position, which is the main offensive force of the team. Note that creeps include both monsters and minions in the game.

   KartRider, or its full name, CrazyRacing, KartRider, is an online racing game from South Korea.

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