Chapter 119

Lee Junseong was helped out of the trap by a mysterious (or not) woman.

“……”

“……”

The black-haired, black-eyed woman blinked at Lee Junseong’s gaze, then suddenly spoke up.

“Junior. Do you have agoraphobia? You don’t look too happy even though we’re outside now. If you want to go back inside, I can help you.”

“It’s just that this situation is so absurd.”

“Why?”

“What kind of person sets a trap to recruit people for a club, then kidnaps them with fake screams?”

At Lee Junseong’s words, the black-haired, black-eyed woman tilted her head.

“I’ve never kidnapped anyone, though?”

“Then what was that I just experienced?”

“An invitation.”

“That was a kidnapping.”

“An invitation.”

The black-haired, black-eyed woman firmly stated, then asked Lee Junseong.

“So, are you going to join our club?”

Throughout this conversation, Lee Junseong felt like he was watching Han Yoorim’s broadcast.

Her self-centered attitude, her slightly off tone, and even the way she spoke based on her own inner logic.

No matter how you looked at it, it was Han Yoorim.

‘…This is a first.’

Han Yoorim often created blonde-haired, blue-eyed characters for her games.

The characters she created resembled Thierry so much that people thought it was just her obsession with Thierry, but now everyone knew the truth.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed characters Han Yoorim frequently included in her games weren’t based on Thierry—they were based on herself.

Aylie from *Excel Busters* was like that, the protagonist in *Resurrected Students Also Need Love* was literally named “Han Yoorim,” and while *Eternal World: Tower of Transcendence* was a bit ambiguous, *Cosmic Osuary* and *Cosmic Origin* were clear.

So, it wasn’t particularly strange for Han Yoorim to appear in her own games, but…

*RE: Snowball Garden* felt completely different from her previous works.

Was it because the character had black hair and black eyes instead of blonde hair and blue eyes?

That was part of it, but it wasn’t the main reason.

What really caught Lee Junseong off guard wasn’t the character’s appearance—it was her personality.

It wasn’t for nothing that people associated Han Yoorim’s blonde-haired, blue-eyed characters with Thierry. If you didn’t know what Han Yoorim looked like, it was hard to associate her characters with her.

Because the way they acted didn’t resemble Han Yoorim at all.

Aylie from *Excel Busters* was optimistic, the “Han Yoorim” in *Resurrected Students Also Need Love* was childish, the character in *Eternal World: Tower of Transcendence* was arrogant, and the characters in *Cosmic Osuary* and *Cosmic Origin* were calm and energetic, respectively.

But in *RE: Snowball Garden*, it was different.

Of course, the character in *RE: Snowball Garden* had black hair and black eyes. Unlike the previous blonde-haired, blue-eyed characters, she didn’t inherit Han Yoorim’s signature traits.

But even so, this character was the most Han Yoorim-like yet.

Her personality, her actions—they were exactly like Han Yoorim.

In other words, for the first time in Han Yoorim’s games, a character that truly resembled the “real” Han Yoorim had appeared, and Lee Junseong found it oddly refreshing.

‘It feels similar to that dating sim made by Han Yoorim’s acquaintance.’

*Phantom of the Silver Mirage* and *RE: Snowball Garden* shared something in common. The former had silver hair but looked and acted exactly like Han Yoorim, while the latter had black hair but also looked and acted exactly like her.

“Junior?”

Noticing Lee Junseong’s lack of response, the black-haired, black-eyed beauty moved her lips again.

Lee Junseong spoke.

“What’s your name?”

“My name? Is that important?”

“My name is Lee Junseong.”

“Shin Yoori.”

“Shin Yoori? Not Han Yoorim?”

“Who’s that? Did you hit your head when you fell into the trap, Junior?”

As Lee Junseong brushed off Shin Yoori’s nonsense, he couldn’t help but speak up at her last remark.

“Didn’t you say it wasn’t a trap?”

“Did I?”

“You said you didn’t kidnap me, you invited me.”

“I did invite you, but I never said I didn’t set a trap.”

……Now that he thought about it, she had only denied kidnapping him, not setting the trap.

To be precise, she had deliberately avoided answering the part about the trap and only responded to the kidnapping part.

Even this was very Han Yoorim-like. Only answering the parts she wanted to, without technically lying, was Han Yoorim’s passive skill.

She used it so naturally that even though he knew, he still fell for it.

And the fact that she honestly admitted it when confronted was also very Han Yoorim-like.

It was so similar that Lee Junseong couldn’t help but suspect that Han Yoorim was controlling her from behind.

Suddenly, Lee Junseong became curious.

Just how far would this Han Yoorim—no, Shin Yoori—go in being Han Yoorim-like?

“Yoori Senior.”

“Yes?”

“Hypothetically, let’s say there’s a game developer.”

“That’s really random. Do you like games?”

“Why do you think that game developer keeps putting characters that resemble herself in her games?”

“Characters that resemble herself? You shouldn’t play games made by narcissists like that. If you compliment the game even once, they might become obsessed with you.”

Suppressing the urge to say, “You’re talking about yourself, you lunatic,” Lee Junseong calmly asked.

“Think about it seriously. What do you think the reason is?”

“The premise is too weak. The answer depends on what the game developer looks like, what her personality is like, and what she’s pursuing.”

“She looks like the pinnacle of human beauty, her personality is self-centered with a slightly off tone, and she speaks based on her own inner logic. What she’s pursuing is the ultimate game creation.”

“That’s oddly specific and worshipful. Is she your crush?”

“…No. So, do you have an idea?”

At Lee Junseong’s words, Shin Yoori answered indifferently.

“That’s too easy. Really, this kind of…

“Were you curious?”

“Easy, you say?”

No. Was this supposed to be an easy problem?

Everyone who had played Han Yoorim’s game so far had failed to solve this challenge, and you’re saying it’s easy?

Lee Junseong was surprised by the unexpected remark, but Shin Yoori continued as if it were no big deal.

“If someone who’s at the peak of beauty, does things their own way, and wants to create the ultimate game puts a character resembling themselves in the game, there’s only one reason.”

“What is it?”

“Obviously, it’s to improve the game’s quality.”

It was simple.

If the peak of beauty is in the mirror, there’s no reason not to use it as a motif for a character.

After all, it’s an eternal truth that the prettier a character is, the better.

“So it was that simple?”

“Or there’s also the possibility that she’s a female who wants users to pursue her.”

“…That’s definitely not it.”

“Then my first point stands.”

“Really?”

“You’re persistent. Is there any reason why what I said can’t be true?”

It wasn’t that, but Lee Junseong still found it hard to accept Shin Yoori’s words easily.

Because…

“If what you’re saying is true, then that game developer thinks of herself as the prettiest in the world.”

“You admitted it too, Junior. The prettiest in the world.”

“That’s different from her thinking that herself…”

“People usually know best how they look. A woman who doesn’t realize she’s a beautiful girl only exists in fiction, so be careful.”

So that’s how it is.

Lee Junseong, who had just learned a new truth about the world, had a distant look in his eyes.

Shin Yoori then spoke to him.

“Junior.”

“What?”

“So, are you going to join the club?”

“What kind of club is it?”

“Good question.”

Shin Yoori confidently extended her right hand and declared.

“Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Shin Yoori. I am the chairman of the Martial Arts Club, which aims to reach the peak by training the body, the source of all power, to its limits.”

“But I’m a swordsman?”

“…You were a filthy swordsman.”

Shin Yoori’s eyes darkened.

The sudden change was bewildering.

“That’s impossible. A filthy swordsman wouldn’t rush to save someone in danger.”

“Ah. So the fake scream was a test to weed out martial artists?”

“This is a dream. The junior I went through so much trouble to recruit turns out to be a swordsman. I’m sorry, past chairmen of the Martial Arts Club. This is the end for our club.”

No wonder. All that talk about invitations and such had a reason behind it.

Lee Junseong shrugged and asked.

“Then can I go now?”

“Junior. Wait. Relying on a sword is a foolish act of dependence on external objects. Repent now and become a martial artist. That’s the right path.”

“Sorry.”

Quickly apologizing, Lee Junseong left the spot.

“Junior! You’ll regret that choice someday!”

Ignoring the nonsense coming from behind.

*

Lee Junseong quite liked the atmosphere of the academy.

The unique sensibility passed down from the rental store era was something you couldn’t feel in other genres.

“Lee Junseong.”

So, Lee Junseong wasn’t flustered when a silver-haired, silver-eyed beautiful girl suddenly appeared on his way home.

It was a familiar cliché.

Lee Junseong stared intently at the silver-haired, silver-eyed beautiful girl.

She felt completely different from the image he had seen when they were younger.

“What?”

Finally, the main heroine of this game appeared. Lee Junseong calmly responded to his childhood friend, Baek Siyun.

What would she do?

Ignore? Be friendly? Or indifferent?

Having prepared to handle whatever action she took, Lee Junseong was ready. But Baek Siyun said,

“You’ve become quite useless since I last saw you.”

And with that, she disappeared.

Lee Junseong scratched his cheek.

So, it was ignoring.

This kind of heroine isn’t popular these days. Why did they make the main heroine’s personality like that?

Not that I care.

Well, now what—.

“Junior, your childhood friend is disappointed because you’re a swordsman. Immediately dedicate yourself to the path of a martial artist. That’s the only way to reconcile with your childhood friend.”

“Really sorry, but weren’t you supposed to stop appearing?”

Lee Junseong looked at Shin Yoori, who was whispering beside him, with a look of disbelief.

Shin Yoori tilted her head.

“Was there ever such a time?”

“Well… not really.”

Quickly accepting, Lee Junseong crossed his arms and sank into thought.

Hmm.

First, I need to figure out why she’s acting like this.

“Obviously, it looks like you made a promise to reach the peak of swordsmanship together, but she’s upset because she’s the only one holding onto that promise. Junior. You can’t even figure out something this simple? Your deduction skills are lacking.”

“Senior, I’m really sorry, but please be quiet.”

“Got it.”

Then the key to the strategy is…

“The easiest way is to prove that you haven’t forgotten the promise, Junior. If there’s a plausible reason for your poor skills, then your childhood friend will be immediately won over. But if you simply forgot the promise… then there’s no hope. Just quietly dedicate yourself to the path of a martial artist. Find a new heroine.”

“Senior, I’m really sorry, but please be quiet.”