“Wow… It’s really big.”
I had heard that she lived well from her own mouth, but seeing the high ceiling and the spacious living room, I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
“Come in. Are you just going to stand there?”
Carefully taking steps as I entered the house with plastic bags full of food in both hands, set down on the living room table by Yellow.
Yes. I am now at Yellow’s house. To explain why I’m here at Yellow’s house, we’d have to go back several hours ago.
“……”
Following Yellow’s words and sitting down to start the game, my play remained unchanged. I didn’t expect to see any noticeable changes in an instant. Watching videos alone doesn’t improve one’s skills.
However, Yellow seemed to guess that I had watched many videos and hoped for some change.
“What’s the problem?”
I couldn’t answer. If I knew the problem, I would have solved it long ago; the fact that I’m facing this situation means I don’t know the problem.
But this time, Yellow’s sharp tone was absent when asking the question. She seemed genuinely trying to understand what the problem was.
“Maybe it’s just a lack of talent?”
I wasn’t expecting dramatic changes either, but I hoped for some movements that Yellow wouldn’t react to. Losing even after fighting Yellow and not winning despite matching up, I began to think that maybe I was destined to lose.
“Games only require interest.”
If it were just about interest, it would be much easier. Following Yellow’s advice, I spent the whole weekend watching videos and researching games, but no change occurred. The reason isn’t because the game isn’t fun; it’s just that interest alone isn’t enough.
Yellow probably sees me as someone who has interest but lacks skill. I chased after her to learn, came to the arcade every day except for the days I couldn’t make it, and watched all the videos I missed.
“Let’s play another game.”
“Okay.”
Following her words, I inserted a coin and started another match. Using all available information, I tried blocking and dodging Yellow’s attacks, but I got hit more often, and most of my predictable moves were blocked.
The next game also ended in defeat, and the continuous losses left me feeling powerless, so I sighed deeply.
“Haa…”
“……Hey.”
After sighing, there was a brief silence. Yellow broke the silence by calling me as she stood up from her seat.
Approaching me with golden eyes that seemed like they could consume me, she looked at me.
“Why, why?”
“Let’s play another game.”
“Yeah, okay.”
What should I say? Despite having no intention of stopping from the beginning, hearing those words made me feel like I shouldn’t give up.
The next game also ended in defeat. I was used to losing. Although I’ve been battling Hyper-human for ten years, I never won against them. Initially, I felt frustrated and angry about losing, but now, I was accustomed to it.
The reason I felt despondent was that I couldn’t land even a single dramatic attack on Yellow. Although I didn’t expect dramatic changes, I hoped for some improvement. Compared to watching videos over the weekend, hoping for such significant progress might seem unrealistic, but that’s how human emotions work.
I didn’t want to tell myself ‘it’s just a game’ when feeling this way. Various types of games exist, but those that pit players against each other often captivate many people’s hearts. It’s natural to feel frustrated if you can’t win. And yet, I wished she hadn’t paid attention to me at all. Beating an opponent who penalized me wouldn’t bring joy. Fortunately, Yellow didn’t pay attention to me.
“Is it because the opponent is bad?”
“Indeed, there’s a huge gap between you and me.”
“Should we try matching up? Then we might meet similar opponents.”
“Even if I lose, it would be better to lose to you.”
Losing to an unknown person would be more shocking. Last week, the shock of losing wasn’t this intense, nor was the desire to win so strong. Watching videos and thinking it would be cool to play that way seems to have painted a picture of victory for me.
“Alright. Let’s play more.”
It seemed Yellow regretted being harsh earlier, so she spoke to me more calmly than before.
“Not you, idiot!”
She didn’t say that.
“If you break through the guard, just keep going instead of standing there like an idiot.”
“My hand got tangled up.”
A momentary opening appeared, and I thought about launching a combo, but my attack was delayed, and ultimately, I was blocked by Yellow’s guard, resulting in another crushing defeat. Missing the opportunity in front of me made me feel even more regretful.
“Hey. Let’s play again.”
This time, I said I wanted to play more and reached for a coin, but Yellow stood up and came to my side.
“It’s dinner time. We should leave soon.”
“Already?”
I was so engrossed in the game that I lost track of time. Checking my phone, I realized it was already evening. Yellow, saying there was something awkward at the arcade in the evening, stood up to leave.
Yellow didn’t look too happy either, and we left the arcade.
“Another day ruined by gaming.”
“……”
Perhaps it would be better to stop thinking about the game and create some distance. Since the initial purpose wasn’t gaming, investing time in something that isn’t even a goal could be a waste.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
When I called Yellow to discuss stopping, she seemed to have finished her thoughts and called me. Our voices overlapped as we called each other, and our eyes met, causing us to pause.
“Let me speak first.”
Since my part is nearing its end, it doesn’t matter if I say it now.
“Do you have time?”
“I do have time.”
There were no plans for dinner. After playing annoyingly for hours, perhaps she meant to eat. It’s absurd. This Yellow wouldn’t make such a suggestion.
“Let’s go to your house.”
And then, hearing such an unreasonable and unrealistic statement, I stared blankly at her, unable to respond.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
“No, what are you planning to do at home?”
“What do you think? Gaming.”
She must be referring to the game console at her place.
She mentioned something awkward at the arcade in the evening. She sincerely wants to teach me gaming. These two thoughts collided, leading to this conclusion. Is this okay?
Honestly, it’s not a bad proposal from my perspective.
“Are you okay with it?”
“Nothing is wrong with it.”
We took the subway and stopped by the market on the way to her house to buy dinner. Currently, I am inside her house.
The first time I saw her enter her apartment from outside, I felt good about it. Especially since she lives in a penthouse occupying the entire top floor.
“But are you really okay with it?”
Approaching Yellow, who was arranging food on the table, I asked. She seemed annoyed at answering the same question she had asked before, so she straightened her back and looked at me with narrow eyes.
“Why? What seems to be the problem?”
“No family members…?”
“There aren’t any. I live alone.”
Living alone in such a large house. There are many rooms, and surely more unused than used ones.
“Bringing a man home…”
“You know I’m a hyper-human, right?”
“Yes. You told me yourself.”
“If you do anything wrong, I’ll throw you out the window.”
I swallowed my saliva. Even if physically strong, falling from such a height naked would mean certain death before experiencing anything.
“So, the house is really big. How many square meters is it?”
“About 100 square meters, I guess.”
Nonchalantly responding while arranging food on the table, Yellow turned on the power of the game console next to the large TV.
Living in a small room, I marveled at the vastness of this house, which could fit more than ten of my homes. Having lived alone in such a large space before was unheard of.
“But living alone in such a big house…”
“Yeah. I left home after a fight.”
“Living in such a big house even after fleeing.”
“Yeah. I won a lawsuit and got this property.”
Hearing the unexpected word ‘lawsuit’ left me speechless. I initially thought it was a minor dispute, but it seemed much more serious. Asking personal questions would be impolite, so I kept silent, but Yellow looked at me.
“…Even knowing I’m a hyper-human, you’re not that bothered?”
“A hyper-human is no big deal.”
Like other members, Yellow likely suffered damage just by being a hyper-human. Given recent events involving Green and Hayang, it’s possible her history started with her being a hyper-human.
“She’s a unique girl. Come here.”
She gestured for me to sit on the sofa, and I cautiously approached, mindful of being rude in a stranger’s house with nice furniture.
“This.”
“But why did you go to the arcade in the evening?”
Receiving the unfamiliar gamepad, I tried not to ask, but curiosity overwhelmed me.
Even though she’s a hyper-human, inviting me to her house after knowing me for a week. Was it really about the game or was there something awkward at the arcade that made her choose this?
Yellow seemed to think it was inevitable, so she sighed deeply and opened a bottle of drink, gulping it down.
“Before, there were guys asking to teach them games.”
There are others like me in the world.
“But those guys were just trying to trick me. Only a few actually had interest in games.”
Probably, they met him in the evening at the arcade. They weren’t regular visitors.
Objectively speaking, Yellow is a beautiful woman with a tall build and a strong impression. It wouldn’t be strange if a man who saw her on the street wanted to get her number. But for Yellow, meeting such men repeatedly in the evenings must have been quite bothersome and exhausting.
“Huh? So, there were a few who actually showed interest?”
Yellow said most were just trying to trick her, but a few were genuinely interested. Her words implied that not everyone was uninterested.
“There were some. But…they all quit soon.”
“Why?”
“Various reasons. Maybe their learning style didn’t suit mine. The sure thing is that those who didn’t know I was a hyper-human quit that very day.”
From my perspective, the primary reason is likely their learning style not suiting hers. Those men weren’t entirely uninterested in her, but the moment they started playing with her, they couldn’t handle her aggressive language. Upon realizing she was a hyper-human, they quit for various reasons.
“Did they come to the arcade in the evening?”
“No. They never came back after that day.”
That means they didn’t return because of the evening encounters. Gradually developing a negative view of the arcade in the evening led them to choose going home over staying there. This resulted in them arriving at the arcade earlier, and instead of HunterKiller missions, Yellow chose to go to the arcade.
It’s not certain, but it seems plausible.
“So, it was interesting.”
As I nodded in thought, Yellow smiled for the first time, looking at me.
“What?”
I couldn’t hide my surprise at her smile.
“You’ve been saying you want to learn games for more than two days, even a week, and still come to the arcade. You’re the first.”
Maybe Yellow needed a friend to share hobbies with.
Was her language getting harsher because people left, or were people leaving because her language was harsh?
It’s unclear which came first, but Hayang’s comment that Yellow couldn’t express herself honestly made some sense.
Considering that, Yellow’s language isn’t great, but…
“It would be better if she could just soften her tone.”
“I haven’t even used half the insults I know.”
“Good. Really.”
A large TV screen displayed the game, and as I waited for it to fully load, I realized something I had overlooked. We had been playing games for a week without even introducing ourselves.
“Hey. We don’t even know each other’s names.”
“…That’s true.”
Yellow seemed unaware until now, realizing it only now. During the past week of playing games together, we never needed to call each other by name, so we completely forgot.
“Onee. 26 years old. Unemployed.”
The brief self-introduction lacked substance, but Yellow did her best.
“A. 25 years old. Working.”
Following her example, I introduced myself, and a smile involuntarily escaped. Yellow chuckled lightly, and the game finally loaded.
