Even if it’s called game information gathering, it’s just a bunch of boys at the level of the official cafe on the Internet.
In comparison, I had searched for the game’s English name on various search engines and had instantly found special commands, hidden Easter eggs, and bugs.
As a result, I accumulated amazing progress and skill that was hard to believe in just one day.
Even though we are playing the same PVE game, these boys can’t stand being left behind.
Thinking back, I might have been drawn to a few RPG games in elementary school in my previous life because of these elements.
“How did you get this character?”
“Sometimes when you start the game, this changes shape, and if you use a healing skill there….”
“I never get this weapon!”
As I was explaining something to one of them, another boy interrupted and mumbled something more.
Suddenly, my spot had turned into a gathering place for little boys to play games.
It seemed like they had no intention of leaving, unrelated to me providing information.
‘I wish they would all just go away.’
I swallowed the awkward words that almost escaped my mouth and tried to focus on the smartphone screen while ignoring the noisy surroundings.
I was just trying to find a game to immerse myself in after a long time, but it happened to be popular among the kids.
No matter how much log-like games are popular among kids, I never expected this game would be the trending one.
Well, if it’s visible in the App Store rankings, the kids couldn’t possibly miss it, right?
Next time, I should be more careful and try to find a game buried in the depths.
“Okay, everyone, put your smartphones in front of you.”
With just a few short words from the teacher, the noisy boys obediently approached the teacher’s desk to submit their smartphones.
They’re still at an age where they listen relatively well.
Once the boys, who were crowded and almost blocking the path, scattered, I finally managed to lift myself off the chair.
It was the moment when the boring school lesson of the day began.
Fourth-grade science.
Following the teacher’s instruction to tear a blank notebook page and place it on the desk, I ripped a page from a lined notebook and set it on my desk.
“Today, just like excavating fossils, we are going to take only the chocolate chips out of the cookies. If you keep the cookies and the chocolate chips separate, I will give you a bag of cookies as a reward, but if you eat them right away, you won’t get any.”
A cookie with chocolate chips and two toothpicks were placed on the pure white notebook page.
Using cookies as a reward to restrain actions—what a refreshing class.
Well, it might be a good method for kids who aren’t interested in fossils and excavating.
In any case, there’s no reason not to accept free cookies.
Without needing to rely on delicate skills to break the honeycomb candy into shapes as I did in my childhood, I easily broke the cookie that would not get much damaged.
Wiggling my fingers, I broke it into large pieces and shook off the remaining crumbs near the chocolate.
“Raise your hand if you’re done, and the teacher will come to check.”
Without needing to wait any longer, I raised my hand at the sound of the teacher’s voice.
The cookie with chocolate chips is one of those snacks that drops a lot of fine crumbs, so I rubbed my fingers and flicked the crumbs onto the page of the lined notebook.
“Mary did well, here’s your cookie.”
After seeing that the chocolate and cookie parts were somewhat separated nicely, the science teacher handed me a bag of cookies.
In fact, it would be more accurate to describe it as a line of cookies rather than just one bag.
Not feeling like eating it right away, I put the cookies into my bag with both hands.
Then, I carefully folded the page where the cookies and chocolate pieces were scattered and poured them into my mouth.
Even if they were all broken and scattered, once mixed with saliva in my mouth, they all tasted the same.
Even if I wasn’t the first to finish excavating the chocolate pieces, the arms of other students in the classroom were gradually rising toward the sky.
The teacher, holding several bags of cookies, busily walked around the classroom, and the kids who received the cookies were each happily munching on them or putting them in their desk drawers.
Anyway, it was a science class where we got to feast completely in a makeshift excavation.
As I wondered what thoughts I would have to pass the next class, I twisted my arms and stretched out in the cramped space….
“Teacher, me!”
A hand shot up from the side.
Even when most of the class was finished, it was my classmate who was having a tough time getting the chocolate piece off with the toothpick.
He was grinning, looking forward to receiving the cookie.
“Huh?”
However, what came out of the teacher’s mouth was a short and startled groan.
The teacher looked around the teacher’s desk and nearby in confusion, but there wasn’t even a single cookie left.
The teacher must have brought enough cookies to match the number of students in the class.
Almost just the right amount; maybe that was the problem.
She had probably opened one or two bags to distribute to the class.
“I don’t have any left….”
“What?”
The face of my hopeful classmate immediately turned expressionless.
It was a sense of injustice and deprivation that was hard to bear for an elementary student.
Tears can come out when very sad, but they can also come out when you truly feel wronged and have no words.
As expected, the face of the boy next to me contorted as he hung his head.
Ah, he’s definitely going to cry.
After all, the cookie only costs a few thousand won if bought.
I grabbed a cookie that was visible inside my open bag and, pretending it was nothing, passed it to the boy next to me.
“Here, eat.”
“Uh?”
“I’m full.”
As I casually passed the cookie while leaning my chin on my hand, I managed to stifle the tears that were about to burst out.
The science teacher apologized, saying she would save cookies for me separately later, and somewhat clumsily ended the class.
Right after the first period ended, I went to the bathroom, and the atmosphere of the classroom seemed unusually noisy.
“Hey! Kim Mari! Are you dating Shin Taehyun!?”
‘What nonsense is this…?’
I frowned and tilted my head as if to ask what the hell he was talking about when the boy who asked if I was dating shouted loudly.
“I gave you cookies earlier!”
‘Ah, that thing?’
I had forgotten.
According to the elementary school couple criteria, one side does something unilaterally for the other.
Boys and girls hanging out together = they are dating.
An absurd logic filled with nonsense formulas that they establish among themselves, reflecting their childish psychology.
And since their surrounding intelligence is low, that strange formula seems to be accepted around them, which is comical.
“So, we become a couple over a bag of cookies…Do you want me to buy you one too?”
“Eww, no!”
The disgusted voice of the boy—well, I wouldn’t want to buy you one either, you instigator.
The commotion that had arisen over a bag of cookies subsided as quickly as it had flared up.
I jotted down this month’s expenses with a pen on the torn-out page of my lined notebook and made plans to move to an apartment in two years.
Compared to me, who was responding indifferently, the elementary school couple seemed to be dealing with things poorly.
Among them, the arrows were pointed at the female students.
“They’re a couple— they’re a couple—”
“Stop it!”
The girl shouted, frustrated by the boys teasing her, calling them a couple.
Now that I think about it, kids who like each other would sometimes wear toy rings, claiming they were couple rings.
From an adult’s point of view, I wonder why they tease them?
In a way, doesn’t it imply that even without any particular action, someone can have an attractive charm?
Some of the boys who are currently teasing may lead lonely lives in the future, heading towards boys’ middle and high schools, along with engineering colleges and military service.
‘…I should probably try dating right now.’
“Tsk tsk.”
Watching the boys teasing the couples, I clicked my tongue in pity.
They might be the subject of teasing now, but in a few years, they would probably envy it.
Feeling sorry for someone who might end up heading for boys’ middle school, boys’ high school, engineering college, and military service in the future, I simply spread the textbooks for the next class on my desk.
After wasting the remaining time pretending to concentrate and clearing my mind.
At the promised time of 2:30 PM, the bell signaling the end of class rang.
‘Ah, it’s snowing.’
Trash falling from the sky at any time.
Early February, the time when it still snows and covers the world.
Judging by its appearance, it seems to be flurry snow; fortunately, it doesn’t seem to pile up.
Not being on cleaning duty, I quickly returned through the school entrance, where Shiyeon was standing blankly, staring into space.
“Let’s go.”
“Mary, it’s snowing again! Let’s get the duck beak!”
At the sound of a familiar voice from behind, Shiyeon’s face lit up as she had been staring into space.
I felt sorry for Shiyeon, who was full of hope, but I had to deliver the disappointing news.
“Um… this snow probably won’t pile up.”
“Why?”
“Flurry snow usually doesn’t pile up well.”
“Flurry snow?”
Despite my rather precise explanation, Shiyeon tilted her head, still not knowing the exact concept of flurry snow versus heavy snow.
Not knowing the details, I simply told her that such snow exists before returning home.
The prediction that it wouldn’t be snow that would pile up was indeed correct, making it a day when Shiyeon gained another piece of knowledge.
