“To truly become close, people must bump into each other and play. Not the physical kind of bumping into, but spending time together, doing this and that. When you hang out together, you start to figure out boundaries and dynamics. What’s the best way to play together? The answer is simple, isn’t it? Playing a game together!”
“Should we go to a multi-room?”
“Multi-room?”
“Yeah, they’re pretty good these days. Even though full virtual reality is too much, they have almost everything else you’d want.”
Maybe it was because we had already walked around the shopping mall and drawn enough attention.
Honestly, we needed a quiet place where we could play without being disturbed.
The added bonus was the variety of things to enjoy there.
“Um…”
At that moment, Ajin raised her hand hesitantly.
“I, I’ve never been to a multi-room before… I’ve only heard about them… Is it, um…”
Her usual hesitant nature was apparent, but her face was now uniquely flushed red like a ripe persimmon.
As our eyes turned to her, she lowered her head and murmured in a barely audible whisper, “Aren’t they, um, places for… inappropriate things?”
‘Ah, Ajin, you poor innocent thing…’
A genuine, sorrowful sigh echoed in my mind.
Yeah, even I had to admit that her words were quite problematic, and I couldn’t help but nod.
“Whether it’s a PC café, karaoke room, or multi-room, it’s how people use them that’s the problem. Honestly, there’s a lot of fun stuff there. Wanna give it a try?”
“If, if you’re okay with it, then…”
One down.
I turned to Dayoung and Eunha. They both nodded as well.
When I looked it up, there happened to be a decent multi-room nearby.
***
“Welcome! How many people—”
The part-timer at the counter froze mid-sentence as their gaze landed on us, their initial indifferent greeting abruptly cut off.
Well, I was used to it by now.
“Four people. Do you have a full-option room?”
“Uh, y-yes. You can go to Room 10. If you need anything, you can… find it inside…”
The overly detailed explanation made me want to cut the interaction short.
As we walked away, Dayoung leaned in and whispered in my ear, “…Good thing you wore sunglasses.”
I nodded at her remark.
The sunglasses I’d bought on a whim had proven their worth more than once recently.
Sure, my face had already been seen plenty of times in the shopping mall, but the difference between being a passing face and directly engaging with someone was huge.
That part-timer’s overly intense gaze on the back of my head was enough proof.
If they’d seen my bare face, who knows what kind of commotion they’d cause?
They might even be posting about this experience in some online community right now.
“I always prepare a hat and tinted glasses when I go out. By the way, you haven’t revealed your face yet, have you? You should be ready when you do.”
Eunha chimed in from beside me.
As a well-known figure herself, she said she often got recognized when out with her bare face.
Though not a celebrity, she was a top-tier female pro-gamer, which was rare enough to draw attention.
To avoid such inconveniences, she always wore a cap.
It was a smart move.
If Eunha’s identity as Lotus were revealed, it wouldn’t just affect her—it could even expose Dayoung and me as Freeday members.
The online communities had already made the connection between Lotus and a blonde woman.
***
“Wow, it’s spacious.”
Ajin exclaimed in admiration as she stepped into the room, claiming the first impression.
I glanced around and silently agreed.
The room seemed pricey, but it was worth it.
Honestly, I was getting a little excited.
A private place with plenty of things to do—it was like a dream hideout.
“Unni, what should we do first? A game? Karaoke?”
Eunha asked nonchalantly, glancing around.
I smiled softly.
***
“Hey, eleven o’clock! The tank!”
“Can’t support right now. Headed to five o’clock.”
“Damn it, just hold them off, and let’s take the center!”
“Got it!”
The rapid clicks of mice and the relentless pounding of keyboards filled the room rhythmically.
The two of them were practically glued to the monitors, barking orders at each other, fully immersed in the game.
Watching their intense focus and animated coordination was entertaining in its own right.
“Those two… they match surprisingly well.”
“Right? Their chemistry isn’t bad, is it?”
“Um, I-I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but… it’s not bad, I guess?”
Both Dayoung and Eunha were highly competitive.
Now, with bloodshot eyes, they poured all their energy into the game, throwing themselves fully into the goal of winning.
Ajin, sipping her drink and clutching my arm tightly, seemed to notice this dynamic.
“Why are only the two of them playing while we’re just watching?” you might ask.
Well, the reason was simple.
***
“Ah, 2v2 is so intense!”
“Stop complaining and focus on defending!”
“Why don’t you finish their base at three o’clock already?”
Their fierce determination, endless grumbling, and complaints about the lack of players were all part of their charm.
Ajin and I had retired midway, leaving the two of them battling fiercely in a 2v2 standoff.
The reason they were struggling so much was simple.
“Why do hero units keep spawning out of nowhere?”
“Even after gathering resources, we’re still getting pushed back. This is insane.”
It turned out that the map was a cheat map—specifically rigged for the enemy team’s position.
“I know how to play this game. It’s the one where one of the great seniors from our team reached the top. I even got some personal lessons from them before.”
“I watched you stream this game a few times, so I know the basics.”
“Wait, what? Am I the only total newbie here?”
It was surprising to realize that everyone but Ajin had prior experience with the game.
At first, I gave them a puzzled look but eventually nodded in agreement.
Stellar Craft.
Playing Stellar Craft in a multi-room was funny in itself, but it felt like a decent way to warm up.
There’s nothing better than playing a team game that bridges the gap between old and new classics.
We did consider legendary matches, but back in my world, this wasn’t exactly considered an old game—it was still pretty mainstream.
Naturally, our attention shifted to this game.
Since it was a team game, having one newbie didn’t matter.
While browsing for suitable rooms, I decided against matchmaking due to a bad experience with toxic lobbies in the past.
[4v4 Hellfire Hunter – Only heroes who can defeat demons allowed]
The room title was quite provocative.
With “Hellfire” and “heroes” in the title, how could I, a literal hero, not choose it?
“Should we go with this room?”
“Hunter, huh? Sounds good. It’s a 4-player duo setup anyway.”
“But doesn’t the map look a bit weird?”
“Well, it’s an old game. Maybe someone just swapped the skin.”
The original Hunter map was divided by green terrain and water.
However, the map before us looked like a fiery hellscape of molten lava, perfectly matching the room title.
Since the layout was identical to the original Hunter map, I naively thought there wouldn’t be any issues.
It wasn’t until much later that I realized how unpredictable things could get in a game that had been out for over 30 years.
***
“Ah, it’s over, unni.”
“Huh? Already?”
While I had been lost in thought, Dayoung and Eunha had clinched victory with their final push.
[Lotus: Old guys can’t even… use their fingers?]
[Forming: Using a cheat map and still losing, LOL]
[Ashtray: I lost because I went to grab pizza.]
[Analyzer: Trying so hard to win… pathetic losers.]
[iiiiiiiii: Damn, they stole my base.]
[Jukbbang: Preparing a second-tier map. Come at me.]
[Forming: They lose on a cheat map. So boring. Just leave, losers ^^]
[Lotus: Sure, go play amongst yourselves. I’m out.]
The enemy team’s shamelessness, complaining despite using a cheat map, was astounding.
Still, a win was a win.
The victory screen finally appeared, taking up the entire monitor.
“Whew!”
“Ahh!”
Everyone slumped back in their chairs, letting out deep sighs of relief.
“All their resources were infinite, and ours randomly disappeared. How were we supposed to win? And what was with the weird magic effects on the map? They were blinding.”
“Whoever came up with the idea of filling the map with neutral animals to block building placements—I’d like to have a word with them.”
“Let’s not forget how they ambushed Ajin through a hidden path only they knew. That was hilarious.”
“Se-hee unni got overwhelmed by their hero units too. We’re lucky we managed to take out half of them. Otherwise, we would’ve been crushed.”
“Right?”
“Exactly.”
In terms of efficiency, this round felt like a bad deal.
It took up a lot of time and drained us mentally.
“But still…”
“A win is a win.”
If you lose, you blame others.
But if you win, everything becomes lighthearted and friendly.
As their gazes met, they chuckled softly.
***
When we left the multi-room, the city lights shimmered like heatwaves in the night.
It was already 9 p.m. after a chaotic day of fun.
We’d even ordered dinner to the room, played board games, sang karaoke, and tried out everything we could.
It was safe to say we had an eventful day.
Eunha had to leave early to return to her dorm.
Eventually, we all had to go our separate ways.
But before we parted, Dayoung’s actions left a strong impression.
“Uh, wait a second.”
“Hmm?”
Eunha turned around at Dayoung’s call just as she was about to leave.
Looking at Eunha, who was ready to give a simple goodbye, Dayoung scratched her cheek and spoke hesitantly in a subdued voice.
“Um… Sorry. For being so harsh at first. I wanted to apologize.”
Eunha blinked a few times in surprise before breaking into a soft laugh.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t any better. I’m sorry too.”
“Good luck with the next season. I’ll be cheering for you.”
“Thanks. Let’s do a joint stream together sometime, okay? It was fun hanging out with everyone, including Ajin.”
“Oh, uh, sure. If you need any editing done, feel free to email me.”
I ruffled Ajin’s hair as she continued her networking even at this moment.
“Thanks for today. I had a great time.”
“If you’re that grateful, get your rank up and duo with me sometime.”
“Guess I’ll have to. The preseason’s coming up soon, so let’s aim for the top.”
“Looks like Chan-hyuk’s in for a surprise. Same for me, though. See you later!”
With a wave, Eunha disappeared into the distance.
We also headed our separate ways, eventually walking down a quiet alley together, just Dayoung and me.
“Unni… I’m sorry too.”
“Hm?”
“I was being petty and ruined the mood.”
“Yeah, why did you act so cranky back then?”
As I teased her and ruffled her hair, Dayoung flinched and protested.
“Cranky? What are you talking about?!”
Her flushed ears and pouty expression were undeniably cute.
Without saying another word, I continued patting her head.
“You know…”
“Hm?”
“When I first met you, I thought I wouldn’t care no matter what you did. But…”
“But?”
Glancing at me, Dayoung murmured softly, almost confessing.
“After the tournament, when I saw you dancing with Eunha… I couldn’t help but feel jealous.”