CCBBWM 13

[Whisper/Gilmyu] Dansogeum: rmrlmnwa what is this?? LOL
[Whisper/Gilmyu] Dansogeum: I mean, that hyung;;;; He seems so clueless sometimes, but then he randomly shows sharp instincts LOL;;;;;;;;

Though it was probably just a lucky guess, Dansogeum got all hyped up, saying that it wouldn’t even be weird to lay down a fortune-telling mat right now.

[Party] Gulbi: Um, Gilmyu-nim,
[Party] Gulbi: You’ve been quiet for a while now.
[Party] Gulbi: Or is it just me…? ^^;
[Party] Geumgyul2: Huh? I thought Gilmyu-nim just hasn’t been talking much since we entered the dungeon?
[Party] Geumgyul2: Except when you screamed for help, haha.

Ugh. It was embarrassing, but that desperate moment flashed through Gilmyu’s mind, and Beo-deul ’s hands gripped tighter.

[Party] Gilmyu: hehe;
[Party] Useo: Right LOL, you usually don’t chat much anyway.

Right after sending that short chat, Useo chimed in to agree with Geumgyul2’s observation.

‘I usually talk with Sinu-nim through voice code, so…’

Not that using a mic made him talk a lot or anything, but still.

Beo-deul glanced at the headset he had set aside. Maybe because there were other party members today, there hadn’t been a voice code request like usual. He didn’t know why that felt a bit disappointing now.

‘If we used voice, I wouldn’t need to worry about typing and could just say everything.’

But right now, too afraid to make a mistake, he couldn’t even type properly, so he’d have to wait until after the boss was down to speak up.

‘But why is Sogeum-nim being so quiet?’

No affirmations, no denials just silence in the chat window. Even though she used whisper to talk, it didn’t seem like she wanted to explain things openly, yet she wasn’t denying anything either.

Just as Beo-deul thought that, Useo, who had just landed the last hit on the boss, asked:

[Party] Useo: LOL?
[Party] Useo: But why is Dansogeum
[Party] Useo: not saying anything?

With the boss defeated, Beo-deul could finally relax and type freely. But since it was the first clear, a cinematic immediately filled the screen.

[Party] Dansogeum: o_o;;
[Party] Dansogeum: Huh, did I cause some massive drama without even knowing it?
[Party] Dansogeum: Why is everyone being so serious? LOL This feels like when something blows up on the forums~~

[Party] Useo: Haha, hang on
[Party] Useo: Let me get things sorted first

After the short cutscene of the boss fading into ghost form ended, Beo-deul finally saw the party chat and his phone vibrating.

[Sinu-nim is requesting a call.]

Beo-deul blinked at the lit-up screen showing the voice code alert, glancing between his neatly set-aside headset and the phone.

Which should he use?

If he hesitated too long, the call might disconnect, so he picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

Sinu didn’t say anything for a moment after calling. Then, faint keyboard typing could be heard. Soon after, a familiar voice came through the line.

[Gilmyu-nim.]

It was a voice he’d heard countless times through the headset, but hearing it through a phone made it feel strangely different like talking to someone he actually knew. Beo-deul, feeling oddly sentimental, tugged lightly at his earlobe before responding.

“Yes, Sinu-nim? Is something wrong?”

Wasn’t he avoiding voice code today because there were others in the party? Why the sudden call now…?

[Sorry if I startled you by calling out of the blue.]
“No, it’s fine. We’ve done this before.”
[Um…]
“Yes?”
[Did Dansogeum say anything weird or act rudely to you?]
“Oh, in whisper? No, not at all. She actually helped me…”
[So she did whisper to you.]

Oops. Beo-deul realized he’d just admitted it unintentionally and darted his eyes around.

“But really, she didn’t say anything inappropriate.”
[That’s a relief then…]

Sinu muttered that and then fell silent again. This time there were no typing sounds, but Beo-deul felt like he too was just staring at the screen.

[Still, if she was rude, I’d like to apologize on her behalf.]

Coming from Sinu, who’d teased Sogeum the most earlier, it was unexpected. He had seemed like he was joking around with a close friend before, but now his tone was more like a caring older brother.

So this is what long-standing guild bonds are like. Not bad. Beo-deul smiled faintly.

“You didn’t need to apologize, but you must’ve been really worried.”
[Dansogeum isn’t a bad kid… but she can be a bit rude to people outside her circle.]
[Our guild gets more attention than necessary in the game, so we tend to put up walls. Sogeum too, in her own way.]

Beo-deul thought that was strange, considering how kind all the guild members had been.

[Sogeum is especially bad, and she knows it. That’s why she usually sticks with guildmates. I don’t know why she acted differently today… It’s probably because we spoil her too much.]
“Haha.”

It was exactly the kind of thing a second oldest brother would say while nagging but worrying about the youngest. Why “second” and not “first”? Because the guild leader, Glory, gave off a classic oldest sibling vibe.

While Beo-deul was musing, he asked lightly:

“Then why did you kill Sogeum-nim in the back while worrying like this?”

[…Huh?]

A beat of silence, then Sinu’s voice wobbled slightly in confusion.

[That’s… I think there’s a misunderstanding here.]
“Is there?”
[I was worried about you, Gilmyu-nim.]
“…?”
[Why would I worry about Sogeum… why would I?]

Beo-deul sighed, lost for words at how genuinely confused Sinu sounded.

[I thought maybe she acted like a jerk to you, and you might’ve misunderstood. Not all our guild members are like her. There are good people too.]
“Oh… okay.”
[You’re not convinced, are you.]
“No, no, it’s fine.”

Beo-deul stifled a laugh. Sinu’s voice had taken on a slightly pouty tone.

[You’re laughing right now, aren’t you.]
“No… hehe, no.”
[I can hear it, just laugh comfortably.]

“Ahaha!” Beo-deul burst into laughter without resistance.

He knew it wasn’t right to laugh at someone’s voice, but Sinu’s voice once as cool and distant as a cave breeze suddenly sounded like that of a familiar little brother. That shift made Beo-deul feel warm inside.

When Sinu asked if he’d laughed enough, Beo-deul pulled himself together.

“Sorry, I laughed a little too hard…”
[You’re sorry because you laughed too hard?]
“For laughing at all…”
[It’s okay.]

Sinu’s voice had returned to its usual calm tone. Still, Beo-deul had a feeling he wasn’t completely fine. He nearly laughed again just looking at Useo’s in-game name.

“Oh, I think the others are waiting.”

Noticing how long the call was, Beo-deul jiggled his character in-game. The other party members also started moving again like they were waking from sleep. No one seemed to have left.

[Shall we move on then?]
“Yes, then-”
[Let’s keep using voice code. You seem to have a hard time chatting.]

So he noticed. Beo-deul hid his flustered thoughts behind a sheepish smile.

[It’s more convenient for me too.]
“But I’m on the phone now…”
[If it’s okay, just switch to speaker mode and place it near your keyboard.]
“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”

Beo-deul switched to speaker mode and said, “It’s ready.”

[Great. Let’s go. If Dansogeum whispers anything, just ignore it.]

He was already doing that unintentionally.

[You can even close your chat window and just listen to me.]
“But wouldn’t that block out other party chats too?”
[They’re probably not saying anything useful anyway.]

What a master of blunt wit. Still, Beo-deul didn’t reply and just chuckled awkwardly.

[I can explain better than Dansogeum. Didn’t you say you trust me before?]

That wasn’t exactly what he meant back then, but Beo-deul didn’t argue and minimized the chat window.

“I did it.”
[Good. Let’s go.]

The rest of the dungeon went very smoothly. Even the hardest boss’s orb phase was cleared easily thanks to good teamwork and Sinu keeping an eye on Beo-deul ’s orb too.

The efficiency of voice communication really showed.

‘It really makes a difference.’

Beo-deul opened the final chest, having been given the honors by his teammates. The rewards were generous.

‘Now I can start enhancing my level 100 gear.’

Having just hit level 100, it was time to upgrade. He remembered Sinu’s +15 weapon from earlier and had a sudden thought.

‘Should I just enhance mine to +15 too?’

People say it’s a waste of money, but after 100, level-ups slow down drastically, and you stay in the same gear longer. That means you can get your money’s worth.

[Good job. How many enhancement stones did you get?]
“I’m not sure… I think I have about 500 right now.”
[Hmm.]

As Sinu spoke, Beo-deul did a quick calculation in his head.

Let’s do it! A clumsy player like me has to rely on gear!