LS 11

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: You’re so mean… 8ㅅ8

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Not my fault it’s just facts lol

GoSupp, Supporter, 187–none of them sound good. Dohee raised a brow. There was a reason everyone called GoingSupporter “GoSupp.” No matter how you shortened it, it still sucked.
Pretending not to notice the sniffling newbie, Dohee sent another trade request. He’d been rejected hard before, but he didn’t care in the slightest.

[System] ‘AssaGo’ has requested a trade with ‘GOingSupporter187’.

[System] ‘GOingSupporter187’ has accepted the trade.

Dohee dumped in the same materials they had refused last time, all in one big pile. Threw in some gold too. And before the reject button could be pressed, Dohee quickly typed:

[Trade] AssaGo: You’re seriously not gonna take this? Even if you want these later, you won’t have enough money

[Trade] AssaGo: You’re at the level where you need to start crafting gear

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: I know that…

[Trade] AssaGo: You do?

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: Yeah… I saw it

[Trade] AssaGo: Saw what, where?

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: That beginner’s guide… It said crafting gear is really important and you need the mats 8ㅅ8…

[Trade] AssaGo: When I said it, you didn’t even listen and turned me down

[Trade] AssaGo: But you believe some guide you don’t even know who wrote?

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: No, no, that’s not it!

[Trade] AssaGo: Then what is it?

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: It’s just… it’s not like that, I just don’t really like owing people…ㅠㅡㅠ

[Trade] AssaGo: LOOOOOL what do you mean owing

[Trade] AssaGo: Knockoff

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: Yes…?

[Trade] AssaGo: I’m rich

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: Oh….

[Trade] AssaGo: Sure, 50,000 gold is about 50 bucks in cash market terms, but once you hit max level you earn gold super fast

[Trade] AssaGo: So to me, this is like giving you 50 cents

[Trade] AssaGo: Just take it. If it bugs you, pay me back after you hit max level

[Trade] AssaGo: You said you’re gonna max your Support anyway lol

[Trade] GOingSupporter187: …Thank you ㅠㅡㅠ

Finally, they hit the accept button. Other people would just snatch it up with a quick “thanks!” when offered free stuff, but this one was getting emotional over a few unused mats and a little gold. What, has no one ever done something nice for them? Still, maybe that beginner’s guide helped a bit, because at least they weren’t rejecting everything outright this time. Yeah, this is how people learn, bit by bit. Dohee smiled proudly, watching Knockoff’s slow little avatar awkwardly harvesting Dawn Roses. Knowing absolutely nothing might actually make it fun to raise them up. Maybe… it was kind of fun?

Dohee moved his character next to Knockoff’s and started picking Dawn Roses too. He’d been maxed out in gathering for ages, so his speed was on another level. After quickly finishing the quest, Dohee sat on a nearby rock and whispered:

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: What are you supposed to do today? Did you do your weeklies?

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Weeklies…?

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Weekly quests

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Oh… 8ㅅ8 No, I haven’t done a single one…!

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Wanna do them with me?

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Uh… but you’re max level?

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Lol weeklys are the same even at max level

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Kill 500 monsters, do one life content activity, complete 10 quests regardless of type

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: You got the same ones, right?

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Yeah! It’s the same even if you’re max?

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Yep. The 10 quests thing goes by fast anyway

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: The rest we can knock out fast if we party up, we can finish in a day

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Really!? Wow…

Wow this, wow that… what’s so amazing about it? Cute little thing. Dohee chuckled without meaning to.

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: You’re gonna hate it but you have to do daily and weekly quests until you quit this game

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: They’re really efficient so it sucks to skip

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Weekly quest rewards increase with level

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Otherwise they stay the same, you’ll get used to it

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: If you’ve accepted them already, let’s finish gathering and go monster hunting

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: I’ll help you

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: 8ㅅ8… I don’t wanna be a bother…

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: I’ve got nothing better to do

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: And I need to do them too

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Thank you…ㅠㅡㅠ

Why is this kid always crying?

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Why are you always crying lol

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Huh?

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Why do you keep doing 8ㅅ8 and ㅠㅡㅠ all the time lmao

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Ah… it’s just a habit… I’ll stop… 8ㅅ8

They say they’ll stop and still type 8ㅅ8 right away. So reliable. Dohee wasn’t sure if it was all an act or just genuine habit. It wasn’t annoying or anything, so he quickly typed:

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Nah, not saying it’s annoying

[Whisper] To GOingSupporter187: Don’t worry about it

After dealing with someone as sensitive as Baek Yeohoo or as indifferent as Baek Yeojin, you quickly learn how meaningless it is to judge someone as “more girlish” or “more boyish.” Especially in a game where characters can be any gender and catfishing is rampant, those lines blur fast. So Dohee never really cared whether the people he played with were guys or girls. Didn’t even know the gender of half the guild members. Didn’t care.

Still… he suddenly felt a tiny flicker of curiosity. Was Knockoff a girl or a guy? Watching their character continue gathering roses, Dohee clicked his tongue. It’d be nice if they were a cute or handsome guy. That’d make helping them a little more fun, maybe…

[Whisper] GOingSupporter187: Oh, I’m done! ㅎㅅㅎ

Seeing them proudly announce it made Dohee smile and send a party invite.

[System] AssaGo has sent a party invitation to GOingSupporter187.

[System] GOingSupporter187 has accepted the party invitation.

He didn’t know an acceptance notification could feel this good. Maybe it was because he’d been rejected twice before. Felt a little weird. Maybe… I’m the only one who’s partied with them? It was a dumb thought, but oddly satisfying.

[Party] AssaGo: Have you ever partied with anyone else?

[Party] GOingSupporter187: Huh? No! Why…?

[Party] AssaGo: Just wondering lol

[Party] AssaGo: Anyway, you need to hunt wolves, so let’s go to the central hunting grounds

[Party] AssaGo: They drop that damn Daimon Powder too, so you can level up and do your weeklys at the same time

[Party] GOingSupporter187: Okay! ㅎㅅㅎ

Knew it. I am the first. At least they respond well. The central hunting grounds were just a few portals away from the outskirts, so the two headed for the nearest one. Dark Assassin, being a melee class, had higher base movement speed. Supporters, not so much. Watching his slowpoke partner shuffle along, Dohee felt his patience already wearing thin.

[Party] AssaGo: Hey, did you know the Support class has a movement speed buff?

[Party] AssaGo: It affects your party too

[Party] GOingSupporter187: What’s that…? ㅠ

Knew it. Of course they didn’t. This is the same kid who couldn’t even use basic combat skills. Hoping for a speed buff was too much. Dohee swallowed a sigh and typed:

[Party] AssaGo: What skills did you level?

[Party] GOingSupporter187: Huh?

Ugh, I didn’t even get the answer yet and I already feel sick.

[Party] AssaGo: …How many skill points do you have right now?

[Party] GOingSupporter187: Uh… just a sec!

[Party] AssaGo: Press Control + K, it’s the shortcut for the skill window

[Party] AssaGo: Don’t waste all day clicking through menus with your mouse

[Party] GOingSupporter187: Whoa… Oh, I’ve got 115!

[Party] AssaGo: And your skills?

[Party] GOingSupporter187: I just evenly distributed all of them! ㅎㅅㅎ

[Party] AssaGo: …Okay

[Party] AssaGo: Then hit the reset button and follow my instructions

[Party] GOingSupporter187: Uh… wait a second!

Dohee looked at the monitor, then slowly closed and reopened his eyes. His long lashes caught the morning light and shimmered faintly.

[Party] GOingSupporter187: …ㅠㅡㅠ Where’s the reset button…?

How did I end up picking up a kid like this…? Maybe it’s not too late to walk away. One more conversation and I might reach enlightenment.