LS 36

The reply came back instantly.

Knockoff

Huh?! 8 ㅅ 8

Knockoff

Not at all…

Dohee smirked as he read Knockoff’s message. Seriously, what would he do without me?

He was about to type a reply but paused. Talking with Knockoff was fun, but honestly, right now it felt like a bit of a chore. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk, it was just that moving his fingers felt exhausting after drinking.

He hesitated. Isn’t this around the time he should be working…? But that fleeting thought dissolved in the buzz of alcohol.

He tapped the call button floating above the GameTalk message window. One convenient thing about GameTalk was its voice chat, if someone was on your friends list, you could call them without knowing their number.

Blinking heavily under drowsy eyelids, Dohee looked out the taxi window. The blurry city lights shimmered past.

Aside from people like Cha Jinhee, whom he got close to during his streaming days, Dohee had never exchanged personal GameTalk messages with anyone he met through a game. This was the first time he’d ever hit the call button in a private chat window. It was a bit impulsive. But then again, he lived impulsively anyway, what’s the big deal about calling someone whose face he didn’t even know?

The wait wasn’t long. Knockoff picked up before the ringing even finished.

“Hello?”

Knockoff’s voice tickled his ear. Caught off guard by how it made him feel, Dohee missed the timing to say hello.

Knockoff had said he was tall and built–about 187 cm–but his voice was gentler than expected. It was a smooth baritone, pleasant and subtle.

“AssaGo-nim? Uh… did you call me by mistake?”

There was a moment of hesitation and some rustling noises on the other end.

Strangely enough, even though it was a voice he’d never heard before, it felt familiar. Like something he’d heard somewhere before… or maybe not?

The thought didn’t last. Knockoff’s nervous energy came through the line loud and clear.

“H-Hello?”

Before the call could end, Dohee finally spoke.

“…Hey.”

“O-oh! A-ah, hello!”

His voice trembled slightly, maybe out of nervousness, or maybe because he was flustered. Dohee couldn’t suppress a chuckle.

“I kept messing up my typing.”

It wasn’t much, but Knockoff seemed to understand instantly.

“Ah,” he breathed out.

Maybe it was the cold weather, or the alcohol, but Dohee’s voice came out with a slight nasal tone. He cleared his throat.

“Are you sick?”

“It’s just the booze.”

“Ah… uh… I didn’t know you could call through this.”

“You can even do it while playing.”

“Ahaha… I, um, I’m free today.”

He probably meant it was okay to call since he wasn’t busy, but the way he said it was unintentionally hilarious. ‘I’m free today~’ sounded like a line straight out of some cheesy scene.

Knockoff wasn’t great at keeping a conversation going–even in chat, most of what he said were rapid-fire questions–and it showed in the awkward silence that followed. He probably wasn’t sure what to say next. But Dohee didn’t bother to help him out.

He simply basked in the warmth of the taxi heater, the soft hum of the phone against his cheek, and the faint breathing on the other end. After a short silence, he finally spoke.

“…You know that sounds like a pickup line, right?”

“Ah… huh? W-what!? N-no, I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant there aren’t many customers today…!”

“I know.”

“Oh, you know? W-wait… were you teasing me on purpose…?”

His voice dipped a little in disappointment. Dohee suppressed another smile tugging at his lips. He couldn’t help but grin. Maybe it was the alcohol.

He heard soft grumbling from the other side.

“You’re really the same, AssaGo-nim…”

“What is?”

“Teasing me.”

“It’s fun.”

“…”

He didn’t even bother replying this time.

“What are you doing? Playing?”

“Not really… there weren’t many customers today, so I haven’t logged in yet. I was just getting some things ready for my other job for tomorrow.”

“Ah, right. That side job. Tutoring?”

“Yes! I’ve got two students in their second year of high school, and since it’s winter break, I’ve been doing a kind of intensive session. Uh… boring stuff.”

“I decide what’s boring. Go on.”

“Oh… um, I was just organizing their error notebooks. I was about to wrap up and log into the game.”

“Good job.”

“…Huh?”

“Hardworking.”

“I’m not, though…”

“You’re the same too, Knockoff.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The way you say ‘I’m not~’. And how gentle you are. And how you always answer every question.”

“Uhh… but you’re not a bad person, AssaGo-nim. You said it was okay to tell you things…”

“That’s right. With me, it’s fine.”

“Because we’re neighborhood buddies…?”

“That too. Neighbors should get along.”

“Y-yeah!”

As the taxi turned into the familiar alley near his place, Dohee couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. What kind of dumb answer was that?

After a brief pause, Knockoff spoke again, cautiously.

“Are you… getting home safe?”

“Yeah. The taxi’s warm.”

“You keep coughing… You should have some Ssanghwa-tang (traditional Korean medicinal herbal tea) or something before bed.”

Dohee burst out laughing. For a moment, he laughed loudly, and Knockoff said nothing–maybe he felt awkward, but what could you do? Ssanghwa-tang? What was he, someone’s grandpa? Still, being fussed over like that wasn’t such a bad feeling.

“Thanks for the concern, but I hate Ssanghwa-tang.”

“Ah… then lemon tea?”

“Too much effort. Maybe next time.”

“Okaaay.”

The way he drew out his reply somehow suited him. Whether in chat or on the phone, he was equally endearing. Dohee slowly opened his mouth again, just in case Knockoff was waiting for him to log in. He didn’t want the guy holding out hope, even if maybe he wasn’t. Either way, Dohee had absolutely no intention of playing tonight.

“Knockoff.”

“Yes?”

“I’m not playing today.”

“Yeah… I figured.”

“I’ll probably only log in tomorrow evening. So have fun on your own. And don’t go running off just because someone offers you something nice.”

“What!? I’m not a kid, you know.”

“True. Knockoff’s not a kid. You’re like… 187cm tall.”

“Please stop teasing me… AssaGo-nim, seriously, what is wrong with you?”

“What did I even do? I’m nice, aren’t I?”

I mean, really–by most standards, I’m a saint. With not a hint of sarcasm, Dohee asked with 100% pure sincerity. There was a brief silence.

…Ouch. That might’ve actually stung a little.

“Am I not?”

“N-no, you are. You’re a good person, AssaGo-nim… but you’re kind of mean, too.”

“What’s so mean now?”

The taxi had just pulled up in front of Dohee’s place.

“It’s an auto payment. You can just hop out.”

At the driver’s words, Dohee gave a polite nod and opened the door. A blade of wind knifed through his scarf the moment it cracked open. His breath clouded in front of him. Big, fluffy snowflakes were still falling from the sky.

“Did you make it home?”

“Yeah. What’s so mean about me?”

“You always tease me. And you keep calling me ‘Knockoff.’ Even though I asked you not to. The other guild members call me IngSupp, you know.”

It must’ve been bothering him a little. It was the longest Knockoff had talked since the call started. As Dohee listened, he rubbed at his brow.

God, he’s ridiculous. Why is he so funny?

“I don’t like being basic.”

“…Huh?”

“Everyone calls you IngSupp. But I’m the only one who calls you Knockoff.”

“Oh… I mean, that’s true.”

“So what, you want me to call you by your name?”

“N-no.”

“Why not?”

“It’d just feel awkward…”

“Then I guess I’ll have to keep calling you Knockoff.”

No reply came. He was probably pouting, lips sticking out five centimeters. Imagining that big guy sulking like a grumpy puppy nearly killed Dohee with laughter. Since he’d never seen his face, Dohee’s mental image of Knockoff was just a big polar bear, or maybe a giant Samoyed. He held back a chuckle and kept going.

“Anyway, even if you’re bored, entertain yourself for now.”

“…Okay.”

This time, the reply came quiet and obedient. Dohee smiled. He tucked his face deeper into his scarf. His footsteps left a staggered trail over the thin blanket of snow covering the asphalt.

“Get home safe too.”

“Yeah. Get inside quickly.”

“Mm.”

With that vague reply, Dohee ended the call.

Less than five minutes, that’s what the message window showed.

He ran his thumb over the screen a couple of times before finally opening the main door to the building.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but… it hadn’t felt awkward at all.

He blinked up at the elevator numbers as they changed. Suddenly, a small scoff escaped his lips.

Why did Knockoff’s voice have to sound so damn gentle?

With that thought lingering from their first-ever call, Dohee stepped into the elevator.

He was already longing for the warmth of his room.