But he didn’t have the energy to argue. Now he understood why sleep deprivation was considered torture.
“Baek Doyeong…”
“Baek Doyeong. Doyeong hyung.”
Ihyeon kept repeating Doyeong’s name. It sounded like he was rolling candy in his mouth.
“The name sounds fine. But what are you really doing? Farming full-time?”
“Uh… peppers, cabbages, rice… and a bit of this and that…”
“But is there land like that left in Gyeonggi Province? There’s barely land to build buildings here.”
“That’s why I said no one should live in Seoul… Hey, Gyeonggi Province has famous rice too. Besides that, there’s plenty of rural land…”
“Well, fine. Then why are you eating dirt at such a young age? With your face and skills?”
“Shut up… land is the most honest. It never betrays you…”
“Betrayal?”
Ihyeon’s eyes narrowed.
“Hmm. Betrayal, huh.”
After a moment of silence, Ihyeon opened a notepad and spoke.
“Then give me your number. I have to put on a leash so if you run away, I can catch you.”
“…Huh?”
“Give me your number. I know your home address, but not your number. That’s why you just sent me the gifticon as a link earlier. I have to save it to send food again later.”
His excuse was good. But Doyeong’s brain had already shut down his logic circuits. There was no reason to refuse when someone offered to feed him.
“010… uh…”
Doyeong mumbled the number like talking in his sleep. Ihyeon typed it into his dual-monitor notepad as if preserving it indefinitely. Without hesitation, he grabbed his latest smartphone and pressed the call button.
Ring-ring!!! Ring-ring!!!
“Ahh!!”
Breaking the silence, a worn-out phone on the desk started ringing violently. The ringtone was set to the default “Old Phone” sound. Startled, Doyeong quickly answered the call.
“H-hello?!”
- Finally, you sound clear. Are you awake?
From the other end, and simultaneously through his headset, Ihyeon’s voice rang with laughter. The spatial sound and that high-pitched tone made Doyeong’s ears burn red.
“You… did you really call me just now?”
- Save it. I was going to say ‘Master,’ but I’ll let it slide. Cheon Ihyeon.
Doyeong’s trembling hand ended the call. His sleep was completely gone.
“Crazy bastard… I really thought you wouldn’t call…”
“Now my info and your info are exchanged equally.”
Ihyeon’s character plopped down beside Doyeong’s shabby Rabbit avatar.
“But hyung, I’m curious about something.”
“…What now.”
“Why did you come back? To this crappy game.”
The playful tone in Ihyeon’s voice disappeared.
“Judging by your control, you don’t look like just a casual player. Your mentee info says you quit after the first Great Cataclysm. Why come back now of all times?”
Doyeong shut his mouth.
Would saying it was for the tractor sound too pathetic? Or would a grand reason like a “legendary return” be better?
But Doyeong was a straightforward person. And right now, his head wasn’t working well enough to lie.
“…Because I need money.”
“Money?”
“Yeah. The tractor engine blew up. Repair bill’s 5 million won. But my bank balance is only 300,000 won…”
Doyeong sighed as he muttered.
“They said if I sell the pumpkin seeds collecting dust in the warehouse, I can pay for repairs… so I came to sell them. I was planning to leave immediately, but you caught me.”
A brief silence passed.
Then, Ihyeon burst out laughing.
“Ha, hahaha!”
His laughter was hearty enough to echo through the headset, but there was also a hint of relief mixed in.
“You came back just for a tractor? With that godlike control?”
“‘Just’?”
Doyeong’s eyes snapped open. His sleep completely vanished.
“To you it’s just 5 million won, but to me, that’s my livelihood for next year’s farming. It’s my means of production.”
“Hmm.”
“If I don’t have it, I starve. It’s a matter of survival. Don’t laugh.”
Ihyeon stopped laughing at Doyeong’s serious and capitalistic attitude.
The more he got to know him, the more he liked him. A person who moved solely for survival without chasing lofty ideals.
That made things easier.
“‘Just 5 million won,’ huh?”
Ihyeon inwardly rejoiced. Not even the price of his watch strap.
With that money, he could have this man, this diamond.
“Hyung. Then you better try to impress me.”
“…Why?”
“I’ve got the most of the ‘means of production’ you need.”
Ihyeon said boastfully but secretively.
“Tractor? I’ll buy you the best one. Smart farm? Greenhouse? I’ll set it all up.”
“…”
“But.”
Ihyeon’s voice lowered to a dangerous tone.
“You become my exclusive farmer and work only my fields. Don’t go anywhere else.”
“You have fields?”
“Fields? I’m the kind of person who could spend not 5 million, but 5 billion won and no one would blink.”
Doyeong’s eyes widened.
“…What kind of guy are you?”
He was curious, too. This unemployed guy who played games all day, ordered late-night food like a village feast, and swept up all the items.
“Unemployed? Silver spoon?”
“Something like that. Exact term: investor.”
“Investor?”
“Yeah. Stocks, crypto, futures… I touch anything that makes money. Just breathing duplicates the money in my account. So much I’m too lazy to spend it.”
Annoying but enviable. Here he was, breaking his back since dawn to make 100,000 won.
“The world’s so unfair…”
“So use me, hyung. I’ll be your sugar daddy.”
Ihyeon whispered like a demon.
“You just control with those pretty fingers beside me. Tractor repair bill? I’ll make you earn enough to never farm again.”
“…”
“But you focus only on me. Don’t look at other guys, don’t run away. Stay only by my side.”
A sweet offer. If a demon tempted, it’d sound exactly like this.
But he mustn’t blindly grab that hand. It’d only been a day since meeting this guy. Someone who’d brought monsters to kill people during the day.
“It’s basically like buying a tiled floor. I have to keep my wits!”
Doyeong struggled to hold onto his wavering consciousness. But now saliva felt like dripping from his mouth. Summoning all his strength, he refused.
“I’m good… I’ll earn it myself.”
“Such stubbornness.”
Ihyeon clicked his tongue. But he didn’t seem to give up. He looked like he was burning even more. ‘It wouldn’t be fun if it were easy,’ kind of vibe.
“Then just one last question.”
“…What now.”
Ihyeon paused briefly, then stabbed at Doyeong’s most painful spot.
“Why did you quit seven years ago? With that skill, why did you run away?”
Doyeong’s shoulders stiffened at the question. Suddenly alert, he composed his voice and answered coldly.
“You don’t need to know.”
“Why? I’m curious. I think I have the right to know since I’m your master.”
“Don’t dig up the past. Like when buying a used car, if you know the previous owner’s story, the price drops. It’s unsettling.”
Though he said that, Doyeong felt uneasy.
That man was sharp.
He had definitely read something from Doyeong’s reaction and the traces left behind after deleting everything except the old equipment.
Memories from that day seven years ago flickered in Doyeong’s mind.
Betrayal by a trusted friend. Mockery from others. Witch hunt.
“Disgusting…,” “Trash…,” “Just die…”
His stomach churned.
“So, you really don’t need to know.”
Doyeong answered curtly, coldness dripping from his voice.
“Just look at my performance right now. Whether I’m worth 50 million won or not. That’s capitalism.”
Ihyeon was silent for a moment. He found the way Doyeong praised himself as a product and defended himself interesting.
“Alright. Then I won’t ask for now.”
Ihyeon stepped back. But he hadn’t given up.
“Hyung. Sleep if you’re sleepy. I’ll protect you. If monsters or people come, I’ll tear them apart.”
“…Really? If I die, I’ll sue you.”
“Don’t worry. Would I let my asset value drop?”
With those words, thud! Doyeong crashed his head onto the keyboard and fell asleep. He’d reached his limit. With permission granted, he could finally let go.
Listening to his even breathing, Ihyeon grabbed his phone.
‘I’ll have to check myself if this is something worth buying.’
[010-XXXX-XXXX. Baek Doyeong. Records and personal info related to 7 years ago’s game ‘Chronicle.’ By tomorrow morning.]
[PS: Please focus especially on keywords related to ‘betrayal.’]
Sent.
Ihyeon’s lips curled upward.
“If he’s a recall target, that’d be a problem. I’ll tear it open to see what’s broken.”
Because he planned to fix everything about the hyung’s past, wounds, and lowest points and put him to use.
“Gah!”
Doyeong snapped his eyes open.
The world spun around. The hazy consciousness was pierced regularly by the ticking sound of the old wall clock’s second hand.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
“Ugh…”
He hurriedly raised his head to check the time.
10:50 AM.
The cursed chain appeared at 11:00 yesterday. The chain’s duration was 24 hours, so it would break at 11:00 today. Thankfully, it wasn’t past 11 yet.
“Ugh… my back…”
The price for sleeping on the desk was harsh. Each vertebra screamed in pain, and the keyboard’s impression was clearly stamped on his right cheek, throbbing. His neck ached as if a millstone were tied around it.
Doyeong washed his face dry and checked the monitor before him.
[Login time: 23 hours 50 minutes]
