I am Smart

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“Yes.”

Every time I ‘corrupted’, my movements were incredibly bizarre and accompanied by large gestures that were noticeable if one focused.

“…… Really? Your reaction speed is insane. There are people who can actually do this.”

Lee Da-ram looked at me with a face full of admiration.

“……”

I felt a sense of fulfillment in my chest. I covered my mouth with my hand and diverted my gaze.

Rhythm games and fighting games. Maybe I’ll come back later and try them out on my own.

“But unnie, please speak casually. It feels weird to be addressed formally by an adult… you know?”

“Um, okay. You can talk casually too, though.”

“No!? No, that’s not it. I’m just comfortable this way. I’ll do it later when I feel more at ease.”

As Lee Da-ram spoke, she dusted off her bottom and stood up.

“Unnie, shall we go for the last game now?”

“Yeah. What are we playing this time?”

“This time, it’s a game you probably know. Could it be, ah please say you know it—Fiore? It’s a Fist Over Legend.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of it. I remember those kids at the back talking about it during class.”

“Ugh… Yeah, even you wouldn’t not know it. It’s been number one in PC Bang occupancy for the last seven years.”

“Looks like you really love it?”

“…… As much as arcade games.”

Lee Da-ram shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

*

This time, Lee Da-ram brought Moon Si-hyun to the VR Room. It occupied the entire upper floor.

“It’s like a game that revived a dying arcade,” she added eagerly.

“Fiore is a godly game because it requires both physical and mental skills. If you’re too focused on one side, it turns into a matter of talent, but there’s a perfect balance between the two skills. Unlike fighting games like Tekken, you don’t have to memorize much, so it’s easy to get into. Oh, and with VR devices being upgraded and widely distributed, it allows for more detailed and sensory gameplay.”

Hearing Lee Da-ram spew out such foreign terms, Moon Si-hyun nodded vaguely and followed her.

Lee Da-ram entered a two-person VR room and propped her chin on her hand.

“Um, by the way, do you prefer Sky Realm or Current Realm…?”

“What’s the difference?”

“Well… to put it simply, Sky Realm is strong in the early to mid-game, while Current Realm is strong in late-game. And Sky Realm is split into four players, while Current Realm splits into two, and later the two from Current Realm can join Sky Realm.”

“Then I’ll go with Current Realm.”

“Yes! Current Realm is actually the best for newbies. It’s the hardest to master, though. But that’s similar in both realms.”

“Okay.”

Lee Da-ram fitted the VR headset on Moon Si-hyun and then put one on herself. The strap for Moon Si-hyun’s VR was just as long as Lee Da-ram’s. Lee Da-ram muttered, “This is so unfair—” to herself.

The character Moon Si-hyun chose was a slender, thick-thighed, black-haired female fighter.

“Oh, you’re going with a fighter? That’s tough.”

“Is it? But challenging things are fun.”

“Heh, you seem to really enjoy that kind of stuff. I’ll be the weak wizard as a handicap against the fighter. Let’s have a one-on-one in Current Realm. We won’t have time for the main game yet since you’re still a newbie. And this time, I’ll really keep an eye on you.”

“Okay.”

*

“Fireball!! Fireball!! Fireball!!”

[You have been defeated.]

“……”

Moon Si-hyun’s character collapsed again under the barrage of small area skills.

She briefly considered removing the VR headset to look at Lee Da-ram but decided against it.

Lee Da-ram was unleashing the wizard skill ‘Magic Wave’ and the fireball. Magic Wave is a skill that bursts a wide area of magic onto the ground.

No matter how welcoming the game was to newcomers, it was natural to get hit if you had no idea what you were doing.

Lee Da-ram seemed even more excited than before and showed no signs of letting up. Moon Si-hyun had died about five times by then.

“……”

Soon, Moon Si-hyun felt a sense of determination. She wasn’t the type to enjoy losing.

Moon Si-hyun pondered her fighter skills and the wizard skills.

As she tried to dodge, she gradually became familiar with the wizard’s skill range. And she began to recognize the characteristics of each character.

The wizard’s skills had long cooldowns but dealt high damage over a wide area.

Her fighter skills were powerful and short-lived but had a short range. However, there were long-range skills that allowed for close-quarters combat upon hit. It wasn’t a verbal understanding; it was an instinctive grasp.

…… Then.

Moon Si-hyun shifted her body slightly.

She stepped forward, but at some moment, she suddenly stepped back.

“Firewave— huh?”

Magic Wave exploded right in front of Moon Si-hyun.

“Oh, you’re dodging now? Then what about the next Magic Wave?”

This time, Moon Si-hyun was fully within range. Just then, Lee Da-ram unleashed the Magic Wave as if waiting for that moment.

However, at the instant that Lee Da-ram couldn’t sense it, when her head mistakenly commanded to use a skill, Moon Si-hyun took a step back.

And by mere inches, the attack missed.

“?”

Lee Da-ram then unleashed fireballs, binding magic circles, and various other skills. But after being hit a few times, Moon Si-hyun avoided taking any more damage.

“……”

After that, Lee Da-ram lost her words. At that moment, Moon Si-hyun’s fighter, having dodged the Magic Wave and binding magic circle, launched an attack.

For the first time, a skill that had never hit before connected cleanly.

“Ah!?”

When Moon Si-hyun pressed the activated skill, the fighter rushed forward in an instant.

Immediately after, she employed a close-range combat skill that could only be activated at a short distance.

Using a skill that causes a stiff state, which deals strong damage at the start, followed by a short-movement skill while rushing.

Moon Si-hyun’s character knocked down Lee Da-ram’s character.

“!”

Moon Si-hyun clenched her fist tightly, silently cheering.

“No way…”

Lee Da-ram stared blankly, taking off her VR headset to look at Moon Si-hyun.

“Unnie, have you played this before? You didn’t play but pretended you hadn’t, did you?”

The difference between the fighting game they played earlier and the current Fiore was in how newcomer-friendly the system was.

Newcomers may easily jump in, but mastery is challenging.

This meant that, unlike Tekken where “if you don’t know, you get hit,” the requirement for memorization was low.

However, no matter how much you limited yourself to a one-on-one context and excluded all other game systems, it didn’t mean a beginner could beat an experienced player.

“No, it’s really my first time.”

Moon Si-hyun spoke while removing her VR headset.

But her claim was likely true. The initial awkward movements and skill understanding weren’t something someone could pretend to have.

“Ugh… Is this really right? Is this even possible? Le-letting’s try again.”

“I’m not doing it.”

“What!? Why not?”

“You can’t do it.”

“W-what did you say!?”

*

Of course, Moon Si-hyun was joking, and they played a few more one-on-one matches. The results were all similar.

At first, Da-ram was dominating, but gradually Moon Si-hyun adapted and eventually took the lead.

It was a blow to Da-ram’s pride, who enjoyed games and was confident in her skills.

“I’m not the main role for the Current Realm carry position anyway.”

…… With that fact, Da-ram reassured herself.

Eventually, as Da-ram came out of the VR room with Moon Si-hyun, they were chatting when Da-ram turned to look around and stretched her back.

“Phew, we’ve pretty much tried all the genres now. How was it?”

“…… It wasn’t bad.”

Moon Si-hyun turned her gaze as she spoke.

‘Despite how focused you were.’

Da-ram swallowed her words internally. She had a vague idea of Moon Si-hyun’s tendency not to be honest.

But Moon Si-hyun’s gaze had been on something else for a while now.

“What’s up? Is there something else you want to do?”

“…… No.”

“But what are you staring at so intently?”

As Da-ram peeked at the direction where Moon Si-hyun was looking, over her chest, she saw Moon Si-hyun’s shoulders twitch as she turned her head away, acting nonchalant.

What Moon Si-hyun was looking at was the Doll Claw Machine Area.

It didn’t seem like the kind of thing Moon Si-hyun would enjoy, and it was a place Da-ram hadn’t taken her since it was a bit distant from the concept of gaming.

“Oh? Do you want to try the claw machine?”

“…… Not really.”

Moon Si-hyun replied while turning her head.

But the tips of her ears, slightly reddened after turning her face, were visible.

“Come on. Just give it a try. It’s still a game, right?”

As Da-ram spoke, she started to walk.

Moon Si-hyun, quietly following three steps behind, made Da-ram stifle a laugh.

*

“Ah……”

“Ah! So close……”

A medium-sized doll was half lifted before dropping abruptly. Da-ram stomped her feet in frustration.

The doll Moon Si-hyun was trying to grab was either a bear or a polar bear. It had the fur color of a polar bear, but the body structure of a bear doll, looking a bit strange at first glance.

Da-ram had brought Moon Si-hyun to the doll area, then went to the restroom, telling her to just look around for a moment.

When she returned, Moon Si-hyun was standing by the claw machine. As she walked towards her, she noticed the machine’s chance slot had decreased to zero.

[Oh. Did you really insert a thousand won already?]

[…… Put in ten thousand won.]

[Huh?]

Moon Si-hyun had a somewhat disheartened expression as she stared at the dolls in the glass case.

‘Will unnie get better at this if she keeps trying the claw machine?’

Thinking about this nonsense, Da-ram watched her and opened her mouth.

“…… Unnie. Can I try grabbing a doll this time?”

Moon Si-hyun looked at her with pursed lips before nodding. Da-ram inserted a one-thousand-won bill.

With skillful manipulation of the lever using her palm and fingers, she pressed the drop switch after a few tries.

The doll was raised. It moved. And then, it fell right into the hole.

As she picked the doll up from the exit, she saw Moon Si-hyun sparkling with excitement as she looked at her.

…… Da-ram’s playful side kicked in. She hugged the doll against her chest.

“This is super cute! I should take it home and put it on my bed~”

“……”

“Gah.”

Then the look of disappointment on Moon Si-hyun’s face was visible.

“No, just kidding. I grabbed it for you, unnie.”

Startled by the sudden shift in Moon Si-hyun’s expression, Da-ram presented the doll.

Moon Si-hyun stared intently at the doll she received with both hands.

Then she hugged it tightly.

“…… Thank you.”

A very faint smile appeared on Moon Si-hyun’s lips.

“……”

Once again, Da-ram swallowed her words. And with the remaining chance, she grabbed the same doll for herself.

*

Da-ram stretched her back. The time spent with Moon Si-hyun had followed a different pattern than Da-ram expected and lasted much longer. Around 10 o’clock.

“Ugh. Now we’ve really tried everything.”

Da-ram stood up and grabbed her eco bag.

“Are you leaving?”

“Ah, yeah. I have to go since I’m a minor… Hehe. What about you, unnie?”

“…… I’ll stay a bit longer.”

“Phew, got it! But make sure to get home quickly.”

After exchanging farewells, Da-ram stepped outside. The cool breeze passed by her. In her other hand, she was holding a doll just like Moon Si-hyun’s.

It was a slightly, no, a very happy day. Would she be able to go to the arcade with her again in the future?

Imagining such a blissful future, Da-ram glanced back. She saw Moon Si-hyun heading back up to the VR room.

Suddenly, memories of Moon Si-hyun’s impressive skills came to her mind.

‘…… But, I hope I’m not leading this girl down a bad path.’

In a moment, Da-ram felt such worries arise.