Chapter 58

〈Chapter 58〉 New Account

* * *

The person I ran into in front of the convenience store was none other than Rainbow, or rather, Ryu Jinhyeok.

‘Why is he here?’

It was an encounter so out of the blue that it was almost absurd.

Especially considering that we had just broken up a few days ago, it was quite awkward.

Most importantly, despite having maintained a connection for quite some time, this was the first time I had actually met Ryu Jinhyeok in person.

‘Could he live here?’

...But, isn’t this place expensive?

Even if Rainbow is a top-tier professional gamer, it’s not like he could afford to live here, right?

‘His family probably doesn’t have that kind of money...’

While I don’t know the details, I have a rough idea of Rainbow’s situation from our past conversations.

“‘I have to go to work today.’”

From what I know, Ryu Jinhyeok has been working part-time since high school.

So, the assumption that his family is well-off is out of the question.

While I was thinking about this, I realized where I was.

[SY Palace]

‘Could it be...’

If that’s the case, could there be a connection between Rainbow, who is part of the SY professional gaming team, and him living here?

‘Now that I think about it... I remember hearing that after winning the Red Cup, he received many offers with very generous conditions from overseas.’

The rumors were so intense that there were even stories about blank checks.

Despite all the attention, Rainbow chose to stay with SY, defying the prediction that he would go abroad.

Of course, given that SY is the top team in the country, it’s not an incomprehensible choice, but there were still some questions.

Why did Rainbow choose to stay with SY, even turning down numerous offers that were described as once-in-a-lifetime?

One of the answers to this long-standing mystery seemed to be right in front of me.

“...Excuse me?”

At that moment, a voice brought me back to reality.

Ryu Jinhyeok, who looked extremely flustered, spoke cautiously.

“I... I’m going to pass.”

“Ah, sure.”

Only then did I realize that I was blocking the entrance to the convenience store.

...Triple embarrassment.

Ryu Jinhyeok, or rather, Rainbow, didn’t look well.

Dark circles under his eyes.

Rough skin.

Sunken cheeks.

It was clear that he wasn’t eating properly.

‘If he’s here during the time he should be at the dorm... did he take a vacation?’

The season is about to start.

That means his team must be taking his condition very seriously.

‘...Is it because of me?’

While I thought it might be an overreaction, it didn’t seem unreasonable given how things ended.

‘Should I have not said anything?’

Maybe it would have been better for Rainbow if I had just disappeared without a word.

Just let him slowly forget about me.

Ah, there was such a person.

I used to play games with that person.

Oh? Ah, that person? They were pretty good.

Leaving just that much of a memory might not have been so bad.

But I didn’t do that.

I still don’t know exactly why, but that’s how it turned out.

Maybe that’s why I called out to Ryu Jinhyeok.

“Excuse me.”

What the heck, what’s this?

“Excuse me.”

“...Me?”

“Yes, you.”

What should I say?

Actually, I didn’t have any specific thoughts when I stopped Ryu Jinhyeok.

But, seeing him like this because of me made me feel a mix of guilt and responsibility.

Should I cheer him up as a fan?

His complexion looks bad, should I tell him to shake it off and get back to his routine?

Or, since I’m a prisoner, should I tell him to stop acting like this and go back to the dorm?

None of these seemed appropriate for me to say right now.

So, what came out of my mouth was quite spontaneous.

“Drink this.”

“Huh?”

“You look dehydrated.”

I tossed him a bottle of water and then ran off.

“Huh? ...Wait a minute!”

I heard Ryu Jinhyeok’s voice from a distance, but I was already around the corner.

And I was surprised in a different way.

‘What, why am I so fast?’

Even though Ryu Jinhyeok is a gamer who mostly stays in his room, in a top-tier domestic team like SY, physical fitness is also essential.

Yet, I, who had never even walked in my life, had easily outpaced him.

‘Should I have become an athlete?’

I was so fast that I even had such a silly thought.

I returned to the parking lot in one sprint, and my mother was already waiting for me with the car keys.

“Hey, don’t run. What’s the rush?”

Despite the not-so-short distance, I wasn’t even out of breath.

My physical performance was so good that I was considering taking up a sport.

“Hehe, here’s the water.”

“Phew... thanks. Huh?”

My mother looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Doesn’t a bottle of water cost a thousand won these days?”

“Huh?”

“It was a thousand won.”

“Oh...”

The card I used was my mother’s.

Naturally, the transaction details would be sent to her in real-time.

“I, I bought some gum.”

“Really?”

Oh my... Is this what you call an excuse? And where’s the gum?

I was shocked by my own pathetic improvisation and cautiously observed my mother’s reaction.

“Okay.”

She didn’t seem to believe my poor excuse, but she didn’t say anything more.

She just had a very subtle smile on her face.

“...”

I had a bad feeling.

* * *

Two weeks have passed.

I didn’t do anything special during this time, just idled through my daily routine.

Of course, the peace was limited to me; the surroundings were quite busy with moving preparations.

Most of all, the community was very noisy.

­Where is Prisoner? Where is Prisoner? Where is Prisoner? Where is Prisoner? Where is Prisoner? Where is Prisoner? Where is Prisoner? Where is Prisoner?

­(Info) Rainbow’s return schedule

­Shouldn’t Gallery Master reveal himself now and say it was a hidden camera?

­(Breaking News) Prisoner reaches Platinum lol

­F*ck Prisoner lol

­Isn’t Prisoner starting to seem like a fan now? What do you think? I think so

The interest in Prisoner, which I thought would wane quickly, only grew stronger as time went on.

‘Well, of course.’

The player who achieved the first solo rank 2000 points disappeared overnight.

Given the community’s tendency to dive into any mystery or rumor, it’s no surprise they didn’t miss this juicy piece of gossip.

‘Well, it’s not my problem anymore.’

At least, that’s what I decided.

Prisoner is no more.

Soon, I won’t be Prisoner anymore either.

Even if it’s just a temporary escape, that’s all it is.

‘By the way, when is Mom coming?’

She said she was leaving just a while ago...

­Beep, beep­

The sound of a password being entered.

At this time, it could only be my mother.

“Yujin.”

“Are you here?”

“Here.”

With a pounding heart, I tore open the paper bag my mother handed me.

Inside was a new ID card.

[Name: Yoo Jin]

And it was a card with a resident registration number starting with 2.

It felt... very strange.

Of course, the feeling was fleeting, and I focused on the practical function of the ID card.

‘Now I can create an account!’

My heart was pounding.

How long had I been waiting for this day?

The past three weeks felt like being locked up in prison again.

This time, it was a mental prison.

I hadn’t realized it until now, but League of Legends had become that significant to me.

But that’s all over today.

“Is it that good?”

“Mm.”

“Phew.”

My mother laughed, as if it was inevitable.

‘Okay, calm down.’

Rash actions were forbidden.

If I created an account or logged in here, it would leave a connection log, so I had to suppress my rising urge.

“Mom, can I go to the new place first today?”

I was talking about the SY Palace penthouse, which would soon be our new home.

They said it was almost ready, so it would be perfect to create my account there.

“Do you want to? Wait, I’ll call Secretary Kim.”

“Okay.”

.

.

.

Arriving at the new place with the driver, I opened the door with the card key I had received.

The penthouse, now clearly organized, was a stark contrast to its previous state, but that wasn’t important to me right now.

“Wow...”

Entering my room, I was greeted by four 480Hz ultra-high refresh rate monitors and high-end speakers, just as I had intended.

A gamer’s paradise.

It wasn’t just that.

Glancing at the balcony, I saw the different types of chairs I had ordered, as I had planned to use different chairs depending on my condition.

‘Maybe I’ll start with the PC cafe chair today.’

The comfort that felt like it would ruin my back, which I experienced when I sat in it last time, was hard to forget.

“Ah.”

Sinking into the soft sensation, I sat down in front of the computer.

­Hum...­

The monitor slowly lit up with almost no noise from the main unit.

I smoothly logged into the League of Legends website, created an account, and launched the client.

[Welcome!]

“Uh, hmm...”

[Please set your summoner name.]

The first obstacle had appeared.