He Is That Guy

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief and stared back at the monitor, but the name still hadn’t disappeared from my friends list.
That’s when I remembered—I was the one who sent him the friend request yesterday.
‘No fucking way. Did this asshole—?’

Did he just leave that request sitting there and waited to hit "Accept" the moment I left the guild?
“…Ha.”
No matter how I looked at it, there was no other explanation. I let out a hollow laugh and typed a reply into the chat.

[I’mSoSleepy: This dude’s actually fucking insane..]
He must’ve picked up on what I meant, because he fired back instantly.
[Yoo Chae: hehe thanks]

[I’mSoSleepy: That wasn’t a compliment;]
[I’mSoSleepy: I’m deleting you]
Thanks, my ass. Once the initial shock wore off, all I felt was irritation. This just completely killed my mood to play.

[Yoo Chae: Hyung]
[Yoo Chae: Just a second.]
[Yoo Chae: Hyung!]

I tried to delete the entry from my friends list, but new messages kept popping up and blocking my view.
[Yoo Chae: Can’t you just hear me out? Just once?]
[Yoo Chae: I really helped you so much this whole week, didn’t I..]

[Yoo Chae: Please, just this once]
“……”
I narrowed my eyes at the desperate tone of the messages. What the hell was he trying to pull now?
‘…Well, it’s true he helped me out a lot this past week.’

It wasn’t just the raids—he gave me a bunch of items too.
Remembering all that did make me feel a tiny bit guilty. I guess just hearing him out wouldn’t hurt me.
[I’mSoSleepy: Fine, go ahead]

[Yoo Chae: Come back to our guild.]
This fucking lunatic…
[I’mSoSleepy: We’re done here, later.]

Of course. I clucked my tongue and made up my mind to finally delete him—for real this time—when another message came in.
[Yoo Chae: ㅋㅋㅋ I’m kidding I’m kidding]
[Yoo Chae: I mean, I’m not kidding about wanting you back in the guild, but still]

[Yoo Chae: Anyway, hyung]
[Yoo Chae: Are you mad?]
[I’mSoSleepy: What do you think? Wouldn’t you be pissed if it were you?]

[Yoo Chae: I don’t think I’d be mad, though?]
What the hell is this guy being so smug about? I froze, staring at the keyboard, stunned at my own sudden urge to go full boomer on him.
…Relax. I had plenty of shit I’d been wanting to say since yesterday too. If this was gonna be our final conversation, I didn’t want it to just be me screaming into the void.

[I’mSoSleepy: Because of you]
[I’mSoSleepy: I actually considered ditching this character and rerolling]
[Yoo Chae: Please don’t do that]

[I’mSoSleepy: # Nоvеlight # I’m a trash-tier scrub who hasn’t even hit max level yet]
[I’mSoSleepy: And this shitstorm broke out before I even got the chance to play properly]
[I’mSoSleepy: Of course I feel like shit, am I wrong?]

‘Ah, fuck.’
So much for staying calm. Took me one second to blow up and start rage-typing like a twelve-year-old.
But seriously, how could I not? Anyone in this dogshit situation would’ve snapped by now!

[I’mSoSleepy: Just tell me the reason]
[I’mSoSleepy: Why the hell are you doing this to me?]
[Yoo Chae: A reason?]

Even after all that, Yoo Chae answered like nothing was wrong.
[Yoo Chae: Because obviously, you went to another guild]
[Yoo Chae: I don’t like guild wars either]

[Yoo Chae: But that was the only way to get OneHeartOneWill to kick you without putting you in direct trouble]
[I’mSoSleepy: ㅋㅋ?]
[I’mSoSleepy: Not put me in trouble? That’s your excuse?]

[Yoo Chae: You didn’t get hurt or anything… right?]
Is he for real right now? This whole conversation was turning into a bigger mindfuck by the second.
[Yoo Chae: Did you see the posts on the forum board?]

[I’mSoSleepy: Yeah I saw]
[Yoo Chae: Not a single person was blaming you]
[Yoo Chae: Everyone was flaming me and OneHeart, right?]

[I’mSoSleepy: Well, yeah, obviously;]
[I’mSoSleepy: But just because they’re not flaming me doesn’t mean I’m fine]
[Yoo Chae: Everyone else feels the same way as the forums.]

[Yoo Chae: I’ve always been the one getting shit on]
[Yoo Chae: And now OneHeart are the assholes who dropped you because they’re scared of me]
I stared blankly at Yoo Chae’s messages.

‘…That’s technically not wrong, but still.’
[Yoo Chae: You’re just an innocent newbie who got unlucky and got dragged into some endgame drama]
[Yoo Chae: So that means you didn’t suffer any real damage, right?]

[Yoo Chae: Your guild block?]
[Yoo Chae: Just come back to us and that’ll be fixed, hehe]
[I’mSoSleepy: Shut the fuck up]

I almost fell for it. Snapped back just in time and slapped down his sneaky-ass suggestion.
[I’mSoSleepy: Why the hell are you so obsessed with guilds anyway?]
[I’mSoSleepy: If it’s about the Preliminaries or whatever, go find another newbie]

[I’mSoSleepy: You’re the #1 guild, shouldn’t be hard]
[Yoo Chae: Preliminaries?]
I’d already gotten a rough idea about the guild selection tournament when I talked to Kim Daeseok earlier. So I could kinda understand why EveningGlow would go this far to drag me back.

‘Newbies like me aren’t exactly common.’
I mean, I am pretty good at games. Honestly, I could probably keep up if I just watched a few vids on how the Prelims work.
But once again, Yoo Chae’s response was completely out of left field.

[Yoo Chae: What do the Prelims have to do with you, hyung?]
Wait, this isn’t even about the Prelims?
[I’mSoSleepy: ?]

[Yoo Chae: We’re gonna win the Prelims even without you anyway?]
…Wow, someone’s full of himself. I scratched my cheek, feeling weirdly embarrassed.
[Yoo Chae: OneHeart just took you to use you in the Prelims]

[Yoo Chae: Guess your reputation got out or something…]
[Yoo Chae: It’s seriously annoying...]
I remembered how friendly the OneHeart guild had been. Bet it was Daeseok who told them I was good at games.

Didn’t they say they weren’t taking new members at first? Guess now I know why they changed their minds.
[I’mSoSleepy: Then what the hell is the issue?]
[Yoo Chae: Obviously, I just want to play with youㅜㅜ]

[I’mSoSleepy: For fuck’s sake can you stop saying dumb shit]
[Yoo Chae: I’m being serious though?]
[I’mSoSleepy: ?;;]

[I’mSoSleepy: Are you actually gay or something?]
[Yoo Chae: I’m not gay…]
[Yoo Chae: But like, even if I were, what’s the big deal? Nothing wrong with being gay]

[Yoo Chae: Don’t tell me you’re one of those people? In this day and age?]
Here he goes again. What? Prejudice?
[I’mSoSleepy: It’s not the same as some random person being gay and you trying to gay me up]

[I’mSoSleepy: Can’t believe the shit I’m hearing, jesus fml]
[Yoo Chae: I’m not gay]
[Yoo Chae: I just seriously want to get closer to you, that’s all]

[Yoo Chae: So please come back to the guild]
And we’re back to that again. God, this conversation’s going in circles. I massaged the back of my neck and replied.
[I’mSoSleepy: After you pulled that stunt on the server, why the hell would I ever go back]

[I’mSoSleepy: Not flaming me doesn’t fix anything]
[I’mSoSleepy: I was this close to quitting, but I decided to keep going]
[I’mSoSleepy: So stop crossing the line and just leave me alone]

[I’mSoSleepy: Find another newbie for the Prelims]
[I’mSoSleepy: Got it?]
[Yoo Chae: You were gonna quit?]

[Yoo Chae: Why? Why would you quit?]
[Yoo Chae: If it’s because of this mess, please don’t]
[Yoo Chae: Those forum trolls and everyone else won’t even remember your name in a few days]

[Yoo Chae: Don’t quit, hyung]
[Yoo Chae: I’m good at this game too, so why should you be the one to quit?]
“…Jesus.”

This guy’s fixated on the weirdest stuff.
‘I’m so tired...’
At this point, I really didn’t see the point in continuing. I’d known this dude for barely a week—what the hell was I even doing?

[I’mSoSleepy: Yeah I’m not quitting, I’ll keep playing]
[I’mSoSleepy: But if you keep acting like you don’t get it, I will log out and never come back]
[I’mSoSleepy: I’m removing you from friends]

[I’mSoSleepy: Don’t send another request, don’t hover near me]
[I’mSoSleepy: If I see your name one more time, I’m seriously done]
[I’mSoSleepy: Got it?]

After about a minute of silence, Yoo Chae finally sent the reply I wanted to see.
[Yoo Chae: Okay]
[I’mSoSleepy: Good. I’m trusting you on this]

[I’mSoSleepy: Please just let me keep playing]
[Yoo Chae: Okay. I’m sorry...]
“……”

His apology made something twist uncomfortably in my chest. Why couldn’t he have just stayed brazen and shameless like usual? What’s with this sudden apology?
‘…You should’ve just done this from the start.’
But now? Now there was nothing I could do for him. From the very beginning, this was a mess. If he hadn’t come at me with that dumb nickname bullshit, things could’ve been totally different.

[I’mSoSleepy: Take care]
And with that final message, I deleted Yoo Chae from my friends list cleanly.
It left a weird aftertaste, but… I guess this wasn’t the worst ending. I’d said everything I needed to, so he shouldn’t come bothering me again.

‘…Right?’
Still, I couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Even after clicking the red rock to queue for a raid, I kept opening and closing my empty friends list like some kind of compulsion.
What is this lingering anxiety? Yoo Chae’s gone, so I should be enjoying the game in peace now.

“……”
Even after the raid started, I stayed fidgety and restless the entire time—and ended up wasting the rest of the day completely unable to focus on the game.