The foundation of life is story. 

A unique narrative where diverse genres intertwine to create a single ending. If it were not so, the panoramic reel of a person’s life that flashes before their eyes at the moment of death could never contain so many scenes.

From the cradle to the grave, humans undergo countless experiences, and from this foundation, they build complex personas. It is only natural, then, that the cultural content created by humanity is imbued with narrative. Whether consciously or unconsciously, a creator’s ego is inevitably embedded in their creation. Therefore, for a game like this to have no story was nonsensical. Kim Euishin had to be lying.

There was a reason Seo Jinwoo was waxing philosophical about the nature of creation.

It was because the following conversation had given him a profound experience of the vanity of life.

—I extracted the most frequently overlapping keywords from data pulled using Naver’s[1] search index and used them to generate the setting. Based on those keywords, I found and combined everything from films and dramas produced over the last decade to published novels and academic papers. I added some historical facts where needed, but as you said, I’ll probably need to get it professionally reviewed before release. Of course, from what I can see, it seems to be well-implemented without any major errors for now.

“…”

—You have to establish a general setting to have a baseline for information gathering. I did that much. But that was the limit of what I could implement. I watch my fair share of YouTube and Netflix, but my thought process just isn’t suited for producing episodic content. That’s why I scouted you.

“…”

—Because of that, I didn’t have the capacity to think about a detailed plot. And since I crammed in so much information at once, it all got tangled and mixed up on its own, and I didn’t have a chance to sort it out. To put it simply, I don’t know exactly how this game is going to unfold either.

You said you needed either a compliment or an excuse, right? I complimented you a few hours ago, so let me make some excuses now. Kim Euishin’s audacity was as pure and pristine as Grade A spring water. In short, she had gathered all the data she wanted and thrown it all in, but hadn’t done any of the refining work. Isn’t this the same as one of those new flat-plate structure apartments built without reinforcing bars?[2] What kind of irresponsible developer was this? Jinwoo’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish in a bowl before he finally exploded.

“Then this isn’t a test! You’re just making me create the story! You said all I had to do was play it casually. This isn’t about following a guide; you’re telling me to be a pioneer. This is a total job scam!”

No wonder she was so cool about changing my parents’ backstory. So this is what she meant by providing whatever he wanted. The innocent part of him that had interpreted her words as the full support and trust of an employer cracked. To think that while he was trying his best to do a good job, his employer was busy plotting behind his back. An indescribable sense of betrayal surged through him. Jinwoo buried his face in his hands and groaned. She just couldn’t let him lower his guard, not until the very, very end. In his mind, Jinwoo began to write a scathing, no-holds-barred daejabo (protest signs)[3] against ‘Kim Euishin, Class of ‘13’.

—Well, strictly speaking, it’s not wrong to call it a test. And you’re not the only one creating. I drew the big picture, after all.

“Wow, you really think you can get away with saying anything. I always wondered how you managed to recruit slaves back in university. You must have tricked them and locked them up with this kind of nonsensical sweet talk, didn’t you?”

—Don’t misunderstand, Jinwoo. There’s a rational reason for my actions. I’m simply trying to construct choices and derive endings—bad, normal, and good—within the scope of what the general public might think, all based on your actions and choices.

Where else am I going to find a member of the general public as perfect as you? You’re the top-tier of the general public. People who hone a technical skill must perfect the art of speech as well, because her eloquence was dazzling. He’d told her to give him a compliment or an excuse, and her ability to dance back and forth over the line was truly impressive.

—To do that, I needed someone who was completely ignorant of the story. If I created the story by myself, I wouldn’t be able to properly gauge what the user understood and what they didn’t.

Jinwoo lifted his head and let out a long, heavy sigh. It was annoying, but her point made sense. But what good was realizing that now? In the first place, creating game content all by herself based on mere interest was an impossible task. Isn’t that why people usually work in teams? He knew she was autocratic, but he couldn’t fathom how she had let the situation get this far.

“Fine, I get it. I get it, so wake me up. Let’s get out and talk about this again.”

—Talk about what? You already agreed to everything when you signed the contract. You said there was no need for long talks and that we should get straight to work.

Her tone was as matter-of-fact as a weather forecaster reporting today’s and tomorrow’s weather. A flash of anger surged through Jinwoo, and he entered a brief state of meditation to choose his words carefully.

“If an issue arises while working, it’s only natural to discuss it again.”

—What part of this is an issue? It’s a task that was clearly included in our initial agreement. ‘In the event that the Employer deems it necessary for business purposes, the workplace or the assigned duties may be changed, and the Employee agrees to comply.’ That was in Article 1, Section 2. Don’t you remember?

“No. I heard it when I was in a state of diminished mental and physical capacity. I’m a person who’s a bit sick due to job-seeking issues, you see.”

—Don’t give me that crap. You were perfectly lucid. Are you a fucking psycho?

“That’s a bit harsh. When did I say I was crazy? I just said my heart was a little sick. And even if I were crazy, could I be as crazy as you? You’re the real fucking psycho, playing scams on your innocent juniors whenever you’re bored.”

What kind of etiquette was it to resort to personal attacks in the middle of a conversation? The sudden insult made Jinwoo jump to his feet and start gesticulating wildly at the empty air. They weren’t exactly on formal terms, but they were still bound by a business relationship. How could she treat him like this!

The high-class debate between employer and employee finally ended as the sun began to set over the western mountains. Beneath the dense forest, it grew dark faster than elsewhere. Looking down at his elongated shadow, Jinwoo let out the breath he had been holding. He was physically separated from her, yet he felt twice as exhausted. His body and mind in tatters, Jinwoo waved a white flag.

“Truce… let’s please have a truce.”

—A truce? Don’t be ridiculous. You want me to go through this meaningless, useless charade all over again later? Why should I? One truce is enough in our nation’s modern history.[4] Cut the crap and say you surrender right now. Otherwise, you’ll…

“Surrender, surrender. I surrender. I’ll do whatever you say. So please, just stop.”

Finally, a sob began to escape Jinwoo’s lips. It felt like his ears, having been subjected to her high-frequency nagging for so long, were about to bleed. So Kim Euishin finally makes a military-discharged man whose entire life’s purpose was style and pride cry. He never thought he’d get a taste of the bitterness of society from a university senior. Only then did Euishin stop her hysterics and soften her voice.

—It would have been better if you’d just been like this from the start, Jinwoo.

Is there anything else you want? Say something other than that bullshit about negotiating or quitting. A vision of a benevolent god descending from the heavens appeared before him. Having unexpectedly glimpsed a halo, Jinwoo’s eyes narrowed. After tearing me down like this, what is she going to give me? Based on her behavior so far, if Seo Jinwoo demanded anything, Kim Euishin would just talk her way out of it and twist the situation to her advantage.

Seo Jinwoo no longer had the strength to resist. Feeling a lethargy as if all the moisture had been drained from his body, he let his arms fall limp.

The loser in a battle of stamina has no right to speak. So he just had to do as he was told. He was the one who signed the contract, after all. Jinwoo wiped his parched face with a dry hand and sighed heavily.

…Still, if he could ask for just one more thing in this moment.

“Noonaaa. I don’t care about anything else, but you can at least change my appearance, right?” Jinwoo mumbled, his face buried in his palms. To hear him better, Euishin pressed the headphones tight against her ears.

—Why? You want plastic surgery? Your face isn’t lacking. You should just live with it.

“No, that’s not it.”

“I’m a summer cool tone. A bright one, with a narrow palette, at that.” His muffled voice was on the verge of breaking into a torrent of tears. The surroundings fell silent. Uncaring, Jinwoo added a rational justification for his argument.

“I look so ugly in this crimson color. Change my clothes first. To blue.”

I have to start laying the groundwork now, and if I can gain favor with my looks, I should use it. Jinwoo lifted the long sleeve of his dopo and roughly wiped his face. A string of sobs, hardly believable from a grown man, followed. Lying face down, he lamented that he was depressed, that he missed his mom, that there was no value in living if one wasn’t beautiful, his despair filling the small pavilion.

— …

Meanwhile, Euishin was monitoring the entire situation on four forty-two-inch monitors. The sight of Seo Jinwoo, crying pathetically while rolling on the floor, was neatly divided into quadrants, completely dominating her field of view. With a trembling hand, she threw off her horn-rimmed glasses and discreetly muted her microphone.

“Ugh, this is so stressful…”

It was a natural physiological reaction. Feeling a sudden, profound fatigue and helplessness for the first time in a long while, Euishin pressed a hand to her temple. The heat radiating from her forehead felt like it was about to pass its boiling point.

With a few gestures, she obediently changed the color of his clothes. At that, the wailing stopped as if cut with a knife. On the screen was the very first user, his face puffy and swollen, stroking his new blue dopo. His touch was more reverent than ever. Staring at the monitor, Euishin squeezed her eyes shut and leaned her head back.