“[Hahaha!]”

“[Won Hajun (22) / Archery Novice / 4 out of 5 Targets Hit]”

“Hmm.”

Watching the clip from Idol Hwarang Showdown, Ju Dan stroked his chin. As expected, his exorcist junior possessed physical capabilities that passed far beyond normal limits. Running wild without even bothering to hide it… quite like him.

Just then, a notification popped up on his smartphone indicating a game download had completed. The exact game TeSTAR had been promoting. Ju Dan tapped the screen, launching the tutorial.

[You woke up in 127 Section.]

I see, so it’s this kind of game. A roguelike adventure. Though not an expert, he grasped the general flow. Ju Dan—or rather, the ‘Player’—tapped choices with practiced ease, advancing the game. The solid storyline and intriguing setting drew him in within five minutes.

Then the Player encountered an NPC.

[??: Impressive, noticing my presence.]

Black hair, sharp eyes, pale skin, and a lean, tall build. The NPC looked striking. A spitting image of his exorcist junior. A character with major influence in this game.

As the conversation continued, the character’s hidden name revealed itself.

[??: …My name? Does that matter?]

[Stabber: Call me Stabber. Everyone does.]

“Ho…”

Ju Dan’s eyes brightened as he recruited the character who introduced himself as Stabber. In the companion cutscene, Stabber smirked, spinning a dagger from inside his coat before sheathing it in a single motion. All-black techwear outfit. Fitted clothes, a harness, and a black mask pulled down beneath his chin, revealing a tongue-sticking gesture.

The source of inspiration was obvious. Recalling the legendary W-Live stream, Ju Dan nodded to himself. Born with natural charm—an attractive villain with an eye-catching attitude. A character archetype that worked in any era.

After collecting companions modeled after every TeSTAR member, Ju Dan continued playing. Seeing how no single character held a main storyline, he realized the game contained dating-sim elements. Making specific choices would raise affection levels, revealing individual backstories.

Even when the Player plunged into a sinkhole into a ruined, parallel-world Seoul, Ju Dan remained steady. Reaching a subway station overrun by a crimson mass emitting a dark aura, Stabber spoke to him first.

[Stabber: Stay here. I’ll search the place.]

– Accept

– Decline

– Scold him

– Enter together

Ju Dan’s eyes gleamed. This choice marked a branching point, requiring careful thought.

Accept? Too obvious. Decline? Risked lowering affection. Scold him? Also risked lowering affection, and the exorcist junior would act as he pleased anyway.

That left the final option. After deliberation, Ju Dan picked the last choice.

Viiiiing—

[A sudden vibration shakes the area!]

[The massive red mass embedded beneath the earth flashes with a dark glow, surging with strange beasts amidst a terrible noise…!]

“…?”

The sudden battle caught Ju Dan off guard. Did he pick the wrong choice? As companion characters modeled after TeSTAR members fell one by one, Ju Dan watched the screen without a word.

[Stabber: Tch, damn it…! Move!]

Stabber, the sole survivor, shoved the Player out of harm’s way as an attack from the red mass flew toward them.

[Stabber: You stay alive. …You promised me.]

A cutscene played, showing Stabber offering a faint smile against a grim background. Then the screen went dark.

[Now you must navigate this ruined Seoul, <127 Section>, all alone.]

Ju Dan took a deep breath. Calm down. The choice couldn’t be wrong. Anyone would face the same outcome at that point. A character like Won Hajun wouldn’t exit the story so early. Progressing further was bound to bring him back…

[※ Companions killed in battle do not return. Ever.]

…Bring him back…

“…”

Ju Dan clenched his fist. No way. A game like this should have a companion summons system…

[※ Characters recruited as companions will not appear again.]

“…Ha.”

Ju Dan sighed. Who made this game? Ruined Factory? Living up to their name, did they hate making money that much? How could they make a choice so contrary to capitalism?

With a trembling hand, Ju Dan opened a browser. He disliked using walkthrough guides, yet a solution must exist. He would set aside his pride with ease to bring Stabber back to life.

However, nothing but complete betrayal awaited him online.

– Why is everyone dying..? Anyone know which choice keeps them alive??

└ No such choice exists. – The character with highest affection dies last… Did a demon design this game?? ㅠㅠ

– Hajun… Our cute Hajun took the hit for me and died 😭😭 He told me to stay alive, said we made a promise 😭 How can this be, we were supposed to stay together forever.. Why die first, you idiot 😭

└ Calm down, Hajun is alive.

– So that’s why the song title is Bonus Track.. That’s why.. I’m gonna keep you alive alive alive… Driving me crazy, just kill me already.

– Guys, did you know Chapter 2 adds a costume shop? Look at what they sell, absolute demons. (Photo)

Ju Dan zoomed in on the image.

[Black Clothes & Mask Boy Costume]

[: Reminds me of that person who was always on his own. I don’t regret protecting you.]

Ju Dan closed his eyes. The sting of betrayal ran deep. Killing off the actual companion just to pull a commercial trick like this… Chapter 2?

That day, Ju Dan succeeded in pulling a companion with similar stats and equipping the costume. Yet the void inside remained empty. All that remained was Chae Yul’s nagging to stop playing games so much.

---

Buzz—

Hajun picked up his vibrating smartphone. A message from someone he had not heard from in a while.

[Ju Dan-sunbaenim: I played the collaboration game you did. Quite fun. To be frank, I disliked how you pushed me away without permission while claiming we promised to stay alive. Please refrain from doing that. A character like you should act for your own gain rather than self-sacrifice. Sacrificing yourself with that personality is over-characterization… Read more]

“?”

What was he babbling about? Ignoring the text, Hajun pocketed his phone and yawned. He had heard TeSTAR’s collab game launched, but something more important required his attention.

Ryu Cheongwoo’s birthday was approaching.

What should he get him? Nothing came to mind. A car might feel burdensome. Clothes? Cheongwoo showed little interest in fashion. Workout equipment? No room in the dorm. Deep thinking did not suit Hajun.

Hajun stood up and walked to the living room. Cheongwoo happened to be lifting dumbbells.

“What do you want for your birthday?”

“Huh? Birthday?” Cheongwoo set down the weights. “Is it that time already? Well, anything is fine. I’ll be thankful for whatever you give.”

“Don’t say anything is fine. If you act like that, I might buy you an island out of my own whim.”

“What? Haha!” Laughing, assuming it was a joke, Cheongwoo caught Hajun’s serious gaze and realized he meant it. Hesitating, he added in a rush, “Anything under fifty thousand won would be great.”

“What? Are you kidding? At least five hundred thousand won so I can pick something decent!”

“Too much. At most under one hundred thousand won…”

“One million won!”

“Why does the price keep going up? Okay, okay, then two hundred thousand…”

“Two million!”

Is this an auction? Park Moondae stared with flat eyes as the two bickering, numbers and voices rising together. One million, two million—throwing around numbers like pocket change.

Troubled, Cheongwoo recalled Keun Sejin’s birthday gift. “Right, you gave Sejin a teddy bear for his birthday? Something like that works for me too.”

“You mean it?”

“…?” Why did he look pleased? Cheongwoo sensed an ominous vibe. Keun Sejin, eating an apple nearby, felt the same.

Everyone’s gaze shifted to the high-end teddy bear sitting on the sofa corner. Holding the bear with extreme caution, Keun Sejin asked with hesitation, “Excuse me for jumping in, but… how much was this bear?”

“Price? How much was it again? Need to ask Randy, hang on.”

Tapping his phone for a moment, Hajun dropped a staggering number. Keun Sejin almost dropped the bear, pulling his sanity together just in time. Setting the bear back on the sofa, Keun Sejin yelled, “Good grief, take it back!”

“Now?”

“No, I just thought it was a fancy plushie! Did you make this out of gold or something?!”

“Yeah, in fact.”

“In fact?!”

Seeing Keun Sejin on the verge of fainting, Hajun tilted his head. “You accepted it when you didn’t know, but now you hate it once you know? Whether you know or not, this teddy bear doesn’t change, so why?”

“Hyung-nim… for real… Phew, please show some consideration for the timid financial mindset of common folks. Anyway, take this back!”

---

Round two broke out. The noisy shouting drew everyone into the living room. The situation was shared, the truth revealed.

Kim Raebin stared at the bear with wide eyes. Even Seon Ahyun’s eyes widened.

After a long verbal battle, Hajun accepted that he had to back down a step. Pouting, he muttered, “Then at least accept the bear’s eyes. It’s your birthstone. I’ll have them crafted into cuff links or a tie pin.”

“Those were gems…? How much…”

“Who knows? At least they aren’t top grade, so relax.”

“…Hahaha… Sure, do whatever you want…” A declaration of surrender. An enlightened Keun Sejin collapsed onto the sofa.

A good idea struck Hajun. “Decided. For all of you, I’ll give your birthstone for your first birthday gift.”

Carrying a birthstone benefited one’s spirit. A solid idea no matter how he looked at it. Gemstones varied across a massive price range based on quality and size, so compromising was easy.

Cheongwoo listened in silence and asked, “…Which month has diamond as its birthstone?”

“April. Do we have anyone born in April?”

“I’m March!”

“November here.”

“M-May…”

By sheer luck, no member was born in April. Breathing a sigh of relief, Cheongwoo gave his approval.

Having solved a full year of birthday gift worries for all members in one go, Hajun hummed a tune and retreated to his room.

Whether the remaining exhausted members digested his ultra-wealthy status or not, the date was approaching soon, so he needed to place custom orders right away.

A first gift. He did not by habit place heavy weight on being ‘first’. Second or third, what was precious stayed precious. Yet even for Hajun, the meaning of a first time at times felt a bit more significant.

Everything with the current group was a first. Beyond their first stage or first fan sign event as idols, it included the experiences of living together in a dorm with so many people.

It felt altogether different from having many servants.

That was why he liked it.