Joon-ho shifted uneasily, the silence between him and Jin-ho growing increasingly uncomfortable. After agreeing to keep their conversation a secret, he found himself at a loss for words. What should he ask first? The mystery surrounding Jin-ho was vast, and the implications were daunting. But now, with Jin-ho standing before him, waiting for questions, Joon-ho's mind felt blank. The enormity of the situation weighed on him, leaving him uncertain of where to begin.
Jin-ho, sensing the tension, attempted to lighten the mood.
"So," he began, forcing a grin. "Why did the programmer go broke?"
Joon-ho blinked, clearly not expecting a joke.
"Because he used up all his cache!" Jin-ho chuckled at his joke, but the awkward silence that followed only deepened.
Joon-ho stared, unsure whether to laugh or remain serious. The joke fell flat, and Jin-ho's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry," Jin-ho mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not great with jokes… Thought it might help break the ice."
He glanced at Joon-ho, hoping for some kind of response, but Joon-ho just gave a faint, polite smile, still grappling with the strangeness of the situation.
For a few moments, the silence returned, and both men were lost in their thoughts. Finally, Jin-ho took a deep breath, deciding to steer the conversation in a more direct direction.
"You're wondering who I am, right?" Jin-ho asked, his tone serious now. "I can see it in your eyes."
Joon-ho nodded, grateful that Jin-ho was taking the lead.
"Yeah," he replied. "Who… who are you, really?"
Jin-ho sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before meeting Joon-ho's gaze again.
"As you know, my name is Jin-ho Gyeung," he said, his voice calm and measured. "So yes, I'm the mysterious man everyone's been talking about. The one who made the news. I'm not surprised you're curious—everyone is."
Joon-ho watched as Jin-ho's expression darkened slightly. The weight of his infamy seemed to rest heavily on his shoulders.
"It's strange, you know," Jin-ho continued, half-speaking to himself. "I never imagined I'd be at the centre of something like this. But here we are. And of course, Hye-su's going to be furious if she finds out who's really behind all this."
The name slipped out of Jin-ho's mouth so casually that it took Joon-ho a moment to process it. Hye-su? He felt a jolt of recognition—could he mean Director Hye-su? The CEO of NexaCorp Korea? The same person who had been desperately trying to uncover the truth behind Jin-ho's mysterious appearances?
Joon-ho's curiosity flared. He had to know.
"Wait," Joon-ho interjected, his voice a mix of caution and urgency. "When you say Hye-su… do you mean Director Hye-su?"
Jin-ho's eyes widened in surprise as if he hadn't realized he'd let the name slip. He hesitated for a moment, then laughed softly, shaking his head.
"Director Hye-su, huh?" he muttered, almost to himself. "Never thought she'd take on the role of NexaCorp Korea University Director along with being the CEO. She's really gotten herself into it, hasn't she?"
Joon-ho's heart skipped a beat. There was no longer any doubt—Jin-ho knew Director Hye-su personally. But how? And why was he referring to her so casually, without any honorifics? It was clear that Jin-ho's connection to her was far deeper than Joon-ho had initially imagined. The realization sent a shiver down his spine.
This man, Jin-ho, was no ordinary player. He was tied to the very heart of NexaRealm, to the people at the highest levels of its creation and maintenance. And now, Joon-ho was caught up in something far beyond his understanding. As he sat there, his mind raced with a thousand questions, but one thing was clear—Jin-ho was not just the mysterious figure that had disrupted NexaRealm. He was part of a much larger puzzle, one that even Director Hye-su was desperate to solve. And Joon-ho had just become a key player in this unfolding mystery.
Jin-ho leaned against a nearby tree, his expression unreadable as he studied Joon-ho.
"So, I bet you're curious about my relationship with Director Hye-su, huh?" he asked, his tone almost playful.
Joon-ho, who had indeed been wondering about it, nodded slowly. The connection between Jin-ho and Director Hye-su was more significant than he'd initially thought. There was a smug smirk on Jin-ho's face as if he was about to boast about his ties to someone so powerful. It was the kind of smirk that suggested he knew something no one else did—a smirk that made Joon-ho feel like he was on the verge of discovering something monumental.
But just as quickly, Jin-ho's expression shifted, and he shot Joon-ho down.
"Well, too bad," Jin-ho said, shrugging casually. "It's a secret."
Joon-ho's anticipation deflated, and he frowned in disappointment. Before he could protest or press further, Jin-ho cut in with a sudden seriousness.
"If you're that desperate to know, you could always ask the Director herself," he paused, realizing how his words could be taken the wrong way. "Actually, scratch that. Don't do that. As I said before, you can't tell anyone about this. Not a soul."
Jin-ho's gaze hardened, and he reiterated the same warning.
"Remember, if you spill anything about what's happened between us, it could ruin everything you've built in NexaRealm. Your armour, your weapons, your entire status—you could lose it all."
But this time, Joon-ho no longer perceived Jin-ho's words as a mere threat. The gravity of the situation had already sunk in, and the warning, while serious, felt more like a reminder than an intimidation. The reality was clear: keeping this secret was the only option if he wanted to maintain his life in NexaRealm.
Silence crept back in, and Jin-ho's demeanour shifted once again. He seemed to be contemplating something, and after a moment, he spoke again, this time with a bit more sincerity.
"You're probably also wondering why I'm here, right?"
Joon-ho nodded again, still trying to process everything he'd learned so far. Jin-ho had been the source of chaos in NexaRealm before, and now he was back. But why?
"Well," Jin-ho began, exhaling slowly as he collected his thoughts. "There's a bit of history to this. A while back... years back I should say, I made some choices that… let's just say they didn't sit well with the powers that be. As a result, I'm no longer authorized to play NexaRealm."
J"So, how are you here now?" oon-ho raised an eyebrow.
Jin-ho grinned, but it was a tired, almost resigned smile.
"Like any good rule-breaker, I found a way around it. You know how some people, when they can't afford a game, they pirate it? Well, I did something similar. The device I'm using to play NexaRealm right now isn't the standard issue that everyone else has. It's an original copy, but one I've altered and tinkered with myself."
He gestured to his head, to where a Realm device should be worn.
"This thing? It's hiding a first-generation Realm device I got my hands on. I've made a few modifications—okay, a lot of modifications—so now, I can access NexaRealm even though I'm technically banned. The first time I did this, it sent the world into a frenzy. The system wasn't prepared for someone like me to slip in, so it freaked out and triggered that massive maintenance shutdown."
Jin-ho's voice grew more casual as if he was recounting an old story to a friend.
"But I learned from my mistakes. Now, I know how to slip in and out without causing too much of a stir. I've been doing it for a while. I usually stick to high-level areas like this one, where there aren't many players around to notice me."
Joon-ho listened, trying to absorb the flood of information. Jin-ho's casual admission was staggering. He wasn't just a player—he was a rogue entity within NexaRealm, someone who had the skills and knowledge to manipulate the game's very structure. The implications were enormous, and Joon-ho's mind raced as he tried to comprehend the full scope of what Jin-ho was telling him.
"So," Jin-ho continued. "That's how I'm here. And now that you know, you're part of this mess too."
Joon-ho nodded, feeling a strange mix of awe and anxiety. This man—Jin-ho—was unlike anyone he'd ever encountered in NexaRealm. His actions, his presence, and his knowledge all pointed to something much bigger than just a player sneaking back into the game. Jin-ho was tied to the very fabric of NexaRealm in ways that Joon-ho was only beginning to understand.
As Joon-ho processed Jin-ho's revelations, the weight of the situation pressed down on him. This was no ordinary encounter; he was standing on the edge of a mystery that reached far beyond anything he had ever imagined in NexaRealm. The man before him, shrouded in secrets and seemingly limitless knowledge, had turned Joon-ho's world upside down in a matter of moments.
And now, with the promise hanging heavily between them, Joon-ho realized that he was no longer just another player in the game—he was a participant in something much larger, something that could shake the very foundations of NexaRealm itself. The path ahead was unclear, but one thing was certain: nothing would ever be the same again.