The monitor's screen flickered, illuminating Choi Sung-Wook's room with an uneven light. For several hours now, he had been immersed in the virtual world, battling hordes of monsters and leveling up his character. But even the most exciting battles couldn't drown out the rumbling in his stomach, which was becoming increasingly insistent.
Damn, I'm hungry, — thought Sung-Wook, tearing himself away from the game. — I should grab a bite.
He lazily got up from the computer and shuffled to the kitchen. The refrigerator greeted him with a dreary hum and emptiness. A couple of withered apples and a jar of pickles forlornly perched on a shelf – that was all he could find.
— Well, that's not much, — muttered Sung-Wook, disappointedly surveying the meager contents of the refrigerator. — I should have ordered delivery after all…
The thought of leaving the house and going to the store seemed unbearable. Laziness, heavy and sticky like molasses, bound his body. Even the prospect of staying hungry couldn't overcome this feeling.
No, I'm not going anywhere, — decided Sung-Wook. — Too… lazy.
He returned to the room, plopped down in his chair, and picked up his phone. The screen was filled with notifications from various chats. Mostly, these were messages from his students – heroes and villains whom he trained.
Hmm, that's an idea, — thought Sung-Wook, smiling slyly.
He opened the chat with Kang Min-Joon, the hero who controlled electricity.
Sung-Wook: How's it going, Min-Joon? Saving old ladies from hooligans again, I bet?
Min-Joon: Hello, teacher! I'm training according to your plan. Today I was practicing the accuracy of lightning strikes.
Sung-Wook: Good job. And how about your reaction speed? Could you, for example, order me some food before I die of hunger?
Min-Joon: Uh… Of course, teacher! What would you like me to get?
Sung-Wook: Something substantial. And fast. I have an… emergency here.
Alright, the food problem is solved, — thought Sung-Wook, leaning back in his chair. — I can continue having fun.
He opened another chat – with Lee Ji-Hye, the girl with telekinesis.
Sung-Wook: Ji-Hye, how are you? Not missing my wise guidance, are you?
Ji-Hye: I'm doing fine. Practicing control over my powers, as you instructed.
Sung-Wook: Excellent. And how about practicing teleportation as well? I urgently need something from a store on the other side of the city.
Ji-Hye: Teleportation? But I don't know how to do that yet…
Sung-Wook: That's your chance to practice. Consider it an unscheduled assignment. And hurry up, or I'll end up eating my own shoe.
I wonder if she can handle it? — thought Sung-Wook, smirking. — It'll be fun either way.
He continued to scroll through the chats, handing out "assignments" to his students. To some – to bring him coffee, to others – to find a rare ingredient for a potion (in reality, just an exotic fruit that Sung-Wook wanted to try), to others – to deal with noisy neighbors (using, of course, only their superpowers).
That's more like it, — thought Sung-Wook, watching his students bustle about, carrying out his errands. — It's good for me, and it's training for them.
He felt like a puppeteer, pulling the strings of his puppets. Only this time, instead of pitting them against each other in brutal battles, he was making them solve his everyday problems.
Why not? — he thought. — They also need to learn how to use their abilities in everyday life. It's not all about saving the world.
After some time, the doorbell rang. On the doorstep stood a breathless Min-Joon with bags full of food.
— I bought everything, teacher! — he reported. — I hope I'm not late?
— Good job, Min-Joon, — praised Sung-Wook, taking the bags. — You get extra credit for speed.
Min-Joon, beaming with pride, left. Sung-Wook laid out the food on the table and attacked it with gusto.
It's good to have obedient students after all, — he thought, stuffing his face. — Especially when laziness strikes.
Shortly thereafter, Ji-Hye appeared in the room, holding a strange fruit that looked like a cross between a pineapple and a mango.
— I… I'm not sure if this is what you asked for, — she said, handing him the fruit. — But I tried my best.
— Well done, Ji-Hye, — Sung-Wook took the fruit and examined it with interest. — Teleportation is no joke. You get an A+ for effort.
Ji-Hye, smiling shyly, disappeared. Sung-Wook took a bite of the fruit.
— Hmm, interesting taste, — he muttered. — I'll have to order something else from her.
He sat down at the computer again, full and satisfied. The game continued, but now Sung-Wook kept getting distracted to give another "assignment" to his students.
That's how we live, — he thought, smirking. — I give them training, they give me food and entertainment. It's a fair deal.
He knew he was using his students. But, on the other hand, wasn't that why they came to him in the first place? To become stronger? And what could be a better training than real life, even in such an unusual form?
After all, — thought Sung-Wook, sending another message, — I'm not asking them to do anything illegal. Yet.
He chuckled at his own joke and immersed himself in the game again. Ahead was a whole evening full of virtual battles and… real errands for his students.
Laziness is the engine of progress, — he thought, sending another "assignment". — Or at least the engine of my entertainment.
And somewhere in the city, heroes and villains, without realizing it, were participating in the most unusual training of their lives. Training invented by a lazy but cunning Puppeteer, who even on his day off couldn't resist playing with his puppets a little.
Because it's so much fun, — thought Sung-Wook, watching the bustle of his students. — And fun is the most important thing. At least for me.
And let the whole world wait while Choi Sung-Wook, aka the Puppeteer, enjoys his well-deserved rest. Because even puppeteers need to relax and just… eat sometimes.