NOVEL WEB Chapter 6 - Let's Raise Our Tier (3)
Chapter 6 – Let’s Raise Our Tier (3)
“·····”
“·····”
Instinctively, I closed everything on the monitor.
But Park Jimin knew this wasn’t the end.
A clear voice.
It’s unfair, but I think I understand why mom is shocked.
“Come out for a moment.”
“Okay·····”
Mom is telling me to come out. Usually, she doesn’t interfere much when I’m in my room.
When I came out of the room, I saw a black bag that looked like she had been grocery shopping.
Choco Pies on the dining table.
Something my busy mom often buys as a snack for me.
“Sit down.”
“Umm.”
Like a puppy who had done something wrong, Jimin sat down politely with his legs crossed.
“What have you been doing out these days?”
“Huh?”
Unexpected words from mom’s mouth.
I was sure she was going to scold me about what she had seen on the monitor earlier, but suddenly the focus shifted elsewhere.
“You go out and come home later than mom.”
“Ah·····”
Kim Eunhye, his mother, had a resolute look in her eyes.
Jimin had come home later than his mom on the day he dropped out of school, yesterday, and today.
On the first day, he had at least said he was meeting friends, but after that, he just hid in his room like he was running away, afraid of getting scolded.
He personally enjoyed hanging out with friends and playing games, but no matter how he looked at it, his mom wouldn’t like it.
It wasn’t like they were having wholesome fun; they were at PC cafes where swear words flew back and forth·····
“·····”
Jimin kept his mouth firmly shut.
“Not going to talk?”
“·····”
When Jimin slightly averted his eyes, his mom demanded an answer again.
‘Huh?’
He looked at his mom’s eyes again.
“Haah·····”
Mom sighs.
Not the scolding voice from earlier, but a face that looked troubled.
He decided to open his tightly closed lips.
Because he was a son who could endure his mom’s anger, but couldn’t bear to see her with such a sad face.
“Yesterday and today, I met up with friends.”
“What?”
Raising his head straight, looking into his mother’s eyes, he speaks honestly.
Because he was a son who didn’t know how to lie while looking at someone’s face, Eunhye could believe him.
“Who?”
“Jonghyun and…”
Jimin hesitated slightly.
“Jonghyun and other friends.”
His mother didn’t know any friends besides Lee Jonghyun.
And since Jonghyun had a good reputation with his mother, it would be better to just mention Jonghyun’s name.
“How many people?”
“Four excluding me? We’re meeting as five.”
Although they had been doing unit activities yesterday and today, still, there were five of them when they first met.
“What do you do for fun?”
“Games at the PC bang…”
“PC bang?”
“Yes.”
Jimin struggled to get the words out.
The moment of confessing a deviation is difficult, but if he doesn’t speak properly, his mother will have a hard time.
In the past, his mother would have had to be more persistent before he would confess…
‘Not anymore.’
Jimin didn’t want to make his mother more troubled.
And the idea that lying is worse than playing around was something his mother had emphasized since he was young.
“…”
Having told the truth, Jimin averted his eyes again. At least he hadn’t lied, but this was only the second-best option. Now he had to wait for his punishment.
“Still, you should play in moderation.”
“Huh?”
“A kid who rarely went to PC bangs suddenly going to PC bangs, well, I understand for now.”
His mother got up first.
“You haven’t eaten, right?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
For several days, Jimin had been eating dinner with his friends and telling his mother he hadn’t eaten.
Bubble, bubble.
Seeing her just turning on the heat under the pot, it seems she had just prepared it.
‘Ah, so that’s why…’
He had wondered why she suddenly opened the door, but while his mother was preparing food, he had just been watching broadcasts.
“It’s hot.”
“Yes.”
Warm rice and kimchi stew.
It was a meal that Jimin loved.
Munch, munch.
The pork fat in the stew tastes sweet.
He was a son who preferred his mother’s cooking over the famous PC bang known for good food or his friends’ regular hangout spots.
“But what about money? You don’t have any right now, do you?”
“Huh?”
His mother asked while taking one spoonful for every three Jimin took.
“Ah….. well.”
This wasn’t a difficult question to answer, at least.
“My friends treated me.”
“Treated you?”
“Yeah.”
“Where would those kids get money from?”
“Jonghyun works hard at his part-time job and treats us well.”
“…”
Even he thought it was a bit much to be mooching off his friends, but lying would be worse.
His mother suddenly stood up.
Looking back, he saw her pick up her bag.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
Two green bills.
20,000 won.
She didn’t know exactly how much money her son needed when hanging out with friends, but she hurriedly took out some cash.
“You can’t always be treated by others.”
She placed the money on the table.
The bills were slightly wrinkled, as if they had been withdrawn some time ago.
“Go buy them something.”
“Okay…”
Jimin received less money than others his age.
Not because his mother gave him too little, but because he spent so little.
Seeing her son always having money left over even without giving him much, Eunhye had started giving him less allowance at some point.
The reason was simple.
Jimin couldn’t easily spend the money his mother earned working hard at the restaurant.
“…”
Still, Jimin was happy that he now had money to do something for his friends.
“Jimin.”
“Yes?”
“Are you having fun with the friends you’re hanging out with now?”
His mother asked.
Judging by her expression, she wasn’t trying to be indirect.
“Yeah.”
“That’s good.”
His mother immediately responded to her son’s answer.
In truth, Eunhye felt sorry.
From her son’s perspective, the moment he dropped out must have been shocking, but she hadn’t even comforted him, making excuses that she was also overwhelmed.
‘Well, now it’s fine.’
Friends would be more comforting than parents at this age. That’s just how it is at his age. She was just glad to see her son going out rather than being depressed.
-Aaaahng!
‘…..’
She wasn’t the type to be shocked or scold her high school sophomore son for watching something a bit risqué.
A sensual moan that she was certain came from adult content.
There had been quite a misunderstanding, but at least Jimin wasn’t put in an awkward position.
Of course, afterward, Jimin developed the habit of lowering his volume and checking his surroundings.
***
“Wow, this is seriously amazing.”
“Didn’t I tell you?”
Saturday morning.
Even though it was vacation, vacation is still vacation.
At the PC room where all five gathered early like the first day, Jimin was once again showing his amazing gaming skills.
[Enemy slain.]
[Unstoppable!]
“Poof! Zap!”
“What’s with that electric damage?”
“This isn’t the Aatrox I knew.”
“….”
With four people watching, Jimin was nervous but trying his best to concentrate.
[Victory!]
“Oh, Gold 1. Just a bit more and you’ll be Platinum.”
“At this rate, you’ll keep winning easily.”
Unlike Yoon Sangchul, Ko Yuseok and Jeon Jaeyoung, the bottom duo who hadn’t seen this solo ranked performance yesterday or the day before, spoke more excitedly.
“We might be Emerald, but we’d be no match.”
To the Emerald bottom duo, watching Jimin destroy Gold games made tiers seem meaningless.
-[Team] KogMaw: Is Jason mid a ghost?-
-[Team] Lulu: Only enemy Katarina is coming-
-[Team] Nidalee: You guys figure it out-
“Jimin, let’s turn off the chat.”
“Okay…”
Sangchul, who was next to him, turned off the chat himself.
He had been destroying the mid lane, but for them to say such things after losing to a Katarina who roamed as if running away.
[Victory!]
Still, the result was victory thanks to Jimin’s fed Jason and teammates who, despite their chat level, managed to hold on well in the late game.
“Ah, winning against players like these just makes them develop bad habits.”
“Acknowledged.”
Sangchul, who had been immersed in the game, expressed his disappointment to Jimin while distinguishing the habits of users who get carried.
“Whoa…..”
Jimin marveled at the color.
“Oh, Platinum 4.”
“You’re doing well, so you’re climbing steadily.”
A smile forms.
Just yesterday, he wondered when he would reach Diamond, but now he’s getting closer and closer.
“Hey, let’s order food all at once.”
Jonghyun said.
“By the way, what have you been looking at?”
“My girlfriend’s birthday is coming up soon, so I’m looking at gifts.”
“Nice, as expected.”
“…”
Jonghyun was focused on the monitor. Jimin looked at his friend with curious eyes. What would it feel like to have a girlfriend?
He himself had trouble even talking to girls.
‘If I were to meet Dahee noona…..’
Moreover, if he were to actually meet Yoo Dahee, who had been stealing his attention lately? He’d probably run away, let alone have a conversation, because he’d be so nervous.
“Hey guys.”
“Huh?”
Jimin took money out of his pocket.
“I’ll pay for the food.”
All four people’s attention focused on his friend’s words.
“…”
What should they say?
When things are awkward, it’s best to pass it to the usual decision-maker.
The three looked at Jimin and then shifted their gaze to Jonghyun.
“Where did you get the money?”
“Oh, my mom gave it to me.”
“Your mother?”
“Yeah.”
Jonghyun glanced at the bills Jimin was holding.
Although he himself wasn’t from a wealthy family, he wasn’t unaware of Jimin’s family circumstances.
And among the friends, Jonghyun was the only one who knew that Jimin’s mother lived alone and worked at a restaurant.
“It’s okay.”
“Huh?”
Jonghyun declined his friend’s offer on behalf of everyone.
The other friends also had faces that accepted the decision.
“Ah, well, um.”
“What?”
“Mom said I shouldn’t just mooch off others and should treat you.”
Even though it’s embarrassing for a high school student to keep saying mom this, mom that, there’s no helping it.
“Really?”
Jimin is a friend with more stubbornness than expected.
Jonghyun considered the next best option.
For most men, using money from a 40-year-old widow who works hard while raising grown children is a difficult thing.
“Then use that money to add time to your PC room account.”
“Huh?”
That was the best solution he could think of.
“If we do that…”
“The guys watch you play games anyway. If anything, they should be paying to watch you.”
Jonghyun said with a slight smile.
“…”
Of course, it doesn’t work in one go. After all, he would be investing money in time for himself to play games.
“It’s true, watching Jimin’s solo ranked games is fun.”
“Same for me.”
“That’s right.”
Sangchul, Yuseok, and Jaeyoung also chimed in.
“After watching Jimin’s solo ranked games, I hardly watch solo broadcasts anymore.”
“I’d rather watch Jimin’s game today than the P1 match.”
“Me too. It doesn’t look like we’ll make it to the Sol Cup anyway.”
“Isn’t there still a qualifying round left?”
“Sigh…”
Yuseok and Jaeyoung, the bottom lane duo who were passionate P1 fans, sighed out of nowhere.
Although they had higher expectations than last year, the state of P1 that the two liked wasn’t very good this year either, so negative comments always came out.
“Hey, hurry up and go charge it.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Jonghyun quickly sent Jimin away.
And he himself was ordering food on the monitor screen.
-[Team] Khazix: Viktor, please join at Baron-
“They’re calling again?”
“…”
When no advice came from his friends, Jimin moved with confusion.
[An ally has been slain.]
[Enemy Triple Kill!]
“Ah, so this is how it goes.”
“Leona just went in weirdly.”
Leona, who made a sudden initiation in the bottom lane fight, caused an accident and got swept away instead.
Jimin escaped at a good timing and survived, but the enemy Jinx got three kills.
[Defeat!]
“That’s too bad.”
“·····”
Even Jimin, who quickly mastered AP mages, couldn’t handle the carry potential of Jinx supported by Lulu and was defeated.
“Mid lane seems a bit boring.”
She finally said what she had been holding back.
“What about ADC?”
“ADC is also a bit····· I find top lane the most fun.”
“Really?”
While the top lane isn’t completely isolated, it’s still a lane with strong 1v1 tendencies.
Jimin preferred top laners who could hit opponents well and weren’t easily swayed by the team.
“Still, you’re good at mid and ADC too, so climbing tiers shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Right, you can just keep top as your main lane.”
Her friends consoled Jimin, who seemed slightly disappointed with the Sol game system.
They liked seeing their friend happily destroying unfamiliar users.
[Victory!]
“Nice.”
“Renekton is pretty good.”
“Yeah!”
Jimin smiled as she picked Renekton, a top laner who can be really good when things go well.
His power spike comes early, so fun situations often arise if opponents don’t play cautiously.
“Try Fiora next time.”
“Fiora?”
“Yeah, she has good carry potential, so I think she’ll suit you well.”
Jonghyun, who was beside her, recommended a champion.
By his standards, someone annoying to have on your team but scary to face as an opponent—somehow, he felt Jimin would be a good match for her.
[Triple Kill!]
[Quadra Kill!]
“Oh, what’s with that response timing?”
“This is only your second game and you’ve already adapted?”
When the enemy tried to punish Jimin’s Fiora who had been split-pushing, the results were devastating, and Baron was secured right after.
“Wow, all the way to Emerald!”
“How much have you climbed today?”
Today’s final achievement appeared on the monitor.
A brilliant light green.
‘Not much further to go!’
Jimin’s lips curled up, unaware of how explosively she was climbing.
Of course, her rank did drop significantly when she got home because Dahee messed up the stream, but that’s another story.
The next day.
Gulp.
Jimin swallowed hard at that distinctive color.
“Wow, is this for real?”
“This is amazing.”
“Wow.”
My friends were making a fuss.
And Jonghyun was surprised too.
‘She really did it.’
[You have been promoted to Diamond rank.]
A friend who started playing Solo Queue less than a week ago…
Moreover, Jimin, who still didn’t know some items and champions, had climbed to the same tier as himself, who was a 3-year Solo Queue veteran respected for his skills wherever he went.
-P1 youmomdie: That Fiora is definitely a smurf account-
-Feminist Baek Jongwoon: You’re just not good enough?-
-Hwasan High Son Jiseong: Top diff GG-
Of course, between those matches, there were countless victims who came to the top lane only to be swept away by a natural disaster.