Dusk (BL Light Novel)

Yeah. Thinking about it, it’s kind of funny.
The odds of some user with the nickname “Gonyanyanya”—which sounds exactly like my own ID—trying to extort money from me. The odds of that same user being a military medic. And the odds of [N O V E L I G H T] them having enough control to survive hits from a max-level Assassin.
Not exactly high.
Even their manner of speech was the same.
If it had stopped there, I might’ve suspected earlier that Gonyanyanya was Gang Jaegyung.
But when you throw in behavior only a real newbie would show and an inexplicable level of timidness, the possibility that it might be Gang Jaegyung got completely ruled out.
I’d been thoroughly played.

Why is it that every newbie I pick up turns out to be Gang Jaegyung?
I've only ever taken in two newbies in my entire life—and one was a Jeojajok Gang Jaegyung, the other a Viajok Gang Jaegyung.
What the hell.
I don’t have a hobby of picking up cute newbies and raising them like pets, getting all warm and fuzzy, or reliving my own newbie days through them.
But I do wish for newbies to grow up well and contribute to the prosperity of our faction.
So when this returning “newbie” showed up and actually looked pretty skilled, I got my hopes up a little. …A lot, honestly.

At the license test center, some idiot’s flailing around in a kid’s electric car, and people are telling him to try driving a truck. I backed him up like, “Come on, be reasonable,” and he turns around and ditches the car. Then starts pouring oil and tossing spikes all over the test course.
I thought, “All right, this is really messed up,” and tried helping him again.
And what did I get?
“I’m sorry, I’ll do better.”
I was pissed, but when the person who should’ve been getting yelled at suddenly shrank down and said it was because “they wanted my approval”…
I thought, all right. He just wants to show me he’s capable. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Then he goes and carries Boss #2 like a damn circus act. I did find it suspicious—but also kind of admirable.
And now you’re telling me it was just Retaking a Class pretending to be a newbie?

I clenched my teeth, furious.
I was about to whisper “Hey” and had already typed the ㅇ—then suddenly thought better of admitting I’d been played so easily. I backspaced.
No way I was gonna let this newbie act end with me just getting fooled.
Who the hell said he could end it on his own terms?
You threw the first punch. You better be ready to take a hit.
My thirst for revenge boiled over.
While waiting in the queue, I leaned back in my chair and started thinking:
Why would Gang Jaegyung hide his identity and approach me?
…Honestly? It was pretty damn obvious. He just wanted praise.
He straight-up said he wanted to be recognized by me.
He clearly had that side to him—someone who wanted praise even over small things.
And he probably kept his identity hidden because he knew I wouldn’t praise him if I found out he was Retaking.

But there was one thing that didn’t sit right.
If he really wanted to stay hidden, would he have shown off his full, pure skill just to clear Abassin?
No way in hell.
Gang Jaegyung wasn’t that sloppy.
He would’ve fumbled like a real newbie, maybe let a few mechanics hit him just barely without dying—he’d have sold the act perfectly.
What he just did was practically waving a flag that screamed, “I’m Retaking, LOL.”
“…Ah.”

No way… could it be that?
That he wanted me to realize it was him?
The thought hit like a lightning bolt, and I looked at Gonyanyanya’s character onscreen, now locked onto me with their target.
Even though it was just polygons, it almost felt like her eyes were sparkling—like she was pleading, “Why haven’t you figured out I’m Retaking yet?”
Now that I think of it, the way we talked the last time we met was like that, too.

“Was it the Temple Worn Down by Darkness or something? A long time ago, a newbie joined our guild, and I think that was the last time I ran it.”
“So… you do help newbies?”
Could it be he remembered that and came to me as a newbie?

Tch. You insane bastard.
To think you went so far as to make a Viajok alt just to mess with me...
And after all that, what do you do?
Pretend to be a newbie, lure me into a dungeon, then step in like a mediator every time I argue with toxic players, going, “Don’t fight because of me”?
Of course it made for a dramatic solo-heal performance.
He got my praise.
He even got me to realize who he was, just as planned.
Up to this point, things were going exactly according to Gang Jaegyung’s little script.

But the flow had shifted.
Gang Jaegyung didn’t know yet that I’d figured out he was Gonyanyanya.
I clicked on Gonyanyanya and used the petting emote.
In response, Gang Jaegyung started running little circles around me like an excited puppy.
Loving it, aren’t you? Just over the moon?
Well then. Let me feed you so much praise you choke on it.

***
TIP – NPCs never seem to realize that your class keeps changing. Why is that?
***

[System] The seal on the Chapel area has been lifted.
[System] Party member Gonyanyanya2 has reached level 44.
Boss #3, which should’ve been even harder to heal, went down easily thanks to a newly matched priest.
It was a peaceful run, without the near-death thrills of Phase 2.
[Party] Aresuis: GG!
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: Good job, everyone!
The quiet Dark Mage and Priest both left the dungeon without saying a word, and even Aresuis, who had been doing his best tanking despite the tension, exited shortly after.
Now it was just me and Gang Jaegyung—still wearing his newbie mask.

[Party] Honeybread: Hey
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: Yes?
The moment I called out, he answered immediately like he’d been waiting.
He must’ve been dying to hear what I’d say.

[Party] Honeybread: You said that was your first class, right?
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: What’s first class?
Creepy little bastard.

[Party] Honeybread: First job.
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: Oh! Yes!!
[Party] Honeybread: First time in Abassin too?

[Party] Gonyanyanya2: Yes!!
He was probably already guessing that I was suspicious of him.
There’s no way a newbie with that level of skill actually exists.
No one but a complete idiot would fall for this.
And I was ready to be that idiot.

[Party] Honeybread: Damn;
[Party] Honeybread: That’s some God-given talent right there
[Party] Honeybread: Like I said earlier
[Party] Honeybread: You’re the best priest I’ve ever seen in the game
Normally, someone that praise-hungry would’ve replied with a cheerful “Really?” by now—but Gang Jaegyung said nothing.
He was either caught off guard, or, knowing how sharp he is, was now suspecting that I knew and was messing with him.
It was highly likely, so I couldn’t go overboard.
Let’s try treating Gonyanyanya like a total stranger…

[Party] Honeybread: People say stress management’s the hardest part, but you didn’t seem to struggle at all
[Party] Honeybread: Plus you’re level 43 using level 41 gear
[Party] Honeybread: Solo-healing Phase 2 with that setup still blows my mind
[Party] Honeybread: If I told others, they’d call bullshit and ask if you’re Retaking a Class
[Party] Honeybread: Oh right, there’s this god-tier priest named Retaking out there lol
Still no real reaction, even after getting all that praise.
He was probably thinking, This isn’t right…
Realizing that something was off.
[Party] Honeybread: If you search "military medic" he’s the first one who pops up, you know
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: Yeah, I know

This time he replied.
Just a simple acknowledgment, though.
[Party] Honeybread: I haven’t partied with Retaking before—only fought with him, so I can’t really speak to his healing
[Party] Honeybread: But I can say for sure, you’re amazing at it
[Party] Honeybread: You’d absolutely tear it up in faction wars
[Party] Honeybread: Retaking’s smart, sure, but his mechanics are kinda meh
[Party] Honeybread: If I could handle the macro calls, we’d probably come out on top
[Party] Honeybread: One thing’s for sure—your mechanics are way better than his lol
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: Ah… really?

Even after hearing exactly what he should’ve wanted to hear, his response was lukewarm.
And I couldn’t have been more pleased.
Anyone could see he was trying to soothe his bruised ego, scrambling to hold it together.
At that point, I activated my mouse, right-clicked Gang Jaegyung’s character, and hit the “Add Friend” button.
[Party] Honeybread: I’ll raise you all the way to Grand Commander
[Party] Honeybread: Just don’t quit the game

Gang Jaegyung hesitated for a moment but accepted the friend request.
As the “You are now friends with Gonyanyanya” message popped up, a new chat followed right after.
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: I think you’re overhyping me a bit… I’m really not that good…
Gang Jaegyung, desperate for praise just minutes ago, was now back to acting like a low-confidence newbie.
Even though he was finally getting the recognition he craved, it was being directed at “Gonyanyanya2”—not Retaking.
And now he was being compared to himself.

Guess protecting his pride as Retaking mattered more than hearing praise in the moment?
[Party] Honeybread: If that’s not good, what the hell is?
[Party] Gonyanyanya2: I think I just got lucky this time… I probably couldn’t do it again

The tables had turned.
Now I was the one who knew everything and got to poke and prod—and it was fucking hilarious.
This feeling of having complete control in my hands… I liked it.
So this was what he’d been doing to me.
You sneaky little shit.