Chapter 2 – Old Gamer (1)

The reason Minho decided to go to the army while he was already a successful professional gamer was completely because of his father. And part of the reason was his dad had nailed it into Minho’s head since he was a child that whatever he did, he should do it after fulfilling his military service. But it was mostly because his father provoked him by saying, ‘When you return from the army, your skills will be rusted and you’ll have a hard time’

A month after returning from the army, his father’s predictions were correct. Minho had to constantly exert himself in order to keep up with the fast flow of the game league which changed day to day

While he was busily spending all his time training in the game team’s boarding house, his father contacted him and asked him to stop by. His father left him to do anything he wanted after returning from the army, so Minho didn’t think much of it and left the gaming house to return home.

Knock Knock.

“Come on in.”

Yoonhwan, who was sitting in his study, was repeatedly flipping a coin in the air and catching it.

“Why did you call me?”

“Come sit down.”

Ping. Tap! Yoonhwan, who was checking the coin for head or tails in the palm of his hand, asked directly,

“Were you watching something erotic?”

Minho flinched. He’d been planning to enjoy the bodies of the ladies that were collected in a folder after he finished practice at the gaming house. But he and his father kept an unspoken rule shared among men pertaining to this topic.

“There was some new stuff that was good.”

“Move them to my hard drive later.”

“Yessir.”

Sharing the good stuff was also one of the rules among men.

“But really, why did you call me over?”

To Minho’s question, Yoonhwan gave a dry cough and changed the atmosphere.

“Since you’re old enough now, it’s time I told you something.”

Minho nodded in response to his dad’s serious but maybe not-so-serious expression.

“If it’s about me not being your son, then I understand. Because to be honest, it doesn’t make sense for my face to come from you…Oomph!”

What came was an impact from getting hit on the back of the head. 

“I’m not joking, so listen with all due seriousness.”

As Minho hurriedly rubbed his head, Yoonhwan deepened his voice again, changing the mood.

“When I was your age, I heard the same story from your grandfather. And my life changed completely. So listen carefully.”

“Why is this so grandiose?”

“Our family has a secret passed down through the generations..”

Yoonhwan paused as he was fidgeting with the coin.

‘Family generations?’

Minho continued to gaze at his father with doubtful eyes. Sometimes Yoonhwan was more like a friend next door than a father, often making ridiculous jokes like this since Minho was young. So Minho thought this was one of those jokes.

But maybe it wasn’t.

“Here.”

Yoonhwan threw the coin to Minho. 

“That’s a family heirloom, Solomon’s coin. It has the power to differentiate between truth or falsehood on any question that already has a decided answer.”

Minho, who unconsciously caught the coin, stared at Yoonhwan.

“Heads means positive, tails mean negative.”

No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed like a joke. But his father’s face was still serious. Minho found it puzzling to hear this preposterous story out of the blue.

“How does a coin answer a question?”

“Try to think of a question, and give it a flip.”

Minho, who was dubious, spoke out loud.

“Coin, is what my father just said true?”

Ping~ tap!

It was heads.  Yoonhwan, who saw this, found it absurd and laughed. Minho laughed with him.

“Oh~ no one would doubt you’re my son.”

“It says it’s true.” 

“Then ask it again while you’re at it, kiddo. Until you get tired of it.”

Minho took Yoonhwan’s suggestion and flipped it again.

Clink~ tap!

“It’s heads?”

“Does it seem like a coincidence? Then do it again.”

Minho flipped the coin two times consecutively. And when it kept showing heads, he took a second look at the coin. He continually thought of the same question ten times and when it flipped to heads all those times, Minho felt a chill and even got goosebumps.

‘Is this thing possessed?’

He even thought it must be a coin that flips to only one side. But then he changed his question to ‘This is a coin that only flips to heads, right?’ and without a doubt it flipped tails. Continuously on top of that.

‘Wh-what is this?’

Yoonhwan laughed at Minho who was staring sourly at the coin.

“Isn’t that amazing?”

“Yeah it is… But is this the family secret that was passed down through the generations?”

“No, the family secret is that you were born with the blood that allows you to use that coin. And I confirmed that fact for you.”

Minho gulped thinking that this really wasn’t a joke and carefully listened to Yoonhwan.

“Minho, there are items in the world that have hidden powers such as that coin. And we have the ability to discover and bring out that power.”

In order to help his son understand, Yoonhwan brought out one of his treasures that he had collected so far. There wasn’t any kind of equipment but a faint glow formed from the old scroll and projected an unfamiliar location in the air like a hologram.

Minho’s mouth simply dropped as he was looking at it. And he stood up in joy as he looked at Yoonhwan’s collection.

“All of these are family heirlooms? And you say they’re all mine?”

It was a display case shining brilliantly with antiques that resembled the treasures in a museum. But then Yoonhwan popped Minho’s bubble.

“What’re you talking about?”

“What?”

“Why would this father of yours give you all the stuff that he worked his ass off for? What I’m passing down to you is only that coin.”

Minho blinked, bewildered.

“But before you said they were family heirlooms.”

“Yeah, just that.”

“Just this one coin?”

“That’s right. Only that.” 

Minho pouted at Yoonhwan who was briskly speaking to him. 

Yoonhwan didn’t care if Minho was pouting or not and closed the display case and locked it tightly as if it would get jinxed or something.

Click.

As the finger-sized lock closed, an illusion of armor and shield amazingly wrapped the display case like a curtain.

“Don’t be so cheap and give me a little more, if you’re going to pass it down to me. You have a lot.”

“Your request is a bit impudent.”

“The person I’ve admired the most since childhood was you, father. I lov.…”

“You can stop there. You just need to continue to admire me.”

“Yessir!”

“…Here.”

Yoonhwan grabbed something that was rolling around in his drawer and threw it over as if he was being virtuous. The item was an old pocket watch, which fit right in his palm.

“What kind of item is this?”

“Something very good. Oh right. That’s not free, so pay me its price when you earn the money.”

Minho was a little skeptical because it was an item that didn’t come from an iron safe, but he still bowed without hesitation. Then he gently lifted his head and asked,

“How much is it worth?”

“Appraised price of 300 million Won (Approximately 300,000 USD).”

“Whaat?”

“Once you use it, you’ll probably be asking me to take more for it.”

As Minho put his hand on top of the pocket watch he was shaking his head in disbelief. It opened with a clicking sound.

Tick tock, tick tock.

The second hand quickly made a circle around.  Exactly one minute’s worth of time. And the events that would happen within that minute flashed by in Minho’s head in an instant.

‘What is this….’

If he wasn’t mistaken, what he just saw was one minute into the future.

“If you’re planning not to pay me, give it back.”

Minho shook his head, realizing he had already seen his father put his hand out before.

“No! I will pay you, I will! Interest-free payment in installments is possible, right?”

“Since you’re my son, I’ll do you that much.”

His father was cheap, but Minho still accepted the deal. This was truly a great catch. The time he could see into the future was short but it would still have its uses! As Minho was thinking what he would do with it, he suddenly asked Yoonhwan,

“But Dad. Should I save the world with this?”

“What?”

“Spider-man once said: with great power comes great resp…Ahk!”

“What power and what responsibility?”

Minho, who was serious and earnest, covered the back of his head. Yoonhwan clicked his tongue as he began speaking to Minho.

“Punk, the responsibility isn’t taken by a kid with powers, it’s taken by the kids who are leading in the front. You can live the way you want to.”

“Really?”

“Do you think I’m just talking big? Minho, live your life doing everything you want to, except committing crime. But always take responsibility for your actions. Oh yeah. Don’t forget to continue the family line.”

“What about filial duty?”

“Your father’s not that old, punk.”

“Ahk!”

His father was a free-spirited, cool man.

Prev Chap|TOC|Next Chap