My past, my hometown.
Once upon a time in modern Korea, the bizarre psychological test known as ‘MBTI’ suddenly became popular.
Many people scoffed at it, saying, “What kind of test is that without scientific basis?”
But this is Korea, after all.
A country that boasts world-class soccer player (Son) and a gamer whose skills are almost divine (Faker).
Clearly, there was something I didn’t know.
In that MBTI test, people were largely divided into two types.
Extroverted Person (E) and Introverted Person (I).
By now, everyone should have caught on, so what else is there to say?
I was the quintessential ‘I’ representative.
That’s why I loved my cozy little corner.
I had always been that way, and I’d continue to be.
But living in this world brought forth ‘inevitable situations’.
Such as today, where I’d have no choice but to head out.
Really.
Why must people go out?
For some, it becomes a philosophical question, while for others, it’s about livelihood.
For me, it wasn’t either.
If I had to pin it down, I could say it was a question related to ‘survival’.
I approached the wall and flipped the window shade switch.
The drab, dark concrete wall changed color in an instant.
The whole wall transformed into transparent glass.
Despite being too early for dinner time, the massive forest of skyscrapers outside was already aglow with colors.
Neon signs from every nationality plastered all over the buildings, of course.
English was a given, followed by what looked like slang from Japanese or Chinese.
Furthermore, a giant hologram of an unknown naked woman swam gracefully between them.
It was as if the entire city was one giant billboard.
I had been living in this city for several years now, and despite seeing it countless times, it still amazed me.
Like some sort of reminder that I’d entered a game world.
But this time, what I needed to see wasn’t the scenery of the city.
I tilted my head back to gaze at the sky.
Beyond the ceiling’s cover.
“Oh.”
There, not a glimmer of blue was visible, only a mass of gray smog.
“Looks like the fine dust is messing things up again today.”
I could barely remember what sunlight felt like anymore.
It was the typical peaceful and ordinary weather of Cyberpunk.
1. Living in a Game World. (3)
After I finished showering, Eve asked me.
[Will you be heading out now? I ask.]
“Uh-huh.”
Since I had decided to go out, lingering around wasn’t an option.
The longer I stayed still, the less I wanted to go out.
So, moving quickly was the key.
Of course, the quickly approaching appointment added urgency to my actions.
I really needed to hurry.
There was nothing special about preparing for an outing.
To guard against stray bullets, I put on my bulletproof attire.
And just to be safe, I packed a gun, an emergency calorie bar, three days’ worth of purification pills, and an ampule filled with nano-particle robots, along with renewing the temporary halt on civilian medical services.
Finally, I donned the Cyberpunk-style Smart Mask, which had purification features against fine dust (and various biochemical attacks).
The Cyberpunk-style mask didn’t flash LED lights or anything (though it’s true that those types exist in greater numbers).
It just had a lot of extra features.
It was a tad stuffy, but who was I?
I had been wearing a mask for a long time to avoid the fine dust and various viruses that came from across the continent.
So, I didn’t mind it much.
Here in Neon City, mask fashion wasn’t required like it was back in modern Korea.
Sure, vagabonds and criminals wore them a lot.
But that’s not for health purposes, so it’s a different story.
People wanting to block fine dust for health reasons preferred methods more efficient and direct than masks.
For instance, they might attach filters directly to their respiratory systems.
Or undergo implant surgery to replace their lungs with cyberware or bioware.
There were various methods.
Of course, those of orc-like races were the exception.
They were innately healthy enough.
Many thought masks were unnecessary.
In fact, those who wore masks often got shot for not looking green-skinned.
As for me…
I didn’t want to change my perfectly fine lungs just to breathe a little easier.
Plus, my recovery rate was sluggish due to various negative attributes I had.
It wasn’t like there weren’t faster recovery methods.
But the side effects were considerable, so I didn’t want to think too much about it.
Honestly, inhaling a bit more fine dust wouldn’t immediately signal health trouble.
If things went awry, I could always swap my lungs later; living with that Cyberpunk mindset was much more comforting.
With that thought, I finished preparing for my outing.
Eve said in a strangely diminished voice.
[Is this the basic outing preparation for humans? I ask.]
“You really have no idea how dangerous life outside is, do you?”
[You sound insane, I think.]
“Hey! No bad words allowed.”
At this point, I thought I was definitely not overdoing it.
I like to keep things moderate.
Of course, that’s just my subjective opinion.
Others might think I was slightly overdoing it.
But who cares?
It was far better than ending up in a hospital because I didn’t prepare. Especially when you consider hospital bills.
In this world, most things were privatized.
You couldn’t live long if you wandered around carelessly.
“Well then, shall we go?”
[I’ve confirmed that.]
Time was winding up for departure.
It was an outing after a whole week.
‘Ugh, I don’t want to go out already.’
I opened the front door.
And as luck would have it.
An all-too-familiar ‘little boy’ was walking down the hallway of my condominium.
And I promptly closed the door again.
“Ugh, I can’t believe I shut it without thinking.”
[I agree.]
I never imagined a crisis would greet me the moment I opened the door.
I let out a deep sigh.
I had to open the door again.
With quick mental preparation, I slowly opened the door.
Then the little boy spoke.
“Hey.”
“…Yes?”
“Don’t you even say hi before closing the door on my face?”
“Well, I was startled. I’m sorry, Mr. Bill.”
A youthful voice.
But a manner of speech that didn’t suit that small voice.
“Didn’t I tell you not to call me old?”
“Oh, uh… Hello there, Mr. Bill.”
“Alright.”
Then at least speak young!
His name is Bill.
I don’t know his full name, nor do I care.
He was my neighbor living on the same floor.
To summarize him in one sentence:
Just a crazy person.
Male.
Looks about 10 years old.
But incredibly, he was actually 95 years old.
But he despised being called an ‘old man.’
He was an extraordinary individual among the countless bizarre people living in the Cyberpunk world.
“Where are you heading?”
“…Just stepping out for a bit.”
As much as I came from a Confucian society and was a law-abiding citizen who respected my elders.
This person was a different case.
He was obviously a little boy.
But I struggled to treat him with the respect due to an elderly person.
He was particularly a pureblood oligarch, something rare in Neon City.
Additionally, he was a narrow-minded person who would get angry when referred to as an old man, requiring me to use the title ‘Mr.’
What are the odds that on the day I’m already anxious about going out…
“So, where are you going?”
[Heart rate at 120, 130, 140 and climbing.]
“…Ah. Just to see a friend.”
“Really?”
Suddenly, Bill grinned.
“Good, don’t just stick in the house all the time. Get some fresh air. That kid looks fine.”
“……Yes.”
“When I was your age, I never stayed home. Nowadays, nobody comes out of their homes, thinking everything can be done online.”
[Considered a madman, but partially correct about going out, I agree.]
It would be nice if he could just be quiet, given how mentally exhausting the situation was.
Thank goodness Eve’s voice only reached me! Otherwise, I would have been trapped hearing Bill lecture for another half hour.
I quickly assessed the situation.
Once you start giving in to Bill’s tales, they never cease.
It was crucial to cut him off before it spiraled.
“When I was young—”
“Uh, Mr. Bill. I’m running short on time, you see…”
“Huh? Did it sound like I was holding you back?”
“Haha.”
Of course, you were, you lunatic…
But I never voiced that thought.
Sometimes silence can be an answer too.
“Sure, well, go have fun.”
“Yes, sir.”
I answered, simultaneously moving my feet.
I had to get far away from Bill as soon as possible.
At least I was relieved he let me go that easily.
Maybe older folks really do talk more as they age.
In the past, I once got held up for over an hour because I couldn’t interrupt him.
If I weren’t from a Confucian society, I would have smashed all of his dental implants by now.
Well done, my past self.
Riding the elevator down, I exhaled a sigh of relief.
[Shall I start navigation for the appointment location? I ask.]
“……Nah. I’ll just take a taxi.”
I was already feeling tired.
It was fine to use public transport, but since it was getting late,
I decided to flag a taxi instead.
[Taxi… is that okay?]
“Well, I’m not short on credits.”
It should be fine.
*
It definitely wasn’t fine.
I had totally forgotten just how crazy Neon City’s taxis were.
First off, as soon as you got into a taxi, the base fare is charged.
Now, add…
+ Calling fee.
+ Additional fare per distance.
+ Extra fare for leaving the area.
+ Evening surcharge.
+ Compulsory tips taken out.
And finally, the municipal tax wasn’t included in that.
My head was spinning.
I sighed.
“At this point, I might as well just buy a car.”
[Does that mean you’ll be going out more often? I hope?]
“……Uh.”
Not exactly, no.
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