Episode 10 - Room 101, The Cursed Room - 'A Strange Family' (5) Fin
Episode 10
A loud voice bursts out since morning.
"Ah! F**k, how many times do I have to say I'm not going? Is Mom deaf?"
"Seung-yeop. Mom's not telling you to suddenly quit gaming. That's not it... Mom read an article yesterday, you always said you'd become a LoL pro gamer, right? They say a lot of LoL pro gamers go overseas and make money. Places like Europe and America pay really well. But if Seung-yeop becomes a pro later, imagine how hard it would be to start learning English from scratch then. Mom just wants you to at least learn a little English while you still have some free time."
"I told you I have no intention of going to any academy like that."
"Listen to Mom for a bit. They say that academy is really good at drilling English vocabulary into you, let's just try it for two months."
"Drilling English?"
"Yeah, the teacher there is famous for really driving English vocabulary words into kids' skin. Seung-yeop is smart, so Mom believes if you just go for two months, you'll have all the basic words down."
I'm hearing a lot of strange words today. Driving English vocabulary into skin? It seems like a peculiar way of saying they'll cram English into your head. Well, whether they cram it in or shovel it in, it's none of my business.
I didn't feel like talking to Mom anymore, so I closed the door and went into my room.
Today again, I skipped lunch.
But no regrets! Finally, haven't I come one step closer to the dream tier, Diamond!
At this level, there are only two people in Sindong Middle School's LoL group chat with a higher tier than me.
Around 5 o'clock, Dad returned, having worked late even though it was Saturday.
Thump thump thump thump
"Seung-yeop! Open the door and come out right now!"
I hear Dad's angry voice. I really don't understand why Dad is always filled with the intention to get angry the moment he sees me.
Still, I had no desire to get hit on the head again, so I came out for now.
"Ah, what now."
"You, I heard everything from Mom. You're not going to the Ingko Language Academy that Dad and Mom looked up either? And then skipping lunch to just stay holed up in your room... I really don't understand!"
Ah, so annoying. It's not like I asked my parents for anything terribly expensive, I'm just practicing LoL on my own and nurturing my dream, so why are both Mom and Dad so desperate to torment me?
I don't get it. I can't understand what these boomers want me to do.
"Pro gamer, pro gamer, every time you say it. Every time I hear those words, my chest just gets completely blocked up. Do you think Dad is an idiot? You think I haven't looked it up? A famous player said it on a stream. Those scores? Tiers? You need to at least reach Master before you can talk about going pro, what Platinum? With scores like that, you can't even get in as a trainee anywhere."
"I told you I would have hit Diamond if Mom and Dad just stopped interfering!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"You little brat, really again!!!!!!!!!"
Instantly, loud shouts were exchanged. And then silence. Both I and Dad, we only yell but neither of us has the personality to do anything more than that, which we both know.
Somehow, feeling a bit sorry for yelling at Dad, I lowered my head without a word.
About 1 or 2 minutes passed like that? Dad resumed the conversation with a somewhat softened voice.
"Seung-yeop... Dad's not trying to, well, torment you or anything. Studying English a bit, and a boy should also exercise a bit. Aren't these things really good for you too? Since Seung-yeop always says he'll become a pro gamer, Dad looked into it a lot too. Do you know how much wider the career path becomes for pro gamers who are good at English? Besides, matches, that's all physical stamina, you know? Top-tier players pour all their mental focus into playing 4 or 5 matches a day, and that's all stamina. Dad found a good place. Let's go check it out together."
If I said no, he'd probably just yell like earlier. Thinking I'd just get some fresh air, I casually put on a hoodie and came out.
It's a rare weekend, why do only such annoying things keep happening. This weekend was supposed to be the perfect angle to hit Diamond!
Actually, it's a score I would have hit weeks ago if Mom and Dad hadn't kept interfering.
As I walked with Dad, he brought up boxing, something he had talked about before.
"There's a boxing gym nearby that's pretty good. When Dad, when Dad was young and going to school, there were a lot of mischievous kids so he went through a lot of hardship. But you know what a man is ultimately? Physical stamina. If you go to a boxing gym for just 2 or 3 months, all those friends who bully Seung-yeop will completely disappear, you know? Plus, if you build up your stamina, you can maintain focus longer and play that game better too, you can do everything. Come on, we're almost at the gym over there."
I sighed and looked in the direction Dad was pointing, and I was stunned.
Screams, howling, the sound of blood splattering. What in the world is that?
I see a huge brute beating children with his fists as if trying to half-kill them.
Kids my age are howling and running away.
A mad giant covered in blood is chewing on something I don't even want to imagine while chasing the kids, then sees my father and approaches with the corners of his mouth torn wide open.
"Hyah! Even nowadays, just seeing a gym really livens up the mood. Now that's boxing. How manly is that? Kids these days, they need to go to a place like that, get three or four teeth yanked out, have an arm or a leg snapped backward, and then they become men."
"Hahaha, you really know your stuff, Father. Kids these days have weak energy, hollow minds, things like that, just roll around in the gym for a month and bam! It's fixed. A healthy body houses a healthy spirit, isn't that the principle? Teeth, if they get knocked out, you can just get implants, and limbs heal quickly in young kids. It's the mind that needs fixing that's important."
"Wow, hearing the director's words really puts my mind at ease. Seung-yeop, did you hear-"
I ran without looking back.
I had thought my parents were acting strange all day, but only at this moment did I become certain. What in the world? They were always a bit boomer-ish but... Today, they're truly strange. This isn't being boomers, it's more like being lunatics.
Truly - it seems like my parents have lost their minds.
When I got home, Mom was waiting.
"Seung-yeop! Did you have a good look at the gym with Dad? Dad kept saying how great it was there! Mom prepared dinner too. Here, some delicious-"
Click. I heard up to that point, and without even thinking about listening to the rest, I went inside and locked the door.
The moment I heard the bizarre sounds emanating from the 'dinner' Mom had prepared, I had no desire to leave the room at all.
Thump thump thump thump
Is someone knocking on the door? No. It's the sound of my own heart beating madly.
What in the world?
Trembling, I hid behind the door for about 30 minutes, when suddenly - strange thoughts began to arise.
Strange people.
An incredibly huge man, a sister with angel-like beauty, a cute sister with squirrel-like features, a strangely handsome guy who always stares blankly into empty space, a scary aunt who feels like a school teacher.
Who could they be. It's too vivid to just be imagination.
I thought a bit more, a bit more.
Morning, was it yesterday morning? I woke up from sleep and found myself in a scary building. I ran from a monster-like monkey, and the huge man saved me. I followed the strange guy and...
I think I had a lot of conversations. Did I have conversations? It also feels like I was submerged alone in an endless space of thoughts and then came out. It's confusing. It's scary, and strange.
Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump
This time, it's not my heartbeat. It's clearly the sound of the door. My parents don't knock on the door that violently. Only at that moment did my mind finally snap wide awake.
This is not home. Those people are not my parents.
I opened the window and tore off the screen. 3rd floor. Too high to jump down.
The moment I thought that if I wait any longer, I might be killed by that 'something' out there, my heart felt like it would stop.
Fortunately, looking around, I saw a car.
If I time the jump well, couldn't I land on top of the car?
"Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop, Seung-yeop"
They're not even trying to hide their madness anymore.
I jumped frantically and fell onto the car. The next moment, feeling like my entire body was breaking, a scream escaped me involuntarily.
In the movies, Captain America falls from dozens of floors up and gets up and runs, but I guess I'm really not cut out for that.
Tears pour out. It's too scary. Where in the world am I? Who are those people?
It hurts so much. Even though it hurt, I ran and ran and ran again. And then, at some point-
Everything around me disappeared. As if I was left alone in the darkness...
/You have successfully escaped!
The scariest age in the world, a second-year middle schooler! By thoroughly blocking conversation and contact with your strange parents, and devoting yourself solely to Summoner's Rift, you suppressed the contamination and finally succeeded in noticing your parents' anomaly.
As expected, the fake madness of a strange family is no match for a storm-and-stress crazy middle schooler.
You have escaped the curse. However, you can still feel that the source of the curse remains.
A successful escapee has occurred among your comrades! Congratulations! With the occurrence of a successful escapee, all members return safely./