* * * * *

The large clearing behind Ravi’s house was merely an expanse of fluorescent green. Threading though it, Hyuk was following Ravi and Yongguk to a small hut nestled beneath a pair of pixelised pines.

“’Tis is where we keeps weapons and the like,” said Ravi in his growly voice. “Take a look around, kid,” added Yongguk. “Try stuff out”. All the while Hyuk had to prevent himself from chuckling – the father and son had exactly the same tone of voice, and similar mannerisms too. It was freaky and cute at the same time.

Alone inside the weaponry, Hyuk’s jaw dropped.

First of all, the place was impossibly huge – about ten times the size of what it looked like from the outside. Rows upon rows of wooden stands crowded the place, holding every kind of weapon you can think of. Some things Hyuk couldn’t even name. What he could, though, was in enough quantities to supply an entire army. Guns were piled carelessly in a corner, greatswords and lances leaned casually against the wall, and Hyuk almost stepped into a crate full of grenades.

No way in hell could Hyuk, with his skinny teenage arms, use anything as fancy as a greatsword. It would either be a gun, or some kind of sword. But when he reached out to touch one...

“AAAAGH!”

Hyuk blinked once, then twice. A blinding flash of blue covered his whole vision, just for a moment, before his sight returned.

A minute ticked by. Nothing happened.

Was this some kind of glitch? A bug in the game?

“Wha- Hey!!! Mr Tutorial!”

Exactly when and why he had dubbed the stranger Mr Tutorial, Hyuk didn’t really remember. But sure enough, the same boy he had met in the castle yard was here now, smiling absent-mindedly in the middle of the sword racks.

“Oh – Hi, Hyuk. Wanna use that sword? Good. Get it out. It’s best to hold it at the middle of the hilt, but you may later adjust if-”

“Don’t disappear on me like last time.” said Hyuk, eying the “tutorial dude” suspiciously, before reaching out to a long blade, almost as long as his arm.

“Sword. Attack: +10, Defense: +7, Magic: -3. Use?”

“Yes.” said Hyuk to the air.

“Great!” exclaimed the boy, even though Hyuk did nothing but take the sword in hand. Nervously, Hyuk altered his grip on the hilt. It felt heavy, and awkward in his hand.

“You can practise at those dummies over there.” said the boy. “Strike to deal damage. Three times makes a combo, for which you deal extra damage. Make longer combos to boost the bonus even more. Well, looks like my job here is done-”

“WAIT!!!” yelled Hyuk. “How do I use the Chopper doll? Ravi said it’s just a toy.”

The boy only smiled quizzically, showing his dimples.

“All right, then, uh,” d Hyuk for another question, “Is there an exit in this game? Can I pause, or quit?”

The boy was still smiling, though he looked a little sad.

“All right then, uh... what’s your name?” Truthfully, Hyuk had asked the first question he could think of. He was desperate to keep the tutorial guide there for a while, since “tutorial” was, apart from the coins in his pocket, the only reminder that Hyuk was in a game, not in reality. And, somewhere deep inside his mind, Hyuk felt he was getting a little carried away.

“I’m the tutorial guide.” said the boy, blinking.

“Is that your name?”

“I’m... tutorial.” repeated the boy.

“So, you don’t have a name. That must really . How ‘bout we make you one?”

“... What?”

Hyuk put a finger to his lips, thinking. “What do you like most in the world?”

“Park Hyoshin.” replied the boy at once.

“... Who’s that? Never mind, you can’t be called the same. What else do you like?”

The boy bit his lip. For a while, he looked deep in thought.

“Red beans.” he finally replied.

“Huh??”

“Red beans. The kind you make desserts out of.”

It took Hyuk a few moments to process such a weird answer.

“That’s... cute?” said Hyuk, surprised. He had expected no answer at all, or at least something generic. But it seemed as though “tutorial” was more than just a machine for giving instructions. Perhaps he was just like Ravi or Himchan.

“All right, then... Something with “bean”. Hmmm...” muttered Hyuk while thinking. “Wonbin? Nope, doesn’t sound quite right... Hongbin?” Hyuk’s face lit up. “How about Hongbin, then?”

“Y-es, I guess I, uh...” stuttered the boy something incomprehensible.

“You don’t like it?”

“I, I do, in fact I think I... ” the boy looked down at his hands. A soft smile was playing on his lips.

“I’m... Hongbin?” said Hongbin. His face looked wonderstruck.

“Nice having a name, right?” suggested Hyuk, now smiling himself.

“Yeah...” said Hongbin, that dreamy smile still on his lips. “Hyuk, thanks.”

Just a few seconds ago, something had drastically changed about the other boy. Hyuk couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but Hongbin’s face now had a lively glow, and a bright new aura appeared around him. Hyuk’s cheeks felt hot, but he brushed that thought away.

“When will you appear again?” Hyuk couldn’t help but ask.

“Whenever you need instructions.”

“I kinda need instructions all the time,” complained Hyuk, waving his hands around frantically, “this game is way too hard!”

Hongbin chuckled at that. “I’m sorry, but I can’t follow you around, Hyuk. Then the game would be too easy!” Suddenly, Hongbin’s eyes grew wide. “Right, I almost forgot! You have any red beans with you?” he asked hopefully.

“What? No, I don’t,” said Hyuk.

“Oh.” Hongbin’s head dropped. “Well, when you find some, you can call me again. I’m very fond of red beans,” he smiled.

“Wait, so I can summon you with beans?” They shouldn’t be too hard to find, right? “Cool! You should’ve told me that before! I’ll be sure to get some!”

“Great! Oh, and Hyuk-”

It sounded like Hongbin had something important to say. Hyuk took a step closer. “What?”

A voice started singing somewhere.

“PARK HYOSHIN-NIM!!!” screamed Hongbin, stars in his eyes, sprinting towards the door.

“What? Yah, Hongbin!!!”

But Hongbin was already gone.

* * * * *