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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Call
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A whirlwind week passed, and Saturday morning arrived.
"Ugh… What time is it?"
I groggily sat up to see the sun already high in the sky.
A glance at my smartphone showed it was 1 PM.
I'd been working overtime all last week to keep up with the busy schedule, and the accumulated fatigue had finally hit me all at once.
'Time to eat.'
Lacking the energy to cook anything, I ordered a sweet and sour pork set for one from a Chinese restaurant.
As I shoveled food into my mouth, I checked my phone for news about *Forgotten Andersen's Story*.
Sales were still cruising along, and mentions in domestic game webzines had noticeably increased.
It was also being brought up occasionally on communities like Inven.
[Sailmaneh: Damn lol When the hell is Korea gonna make a game like this? It sucks that these kinds of fresh games keep coming out overseas. I feel like I'm gonna puke from all the ads for the same old shitty mass-produced games every time I turn on the TV these days.]
[Jangbob: Yeah~ not happening in Korea~ It'll be another game about angels and demons~]
[Kumtata: LMAO, fuck, always with those damn angels and demons…]
> [Sailmaneh: They'll just make another piece of shit and say something like, "The calm before the storm! The results will show whether you're trash or we are." (middle finger)]
The funny thing was, since they didn't know I was Korean, they were often using my game as ammunition to criticize Korean games.
Seeing this filled me with a mix of satisfaction and pity.
'Everyone comes into this industry dreaming of making fun games…'
In truth, developers are well aware of how Korean games are perceived.
But in the current system—where everything is poured into what makes money, where efficiency is the ultimate measure, and where obedient people survive over talented ones—it's difficult for a single individual to change much.
In this situation, as users' criticism continues to pour in, developers fall into a sense of defeat, caught between the system and the backlash, building up a victim mentality.
They think, *I've done nothing wrong, I'm just working to make a living*, but before they know it, they've become someone who makes trash games.
'I want to change things.'
I wanted to change this situation, even just a little.
The PD position at NB Soft was the first step toward that goal.
Story doesn't matter in games.
Gacha boxes are a must.
Angels and demons this, angels and demons that…
I wanted to show that you can succeed even by breaking away from the existing conventions and logic.
I'd vaguely thought it would be good to become a PD, but now my reason for wanting this opportunity was becoming crystal clear.
'Let's work hard. Then, something… I'll be able to change something.'
I mentally reviewed my tasks for the coming week, then turned my attention to social media for a moment.
It was a routine I'd fallen into—managing the Macebook page I'd created to promote the game and browsing for any new developments in the gaming world.
[biaoe: The game was fun! It's the best!]
[xia 182a: 我期待着你的下一份工作.工作快!(I'm looking forward to your next work. Work fast!)]
[kin kim: Cheering for you from Korea! The game is so much fun, and the Ugly Duckling is so cute that I drew some fan art!]
[Michael Bay: Your game reminds me of my childhood. Touching and tears Thank you and support for future work.]
When I visited the *Forgotten Andersen's Story* page, hundreds of messages had arrived again today.
It was overflowing with support from fans expressing praise and interest in various languages.
The content was largely the same, but I was grateful for the sentiment, so I read through each one carefully.
Then, one message caught my eye.
'The sender is Coby Fox?'
Coby Fox, the creator of the indie game *Overtale*.
He was the mastermind behind a game that sold two million copies globally with its first release and, as a solo-developed game, had the honor of ranking 7th for GOTY that year.
It was after playing his game that I found the courage to dream of solo development as a way to escape my soul-crushing corporate job.
And a message bore his name.
Hoping against hope, I clicked it open.
[Coby Fox: Dear Andersen! I'm Coby Fox, the developer of 'Overtale'. I feel a bit awkward sending you this message, but I'd really like to meet you…]
Skimming the message, he introduced himself as Coby Fox, the developer of *Overtale*, and said he wanted to meet me.
'No way… It's probably just a prank, right?'
Assuming it was a joke, I clicked on his profile, and Coby Fox's official account page loaded.
It was a page I had visited countless times a few years ago to get information about *Overtale*.
Which meant…
'Did Coby Fox really send this?'
My heart, which had been languidly soaking in the weekend laziness, suddenly began to pound.
'I can't believe a day like this has come…'
Coby Fox's message was simple.
He said he had played *Forgotten Andersen's Story* and was deeply impressed.
'Google Translate. I'll reply with Google Translate.'
I started a conversation with him using Google Translate.
Coby Fox kindly pointed out which elements of *Forgotten Andersen's Story* he had enjoyed, and I, in turn, professed to be a fan of *Overtale* and continued the conversation.
Although the language barrier meant our conversation wasn't perfect, it was clear that we were both excited.
[Coby fox: Which country do you live in?]
Uh… which country do I live in?
At Coby Fox's question, I hesitantly typed "South Korea."
And then…
[Coby fox: May I go to Korea to see you?]
'What, Coby Fox wants to come to Korea to see me?'
I asked him several times in disbelief, and Coby Fox cheerfully replied that he would love to.
I wanted to meet him tomorrow if I could, but I cooled my head for a moment and returned to reality.
'Could this cause any problems with work?'
Instantly, the contract I'd signed with Director Shin Chihwan came to mind.
I remembered him saying he would actively use my career as the creator of *Forgotten Andersen's Story* for the marketing of the Phoenix Project.
Meeting Coby Fox didn't seem like it would be a huge issue, but since I was walking a tightrope at the company, it was better to be safe than sorry.
'I have a meeting with Director Shin Chihwan on Monday about the cinematic anyway, so I can get his approval then.'
In the most polite tone I could manage, I explained to Coby Fox that I had a job and needed to confirm things, and that I could give him an answer by Monday.
Thankfully, Coby Fox readily agreed to my proposal, and I was able to end the conversation there.
"This is insane!"
After finishing the message, I threw myself onto the bed and kicked my legs in the air.
It was exhilarating.
The great Coby Fox, a star in the indie game world, wanted to meet me.
It felt like a real light was finally shining on my life, a life I thought I'd spend looking at Oh Gwangseok's musty face forever.
'Right, I need to keep making my own games.'
At that moment, another desire stirred within me.
I had been so busy with work that I'd been putting all my energy into it.
But… I hadn't given any thought to what kind of game I would make once I actually became a PD.
'What kind of game do I want to make right now?'
A real game, the kind of game I truly wanted to make.
Without that goal, without a core principle to guide me, even if the company gave me the title of PD, I would just be holding an impressive-looking but empty title.
'And it's not like the company will simply go along with whatever I want.'
It would be too late to start preparing then.
I didn't have experience as a PD yet, but the project I'd be making then wouldn't be a solo endeavor with my own money; it would be a team effort.
If I wasn't thoroughly prepared, the company's business logic would surely intervene.
And if that happened, the game my team would create would undoubtedly become just another generic, mass-produced title.
'I need to prepare before Phoenix is released… The game I want to make… I need to plan the game I have to make.'
I immediately got out of bed, turned on my computer, and opened a notebook.
I started jotting down numerous keywords, mulling them over.
On the screen, I pulled up YouTube and articles about other games, quickly gathering information.
But… a brilliant idea didn't just appear out of thin air.
An hour passed, then two. I wracked my brain, but nothing came to mind.
I want to make my own game, but I don't have a game I want to make?
This joke of a situation was actually happening.
'Ah… damn it, did I pour too much of what I wanted to do into *Forgotten Andersen's Story*?'
I grew anxious.
I had been living without any major worries for the past few weeks, but now, a sudden fear gripped me, a feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Having only ever created and released one game from A to Z in my entire life, this experience felt incredibly foreign.
Just then, a person popped into my head.
'…Should I give Yoon Byeongjong a call?'
Yoon Byeongjong had already completed several webtoon series. As a fellow creator, I thought he might be able to offer some advice.
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"Quit? What are you talking about? I called because I have something to ask you."
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I briefly summarized my current problem for him.
Byeongjong hummed in understanding and replied curtly.
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"Then what should I do?"
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"Huh? What do you mean…"
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"Ah… but why did you suddenly bring up dating?"
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"…"
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"How'd you know?"
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"Yeah, thanks."
Talking with him seemed to clear my head a bit.
I stared at the monitor for a moment and realized that none of the vast information displayed on the screen was registering in my mind.
Right… it would be better to rest.
I had been working out of habit and hadn't realized it, but I was clearly exhausted.
I turned off the computer and collapsed back onto the bed.
But…
'Now that he told me to rest, I have no idea what to do.'
For a long time, unless there was something special going on, I was either at the company or at home working on *Forgotten Andersen's Story* after work.
Resting, for me, consisted of occasionally watching a popular game streamer's broadcast or playing new games.
Everything from A to Z was related to games.
Being in a constant state of work had become so normal that I no longer knew how to rest.
'Ugh…'
Should I go for a walk?
Or maybe grab a drink with a friend?
As I pondered for a while, one thing suddenly came to mind.
'It's been a while since I visited home.'
I suddenly remembered that it had been over half a year since I'd visited my parents, using the excuse of being busy.
I vaguely recalled my mother's disappointed voice when I told her I couldn't come home for Chuseok because of game development.
I picked up my phone and immediately made a call.
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