I Have A Damn Family Again - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Tutorial (1)

I want to deny it. 

No, I have to deny it.

This can't be happening.

I'm Kim Min-hyeok, a perfectly ordinary college student in South Korea! A fresh-faced freshman who just took the college entrance exams!

Even if someone keeps knocking and calling me Carsein, it can't possibly be me.

It's a dream. All of this has to be a dream. A bad dream that I'll wake up from, back in my own apartment.

‘Yes, if I just pull the covers over my head and take one more nap…’

—Ding!

▶Tutorial in progress!◀
■Special reward available upon clearing the game!■
▶Reward: One wish of your choice.

“…What the fuck.”

The curse slipped out involuntarily.

As if to prove that this was no dream, the UI I had only ever seen in the game was now appearing in real life. I pinched my cheek, praying it wasn’t real, but the pain was excruciatingly genuine.

It was far too real for it to be a dream.

The text that originally read "50 million won prize" had been replaced with "One wish of your choice."

From the moment that text appeared, my fate was sealed.

I had been sucked into this game, and the only way to return to my world was to clear it.

As Carsein, a character infamous for dying at the drop of a hat, I had to survive, no matter what.

‘Ha… Okay. First, I need to get a grasp of the situation.’

Carsein Bagrand.

The 17-year-old male protagonist of this game.

A fragile creature, like a sunfish that could die from a sneeze. Even with a wide array of choices, one wrong decision and he was done for.

‘There's no time to waste.’

This game, amidst the countless others, was a vintage RPG Maker game, built using an outdated engine.

The only requirement was to choose from the choices that appeared at every turn. In this game, driven by a simple story, those choices were the lifelines, dictating Carsein’s fate.

As my time to think ran out, the UI changed.

▶The Duchess will be arriving soon.◀
▶Please select a choice.◀

[1. Enter the bathroom.]
[2. Change clothes and go out immediately.]
[3. Do not go.]

This is the tutorial, the first time the player encounters the power of choices.

Carsein, just waking up, is informed by a maid that the Duchess has returned. The question is: will he go to greet her or not?

Simple, right? But there’s also a status window:

■ Carsein Bagrand ■
▶Current Status: Hunger, Fatigue, Sleep Deprivation, etc.◀
▶Not yet available for viewing!
▶Not yet available for viewing!
▶Not yet available for viewing!
▶Not yet available for viewing!
▶Not yet available for viewing!
▶Not yet available for viewing!
▶Not yet available for viewing!

He’s clearly sleep-deprived, so should he really go? Mother would probably understand. If I chose option 3…

‘Yeah, he’d die instantly, just like a sunfish. They’d call him an ungrateful son who didn’t greet his mother upon her return.’

That’s why option 3 wasn’t even available. You’re forced to go and greet her. The other two options seem meaningless – he’ll end up meeting the Duchess either way.

But then why offer a choice at all?

—Splash.

The icy bath water sent a chill through my fingertips. That’s when the reason behind the choice became clear.

—Ding!

▶The bath water is incredibly cold. Bathing might result in a cold status ailment.◀
▶Are you sure you want to bathe?◀

[1. Bathe.]
[2. Don’t bathe, just change clothes.]

This is the cruel aspect of these choices.

The water prepared for my bath was freezing. In the harsh winter, to provide such frigid water was a blatant disregard for the bather’s well-being.

For Carsein, the young master of a prestigious duchy, this was more than just unfair; it was grounds for outrage.

And that’s why they presented this choice.

If you choose to bathe, the character is inflicted with a cold status.

But if you don’t bathe, you’ll smell awful, a problem you can’t ignore. Even in the pixelated world of the game, he was filthy. Not exactly presentable for a formal greeting.

In the actual tutorial, I had tried skipping the bath and was instantly labelled a rude, unmannerly fool by the family and the servants. Every attempt to salvage the situation only led to a bad ending.

So, there’s only one answer.

I have to bathe, even if it means getting a cold. Unfair as it may be.

“Ugh, what a shitty memory this brings back.”

I shivered, remembering the time my sister deliberately turned off the hot water, forcing me to take a cold shower in the middle of winter.

And that same sister had “accidentally” spilled soup on me, forcing me to take another cold shower.

Amazingly, Carsein was in the exact same position. The one who ordered the cold water? It had to be the youngest.

She must have thought that if I couldn’t bathe, I wouldn’t go out, or at the very least, wouldn’t want to. It would lead to me getting scolded. Clever, huh?

But there’s something she overlooked.

—Splash!

“Ha, this is refreshing!”

I may be Carsein, but I’ve been through this countless times.

The water in the tub overflowed, spilling onto the floor as I got in.

It had been a while since I had experienced this, but I was a seasoned veteran. My skin prickled with the cold, my nerves screamed, but I endured it, drenching my body and hair.

“Damn it, let’s see what you’ve got.”

I scrubbed my hair vigorously, the cold water making it difficult to work up a lather. My jaw clenched, determined to withstand the chill.

***

I emerged from the bathroom, invigorated by the icy shower.

I was right, I needed to get dressed quickly.

—Bang, Bang!

“Carsein, how long are you going to stay in bed?! You’re supposed to be greeting Mother, and now you’re making her wait?!”

The door rattled with each furious pound, presumably from the eldest sister, judging by the harsh voice.

Time was of the essence. In the tutorial, there was a time limit. If you couldn’t change into the hidden clothes within that time, you would get a bad ending.

▶Timer activated.◀
▶Change into all your clothes within 1 minute.◀
[Failure results in death!]

1 minute? In the game, I had to frantically search for those hidden clothes. Thankfully, this was real life. No need to panic.

I quickly threw on the clothes in front of me, with 20 seconds to spare.

“Hey, Carsein, how long are you going to stay in bed?!”

The second warning. The middle sister, judging by the voice.

If I took too long, she would barge in, a scene that was always accompanied by a warning in the game.

Of course, now I could open the door myself.

—Click.

I cautiously opened the door. Piercing blue eyes, the trademark of the Bagrand family, stared back at me, cold and judgmental.

The eldest sister, Arina, with her stoic, icy gaze. And Claire, the second oldest, arms crossed, a sneer on her face.

“Why are you so late? I told you to let me know.”

“You must have been lazing around. Camilla would never be this negligent.”

Lazing around?

It was all because of the youngest, who couldn’t hide her disappointment when I showed up. She would always stick out her tongue and mock me with a sad face.

‘…Wait. She wasn't the only one disappointed.’

The white boxes floating above their heads, some slightly darker, proved it.

Most of the servants in the Duke’s Manor were probably hoping I wouldn’t show up.

“We’re ready, so let’s go. Mother will be arriving soon.”

I followed Arina, along with Claire and Flora. I could hear the hushed whispers of the maids, but I couldn't focus. I still wasn’t feeling well.

We walked down the corridor, out of the manor, crossed the courtyard, and arrived at the front gate.

We waited a few minutes, the gate wide open, until the Duchess’s carriage arrived and rolled into the courtyard.

If I hadn’t made it to the gate on time, it would have been a truly late greeting.

The carriage stopped, and the Duchess emerged. The three sisters immediately rushed to greet their mother.

“Why are you all out here in the cold?”

“It’s more important that you’re safe, Mother.”

“Of course, you’re the one who went through the most.”

“You’re all so sweet.”

“Mom!”

“Oh, my little darling, what’s gotten into you today?”

“I missed you. Hee hee.”

Flora rubbed her face against her mother’s, and the Duchess stroked her blonde hair affectionately. A picture of motherly love.

The Duchess showered her other daughters with affection as well, expressing concern for their presence in the cold, a faint smile on her lips.

Then, a choice appeared for me.

▶You are greeting Isabella upon her return. How will you act?◀
[1. (In a burst of anger) Mother! I’m here too! Can’t you even see me?]
[2. (Shivering) Ugh… It’s so cold. I’m going back inside.]
[3. (Bowing your head) Welcome home, Mother.]
[4. (Pointing to a maid) Do you know this woman made me take a cold shower? She filled the tub with cold water! Is this even fair?]

Thankfully, the difficulty of this choice was lowered, since I had successfully showered and arrived on time. The answer was obviously option 3.

If I had skipped the bath, arrived late, or hadn’t come out at all, the choices would have revolved around explaining my actions, with no correct answer, leading straight to a bad ending.

‘Although, I don’t know much about Isabella…’

But she was my only hope at the moment.

The UI, the status window, and the choices, clearly pointed towards other game elements. The white and slightly darker white boxes above people’s heads were also part of the game.

The values within those boxes fluctuated, affecting progress, depending on Carsein’s actions. In other words, his every move mattered.

This was the only glimmer of hope I’d found in this hopeless, twisted game.

The white gauge boxes, which I had labeled “affinity.”

At first, they were just affected by the choices, but with enough affinity, you could actually build a relationship, changing dialogue and behavior.

Most importantly, these relationships influenced choices. In a duchy where everyone was an enemy, this was the only way to build an alliance.

Looking at the current affinity levels, most of the other characters had empty or slightly darkened boxes above their heads. But Isabella’s was different.

[■■■□□□□□□□]

Three out of ten. A 30% affinity level.

If there was anyone who could potentially become Carsein’s ally at this point and help me clear this game… it had to be Isabella.

“Welcome home, Mother.”

I bowed my head slightly, like a dutiful son greeting his mother after her journey. But…

“Yes.”

Her reply came before I even finished my sentence.

But it was far too short. So cold, despite us being her children. She was so warm and affectionate towards her other daughters, but this was her response to Carsein’s greeting?

An unpleasant memory surfaced.

Back when I had greeted my mother after a long business trip, even though I had showered in cold water, she had given me that same short, curt reply.

It wasn't the cold shower or the lateness that bothered her; it was the entire situation itself. Exactly like my experience!

—Yes. Thank you.

She had been warm and kind to her daughters, but her reaction to me had been completely different. The same coldness I had experienced was reflected in Isabella’s behavior towards Carsein.

“Mother, you must be tired. Let’s go inside. The meal is ready.”

“Alright.”

No, it couldn’t be…

It couldn’t be like this.

I prayed that this wasn’t the scenario unfolding for Carsein.

I trailed behind the rest of the family, hoping my suspicions were wrong.

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