The Pinnacle of Modern Civilization in Mumyeong City

Even a city with a name like that has everything it needs — and that city is Mumyeong. Built by people who lost their homes after the war, this city has a racetrack, an elementary school, a library, and even a fast food franchise. (Just how gutsy is the Wakja Burger brand, opening a chain in a city with such a bizarre name...?)

The point is — even a city like this has everything you'd expect. Where there's demand, people will build it. That's just human nature. And in that very Mumyeong City, at long last! The ultimate embodiment of modern civilization has arrived — a PC bang! (ta-da)

Our story begins around the time a young man named Mr. Kim — so ordinary and forgettable that passersby could barely register his existence — turned twenty and figured it was time to start looking for work. He wandered all over Mumyeong City looking for work. But having dropped out because he hated studying, with no real skills to speak of, and a social network drier than a desert, there was nothing in Mumyeong City he was actually qualified to do.

"If I'd known it'd come to this, I should've studied!"

But by the time regret kicks in, it's always too late. Why hadn't he listened to his mother, who used to smack him on the back and nag him to study? Beating the ground and tearing at his hair, he circled all of Mumyeong City once again, came up empty, and crawled home like a guilty dog. Unable to bear another meal under his mother's withering glare, Mr. Kim retreated to his only sanctuary — his bedroom computer — put on headphones, and closed his eyes. He absolutely did NOT sit down because he wanted to play games. He sat at the computer because he needed to think about what kind of work to do.

"What the hell am I supposed to do in this city......"

After agonizing for a while, he figured that a brain running at roughly dolphin-level IQ wasn't going to produce answers anytime soon, and arrived at the perfectly logical conclusion that he might as well play some games. Satisfied with himself, he entered his favorite game guild chat room and started venting to everyone.

[Yo, I need to find a part-time job soon. Any recommendations?]

[First job? Convenience store, recommended]

[Nah, if you get a problem customer that sucks. Have you ever cleaned up someone else's puke at a convenience store? How about a bakery job instead?]

[Bakery jobs depend on the owner too...... it's all about who your boss is...]

[How about grading papers at a cram school? You just look at the answer key and grade. Surprisingly cushy. But even though all you do is grade, they weirdly check your education, so it's hard to get if you didn't study properly.]

[Café jobs are nice too. You get to make an extra drink for yourself every day, learn to brew coffee, and even prep for a barista certificate.]

Bombarded with suggestions, Mr. Kim suddenly felt like everyone except him was actually living a real life. These were all jobs he'd never once held, yet the guild members rattled them off like it was nothing. He realized that while these people gamed with him, they truly lived in different worlds.

[Btw why haven't you been online lately? Up until last week you were basically always logged in.]

[Oh for real. I thought you were a ghost haunting the game. Every time I logged in, you were on.]

[Been busy job hunting lately so I couldn't log in....... If I keep sitting at home I'll get kicked out.]

[If you game that much, why not work at a PC bang? Seems like a good fit.]

Oh, a PC bang.

[Guys, did you know?]

[What]

[Know what?]

[What is it.]

[Our town doesn't have a PC bang lol]

Amazingly, Mumyeong City has no PC bang! The pinnacle of modern civilization — that glorious time-and-money sink. Good for gaming, stock trading, course registration, and even dates if the food menu is decent. He'd only ever heard of them — never actually set foot in one. So a PC bang job was off the table. Hard to work at a place that doesn't exist.

[Wow how backwater is your town? Are you from Africa?]

[As if. It's just a kinda unusual neighborhood so we don't have one. Everything else you'd expect is here.]

Come to think of it, the city really does have everything else — the fact that there's no PC bang doesn't make sense. Mumyeong City's population isn't that small, and there are plenty of people old enough to frequent a PC bang, so it was genuinely surprising that nobody had ever opened one. Wait — then why don't I make one? How much does it cost to start a PC bang?

"Mom! Got any money?"

"You little brat! I've got no more allowance for you!"

"N-no, not that! I want to open a PC bang!"

"This kid's lost it. Mr. Kim! Come listen to what your son is saying. He wants to open a PC bang and is asking me to cough up the money."

No — Dad would agree with me. Because Dad also......

"......Not bad, actually."

...has gaming as a hobby.

"Alright, No Name PC Bang! Grand opening from today! 1,000 won per hour, and this week only — a 1+1 special, 2 hours for 1,000 won!"

The conclusion: it was a smashing success. So many people flooded in that we ran out of computers and had to start a waitlist. Students fresh out of school, college kids trying to register for courses, older guys checking stocks, young gamers looking to scrim — the place was bursting at the seams. Tallying up the day's revenue in the wee hours of opening night, my grin stretched ear to ear. When I told Mom, she said 'Finally, you're actually useful' — and I was overjoyed. Tomorrow I'll treat my parents to dinner, hehe!