I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 122: Hobby Life (5)

“...I think we can leave the North American version as is.”

I had finally managed to find a rational reason to defend my own creation.

After all, even if it didn’t work for Korea, the game was good enough to receive praise in the U.S. A deck-building game in an era without Dominion was incredibly compelling.

“Hmm... really?”

“That’s how I see it. Worst case, I’ll just make the MS employees play it. I bet even Bill Gates would call it a god-tier game if he tried it.”

Seo Ji-yeon nodded reluctantly and asked again.

“Then what about the Korean Windows version?”

“...That one, we’ll have to ‘localize’ to sell it. Mixing in some Eastern-style fantasy should be fine. Oh, combining it with Tales of the Exorcist—that’s trending now—might work too.”

“Uh-huh... but localization’s kinda lame, honestly. Didn’t you make a huge fuss last time about Evangelion, how it had to be brought in with original Japanese subs instead of localized?”

Still not a great reaction.

My pride stung. I furrowed my brows.

–Grit.

“Fine, we’ll release it as-is. If recognition or accessibility is the problem, we’ll just blast it with so much advertising that it won’t matter.”

‘If it doesn’t work, I’ll make it work.’

My life’s goal is my own happiness, and nothing—certainly not this—was going to stand in the way of that. So what if it cost a little more?

I’m rich.

Obscenely so.

***

Nowadays—post-smartphone era—you don’t really feel it, but... back then, most people still played games on consoles.

Console gaming didn’t take off in Korea like it did elsewhere, but globally, “game consoles” were everywhere.

What I’m saying is: Windows 95 wasn’t necessary for gamers. Most people played on PlayStation or Famicom.

“So this is, like, a bundled deal?”

Song Hyun-jae, president of Microsoft Korea, adjusted his glasses and asked. He hadn’t looked like much when he was just Pigmalion Soft’s figurehead, but now that he wore a proper suit, he had a real executive aura.

Guess that’s what a few years of change does.

“Yeah. Or a monopoly, you could say? The game’s built to only run on PC—specifically Windows. We’ve got the contract with MS HQ already, so it’s fine. All you have to do is take the license and leave my name off it.”

“You sure? I thought you liked having your name out there.”

So that’s the rumor already, huh?

I nodded without hesitation.

“I’m fine with it for now. If my name or Myrian’s name goes on this, it’ll be annoying. And...”

I trailed off. It wasn’t something I could say out loud in front of this guy.

‘Just imagine the reaction when I reveal it later as the chairman, right?’

The world-renowned developer behind a wave of hit video games, who dipped into major IT events and controversies, turning out to be Yoo Ha-yeon—the chairwoman of Daehwa Group?

My tongue itched to spill it, but I held back.

“...I don’t fully get it, but okay. Still, won’t limiting it to Windows hurt sales? And maybe reputation, too.”

President Song raised a valid concern, but I pushed through confidently. I knew the future.

“In a little while, Windows demand is going to skyrocket. It won’t matter.”

Sure, Windows 95 wasn’t necessary for gamers... was. Past tense. Except for a few Mac die-hards, how many Koreans don’t use Windows?

Even those using MacBooks usually do so for iPhone compatibility or exclusive apps like Scrivener. It’s rare to find anyone who doesn’t use Windows at all.

Microsoft’s out here desperately pushing advertising and recruitment now, but by 1998, Windows will dominate the entire market.

Even people who only like console games won’t be able to avoid using Windows. Today, people joke it’s just an “Excel launcher,” but soon, Windows will be the standard.

It’s terrifying—and incredible.

Like someone looking outside through a window, everyone born after the ’90s experiences the internet through Windows.

There’s a reason Gates stayed the world’s richest man for so long.

“Kind of makes me jealous. If I’d been born a white man, I could’ve done even better.”

“...You’re already pretty amazing, aren’t you? How many teenagers are running companies like you? And didn’t that AI paper you submitted under a pseudonym get tons of attention?”

“That’s true.”

Can’t help it. If I’d been born in a better environment in my past life... I probably wouldn’t have become a genius like this.

‘A sign that the universe really is fair.’

Then again, if it were truly fair, there wouldn’t be a busted cheat character like Yoo Ha-yeon running around on Earth.

President Song was flipping through some documents to prep for the game launch when he tilted his head.

“...Huh? This release date looks a little off?”

Grin.

I gave a sly smile and confirmed.

“Nope, it’s right.”

“Windows 95 is launching at the end of this year, but the game release is listed for early this year? Didn’t you just say it doesn’t run properly unless it’s Windows 95?”

“It runs on earlier versions too. Normally it wouldn’t because of hardware issues, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) but I cut the game in half for this release.”

“...Excuse me?”

It’s called... early access.

The full version drops with Windows 95. So if you want the real deal, you’ll have to buy it.

***

Somewhere in Seoul.

Bzzzt—beep—beep-beep-beep-beep.

A strange but familiar sound echoed in the room—one known to anyone using PC communication services. The dial-up modem connecting through a phone line.

A young man tapped the warm computer tower and rubbed his chin.

“Tsk... Isn’t there anything fun to play?”

His name was Yoo Ho-jun. Grandson of Daehwa Group’s chairman, Yoo Seong-pil. Technically, the son of Yoo Jin-ha, not Yoo Jin-seok—but in the Daehwa family, where sons were rare, such details didn’t matter.

Also, he had just finished Korea’s college entrance exam (Suneung).

–Clack clack.

[NowNuri Pure Game Lovers]

It was a board he frequented, having already played nearly every game under the sun.

———

Doom 2 keeps crashing—anyone know why? – DemonHunter

My girlfriend keeps nagging me to stop gaming... Why do women hate games? – Gamer3

[Debate] Isn’t that new Korean RPG just blatant plagiarism? – SkyLake

Daehwa Electronics is releasing a new 3D card... Price is insane – EarlyAdopter

[Review] Married off my Princess Maker 2 daughter ^^ (So touching) – DotingDad

———

‘Hmph. Same old.’

After binge-gaming post-Suneung, it was starting to wear thin. Now he mostly browsed boards or posted long walkthroughs.

He even played that princess-raising game (turned out to be a hidden gem) multiple times—he was that into it now.

If he were just a regular kid, he would’ve gone broke. But as a member of a chaebol family, Yoo Ho-jun didn’t need to worry about money.

–Scroll.

He was about to shut down his computer when—

‘Wait. That looks familiar...’

–Knock knock.

“Ho-jun, Dad’s not coming home today.”

A soft female voice.

“Okay.”

It was his older sister, three years his senior. As she tapped on his door, Yoo Ho-jun replied absentmindedly and turned back to the screen.

He was sure he saw something familiar.

———

Heard there’s a new game from Pigmalion Soft. It’s fun – EarlyAdopter

———

Pigmalion Soft. He knew that name.

“...Ha-yeon?”

That was practically her company.

His cousin Yoo Ha-yeon—the one known as a genius within the Daehwa Group—was famously into IT.

Everyone always said she stayed away from money and power and immersed herself purely in high-tech industry. People believed the only reason peace was maintained in the family was because she didn’t waste her brain on internal politics.

Some mocked her as just a parentless girl with brains, but...

Yoo Ho-jun knew better. His cousin was kind-hearted, and only stayed out of fights because she wasn’t interested in money—not because she lacked the ability.

‘Guess I’ll give it a try.’

–Click.

He skimmed the post and checked the game summary. It had a strong JRPG feel—odd, considering it was made by a girl.

And... it was clearly a fresh release. Hardly any related posts yet.

———

[Chat] Mage is way too OP... When’s the balance patch? – SadWarrior

Has anyone beaten the game with the monk class? Watcher? Total trash, seriously. – PathOfPain

———

The game had four main classes: Warrior, Thief, Mage, Monk. From what he could tell, Mage was busted, Monk was garbage.

If the balance was that broken, maybe she was too embarrassed to say it was hers?

That’s what Yoo Ho-jun assumed.

‘Well, I would’ve figured it out eventually—it’s a game made by Ha-yeon.’

Pigmalion Soft was known more for Daehwa Group’s software than for gaming. Its biggest strength had been high-quality, fast translations of Japanese games, which probably explained the JRPG feel.

Thinking of his cute cousin, Yoo Ho-jun smiled.

He pictured her hunched over a PC, working hard.

“Heh... No one has any idea, do they? How much effort Ha-yeon put into this.”

Japan’s cultural content was still heavily regulated, yet somehow, whenever Japanese games came through Pigmalion Soft, they bypassed all resistance and flooded in.

Probably because she begged their grandfather, but who knows. With that brain, she might’ve found a clever workaround.

.

.

.

Six hours later.

–END–

Staring blankly at the ending screen, Yoo Ho-jun murmured,

“...It ends here? Seriously?”

The mage lay defeated before the final boss, unable to even scratch the Demon King.

A small message appeared:

Please look forward to the next update.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com