OMP | Chapter 1

On a sunny afternoon, Lee Yuwon had just completed the final quest of the farm game <Happy Flower> and returned to the main island in the game.

“What’s that?”

Someone was stealing Yuwon’s crops.

How bold, to be on someone else’s property without fear.

As he approached the thief, the guy who was eagerly digging up high-quality carrots turned to Yuwon with confidence.

A moment of silence passed between the two characters.

The intruder waved his hand.

Yuwon didn’t return the greeting and instead scrutinized him.

A basic face that looked dumb, a cheap hoe, a straw hat, a white T-shirt, and jeans.

The classic newbie outfit.

…Well, maybe he doesn’t know because he’s new. Yuwon decided to let it slide this once. Just as Yuwon was about to respond with a greeting, it happened.

[Nongsin] Nim
[SparrowChirp] Yes
[Nongsin] Haha
[Nongsin] Your character is cute
[SparrowChirp] Thanks
[Nongsin] Can you watch my spot?
[Nongsin] I need to buy more fertilizer

?

Since starting the game, Yuwon had never experienced anything like this. A thief asking the owner to keep watch while stealing? Just as he was about to scold and kick him out, something caught his eye.

‘Huh?’

The thief pulled out something that gleamed gold.

‘Is that?’

Yuwon’s eyes widened. The item he pulled out was a [Village Return Scroll]. It looked ordinary at first glance, but Yuwon’s [Professional Auctioneer’s Goggles] had a special feature.

When worn, they visually highlighted items with recent price fluctuations. Items marked in gold were those with the highest price increase in the past week.

In other words, it was worth a fortune. Currently, it was the season when the in-game tides were circulating. With small sailboats struggling and sinking, moving between islands had become difficult, causing the price of the [Village Return Scroll] to skyrocket.

[SparrowChirp] Wait a moment
[Nongsin] Yep
[SparrowChirp] I’ll give you the fertilizer
[Nongsin] Wow
[Nongsin] Really?
[SparrowChirp] Yeah

As Yuwon sprinkled fertilizer on the ground, Nongsin followed like a puppy, picking it up.

[Nongsin] Thanks♡

[System] Player <Nongsin> has sent you a friend request. Do you accept?

Yuwon accepted Nongsin’s friend request without hesitation. Now, to the main point. Letting him steal and even giving him fertilizer, he should pay the friend fee too.

[SparrowChirp] Nongsin
[Nongsin] Yes
[SparrowChirp] I need to go to the village, do you have a village scroll?
[Nongsin] Hold on

Excited at the thought of getting a scroll for free, Yuwon was bouncing around, and Nongsin joined in the excitement. Soon, Nongsin stopped abruptly.

[SparrowChirp] You can just use it
[Nongsin] I don’t have it

What… are you talking about? I clearly saw you take it out earlier.

[SparrowChirp] Check again
[SparrowChirp] I saw you take it out earlier
[Nongsin] Huh? I don’t have it
[SparrowChirp] Give back the fertilizer I gave you

It might be petty to take back what he gave, but this was the answer for an insolent guy. Of course, Yuwon was trying to take advantage of a newbie, but considering it was his property, getting compensation instead of punishment wasn’t wrong.

[SparrowChirp] Should I make you use it right away?
[Nongsin] We’re friends
[SparrowChirp] Just quietly return the fertilizer and leave

This was the limit of the mercy he could show. But ‘Nongsin’ didn’t know the meaning of limits. Nongsin started hitting Yuwon’s character with high-quality carrots freshly picked from the field, as if to provoke him.

Yuwon couldn’t take it anymore.

“You need to be locked up to come to your senses.”

[System] You are punishing the carrot thief!

Yuwon immediately activated ‘Prison’. Clank, Nongsin’s hands and feet were bound with ropes.

[Nongsin] Are we going to prison?
[SparrowChirp] Yes
[SparrowChirp] If you pay bail with the scroll, I’ll release you

Nongsin said nothing more. He seemed more interested in sightseeing around the island than being concerned about being tied up.

[SparrowChirp] You’ll be stuck here for a week
[Nongsin] Thank you

“…What’s there to thank?”

Nongsin didn’t seem to understand what being locked in an underground prison meant.

Once moved to the prison, Nongsin looked around as if evaluating the place, then spoke as if disappointed.

[Nongsin] There’s nothing special about the prison of the rank 1 player

Surprised by the unexpected comment, Yuwon reflexively took his hands off the keyboard.

What? How does he know I’m rank 1? Isn’t the ranking supposed to be ‘personal view ONLY’ information?

[SparrowChirp] How do you know?
[Nongsin] It’s written on your face
[SparrowChirp] It says I’m rank 1 on my face?
[Nongsin] ??
[Nongsin] Didn’t you see the patch?

Patch? Yuwon quickly opened the internet to check the patch notes.

You can check player rankings in nearby villages.

“Oh.”

Suddenly, this patch… It felt like a real-name system had been implemented.

[SparrowChirp] Did you come to see me on purpose?
[Nongsin] Yes
[Nongsin] I was curious about how the rank 1 player lives
[Nongsin] Nothing special

Crack. Yuwon’s pride was cracking.

For 10 years, he had never lost the rank 1 spot. He was confident he was the best at this game, and yet, nothing special?

Yuwon immediately rummaged through his bag. Something to show the dignity of rank 1…

[SparrowChirp] So you’re not a thief but a guest
[Nongsin] Something like that

“What do you mean something like that…”

[Nongsin] I didn’t expect someone with such poor character to imprison someone for a few carrots
[SparrowChirp] I have to follow the rules
[Nongsin] I’ll spread the word
[SparrowChirp] Do as you please… But since you were a guest, I’ll leave this for you

Yuwon placed a portable air conditioner outside the bars. Nongsin approached the bars.

[Nongsin] Wow
[Nongsin] What is this?

In this game focused on farming, modern conveniences were so rare they were almost divine.

[SparrowChirp] Just something I carry around. I’ll turn it on so you can stay cool while you’re here
[Nongsin] Where did you get it?
[SparrowChirp] I made it

Yuwon spoke as if it were no big deal.

[Nongsin] Amazing
[SparrowChirp] It’s nothing for rank 1
[SparrowChirp] Haha
[Nongsin] Want to trade it for the scroll?

…This crazy guy. Trying to trade someone’s business secret for pocket change.

[SparrowChirp] Well, take care

It was essential for the homeowner to provide three meals a day to the prisoners. If not, a penalty allowed the starving prisoners a chance to escape. So the next morning, Yuwon didn’t forget to throw a few harvested carrots.

[Nongsin] Ugh
[Nongsin] Just carrots?
[SparrowChirp] You seemed to like stealing them
[Nongsin] Disappointed in you, rank 1
[Nongsin] I’ll spread the word in the friend chat

Yuwon just wanted to enjoy his game leisurely, but with the ranking now public, rank 1 ‘SparrowChirp’ had become a forced celebrity. And according to Nongsin, he wasn’t here to steal but to review the life of the rank 1 player. It wouldn’t matter if he ignored it, but the guy seemed to have many friends, greeting everyone in the global chat every 10 minutes.

So… it felt like he had to treat him well.

[SparrowChirp] What do you like?
[Nongsin] What do you eat, SparrowChirp?
[Nongsin] Curious about what rank 1 eats

Even though he was rank 1, Yuwon usually just ate carrots. But with him asking like that, it felt like he should say he eats something special.

[Nongsin] Curious about rank 1’s diet
[SparrowChirp] Then wait a moment, I’ll bring what I had leftover from breakfast

Yuwon hurried to the kitchen to start cooking. Even while doing it, he wondered what he was doing, but he wanted to show the dignity of rank 1.

…And Yuwon would later regret the kindness he showed at this moment. He shouldn’t have gotten involved.

[Nongsin] Noona♡
[Nongsin] My heart feels synced with my HP, can’t live without you

He didn’t expect the guy to be that crazy…

[Nongsin] Noona
[Nongsin] Why did you unfriend me?

“Ugh!”

Suddenly awakened by a nightmare, Yuwon jerked awake.

“…”

Looking around, he met eyes with Yoon Chanyoung, a colleague.

In the meeting room, the team members’ eyes shifted from Yuwon to Chanyoung’s presentation…

“Lee Yuwon seems really tired?”

“Sorry. Please continue.”

Yuwon rubbed his eyes awkwardly and focused on Chanyoung’s ongoing presentation.

“…That concludes the presentation on the ‘Recovery Plan Proposal’. Thank you for listening.”

With the junior team’s presentation over, the meeting ended.

“Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night…”

“You’re even making excuses. No sense of professionalism.”

Even after apologizing, Yoon Chanyoung brushed past Yuwon with a look of disdain.

‘Guess I’ll have to present. Lee Yuwon, you handle the research, PPT, and script.’

His fists clenched involuntarily.

He dumped all the hard work on me yesterday, and now he’s acting like he did all the work with the presentation I completed?