"Hello."

"Welcome! Are you here to shoot?"

"Wow, it’s a real shooting range… The interior is nicer than I expected. It feels like a café."

One more person had joined.

That thought crossed my mind.

Just about four weeks ago, I was aimlessly wandering, having been suddenly thrown back into my old life, wondering what I should do next. My feet led me to a shooting range back then, and now here I was, at a shooting range with a famous streamer.

The future is always unpredictable, I thought as I stepped into a building that wasn’t much different from the one I had visited last time.

Due to the nature of shooting ranges, which typically require a shooting distance of 15 to 25 meters or more, the internal structure was similar across the board. The lobby wasn’t spacious, more like a flat, rectangular shape, probably to maximize space efficiency.

On one side, there was a kiosk. Like the last time, instead of coffee or frappes, it displayed various types of guns.

I used my identification card instead of a resident registration card, while Harmony pulled out her ID from her wallet for verification.

After the familiar beep, the process seemed to be over, but then came a follow-up message.

"Ah, Miss Yujin, you’re already registered as a member of our chain. If you do an ID scan at the kiosk, you’ll receive a discount."

"Can I sign up too?"

"Of course! I’ll bring a tablet over, so please have a seat!"

While the employee behind the counter went into the break room to get the tablet, Harmony was fiddling with the kiosk, browsing the available firearms.

Half-automatic memories surfaced. Back then, I didn’t even know what Dark Zone was, but now I was making money from it. Despite the fact that I hadn’t yet received hundreds of thousands of dollars, my bank account was growing at an alarming rate.

It was a stark contrast to my ghost-like existence from before, wandering outside because I couldn’t quite grasp that I had returned. Harmony was the anchor that grounded me.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No, it’s not that…."

I quietly moved closer and stood beside Harmony, who was browsing the available guns. Sure enough, there were a lot of familiar firearms. Still, compared to the place I visited last time, this one had a more eclectic selection.

The first one I noticed was the HK416. There weren’t many assault rifles—maybe four or five. This place seemed to focus more on submachine guns.

Since money wasn’t an issue, I began selecting various options without much concern.

"Would you like to try the MP7?"

"Yes. And the one next to it… wow, there’s a Vector. Is that okay too?"

"Of course."

We also picked out handguns.

Harmony’s taste wasn’t particularly broad; she seemed more interested in the types of firearms that frequently appear in media. As such, she didn’t seem to prefer older guns like Walther or Colt.

However, she did show some interest in revolvers, particularly a few S&W models. So I picked out the M500 for her. I figured once she shot that, she might take a break from shooting for a while, but who knows.

That’s how people get stronger.

Eventually, Harmony completed the membership registration and chose the following lineup of guns—HK416, MCX, MPX, MP7A2, MP5, Vector, two Glocks, and the S&W M500.

It seemed like a lot, but since she only planned to fire five rounds from each, the fatigue wouldn’t be too overwhelming.

Of course, I selected ten rounds for each of those, and added a Chris Vector and Desert Eagle to the list.

With that, the amount I spent today wasn’t too different from what Harmony had spent on the buffet reservation, but I wouldn’t actually have to pay to shoot here.

I’d just cover the cost of Harmony’s shooting.

"Your payment is complete. We’ll bring the range officers over shortly, so please wait in the lounge. Would you like to order any snacks or drinks?"

"No."

"No, thank you."

"Then please wait inside!"

Since we had already had several sweet treats and drinks earlier, Harmony and I shook our heads.

As soon as she entered, Harmony flopped onto the plush sofa, while I sat on a chair without a backrest. This large tail of mine was always a problem.

A curious expression was directed my way.

"What does it feel like to actually fire a gun?"

"It’s heavy, loud, and more difficult to pull the trigger than you’d expect. It’s different from in-game, where you can customize the trigger."

"Oh…."

As I answered her questions one by one, there was a click as the door opened and the employee called us over.

The process wasn’t much different from last time. We went back out to the lobby, where we donned protective gear like bulletproof vests, goggles, and headsets before entering the range. If I ended up visiting places like this often… maybe I should just bring my own gear from the safehouse.

As I was putting on the familiar gear, the range officers entered.

We exchanged brief greetings, but it felt like they knew who I was.

"Ah, nice to meet you. Are you the one who set the record at the live-fire range near Inwangsan?"

"I’m not sure about setting a record, but I did visit about four weeks ago."

"Ah, I see. Nice to meet you. I just want to clarify that since this range is part of a chain, shooting records are stored for all registered members. We use these records to provide a personalized service, so please don’t misunderstand."

Then they continued.

"Anyway, the reason I’m mentioning this is because… we’d like to ask if we could use footage of your shooting for promotional videos for the range. If you’re interested, you can leave your contact details or email at the counter when you leave. The company will contact you with an official contract within a few days."

"I’ll think about it and let you know."

"Understood."

Everything seemed to be happening so fast.

Even I felt a bit disoriented, so I could only imagine how Harmony, who was watching from behind, must have felt.

"...What exactly did you do?"

"Yeah…."

The world truly is a strange place.

"Wow, real guns are really heavy."

"They typically weigh around 3.3 kg. With the holographic sight, target indicator, and flash suppressor added, it’s a bit heavier. Have you played Dark Zone before?"

"Yes, I’ve shot this gun in the game too."

"Then you might enjoy loading the magazine yourself. Keep the muzzle pointed forward at all times… Good. The magazine is loaded with five rounds."

Lifting the gun so that the muzzle pointed toward the ceiling, she took the magazine.

The shape of the real bullets was fascinating… rounds about the size of a finger alternated in the magazine. It felt different from the in-game experience.

She carefully inserted the magazine, tapped the bottom to secure it, aimed forward, and released the bolt. One round was now chambered, and four remained in the magazine.

Yujin had taught me that it’s always good to count your remaining rounds, even if you have to estimate.

Thankfully, there wasn’t any hesitation.

"You seem pretty familiar with this. But… your cheek weld is a bit off. Imagine you’re pressing your cheek against the stripes on the stock. Keep the stock firmly shouldered… Good. Now aim at the target."

Click.

She moved the selector switch with her thumb. Semi-auto. Just to be sure, she double-checked before aiming through the holographic sight.

The gun felt heavy, and there was a faint metallic smell—probably imagined. Unlike in the game, holding the aim steady for just a few seconds was challenging. It would be exhausting to run around with this, let alone shoot.

How does Yujin manage to do this?

"...I’m ready to shoot."

"Alright. Take your time and fire whenever you’re ready."

With her finger straight, she lightly touched the trigger.

As she had been taught, she slowly pulled back. Very gently. Yujin’s instructions echoed in her mind. As she continued to pull, she felt the ‘wall’ Yujin had mentioned—the point where the trigger couldn’t be pulled any further.

At that moment, she squeezed the trigger firmly.

And then───

───Bang!

Her bangs shook as the recoil traveled from her shoulder down to the floor.

It felt like she was shocked in a different way. The recoil that had seemed so mild in the game felt completely different in reality. It was as if someone had pushed her shoulder.

"Ah…!"

"Good job. You hit 7 points. Keep aiming at the center and continue firing."

Bang, bang, bang.

Meanwhile, Yujin, a few lanes away, continued firing. The muzzle flashes were visible even beyond the partition, and the shots were fired at a steady, unwavering pace.

Maybe inspired by this, Harmony felt a surge of energy in her arms. It wasn’t so much about not wanting to lose, but more about wanting to follow her lead.

It might sound strange, but in a way, she felt like she was Yujin’s direct disciple, even if she wasn’t yet skilled enough to claim that title.

───Bang! Bang! Bang!

The reticle, which had been dancing wildly, steadied as she held her breath.

Beyond the red dot, she saw a human-shaped target. The distance was 10 meters, and although all the settings were nearly maxed out, the experience from the game wasn’t completely useless.

Familiarity is the greatest weapon.

The bullets flew, piercing the target. Holes appeared on the paper. In the game, the sights automatically adjusted, but here, without that, the bullets hit slightly off. Still, the grouping wasn’t bad.

After firing three shots, she adjusted her aim slightly, based on where the bullets had landed.

But it wasn’t easy.

With a rustling sound, the target returned.

She had already fired all five rounds.

"Ah, this is tough."

"You did well. You hit 10 points with one of your shots."

"That was probably just luck…."

"They say luck is a skill too, you know?"

Next came the safety check.

She checked the chamber and removed the magazine. The range officer handled the weapon, and after placing it down, she moved on to the next gun—the SIG MCX. The holes punched into it were fascinating.

She received a brief tutorial. As she had noticed in Dark Zone, guns were fundamentally similar in structure. Adapting didn’t take too long.

She performed the safety check, locked the bolt, and took the magazine, moving forward. Another five rounds.

The second round was a bit easier.

Of course, just because the process was simpler didn’t mean the results were better.

With a tingling shoulder, she retrieved a target with results similar to the last.

"You’re doing well. Submachine guns should be easier. Want to try the smallest one first, the MP7?"

"Sure."

The less familiar the gun’s appearance was, the more unfamiliar the operation became.

The magazine well being parallel to the grip was quite interesting, but once she had the magazine in hand, inserting it by bringing her left hand to her right hand made it much easier.

She gripped the vertical foregrip with her left hand and used her left thumb to retract the bolt. After switching to her left shoulder, she used her left index finger to press the bolt release.

It felt like playing with a science kit from childhood, carefully manipulating the gun within safe limits.

───Bang!

The recoil was much lighter than before.

If the previous recoil had felt like a shove to the shoulder, the submachine gun felt more like a gentle tap with a fist. Still, it wasn’t easy.

The lighter weight made aiming much simpler.

After firing ten rounds and retrieving the target, the results were better than expected. The target, a stylized human torso with concentric circles, was quite torn up, especially around the center.

In short, she hit 8 points, 9 points, and even managed a few 10-point hits.

Smiling, she turned to Yujin, who had just finished her round a few lanes away, separated by thick acrylic sheets.

And then she saw it.

"Yujin! Look at this… oh, wow…."

Three sheets of paper.

Yujin’s target was tattered, especially the area around the 10-point mark. Handing her gun over to the range officer, Harmony muttered softly.

"I knew it…."

It’s hard just trying to keep up with that person.