MrYanDao

It is 2008. You are in primary school.

There is this hot new game everyone is talking about in class called ‘Maplestory’. You are intrigued; the characters and monsters look cute. You decide to create an account.

You get hooked onto Maplestory. You go home after school every day looking forward to play it. You go through numerous struggles along the way- it takes forever to level up. In game currency is extremely difficult to make. There are several monsters which kill you because you are too low level, and you get scammed a few times by malicious players. You soon hear of the legend of MrYanDao. He is the first player to have ever reached the max level in the game, 200. That was a feat that took incredible time, patience and energy to achieve, for everyone knew the difficulties of levelling up in Maplestory. Yet he overcame that hurdle, and the community viewed him as a role model. An idol to look up to, a legend to follow. You too admired him. Man, this guy is crazy, you thought. But over the years, you grow to treasure these memories and experiences as part of your childhood.

Somewhere along the way, you stop playing Maplestory. You enter secondary school. Life gets busier, more hectic. You find new friends and hobbies. Your teenage years fly past, and before you know it, you’ve graduated from university, found a job, and soon meet a guy you fall in love with. He is a nice guy, and you two get along well. Before you know it, you get together. You go out for a few years, before he finally pops the question. You happily answer yes, and the both of you BTO together and get married soon after.

You have a kid. It’s tough, but the both of you raise him lovingly, and before you know it, he’s entered primary school. One day he comes home, boots up the computer, and downloads a game. You hear the familiar sounds echoing throughout the house, and you pop in to take a look, only to find out that your kid is playing Maplestory. It looks very different from before, but it still had that old school charm about it, the catchy music, the cute monsters, the flashy skills. You are flooded with nostalgia.

Your husband soon joins you.

“What a throwback! I used to be obsessed with this game back in primary school,” you say to him.

“What, you too?” He replies.

The thought of sharing the same childhood as your husband warms your heart.

“Totally! Back then, I created a Cleric and gave her some stupid name like xXClarisseizkoolXx. God, I was so lame,” you sheepishly giggle.

He joins you. “I completely understand. My character was called MrYanDao. I don’t know what went through my mind when I created it.” He laughs.

But you stare back at him, eyes widening as you realise the man who stood before you- your husband of 10 years, boyfriend for 13- is none other than the legend. The Maplestory celebrity. MrYanDao. Your mouth hangs open.

“No way,” you stutter.

He looks at you, puzzled. “What?”

“No way you’re him.“

“Who?”

“The legend. The first ever Mapler to reach the max level 200. You’re him!?”

He rubs his neck sheepishly. “The one and only. Sheesh, even you’ve heard of me?”

“Of course! Everyone looked up to you! You were their idol! I admired you!”

He laughs. It is a familiar laugh you’ve heard from him ever since you’ve met him. It is a warm, comforting laugh which you loved about him. And yet, it is also the laugh of your childhood idol. You are unable to contain your shock.

You are married to MrYanDao! You fucked him! You have a family with him!

Somehow, this didn’t sit right with you. It felt so weird, so off.

Just then, your son suddenly cuts in, “The max level isn’t 200 anymore, mum. It’s 300 now. No one has reached it yet. But I will.” He cheekily smiles up at you, and resumes grinding. You do not recognise the job he is playing, nor the map is he grinding in. You take a peek at his level: 220.

“You alright, dear?”

Your husband’s voice grounds you. You give a him a weak chuckle. “I married MrYanDao.”

He puts his arm around your waist and pulls you close. “How does it feel?”

“Like I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

The End

Note:

I dunno what possessed me to come up with this idea randomly while I was in the shower but… here you go I guess????? But yea, I did wonder, what is MrYanDao up to today? For someone who managed to reach lv200 in those days, he must’ve had way too much time or energy on his hands. Maybe he’s still grinding today, just in a different game… maybe he’s grown out of games, and is married and has kids already? Maybe he’s a successful businessman/CEO. We will never know huh.