Just two weeks after the release of Audition, the game has already become extremely popular, especially in Japan, Korea, and China. In these countries, the rise of online internet cafés—often known as PC Bangs—perfectly supports this kind of game, allowing players to gather, socialize, and play together for hours. Because of this environment, Audition doesn't just grow—it explodes in popularity, quickly stealing the spotlight from many other titles and becoming one of the most talked-about games in a very short time.
The game is actually quite simple. Players create their own character, then join with other players' characters to dance together by pressing directional buttons in sequence and timing them with the space bar, all while music plays in the background. On the surface, the mechanics are easy to understand, but the rhythm, timing, and coordination quickly become engaging, especially as the songs get faster and more demanding.
What makes it so addictive, however, is not just the gameplay—it's the customization and social aspect. Players can modify their characters to look stylish, unique, and "cool," buying outfits, accessories, and cosmetics that reflect their personality. Over time, this turns the game into more than just a rhythm experience; it becomes a space where players express themselves and interact with others.
And then there's the "couple" system. Players can form in-game relationships, pairing their characters and unlocking special interactions and features together. Because of this, rumors have already started spreading—stories about players actually finding real-life relationships through the game. Some even claim that a guy managed to get a cute girlfriend just by playing Audition.
It sounds exaggerated, but it's not entirely impossible. Audition carries a soft, social atmosphere that feels more expressive and emotional rather than competitive or aggressive. Because of that, it naturally attracts a higher number of female players compared to many other games, creating a unique environment where social interaction becomes just as important as gameplay.
But not every story is as sweet as it sounds. Take Daewon Jeong for example—a college boy, fairly well-off, yet constantly struggling with his love life. He really wants a girlfriend, and when he hears the rumor that Audition can help people find one, he immediately drops Ragnarok and jumps into the game without hesitation.
Determined to make a strong impression, Daewon spends generously from his Steam Wallet to make his character look stylish and "cool," buying premium outfits and accessories to stand out. And then—almost like a miracle—in his very first week, he meets someone. They quickly become a couple in-game, exchanging emotes, dancing together, and chatting late into the night.
They haven't met in real life yet. She says she lives far away from Seoul, so meeting will take time. Still, she shares pictures through their ZAGE forum account, and when Daewon sees them, he's completely stunned—she's beautiful. Her name is Mirae Gim.
From that moment on, Daewon falls hard. It's not just a game to him anymore. Between the attention, the compliments, and the shared time in Audition, his feelings grow quickly, almost uncontrollably. Rational doubts fade into the background, replaced by excitement and hope. Before he realizes it, he's no longer just playing—he's deeply, hopelessly in love.
He sat at his PC bang station, grinning as he chatted with Mirae. "Heheh, Mirae, look what I got for you!" he typed, and his character immediately sent her a gift. It was a beautiful dress for a female avatar—one of the most sought-after cosmetics in the game.
It wasn't cheap either, around ten dollars, placing it among the premium items. But for Daewon, that amount felt insignificant if it made her happy.
On the screen, Mirae's character responded with a flurry of love emotes before her message appeared: "Whoa! Oppa! Thank you so much, hehehe. Mirae so happy~"
Daewon's face flushed. Just yesterday, he had already sent her around 40$ worth of Steam gift cards—enough to buy a full ZAGE game. Still, to him, none of that compared to how he felt. In his mind, his affection couldn't be measured by money.
He tried to sound cool as he replied, "Heheheh, anything for Mirae!"
After that, they queued up together and started playing. The songs they chose were fast—around 170 BPM—demanding quick inputs and sharp timing. Even so, Mirae kept up impressively, matching the rhythm with ease.
Watching her perform so well made Daewon even happier. Between the music, the coordination, and their constant chat, he found himself completely immersed—smiling, laughing, and enjoying every second as if nothing else in the world mattered.
Then suddenly, three of his friends came rushing toward him, breathless and tense. "Daewon! Man—are you still with that Mirae account?"
Daewon blinked in surprise, then grinned. "Hehehe, of course."
One of his friends sighed, exchanging looks with the others before speaking. "Dude… we've got really bad news. We found it—we found the Mirae account user… but it's gonna be harsh."
Daewon's smile froze. "What!? You're lying! She said she lives far away from Seoul—that's why we can't meet, not yet!"
He grabbed his friend by the shirt, his voice rising. "You're messing with me, right?"
Another friend stepped in, trying to calm him down. "We're not joking this time, man. We checked carefully. Same ID, same login patterns… everything matches."
Daewon shook his head, refusing to accept it. "No… there's no way. You guys must've got it wrong. She wouldn't lie about something like that."
His grip tightened unconsciously, his heart already starting to race. "Tell me you're wrong. Just say it."
One of his friends let out a long sigh, clearly struggling to keep a straight face holding his laugh, then placed a hand on Daewon's shoulder. "Just come with us and see it yourself," he said, trying to keep his tone steady.
Daewon clenched his teeth, his jaw tightening as disbelief and anger mixed together. For a brief moment, he wanted to refuse—wanted to stay where he was and pretend none of this was real—but something in his friend's expression told him this wasn't a joke.
Without another word, he stood up and followed them.
The destination wasn't far—another internet café about two kilometers away—but the walk felt much longer than it should have. Every step felt heavier, his mind racing with thoughts, replaying every conversation he had with Mirae, every message, every moment that now felt uncertain.
His friends stayed quiet as they led the way, occasionally glancing back at him, unsure whether to speak or stay silent.
And Daewon…
He just kept walking, hoping—desperately—that somehow, this would all turn out to be wrong.
Meanwhile, at the Bam Internet Café, a middle-aged man in a tank top sat slouched in his chair, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. He grinned at the screen, clearly pleased with himself.
"Hehehe… this is such easy money. Next time, I should ask for cash, not just Steam gift cards. Hahaha… what an idiot kid."
On his monitor, the account name he was using was none other than Mirae.
He continued playing without a hint of guilt, casually using the gifts Daewon had sent the day before to transfer items to his real account. To him, it was just a simple routine—log in, act sweet, collect gifts, and move everything over.
On-screen, "Mirae" was dancing solo on a 185 BPM track, hitting inputs with near-perfect precision. The speed was already extreme, but he pushed it further—switching to reverse mode, something only highly experienced players could handle.
His fingers moved effortlessly across the keyboard.
There was no hesitation.
No softness.
Nothing that matched the persona he had been playing.
Just raw, practiced skill—completely detached from the image of the "cute girlfriend" Daewon believed in.
Daewon and his friends stood there, staring at the screen. For a few seconds, none of them said anything. The only sound filling the space was the rapid clicking of keys and the loud rhythm of the song playing from the speakers.
Daewon's face slowly turned pale, the color draining as his eyes widened. His brain was trying to process it, trying to reject it at the same time. Meanwhile, his friends were already struggling—biting their lips, shoulders shaking—barely holding back their laughter.
"Dude… come on," one of them finally muttered, voice cracking. "Let's just leave…"
But another one completely failed to hold it in. "Damn! Mirae got some serious belly!" he blurted out, half-laughing, half-choking.
That was it.
The dam broke.
They burst out laughing—loud, uncontrollable, some even slapping the table.
But Daewon didn't move.
He was still staring—completely frozen—his mind refusing to accept what he was seeing. The account… the movement… the items… everything matched. The same Mirae he talked to every night, the same Mirae who called him "Oppa," the same Mirae he believed was his girlfriend.
But it wasn't her.
It was just a pretender.
A man… with a beer belly… and a cigar hanging from his mouth like some final boss of betrayal.
The realization didn't come gently.
It slammed into him.
"No… this… this can't be…" he whispered, his voice trembling, almost breaking.
Every single memory replayed in his head—the messages, the compliments, the late-night chats, the gifts he sent… even the "Oppa~" that made his heart beat faster. All of it collapsed in an instant, like a house built on pure delusion.
His chest tightened, his breathing turned uneven, and his hands started to shake. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to believe there was some explanation.
But there wasn't.
It was too obvious.
Too real.
Too brutal.
Without saying another word, Daewon suddenly turned and walked out of the internet café. His steps were stiff, almost robotic. His friends called out to him—some still laughing, some starting to feel a bit guilty—but he didn't stop.
He just kept walking.
Past the noise, past the lights, past everything.
Until he reached a quiet alley.
Only then did he stop.
Only then did he sit down.
And finally—
he broke.
He covered his face as tears fell, shoulders shaking slightly. It wasn't just embarrassment. It wasn't just anger.
It was heartbreak.
Stupid, ridiculous, unbelievable heartbreak—from a girl that didn't even exist.
And somehow…
that made it even worse.
His friends eventually came over to him in the alley, and even before saying anything serious, they were already struggling not to laugh.
"HAHAHA! Mirae is really beautiful, huh? That belly is premium quality!" one of them burst out, completely losing it, slapping his thigh as if the joke physically hurt him.
Another friend shook his head, laughing but also sounding a little too proud of himself. "That's why I told you, Daewon! No girl talks like Mirae does. If it's a real girl, she'll act normal—not like some 'Oppa~ Oppa~' machine. And seriously… which girl casually hits 170 BPM like it's nothing, dude? Even dude with fast hands struggle with that!"
A third friend leaned closer, clearly enjoying this way too much, and mimicked a soft, exaggerated voice, "But Daewon oppa… you still love Mirae, right? Even if Mirae is actually an uncle… with a cute belly~ Maybe Mirae cooks good too, oppa~?"
That completely destroyed whatever composure the group had left.
They burst out laughing again, even louder than before, one of them nearly falling over as he tried to breathe, another crouching down and hitting the ground like he just heard the funniest thing in his life. One guy even wiped tears from his eyes, pointing weakly toward the café as if the image alone was enough to keep the joke going.
"Bro… bro… you really fell for final boss Mirae…" one of them gasped between laughs, and that only triggered another round of chaos.
Daewon's face turned red—not from sadness this time, but pure irritation.
"Shut up, you f*cking dogs!" he snapped, throwing a crumpled tissue at them, though it barely reached halfway.
But even then… his anger didn't last long.
The situation was just too ridiculous.
One of them patted his shoulder, still chuckling. "Alright, alright… enough trauma for today. Let's go eat some ramyun. You need to reset your brain."
Another added with a grin, "Yeah, forget Mirae… or should I say—Mirae 'The Uncle'!" his friend said "Mirae the Ultimate Belly!"
That triggered another wave of laughter.
But this time—
Daewon laughed too.
At first it was just a short breath, then it grew into a full laugh as he covered his face.
"Damn it… you guys are the worst… just you wait i will find real GF!" he muttered, but there was no real anger left in his voice.
They helped him up, still joking as they walked together toward a nearby ramyun shop, their voices loud and carefree again.
In the end, that's just how they were.
They mocked him mercilessly… but they never left him alone.
And deep down, they were genuinely relieved—
because at least this time, Daewon found out the truth before things went too far.
Yeah, situations like this are becoming quite common in Audition. It's true that there are many female players in the game, but when they genuinely play, they usually act naturally—not overly exaggerated or artificially "cute" like most pretenders do. Over time, the community slowly begins to recognize these patterns, learning to differentiate between real interactions and fake personas built purely to exploit others.
Still, even with these incidents, one thing remains clear—Audition Online is a genuinely strong and engaging game. Its combination of simple mechanics, deep social features, and heavy customization creates an environment that naturally encourages players to spend on cosmetics. And because of that, ZAGE continues to generate massive revenue from it, proving once again how powerful a well-designed social game can be.
To be continue
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 50+ advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 1175
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc