[Joseph] Cool! Know what, friend? I am SO PUMPED right now!
What makes a great adventurer dance for joy in the streets, his eyes gleaming with excitement and hollering like a child?
A movie.
[player] Come back to earth, Joseph, before you float away to space.
[Joseph] Tell me about it! Seeing it makes you want to go on an adventure right away! That is "Fortunes of Adventure" for you, my friend!
If they knew that "Fortunes of Adventure" was the movie that guided this man onto the path of adventure, I think most people would not be surprised.
Now, this decades-old movie is getting a re-release in the cinema. Die-hard fan Joseph had bought a whole book of tickets, and was using every opportunity—including when playing Mahjong—to rave about it. I happened to be free the day of the first screening, so went along with him.
[Joseph] Sorry if I'm a little overexcited, but I just can't help it right now!
The re-release naturally makes old fans happy, but what really makes Joseph ecstatic was the news announced by the producer at the end of the screening...
Joseph is dumbfounded for several seconds after "Coming Soon" appears, before slapping his thigh and leaping up from his seat, shouting and cheering.
[Joseph] Unbelievable! How many years has it been? And there's gonna be a new "Fortunes of Adventure"?!
[player] Anything nostalgic is powerful. Be as excited as you like!
[Joseph] OOOHH YEAHHH!
It took over half an hour for Joseph's excitement to dissipate, or at least calm down to a manageable level. While he rests against a wall, I go to pick up some drinks from a nearby vending machine.
[player] Don't forget to stay hydrated, your throat must be parched after shouting so much.
[Joseph] Thanks... Glug... Glug... Friend. Perfect timing with this water!
[Joseph] Wooo! NICE! What a great night. Everything's just perfect!
[Joseph] When it's finally released, let's go to the premiere together! I promise I'll get the best seats in the house.
[player] Sure. I don't know if the new story is a direct sequel to the others. So I'll have to binge them first.
[Joseph] Well, why not seize the day, as they say? I happen to have the complete Collector's Edition... How about picking up some snacks and coming to binge at mine?
[player] At yours? I'll think about it...
Hmm... I don't have much planned for tomorrow, so might as well make the most of this chance. After all, an all-night screening should be fun.
[player] Alright! Anyway, I swear I saw something at the end there which struck me. Wasn't that the lost key hanging from the protagonist's waist?
[Joseph] You're very observant, my friend. Why don't you have a guess at what will happen? And in the meantime, let's go get some snacks!
[player] Okay. Should we get something for George, too?
[Joseph] Good idea. He'll get a bit sulky if it's just us stuffing our faces!
[player] ...So, it's only because the actor forgot to take the key off?
I feel so dumb after learning that the so-called "foreshadowing" was just a blooper, for I was really pondering when watching "Fortunes of Adventure 2"...
[player] Why couldn't you have told me this earlier...?
[Joseph] You'll concentrate more if you have to think while watching a movie, right? Anyway, what did you think? Isn't "Fortunes of Adventure 2" epic?
[player] Yeah, it's great. But I've started wondering if our friendship is just as epic.
[Joseph] Hahaha! I'm sorry—forgive my little joke, my friend. By way of apology, let me tell you a little-known easter egg.
Joseph gets up and grabs an old-looking videotape from the shelf.
[Joseph] Do you still remember what I told you before, about finding this old videotape under Grandpa's bed?
[player] Yeah, you've said before that the "Fortunes of Adventure 1" videotape was your inspiration for adventure.
[Joseph] I really thought it would just be some old family home videos, but it wasn't. And why was it titled "Youth"? It's really confusing.
[Joseph] In the end I came up with a semi-plausible answer, which is that the movie helped him recall all the sailing adventures of his youth. Hence its title.
[player] That's reasonable, but your tone tells me that there's more to the story.
[Joseph] Yes! So, I rewatched it one day when I didn't have a lot to do, and I think I've found the answer... Does this background actor look familiar to you?
This whole time, I still haven't seen Joseph. Maybe Kana was right, and he just slipped away from One Han City.
He fast-forwards, before pausing on a scene where the protagonist is surrounded by a group of sailors. Smiling, he points at someone in the corner.
[player] I... Where have I seen this face before?
I look carefully at the man on the screen, then turn to face Joseph.
As he intentionally pulls the same face as the man, I'm sure I'm on the right track.
[player] That's your grandfather, right? I get it now! The "Youth" refers to when he was an extra in the movie.
[Joseph] Bingo! Congratulations on discovering one of the least-known easter eggs in the world!
[player] Well, it's definitely an easter egg for people who know you... And speaking of that, it's understandable why your grandfather would have kept it so carefully under his bed. It must have been a wonderful memory for him.
[Joseph] Oh, no. It's because Grandma initially thought this was some kind of romantic record of them. And she was livid when she found out the truth, and tried to throw it out. So Grandpa had to hide it under the bed!
[player] ...The old man had... Quite the sense of humor.
[Joseph] Hahaha! Thanks for the compliment—humor is a tradition in our family! Oh, it seems we've finished all the drinks we bought. Let me go see what's in the fridge.
Joseph goes into the kitchen and opens the fridge, but closes it again after taking one look. He turns around, scratching his neck a little awkwardly.
[Joseph] This is awkward... It seems there's not a lot in the fridge. If you give me a minute, I can order something to be delivered.
[player] Well, you got the snacks, so I should get the drinks.
[Joseph] No no no! You're my guest, and I must do my best to be an excellent host. You just sit right there and make yourself at home, my friend.
[Joseph] It's my fault that I wasn't on top of what I had. I've been on location filming for so long, I completely forget these sorts of things.
[player] Well, you're only here a while, so it's not that surprising.
[Joseph] Only here a while?
[George] Screech?
[Joseph] That's an odd thing to say. I've always lived here.
[player] Really...? Well, have you considered moving house recently?
[Joseph] It's great here! What makes you ask that?
[player] Uh, seems like I misunderstood. I saw that there's only the most basic of daily necessities here, and figured you must have either just moved in or are in the process of moving out.
[player] On the way here I tried to imagine what your place was like. Now, I think it's... What's the best way to put this... A little too clean. Not quite what I thought an adventurer's place would be.
[Joseph] Ah, I see. Is this more like what you had in mind, friend?
Joseph pulls up a photo on his phone. It shows a room, piled high with all manner of strange trinkets.
[player] Yes! That's it! Just like that!
[Joseph] Ahaha! Most people expect an adventurer to live in this sort of room. This is my room back in my hometown.
[player] Wow! It's just like a little museum! When can I go check it out? And, uh, do you charge an entrance fee?
[Joseph] Oh... I'm sorry to disappoint you, my friend, but I fear that most of what you see here has been given away.
[player] Hey, you gotta work on your jokes, that was terrible. No one's going to believe that, eh?!
……
...I think this is the first time I've ever seen Joseph so serious.
[player] No way! You really gave them away? Why?!
[George] Screeeech—!
George spreads his wings and pats me on the shoulder, then closes his eyes and shakes his head. His little noises seem to say "Chill out, man. It's not this guy's first rodeo."
[Joseph] What rotten luck! If only we'd met earlier, I could have taken you to look around.
It's not a question of luck... There's a lot of valuable stuff in there.
[player] And not just one or two items, either, but most of what's in this picture? What should I say...
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