Chapter 37 - Winter, the Season of Storms (5)
I woke up early in the morning and turned on KakaoTalk. Numerous messages greeted me.
First, the family group chat.
[Jamsil Han Family 8]
[2 Han Sejun: @Han Yujin]
[2 Han Sejun: Noona]
[2 Han Sejun: Are you going to hit me or not]
[Han Yujin: Why]
[2 Han Sejun: My driver’s license written test]
[2 Han Sejun: I failed… (wink)]
[Han Yujin: Do you want to die for real!!!]
[2 Han Sejun: No…]
[2 Han Sejun: They said it’s a moral test]
[2 Han Sejun: Asking how much the fines are]
[2 Han Sejun: What the traffic laws are]
[2 Han Sejun: They ask things like this?!]
[Han Yujin: Ah fck this is so annoying]
[2 Han Sejun: Sorry…ㅠㅠ I’ll work hard]
Looking back at yesterday’s conversation, my head throbbed.
This stupid Han Sejun failed the driver’s license written test.
I had earnestly told him to download an app and study, but he never listened until the end.
Is this kid a frog in his past life or what?
My head is rotting black because of this useless eldest son.
I barely calmed down by doing Lamaze breathing that I’d never learned before. Breathe in deeply once, and out. Is this how you do it?
I pressed back and entered another chat room.
Just seeing the text, I already sighed.
[Chahyeon Girls’ High Idols^.^ 3]
[Jung Sehee: Hey lololololol]
[Jung Sehee: Han Yujin’s graduation photo is so fcking cute]
[Jung Sehee: (graduation photo)]
[Choi Heeju: ¿¿ 人廿 What what]
[Choi Heeju: Wow,,, Yujin is so fcking cute。。]
[Choi Heeju: What does our princess want? What do you want to eat?]
[Jung Sehee: Can we upload this on the internet?]
[Jung Sehee: (sparkling eyes emoticon)]
[Jung Sehee: @Han Yujin]
[Han Yujin: Don’t do it.]
My high school friends that I don’t know.
I tried hard to investigate who they were while eating humble pie, and they were both ordinary college students.
A tension I absolutely can’t keep up with. Just reading the conversation is already making me dizzy.
Then, I got a KakaoTalk from Jung Sehee.
[Jung Sehee: Oh you’re not sleeping?]
[Jung Sehee: Hey why is the bar part-time job so tough]
[Han Yujin: Life is tough originally]
Jung Sehee took over the bar serving part-time job I used to do. From what I hear, she’s doing well, being very diligent.
[Jung Sehee: Hey Han Yujin]
[Jung Sehee: When are we 3 princesses going to meet ㅡㅡ]
[Jung Sehee: I’ve met with Heeju a lot]
[Jung Sehee: But you keep making excuses]
[Jung Sehee: You’ve been avoiding us]
[Jung Sehee: Let’s meet today]
[Jung Sehee: Let’s go to a fortune-telling cafe]
[Jung Sehee: Let’s take a four-cut photo]
Suddenly, without any warning, she says to meet today.
…Well.
If I think from their perspective, it must be baffling.
We used to be so close, but I’ve been avoiding meetings for months, making excuses about work.
In the end, after some consideration, I agreed.
Suddenly, Jung Sehee blurted out something that made me frown.
[Jung Sehee: Hey but Yujin,,]
[Jung Sehee: Are you dating Sung Dojun??]
[Han Yujin: No no absolutely no]
[Jung Sehee: A strong denial]
[Jung Sehee: Is said to be a strong affirmation]
[Han Yujin: Do you want to get hit???]
Is she crazy, seriously!
How dare she try to set me up with him.
Unless the sun rises in the west, there’s absolutely no way I’d date him.
…No.
I became a woman, so is there a law that says the sun can’t rise in the west?
Jung Sehee typed another message.
[Jung Sehee: You really have no relationship?]
[Han Yujin: Yeah]
[Jung Sehee: Then ask him]
[Jung Sehee: What he thinks of me…]
[Jung Sehee: =)]
Oh, look at this.
Now that I see it, she likes Sung Dojun who’s working with me.
I said okay and sent a message to Sung Dojun. Despite the early hour, a reply came back immediately.
[Han Yujin: What are you doing?]
[Sung Dojun: Playing a god game]
[Han Yujin: What?]
[Sung Dojun: HotS]
HotS! It’s a good game.
It’s an AOS game released by ‘Blitz’, the company that developed Galaxy War.
A story where all the heroes from every game Blitz has released so far gather to fight in the storm of time and space.
Its dominance is so great that it’s even starting to encroach on Galaxy War’s influence.
Honestly.
Even I think it’s a really well-made game. It can’t possibly fail since they’ve put in every delicious element and mixed them well.
If, really if…
If there’s a world where HotS failed, that world must surely be trash.
By the way, I played some HotS too.
I was good at the fire mage, the rogue, and the greatsword berserker.
Maybe I should do HotS broadcasts later when I run out of content?
After some deliberation, I sent a message to Sung Dojun.
[Han Yujin: Do you have someone you like?]
The 1 in the read receipt disappeared but there was no reply. And then my phone immediately rang.
“Hello?”
-….
I spoke, but no sound came from the speaker.
“…What is it? Hello?”
-I’m not your honey, you know?
“Why aren’t you talking when you can hear me, it’s annoying.”
-But….
Sung Dojun sighed deeply and continued.
-Why are you asking that?
“No, just…”
-Just?
Disliking the heavy atmosphere, I changed the topic appropriately.
“Hey, hey. But you know the part-timer I introduced and brought in. Jung Sehee. How is she?”
-She works diligently and well?
“No. Not that.”
-What do you mean, not that?
“I mean how is she as a person.”
For a moment, Sung Dojun’s voice cut off like a film.
And a few seconds later, a rejecting answer came back.
-I have someone I like.
“…Ah, you do?”
My ears perked up at those words.
Right. In my past life, I listened to your love consultations until my ears stretched.
“Oh, tell me quickly. Who is it, who? Is it someone I know? No. Let me guess.”
-….
“Don’t tell me it’s my sister Han Sejin? It can’t be that. Is it that senior from the club you mentioned before? Why are you silent? Tell me quickly.”
Sung Dojun evasively changed the subject.
-Get lost. Why would I tell you that?
“Ugh, how tasteless. Okay, I get it for now.”
As I was about to hang up, Sung Dojun said in a stiff voice.
-Hey, but you know. I’ve been thinking this lately.
“What?”
-Are we still friends? Somehow… I feel like you’ve gone far away. So far that I can’t reach you.
Sometimes I feel it too.
When I look back, I’ve suddenly come too far.
-Hey, anyway, even if you succeed more from here, don’t abandon me.
I hung up the call. I immediately logged into the fan cafe and wrote a post.
[Notice]
[Author: HaYoo]
[I’m turning on the broadcast in a bit;]
I’m doing an outdoor broadcast with my high school friends;
We’re also going to a fortune-telling cafe;
This much means HaYoo is working hard;
-Ow shit a weekend broadcast?
-Why is this person’s speech style like this again?
-Did this bitch have friends
└lolololol for real
└Wasn’t she a legend at Chahyeon Girls’ High??
-My heart is swelling just thinking about HaYoo about to start a fight with the fortune teller
-Stop your bullshit;
Just then.
I heard the sound of a door closing on the second floor. Creaking. The sound of wooden stairs being pressed by footsteps.
It was Han Sieun.
“Sieun, you woke up early.”
“…Huh? I didn’t sleep.”
“What?!”
“…I played games.”
“Until this hour?!”
“Yeah.”
This is corruption.
I feel like I’ve poisoned Han Sieun’s well. With the poison called Galaxy War.
Dark circles were gradually appearing under the eyes of Han Sieun, who used to be a good student and close to the perfect image of a woman.
Well, I’m not sure if I should say this in this situation, but she still has a face without humiliation. Even with no makeup, her pure charm remains untainted and her skin gleams like marble.
A face that seems forgivable no matter what wrong she commits.
No matter how I look at her, her face seems more suited for an idol or actor than a pro gamer.
Should I just make her try acting once?
The first child a pro gamer, the third an idol, the fourth an actor. The picture is killer, but.
Han Sieun yawned and asked softly. Her voice was calm like a lake.
“What are you doing today, unnie?”
“I’m going to meet my high school friends.”
“Ah, Sehee unnie and Heeju unnie?”
Huh? She knows them too.
But Han Sieun’s expression squirmed strangely. It’s an expression as if she’s encountered something annoying.
“You’re going to have a hard time, unnie.”
“…Why?”
“You know best, unnie. How those unnies’ tension is as loud as drums.”
Just how bad is it for Han Sieun to show this kind of reaction?
Should I avoid the meeting even now?
Han Sieun said to hang in there, drank a glass of water, and went back upstairs.
Looking at the clock, it was still early. 5:30 AM.
There was time to catch a little sleep.
I lay down again. I drew sheep in my mind. Then my eyelids, heavy as lead, slowly closed.
I could feel it instantly.
This is a dream.
It’s a familiar space I know well. My room.
I looked at my reflection in the cam.
The dress code is black. What’s the concept today… a funeral?
I’m standing in front of the cam with my hands neatly clasped, my head bowed low like a criminal.
What’s going on?
Licking my lower lip repeatedly,
I opened my mouth weakly.
“I’m really sorry I couldn’t win the semi-pro selection.”
…Huh?