Ha Se-gi's Tribulations (2)
I always prioritize my meal mate. When we're boiling something like gamjatang in one big pot, I scoop it out with a ladle or tongs and serve others first. It's a habit I picked up after nearly getting poisoned in the tower. You only feel safe once they've eaten it first, right? Of course, it's pointless with individual bowls like sundae gukbap. Modern Korea isn't dangerous enough to worry about poison anyway. But unlearning something etched into your body isn't easy. And since it's not a bad habit, there's no real need to fix it.
Thanks to that, I've gotten compliments more than once about how a foreigner knows Korean table manners so well. I wasn't even trying to be polite.
"Eat first."
Maybe he was baffled because I told the elder to eat first. Ppase's expression looks a bit confused.
"What're you doing?"
"Ah. Yeah. Let me try it."
Once we keep eating together, he'll figure it out quick. It's just a habit. The moment that clicks, he won't say another word.
Ppase strips the meat off the spine bone in seconds. He rolls up some soaked dried radish in the broth and shoves it in his mouth. Then a spoonful of soup to finish.
"Whoa, this is good. Perfectly tender."
"Nice!"
These damn gamjatang bastards. You're all done for today.
Meat first. I slice into the flesh lightly. Like Ppase showed, it tears apart softly. Some places overcook it until it's like crumbly bread, but not here.
This guy. He's got all the perfect conditions to be my meal mate.
This welcoming feeling—like reuniting with an old friend who gets me. I couldn't stop my hand from reaching for the soju.
"Noona, wait. Let's drink together."
"Calling a designated driver?"
"No. I'll fill it with cider, extra fizzy."
"What?"
Filling a soju glass with cider instead of booze? That's sacrilege. An insult to the glass itself.
"Confiscating this."
"Why?!"
"You don't drink booze but use a soju glass? So cheeky."
What if you forced a Tuhon streamer like Ppase to play Star Troopers 24/7? Pure agony. Same with soju glasses. That fragile glass body filled with sharp carbonation—how it must sting.
"Kuh~!"
I drained the glass and shivered in refreshment.
"You really... savor your drinks."
"Jealous? Drink some."
"...Gotta drive. Next time."
Drinks flow with each person's vibe. No need to tempt Ppase as he smacks his lips in regret. If he can't hold back, he'll fill his own glass. That's when our rhythms will naturally sync. That's how fun drinking sessions always start.
Lunch wrapped up about an hour later. After I'd gotten properly wasted.
"Heehee."
"Argh, I knew this would happen!"
"I can walk fine! Let go."
"No, come on. You'll fall."
"Hey—."
I jabbed Ppase's furrowed brow with my finger and pushed him away. Then I thumped my chest and declared,
"My legs are invincible."
"...?"
"Keep bugging me and I'll kick you. No mercy for guys."
"But... sending a drunk person off alone? Big bro asked me to look after you. Cut me some slack...."
"...Hm."
Thinking about Ppase's position, yeah, I can't just ditch him. Maybe tell him where I live? If he shows up, I can say Dad's at work.
And having him drive here beats walking to his neighborhood.
"I'll walk myself, so just follow."
"Got it... Thanks."
"Grab me if I fall."
"Slow. Slow! If you crack your skull, my head flies off."
"My dad's not gonna fire you over that~."
So when would L.P. actually ditch Ppase? There's one sure case.
"Just don't say stupid shit. Especially to me."
"Gimme... keywords so I can avoid them?"
"Won't come up in normal talk. Don't worry."
"That's a total time bomb!"
Signature Pose. Say that, and a beating flies your way instantly. The cute demon and Ppase should never meet.
"Signal me if it feels off. Or just smack me."
"That'll hurt like hell."
"Psh, how bad could a hit from you be?"
I twisted my waist and shot my back leg out. Ren's mainstay: the siege hammer.
Drunk, my form was a bit off, but my foot tapped Ppase's gut and stopped. He yelped in shock, mouth agape, stumbling back awkwardly.
"Fucking hurts, right?"
"Hell yeah."
"Fast is good."
"What... martial arts? What was that?"
I retracted my leg. Brushed the footprint off his belly, turned, and said,
"Whatever. We're here. Go."
"Oh. This place? ...Huh?"
Ppase tilts his brows like an eight and scans around. Nothing to see. Just tall walls and a garage door.
"Hurry up and go."
"Ah. Yep."
As Ppase fiddled with his nape and backed off, he suddenly stopped like he'd remembered something.
"Oh right. Could you ask big bro if you're planning regular streams going forward? Seemed like just short ones after work this week. Got new content brewing, need to know."
"Just message him."
"His... Discord messages go unread."
"...Ah. Got it."
"Thanks! Appreciate it!"
I waved him off until he vanished down the alley, then opened the gate.
And realized.
I forgot something important.
"Crap. The stone."
"Stone's right here."
As I turned to head back out, Ta-in popped up.
"Whoa! You scared— the shit outta me...."
Why does Ta-in's stealth keep improving? Nearly had a heart attack.
"Drank?"
"Gamjatang was tasty."
"Had fun?"
"Yup?"
"Good. Here."
She hands me a flat stone.
"Why'd you grab it ahead?"
"Your steps were bouncier than usual. Figured booze. You always forget and go back for stones when drunk."
"You know that too?"
"Been watching half a year. Of course."
Ta-in plants hands on hips and shrugs. Begging for praise, but I ignore it. Pet her head and she'll get cocky.
I place the flat stone neatly on the tower.
"Tell me if you're streaming? Manager on standby."
She grins and vanishes into the first-floor entry. Her back looks oddly lonely, but it's too soon for me to approach first. Wait leisurely. Until our roles flip and I'm the real boss. Until Ta-in bares her belly and submits.
Ppase knew there was a ritzy area near his place. Row after row of mansions worth tens of billions each, or so he'd heard. But no reason to gawk, and it'd just highlight the wealth gap, so he'd skipped it.
Never dreamed one was L.P.'s. He'd already forgotten L.P. trained his daughter in Ren's martial arts.
"What the hell... is big bro?"
Maybe a day laborer dad. Sundays off, daily grind—who wouldn't think that?
But today's glimpse of his wealth was insane. His whole 8-unit villa wouldn't match that house.
Ask his job outright? Too soon, feels weird.
By the time he snapped out of it, his online self had run wild.
"Oh fuck. Already asked."
Ha Se-gi lost to Ppase at the PC again today.
Too vague.
What does L.P. do? Who cares. Cash payments were suspicious from the start, but better to play dumb than pry. Just a simple collab, right? Not family or loyal subordinate.
"Wrapped up one thing recently." Multiple businesses? Explains the packed schedule Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat.
"...Wait."
But he freed up time by finishing work—for streams? Means he sees profit potential in personal broadcasting.
Ppase frantically scrolls their Discord history, traces of his desperate pitches to L.P.
"No fucking way."
Desperate to hook L.P., he'd spewed nonstop. Baseline 200k? Who sets that bar?
"I'll do everything..."
But Ppase has a conscience. Last week's stream bloated his subs from 500k stall to 550k overnight.
"..."
A promise is a promise. Plus, L.P. entrusted everything to him—even his precious daughter.
Not life-or-death stakes, but he deserves payoff for the time invested.
Ppase rubs his dry face and grabs the keyboard again.
L.P. doesn't talk on stream, hurts retention. But collabs with Ppase guarantee viewers.
Can't boost solo? One-plus-one it.
But L.P.'s response? Lukewarm.
550k-sub NewTuber rejects the pitch, ups it to premium. Pro business eye.
Fun stream for laughs. Ppase just needs to eat beatings and talk. Viewers love it from his karma pile.
But L.P. was different. Not just for laughs or views.
Enough to dump his sole day off. L.P. was dead serious about 'true education.'