Chapter 262
Chapter 262
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 262
Chapter Title: Decided to Meet Ra-hee Unnie on Christmas!
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Chuseok had come and gone, we'd won a competition along the way, and the second-generation members had debuted.
It had been a whirlwind year, so packed with events that my head was spinning.
But it also felt incredibly rewarding and fresh.
Ding-dong—
I was lost in sentiment, checking off the calendar for the year's final month, when the doorbell chimed in my ears.
I approached the intercom and peered at the screen. There was a welcome face.
"Da-jeongaaaaa!"
"Yuna!"
That was right.
It was none other than Yuna, who'd just moved in next door to Chae-yoon unnie's place.
She'd originally planned to move a bit earlier, but work and other things had kept her so busy that it got delayed.
Squeeze—
"Eheheh, you smell like Da-jeong."
"Y-Yuna... That tickles...?!"
"Sniff sniff. Nope. Gonna sniff more. Sniff sniff."
We'd seen each other at a group dinner just recently, so it wasn't like it had been ages.
Still, Yuna was extra clingy today, showing her excitement by sticking to me.
Even our tofu cat didn't welcome me this enthusiastically.
"Anyway, how'd the move go?"
"Yep! All unpacked, everything's perfect now! Starting streams today!"
"Glad to hear it."
I'd stopped by yesterday since she mentioned the move, but I asked anyway out of lingering worry.
Seemed like it had gone off without a hitch.
Of course—aside from clothes, she didn't have much stuff, so packing up must've been quick.
"Oh yeah! Da-jeong, what are you doing for Christmas this year?"
"Christmas...? You mean streaming?"
Was she asking about some Christmas content we'd prepared?
No one took Christmas off from streaming anyway, so probably not.
I asked back with a puzzled look, and Yuna shook her head.
"Nah, not that. Last year, you went to volunteer at the orphanage, right? You going again?"
"Yeah, probably. Promised the kids."
Only then did I catch on to what she was really asking, and I nodded.
Ah, got it.
Of course I was planning to go this year too.
Back on Children's Day, I'd promised the kids.
At least once or twice a year—Children's Day and Christmas—we'd spend those days together.
Hehe, it made me so proud.
It meant we'd really bonded with them.
The director had warned me upfront that the kids had their own circumstances and might not open up easily.
But that worry turned out unfounded.
"But why do you ask?"
"I just came from Ra-hee unnie's. She was curious. Like, 'Is Da-jeong going to the orphanage again this year?'"
"Huh? Really?"
Ra-hee unnie was curious?
Why?
It wasn't weird for a fellow member to ask about schedules, sure.
But singling it out like that suggested something else.
"She said she wants to go too."
"Huh? Ra-hee unnie?"
"Yeah. Why don't you ask her?"
Her unexpected words left me blinking in surprise.
Ra-hee unnie wanted to join me at the orphanage for volunteer work.
Not that it was strange, but it felt a bit out of the blue.
"When I heard, I thought about going too, but with my little siblings, it was tough."
"Right, you've gotta play with your dongsaengs."
"Yep. So I got amusement park pass tickets for this year. Heading there on Christmas Eve to hang out, then streaming on the day."
What a reliable unnie.
Around me or the other unnies, she always came off as the cute maknae.
Yeah—this side of her was so very Yuna.
Though, what were pass tickets?
Not just regular tickets?
"Yuna, what's a pass ticket?"
"Show it and you skip lines for rides. Super hard to get during peak times like Christmas, but I snagged three. Pricey, but worth it."
"Whoa, cool."
I'd never heard of that.
Definitely pricier than regular tickets, but it seemed like real value for money.
Would be so fun to get a bunch and go with all the members someday.
"Anyway, gotta head out! Time to start streaming."
"Huh? Already? Have lunch first at least..."
Yuna, who'd been glued to me for a good while, suddenly said she was leaving soon.
Startled and a bit sad, I tried to hold her back.
It was lunchtime anyway, and I wanted to treat her to a home-cooked meal.
Yuna looked tempted, pulling out her phone to check the time and frowning.
Her face said, 'Hmm, what to do?' as she debated with herself.
"Ugh, it's tight. Gotta go live in 30 minutes."
"30 minutes?"
Yeah, prepping now would be cutting it close.
And I couldn't just whip up something sloppy for Yuna.
Ah, what about this?
"Yuna, how about I make something and bring it down while you're streaming?"
"Huh? R-Really? Won't it be a hassle?"
"Hehe, no biggie. That's the fun of being neighbors."
Making one serving or two wasn't much difference anyway.
I suggested it to celebrate our new neighbor status, and Yuna's eyes lit up as she nodded eagerly.
"Sounds great to me! Hehe, gotta brag to Darudan later. They'll be so jealous."
"Th-That much?"
"That much!"
I wondered if my cooking was that great.
But Yuna was so adamant, I just went with it.
About an hour later, I headed to Yuna's place mid-stream and treated her to my home cooking.
Minutes later, a photo of the food popped up on her tweet.
And just as she'd predicted, the replies filled up with jealous comments from Darudan and Cherrydan.
(By the way, ones from Ji-won ssi and Ra-hee unnie were among them. Shh, top secret.)
"Uuuugh...! Haah. Cherries, that's it for today then. Thanks for sticking around so late, everyone."
I stretched out my tired body and announced the end of the stream. Sure enough, the Cherries swarmed in protest.
Truth be told, I was a softie, so sometimes I'd extend by 30 minutes or so.
But after karaoke tonight, my throat was shot. No choice but to end early.
"Sorry, guys. Used my voice too much today... But tomorrow, I'll stick around longer!"
Hehe, thankfully, explaining helped—the Cherries understood.
Such fiendish yet sweet Cherries.
No wonder I adored them so much.
Anyway, I ended the stream and was about to flop onto bed when my phone suddenly rang.
"Hm?"
Oh, Ra-hee unnie.
I'd been meaning to call her anyway. Great minds.
"Hello?"
『Yes, dear?』
"Ehehe, what's that? Unnie."
『Yuna does it all the time, so I tried. Not fun?』
"Hehe, no, it's fun. So, dear, what's up?"
I giggled along with her joke, keeping the chat going.
It was past 1 a.m. already. Calling this late meant she had business.
『Oh, heard from Yuna you're heading to the orphanage again this Christmas?』
"Yeah, that's right."
『Mind if I tag along? Always wanted to try something like that.』
"Whoa, really?"
Yuna wasn't kidding.
I replied, surprised but thrilled inside.
Christmas at the orphanage with Ra-hee unnie? Sounded fun already.
The president had wanted to come too, but schedules clashed, so that got canceled. Shame.
But Ra-hee unnie coming? The kids would love it. Yep.
"I'd love that. The kids'll be thrilled to have such a pretty unnie."
『Pfft, you think? Hope so.』
She sounded half-joking, disbelieving.
But I was certain.
Ra-hee unnie would be a superstar among them in a day.
Not literally about her face lighting them up, no.
She was so kind and caring by nature.
There might be initial awkwardness, but the kids would see her true self and warm up quick.
『But this is my first time... Anything I need to prep?』
"Nah, nothing special. I was gonna bring snacks maybe..."
『Got it. I'll handle snacks then.』
"Huh? Y-You sure? It'll cost a bit..."
I was happy just having her along.
Her offer to cover snacks flustered me.
Kids that age ate a ton, after all.
Even just pizza or chicken would add up.
『Yeah, no prob. Unlike you, it's my first time, so to bond with the kids, gotta bring something, right?』
"Mmm... Okay."
Her logic made sense, so I gave in.
If she handled snacks, maybe I'd prep small gifts?
Tailored to each kid's taste would be tough, but still...
『Cool. Let's talk details tomorrow or the next day and plan properly.』
"Sure, unnie!"
『Sleep well, my Da-jeong.』
"Hehe, you too, unnie!"
With the duo trip basically set, we planned to hash out details later and were about to hang up.
『Say 'dream of me' just once?』
"Eek...?! S-Serious?"
『Yep. Lifelong dream.』
"Uuu, your lifelong dream is so lame..."
Her sudden request caught me off guard.
But I couldn't coldly ignore the kind unnie joining me for Christmas, so I mumbled it reluctantly.
"O-Okay. Dream of me, unnie."
『Wanted it casual, but... eh, good enough. Recorded it—gonna replay later.』
"Unnie!"
Realizing it was a trap, I yelped.
Too late—the call had ended.
Uuu...
I always thought it, but Ra-hee unnie could out-troll even Chae-yoon unnie sometimes.