Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Da-jeong Has Plans for Everything, Huh?
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Ding-dong— Ding-dong—
“Ughhh...”
Something noisy echoes from the morning onward.
Is this the doorbell?
Thanks to staying up late chatting with Unnie all night, my mind refuses to clear up.
Who’s making such a racket this early...!
Chae-yoon Unnie’s grumbling faintly drifts in from outside.
She must be pissed too, woken from a deep sleep just like me.
But seriously, who could it be?
Maybe Unnie’s family?
She said her parents were off on a short trip to Japan, though.
Plus, as an only child, no siblings would drop by.
No idea.
For now, I’ll just stay put.
It could be a friend, after all.
Me poking my head out would just make things awkward.
If it were family, I’d have to greet them properly as a guest crashing here.
Otherwise, holing up in the room is best for everyone...
Wh-what?! Why are you all showing up first thing in the morning...!
...Huh?
Something incredibly rowdy is going on.
And Unnie sounds totally shocked.
What on earth is happening?
Whoosh—
I quickly shove off the blanket and cautiously sit up in bed.
Just a peek to see who it is. Only a quick glance.
If I crack the door open just a bit and look through the gap...
Da-jeong’s in this room, right?
...Eh?
The familiar voice right outside the door snaps me fully awake.
Wait, that voice is definitely...?
Clunk—
“Ow?!”
The door flies open out of nowhere, and I slam my forehead right into it, letting out a sharp yelp.
Blinking through the stinging pain that brings tears to my eyes, I look up.
There, lined up side by side, are people I never expected to see.
That’s right.
Our Blues.
In other words, every single member of Blue LUV has assembled.
“Da-jeong, you okay? I didn’t realize you were right by the door and just yanked it open.”
“Ugh... yeah, I’m fine...”
Ra-hee Unnie rushes over, rubbing my forehead as she asks.
I nod somehow and force out that I’m okay.
Luckily, the pain didn’t last long.
“Unnie! You should’ve at least knocked!”
“I forgot, thinking about Da-jeong.”
“Da-jeong, really okay? Your forehead’s all red...”
“Ugh, barging in at the crack of dawn—what a great idea! And now you’ve cracked the maknae’s forehead!”
Sure enough, things get chaotic the moment our members gather.
Yuna’s busy blaming Ra-hee Unnie.
Ra-hee Unnie’s busy hugging me as usual.
Ji-ah Unnie’s checking my forehead and worrying.
And Chae-yoon Unnie’s scolding all three of them.
Yep, total pandemonium.
Of course, I knew our Blues always turn everything into this.
It’s just surreal seeing it play out in real life too.
“U-um, so what brings everyone here?”
I shake off the daze from the forehead impact and ask the members.
For reference, it’s 10:23 a.m. now.
For streamers who live night and day flipped, this is basically the dead of night.
How did we end up with everyone showing up in broad daylight?
“To make sure Chae-yoon isn’t bullying our maknae, obviously.”
What an utterly unexpected reason.
Ra-hee Unnie’s boldness in saying it outright is impressive as ever.
“Bullying? As if! You know how well I treat our little maknae! Right, Da-jeong?”
Chae-yoon Unnie yells in response to Ra-hee Unnie’s incitement and fabrication.
I nod along in agreement.
It’s true she’s gone out of her way to make me comfortable here, to the point where it’s hard to believe I’m staying at someone else’s house.
“Hmph, really? Then how do you explain this, Unnie?”
But despite the person in question’s denial.
Yuna pulls out her phone from her pocket and thrusts it forward, grilling Chae-yoon Unnie.
The screen shows our group chat.
It looks like a peaceful exchange of photos at a glance, but peering closer, I can’t hold back my shock.
Hold on.
Isn’t that the photo Chae-yoon Unnie took of me yesterday in my animal pajamas?
Why is it posted there?
“U-Unnie...! You posted that in the group chat?”
Exhausted from chatting all night with Chae-yoon Unnie, I crashed into bed without checking the chat.
So this is what happened—I’m only finding out now.
Why post something like that in the group chat!
And what’s that message below it!
‘Bet you guys and Yuna’s place don’t have anything like this?’
I’m not some puppy or kitten...!
“Heh, it was too cute, I couldn’t help it... Maknae mad?”
There’s no real reason to be angry.
She didn’t snap it promising not to show anyone else.
And sharing with just members? I can understand that.
It’s just embarrassing.
What’s so brag-worthy about me in animal pajamas?
I even struck a weird pose at her request back then.
Total black history material!
“Not only hogging Da-jeong, but daring to provoke us and think you’d get away with it, Unnie?”
“That’d make you totally shameless.”
“I held back on the homemade food, but this is too much...”
And why are the members turning this into a competition?
Anyone but Ji-ah Unnie too...
What a mess first thing in the morning.
“W-wait...! Can we all calm down and talk it out?”
“Unnie’s the one who refused talk and struck first.”
“Chae-yoon, wanna step aside with us for a sec?”
Like filming a skit.
Yuna and Ra-hee Unnie coil around Chae-yoon Unnie’s arms from both sides and drag her toward the other room.
“Our maknae shouldn’t see this, so stay here with Unnie for a bit?”
Ji-ah Unnie sneaks up and hugs me from behind.
She sits me on the bed, strokes my hair, and starts asking about everyday stuff.
Like how yesterday’s stream went.
If the two of us are getting along okay.
If I missed the other members besides Chae-yoon Unnie.
Kyaaah! Makaenaaaae!
Unlike her perfectly casual questions.
Chae-yoon Unnie’s wails echo nonstop from the other room.
“U-Unnie. Shouldn’t we stop them?”
“...”
She’s not even saying they’ll go easy.
But if Ji-ah Unnie says it’s okay, it probably is.
Honestly, I’m a little annoyed at Chae-yoon Unnie for secretly posting my photo, so I’ll let it slide today.
Hmph.
Try posting another sneaky pic of me.
After that commotion died down.
As noon approached, we had an early lunch.
I’d planned to cook, but the Unnies insisted I couldn’t handle a meal for five, so we ordered delivery instead.
The menu was mostly Western: pasta, risotto, and such.
I’d had pasta before, but risotto was new and felt unfamiliar.
Once I tried it, though, it was amazing.
What’s it like? Kind of like soup and porridge perfectly blended.
“What for dessert?”
“Ice cream’s safe, right?”
“Cake works too.”
Is there really a separate stomach for sweets?
My belly’s stuffed, but the members seem set on dessert too.
“Da-jeong, anything you wanna eat?”
“Yeah.”
I’d hung back since I don’t know desserts well.
Then Ji-ah Unnie asks if I have any requests.
Dessert, huh. Not much I’ve tried, so no strong preferences.
Cake, maybe? I had some on my birthday with a coupon from the community center.
Nothing else comes to mind.
If anything...
“...Tanghulu?”
The once-huge trend, tanghulu.
Never tried it myself.
But I remember the Blues talking about being obsessed with it on stream.
“Oh? Want tanghulu?”
Did I mumble it out loud while lost in thought?
Ji-ah Unnie’s eyes go wide after overhearing, so I frantically wave my hands.
But the members look at me with pitying eyes and start agreeing all at once.
“Tanghulu sounds good. Been a while—let’s get some.”
“We gotta treat our maknae to tanghulu at least once.”
I worry they’ll skip their picks because of me.
I keep refusing politely, but they won’t hear it.
In the end, dessert’s set to tanghulu, and we order.
Less than 30 minutes later, it arrives.
The colorful fruits glazed in clear sugar syrup look especially appetizing.
Slurp.
Pfft, is Da-jeong smacking her lips right now?
Yeah, you went ‘slurp’ like a cat eyeing treats.
I guess I did it unconsciously, and Chae-yoon Unnie teases while pointing at my lips.
I duck my head to hide my flushed cheeks.
Ugh, embarrassing.
Da-jeong, you got the shine muscat one, right? Here.
Even amid this, her resolve to eat tanghulu holds.
I take the pale green one Yuna offers and grip the stick tight.
Da-jeong, careful not to hurt your mouth—bite gently.
Okay, Unnie.
Following Ji-ah Unnie’s advice sweetly, I cautiously nibble a plump shine muscat.
Shine muscat’s a first for me too.
I’ve had green grapes from the neighbor grandma.
Wonder what it tastes like.
Crunch—
As the hard sugar shell cracks.
Fresh fruit aroma floods my mouth.
Followed by the fearsome sweetness of the syrup harmonizing.
Whoa, what is this?
It’s insanely good.
I thought it was just fruit dipped in sugar—why the hype?
But no, it’s not!
Mmm...!
How is it? Tasty?
Yes! So sweet, and the fruit flavor’s super rich...
I beam back at Chae-yoon Unnie’s expectant question without hesitation.
It’s that delicious.
D-Da-jeong. Wanna try the mandarin one? It’s good too.
Hehe, thank youuu.
Ji-ah Unnie, oddly tense, offers me a mandarin tanghulu.
Curious about the taste anyway, I crunch into it without hesitation.
Mmm, this one’s delicious too.
If the shine muscat was peak sweet.
This is peak sweet-tart.
This one’s tasty too!
Really? Glad. Unnie’s fine, so eat plenty, Da-jeong.
No way. You need to eat some too, Unnie.
I’m really okay...
She insists I take more.
But I still have plenty left.
I shake my head and decline, leaving Ji-ah Unnie watching her tanghulu wistfully.
Ding— Vrrr—
We’re enjoying dessert and chatting warmly when.
All our phones on the table buzz at once.
Some vibrate, some ring.
Huh? President posted a notice.
A notice?
Ra-hee Unnie, first to check, widens her eyes.
The notice group here is separate from our Blue LUV members-only chat.
Manager So-eun Unnie, President, and other company staff are in it too.
True to the name, no chit-chat—just important updates.
Or occasional questions about them.
Whoa! We’re doing an external collab stream?
No way!
I was gonna finish eating and check the notice.
But Ra-hee Unnie and Yuna’s shocked voices ring out.
External collab?
Ah, is that what it is?
Maybe things are going according to my plan.
Da-jeong! They’re opening a Last Ro streamer server for our collab from yesterday!
Yep, nailed it.
Chae-yoon Unnie hugs me tight, excitedly sharing the news.
I poke my head out from her embrace and tilt it.
Really?
Yeah! But you don’t seem that surprised?
I put on my best acting, clapping enthusiastically.
Truth is, I’m not surprised.
With so many other games, I picked Last Ro with Chae-yoon Unnie for this exact reason.
By my future knowledge, Last Ro blows up huge—every streamer plays it eventually.
And as always in the streaming world.
Trend leaders ride it to massive growth.
In that light.
Last Ro, untouched by Korean streamers yet, seemed like a golden opportunity for me.
That’s why I featured it in yesterday’s stream with Unnie.
Sure, I could’ve pitched it directly to President.
But nothing beats showing it live on stream as promo.
I had zero doubt President, sniffing massive potential, would bite.
Hehe...
Da-jeong’s happy about the collab too?
Yes, thrilled.
Ra-hee Unnie interprets my plan-succeeded glee differently.
But I am happy about the collab.
This’ll let our Blues shine to way more people.
Whoa, but the lineup’s insane? President scouted all these?
Unnie, who’s our President? Piece of cake for her.
Three days out—better prep early. Wanna cram together and play a bit?
Just ask our maknae. She was killer at it yesterday.
The members huddle, buzzing with collab hype.
I watch warmly and nibble my last tanghulu.
Hehe, as planned.