The Secret on the Desk
After the netkama stream ended, I headed over to Kang Hanna's place. "Come to think of it, we still haven't exchanged numbers, have we?" Every time we met, something insane happened, so things like swapping numbers always got pushed to the back burner. Today, I knocked on her door, planning to have dinner together and finally get those digits.
"Knock, knock."
"Who is it?"
"It's me. Noona."
"Oh! Just a sec!!!"
At that, all sorts of noises erupted from inside Kang Hanna's apartment. "...What the? Is she doing construction in there?" About a minute later, the front door swung open.
"Oh, you're here? I was waiting."
"Yeah. Sorry about this morning. I must've been really tired."
"Nah, it happens. Come on in."
I followed Noona inside. The place was cleaner than I expected. It was a studio apartment, so space was tight, but she’d kept it tidy enough that it wasn't uncomfortable for me to be there.
"There are plenty of ingredients in the fridge, so make whatever you want!"
"Sure. Hmm... is pasta okay?"
Looking through the fridge, I saw a lot of leftover pasta sauce.
"Pasta? I'm down! I'll eat anything, so just make whatever you're craving!"
"Then, cream sauce it is..."
As I twisted the lid off the cream sauce, a funky smell hit me. 'Does cream sauce usually smell like this?' It wasn't cheese; it smelled like rotting mold. I checked the contents more closely...
"Ugh..."
Inside the jar was mold of a color that defied description.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
As I grimaced and set the jar on the sink, Kang Hanna approached me, looking flustered.
"Noona... don't look at this. You'll regret it."
"Why?"
Ignoring my warning, she peered into the jar.
"Ah. Ugh."
"I told you not to look."
"But, you know how it is—when someone tells a woman not to do something, she wants to do it even more!"
"Ha... right. So, how long ago did you buy these sauces?"
If it was moldy enough to grow a colony, a lot of time must have passed.
"That... I don't remember?"
"...Noona, let's just agree you shouldn't be in charge of managing ingredients from now on."
I gave her some advice and dug through the fridge again. Since she was a P.E. major, the fridge was mostly chicken breast and salad. The only thing fit to eat right now was some frozen dumplings.
"Hmm... I'm not really feeling dumplings..."
"Really? Then, should we go grocery shopping?"
"Nah. That's too much of a hassle. Let's just order in."
"Oh? Are you sure?"
She seemed worried that I might have trauma from delivery apps.
"Yeah. You'll protect me, right? I only trust you, Noona."
"..."
Kang Hanna lowered her head, avoiding my eyes.
"Why are you blushing?"
"T-that's... obviously I'd be embarrassed! You're a guy, why do you say things like that to just anyone!"
"Huh? I only said it because it's you."
"...I'm going to the bathroom for a sec!"
She dashed toward the bathroom in a panic. It seems my words had done some serious damage.
"Geez... what should I order? It feels like a waste to order pasta."
I honestly think pasta is the most overrated food in existence. It’s a dish you can learn to make easily with just a little practice, yet it costs more than a full-course Korean meal.
"Maybe I'll get mala-tang for a change."
It felt like today was that one day a year where I suddenly craved mala-tang.
"Sorry. I had to go to the bathroom..."
"Nah, it's fine. Have you ever had mala-tang, Noona?"
"Oh? Mala-tang...? No... I haven't."
"You should try it this time! Do you have to watch your weight or something?"
"No, I'm fine for now... But you really are a guy, aren't you? Seeing how much you like mala-tang."
"That's not it! I'm only eating it because today is a special day!"
"A special day?"
"...The day I craved mala-tang."
"Pfft. Fine, whatever. Just order it."
I didn't like how she equated me with the men of this world, but I went ahead and ordered the mala-tang anyway.
"I like pork stir-fry and rice soup too, you know? Today is just an exception..."
"Yeah, yeah. But didn't you eat tteokbokki last time too?"
"That... that was a special day too."
"Hehehe. Sure, let's go with that."
"Hey!"
Her teasing tone made me look for a way to counter-attack. 'There's definitely a weakness somewhere...' Oh. "By the way, why are there wet wipes and tissues together on your desk?"
It might seem like a normal arrangement, but as a true man, I knew better. That setup had a specific intent...
"H-huh? Oh... I just keep them there to wipe up if I spill something while eating at my desk...?"
"Really? You must spill a lot, then? Seeing as the trash can is full of nothing but tissues and wet wipes?"
"Oh?! No, this is, like. Yeah, I've been spilling water a lot lately, so I used a lot."
"Ah. You spilled a lot of water. You're a bit of a slob, aren't you, Noona?"
"...Yeah, I guess I am."
I figured I’d pushed my luck enough and should change the subject. If I went any further, Kang Hanna’s face looked like it was going to explode from the redness.
"Anyway, we haven't exchanged phone numbers yet, have we?"
"Oh... can we?"
"Of course. We're going to be living together from now on."
"...You really are... hah."
Now she was just sighing and clutching her head.
"Here."
I unlocked my phone and handed it to her.
"Okay. I'll just save it as 'Kang Hanna'?"
"Hmm... that's a bit cold. Maybe save it as 'Hanna Noona'?"
"If that's what you're comfortable with..."
She fiddled with my phone for a bit, and once the exchange was done, she handed it back.
"Now that I think about it, I have a question."
"You have a question for me? What is it?"
"What's your streaming nickname?"
"Ah. I haven't told you yet, have I?"
Come to think of it, I’d only told her that I streamed as a woman.
"It's... Hakuryu..."
"Hakuryu? Is that a Japanese name?"
"Yeah. My name is Baek Miru, right? 'Miru' means dragon, so I went with Hakuryu, which means 'White Dragon' in Japanese."
"Aha. I see. Then what about your fans' name?"
"My viewers? I don't have one yet."
"Really? Isn't that inconvenient?"
"Hmm... now that you mention it, maybe it was a little inconvenient...?"
I realized that calling them 'viewers' or 'chatters' every time I addressed them did feel a bit detached.
"Then, you should make your next stream about deciding on a nickname for your viewers!"
"Oh. Are you already coming up with ideas for my stream? Thanks."
"Eh, it's nothing. I'm going to be watching from now on, anyway."
"...Do you really have to?"
Did I really want Noona to see me acting like a streaming-obsessed maniac?
"Yes! I'm definitely going to watch."
"Phew... fine. Do whatever you want."
As we talked, time flew by, and before we knew it, the mala-tang arrived.
"Noona, the delivery is here."
"Okay, you just stay there."
"Got it."
I’d learned my lesson, so I listened to her and sat quietly at the desk.
"But, this desk is smaller than I thought."
It wasn't that it was too small for two people, but Kang Hanna was on the taller side for a woman, and I was also quite large.
"...Let's not think about it."
Usually, if you start worrying about these things, you just get more sensitive. I cleared the desk to make room for the food and turned on the computer to find something to watch.
"I brought the mala-tang... wait, what are you doing!"
"Huh? Just..."
She quickly set the mala-tang in the kitchen, rushed over, and shut down the computer.
"You didn't see anything weird, did you?"
"...Oh."
I hadn't expected that reaction, so I was quite taken aback.
"Why? Is there something I shouldn't be seeing?"
"N-no?! There isn't!"
"Really? Then let's turn on YouTube so we can watch something fun while we eat."
"Ah. So that's why you... sorry, I misunderstood."
"...Hehehe. Tell me the truth. What were you doing before I got here?"
"Huh?"
"Noona, what were you doing behind my back to get this flustered?"
"...It's nothing! I wasn't watching anything!"
"I didn't ask if you were watching anything...?"
"Ah."
"Right. Exactly. I'm willing to tell you everything about me, Noona... but to you, I'm only worth that much..."
"No... that's not it..."
"It's fine. I'm okay. I asked for too much, didn't I? I'll keep my distance from now on..."
I intentionally acted pitiful as I looked at Kang Hanna.
"...I was watching manga."
"Pardon?"
"...I said I was watching manga!!!"
Kang Hanna was trembling as she shouted at the top of her lungs.
"N-Noona?"
"Are you happy now?"
"No... sorry."
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
"...I mean, yeah, but."
"Ugh! I don't know!!! I'm just going to say whatever I want from now on!"
"Whatever you want...?"
"The way you keep talking to me, and just... do you think I'm that easy to fool?"
"What..."
"But even so! I hate that I don't hate you!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Noona."
"Geez. Tell me honestly, how many girls are you seeing?"
"None?"
"Don't lie to me!!!"
"...I really don't have anyone. You're the closest woman to me, Noona."
"Again! Seriously, again! Do you think I haven't heard stories about girls getting played? I have plenty of friends who've been through the same thing!"
"Really? Then, want to make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"Yeah. If I can prove that the person closest to me is you, I get a wish."
"Ha?! A wish? Fine, you're on!"
And so, the bet was made.
"How are you going to prove it? That I'm the person closest to you?"
"I'll give you my phone."
"Huh?"
"Go through it. See who's there."
I handed my phone to Kang Hanna.
"Hmm?"
My contact list only had the lawyer I'd consulted with and Noona.
"Huh? Why is it only me? What about your parents..."
"Didn't I tell you before that I'm an orphan?"
"This is the first I'm hearing of it!"
"Really? I must have confused it with something I said on stream..."
Kang Hanna exited the contacts app with trembling hands. She checked the messages, but it was just spam and advertisements.
"...Found it!"
When she opened the chat app, she saw a name: 'Nayang'. It was clearly a woman's name. But even though she had a chance to win the bet, paradoxically, Kang Hanna's mood plummeted.
'No. You expected this. Why are you disappointed, you idiot?' She thought self-deprecatingly as she looked at Baek Miru.
"Explain yourself. Who is this Baek Nayang person?"
"Nayang Noona?"
The 'Noona' I heard from Miru. It was a word I heard often, but this time, the 'Noona' wasn't me.
"...Right! Who is this person? You chatted with her today too... so... so! That means I won, right?"
Hanna's voice, claiming her victory, trembled pitifully.
"No? Nayang Noona is just my stream manager. She doesn't even know what I look like. She only found out I was a guy today because I made a mistake."
"Oh?"
"So, I won the bet. If you don't like it, feel free to keep looking."
"No, that can't be."
Hanna read the chat history with Nayang just in case, but unlike her expectations, it didn't feel like a conversation between a wife or a lover at all.
"No!"
Hanna denied the result and tried to look for more, but... no other people were found on Baek Miru's phone.
"...Fine. I admit it. I lost."
"Hehehe. So, I get the wish?"
"...Yeah."
Even though Kang Hanna lost the bet, strangely enough, her heart felt at ease.
"I'll use my wish. What were you watching earlier?"
"Huh?"
"I asked what kind of manga you were watching."
"Ah."
Hanna's mind went blank once again.