The Good Dust Flying When We Eat
With Inseo noona, I entered the partition area.
I opened the bag I had brought yesterday.
Inside were a few folded clothes.
I pulled out a plain white T-shirt and a pair of navy shorts and held them up.
This should be fine.
Inseo noona glanced at them once and nodded as if it was okay.
Then she took the clothes with both hands.
Before handing them over I wanted to sniff the scent, but...
I held back because it would look weird.
If I had sniffed the clothes before giving them... ugh.
Please, no weird scent.
We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment.
Our eyes met.
Inseo noona was the first to look away.
She brushed her hair behind her ear and spoke in a small voice.
“Um... can you... let me go? I need to change clothes...”
Oh.
Right.
I had been zoning out because I was worrying about the scent.
“Ah... um... s-sorry.”
I quickly left. Ahh, what a fool.
I closed the curtain behind me, stood outside the partition, and fiddled with my hands for a bit.
What now?
Click. Click.
The sound of clothes came from behind.
Flutter.
A coat draped over the partition.
Click. Click.
Flutter.
This time a black dress hung on it.
Whoa!
What am I even staring at?
What the heck.
I hurried to my operator seat and sat down.
I straightened the messy desk documents for no reason.
Rustle. Rustle.
The paper sound stopped quickly.
The office became quiet again, filled with other sounds.
Click. Click.
Flutter.
All my nerves focused on my ears.
No.
Right now I’m not thinking at all.
Because I’m not thinking.
Should I sort the documents in ABC order or in GNJ order?
Yeah!
Let’s do it in number order!
I was just trying to keep my mind occupied when the door lock clicked.
Riiiiing.
Riiiing.
Bang. Bang.
Riiiing.
The door lock was twisting.
Someone was forcing it open.
Riiiiing.
Clank.
It opened.
They always twist the lock once.
“What’s wrong with this door? Why does it always... Inseo! Is Inseo here?”
I looked back while holding the documents I had been sorting.
Yeah, as expected, her.
Fortune Girl.
She walked in carrying a bunch of bags in both hands.
Screeech.
Just as Inseo noona was about to pull back the curtain.
I glanced at Inseo noona.
She had come out wearing the exact clothes I gave her.
The T-shirt was oversized on her.
The hem hung off her shoulders and the sleeves reached her knuckles.
Because of that...
She looked smaller and slimmer than usual.
But she wasn’t just sloppy.
The chest part was puffed up and the fabric flowed naturally below.
Inseo noona must have felt my gaze because she lowered her head a little.
Then she adjusted her glasses.
She fiddled with the hem of the T-shirt unnecessarily.
Oh...
She’s wearing my clothes.
Why does it feel so... cute?
Ears, they’re adorable.
This time I want to become clothes? No way.
But my thoughts had to end there.
Because someone had just broken the silence.
“Eh? What’s that? Whose clothes is that?”
Fortune Girl’s finger pointed at the printing on Inseo noona’s T-shirt.
“Wah, those childish drawings are from a hero otaku?”
What?
Click.
That... that is...
Saying that to someone else?
Inseo noona awkwardly lifted the chest part of the T-shirt she was wearing.
【Drug Hero Team. Sweeping the nation. Super Power.】
“Ah. This isn’t mine. It’s Operator-nim’s and I borrowed it for a moment. My clothes got really dirty...”
The Drug Hero Team is, by my standards, the greatest hero group I liked in my younger days.
But...
I quickly waved my hands.
“Ah. I got this as a gift too. I can’t throw it away. I wear it like this for comfort.”
I squinted my eyes and looked at Fortune Girl as if nothing was up.
Actually...
I stayed up all night waiting and snagged limited goods.
Now they’re a struggling group whose name was forcibly changed due to government censorship, but...
That made it even rarer. She didn’t know.
“Why, noona. I liked Drug Hero Team too when I was little. They’re cool.”
Hah.
As expected, Inseo noona.
You know a thing or two.
Fortune Girl was about to say something else but stopped and placed the bags on the central table.
Gurgle.
Various snacks from the convenience store poured out.
“Well. Personal taste, so whatever. Are you all hungry? Let’s eat something.”
So you mean my personal taste is far from mainstream?
Huh?
I gave her a very intense glare, but it had no effect.
Because she didn’t even look at me.
She just ignored me.
Inseo noona sat at the table and rubbed her stomach.
“Yeah, noona. I’m super hungry.”
Fortune Girl handed one of them to Inseo noona.
“Yeah. You like the yogurt ring, right? I got it.”
Inseo noona received the yogurt with a bright smile.
“Oh my. I was craving sugar anyway. I love it.”
Fortune Girl pushed more sweet things toward Inseo noona.
“Then. Then you’re due for sugar today. Eat a lot.”
Degrrr.
Meanwhile one egg rolled off the table.
I slowly stood up and caught the egg in my hand.
Then I shook it once.
I can’t tell if this is a raw egg or a boiled one.
“Um. Is this a raw egg?”
Fortune Girl’s voice rose in surprise.
“Ah. Um... I said to bring... bring...”
What the heck?
“Ah. Yeah. Thank you.”
Fortune Girl said while picking up a sandwich.
“I didn’t know what you like so I just bought it. Does the sandwich taste good?”
I was hungry, so anything would be fine.
“Yeah. I eat anything.”
But...
Where should I sit? The central table has four seats.
One side faces Inseo noona in front of the partition.
Opposite is Fortune Girl facing the entrance.
And one empty seat on each side.
The sandwich was placed right in the middle.
This... this is a problem.
Sitting next to Inseo noona feels comfortable, but...
If I sit next to her wearing the clothes she’s wearing...
It would feel too clingy.
Then I should sit next to Fortune Girl.
That’s also uncomfortable.
Damn.
I sat next to Fortune Girl.
I need to sit naturally.
What’s the big deal about sitting next to someone?
I glanced sideways.
Inseo noona was only focused on the yogurt and exploring the ring.
Fortune Girl glanced at me once then started tearing apart another sandwich.
I was the only one panicking.
Hah.
The door lock clicked again.
Riiiiing.
Clank.
“Ah, everyone’s here! Today’s class schedule was hell, I’m so tired!”
A bouncy voice.
Hoeun noona.
She had a big backpack on her back and was wearing comfortable casual clothes.
A short T-shirt on top and black leggings underneath.
Even though the outfit looked easy to move in, the leggings showed her slender leg lines clearly.
She looked like a university student who had just run in after class.
“Inseo noona, hi! Juyeong noona, hi! Operator-oppa, hi!”
She threw her huge bag next to the entrance and ran over.
She kept talking without stopping and said to Inseo noona.
“Did Inseo noona have a great day? I saw the article!”
Before Inseo noona could open her mouth she turned to me.
“How was Operator-oppa’s first day as a full-fledged operator? You must have been surprised by Inseo noona’s ability. Hee hee.”
I was surprised, a lot.
Before I could answer Hoeun noona sat in the seat next to Inseo noona.
And looked at the diagonal popup girl once before continuing to me.
“Juyeong noona helped me out secretly from the side, right? She’s different from how she seems, you know. Hehe.”
Whoa.
How can someone with such a small mouth keep talking non-stop?
Fortune Girl handed a cream bread to Hoeun noona.
“Hoeun, did you hear a ghost that can’t speak? You started rapping as soon as you got here. Eat this.”
Hoeun noona took the cream bread, looked at the label on the back once, and said to Fortune Girl again.
“No, noona. I can’t eat it. Did you see the article? The photo... no, no, I have to manage.”
She passed the cream bread straight to me in front.
And smiled brightly while looking at me.
“Eat instead of our hardworking operator-oppa. Hehe.”
As expected, only Hoeun noona thinks about me.
But...
Why do heroes manage their body because of gossip instead of fighting? It must be because of the article I saw earlier.
The nakedly shot article photo and the caption.
It’s sad.
“Yeah, I saw that article too. The media is like that, right?”
“Ah. Did you see it too, oppa? My photo in the article?”
Yeah, since I saw it I’m not saying anything.
I nodded while shoving the sandwich into my mouth.
But suddenly Hoeun noona stood up from her chair, unfolded the jumper she was wearing, and turned her body this way and that.
The crop top underneath was revealed.
Whoa.
I lowered my gaze a bit.
Bare skin was visible.
Whoa again.
I looked lower and saw her black leggings hugging her hips.
Should I just close my eyes?
Yeah.
But even if I close them I can still see.
A cute face.
A bouncy voice.
And her body line that doesn’t quite match those two...
No.
Closing my eyes is even more dangerous.
“What do you think of the article content, oppa? Agree? The hidden body of a girl that overpowers monsters. Hehe.”
I opened my eyes and the girl right in front was shaking her upper body left and right.
No.
Why is she urging me to answer with her body?
Ah, that silhouette...
The crop top was already tight.
When Hoeun noona moved her upper body slightly the thin fabric followed.
The inner lines were faintly visible.
Don’t look.
Don’t look.
But I can see.
Why is it so clear yet faint?
Black... or purple?
Stop it, man.
Answer already.
Ugh.
I almost spat out the sandwich I was chewing.
I didn’t even know there was something in my mouth.
I shook my head up and down hard with my gaze fixed.
I agree a hundred times.
Right? Right?
But right in front like this is dangerous, Hoeun!
At that moment Fortune Girl, who had been eating her sandwich quietly, pointed below with her finger.
“Hey, sit down. Sit. Who’s making dust while eating? What kind of article is that?”
Hoeun pouted and closed the jumper.
Then she picked up her phone and showed the screen to Fortune Girl.
Because of me the screen got closed.
My theater. Aah.
“Here, noona. Look. Bad Girl’s hero popup girl. Successful monster dispatch. The hidden hot body behind her talent.”
While listening to Hoeun noona’s excited words Fortune Girl looked at the phone screen in front of her with a blank expression.
She kept scrolling her finger upward and said while squinting.
“This is. This is the problem. These sensational articles.”
Hoeun noona brought the phone back and scrolled down while saying.
“Hey, noona still mentioned my other hidden beauty, right?”
Fortune Girl placed the sandwich she was eating on the table and crossed her arms.
“When did you ever hide that? This is just an article to boost views.”
That’s true. That was what I thought when I saw it earlier.
I didn’t want to side with anyone, but I thought I should say something.
“Yeah. Not only that article but Miss Poem’s articles were clickbait too.”
Inseo noona’s hand, which had only been eating the yogurt, stopped for a moment then moved again.
Fortune Girl glanced at me sideways and continued.
As if she had just said something right.
“Yeah. Inseo noona’s interviews are always that vulgar. Only that.”
I looked at Inseo noona who was eating well and added one more thing.
“That’s why you can’t use your powers well because you’re depressed.”
Inseo noona’s messy mouth stopped.
She gulped down the yogurt and opened her closed lips.
“That’s why... I refused the interview today too. There was no choice... my clothes were messy too...”
Hoeun noona glanced at Inseo noona’s clothes.
“Clothes?”
Hoeun noona pointed to Inseo noona’s chest with her face.
Right before touching.
“This isn’t the limited first edition T-shirt from Drug Hero Team, right? Noona, how can you wear such a precious thing? Did you go on a mission while wearing it?”
Inseo noona was startled and covered her chest with her hand. Her face was a bit red.
“Ah. This is... I borrowed it temporarily for Operator-nim...”
Haha. As expected, Hoeun noona.
You recognized the value of that T-shirt.
But if Inseo noona’s vulgar words for her ability were so embarrassing...
There’s a simple way.
“Um, Inseo noona. Then like other heroes, how about wearing a mask?”
I looked back and forth between Hoeun noona and Inseo noona.
“Like Hoeun noona with those blindfolds, it might be better, right?”
Everyone’s attention focused on Inseo noona.
Inseo noona’s face and neck turned red for a moment.
Aigoo. Sorry, Inseo noona. I don’t hate this.
“Um... I didn’t think of it either.”
Inseo noona took a moment to breathe.
“Even if it’s a bad person or a monster. Even if I do or don’t get insulted...”
Her skin that had been red up to her nape gradually lightened.
“If I have to insult or criticize someone, at least...”
She completely returned to her original skin color.
“Showing my own face and doing it isn’t the minimum courtesy?”
For a moment everyone became quiet.
Whoa.
Amazing.
I clapped twice slowly without realizing it.
“That was so cool, Inseo noona. No, Miss Poem.”
Starting with my words Fortune Girl and Hoeun noona each said one.
“Yeah, our Inseo. Impressive.”
“Wow noona, cool~ But I wear blindfolds, what do I become~”
Inseo noona’s face that had been returning turned red again.
“Ah. Not that—”
At that moment.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs reached here and the vibration shook here.
Everyone stopped talking and looked at each other.
What. Is there an earthquake?
Has another Entity attacked Euljiro?
Riiiiing.
The door lock?
Clank.
Thud.
Slam—!!
The door opened loudly.
Everyone’s eyes in the office turned to the entrance.
In front of it was noona Hye-ryeon with a furious look and clenched teeth.
Were it not for the Entity it would have been good.
No. She looked much more dangerous than that.
In her hands were a thick bundle of documents.
To my eyes that bundle looked like a club.
Then she quickly looked around as if searching for someone.
Everyone at the table was only exchanging glances without saying anything and quietly chewing what they were eating.
None of them dared to swallow what was in their mouths.
At that moment I had fired a hundred question marks at myself.
Is she going to hit someone with that?
I didn’t do anything wrong on the mission yesterday, right?
What? Did I make a mistake?
Meanwhile the sharp gaze...
Passed me.
And finally stopped from one side.
And a lightning-fast roar fell on her.
“Hey! Jeon Juyeong! What the hell are you doing in Euljiro! What is this demand notice!!”