Chapter 78
"Can I come over to your place today?"
"The baby really was cute. Those big, sparkling eyes."
"Right? Adorably so."
Everyone was still buzzing about that kid from earlier, the image lingering in our minds. There's something about that pure innocence you only get at that age—it heals you in a way that has nothing to do with how cute they look.
"But you really seem to love kids. Your voice totally changed."
"...I do love them. You just want to cherish them, you know?"
Yoo Seol-ah gets brutally honest when it's not something that embarrasses her. Is this what they call maternal instinct? Earlier, her usual cynical tone had vanished, replaced by this soft, sweet way of cooing and playing with the baby. The memory was still fresh.
"And since the kid said you two looked good together, you must've hit it off."
"Yeah. Kids are super intuitive, especially at that age."
Lee Seo-yeon and Doyun hyung chimed in one after another, and Yoo Seol-ah made this hilariously weird face—like she was thrilled but trying not to show it.
"W-what... If the kid saw it that way, then maybe... Kids are honest, right?"
She was cute like this too, but that expression—holding back a smile—stirred this weird urge to tease her mercilessly. Since there'd been some other talk before the "you look good together" bit, I slyly jumped in.
"But you said the kid kept staring at me. What was that about?"
"Th-that was just the kid seeing things wrong..."
She'd literally just said kids see things honestly, not three seconds ago. Maybe realizing more excuses would just prolong her self-contradiction, Yoo Seol-ah pouted and shot me a glare. Then she muttered at ventriloquist speed, barely moving her lips.
"...Just be happy she said we looked good together and drop the other stuff..."
"What'd you say?"
"......"
Of course I heard every word. And Yoo Seol-ah, who knows me inside out, was well aware I'd catch it no matter how quiet she got. So instead, she jabbed my side and stood up without another word.
We resumed shopping.
"I think these blinds would be best."
"Sounds good."
"I'll cover the payment for now?"
Yoo Seol-ah would probably want to foot the whole bill herself, but everyone else was too nice—and she knew it. Worried she might feel bad, I suggested settling up later, but Lee Seo-yeon had another idea.
"We'll probably need to spend on all sorts of stuff for the club anyway. Just put it on my card."
"You sure?"
"I'm not saying I'll buy everything. Don't worry."
We bicker a lot, but moments like this show how much we care. Lee Seo-yeon was saying this to keep us from feeling burdened.
"I'll invest here."
"Huh?"
"Our club... what was the name again..."
"No clue. Something with an H..."
"Anyway, I said I needed to spend money, right? I'll play investor too."
Doyun hyung looked kinda sad as Yoo Seol-ah and Lee Seo-yeon bantered about forgetting the club name. Honestly, I couldn't remember it either. Maybe we should just rename it Hero Party?
Anyway, Lee Seo-yeon was offering to cover all the club's expenses.
"And as an investor, if we make a game and it profits, I'll take my share first."
No one knew how our game would turn out, but she was probably framing it as "investment" just to ease our minds. Even if it flopped hard and she got zero back, she'd be fine.
Doyun hyung and Yoo Seol-ah couldn't resist commenting, though we all knew.
"...Guess I gotta work harder."
"Can we actually make money off our game?"
"If not, I'll get it from the club president. Don't sweat it."
"......"
Suddenly put on the spot, Doyun hyung just chuckled. Accepting his president's duties, maybe?
"It'd suck if money worries kept us from enjoying it fully."
"Totally. Gonna invest big-time, investor lady?"
"Hmm... Thinking up to about 100 million won for now."
"...How much?"
Yoo Seol-ah asked half-jokingly with a grin, but Lee Seo-yeon's answer was straight-up 100 million won. An amount that left us stunned.
"Yeah? 100 million won."
"...F-for real?"
Yoo Seol-ah was stammering, my jaw slightly slack—and Lee Seo-yeon smirked at us before dropping the follow-up.
"I'll stick by you, oppa, until I get that investment back."
Hearing that, Yoo Seol-ah and I exchanged identical looks at the exact same moment.
...Was all that buildup just for this?
Lee Seo-yeon had this sly, roundabout fox style. I could already picture a future where, if she never got her money back, she'd tell Doyun hyung to take responsibility for life. No direct romance words, but considering how glacially slow those two were progressing, this was clearly her boldest move yet.
But Doyun hyung just nodded calmly, no change in expression.
"100 million won is huge for a tiny team like ours."
His tone was even, dead serious. Now even Lee Seo-yeon looked flustered like us.
"...Oppa, you're really okay with this?"
"Yeah. If you're cool with it, I'm serious—I'll take the investment."
...Hyung jokes around, but he's not the type to fake it this convincingly. Does he really think he can pay back 100 million?
"...I'll follow you forever until I get it back. For real."
Now "forever" was in the mix. To me, vowing to stick around forever was basically a proposal hint. Knowing their dynamic, I could feel Lee Seo-yeon's courage all over again.
"Deal. Trust with investors is key. But no need to worry about the forever part."
"......"
...She landed a critical hit, and hyung's defenses are still ironclad? Her words were way more about wanting to be together forever than the money.
Did he think we could easily make 100 million off this game? I knew game dev was tough—and success even tougher.
"Heard you won that indie game presidential award, oppa. That confident?"
"Confidence in success would make me a scammer. But I won't stiff you on the money."
"...Hyung, are you secretly some chaebol heir too?"
"No way."
Even Lee Seo-yeon, a real conglomerate heiress, knew the weight of 100 million won. No way Doyun hyung didn't. But then he continued, and it all clicked.
"You know Survive or Stop?"
He'd won awards, so there had to be a killer game behind it. I'd heard about the presidential award before—impressive stuff. Especially since, timeline-wise, he'd made it in high school. SOS, the roguelike everyone called it. Even I, who didn't play indies, knew the name—it was a massive hit, made by a Korean dev.
"I won indie awards with that. Got lucky and it blew up."
On the Archive marketplace, it still ranked high long after launch. No way he'd fail to pay her back and get hounded forever. Though I figure those two are destined to stick together anyway.
Yoo Seol-ah, who'd never heard of it, quickly searched and gaped.
"So don't worry, investor lady—and you guys, no pressure. Fun club activities are what matter most. Money just lets us do more."
Hyung seemed genuinely set on taking the investment to give us great experiences as president. While Yoo Seol-ah and I were just shocked, Lee Seo-yeon’s eyes sparkled despite her gambit fizzling.
...She's even more smitten now. Can't blame her—that guy's kind and talented.
"No need to front 100 million right away, obviously. We'll build it step by step and call meetings when we really need funds."
"...Okay."
"Then let's start by fixing up the club room interior."
"...It's seriously transformed."
"Right? Classic Yoo Seol-ah."
We'd finished shopping for blinds, rugs for the floor, and all sorts of interior stuff, then returned to the club room and set everything up. No heavy lifting needed, of course—Yoo Seol-ah shooed the three of us out, and when she let us back in, it was perfectly arranged per her blueprint from earlier.
She could rake in cash just doing interiors. If wedding funds run low, maybe team up with her for renovations? Wallpaper jobs or whatever.
"Club time's over for today, then. Save any talks for next time."
"Yeah. MT next week, so let's sync schedules."
Doyun hyung offered a ride home, but Yoo Seol-ah and I said the bus was fine and passed. He drove off with just Lee Seo-yeon aboard.
Wonder when she'll break through that fortress. They say even the toughest tree falls after ten strikes.
"...They're so fresh and cute together."
"Totally. Fun to watch."
On the bus ride home, Yoo Seol-ah stared out the window and tossed out the casual comment. It was past nine already, pitch dark. I was pondering if we'd head to her place tonight when she spoke again—still not looking my way, but her ears faintly red.
"...Can I see your studio apartment today?"
"......"
No reason not to. It's not a mess or anything. Before I could nod, she rushed to add:
"D-don't get the wrong idea...! Just curious since I've never been."
"Got it. Come over."
That just makes it sound more suspicious.
After getting off at the stop, she silently held out a hand. Obvious invitation to hold it. Watching those two must've fired up her romance cells big time.
I didn't mind the skinship—happy to indulge. Our fingers interlaced perfectly, and we strolled from the stop to my studio apartment, chatting away.