First Meeting (1)
“Where do you live?”
“Yeah.”
“·····”
It wasn’t a difficult question by any means.
But the fact that the person asking was Yu Dahye made Park Jimin’s answer come a little late.
“I live in Daesang-dong, Seoul·····”
“Daesang-dong?!”
“Yes.”
Daesang-dong, on the eastern side of Seoul.
It was the place where Jimin had been born, where his parents had settled, and where he had lived ever since. Population density was decent enough, but to most young people in Seoul it was the kind of neighborhood that made them wonder if it even existed — a place with almost no presence at all.
“Ah, so you live there.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Hmm····· Still Seoul either way, so that’s fine. But once you start streaming, what are you planning to do?”
“Sorry?”
“It’s going to cost a pretty good amount of money.”
“There’s····· a rental company for that.”
“From what you said yesterday, it didn’t sound like you were exactly flush with cash.”
“I think I can scrape together enough for about a month.”
“So you don’t actually have a plan?”
“·····”
Jimin had nothing to say.
It wasn’t as if he had simply sat around doing nothing. He just hadn’t found an answer. He didn’t want to take money from his mother. He had scoured every part-time job app he could find, but none of them looked likely to hire him.
“Aigoo, Jimin-ah. If you start like that, how are you even going to stream when you’re so worried about money? Nuna went two whole months without even making enough for chicken.”
“Ah·····”
If it had been that rough for Dahye, there was no point in him even trying to calculate further.
“I told you to think about it for a day, and this is what you come back with.”
“I’m sorry.”
Just a reckless kid running around without thinking. That was how Jimin saw himself right now.
“But you’re still going to do it no matter what, right?”
“Yes.”
“Figured as much.”
It was embarrassing, but even so Jimin couldn’t back down. He was clearly in a situation where he had to try something — anything.
“I looked into a few things myself, actually, before I said anything.”
Dahye suddenly stopped talking.
“Check your phone.”
“Sorry? Huh?”
₩710,000 from Yu Dahye
Jimin clapped a hand over his mouth in shock.
It was the same amount he had received last time.
“Nuna, this is—”
“I talked to the company, figured out exactly how much I made off of you, and calculated it all out, okay? So no complaining. Got it?”
“Sorry?”
“You were about to say you can’t take it, or something like that, right?”
“·····Yes.”
She had read him before he even got the words out.
“How did you know?”
“If you’d wanted more, you would’ve just kept playing games with me from the start. But you didn’t. Nuna can take a hint, you know.”
Jimin realized all over again just how easy he was to read.
“And I already asked them to look into all the streaming gear and everything. Our company has an exclusive contract with a supplier, so just go through them.”
Jimin couldn’t find his voice.
What on earth was even happening right now?
The first thing that came to mind was one simple line.
“It’s going to cost a ton of money·····”
“Yeah, over three million won.”
“Three hundred·····”
He already knew that. That was why he had looked into rentals in the first place.
“What I just sent is separate. I’ll lend you the rest. Pay me back when you can do it without killing yourself over it.”
“Nuna.”
“You’re the one who was stubborn about this, so if you start arguing now you’re getting scolded, okay?”
“·····”
Jimin had nothing left to say.
All kinds of feelings crashed into him at once.
Pressure, gratitude, guilt, embarrassment.
He couldn’t even tell which one was the strongest.
“And if your place is in Daesang-dong, are you close to Daesang Station?”
“Pretty close.”
“Good. Clear your weekend. Leave me your number.”
“Sorry?”
“I’m putting money into this. I should at least see what kind of guy you are.”
“That’s·····”
“Don’t want to meet? Then I guess that’s that.”
“No, then I’ll go wherever Nuna tells me to.”
“That’s the plan? Let’s meet in front of Daesang Station.”
“Daesang Station? Why there?”
“You just said you’d go wherever I told you. Are you teasing me?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then it’s settled. Leave your number and wait until I contact you.”
“Understood.”
“Good answer. I like that.”
No matter how he looked at it, he was getting completely swept around by her. But there was nothing he could do about it. He felt like he had far too little of his own to make any real decisions with.
“Um, Nuna.”
“Hm?”
If he let her go she would just walk out again. As the conversation wound down, Jimin stopped her.
“Thank you. Really.”
“·····If you’re grateful, then just listen well, okay?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Mm.”
At the end Dahye giggled a little and left.
“Haa.”
It was a day that made it pretty hard for Jimin to sleep.
It has to go well. No matter what.
If he really did start streaming like this, Jimin had already decided he would pour every last bit of strength he had into it.
Even now·····
Jimin had arrived early at Daesang Station, not far from home, and the nerves were driving him insane.
His own stubborn insistence on wanting to try streaming had dragged him all the way out here.
He didn’t really know how to dress up, but he had at least put himself together as neatly as he could before coming out.
“Haa, what do I do.”
He kept glancing around near the station.
Actually meeting that Dahye in person·····
Talking over Discord or chat had been barely manageable, but the moment he saw her face for real he might just freeze solid.
I feel like there’s a skill like that in SOL·····
Jimin had the absurd thought and then shook his head left and right.
If he said something like that to Nuna he would want to die on the spot.
“Huh?”
His phone rang.
The second he saw the saved name, breathing properly became impossible.
“Where are you?”
“Uh, yes.”
“Where I am is·····”
He had already said he would be in front of the station, but·····
“Ah, it’s fine. Found you.”
“Sorry?”
The call cut off immediately.
“Been waiting?”
“·····”
That exact voice he had heard over Discord.
Jimin turned to the side.
A white mask covered her face, but the eyes were familiar.
It was definitely Yu Dahye.
“Hello.”
He was so nervous he thought he might die, but manners still had to be observed.
“Hey. Hi. It’s hot — is there somewhere we can go in?”
“Around here·····”
“Let’s go there.”
“·····”
She asked first and then decided herself. Seemed like a habit.
I’m going to lose my mind.
He kept sneaking glances sideways.
How could anyone’s skin be that white?
On stream she always dressed casually, but today she was in a short skirt and white blouse with her hair neatly tied up, and she was genuinely beautiful.
“What do you want to drink?”
A spacious café.
Dahye asked first.
“Nuna came all the way out here, so I should—”
She had come all the way to his neighborhood. How could he let the other person pay? Jimin immediately pulled out his wallet.
“You trying to get smart? I asked what you want to drink.”
“·····Iced tea, please.”
“Oki.”
Her clothes were different from stream, but her personality was exactly the same Dahye.
“You’re taller than I expected?”
“Haha·····”
Dahye compared her height to his as she spoke.
Is she really not bothered at all?
Jimin found it truly amazing. He had heard her voice before, but this was their first time meeting in person, and she was treating him like someone she had known forever.
Maybe you needed that kind of presence to be able to stream in the first place·····
“The express was packed coming over. Did something happen around here?”
“I saw on the news earlier there was some kind of rally·····”
“I barely ever go outside and of course it happens today.”
“Customer number 151!”
“I’ll get it.”
“Thanks.”
They were still talking when the drinks came out surprisingly fast.
Jimin shot up from his seat like lightning.
“Thank you.”
“Enjoy.”
“Mm.”
Jimin politely handed Dahye her straw.
“Ugh, bitter.”
“·····”
Dahye took off her mask, tasted the Americano, and scrunched up her face.
Whoa.
Even with the mask gone and a frown on her face, her beauty couldn’t be hidden.
Jimin felt his heart racing and his thoughts grinding to a complete stop.
“What are you staring at like that?”
“Huh? Yes?”
The problem was that he had been staring way too obviously.
“Disappointed seeing me in real life?”
“No! Not at all.”
“Then that’s good.”
Sluuurp.
While drinking his iced tea he looked at her face again.
She was even prettier the second time.
“But why did Nuna come all the way out here?”
“Hm?”
Fighting through the difficulty, Jimin asked to settle his curiosity.
No matter how he thought about it, there was no real reason for Dahye to bother coming this far.
“Hmmm·····”
Out of nowhere Dahye made a thoughtful face.
“First of all I ordered some clothes online and never got a chance to try them on.”
“Sorry?”
“Do they look good?”
Dahye fiddled with the blouse with her fingers as she asked.
“They look amazing on you!”
“Oh, thanks. And next·····”
Her answer came late.
“This part’s a secret so I’ll tell you later. And next.”
“·····”
She seemed like a woman with a lot of stories.
“I said I’d help you, right? If I’m going to help, I should do it properly.”
“Ah·····”
“From now on just ask me about everything.”
“I will.”
“When’s your mom coming home?”
“Sorry?”
“I asked when she’s coming home.”
“It might take her a while, so that·····”
Jimin had never imagined Dahye would suddenly bring up his mother.
“There was something that stuck with me from what you said last time. You still haven’t told your mother, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“When were you planning to tell her?”
“I was going to tell her later.”
“No plan. Zero plan. If you put in a request, people come within a few days and the gear’s all set up. Your mom’s going to be pretty shocked.”
“Ah·····”
“Nuna’s covering the support, so isn’t that the most urgent thing?”
“You’re right.”
“If you suddenly say you’re going to stream, wouldn’t someone think you got scammed? If it were me I’d definitely think that.”
Jimin nodded at Dahye’s words.
—Who put you up to this?—
Come to think of it, Jonghyun had said something similar·····
“I don’t want to be the woman who lured a naive high schooler, okay? As long as it’s not a hassle, I’ll meet her properly and explain everything.”
“Nuna absolutely didn’t lure me·····”
“You’re still eighteen. Even if you brought it up first, that’s how it ends up looking.”
“Understood.”
It already felt like they had come so far, and that feeling only kept getting refreshed as time passed, but he couldn’t stop.
“I checked your match history and you hit Master?”
“Yes.”
“I got demoted yesterday.”
“·····”
“I’m not asking you to climb me back up, so don’t get the wrong idea!”
“Yes.”
“Ah, yesterday my support, you know—”
A moment ago she had been speaking with serious eyes; now her tone was pure and carefree.
Jimin slowly listened to her chatter.
“So which way is your house?”
“Can you see over there?”
Jimin pointed a finger toward the window.
“Huh?”
Dahye’s eyes went wide.
“·····”
And then she stared carefully.
Why is she reacting like that?
Her response left Jimin flustered too.
“If you’re done drinking, should we get up?”
“Right now?”
“Yeah.”
It felt like a whole hour had already passed since they finished their drinks and the paper straws had turned into soggy rags, and only now?
“But where to?”
“There.”
Dahye pointed to the exact same spot Jimin had indicated earlier.
The words asking why she was suddenly doing this never came out. He simply followed.
“·····”
Walking beside her, he looked at Dahye again.
She was someone he simply could not get used to.
From earlier on, whether man or woman, every single passerby had glanced at Dahye at least once.
“Ah!”
“Hmm?”
Jimin had habitually looked to the side and met her eyes, so he whipped his head away.
Heehee, laughter came from beside him.
“Hmmm·····”
Dahye wore a faint smile as she looked around here and there. He had no idea what she found so interesting.
“That place is still there?”
“Sorry?”
Dahye pointed somewhere with her finger.
It was a stationery store with such a rundown sign that you had to wonder if any students these days even used it.
But “still there”?
“Have you been to our neighborhood before?”
“·····Yeah.”
Dahye nodded.
That’s surprising.
He knew she currently lived in a nice neighborhood in Gangnam, and yet she had been all the way out here before.
This was considered one of the top neighborhoods in Seoul for having absolutely nothing worth seeing.
Somehow they just kept walking and walking.
Far enough that even roads Jimin had never gone deeper into came into view.
We ended up at my house.
He had simply walked beside the silent Dahye and somehow arrived home.
“This is my house.”
“Yeah?”
Dahye looked up at Jimin’s house.
“Interesting.”
“Sorry?”
“Nothing.”
Dahye smiled faintly again and shook her head left and right.
Oh, right.
Jimin remembered something he had forgotten.
He should contact his mother first so Dahye wouldn’t feel awkward either.
“I’ll call my mom real quick.”
“I don’t mind waiting a bit.”
“Still.”
Beeeep.
The call connected.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Jimin-ah, what’s up?”
“What time are you coming home today?”
“Mom’s already almost there?”
“Huh?”
His mom was already here?
“You’re here?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I’m getting a little nervous. What do I do.”
“·····”
Truthfully, Dahye was originally a woman who didn’t have much of a plan either.
“Jimin-ah?”
It took about two minutes for his mother to appear.
“Mom.”
The nuna beside him had suggested they just go for it, and there simply hadn’t been enough time to put together a plan for handling this together.
“·····Who’s this?”
Her son was standing with a strange woman.
Kim Eunhye, Jimin’s mother, was completely flustered.
“Ah, hello. I’m Yu Dahye.”
“Yes·····”
It was the first time Jimin had ever seen Dahye stumble over her words.
But fluster and manners were separate things.
His mother and Dahye nuna first observed the basic rules of civilized society.
“Mom, so what happened is—”
This completely unprepared meeting between the most important woman in his life and the woman who had become important — Jimin decided he would face it head-on first.
Grrrrooowl.
“Huh?”
“·····”
“·····”
It wasn’t a human mouth that broke the silence, but a bodily function.
The culprit was Dahye, and mother and son immediately identified her.
“Come inside for now.”
She didn’t know what was going on, but as a mother she couldn’t just leave a girl who looked around her son’s age standing out there.