The Guardian's Reveal
"Hello, this is Dancing Raccoon. What's this about a dinner all of a sudden?" I asked Oh Serin over the phone after her abrupt mention of a get-together. She replied with a bright, cheerful laugh.
"Our YouTube channel just started up, and we've already got a ton of subscribers. I wanted to celebrate that."
"Just the two of us?"
"Nope, three. I asked Bom Senior, but she turned it down. Jina unnie and I are going together."
Oh Serin and Jina had grown quite close, now chatting like proper sisters. Ever since that audition content turned into a collab stream, they'd been talking privately and hit it off fast. For the record, after the audition, a new rule was added that contestants couldn't do anything with the judges afterward, and Oh Serin ended up disqualified on fairness grounds. Still, the whole point had been to get her name out there, not actually win the audition, so the goal was achieved.
"It's thanks to you that our YouTube and my stream blew up like this, Raccoon. I really want you to come. If it's too much, we can just do a call, but..." Her voice carried a genuine longing to thank me in person.
Of course, I was a bit shy around new people and felt some resistance to meeting strangers, but...
"Alright. Just let me know the date and place."
"Really? You'll come?!"
"Yeah, it's a celebration for you, Serin. Of course I'll be there."
I wasn't so socially inept that I'd skip something like this. Even though I'd only lived as an adult for a little over two years, I'd been to plenty of dinners before. Besides, you can't judge someone by voice alone. If I could see their real charm, maybe I could showcase that even better on YouTube.
Oh Serin sounded thrilled at my positive response. I added one more thing.
"Oh, and I might bring my guardian along."
"Huh? Guardian?"
"Yeah, I'm a minor."
"...Huh?"
Oh Serin sounded flustered.
"W-wait, does that mean you've been doing unpaid child labor all this time...?!"
"I haven't gotten paid yet, so..."
"Unpaid minor labor exploitation?!!!"
"This is bad. Boss, you're the worst. Boss, you're mean."
"P-please have mercy...!"
As expected of a streamer, her reactions were top-notch. Oh Serin and I chuckled through a short skit before diving into the details of the dinner. Once the date and place were set, I realized it was a bit far, so I'd probably need to ride with Uncle.
'I didn't think we'd meet this soon.'
My heart fluttered. Not really from anticipation. Just...
'I wonder what kind of reaction she'll have when she sees me.'
A mischievous little thrill mixed in with the excitement.
***
After hearing that Bom Senior wouldn't be joining the dinner, I contacted her right away. I was worried I'd forced her into work despite a packed schedule, but thankfully that wasn't the case.
"Look, I said I draw, but I'm actually an actress, you know? I've even been in a drama that hit 30% viewership. There are way too many people who recognize me on the street and ask for photos. How am I supposed to go somewhere like that?"
I thought she could just disguise herself and book a private room, but it seemed she didn't want Oh Serin or Jina to know about her either. I nodded, understanding.
"Then let's just grab a meal together sometime, just the two of us. That should be fine, right?"
"Well... if it's something like that."
"Want me to get Oh Serin's autograph for you?"
"......Yeah."
Bom Senior's voice was small. She'd already been caught liking Oh Serin by me, but she still seemed embarrassed to show her fan side. Was that why she turned down the dinner?
"By the way, what happened with that thing we talked about last time?"
"Last time?"
"...If you're pretending not to know, I won't forgive you. The thing about getting you on this PD's show."
"Ah, right."
"Right?"
"Of course I got permission. It's still in the planning stage, so filming won't happen for a few months."
"Hmm... Alright, got it. I'll mention it to Uncle later. I'd forgotten about that."
"And one more thing."
"What is it?"
"You still have that wish ticket, right? I'm going to use it. I need a little help from you."
"As long as it's within what I can do, right?"
"It's your specialty, so don't worry. For some reason, Bom Senior let out a sly laugh. It made me a little uneasy, but... well, if I just say no, that'll be the end of it.
"Then let's talk about it when we eat later."
"What exactly are you planning to make me do?"
"If I tell you now, you'll come up with all sorts of excuses not to do it. If I pin you down on the day we meet, you won't be able to run away."
"Tch, busted."
Still, since she called it my specialty, it was probably something editing-related. If that was the case, I was more than happy to help.
"Then we'll talk face-to-face when we meet."
"D-don't forget to bring the autograph...?"
"Got it."
If she tried to make me do something weird, I'd just threaten her with the autograph. Insurance was always good to have.
Chatting with Bom Senior made the time fly by. Just like last time, she mostly vented while I responded with the occasional "Yeah, that makes sense," but that was fine.
While listening to Bom Senior's life lecture, something suddenly occurred to me, so I raised my hand and asked.
"Come to think of it, Bom Senior, I have a question."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"What kind of gift would a woman in her twenties like?"
"A gift all of a sudden... Ah, are you planning to give something to Oh Serin at the dinner?"
"Something like that."
Since it was a celebration for Oh Serin's successful streaming growth and YouTube launch, bringing a gift seemed like a good idea. As someone who'd once been a man and had only experienced her twenties for three years, Bom Senior's advice would probably be more helpful than mine.
"For a woman in her twenties... cosmetics or perfume would be nice, but do you know what Oh Serin uses?"
"How would I know that?"
"Figured as much. Then let's skip that. Since it's a celebration, how about flowers?"
"That'd just be a hassle to deal with. And what's so great about getting flowers anyway?"
"Flowers always make you feel good, no matter when you get them. You really have no sense for these things."
"Is that so?"
I'd received flowers at graduation, but they hadn't meant much to me. Maybe girls were different.
"Anyway, something other than that. Something practical that won't burden the recipient. Any ideas?"
"You want a lot, huh... Then..."
I could hear the sound of keys tapping on a keyboard. She must've been searching for something. A moment later, Bom Senior sent me a link.
"How about this? It's not too expensive, not exactly practical, but usable. Plus, I think Oh Serin would put it to good use."
Clicking the link took me to a shopping page. It was listed under the category "Great Gifts for Friends in Their Twenties."
"This looks good."
If used well, it could even work for streaming. I immediately added it to my cart and checked out.
***
Oh Serin woke up early in the morning. Today was the day of the dinner. Excited at the thought of finally meeting her benefactor, she got up earlier than usual and put extra care into her outfit and makeup. She'd already decided on her clothes the night before after ending her stream early and holding a solo fashion show. A brown-toned skirt and jacket, a white blouse, and an ivory knit cardigan. It was still cold, but she could endure it if it meant making a good first impression.
'What kind of person will they be? She said she's a minor... Probably a high schooler? Surely not a middle schooler? No, that can't be right.'
No matter how young her voice sounded, she couldn't be a middle schooler. Some adults had youthful voices too. She was definitely around high school age. But bringing a guardian along? Maybe she came from a strict family. Oh Serin brushed it off as nothing major.
The meeting spot wasn't too far. It would take about thirty minutes by subway, but since her old university had been a two-and-a-half-hour round trip, this distance didn't feel far at all.
With earphones in, listening to music on the subway, she felt the train lurch to a stop. Checking the station name, she hurried off and took a deep breath. Since they'd agreed to meet near the station, she could finally see Raccoon in person now.
Just then, her phone rang.
"Ah, Raccoon? I just got here."
"Perfect timing. I'm near the station too."
The thought of finally meeting made her lips curl upward. Heart racing, she practically bounded down the escalator leading outside the station, breathing heavily.
"Huff, huff. I'm down now, where are you? Ah, I'm wearing a brown skirt and jacket."
"Ah, I think I see you. Just wait a moment. I'll come over."
"Okay, got it!"
She was finally going to meet them. How should she greet them? "Nice to meet you"? "Thanks for the video"? Her heart wouldn't stop pounding.
That's when it happened.
"Excuse me, are you Oh Serin?"
A low, deep voice called out to her. That wasn't Raccoon's voice. Then... was it a viewer who recognized her just from her voice? Startled, she whipped around.
Standing there was a massive man who looked well over 185cm tall.
"A-ah, no, I mean, uh..."
She was completely flustered by the unexpected situation. Showing this kind of reaction was basically admitting she was Oh Serin, but she didn't have the presence of mind to think about that. She needed to deny it quickly, but her mouth wouldn't move.
Seeing her like that, the man smiled and introduced himself.
"Hello. I'm Dancing Raccoon's guardian."
"Aah, uh, huh? Raccoon's guardian?"
"Yes, my name is Lee Seongbeom."
"Phew... Yes... Yes? Lee Seongbeom...? Huh!"
After finally calming her racing heart and looking straight at the man's face, she couldn't help but gasp. The variety show PD who'd been in charge of her childhood Sundays was standing right there. On top of that, just yesterday she'd fallen asleep watching highlights of Lee Seongbeom PD's show, Nom.Nom.Nom. Meeting a celebrity so suddenly left her mind in chaos.
Then, something Lee Seongbeom had said earlier suddenly came back to her.
'Wait a second. He definitely said he was Dancing Raccoon's guardian...?'
Just as she finished that thought, something very small peeked out from behind Lee Seongbeom.
"Hello, Serin. I'm Dancing Raccoon, the one who's been editing your YouTube videos. Ah, here. Take this. It's a gift."
A fairly large paper bag was placed in her hands. She stared blankly at the girl before her. Oh Serin wasn't particularly tall herself, but this girl was a full two heads shorter. Bundled up in all sorts of children's winter gear, the little girl smiled bashfully up at her.
"R-Raccoon...?"
"Yes?"
"Uh, uhhhh...?"
Even her voice was exactly the same. A delicate, childlike voice that no adult could possibly have. Of course it wasn't. She wasn't an adult.
"Hehe," the girl grinned like a mischievous child whose prank had succeeded.
"Then please take care of me, Serin."
She held out a tiny hand. Still dazed, Oh Serin took it and gave it a small shake. Amidst her confusion, one thought crossed her mind.
'Her hand is so small.'
Cute.