Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Red Panda Challenge (2)
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‘Hmm.’
The proxy signature delivery from last time had implicitly revealed my friendship with Cha Se-ra, but we’d never once mentioned the fact that we were living in the same house right now.
In other words, the crumpled-faced Cha Se-ra over there had leaked that fact to Yi-rin Shin.
“Ahh.”
“Mia-neung....”
Daring to mess with Chanju wasn’t enough; she even had to stir up unnecessary trouble?
If my heart had its way, I’d have flicked her forehead a hundred times, but since she usually took care of my every material and emotional need, I decided to let it slide.
Still, honestly, I had no idea how to handle this.
“......”
Sure, I’d wanted to meet Yi-rin Shin at least once, but as I’d said before, I wasn’t looking to build any direct friendship or deep connection with her.
I listen to music but skip the concerts. I cheer for athletes but never hit the stadiums or fan signings. That’s just my style.
So I couldn’t quite figure out how to deal with Yi-rin Shin swooping in and closing the gap like this.
“Yi-rin was dying to meet you... but is it too sudden after all?”
No, it wasn’t impossible, but still...
As I paced the room in a panic, Cha Se-ra tried to bow out with some excuse on my behalf. But picturing Chanju’s crestfallen face, I had no choice but to accept the invitation.
“Clean up fast. Put all this junk away.”
“Yi-rin’s human too. Do we really need to go that overboard with the tidying...?”
Hey now.
I scolded Cha Se-ra for not showing proper respect to Chanju as a fellow channel user and threw myself into prepping for our guest.
The next day, right on schedule, a signal pinged from the apartment’s entrance security.
Heart pounding, I hit the door release. Soon, footsteps echoed down the hall, followed by a crisp knock that filled the corridor.
Knock knock.
Knock.
“Why are you so nervous? You never act like this around me.”
“......”
Of course a random channel chatterbox I bantered with daily didn’t carry the same weight as the Chanju I’d only ever seen in videos.
The tension surging through me hit harder than my first gold farmer deal for a pricey item back in the day. Hesitantly, I shuffled to the door and tapped the lock buttons with trembling fingertips.
Beep!
Creak!
And there she was—the genuine, in-the-flesh Yi-rin Shin, worlds apart from the screen versions on TV or my phone.
How many years had it been since I’d seen her live? Definitely ages ago.
“...Hello.”
“......”
She greeted me primly, eyes brimming with curiosity. I mumbled shyly and led her to the living room.
She’d changed completely from the old days.
She felt fully grown now—no trace of that childish vibe lingered.
“Hey, Yi-rin.”
“...Hey, Se-ra. Thanks for having me.”
Her signature spaced-out aura, paired with vibrant, inquisitive eyes.
Cha Se-ra drove most of the conversation, but Yi-rin kept shooting me these fascinated glances.
“Here, first...”
Yi-rin Shin slid over the paper bag she’d brought and started unpacking the gifts inside.
First up: a handwritten signature, just like last time. Second: a top-tier mana-tech camera. And finally: a red panda plush that screamed artisan craftsmanship.
“Whoa, that camera’s insanely expensive...”
Cha Se-ra gawked at it, but the real showstopper was the plush beside it.
“Here...”
Yi-rin held it out with an expectant look. I took it gingerly and hugged it tight to my chest.
“......”
For the record, I’m not into plushies or anything. I just figured that’s what she wanted to see.
But seriously, what is this thing?
No way it’s store-bought quality...
‘Hmm.’
This perfect softness and fluff, the silky fur, the soothing calm it brought.
It even hummed with magical infusion, screaming “not your average plush.”
“...Enchanted with mental stability, auto-cleaning, air purification, that sort of thing. Hug it at night, and you’ll sleep great.”
She recited the effects deadpan, but they were no joke.
Hell, this was high-end artifact territory.
Realizing the fortune sunk into it—enough to buy the whole damn house—I eyed the plush’s body with awkward vibes.
“......”
We wrapped up the awkward intros, and time slipped by.
So what now? I’m parked on the bed next to Yi-rin Shin, chilling with TV and fruit snacks.
Precisely: me in red panda pajamas, clutching the plush, snuggled right into Yi-rin’s arms.
Flinch.
Flinch, flinch.
‘Hmm.’
How the hell did we end up here?
Replaying the sequence in my head, it just... happened.
Yi-rin looked thrilled, hugging me tight without a hint of release. And so I’d been cradled there for a solid half hour, pushing an hour.
“So, how’s our Ji-an? Cute, right?”
“Yeah. Cute enough to dump my life savings on.”
“That much...?”
“Yep.”
I tuned out the heretic who’d somehow gone casual with Yi-rin in minutes, munching fruit and staring blankly at the ceiling.
Where am I? Who am I?
It was getting really embarrassing. I wanted out, but her beaming face made protesting feel wrong.
Click!
Click, click!
I shot Cha Se-ra a subtle SOS glance, but she blew it off, snapping away at the scene.
Another twenty minutes ticked by before I finally broke free. We killed time with board games and chit-chat.
“...Got a call. Gotta head out.”
“Drive safe. Swing by anytime you’re bored.”
After a full day of nonstop doting, evening hit, and it was goodbye time with Yi-rin.
The day blurred by—I barely remembered anything beyond hugs, coos, and head pats.
Dazed, I saw her to the door. She paused, turned to me, and dropped a cryptic line.
“...Sunlight feels nice and warm.”
What’s that supposed to mean?
While I cocked my head, she’d already vanished.
“......”
I’d sunny-ed up the weather on a whim in case of visitors. Did she pick up on it?
Maybe Association President Im Seong-su tipped the S-ranks, but no word yet.
No use overthinking. I’d ask next time. With that, I wrapped the send-off and headed back in.
Creak.
Click.
“You’re weirdly soft on Yi-rin only, huh? You’d shut down anyone else’s ask like that.”
“...You’re the disrespectful one.”
How could I say no to Chanju’s puppy eyes?
Plus, she’d hooked me up big time back at the orphanage. Lingering debt, whether I liked it or not.
Cha Se-ra had nailed the read.
‘Hmm.’
She’d turned out amazing.
Who back at the orphanage could’ve pictured that kid growing into Korea’s shining S-rank hunter?
Lost in nostalgia, Cha Se-ra sidled up and flashed the pics she’d snapped.
“Check these out. Perfect shots. Post to Clam?”
“......”
Yi-rin had asked about uploading our selfie to her account, so yeah, probably fine.
I tossed up the shot of Yi-rin doing two-tier red panda stacking, then raided Nuri’s den for some playtime, tumbling across the living room floor with him.
“Meow.”
“Grr-meow.”
“Grrr.”
Sleep tugging at me, I hauled up to prep for bed when Cha Se-ra sauntered over, smirking.
“Channel yet?”
“Nah.”
“Check it. They’re all about you right now.”
“What the...?”
Firing up Archive, I scanned the fresh front-page posts and got it instantly.
“Seen enough?”
“......”
“Move it. Go troll already.”
It was a full-blown debate on making me the channel’s official sub-Chanju—and it was just about to explode right in front of me.