Chapter 55
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Lunch with Friends and an Unexpected Flirt
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Having lightly skimmed the news and articles, Sihyun rose from her seat.
Because she spotted her little sister rushing back from afar.
Whether an S-Rank hunter had gone missing or not.
It wasn't anyone she knew anyway, so it vanished from her interest in an instant.
Sihyun and Siyun took public transportation to the meeting spot.
Not long after they arrived, a taxi pulled up in front of the restaurant, and Jia stepped out.
"Sorry! Have you been waiting long?"
"No, we just got here too."
Jia and Sihyun exchanged greetings first.
"Unnie, it's been forever!"
"Yeah, it has. How've you been, Siyun?"
Siyun squealed with delight and clung to Jia.
Jia hugged her tight, beaming as she said,
"You dressed up so pretty. Someone might think we're heading out to hunt."
"Psh, this is just basic."
"Sihyun's wearing what you picked out, right?"
"Of course!"
Jia and Siyun's gazes turned to the same person at once.
Sihyun was dressed in a vibrant dress.
A thin strap that softly hugged her waist accentuated her slender yet beautifully curved figure.
Sihyun sheepishly turned her head, scratching her cheek as she mumbled,
"Y-you said to make an effort..."
Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
Amused by her sister's reaction, Siyun grinned and chimed in.
"I prepared the outfit ahead of time. But at first, she didn't want to wear it?"
"Really? How'd you convince her?"
As Jia reacted, Siyun giggled and explained.
"But no way was I letting that slide! Tribute accepted as payment!"
"Ah, got it."
Jia immediately caught on to what Siyun meant.
It was probably the Momo Bin merch ploy again.
'She'll get caught any second like this.'
Jia eyed Siyun carefully.
...Well, if she did get found out, the fallout might be hilarious.
Siyun would clam up in embarrassment, lips pressed flat.
And Sihyun might short-circuit, going all blank for a bit.
Imagining the scene, Jia smirked and casually suggested,
"Standing out front forever is kinda awkward. Shall we head in?"
"...Yeah, let's."
"Let's go!"
The three women entered the restaurant.
Since Jia had made a reservation, they settled in comfortably.
Sihyun slowly took in the restaurant's ambiance.
The private room glowed with soft lighting, giving off a luxurious vibe.
She spotted fancy-looking paintings and sleek decorations too.
'This'd be perfect for a date spot.'
The brunch cafe they'd hit up before was nice too.
Jia seemed to know all the best eats in Seoul.
Someday if I need it, I should ask her, Sihyun thought, then turned to Jia.
"You said one dish was pre-ordered, right?"
"Yeah, you have to reserve it a day ahead to even get it."
Jia took the menu from Siyun and flipped through it.
Spotting the one Sihyun had asked about, she pointed it out.
"Beef Wellington. Tried it before?"
"...Nope, first time even hearing the name."
"I've seen it on TV!"
Sihyun shook her head at Jia's question, while Siyun, who'd been listening, shot her hand up excitedly.
"That one the chefs on the reality show threw 'cause it was cold! That's it, right?"
"Yep, that's the one."
"I always wondered what it'd taste like on TV, but actually eating it? Wow, can't wait!"
"Hehe, you'll love it for sure."
Jia covered her mouth, smiling at Siyun's enthusiasm.
Siyun dove back into studying the menu seriously.
Sihyun, peering at it too, made a awkward face and said,
"...Um, I don't come to places like this much, so no clue. I'll leave it to you guys."
"In that case, I'll have this!"
"That? Then the other one should be this—safe choice."
The menu was decided smoothly.
After placing the orders.
Sihyun stood up and said,
"Gonna hit the restroom real quick."
She glided gracefully toward it.
Her platinum hair, catching the soft restaurant lights, swayed gently with each step.
Jia watched her retreating figure quietly.
Once Sihyun was fully out of sight.
She turned back to Siyun and said,
"Siyun."
"Yeah?"
"She still hasn't figured out about the stream, right?"
"Y-yeah... not yet."
Her mouth drooped as she answered.
Seeing that, Jia gave a wry smile and said,
"Sometimes Sihyun texts me stuff. Like house prices and such."
"Oh... yeah."
"Like what hunter rank you need to afford a standalone house. Things like that."
"......Y-yeah."
Siyun fidgeted awkwardly with her fingers.
Jia watched her, chuckling softly as she said,
"How long you planning to keep it secret?"
"......Till she finds out?"
"Won't it just make things more awkward later?"
"W-well... she's my top fave, and she watches every stream, so confessing feels... y'know..."
"Fair enough... yeah, that tracks."
Jia nodded in agreement.
She'd gotten merch as a gift, gotten all dolled up despite the embarrassment—she could tell Sihyun's fave obsession ran deep.
"How'd she fall that hard anyway?"
"......Said the voice clicked with her."
"Pfft, the voice?"
"Reminded her of her childhood or something."
Jia burst into quiet laughter at Siyun's pouty explanation.
A voice—simple, but a killer hook.
"Hehe... fine, I'll keep your secret till she catches on."
"Thanks, unnie! But seriously, what do I do? Any good ideas?"
"Dunno? Got nothing."
"Ugh... maybe fake an accident and get unnie on stream."
"Whoa."
It was an extreme idea.
While Jia's eyes widened, Siyun seriously mulled it over.
"......Might actually work? Viewers would probably love it."
"Hehe, could be. Sihyun's voice is gorgeous too."
"Sweet! Noted in my head."
Siyun smirked slyly as she schemed.
There was that saying about cornered rats biting cats.
If push came to shove, she might really do it.
Of course, she knew it wouldn't solve the root issue.
But piling on shocks might smooth it over?
Siyun started pondering it for real.
"What were you two talking about?"
Sihyun returned from the restroom and slid back into the seat beside Jia.
Jia flashed a playful smile at her and asked,
"Sihyun, what do you think of my voice?"
"Huh? Voice out of nowhere?"
"Just curious."
Sihyun blinked in confusion but answered earnestly anyway.
"...Um, I'm no good with words, so I suck at describing stuff like this..."
Her gaze drifted upward as she thought deeply.
She tapped her cheek with a finger, pondering.
Then, clapping her hands together with a smack, she said,
"Ah! Like, for comparison—you know Momo Bin? The vtuber Momo Bin."
"Yeah, we watched her on TV last time, right?"
"Yep yep. Personally, Momo's my top voice lately. Though she does that cutesy tongue thing sometimes."
"......"
"Pfft... r-right, gotcha."
Jia couldn't hold back her laughter, covering her mouth.
Cutesy tongue slips!
Jia glanced sideways at Siyun across from her.
She wore a shit-eating grin she was desperately fighting, muscles twitching.
It made holding back her own laughs brutal.
Sihyun, focused on Jia, hadn't noticed a thing.
Being stuck in the middle trying not to crack up was torture.
In the end, Jia just let it out.
"Hehe..."
"......?"
Was it that funny? Sihyun tilted her head.
Blissfully unaware, she kept explaining casually.
"Compared to that, Jia's voice is, like... soothing? Puts your mind at ease?"
"...Mm-hmm."
"Ugh, saying it to your face is embarrassing! Anyway, second fave after Momo!"
"Hehe, got it. Thanks."
It was surely high praise from Sihyun.
Jia smiled brightly and thanked her.
Just then, a waitress approached their table.
"Here are your orders."
She set the food down with a simple announcement.
Once the meal was prepped.
Siyun, who'd mostly schooled her expression by then, said,
"U-unnie...?"
"Yeah?"
"You know how streams have that 'broadcast tone' thing?"
"Probably? Varies by streamer, I guess."
"Wonder what it'd sound like if you did the tongue thing? Could ya try?"
Sihyun recoiled in horror at the request.
"No way. Absolutely not."
"Aww, c'mon, just once!"
"Even if you bring a full set of Momo Bin merch, nope."
"Tch—"
With her sister dead serious, Siyun backed off reluctantly.
Deep down, she thought, Guess it's that method after all.
Of course, she kept it to herself.
After that, the three chatted amiably about everyday stuff.
Impressions of the first-time Beef Wellington.
The creamy pasta goodness.
Thus passed a peaceful mealtime, and when dessert arrived.
Jia scooped some ice cream, then pulled out her smartphone on habit.
She checked the news without much thought.
"Huh...?"
Her face lit up in surprise as she scanned the article.
Her super serious expression piqued Sihyun's curiosity—what had her reacting like that?
"What's up?"
"Oh, yeah. News says Hunter Yoo Byung-jun's gone missing. Ring a bell?"
"Ah, yeah, saw that earlier. S-Rank, right?"
Sihyun answered, and Jia nodded.
"The dungeon he vanished in? It's the one we were gonna hit."
"That A-Rank one the big guild snagged first?"
"Yep. Kinda bums me out."
"Ah."
Sihyun recalled their brunch cafe chat.
As she dredged up the memory.
'Huh...?'
One key detail hit her.
"That dungeon... wasn't the timer almost up? Even risking overload?"
"Yeah, spot on. Things are getting dicey. Bureau's probably on high alert."
"Mm..."
Curiosity sated, Sihyun nodded faintly.
The Bureau would handle it fine, right?
That was the extent of Sihyun's interest.
Unless it involved her or someone close, she had no plans to meddle.
"Shall we head out? Stroll the nearby park, then hit a wine bar."
"Yeah, sounds good."
The women finished dessert and stood.
They paid up, left the restaurant.
And naturally drifted toward the park.
Strolling arm-in-arm, admiring the scenery.
Siyun grinned brightly and said,
"Photo time! Photos!"
Instant photoshoot mode.
Group shots of three.
Solo pics one by one.
Dozens of shots piling up fast.
"You two head by that tree over there? I'll snap an epic one from afar!"
"Hehe, sure, do the honors?"
"...Mm."
At excited Siyun's urging, Jia and Sihyun moved.
They climbed stairs to the distant tree, posing cozily.
Siyun stifled a laugh at her hesitant sister.
Sis's phone gallery was probably a ghost town.
Time to fill it up proper!
She steeled herself and shot away.
From afar, the two watched Siyun, chatting about something.
Jia pointed one way, beckoned Siyun, then stepped off.
Siyun nodded, heading to join them.
But then.
A guy approached Siyun, standing alone.
"Hey, mind if I get your number? You caught my eye."
A pickup artist.
And a persistent one at that.