chapter 1
chapter 1
Translated by POWERPUFF
You and I
My name is Kim Jihoon.
I’m an ordinary writer currently posting on a web novel site called Novels.
The genre I usually write is pure romance. I fill my stories with the desires of someone who’s never even been in a relationship.
Well… I do write adult stuff too. This is actually my main source of income, but that’s a secret.
How did I end up writing? There’s no particular reason.
I just wanted to show my world to people.
“Alright, done! Let’s upload it right away.”
Click!
“Ah~ that was tiring.”
Ding—
“Hm?”
That sound… it’s a Novels notification. Looks like I got a comment.
“Already? That was fast.”
I quickly opened the comment window.
“Wow, the new cover you changed to is so pretty!”
It’s from the artist I always commission.
Heh,
“It’s the one you drew, though.”
“Hehe.”
The corners of my lips lifted on their own.
Ding—
“Don’t flirt here, author.”
Gulp!
“That’s not it!”
“That’s really not it!”
Ah, it’s hot.
I don’t know why, but my face feels warm.
KakaoTalk!
“This chapter was fun too.”
“Thank you.”
“Um… I saw that post.”
“?”
“That post?”
At that moment, something I had written earlier on a community site came to mind.
“No way…”
…
“They said they’d draw me an LD for free every time, saying thank you… why?”
“All I did was always trust their skills and pay upfront when requesting commissions.”
“And when I requested female characters with lots of accessories, I’d casually add a bit extra.”
“If the quality turned out better than expected, I’d give about 10,000 won more.”
“I also told them a few times that since my commissions don’t have a strict deadline, they should rest on holidays or work on others instead of mine.”
“That’s really all I did.”
“I seriously don’t know;; what is this? Maybe it’s because I’m a regular client?”
“They even gave me Ferrero Rocher on White Day saying thank you… maybe they just want me to commission more in the future?”
“Ferrero Rocher? That’s friendship chocolate lol”
“Is she a girl?”
“Me?”
“No, the illustrator. No way a hardcore web novel guy is a girl.”
“Oh, the one drawing is a woman. Maybe that’s why she’s really good at drawing female characters.”
“????”
“Mods, what are you doing? Ban this lucky bastard!!!”
“What did I do to deserve seeing this first thing in the morning, damn it—”
“Should someone like me, raised so properly, even be seeing this?”
…
“You saw that?”
I hurriedly typed.
“No, th-that—”
“It’s not like I thought anything weird or anything”
“I was just really grateful, that’s all”
My face kept getting hotter.
What must she be thinking of me?
As if she found my reaction amusing, she sent a laughing rabbit emoji.
“What is that? What does that mean?!”
“Hello?”
“Hey?”
I’m screwed. She’s not reading it.
“Please read it!!”
In the end, I stayed up all night, and it wasn’t until the next morning that I received her reply.
“I just sent it because it looked cute.”
…
Reading a post on an internet community, I spat out the water I was drinking.
The post I saw already had over 50 upvotes and had made it to the so-called trending posts.
“W-what is this doing here…”
Seeing my story on the trending page, I could only blink blankly.
What is this? I checked the post again and soon let out a small laugh.
“H-heh… so she was thinking about the chocolate.”
Without realizing it, the corners of my lips were lifting.
My cheeks and ears were already flushed red.
Ding—
A Novels notification.
Looks like he uploaded a chapter. The only work I have notifications turned on for is his, so it must be.
I quickly opened Novels and read the latest chapter.
As expected, this one was fun too. This sweetness that feels like it’ll rot your teeth… as expected, it’s his style.
“Ah, this isn’t the time to be immersed.”
At this rate, I’ll lose the first comment of the day.
I quickly opened the comment section.
“Wow, the new cover you changed to is so pretty!”
A reply came in less than 10 seconds.
“It’s the one you drew, though.”
“Hehe.”
The corners of my lips lifted on their own.
“Don’t flirt here, author.”
Gulp!
“That’s not it!”
“That’s really not it!”
“It’s hot…”
For some reason, sweat started forming on my neck.
After fanning myself with my hand to cool off, I sent him a KakaoTalk message.
“This chapter was fun too.”
“Thank you.”
“Um… I saw that post.”
The reply I got was a single “?” followed by a brief silence.
After a short pause…
“No, th-that—”
“It’s not like I thought anything weird or anything”
“I was just really grateful, that’s all”
Heh,
Seeing the message full of typos, clearly sent in a rush, made me laugh.
I pressed and held his message and added a heart.
Then I sent just a laughing rabbit emoji and turned off notifications.
“He’s really dense in the strangest ways.”
The first time I found out was through a commission request sent to my work SNS account.
Even I, who doesn’t read web novels, had heard of him—a famous writer requesting an illustration.
Maybe it was his first time doing something like this, because instead of contacting me through a pen name account, he used his personal one, so I recognized him immediately.
“Kim Jihoon…?”
A childhood friend I’d known for over 10 years, living in the same neighborhood, going through elementary, middle, and high school together.
We went to different universities and grew apart, not seeing each other for years, but it wasn’t hard to recognize him since I still remembered how he looked as a kid.
“He’s gotten really tall… does he work out? His shoulders are…”
Oh my, what am I even thinking.
I shook my head hard from side to side to clear my thoughts.
Smack! Smack!
“Phew~ okay.”
My cheeks stung, but at least the stray thoughts were gone.
Stretching, I sat down and picked up my pen again.
“Alright, let’s work hard on this commission too.”
And so, a secret relationship that only Jihoon didn’t know about began.
…
“Huh, it’s already this late?!”
This is bad. I’m going to be late.
I quickly turned on my computer and got everything set up.
“Phew~ safe.”
“Then…”
Shall we start?
As I moved the mouse and clicked the start broadcast button, a beep echoed through the room.
[Live ●]
[Stream Title | Almost Late]
[#Chatting #Drawing #Game]
“Hoha! You’re not late today?”
Just as I started the stream and caught my breath, I saw a familiar name in the chat.
First chat again today? And what do you mean ‘today’? I’m always early, you know?”
“Yeah~ yeah~ let’s go with that.”
“It’s not ‘let’s go with that’… ugh, whatever. I’ll let it slide since I’m nice.”
“hoha!”
“hoha hoha!”
People started joining one by one.
“Hoha! Thank you everyone for coming to today’s stream!”
“What are you doing today?”
“I’m thinking of playing a game, chatting a bit, and then wrapping up.”
“Oh”
“What game?”
“What is it what is it”
“I’m thinking of playing Eternal Loop… what do you think?”
“Eternal Loop?”
“Then why are you called that?”
“That’s because before…”
“Hey hey, don’t say it.”
“You absolutely must not say that word.”
“Ahem… so, what game should we play?”
“Descent detected lol”
“Let’s do Eternal Loop.”
“Eternal Loop? Got it.”
Ding!
“Mission registered | 10,000 apples if you get 1st place with Bianco”
“Oh my~ ‘Protect Anko at all costs’ has sent a mission~ 10,000 apples if I get first with Anko? Got it. Let’s start right away.”
…
Lying on my bed, waiting for her reply, I glanced at the clock. It was already almost 8.
“Ah, it’s already time…”
It’s when she starts her stream.
“Even if I’m anxious, I’ve got things to do.”
I opened the streaming site and kept refreshing.
“Ah, she started.”
She began her stream.
I quickly entered and sent a message.
“You’re not late today?”
"First chat again today? And what do you mean ‘today’? I’m always early, you know?”
“Yeah~ yeah~ let’s go with that.”
“It’s not ‘let’s go with that’… ugh, whatever. I’ll let it slide since I’m nice.”
Her cuteness made me smile without realizing.
Her streaming name is Hoshino Sora, a virtual YouTuber.
Normally, VTubers keep their identities hidden from everyone… but by coincidence, I know who she is.
“I’ve heard this voice for years.”
Kang Sora, my childhood friend of over 10 years, who lived in the same neighborhood and went through elementary, middle, and high school with me.
We went to different universities and drifted apart, but her voice hadn’t changed at all, so I recognized her instantly.
She would never even imagine that I’m the “jh” who always sends the first message in her chat.
“Oh my~ ‘Protect Anko at all costs’ has sent a mission~ 10,000 apples if I get first with Anko? Got it. Let’s start right away.”
“Good luck, Kang Sora.”
And so, a secret relationship that only Sora didn’t know about began.