Chapter 11: You crazy bitch, this isn't the time for that.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11: You crazy bitch, this isn't the time for that.
Chapter 3 – Returnees Can Be Idols Too
1
[ Victory. ]
[ Diamond 5, 21 points ↑ ]
A long, satisfying stretch.
I was stretching my limbs after pulling an all-nighter gaming for the first time in a while.
Today was the weekend.
A day off from work.
“Domi-oppa, good work!”
“You too.”
When Ahyu, who was next to me, shouted excitedly, I smiled and replied in kind.
Ever since we met in real life, Ahyu had started calling me “oppa” comfortably whenever it was just the two of us.
She said it was fine as long as we used a private chat so no one else would see.
“I’m Platinum 1! Do you think I can really make it to Diamond now?!”
“You’ve still got a long way to go. You have to get past the gatekeepers. And once you hit Diamond, that’s when the real game begins.”
She was underestimating Diamond.
Even for me, who had peaked at Grandmaster 420 points, Diamond was hell.
“Hoo, Diamond, get ready. Big sis is coming for a kiss.”
“Diamond’s gonna run for its life.”
“I could always do it to you, oppa.”
What a terrifying thing to say.
With a look of disgust, I swung my arms around to loosen up.
My body felt stiff, probably because I hadn't played ranked in a while due to work.
‘I need to play on my main account, too.’
This was my alt account.
Deciding I needed to play ranked on my main today as well, I opened the chat window.
[ Black Ahyu: I’m Platinum 1! Ahyu’s heading to Diamond soon! ]
[ Jugeumbitgwa Simjangnimi: Congratulations are in order. ]
[ IKnowit: You made it? Looks like you'll hit Diamond soon. ]
Right as Ahyu started bragging, a string of congratulatory messages popped up.
[ Kkotbi: Are you playing with Domi-oppa? ]
Just then, Kkotbi’s message appeared.
She was the same age as Ahyu and they were quite close.
I wonder if she knows Ahyu is a girl.
[ Black Ahyu: Yeah! Hyung’s carrying me, hahaha. Hyung, I’ll treat you to a meal again. ]
[ Kkotbi: He’s treating you again? ]
At that moment, Ahyu let slip something she shouldn't have.
I shot her a sharp glare, and she realized her mistake, tapping her head with her hand.
Maybe I should be the one to tap her head later, with my fist.
Tiring!
As I was looking at Ahyu with disapproval, the chat window pinged.
Wondering what it was, I saw that I had received a private message.
[ Kkotbi: Domi-oppa, did you meet up with Ahyu? ]
It was a whisper from none other than Kkotbi.
[ DoremiFasol2: We met up recently. ]
[ Kkotbi: Why didn’t you invite me? ]
[ DoremiFasol2: Huh? Because it was just supposed to be the two of us. ]
[ Kkotbi: You should have invited me! ]
What’s with her all of a sudden?
[ Kkotbi: I want to see Ahyu too……. ]
Hmm.
Huh?
My expression began to change as I read the chat.
Something about Kkotbi’s messages was starting to bother me.
They were the same age.
She was the friend Ahyu played with the most when I wasn't around.
And, at least in the game, they were of the opposite sex.
Most importantly, the two of them really hit it off.
‘Of course they’d hit it off.’
I looked at Ahyu with a sigh.
She’s a girl.
It was only natural that she’d be more understanding and caring than other guys their age.
[ Kkotbi: When are you two meeting again? ]
[ DoremiFasol2: Kkotbi. I’m asking this just in case. ]
I hesitated for a moment before typing.
But while I might have let it slide when I thought Ahyu was a guy, I couldn't just stand by and watch now.
Kkotbi was also an acquaintance I’d known for a long time, even if not as long as Ahyu.
[ DoremiFasol2: Do you like Ahyu? ]
[ Kkotbi has left the private chat. ]
I screwed up.
As my head throbbed, I stared blankly at the chat window she had just left. Then I looked over at Ahyu, who was doing a Blackstar dance she called her “Diamond prayer dance.”
…You crazy bitch, this is not the time for that.
‘What do I do about this?’
If I told Ahyu, she’d probably just laugh her head off and tease Kkotbi about it.
The problem was, from what I could tell, Kkotbi was a pretty sensitive kid.
She might be so hurt by the fact that I knew her feelings that she’d leave the guild.
‘But still.’
I couldn't just leave things as they were. I felt too bad for Kkotbi.
“Ahyu.”
“Yep?”
Ahyu stopped dancing and looked at me. I closed the chat window and asked casually.
“Has anyone in the guild seemed like they’ve figured out you’re a girl?”
“Huh? Hmm, maybe Kkotbi?”
Not her.
She’s the last person who would know.
But thanks to that, I thought of a way to resolve the potential drama brewing in the guild.
All I had to do was make sure Kkotbi found out Ahyu was a girl.
“Kkotbi seemed a little upset that we went out to eat without her.”
“Huh? But she’s busy with work.”
“Busy is busy. Upset is upset. You and Kkotbi are pretty close, right?”
“We are, right? She’s a huge Blackstar fan, too. As fellow idol fans, we were bound to get close!”
There were other feelings involved, but…
Ahyu, completely oblivious, just giggled.
“So Kkotbi asked to be invited next time. What do you want to do?”
“I don’t see why not. I’ve already met you, Domi-oppa. Oh! Should the three of us hang out sometime? It’ll be summer soon. We could go to a valley or something. Hehe.”
“Why are you smiling like you’re about to drool?”
“I’m just excited thinking about grilling meat.”
What a colorful range of emotions she has.
And making summer plans with a gaming friend…
“…I’ve always wondered, do you have any other friends?”
“Oppa?”
“I’ll talk to Kkotbi and set something up!”
I quickly made my exit before Ahyu’s glare could get any scarier.
2
A few days later.
I was at my desk at work, tapping away at the keyboard with a tired expression.
I was preparing materials for a meeting with the video editing team the company had assigned to help produce Ji-eun’s YouTube videos.
‘This office job is a grind.’
I took a sip of the Americano I’d gotten earlier and did a light neck stretch.
Still, it was a relief that work was progressing smoothly.
Ji-eun was also actively participating since it was something she wanted to do, so I didn't have any major worries.
「I think I’ll stay in school a little longer. I feel like I’d be admitting defeat otherwise.」
Ji-eun’s face as she said that with determination looked much brighter than before.
「If it gets too hard, I can come complain to you again, right, Ha-chan-oppa?」
Complain, huh.
Feeling like I’d gained a much younger sister, I let out a slightly awkward smile and put down my coffee.
Right. For my new little sister, I should work a little harder.
KaTalk
Just as I was about to place my hands back on the keyboard, the sound of a KaTalk notification made me turn my head.
I checked it, thinking it might be work-related, but the message was from someone else.
[ Kkotbi: Oppa, can you help me pick out what to wear! ]
Along with the message, photos started flooding the chat room.
The faces weren't visible, but they were all of a woman with the same body type, so I assumed it was Kkotbi.
“She has this many clothes?”
No, more importantly, was she trying on every single outfit just for tomorrow?
Just how serious was she about Ahyu?
Feeling a pang of pity for Kkotbi, who would be unceremoniously heartbroken tomorrow, I picked out a few outfits for her.
It wasn't like I knew much about women's fashion, but it seemed she wanted a guy's opinion.
[ Kkotbi: What do I do? I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep a wink tonight. ]
She was really looking forward to it.
I silently prayed that her heart would be okay.
[ Ahyu: Oppa, here’s Ahyu’s pretty picture of the day. Save it. ]
Just then, a message came from Ahyu.
It was a selfie of her making a V-sign with her fingers. I quietly typed back a reply.
[ Me: Why do you only ever take pictures at home? ]
[ Ahyu: Because you’re the only one I send pictures like this to. ]
[ Me: You just don’t go outside, do you? ]
Ahyu’s messages started pouring in, so I quietly put my phone face down.
So carefree, completely unaware of what others are going through.
As I was thinking that, it was suddenly time to leave work. I shut down my computer and headed out.
“Ah, Mr. Ha-chan.”
Just then, I saw a woman passing by.
Dressed in a suit and still wearing an eyepatch, it was none other than Orjia.
“Ms. Orjia, are you heading home?”
“Yes.”
Orjia was working at the Rodri Company as part of her social adjustment.
Since she was quite the old-timer, everything was new to her, and I heard she was spending all her time learning how to use a computer and a smartphone.
Compared to her era, there were countless new language systems and words, but Orjia was handling that part using language magic.
That was why we could communicate so well when we first met, despite her being from the Joseon era.
It was something she had to learn; otherwise, communication with others during a battle with dimensional entities would be difficult.
“Have you gotten the hang of your phone?”
At my question, Orjia took her phone out of her pocket and pressed a few buttons.
A moment later, my phone started ringing, and I answered it.
“I’m good at it now, right?”
“You’re very good.”
As I answered, hearing her voice from both the phone and in person, she gave a faint smile.
Watching her adapt to life on Earth gave me a sense of pride.
“I’ll treat you to a meal sometime to celebrate.”
Becoming a working adult who earns money is a scary thing.
To think that I, who was getting treated to meals by Ahyu until recently, could now offer to buy someone a meal.
Working adults are amazing.
“Thank you.”
“In that case, would you mind if I joined you to celebrate as well?”
Just as I was about to offer Orjia a meal, a voice from behind made me flinch and turn my head.
Ms. Baek Seol-hyang was standing there, smiling warmly at Orjia and me.
“Is that not allowed?”
“No, of course it is.”
I found out later that Ms. Baek Seol-hyang was the chairperson who had founded the Rodri Company herself.
I had no intention of getting on her bad side, so I answered immediately, and she chuckled.
“I’m just kidding. I’d feel bad having an employee treat me to a meal. Instead, I’ll treat you both. I never got to properly thank you for your help last time.”
I was already well-compensated for that with a hefty bonus, but…
It would be rude to refuse an offer from the chairperson.
Besides, this could be a good opportunity for Orjia to get closer to Ms. Baek Seol-hyang.
“We’ll be in your care.”
“Your request has been accepted.”
Baek Seol-hyang replied playfully, then waved and walked off toward the elevator.
A true career woman, you could say. She had an air of professionalism every time I saw her.
“Mr. Ha-chan, you should be careful.”
“Pardon? Careful of what?”
Suddenly, Orjia spoke out of the blue.
Wondering what she meant, I tilted my head, and she answered with a distant look in her eyes.
“You might get eaten up before you know it.”
“Is a dimensional entity after me or something?”
“Something far more dangerous is after you.”
I didn't know what she was talking about, but after leaving that cryptic remark, Orjia walked away.
Something more dangerous, huh?
…My landlord?