Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: I'm Not a Stalker, Seriously (3)
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A woman in comfy clothes steps down from a bike bigger than your average one, swinging her legs wide.
Red hair, mid-20s.
It's our restaurant's star big eater, Baek Su-in.
Now that the construction break is over, she's dropping by like always.
As the owner, I'm truly grateful.
But for some reason, she's standing in front of the shop with her mouth agape, staring blankly.
Is the new balcony that shocking?
Even though she's usually so stoic.
Yoon-seul heads out again to greet Su-in.
She seems thrilled; her steps are quicker than usual.
"Eonni! You're here!"
- Hey, Yoon-seule. Hi...
She greets Yoon-seul but narrows her eyes, peering inside the shop. At the end of that gaze is Hwang Chi-ho.
- Huh?! Isn't that Count-nim?
- Ugh... Hwang Chi-ho.
- What are the odds of rUnnieng into you here? Total coincidence, right?
- Coincidence my foot. Don't make me say something nasty. You came here knowing I hang out here all the time.
- I'm not a stalker or anything. Don't get the wrong idea.
The two glare at each other, bickering.
It's clear they're old acquaintances.
Even so, Su-in deliberately stomps over and plops down two seats away from him, keeping her distance.
Yoon-seul glances around, then toddles over to Su-in and raises her arms to be picked up.
"You two know each other?"
- Of course! Best friends since high school!
- We're not best friends. Just acquaintances. For a long time, though.
Su-in's putting up a much thicker wall than Hwang Chi-ho. The way she snaps at him like that screams old friends.
"But calling him 'Count'—does that mean you're a novelist too, Su-in?"
- Ugh... Yeah... Sort of.
- Sort of what? She's got a legit hit on her hands.
- Cut it out, you.
- I wouldn't normally spill, but the owner here and Yoon-seul deserve to know.
- ...Please drop that too.
While the two get lost in their inside jokes, Yoon-seul chimes in from the side.
"Eonni writes stories too?"
- Yeah, pretty much.
"Ooh! Yunseul-i loves books too. She always asks Oppa to read to her. Someday Yunseul-i will read to Oppa."
- Oppa would love that, huh?
"Of course! 'Cause Oppa loves Yunseul-i."
Yoon-seul hops off the chair with a bounce, rummages in the back of the shop, and pulls something out.
And in her hand...
"Here, Oppa—this is the one Oppa read last time!"
A picture book.
I still vividly remember reading it during break time. Yoon-seul doodled all over my face that day, so I spent the evening shift advertising "Yoon-seul's Treasure" on my cheeks.
Looking back now, it's a fond memory, but it still makes me check the mirror closely sometimes.
Just in case she scribbled something permanent as a prank. The thought nags at me.
- My stuff's a bit different from this... Did you have fun with it, Yoon-seul?
"Um... It was fun. But Yunseul-i got mad."
- Mad? Why?
"Um... 'Cause the daughter was s'posed to live happy with her daddy. But she gave all the money to the villagers. So they got poor. Yunseul-i would never do that."
- Huh?
Anyone hearing just that summary without the full context would react the same.
Hwang Chi-ho chimes in from the side.
- Whoa... A five-year-old hating sweet potato plots? That's rare character material. Note... note...
Being a novelist, he's jotting down every little moment. Seeing Su-in's one too, guess not all writers are obsessed with notes.
[Onui Tycoon!]
[Customer 'Jang Yoon-seul' character feels affection.]
[Fantasy Webnovel Writer Hwang Chi-ho: Restaurant satisfaction +7%!]
[Total Satisfaction: 34%]
Writers boost satisfaction in unexpected ways.
First time I've seen it go up like this—Hwang Chi-ho must have some unique values.
"But earlier you said we deserved to know Su-in's a novelist. What did you mean?"
- Ah...
I asked Hwang Chi-ho, but Su-in's the one who flusters.
Chi-ho sneaks peeks at her with a wicked grin.
- Curious, right? But she'll spill it herself soon enough.
- Hwang Chi-ho, you jerk...! Sigh, can't curse in front of Yoon-seul.
- You told me yourself you'd thank these sibling owners.
Thank us?
Like we did something she should be grateful for.
Su-in nods a couple times at Chi-ho's words.
She steels herself, pulls her smartphone from her pants pocket, opens an app, and shows it to me and my sister.
"Um? Oppa, you read this one?"
"It's [I Became the Daughter of the Demon Archduke]. Decent title."
Reading it out loud feels a tad embarrassing.
Maybe sensing my reluctance, Su-in's face turns red too.
Demon Archduke—easy to guess the vibe.
But looking closely at the cover...
Does it resemble someone? Nah, probably not.
- You noticed, huh?
"Noticed what?"
- The daughter and dad on the cover? They're modeled after you two.
"Huh?!"
"Um?!"
Shock—
Never saw that coming. Is that why she's been a regular?
To draw direct inspiration for her novel.
Su-in's explanation makes it click.
I study the cover again.
The Demon Archduke's hairstyle's like mine, and the daughter sports Yoon-seul's fluffy ponytail.
Styles and features differ here and there, inevitably.
But the overall vibe matches us siblings.
Even as the real-life models, I have to admit it.
- Sorry. Should've asked sooner, but I hesitated. You might get mad. Or say no—what then?
"No... It's not like you used our real names."
- Of course not. Just... you and Yoon-seul living together is so cute and fun and touching. Drew a ton of inspiration from that.
Hwang Chi-ho adds on.
- And get this—the real kicker? That book's raked in over 600 million won.
"...600 million?"
"Um? Oppa, how much is 600 million? Yunseul-i can't count that high with fingers."
She'd run out of fingers—and days, or a lifetime—trying.
"With 600 million, you could buy every chocolate in the world and still have leftovers. Probably."
"Wooow! Oppa, when Yunseul-i grows up, she'll earn 600 million. Buy every chocolate and eat 'em. Give the rest to Oppa."
Our five-year-old's ambitions grow daily.
Next thing you know, she'll declare herself Pirate King and hunt the world's one true treasure.
And mark it so it never gets lost.
Yoon-seul's Treasure.
"Can we read it sometime?"
- R-right now?
"Wanna know what story you made of us. Let us see."
- Uh... Chapters 12, 23, and...
Su-in forgets to order—either not hungry or too emotional—and watches our reactions anxiously.
I skim it in five minutes. Straightforward plot, no fluff.
Simple sentences, clean descriptions.
The characters' actions play out vividly in my head.
Especially since they're based on me and Yoon-seul—easy to picture.
The chapters she points to reimagine events from last May's birthday.
And the day Yoon-seul debuted a new talent at the shop.
Like turning old diary entries into stories—refreshing.
Pure gratitude swells for Su-in writing something like this.
"Super fun! I'll grab copies when I have time."
- Phew, glad.
"Oppa! Yunseul-i wants to read it too!"
"Break time later? This instead of the picture book."
"That sounds great!"
Su-in lets out a relieved sigh.
Her shoulders slump as tension fades, so I take her order.
Four servings of today's special.
Extras depend on the day's mood.
Her usual course—regulars get memorized.
Hwang Chi-ho, smug as if he'd seen it all,
- I'll be coming by a lot too—let's get along!
leaves after that.
Quite the character.
I serve Su-in her food; she picks up her spoon with a wearier face than usual and starts eating.
Confessing must've weighed on her that much. Su-in seems softer-hearted than she lets on.
Yoon-seul watches quietly from beside her. Not hungry yet—no demands for food.
Customer rush is coming soon.
Or maybe not today.
Three weeks closed—folks might be confused if we're open again.
Only diehards like daily Su-in or chatty regulars track that.
But nope?
Clatter—
Clatter—
"...They're still coming."
- Phew, finally open again! Three of today's special.
- Whoa, big reno—tables on the balcony now. Let's eat here. One fry platter and pork stir-fry for us.
- Boss, felt like we lost our home away from home. Missed Yoon-seul so much.
"Haha... Thanks, everyone. Truly."
Orders flood in.
Sudden busyness, but I'm mentally prepped—hands fly.
Plus, my cooking's leagues better now.
[Path of Cooking (LV. 4) - Proficiency 21%]
[LV.4 – Intermediate Cook]
Prep's solid—this'll be quick!
As I wok away, Su-in—eating alone behind—comments.
- Missed this view. A warm place like this? Rare these days.
Can't reply, but my lips twitch into a smile.
- Bonus: snagged some novel ideas? Heh.
My smile dips.
Mid-cheery cooking, a thought hits.
When was it Su-in first came here?