The Senior Has Been Found Out

Jinwoo had been caught. 'Freshness my ass.' After that incident, Eunbyul stopped coming to the tteokbokki shop. Well, it had only been a week. It was only natural since no one would eat tteokbokki every single day. Still, for Jinwoo, who had secretly hoped he might run into her, the disappointment was unavoidable.

'Sigh. I can't see Senior Eunbyul, and "The Princess's Temptation" is over. Life has no joy left. None at all.'

It had been exactly one week since "The Princess's Temptation" ended. Just seven days, but the absence of a novel that had always updated right on schedule hit him hard. It felt like one of life's pleasures had vanished. No, it wasn't just a feeling. It really was gone. The sense of lethargy that wrapped around his entire body clung to him and refused to let go.

Maybe because of that hollow feeling, his drawings hadn't been coming out well lately. He was drawing something, but nothing that truly satisfied him. Who would have thought "The Princess's Temptation" had taken up such a huge part of his life? Fan love really was a terrifying thing.

"I wonder when they'll start the next work..."

Of course the genre was different since he worked with illustrations, but Jinwoo was still someone who had studied art. He knew how difficult it was to write every single day. From the author's perspective, they had probably only taken a short break of one week. They must be incredibly busy just thinking about their next project. Still, he hoped they would upload something new soon. It was the pure wish of a dedicated fan.

"I miss it..."

"Hmm~ Who do you miss?"

"Whoa!"

At the sudden voice, he shot upright. Eunbyul stood before him with her hands clasped behind her back. She looked at Jinwoo, who had been slumped over, and gave him a bright smile.

Last time she had worn something more casual for everyday life, but today she was in a white dress. There was an aura of pure, innocent charm radiating from her entirely white figure. Wow, she wasn't just beautiful—she was breathtaking... No, this wasn't the time for that.

"S-sorry! I was lost in thought and didn't even notice a customer came in."

"It's fine. I just got here too. And your worried face was pretty entertaining."

Entertaining. Was that a compliment for a guy or not? It wasn't a negative comment, but depending on how you interpreted it, it could mean he looked ridiculous. Still, if Senior Eunbyul found him entertaining, he didn't feel bad about it.

"I came back because I wanted to eat it again after last time. The tteokbokki was so delicious."

"Really? Even I think our family's tteokbokki is pretty good."

It wasn't just for show that they had kept this shop running for over twenty years through tough economic times. He was confident their taste was second to none. Though he had never thought of it as anything particularly special before. But hearing that Senior Eunbyul liked it made a sudden surge of respect for his father well up inside him.

"Then should I make you tteokbokki again today?"

"Yes! And pack some fish cakes too!"

"Got it. Please wait just a moment."

With practiced hands, he scooped up the tteokbokki. Just seeing Senior Eunbyul's pretty face brought a sudden burst of energy back into his body. Eunbyul stared intently at Jinwoo like that.

"So?"

"Yes?"

"Who did you say you missed?"

"Ah... that?"

What was he supposed to say? He couldn't exactly tell her he was waiting for a new work from the erotic novel he loved. Oh no, he'd gotten flustered and his brain was shutting down.

"I... I meant I missed you, Senior!"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes! You said you'd come again last time. So I've been waiting with my neck stretched out."

"Hmm~ Is that so?"

Eunbyul gave him a mysterious smile. Wow, how could a person be that beautiful? Maybe unlike him, she wasn't human but an elf. Or maybe he was actually an orc. Ah, that doesn't mean my dad is a monster. Though they might be a little similar.

"Then I guess I'll have to come often from now on?"

"I'd be grateful if you did!"

Jinwoo spoke with genuine sincerity. If he could see Eunbyul's face, even this tedious part-time job would become several times more enjoyable.

"Here's your tteokbokki and fish cakes. I added some fried seaweed rolls as a service, so please try them."

"Whoa, really? Thanks. Oh! Then let me give you this as a gift too."

Eunbyul rummaged through her bag and pulled something out. No way. A gift from Senior Eunbyul. This should be passed down as a family heirloom for generations...

"...What is this?"

"A bookmark."

That much was obvious. The notable feature was the incredibly cute magical girl drawn on it. It was a picture of a pink-haired girl holding a wand and shooting a beam. He had enjoyed "Sugar X Sugar X Rune" too. He never imagined he'd receive that merch ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as a gift. And on the back, she was in a swimsuit. The design was... Yeah, let's pretend I didn't see that.

'Does Senior Eunbyul like this kind of thing?'

Actually, it wasn't strange for a girl to like this stuff. If anything, an otaku like himself would probably look even more disgusting to others.

"Well, I'm off. Work hard~"

"Ah, yes! Thank you!"

Jinwoo watched Eunbyul's retreating figure once more. This healing sensation. Yeah, it was good to be alive.

"Whoa! Getting a gift from someone like Senior Eunbyul. Kim Jinwoo, you bastard, you've really grown up."

—Ding!

Just then, the phone he had tucked in his pocket suddenly rang. He wasn't expecting any calls—who could it be? When he checked, it was a text message. And it read—

"Whoa."

He ran into Senior Eunbyul while working part-time, and now he even won the ticket to Silverstar's fan signing event. Was it really okay for this much luck to come all at once?

"Am I going to die tomorrow or something?"

Jinwoo carefully tucked away the magical girl bookmark Eunbyul had given him. He couldn't let something as precious as a gift from his senior get stained with tteokbokki sauce.

*

A few days later, Jinwoo rode his motorcycle down the road with a refreshing feeling. His destination was, of course, the venue for Silverstar author's signing event. It was a bit far, so he was heading there on his bike.

'The sunlight is warm, and the weather is perfect for getting an autograph from the author.'

Just thinking about meeting the author he admired made him excited already. At the same time, he was purely curious about what kind of person they were. As he rode along happily, he suddenly spotted someone familiar on the side of the road.

"Huff! Huff!"

The person sweating profusely, panting heavily, yet forcing themselves to run was...

'It's Senior Eunbyul again?'

What kind of coincidence was this? Suddenly, Senior Eunbyul was running along the roadside. Her staggering, exhausted body looked incredibly dangerous. Yet she showed no sign of stopping. It seemed like she had some urgent business.

'Should I... ask?'

If she was in a real hurry to get somewhere, he could give her a ride on his motorcycle. But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠depending on the direction, it might make him late for the signing event instead. This might be his once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet his favorite author in person. He could miss it.

'...Do I even need to think about it?'

Jinwoo gripped the handlebars tightly, as if steeling his resolve. Then he turned and headed toward Eunbyul.

"Senior! Are you okay?"

"Huff! Huff! Huh? Jinwoo? Whoa! You... can ride a... motorcycle? Huff!"

"Ah, yes. I learned a bit for work. More importantly, where are you rushing off to like this?"

"Umm, well. Ha! There's something I absolutely have to attend, but I'm running a little late."

Even while speaking, Eunbyul's breath was reaching her throat. Whatever it was, she looked genuinely desperate. If she kept running in this hot weather, she might collapse. Jinwoo nodded and said,

"Get on."

"Huh?"

"I'll give you a ride. Taxis don't come around here easily."

"B-but..."

"I have a spare helmet in the back, so it's fine."

When he first bought the motorcycle, he had imagined riding with a girlfriend. Of course, he had never actually used it that way.

"Umm."

Eunbyul still looked hesitant. But after checking the time, she finally nodded with a determined expression.

"Thank you. I'll definitely repay this favor."

"What favor between us?"

"...What exactly is our relationship?"

Suddenly, Eunbyul asked with a serious face. What kind of relationship? Right, what exactly were they to each other?

"Uh... a regular customer and the son of the shop?"

"Hmm~ Is that so?"

Eunbyul looked at Jinwoo with mysterious eyes. She awkwardly put on the helmet and climbed on behind him. The slightly soft sensation he felt against his back. For a moment, Jinwoo's body stiffened completely.

'Come to think of it, this is my first time riding a motorcycle with a girl.'

No, this was actually his first time riding with anyone other than himself. His little sister didn't count as a person, so she was an exception.

"So where are we going?"

"Ah, wait! I'll show you on the map."

By some coincidence, it was exactly the same direction he was heading. At this rate, he wouldn't have to worry about being late for the signing. In fact, he had plenty of time.

"I'm a bit scared, so is it okay if I hold on tight?"

"Huh? Ah, of course!"

Eunbyul reached out and wrapped her arms around Jinwoo's waist. He swallowed hard at the even more intense presence of her body. So this was how soft a woman's body felt. And to think that woman was Senior Eunbyul. His heart began pounding wildly.

"Th-then we're off."

Jinwoo tried hard to calm his tense mind as he started riding. If he got into an accident, it wouldn't end with just him dying. He usually rode carefully anyway, but he drove even more safely than usual.

"...This is my first time on a motorcycle."

"Ah, r-really?"

Maybe because she was scared, Eunbyul hugged him even tighter. It was a good thing the motorcycle was loud. Otherwise, she might have noticed his frantically beating heart.

"A helmet... so there's a method like this too."

"Sorry? What did you say?"

"Nothing! It's nothing!"

Jinwoo rode the motorcycle while extremely tense. Perhaps because of that, he didn't notice that Eunbyul's heart was pounding just as hard as his own.

*

'Thank you! I'll definitely repay this favor later!'

Eunbyul bowed deeply at the waist in thanks and then ran off quickly. Her slightly awkward running form was cute. It really seemed like she had something urgent to attend to. It was a good thing he had gotten his motorcycle license. He had resented his father for making him work as a delivery rider, but it turned out his dad had a plan all along.

"Ah, the signing event should be starting soon."

Jinwoo parked his motorcycle roughly nearby. He couldn't meet the author he respected looking like such a mess. He went to the restroom to fix his hair and unnecessarily straightened his clothes. Do I look pretty handsome today?

'It would be too awkward to be in the very front, so going in around now should be fine.'

When he arrived at the signing venue, quite a few people had already gathered. Most of them were either wide horizontally or wearing glasses because of poor eyesight. Hmm, this familiar gloominess. Even though he didn't know them, he felt an odd sense of kinship.

"Then we will now begin the Silverstar author's fan signing event! Please keep order and don't forget to take your goods!"

With the staff member's energetic announcement, the signing event began. The line moved slowly but steadily forward. Every time a person left, he felt strangely nervous. Soon, he would be able to see the author he respected in the flesh. With his heart racing, he stepped forward little by little. Three, two, one. And finally, the person in front disappeared and it was his turn!

"...Huh?"

"Huh?"

He didn't even know how the sound came out. That's how shocked Jinwoo was. And for good reason—the sight before his eyes was far too familiar. The slightly sweat-dampened clothes that looked like something he'd seen just a while ago. The voice that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠above all, that helmet-wearing figure, though the helmet was a different kind.

'Eunbyul... Senior?'

It made him think of a name he had already called who knows how many times. The identity of the author of the erotic novel he loved. Was it that pure and innocent Senior Eunbyul?