297. First Meeting with the Editors - (2)
297. First Meeting with the Editors - (2)
***
As soon as she felt they had reached the wine bar where she'd made the reservation, Serin stopped the taxi.
"Haa."
After getting out and taking a breath of the night air, Serin felt just how long it had been since she'd gone out.
The night air was cool, and the scenery around her was completely different.
'Is this the first time I've ever had a drink outside?'
It occurred to her that this was also the first time she'd been out this close to midnight.
She had gone out before to head to Sua's place, but she'd never made plans for a time this close to midnight.
When she checked the time, it was exactly 11:00. She had about ten minutes left until the meeting time.
As she looked around once and made her way toward the meeting spot, she took in the beautiful streetscape.
'The night streets are prettier than I thought.'
The streets approaching midnight seemed to carry a different atmosphere all their own.
Brilliant lights filled every corner of the street, and the figures of people enjoying the night stood out clearly.
Step.
She had only taken a few steps when she felt people's eyes on her, and she walked on with a faint smile on her lips.
The name of the upscale bar she'd reserved was Cheongdam Chic.
Two women who appeared to be waiting in front of the wine bar caught her eye first.
When she looked at them more carefully, their appearances came into focus.
The woman with wavy hair and a casual fashion style looked like Soyul, and when her gaze moved to the woman beside her, Serin tilted her head without realizing it.
The woman wearing an oversized blue box tee that came down to her knees and hot pants that showed off her pale legs was probably....
'Hayoon...?'
The image was completely different from what I knew, but the face itself looked like the Hayoon I'd seen in the profile.
Just then, the two of them also seemed to notice me, and our eyes naturally met.
Step.
She slowly approached them.
Soyul's gradually widening eyes were striking, and at the sight of Hayoon staring at me blankly, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"You're Soyul and Hayoon, right?"
When Serin reached them and mentioned their names to confirm,
"W-wait a second. No way. Rin? Is that really you, Rin?"
Soyul asked with her eyes wide as if it were impossible, and
"Are you really Rin...?"
Hayoon also stared at Serin and asked blankly.
"Yes. I'm Rin."
When Serin answered with a small laugh, as if she liked their reactions,
"...Wow."
"You're so... pretty?"
The two of them covered their mouths at the same time, like characters in a movie.
Serin smiled softly, as if she found the sight amusing.
"Should we go inside and order first?"
Maybe because the two of them were reacting with more surprise than she'd expected, even passersby seemed to be looking their way, so Serin figured it would be better to go inside the wine bar and talk.
"Ah, yes, yes! Let's do that."
"R-right. Let's go in and talk."
The two of them, who had been staring at Serin as if they couldn't believe it, nodded hurriedly. Serin took the lead and walked toward the sleek marble stairs at the wine bar entrance, and the two women, who had been watching her as if spellbound, followed behind and exchanged glances.
"Does this make any sense?"
Soyul spoke in a small voice as she looked at Hayoon, who answered with an equally dumbfounded expression.
"Seriously, Rin is so pretty...?"
"No, Hayoon, that's not the point.... She looks exactly like 'Rin'!"
As Soyul whispered and emphasized her words, Hayoon nodded while looking at Serin's snow-white hair as she walked ahead.
"Right... I realized there's a reason Rin's character is so absurdly pretty."
"The Rin in Another World was actually a real 'Rin'... no, seriously, doesn't it feel like you're dreaming right now? Honestly, I'm kind of in shock."
Soyul also whispered as she looked at Serin's back, and Hayoon nodded in agreement.
"Honestly, I feel the same way. I can't quite believe it even while looking at her."
They had been whispering to each other, but Serin, walking ahead, let out a soft laugh and turned her head.
"Am I that fascinating?"
As if she'd heard everything, Serin held the wine bar door and asked, and the two of them flinched in surprise and nodded.
"Ah, yes, yes! You're just so pretty!"
"Right, you're unrealistically pretty, so it's really startling, you know...?"
"I'll take that as a compliment. So shall we go in? We'll have plenty of time to talk later."
With that, she opened the wine bar door,
Jingle-jingle!
and with the sound of a small bell, the three women entered the wine bar.
......
Swoosh.
Leaving the silently closing door of the wine bar's private room behind them, the three women took seats fairly close together.
The room's interior had a modern feel centered on black, and the orange lighting that softly illuminated the space here and there gave it a mysterious atmosphere all its own.
Hayoon and Soyul, who had never been to an upscale wine bar like this before, were marveling at the interior when Serin took off the mask she'd been wearing and revealed her face.
"I've already placed a basic order, but if there's anything else you two would like, feel free to order more. I'll cover the bill, so don't worry about anything today."
Serin, who had placed the order before entering the room, said with a faint smile, and Hayoon and Soyul paused their inspection of the interior and nodded with surprised expressions.
Then, when they saw Serin's bare face revealed beneath the mask, the two of them blinked as if they couldn't believe it even more.
"...Wow."
"Seriously..."
When Serin met their gazes as if asking why they were looking at her like that, the two of them answered without thinking.
"Y-yes!"
"Th-thank you."
At the sight of Hayoon, who seemed especially tense, Serin let out a small laugh and parted her lips.
"Really, you don't have to feel so pressured. We're not meeting for work; this is a private get-together over drinks, right? I know it's our first time meeting face-to-face, but I'd like you to be comfortable with me."
"If you put it that way.... Ah, then should we start with quick introductions?"
Soyul responded to Serin's words with an awkward smile, and Hayoon and Serin nodded.
"Then, since I brought it up, I'll introduce myself first. As you both know, my name is Park Soyul, and I'm 24. I worked as an editor for another NewTuber before, but... right now I'm working as an editor for RinTube. I look forward to working with you!"
Despite having started awkwardly, Soyul introduced herself in a bright tone and even showed a bit of charm at the end by winking.
When Soyul looked at Hayoon, Hayoon realized it was her turn, slowly steadied her breathing, and spoke.
"Kim Hayoon. I'm 27. Before working as an editor for RinTube, I was active as a small-time streamer and NewTuber. Um... seeing you in person like this, Rin, I'm really nervous, and... I-I look forward to working with you!"
Hayoon, who had stammered as if the introduction itself felt awkward, ended by closing her eyes and almost shouting, and Soyul and Serin burst out laughing at the same time.
"Seriously, Hayoon..."
"Yes. I look forward to working with you too."
Hayoon blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment, and Soyul turned her gaze to Serin.
Even when Serin had been wearing a mask, Soyul had thought she looked so much like Rin. But the face revealed once the mask came off was truly... beyond words.
'How can she be even prettier?'
Even her silver hair, which seemed to radiate a presence as if it held its own light, had made Soyul think of Rin. But the face revealed beneath the mask was unbelievable even while looking at it in person. Her exotic features, which made her look mixed-race, were enough for anyone to call her a beauty.
No, her looks felt so peerless that Soyul couldn't even think of anyone prettier.
She looked so much like the character Rin, whom Soyul had stared at countless times while editing videos, yet the more she looked, the more subtly different the impression seemed.
But even so, one thing was certain: her looks were striking enough to make you look again and again.
When Serin met Soyul's gaze as she stared at her and smiled, Soyul let out an involuntary exclamation and averted her eyes.
Serin slowly spoke.
"Then it's my turn, right? My name is Han Serin, and I'm 25. Since we're meeting to have a casual conversation, I'd like you both to be comfortable with me."
With Serin's brief introduction finished,
Clap, clap, clap.
Soyul, who had averted her eyes, clapped as if amazed, and Hayoon, who had been staring at Serin in wonder, followed suit and clapped too.
"Pfft.... No, really."
Serin burst out laughing at their over-the-top reactions and waved her hand as if telling them to stop, and only then did their clapping cease.
"Really, why are you both like this? I'm not forcing you to react like that. We're just meeting to have a drink and talk comfortably with each other."
When Serin repeated that it was really fine, Soyul finally spoke up out of curiosity.
"Honestly, I was so surprised from the first moment, you know...? It's like Rin from the videos stepped into reality, and then when you took off your mask too, it was just... wow, I thought, so people this pretty actually exist. Oh, Rin—um, can I ask you a question?"
"Yes. Go ahead. And even in a private setting like this, rather than calling me Rin... I'd prefer it if you called me Serin."
"Ah, yes! Serin, then, um, the character Rin in Another World—did you make her based on your real-life appearance?"
When Soyul asked as if she were dying of curiosity, Hayoon also quietly turned her gaze to Serin.
As the two of them looked at her with equally curious eyes, Serin smiled gently and nodded.
"Yes. That's right. Seeing an appearance so similar to the character in person must feel a little awkward for you both, right?"
Soyul and Hayoon shook their heads as if they'd rehearsed it.
"No, it's not awkward, just amazing...."
"Right. Really. We never expected you'd be this beautiful in person."
As they each gave their impressions, Serin swept a hand through her hair and smiled faintly.
"You two keep complimenting me, so I'm getting a little embarrassed. Actually, I'm surprised to see you both in person too. You're both very pretty."
Serin had said it to ease the stiff atmosphere, but Soyul and Hayoon just nodded awkwardly and couldn't quite relax.
Knock, knock.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.