300. W-What Is This Situation!? Why Are You So Barely Dressed?
300. W-What Is This Situation!? Why Are You So Barely Dressed?
***
The recent RinTube video that had come to be viewed that way unfolded step by step, like a drama.
Starting with me obtaining Jeremian's Ring in the Arch Lich's temple, then the ring's effect. Even the fact that it carried a gambling-type option.
The situation unfolded in order with quick explanations. And when it finally reached the scene of me agonizing over the two of them, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
"Watching this from a third-person perspective feels strange."
The scene where I mentioned Eunha and Sua and agonized over who to give the ring to wasn't some demonic editing—it showed a close-up of me supposedly agonizing with an incredibly subtle expression. Since I was agonizing while holding the ring, it looked really weird.
"Serin, I watched this live at the time, and it was genuinely gripping, you know?"
"Right. It was really surprising that you mentioned giving a gift to Jeanne d'Arc, of all people. It's something no other streamer would even dare to say, but you mentioned Jeanne d'Arc so casually."
The editors added their own comments about that moment, and the whole situation felt strange.
'If those two watched this video, wouldn't they be dumbfounded?'
The video made it look as if I were choosing between Eunha and Sua, as if I held all the power in the situation.
One was a pro player called a superstar, and the other was a popular NewTuber with over a million subscribers and a big-name streamer.
The video moved quickly, reaching the scene where I handed the ring to Eunha, and her surprised reaction appeared in the video like a highlight.
Right after.
Ding-a-ling-a-ling!!!!
『Yoo Eunha donated 10,000,000 won!!』
《A small token of my appreciation》
There I was, blinking like an idiot after receiving a ten-million-won donation from Eunha.
While I was fumbling and failing to properly express my thanks, the scene ended with Eunha leaving to do a scrim.
"Hoo."
Before I knew it, a sigh escaped me.
I should have thanked Eunha more properly. Looking back at it, my reaction seemed a bit ambiguous.
"Seriously, even rewatching this part, isn't Jeanne d'Arc just overflowing with charm? She's so reliable when it comes to repaying favors, and she's so clean about drawing lines... This is really why she has so many fans."
When Hayoon voiced her admiration at that part, Soyul nodded along enthusiastically.
"Totally agree! And on top of that, shouldn't I say the way Jeanne d'Arc looks at Serin seems especially distinctive? Compared to what I've seen in interviews or at matches, it looked a little different. Like a gaze that genuinely cherishes Serin? It sounds a bit weird saying it like that, but Jeanne d'Arc really had this wistful look in her eyes, didn't she?"
As Soyul spoke as if voicing Eunha's own feelings, Serin let out a small laugh and looked at her.
"Soyul, what are you saying? If anyone heard that, they'd misunderstand Jeanne d'Arc."
"Ah, what I said... was a bit much, right? I didn't mean anything special by it. It's just that Jeanne d'Arc is usually indifferent and doesn't show much emotion. So it was even more fascinating back then. And mentioning you in the interview after today's match, too. She outright mentioned Rin by name and expressed her gratitude. How on earth did the two of you even get connected?"
As Soyul looked at Serin with shining eyes, Serin blinked vaguely and spoke.
"Connected, well... Jeanne d'Arc just contacted me first saying she wanted to meet."
"No way. Jeanne d'Arc contacted you first?"
"Wow... that's seriously unbelievable."
As Soyul and Hayoon exclaimed in disbelief at Serin's words, Serin awkwardly mumbled her way through it.
Explaining everything one by one would take too long, and since it was mostly personal meetings, it was awkward to bring up with the other two.
When Serin cut off the topic of Jeanne d'Arc like that, the two couldn't hide their disappointment.
"...Ah, that's such a shame."
"I'm so jealous. You even exchange personal messages with Jeanne d'Arc... Just how connected are you?"
Even at their reactions, Serin simply smiled faintly and moved on.
And so the three of them continued chatting over drinks.
Having ordered only additional fruit to snack on, they drank wine and before they knew it, they had passed midnight and reached 2 a.m.
...
Serin let out a warm breath, her face faintly flushed, and rested her chin on her hand.
Then she raised her other hand to her cheek, and through the hand on her cheek, she could almost feel the heat radiating.
'I should stop drinking now.'
She already felt sufficiently tipsy, so she figured she shouldn't drink any more.
"Haa... I'll really keep working hard from now on... so please don't abandon us~? I really... I'm counting only on you, Rin..."
Soyul, visibly completely drunk, clung to Serin and acted adorably drunk,
"Hehehe... oh? It's Rin... what the, did Another World become reality...? Why is Rin in the real world...?"
Hayoon, with completely unfocused eyes, was pointing at Serin and calling her Rin.
Slip.
Serin picked up her smartphone and looked at the two of them again.
"..."
Then, without realizing it, she furrowed her brow.
'Is it okay to send these two home like this?'
The question suddenly occurred to her.
The two women in her view were, by anyone's standards, completely drunk.
Judging by their words and actions alone, they were out of their senses, so putting them in a taxi and sending them off seemed too dangerous.
No matter how much this world was 2031 and the crime rate had dropped significantly, she couldn't help but wonder if that was the right choice.
Even if the probability of crime was minuscule, if it happened to someone she knew, there would be no undoing it.
On top of that, it was just the start of September, and both of them were wearing revealing outfits.
Soyul's thin T-shirt exposed her pale white shoulders, and Hayoon's hot pants left her pale legs bare, one leg propped up on another seat, showing off her skin.
Their appearance was revealing enough to stir strange thoughts even in someone with a completely blank mind.
"...I should at least be grateful that I'm still in my right mind."
"What is~? What are you grateful for...? Rin~"
As she kept rubbing her face against my shoulder like a drunken fool, I shuddered involuntarily as if goosebumps had broken out.
"...Look, no matter what, please don't rub your lips on my shoulder. Soyul! Get a grip."
No matter that it was just a shoulder, rubbing your lips against someone wasn't exactly normal... I gently took hold of Soyul's shoulders and leaned her back against the seat.
Soyul looked at me with a loose, silly grin.
"Yes! Rin... I'm watching you!"
I'd told her to get a grip, but seeing Soyul cheerfully answer that she was watching me only made me think she was completely gone.
Just a moment ago she'd been calling me Serin, and now I wondered why she was calling me Rin.
Sighs just kept pouring out.
"Both of them... I'll have to let them sleep here and send them home tomorrow."
The thought of calling a taxi and sending the two home soon vanished.
It hit me anew that drinking outside was incredibly dangerous.
I didn't know how the two of them usually drank, but judging by their current state, something bad was bound to happen someday.
......
Clack!
Serin opened the front door and turned her gaze to the side.
Seeing the two women slumped against the wall like spineless creatures, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Both of you, go inside and sleep. No, we're outside—don't try to sleep here."
"Okaaay..."
"Hehehe... it's Riiin. Wow, she really looks like a real person~"
Soyul, answering brightly with a silly grin, and Hayoon, spouting nonsense while staring at me.
After forcibly dragging the two inside and taking off their shoes and heels,
I helped them to the living room, then—
Flop!
I half-dropped them onto the sofa, and even my shoulders ached from supporting them.
I'd succeeded in supporting the two and forcibly bringing them home, but
the process had been anything but easy.
"Hoo."
With the alcohol and physical exertion combined, a deep sigh escaped.
"How am I supposed to let these two drink in front of me from now on without worrying?"
I muttered that pointlessly and poked at a spot on my forehead that was faintly throbbing from the alcohol.
As I pressed and massaged away the headache, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
'Still, aren't these two my bosses?'
They'd said to treat them comfortably since it was a private gathering, but seeing the two of them completely sprawled out like this, I couldn't help thinking this was a bit much...
"Pfft..."
But that thought lasted only a moment. Watching the two women squirm and bury themselves into the sofa, I shook my head.
It was ridiculous to judge the conduct of people who were out of their senses.
And they'd said they barely got any rest while working on RinTube, so letting them act a little childish like this seemed right.
Gulp.
After that, Serin drank a glass of cold water in the kitchen to compose herself, then went into the spare room, pulled out a few blankets, and covered the two of them.
"Mmm..."
Soyul rubbing her face against the blanket as if she liked the texture, and Hayoon sleeping so soundly that she wouldn't notice if someone carried her off. The more I looked, the more I laughed.
They seemed so defenseless, and yet the two of them looked adorable.
Rustle, rustle.
After tucking the blankets around the two, Serin went into her own room and collapsed into sleep.
***
September 2nd. Thursday, 6 a.m.
As dawn passed and the morning sun illuminated the earth, signaling the start of a new day,
a small sound echoed in the living room.
Rustle, rustle.
Soyul tossed and turned as if the narrow space on the sofa was uncomfortable.
As Soyul shifted, Hayoon kept frowning as if she too was uncomfortable.
Rustle!
Then Soyul shook her head and turned over with a big movement, and Hayoon finally opened her eyes.
"...Ugh."
Hayoon groaned from her first-ever wine and blinked with a dazed gaze.
"Where... am I?"
As Hayoon mumbled blankly and tried to sit up, Soyul also opened her eyes at the movements constantly brushing against her.
Rustle.
Soyul blinked wordlessly and sat up in an instant, and her gaze met Hayoon's, who had already sat up, as if by coincidence.
"...?"
Soyul blinked and glanced downward, and she saw Hayoon in nothing but her underwear, her skin exposed.
Immediately, Soyul's expression silently filled with horror.
"...?"
As Soyul's expression filled with horror, Hayoon also blankly took in Soyul's state.
Seeing her disheveled, flushed skin, Hayoon froze for a moment too.
"...W-Wait a second?"
Soyul opened her mouth urgently, her face flushing bright red as she clutched the blanket and covered herself.
As if it were unthinkable. Soyul's thoughts spun rapidly, and the worst possible assumption surfaced.
'No way... did Hayoon do something to me?'
Soyul shook her head hard and looked at Hayoon.
"Wh-Why...?"
Hayoon also hurriedly grabbed a corner of the blanket and covered herself.
"W-Wait, Hayoon! Wh-What is this situation?! Why are you so undressed?"
"No! I-I don't know either...! S-Soyul! I swear I didn't do anything. So please don't look at me with those weird eyes!?"
Flustered, Hayoon protested with an aggrieved look, and Soyul calmed down a little and looked around.
"No... where on earth are we?"
It was definitely a space she'd never seen before.
There wasn't much furniture in view, but what she could see all looked expensive, and the simple interior design stood out.
"I don't know either. I definitely remember drinking wine yesterday. But my memory cuts out partway through, so I don't know what happened..."
"...My memory cuts out too, so I can't remember either. Oh, right! What about Serin!?"
When Soyul belatedly mentioned Serin, Hayoon's eyes widened too.