81. Just the Two of Us in a Luxury Officetel...
81. Just the Two of Us in a Luxury Officetel...
***
Me.
[I'm almost there.]
Sua had said she'd come out to meet her when she got close, so Serin sent a message first as she walked.
Yoon Sua.
[I'll come right down!]
As she checked Sua's instant reply, several officetels came into view not far ahead.
Whether it was fair to call them all pretty, the building exteriors were all pleasing to the eye, as if aesthetic sense had advanced with the times.
And by rough estimate, about three more minutes? She expected to arrive at Sua's officetel before long.
Step.
A remarkable way of walking that made no footstep sound at all despite her sneakers.
Serin's figure walking along holding wine wrapped in luxurious packaging was itself utterly striking.
A red blouse with refined lace as an accent, and slim-fit black pants below subtly showing off the elegant lines of her legs.
As the time approached six in the evening, the streets of Cheongdam-dong gradually filled with people, beginning to form clusters of crowds. People gathering one by one as if each had made plans.
As with any place, the hot spots only truly came alive in the evening.
And even amid those crowds, Serin drew people's gazes with an overwhelming presence, as if it were only natural.
Her mixed-race features, exotic and distinctive, could not be hidden by a mask,
and her neatly styled bangs and the pure-white silver hair tied back cleanly stood out anywhere on their own.
Even her clothes looked at a glance like a light casual outfit, but her body proportions were so good that it all simply suited her perfectly.
So much so that even passersby naturally gave Serin a glance.
She drew many people's eyes.
Glance.
Just like now.
"..."
She could feel people's gazes as they passed, subtly scanning her, but she tried not to react to each one.
There were only a few who openly stared. No one approached or spoke to her.
'I need to get used to it.'
She'd be going outside more from now on, so she couldn't start fearing going out already.
The thought she'd had on a previous outing—that she needed time—now felt like something she had to change. Putting things off only worked once or twice; if she kept doing it, there'd be no end.
'Still. Why does mere wine feel this heavy?'
The luxuriously wrapped wine in her hand felt heavier than expected.
She lifted her left arm again, the hand that had sagged, and let out a small breath beneath her mask.
She wished time would pass quickly and her stamina would improve.
Not long after she resumed walking, an officetel building with an extremely flashy exterior entered her view. The exterior of the officetel, done in a rather handsome blue—maybe it was a new build.
—Cheongdam Pleana.
Even the name engraved on the building sounded fancy.
"Sua... she's really well off."
The words slipped out before I knew it.
Only a few minutes from the busy streets of Cheongdam-dong.
And the building's exterior was so flashy that she wondered if this was really an officetel, drawing admiration the moment she saw it.
They did say successful NewTubers earned on a different scale, and Sua certainly lived in a different kind of place.
While she was admiring the exterior of the top-tier officetel that didn't look like an officetel at all, a voice came from nearby.
"Serin!"
When she turned her head, Sua was right there, smiling brightly as if she'd been nearby all along.
Sua's real-life appearance, seen again after a few days, looked a little different.
Maybe because she'd gotten used to Sua's golden-haired princess look in Another World, the calm image of Sua with wavy brown hair felt fresh.
"You already came down?"
She spoke while taking in Sua's appearance.
Sua wore a black cardigan over a white blouse, and maybe because it was still summer, her outfit looked light even for the evening.
"Yes, I just came down. Anyway, even with a black mask on, the moment I saw you I knew right away—it's Serin! Honestly, from the moment you were walking over from way over there, I could feel some kind of aura."
"...What aura."
She gave a small laugh and shook her head at the blatant flattery.
"Wow, Serin, did you dress up this much just to drink with me today?"
Then Sua looked me over from top to bottom and spoke admiringly.
"Dress up, what. I just threw on something comfortable."
Even as she answered, she felt a little self-conscious that Sua saw it that way.
"So, Serin, what brand is that blouse? I should buy one too. It's seriously so pretty."
Sua was staring at my clothes with eyes practically dripping affection, which flustered me.
"...I don't even know the brand myself. I just bought it because it caught my eye, so I'll find out and tell you later."
She spoke, then looked at the officetel for no real reason.
"Anyway, Sua, you live in a really nice place."
"Oh, come on. Serin lives somewhere plenty nice too, so why make a big deal of it."
Sua laughed lightly and said, "Let's go inside," leading the way. Serin naturally followed Sua into the officetel, and Sua's words suddenly brought one fact to mind.
The house I live in now.
The fact that it was entirely in my name—now that I thought about it, if it had been a family home, it was strange that I'd never seen anyone else's belongings there.
And the family I'd never even met, the people who'd died in a car accident, had lived in a house far away in the countryside, as I'd learned.
Come to think of it, I also remembered Seoyun saying last time she left that she'd "crash at your place" during vacation.
'A gold spoon, or something?'
It seemed odd to have a house in my own name at only twenty-five, so that thought crossed my mind.
"...Serin? Serin!?"
Her repeated calls snapped me back to attention.
"Ah, yeah?"
"No, you suddenly stopped answering, so I called. Are you feeling sick or something? You just spaced out all of a sudden."
At Sua's worried question, I realized I'd been lost in thought.
Maybe because I'd spent so much time alone lately, I'd drifted off into other thoughts even with someone to talk to.
Keeping that in mind, I shook my head.
"No, I'm fine. Just had a thought."
"What kind of thought?"
"Just, a thought with no meaning at all. More importantly, did you order snacks or other drinks?"
I quickly changed the subject. It was meaningless to dwell on anyway.
"You said you were bringing wine, so I haven't ordered drinks yet. And I was going to order snacks after discussing with you. Oh, right, so is that wine you're carrying?"
She glanced at the wine in my hand and asked, and I nodded.
"I'm bringing over what I just ordered."
"The packaging alone looks anything but ordinary—did you buy something really expensive?"
"It has a certain price range. And Sua, you told me to buy something expensive."
Buying a few bottles had pushed the wine cost past two million won, so I figured this much counted as expensive.
"No, but I didn't think you'd actually buy it. But wait, was there a place nearby that sells wine this expensive?"
She asked as if she hadn't known such a place existed, and I looked at Sua, a little baffled.
—Ding.
With the sound of the elevator arriving, I stepped in, feeling incredulous.
She lived in a luxury officetel like this, yet she was acting as if she had some aversion to wine.
"I looked it up and found one. I ordered from Cheongdam-dong S Wine Bar or whatever it's called."
"Wow. Look at you, getting things done."
Sua made a fuss with a surprised expression—an over-the-top reaction you'd only see on stream.
"Initiative, what. I just searched and bought it."
"Ah, Serin? I'm only saying this now, but you know. I don't really drink wine much. Even if I drink expensive wine, I don't know much about the taste."
She spoke quietly, looking at the luxuriously wrapped wine as if embarrassed, and I thought she was worrying about something strange.
"It doesn't matter if you don't know the taste. I bought all sweet varieties anyway, so even if you don't know wine, it probably won't taste bad."
"Really? Then... that's a relief."
Things she might normally refuse, she accepted eagerly, yet now she was being oddly timid about something strange.
Just when I felt like I understood Sua and then didn't again.
Sua suddenly moved her hand.
She tried to quietly take my hand holding the wine, and I turned my hand away, wondering what she was doing.
Swish.
Sua's hand cut through empty air.
"Ah."
Sua let out a small sound, and I seized on it, incredulous.
"'Ah' what."
"Um... isn't the wine heavy?"
"No, we're almost at your place, and you're trying to take it now?"
The elevator kept rising. We'd get off and be right at her door—what was the point of taking it now?
As if embarrassed by my words, Sua pouted for no reason.
"Tch, I try to be considerate and you still complain."
"Considerate, my ass. Just don't. Drinking with me today is more than enough."
She'd helped me in all sorts of ways, and she'd readily replied when I suddenly asked to drink today—I was grateful to Sua for no particular reason.
"Listen to yourself... who just says something that sweet with no warning?"
Sua laughed a little awkwardly and looked at me, which was funny for some reason.
"Sweet, what's sweet. Seriously."
The more I talked with Sua, the stranger it felt.
I could feel both of us trying to match each other in conversation, and it was a really odd feeling.
Slide.
The elevator reached the 17th floor and opened, and Sua strode ahead, leading the way.
"Ah, Serin, you can't say anything if my place is messy, okay?"
Sua turned her head and laughed awkwardly, and I nodded without much thought.
"Okay."
Sua was usually so sharp and put-together about everything—how messy could her place really be?
Click.
Sua found her door and opened it.
"...?"
The interior visible from right behind Sua was even more... than I'd expected.
"What, it's clean? Why did you say that?"
Contrary to Sua's words, the view was tidy.
She'd said it was messy, so I'd even wondered how she normally lived.
"Well. It's clean right now."
"...Right now?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing."
Sua quickly mumbled and shook her head, and I wondered if there was something inside that I didn't know about.