Chapter 53. Pandora's Box
Chapter 53. Pandora's Box
A chill settled over the studio.
To be precise, only for me...
Sweat trickled down my back. I had no idea what to do.
Conversely, the chat erupted into a festival.
[Dumbass lololololololololol]
[Just go die, you bastard lolololol]
[The video holy shit lmao he's loving it lolololol]
The video kept playing, showing me looking around everywhere with a wide, happy grin.
Before, it wouldn't have mattered, but now that Laila and I were together, I felt oddly self-conscious.
"Hmm... So you had that look on your face when we went to the maid café."
"Ah, no... that was just me looking around because I was curious..."
The longer I talked, the more it sounded like an excuse.
On screen, my gaze was already glued to the employees in maid uniforms.
The eyes darting left and right were full of sincere(?) delight.
'Fuck... Why was this happening to me...!'
One of the main things that ruins relationships was lies and excuses.
Just getting on my knees to apologize would be...
─ Squeeze...!
In the instant I was agonizing over the best angle to bow my head.
Laila's hand reached under the table.
At an angle the broadcast camera couldn't see.
'...!'
The problem was, for a man, it seized the second most important...
no, perhaps even more important location than his heart.
"Fufu, it's alright. You are a man, after all, Hero."
I felt it that day.
Probably, when the sun rose tomorrow and my parents left for work...
'Save me.'
---
Laila was happy day by day, thinking about the newlywed home she would live in with Song Hoon.
But... that feeling... today... dropped just a little bit.
'Even though I was right here... how could he...!!!'
Song Hoon in the video was just too joyfully stupid-looking.
Her own chest, hips, and looks were far superior to those women.
A pointless jealousy was rising.
'...'
But she didn't want to become a wife who nagged over trivial jealousy.
Because she had wanted to be a perfect, good wife and wise mother who supported her husband since long ago.
'Ugh... still, I couldn't help being upset...!'
Yet, Song Hoon was clearly growing more and more restless.
That worried face of his...
She couldn't resist it.
'I planned to hold back as much as possible until we moved... but you're the one who provoked me first, Hero.'
─ Squeeze...!
She now grabbed Song Hoon's Holy Sword(?), which had become hers(?).
"Fufu, it's alright. You are a man, after all, Hero."
She looked forward to tomorrow.
The situation where both his mother and father would leave for work, leaving her alone with Song Hoon...
---
Before we knew it, the video ended.
People raved over the video, which was skillfully edited to only show the juiciest parts.
"Hmm... they really did pick a good editor."
[If they picked well, then why didn't you pay them back then? lolololol]
[But damn, props to them]
[ Saintess's Foot Wiper has donated 10,000 Watts! ]
- But how do you know so much about anime and game characters?
"Is it a problem that I do?"
[ Saintess's Foot Wiper has donated 10,000 Watts! ]
- It's amazing that a guy with glasses who looks like he'd put padlocks on things and was obviously a bully knows this stuff, just the way you talk is so shitty
[lololololol did the guy who donated actually have his shit locked up?]
↳ This comment had been temporarily blocked.
[He knows suspiciously well lolololol]
↳ This comment had been temporarily blocked.
[This is why you should never give power to loner losers, fuck]
↳ This comment had been temporarily blocked.
"I've just liked this stuff since I was a student?"
At my answer, the chat began flooding with '?'.
Judging people by their appearance was a bad thing.
Calling someone who might have gotten hit but never threw a single punch a bully... how unfair.
---
[That travel vlog from last time was good, any chance you'll film another?]
[Can't you go somewhere other than Japan?]
[Can't go to China though]
[lmaooo lololololol]
"Hmm... Travel, huh..."
I glanced at Laila sitting next to me.
Laila also had an expression that was quite interested in traveling.
"But I'm a hunter streamer, not a travel streamer, right?"
[Hoon?ter]
[Hunter streamer) raids done 3 times, end of story]
[lolololol stop cutting off other hunters' livelihoods and do something else]
What one viewer had started as a joke was gradually becoming reality.
'Travel... that really doesn't sound bad...?'
─ Taptaptap...
I pulled up a notepad on the live screen.
And there, I wrote, 'Taking recommendations for travel destinations.'
Soon, a flood of chat messages from viewers poured in.
[Vietnam go go]
[Thailand go go]
[Southeast Asia is the safest bet]
[How about a trip to Europe?]
[Go to the US and meet up with Max-ham lol]
Aside from the last message, nothing really appealed to me.
A plain, safe trip wasn't enough to give me a dopamine hit.
[Then how about only going to crazy dangerous places?]
[Yeah yeah, places swarming with gangs and mafia]
"Huh... but those guys aren't exactly dangerous either?"
I unconsciously searched the internet and a vast amount of information came up.
The gangs, mafias, and cartels that used to mess around with guns had completely changed.
They were now wielding ruthless violence led by powerful hunters.
"And those are called villains?"
[Let's refreshingly beat down some villains, go go]
[Time for corrective education, let's go]
Just as I was wondering if a simple resort would be better, another viewer's chat message caught my eye.
[If we go somewhere like Hawaii, will the Saintess wear a swimsuit?]
Chosen.
We were absolutely going to a resort.
"A resort, huh... I did work hard, so I should get some rest..."
[Rest my ass lolololol]
[This motherfucker is 100 percent doing this because of the swimsuit comment]
[Honestly though, I want to see it too]
But the thing was, I had never been on a trip before.
When I searched resort destinations, several candidates came up: Southeast Asia, Saipan, Hawaii, Maldives, Cancún, etc.
I had to pick from among these...
[ Saintess's Foot Wiper has donated 10,000 Watts! ]
- Just pick either Hawaii or Cancún, go go. Let's see Max-ham's face on the way.
"Let's say Hawaii makes sense, but why Cancún?"
I knew Hawaii was U.S. territory.
But why was he mentioning Cancún?
[It's right below the U.S., dumbass]
[Did you sleep through World History?]
[Seriously, how did you even get into college?]
'You fuckers... I might just not know something.'
"Anyway, if we decide between Hawaii and Cancún, I'll make an announcement."
A trip began for the sole purpose of seeing Laila in a swimsuit.
Unfortunately... it was still too early for swimsuits in Korea.
---
- Wahahaha!! So you're asking me to recommend one of the two?
I was on a phone call with Max via speakerphone.
I figured he would know more about this side of things than me.
- If I had to say, Hawaii's probably more famous for Asians.
"So Hawaii is the safest bet?"
- But the place Americans go to the most is Cancún.
"Why?"
- Hmm... Would a Korean go overseas just to vacation in Busan?
I nodded at Max's unique analogy.
True... you wouldn't go overseas just to travel to the next town over.
From an American's perspective, Hawaii was still the U.S. in the end.
- When do you think you'll leave?
"Probably as soon as we have time. I don't have a company job or anything."
- Keuhuhu... Must be nice...
Should I ask this or not?
I wanted to go to a nice, atmospheric restaurant with Laila...
'Ah, whatever. It'll get out sooner or later anyway...'
I told Max.
That Laila and I were seriously dating right now.
Then, I heard Emilia's voice from beside Max, who had been listening in on the call.
- Bo, boss...! Ju, just a moment...!
- No... I'm on the phone...
- I said just a moment...!
After a brief scuffle, Emilia snatched the phone.
- I-I'm so sorry... Is it really true you're in a relationship?
"Ah, yes..."
People live their lives and sometimes date, why was she so shocked?
At that point, Laila also snatched my phone and went off to a corner to start talking.
"..."
A good while later, Laila handed the phone back to me.
- Hoon... anyway, contact me when your plans are set...
"Ah, alright..."
In the end, I spent a fairly late night looking into various things.
All for the sake of seeing Laila in a swimsuit.
---
"Alright then, we're off. Eat a good lunch."
"Yeah..."
The day broke, and after finishing breakfast, my parents left for work.
Driven by a surging unease, I walked them all the way to the door to see them off.
"What's this? Our son, coming all the way to see us off?"
"Yeah... what time are you coming home today?"
"Well, I'm not sure? It'll probably be a bit late today. Things have been chaotic lately with tax issues, after all."
So saying, my parents waved and headed out.
Mentioning they were leaving Laila in my care...
─ Thud!
The moment the door closed, Laila stared directly at me.
And puffing out her cheeks, she put on a sulky expression.
"I was really upset yesterday, you know!"
I was definitely in the wrong here.
Just looking at Laila's face, I was unconditionally in the wrong.
"Do you like maid outfits that much?"
"..."
I did like them.
But I was not clueless enough to say that outright.
In times like this, just apologizing unconditionally was the right answer.
"Sorry..."
"Then give me a kiss!"
Yeah.
I was already resolved.
---
"..."
"Hero, I love you♥"
"Me too..."
Laila, who had been lying next to me, got up with a soft smile.
And opening one side of the wardrobe, she dragged out a large box.
"What's this?"
"Open it~"
When I opened it, an enormous amount of clothing appeared.
And not just ordinary clothes...
"Maid uniform, bunny girl, nurse, school uniform... No, wait, this is..."
My heart was so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn't finish my sentence.
It felt like tears would well up.
Not from above, but from below...
A man's brain was indeed ruled by his dick.
I was saying it twice... I strongly support this statement.
"I filled it with things I thought you'd like, Hero~"
Yeah.
This was Pandora's Box.