Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Why Are You Convinced?
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Well, yeah, that could happen.
Surprisingly, Suha accepted Min-ji's outrageous plan to wear that suffocating-looking racing helmet—even inside the indoor event hall—with unexpected ease.
"Sigh... Do whatever you want."
She already knew this girl wasn't the type to listen just because someone told her to.
Min-ji wasn't someone who could be persuaded with words.
Some extremists claim that if talking doesn't work, you have to resort to violence...
But this one wouldn't even budge under violence.
[Guhk...! It hurts! It huuuurts!]
Whenever Suha had lightly(?) smacked her as petty revenge for all the teasing and the age lie she'd been putting up with...
Min-ji had never once truly submitted.
If anything, she'd endure it with a glare that screamed 'just you wait,' forcing Suha to back off in the end.
After that, the teasing actually ramped up, leaving Suha thinking there couldn't be a tougher nut than this one.
So, Suha didn't even bother trying to stop her this time.
The weather had turned even colder, and the venue would be blasting heaters anyway—she'd regret it soon enough.
And if she whined about it later, Suha could just say, 'I told you so, but you wouldn't listen.'
-Hey, this thing's surprisingly warm, and it doesn't feel too stuffy either.
"...Huh."
It looked stuffy just to look at, but if the wearer said it was fine, who was she to argue?
Min-ji looked pretty cute, wandering around with that ill-fitting helmet flopping on her head.
-You know, this reminds me of something. What was it? That... uh... thing...
"Yeah?"
-Oh, right! Hey, wanna smack me on the head?
Out of nowhere, Min-ji thrust the crown of her helmeted head toward Suha.
"...Suddenly?"
What now?
What new stunt was she pulling this time? Suha's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
-You see it in that movie, right? The truth room or whatever. Does it really hurt that much? I always thought the one hitting would hurt more.
"Oh."
That was it, huh.
"That's because Ma Dong-seok was hitting. And with a helmet on, the impact bounces around inside—makes you dizzy and stuff."
-Really? So if you hit me, it won't hurt much then.
Suha bristled at that.
It wasn't wrong, exactly, but it rubbed her the wrong way... made her want to test it for real.
If she swung with her full strength, she could probably make it hurt plenty, even if not movie-level.
"...Fine, fine."
No matter how annoying she was, roughhousing while driving was dangerous. Suha shelved the idea.
Unless this irritation dragged on until the next light...
"Whew, this thing's stuffier than I thought."
In the end, it must've been too much—Min-ji yanked off the helmet, panting and rubbing her neck.
Just a few minutes in, and she was already like this. How did she plan to wear it the whole showcase?
"Suha, can't this car do that thing? Y'know, open the roof? Just once?"
"In the dead of winter...? You trying to freeze?"
"Convertibles are so romantic. Come on, just once?"
"Sigh, don't complain when it's cold."
Whiiiir...
"It's cold—close it."
Whiiiir...
"..."
"...Suha, don't look at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like, super judgmental. Y'know, 'what is this nonsense?' vibes?"
"Spot on."
As Min-ji kept up her ridiculous antics and Suha endured it half in resignation, driving on—
"Snore..."
"Whoa."
Min-ji's stunts paused, accompanied by an adorably cute snore.
The aftermath of oversleeping and rushing out had caught up—sleep crashing over her like a wave.
Falling asleep in the passenger seat in front of the driver was rude, sure, but since it was Min-ji, Suha let it slide.
She hadn't conked out immediately, either—she'd tried fighting it a few times (including slapping her own cheek, startling Suha).
How tired must she be to snore like that?
Still, annoying was annoying. When the light turned red, Suha slyly reached for Min-ji's nose.
And pinched.
"Snorg... Gek..."
Pfft.
Seeing Min-ji's face scrunch up from blocked breathing melted Suha's pent-up frustration away.
Truth be told, Suha had never truly hated her.
"If you didn't have that face... Ugh."
"Snore..."
Release the pinch, and Min-ji's face relaxed right back into peaceful snoring.
With that as background noise, Suha kept driving, and before long—
"Um, Saintess? How long are you gonna sleep?"
"Mmm... Huh? Wha—? Oh! Ack!"
"We're almost there. Wake up."
They'd arrived at the showcase venue: Jangchung Gymnasium.
- - - -
After arriving at Jangchung Gymnasium, Min-ji and Suha wandered the booths set up outside.
As a big event, there wasn't just the showcase—plenty of Ias-related booths too.
And Min-ji, who'd snored the whole way—
"Uh, um... Suha, here—drink this."
—was briskly paying off her karmic debt.
One big wave of piled-up karma was enough.
"Huh? What's this? Hot chocolate? How'd you know I like it?"
"Um... 'Cause we're friends?"
"Oh..."
She'd actually looked it up on Namuwiki, but Min-ji skipped that part.
Suha didn't pry further.
As Suha sipped the hot chocolate Min-ji bought, warming up, her eyes drifted to the shopping bag in Min-ji's hand.
Inside was the full-face racer helmet she'd worn earlier.
In other words, Min-ji was walking around bare-faced now.
"So, you decided not to wear that helmet after all?"
She'd brought that stuffy thing just to hide her face, yet here she was strolling through crowds with only a mask.
Suha couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Huh? Oh, this? Too stuffy, so later. No name tag yet anyway—should be fine, right?"
"..."
"Why that look?"
"Just... more sensible than I expected."
"What."
True to Min-ji's word, no one around recognized them.
Crowds were huge, and both wore masks.
Once inside, they'd have to wear channel-name tags, so no hiding then—but for now, risk was low.
Maybe someone recognized them but stayed quiet.
"Well... You might get spotted."
Suha did cam streams mostly, so higher chance than Min-ji.
"Hmm... Yeah, probably."
Suha glanced around casually.
A few lingering stares here and there.
Not sure yet, but if they hung around, they'd figure it out.
"Let's not risk it here—head inside and wait? I'm fine, but you might get tired."
Suha wasn't top-tier famous, but in Ias circles? Different story.
Especially fans this dedicated. They'd spot her quick.
Min-ji's words boiled down to: 'If fans swarm you, it'll suck—let's dip.'
But...
"That'd sound cool if you weren't shivering like a leaf."
"C-C-Cold... Let's go in..."
With arms hugged tight, teeth chattering—zero credibility.
"Yeah, inside we go."
"Cooold... coooold...!"
The second Suha finished, Min-ji bolted indoors.
"Hey, wait up!"
Chasing her fleeing friend, Suha followed.
Some eyed the suspiciously curvy duo—'Nah, no way,' 'Is it?' 'Kinda looks like...'—but suspicions went unresolved.
- - - -
Escaping the cold inside the gym, they killed time at a cafe.
They'd arrived way too early—showcase still far off.
"Ugh..."
Dopamine addict and pleasure-seeker Min-ji was getting bored stiff.
But one thing revived her slump—
"Oh, time's up."
"R-Really? Let's go, hurry hurry."
"You were dying of boredom, huh."
Beaming, Min-ji returned the two empty iced glasses to the counter and bounced out.
Then, with an 'ah,' she turned back to Suha.
"Gotta hit the bathroom quick—go ahead."
"Okay, by the entrance. You can find it?"
"Psh, I'm not a kid."
"..."
"Suha? No answer? Suha~?"
Not super reliable, but c'mon—even Min-ji could handle this.
Weird, sure, but not dumb.
Signs everywhere screamed [20XX Ias Winter Showcase Entrance]. Missing that'd be the issue.
"Got it—hurry, or we'll have to line up."
"Yep."
Leaving bathroom-bound Min-ji, Suha reached the gym entrance path.
"Whoa..."
Already packed.
Entry time hadn't hit, but counting visible people was impossible.
Should've lined up instead of cafe.
Still, not too bad yet... Better hold spot before Min-ji arrived.
Suha took the end of the line. Minutes later, a few more joined behind.
Min-ji not here yet? Waiting idly—then—
"Who's that?"
"Delivery...? Nah."
The quiet line erupted in buzz.
What? Suha followed the stares.
"Ack."
Min-ji, striding up in that full-face racer helmet from the car.
...Right, she said she'd wear it.
Scanning... Ah, found her.
Min-ji approached waiting Suha and stuck right behind.
Suha now shared the stares Min-ji drew.
"...I said just wear a mask!"
-But... might get recognized...
"Aren't you stuffy? It'll be hot inside."
-I'm fine.
If she said so, what could Suha do?
Couldn't nag about stares as her companion.
Streamers were used to gawking anyway.
Suha was getting gaslit by Min-ji, bit by bit.
"Warriors attending the Ias Showcase—briefing: Entry starts in about 3 minutes. Please prepare phones for simple verification."
"Ooh, soon. Min-ji? What're you doing?"
-Stuffy...
Geez, Suha nearly said it but swallowed.
"Entry soon—hang in there."
-Mmmkay...
Thanks to Suha grabbing the line quick, wait wasn't long.
"Hello—uh... the helmet... um..."
-I'm a streamer, don't reveal my face.
"Ah, uh... Okay. Scan this QR, verify, and enter."
Min-ji was the helmeted one, so why was Suha embarrassed?
Leaving the wide-eyed staff, Min-ji scanned indifferently and went in.
A staffer approached—prepped they were streamers.
"Streamers, right? Grab your tags here... Uh, um..."
-Hello.
"Y-Yes... Channel name?"
"[Suha]."
"Ah, Suha! Hello—here's your tag."
"Thanks."
After cheerfully seeing Suha off, staff turned to Min-ji.
Hesitated, fumbling for words.
Min-ji beat her to it.
-[Seongna].
"Aah..."
Suddenly, staff nodded understandingly, confusion gone.
What?
Why are you convinced?
"First showcase? Hope you'll keep supporting Ias, Seongna."
-Uh, y-yeah.
For some reason, it irked Min-ji.