Afterparty (2)
We were all still lingering in the Discord server even after ending our streams.
Yeon-a spoke up in an excited voice. Everyone replied that they had indeed ended their streams. A quick check confirmed it.
I sat in silence, staring at the monitor with a box cutter gripped in one hand.
Meeting these people offline… an in-person meetup.
My heart began to race—not the painful kind from before, but with a gentle mix of nerves and anticipation.
Whenever I tried to pull back, convinced I didn’t belong among such amazing people, they would tug me right back in and tell me this was exactly where I was supposed to be. The thought filled me with quiet joy, and a smile slipped out on its own.
“Um… when should we meet…? I’ll make my schedule work no matter what.”
Yeowu sounded oddly cheerful as she called herself a NEET. Haram, whose schedule was the busiest, spoke next.
“Th-then weekdays are better for you, Haram…?”
Haram answered with a bright smile. While I was still thanking her, Giseong chimed in.
Giseong glanced nervously at Yeowu. Thinking she really was like a mom, I turned to the last two.
“Yeon-a… what about you…? Mr. Kei… would that be okay? The gukbap restaurant is busier on weekdays…?”
“I see… th-that’s a relief.”
“Yes… got it.”
Tomorrow worked for me too. Meeting people outside on a weekday. How long had it been since I left the house just to see someone?
If it’s to meet people, it’s been years…….
A quiet sadness welled up. It was a moment that made me realize just how deeply I had been buried in the past.
It’s okay now. Everything was over.
“Um… I’m really looking forward to it…! I might not be able to sleep tonight… hehe… I want to see you all soon.”
I had recovered enough to say such cheesy things with a bright smile.
One by one, people left the once-noisy voice channel. Before long, only Yeowu and I remained.
“Y-Yeowu…! You hang up first! I-I’m fine…!”
Normally the higher-ranking person should end the call, so I waited, but Yeowu chuckled softly.
“…Huh? Ah, yes……”
Her gentle voice wrapped around my ears. I felt a little choked up, but answered brightly.
“Yes… I will. Thank you.”
Yeowu left the call. I did the same and leaned back in my chair, staring blankly.
“…It’s over.”
It really was over. The server I had poured so much effort into was finished, and though countless things had happened, today’s festival felt like it had washed everything away. Enough that I even found myself thinking I might want to attend a real festival someday.
“Not fireworks… but something like a university festival……”
If I hadn’t given up on studying, I probably could have gone to a decent university—especially with memories from my past life. Another regret to add to the list. I felt the corner of my mouth lift slightly. I was proud of myself for having the luxury to even think about regrets now.
“…I’ll post the break notice and go to sleep.”
Muttering to the darkened cityscape, I wrote the notice and buried myself in bed.
In the dark room, Takheon was piecing together every scrap of information he had gathered, desperately trying to locate Suhyun. He cross-referenced photos and stories from her cam broadcasts with nearby buildings. As a bonus, he even used Yeon-a’s SNS, which he had discovered midway through his search.
“…Tsk. This girl’s no help at all.”
The one fortunate thing was that Yeon-a’s SNS had nearly stopped updating. The only new posts were about scoring expensive liquor. Sighing, Takheon scrolled through the internet again, confirming Suhyun’s appearance. She looked a little thinner, but it was definitely his daughter from back then. As a parent, he recognized her instantly—and that parental instinct was being put to a chilling use.
“…I’ll make you the same. How dare you betray me?”
His chest burned with vengeance. In truth, Suhyun had done nothing wrong. If she had any fault, it was only that she hadn’t asked for help or reported him sooner. That was all. Yet the Suhyun who had obeyed him most obediently, nearly erasing her own sense of self, was the one he now wanted to punish. He opened the fan café he had recently joined and watched her latest cam clips. The room wasn’t even mirrored. He entered real-estate sites again, comparing every single room. His obsession knew no bounds. No matter what, he wanted to catch this little girl and kill her. To him, Suhyun wasn’t a daughter. She was nothing more than a bothersome byproduct of threatening Sujin—a machine that earned money and nothing else. So how furious must he be?
“…She’s not coming out. She really won’t show herself, damn it.”
—Thud!!!
Takheon slammed the desk, exhaled, and lit a cigarette. Just as he was about to quit for the night—
“…!!”
A precious hint, posted by Suhyun herself. She had been talking about the afterparty right before ending stream. There was only one conclusion to draw.
“Tomorrow…!!”
A sly smile spread across Takheon’s face—the smile of someone who could kill without hesitation. In his mind, every possible way to end her life played out: strangling, stabbing, beating.
I… did wrong, Dad… sorry, I’m sorry… I want to… live…….
Every time, the tear-streaked Suhyun from his memories appeared. To Takheon, that was how she was supposed to look—completely broken, trembling only for him. There had been exactly one moment when that image had cracked: when he reached his filthy hand toward Jiwoo.
“…That worthless brat. She still hasn’t come to her senses after getting hit that time.”
He sighed, yet smiled brightly. Today, the cigarette smoke tasted especially sweet.
From the moment she woke up, Suhyun began choosing clothes to wear outside.
“…Pants… she said they don’t look pretty, so I can’t wear them… maybe a skirt.”
She picked the longest skirt she owned and held it up to herself. In the full-length mirror, Suhyun looked at least somewhat presentable. Objectively, she was cute and charming, but to her it was only “presentable.”
“At least it’s decent… I’ll go with this……”
She rummaged through her clothes until she found an outfit that suited her, smiling happily as she sorted through her excited heart. Once everything was chosen, she stood before the mirror.
“I look… a little pretty, maybe……”
Muttering to herself, she awkwardly raised her phone and took a mirror selfie, then sent the photos to the afterparty group chat Haram had created.
Watching everyone banter, Suhyun smiled softly. Everyone’s really looking forward to it. She had no idea how many things were about to happen to her—or what would befall her next. The same was true for the man on the other side of the city.
“…You wore them prettily. You’ve gotten a lot better. Back in the early streams you couldn’t even speak.”
Junsu rubbed his eyes after a good night’s sleep. He, too, had no idea what the next day would bring.
“Haah… should I wash up?”
Without the slightest premonition of the guilt that would soon follow, Junsu got up and headed to the bathroom.
Photos of apology
Cat Suhyun
Fox Suhyun
