Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Quiet Morning
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"Nyong nyong."
"That tickles!"
Seeing Baeksul rolling around makes me burst out laughing.
"Heehee, does it tickle?"
"Yeah!"
When her belly itches, she should hide it, but instead, she shows it off and flops right onto my lap.
"My little fluffball, want a massage?"
"Yay!"
"Do you even know what a massage is?"
She tilts her head.
Guess not.
I fiddle with Baeksul's paw, and she relaxes completely, going limp.
"This is a massage."
"Yay!"
I don't know why I'm the one feeling good when I'm the one giving it.
It's warm, soft, and squishy.
I push my thumb along the sole of Baeksul's foot, or knead it in my hand.
"Hmmm."
She seems to like it, but it's more like she just loves me touching her than the massage itself.
⚙ SHOP ⚙ [Massage Lv.1] Slightly increases blood circulation effects [Price: 400,000 won] "There we go. My little fluffball, cheek massage time."
Baeksul's chubby cheeks stretch and squish following my hands.
Just like soft glutinous rice cakes.
"How's that?"
"Yay!"
She always just says yay, so I can't tell if she really likes it.
But her color's improving, so it must be working.
⚙ SKILL LEVEL UP ⚙ Baeksul melts even more. ⚙ SKILL LEVEL UP ⚙ She melts even further. ⚙ SHOP ⚙ [Massage Lv.4] Increases blood circulation effects Increases fatigue recovery effects Increases muscle relaxation effects Increases skin soothing effects [Price: 3,200,000 won] [Remaining Balance: 23,160,000 won] My unstoppable fingers make both the money and Baeksul melt away.
"Feel refreshed?"
"Yeah."
Baeksul's eyes half-close during the massage.
She must be feeling good.
She stretches languidly, then fully closes her eyes.
"Customer, looks like you enjoyed the service."
She's completely melted.
The effect is too good.
"Would unnie like it too?"
I bet she'd love a sticky oil massage.
Ring ring-
As I spend the morning lost in random thoughts, my phone rings.
Looking at the screen, a familiar name pops up.
"Yes, Grandpa."
- Everything okay?
"I'm always sturdy! How about you, Grandpa?"
- I'm the one who can't sleep hearing you're going overseas.
"Oops."
Albert's got a looser tongue than I thought.
I even bribed him with a grenade, and he does this to me?
Feeling guilty, I can't say a word when Grandpa Herman's voice comes again.
- No, Ga-eul. You can't go.
"It's just a quick trip."
- No.
It's the place with that crazy old hag called the Demon Mother of Hongmun, so to Grandpa, it must look like walking into the tiger's mouth.
His voice is firmer than expected, making my body flinch.
He's always so affectionate, so the contrast hits hard.
- Albert sent a report. It even said you might be an alien.
"Gasp."
The grenade I gave Albert is confiscated.
- I know you're no ordinary girl, Ga-eul. If that serious guy submits something this playful, that's all I need to know.
"Actually, I've become the successor to the Peach Spirit. But looking back, it kinda feels like nicotine peaches..."
- Child.
"...Yes."
Grandpa Herman cuts off my rambling with a firm tone.
- Have a safe trip.
"...Pardon?"
- It's not good to be too cautious at your age. You should play like a kid.
I braced for a huge scolding, but after trying to stop me, he suddenly says go.
I can't figure out what he's thinking.
And I'm grateful he dotes on me, but being treated like a kid is embarrassing.
"You just tried to stop me."
- I knew you wouldn't listen. At my age, one word tells me everything.
He can't even see my face, but I feel seen.
He just said not to be too cautious...
- I'm saying this because if you sneak off, I can't do anything.
"Yes, sir."
- Go easy on the swordplay.
"...Yes, sir."
Albert's cheeseburgers are confiscated for a week.
Click.
After hanging up, my heart finally starts pounding.
Is my mind getting younger as my body does?
"Whew."
I look down after feeling eyes on me, and Baeksul is staring wide-eyed.
"Awake?"
"Yeah!"
Still sleepy, she yawns hugely.
I bury my face in her tiny belly, and happiness returns.
Squish, squish.
Baeksul pokes my cheek like asking what's wrong.
"Nothing."
"Yeah."
Her tiny pulse echoes in my ear.
Normally I'd push away saying it tickles, but her cotton-ball paw rubbing my cheek is pure bliss.
"Aang!"
"That tickles!"
Pretending to bite, she freaks out.
"Pffft. Baeksul, wanna play a game?"
"Yay!"
She claims her favorite spot on my head to watch.
I boot up the computer and launch Panic Field. My character, who looks just like me, stands in the middle of the battlefield.
Playing without streaming feels weird.
There should be viewers going wild before the plane even drops, but it feels empty.
"Just live vicariously."
I turn on the phone stream, and there's the streamer calming the viewers.
『Looks like they swarmed because of the aggro. I'll play as usual.』
— Delri-nim, block them all [Block them all] — They're real crazies [Real crazies] 『Thanks for worrying. But I can't sit after hearing I lost a game. Rematch time.』
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Bang!
💥 KILL! 💥 [Han Ga-eul eliminated Bibidayong ☠️]
Click.
I take out the clinging player, and a smoke grenade goes off as a teammate dives in.
Smoke to block vision and rescue the teammate.
Bang!
💥 KILL! 💥 [Han Ga-eul eliminated Radelri ☠️]
Click.
"Kyaa."
"Pyaa."
"Baeksul, I did great, right?"
"Pyaaa."
She's picking up weird stuff again.
🏆 VICTORY! 🏆 Victory message pops up on the screen.
Radelri must be pretty good.
If he's not dying to me, he survives to the end or wins almost every time.
『Aaaargh!! Han! Ga! Eeeul!! You again? You again? Whyyy!!』
After winning, I check the phone stream, and Radelri is tearing his hair out, freaking out.
He just switched to a morning face mask too. What a shame.
"What a refreshing morning."
"Hungry."
Checking the time at Baeksul's words, it's already past ten.
I lost track of time tormenting Radelri.
"Already this late?"
"Yeah!"
"We played a game, so wanna eat out or order in?"
"Out!"
"Okay, out we go."
Excited at going out, she bounces around.
"Gotta brush properly?"
"Yeah!"
Her answers are always the quickest, like a rabbit.
..
..
..
..
Flap flap!
"Kee yaak!"
"Rub rub!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Han Ga-eul has started broadcasting] — ⚔️ Han Lion roaaar!!!! [⚔️Han Lion roaaar!!!!] — ⚔️Are you insane! Insane! Insane!! [⚔️Are you insane! Insane! Insane!!] — ⚔️I didn't believe it! Didn't believe!! [⚔️I didn't believe it! Didn't believe!!] "My babies, good morning."
The friends swarm in, turning the quiet morning rowdy.
Like a flea market.
"Guys, leave Radelri alone. Why are you all so desperate to eat him up?"
— ⚔️Didn't you just punch a hole in Radelri's head? [⚔️Didn't you just punch a hole in Radelri's head?] "Oh, you saw?"
— ⚔️lololololol [⚔️lololololol] — ⚔️So brazen lolol [⚔️So brazen lolol] — ⚔️So where you headed? Outside? [⚔️So where you headed? Outside?] "Going for brunch with Baeksul."
— ⚔️Not One-Shot Whole Chicken? [⚔️Not One-Shot Whole Chicken?] — ⚔️lololololol [⚔️lololololol] "Wanna die? It would be tasty though."
Chatting noisily with viewers, I walk the familiar path I could navigate blind.
"But what's brunch? Never tried it."
— ⚔️ㅠㅠ [⚔️ㅠㅠ] — ⚔️We told you to cherish our leader? [⚔️We told you to cherish our leader?] — ⚔️ㅠㅠㅠㅠ [⚔️ㅠㅠㅠㅠ] "Screw you, it's okay not to have tried it."
Looking around for a restaurant, I spot a crowd murmuring ahead.
Up close, it's market vendors prepping for lunch, faces etched with undisguisable fear.
— ⚔️What's that? [⚔️What's that?] — ⚔️Show us too, leader! [⚔️Show us too, leader!] At the viewers' urging, I flip the camera forward.
— ⚔️Gangsters? [⚔️Gangsters?] — ⚔️ㄷㄷ Run! [⚔️ㄷㄷ Run!] Ahead, burly guys in suits gathered since dawn, all wrapped head to toe in casts and bandages like they came from a knife fight.
From afar, they're flexing shoulders to instill fear.
Thud. Thud.
As I approach, their eyes lock on me with my pink hair.
— ⚔️Leader!!!!!!!!!!! [⚔️Leader!!!!!!!!!!!] — ⚔️Real gangsters, Leaderlian! [⚔️Real gangsters, Leaderlian!] — ⚔️Not scripted? Real deal, crazylian run [⚔️Not scripted? Real deal, crazylian run] The closer I get, the more their faces pale.
"Lump."
— ⚔️Kee yaak! Crazylian crazylian crazylian! [⚔️Kee yaak! Crazylian crazylian crazylian!] — ⚔️Call the cops! [⚔️Call the cops!] — ⚔️Leaderlian causing trouble again!! Emergency! Emergency!! [⚔️Leaderlian causing trouble again!! Emergency! Emergency!!] "Why flex in someone else's turf? Who sent you?"
Up close, their faces turn ashen.
"Uh, uh... th-that..."
"This fucker's stuttering. Who sent you?"
"B-boss... no, Manager Kim s-sent us."
"Fuck, who's that?"
"A-Arirang... Faction."
Their faces blue, stuttering—Arirang Faction guys.
Pretty far away, no idea why they're here.
"Looking for me?"
"N-no, sir!"
"Ah, fuck. Stuttering like hell."
— ⚔️????? [⚔️?????] — ⚔️Who's the gangster here? [⚔️Who's the gangster here?] — ⚔️Ga-eul seems like the gangster imo [⚔️Ga-eul seems like the gangster imo] "Call Manager Kim."
The gangster pulls out his phone and fiddles.
I take the proffered phone; it's connecting.
Click.
- Business?
"Business my ass. Wanna die for real?"
- ...Who are you?
"You junkie fuck, amnesia from all the drugs? Want me to remind you?"
- ...Gasp!
The Arirang boss chokes back a groan over the phone.
Finally remembers.
"Why are these guys here?"
- After our manager fled, it became a vacant turf, so I sent guys to check. Sending them back now.
"Come here."
- M-me?
"Yeah, you. Get here and kneel before I come to you. You know what happens if I do."
- Coming! Coming! For real!
I hang up and toss the phone to the lump; he catches it fumbling.
"Lump, attention."
"...Pardon?"
Whack!
"Aaaak!"
Shin kick, still dazed.
"Fuck, attention."
"Att-attention!"
"At ease."
"At ease!"
"Do modern thugs only have voices this weak?"
"N-no aaak!"
Front lump's shin kicked, back ones raise their voices.
"Attention."
"Attentiooon!!"
"Prostrate, fucker."
"Prostrate!!"
"Think I went easy with the knife so you're cocky? Want me to really cut?"
"No aaak!!"
Prostrated, screaming throats raw.
"Make space for Manager Kim beside you. Got it?"
"Yes, sis!"
Smack!
"Guhk!"
"Who said I'm your sis."
Lump's forehead swells in real time from the flick.
The club scene with blood pouring must be vivid in their heads.
Fear doesn't fade easy.
It becomes trauma, digging deeper daily.
— ⚔️Policeman uncle! Gangster! Name Han Ga-eul! Hurry!! [⚔️Policeman uncle! Gangster! Name Han Ga-eul! Hurry!!] — ⚔️What's this, scripted too? [⚔️What's this, scripted too?] — ⚔️Good gangsters, bow your heads [⚔️Good gangsters, bow your heads] — ⚔️ㅠㅠ [⚔️ㅠㅠ] Phone shows viewers chattering among themselves.
"Now, brunch time for us."
— ⚔️Over? [⚔️Over?] — ⚔️Situation ended? [⚔️Situation ended?] I've done so much crazy shit they don't even ask what happened anymore.
"Yeah, over."
Looking around, a perfect brunch spot catches my eye.
"Oh, there."
— ⚔️ㅇㄷㅇㄷ? [⚔️ㅇㄷㅇㄷ?] — ⚔️Kya leader brunch, rare af [⚔️Kya leader brunch, rare af] — ⚔️lol real rare [⚔️lol real rare] Adults rave about it, so I've wanted to try once.
— ⚔️Oh shit lol [⚔️Oh shit lol] — ⚔️Kya lol who said rare [⚔️Kya lol who said rare] — ⚔️Leader's disastrous brunch pick [⚔️Leader's disastrous brunch pick] Morning, so seats are empty.
Sunny spot secured, server approaches with menu.
"Welcome, what'll it be?"
"Gondre rice set, please."
"Yes, gondre rice set coming up."
"Oh, mind if a rabbit comes in?"
Server glances at my pink hair.
"Of course, pink hair customers are always fine."
Checks menu, mutters weirdly, scurries off.
"Gonna be tasty, right?"
— ⚔️Tasty yeah but lol [⚔️Tasty yeah but lol] — ⚔️My parents love it [⚔️My parents love it] Morning drinks hit; sitting makes me languid again.
"Whew, comfy."
— ⚔️ㅗㅜㅑ [⚔️ㅗㅜㅑ] — ⚔️That heavy? [⚔️That heavy?] — ⚔️Me 500kg squat pls [⚔️Me 500kg squat pls]