Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Ramen
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The familiar rooftop room was right in front of my eyes.
Even after flying for over ten hours from Dubai in the morning, the sun that should have set long ago was only now dipping below the horizon.
"Haaah, home at last. Feels kinda strange though."
The room fell into a heavy silence the moment I closed my mouth.
A wave of emptiness washed over me, and I flopped onto the bed. Only Snowy was bouncing around excitedly.
"Fluffy. You happy to be home?"
"Yeah!"
"What about Grandpa Arthur?"
"Like!"
"Yeah? Let's go see him when we get time."
"Yeah!"
Chatting with Snowy, the softness of the bed and the guilt of lying down without showering battled inside me.
"Guess we still gotta wash up, huh? Snowy, let's go bathe."
"Yay!"
"What kinda rabbit likes water this much?"
While showering, I lathered shampoo into Snowy's fur too, and she rolled around happily on my head.
Thanks to her, I had to rinse my hair several times before I could finally step out.
"Whew, shower time's a battlefield every time because of you, Fluffy."
I finished showering and rummaged through my bag for the pajamas my sister had packed for me.
As I lay down on the bed, Snowy—familiar with the blanket—started rubbing against me and rolling around like crazy.
Watching Snowy frolic, I slowly closed my eyes, and memories of the party members causing a ruckus right up to the very end flooded back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ga-eul, you'll be safe by my side. I'll secure a house for you, so bring your family."
"I'm fine! I'm the strong one here. And it's a misunderstanding. My only family is Snowy."
"Huh... Is that so? Makes it even easier to come then. I'll handle the procedures. Just show up."
"Grandpa, I'm really okay!"
No matter what story he brought up, Grandpa Herman kept trying to convince me to come to his side.
When I wouldn't listen, he pulled out his last card, muttering curses while bringing up the Hongmun tale.
"Pfft."
In the end, he gave me the hotline number—his direct line—and told me to call if anything happened, or seek help nearby. He even sent a list of Help Corp branches. Just show them the whale's belly mark, he said.
I was shocked looking at that list: TripleNet, the platform I'd always streamed on, was owned by Grandpa.
Well, technically his conglomerate owned TripleNet's parent company.
Even at the airport, it was chaos.
Isabelle bawling her eyes out, begging me not to go.
"We'll see each other again. It's not like contact's hard these days. Snap out of it!"
"Hic... What am I supposed to do about these tears."
Dennis advising me to drown sorrows in booze when stressed and stuff myself with bread when hungry.
"Kuhaha! Ga-eul, hit me up anytime for bread!"
"Not stuff. Actual necessities?"
Arthur grumbling about leaving Snowy behind but hugging us warmly anyway.
"Come stargaze at the observatory."
"With Snowy too, right?"
"Obviously."
The Chairman deciding to restart properly this time, heading to work instead of Korea.
"Boss. I'll do my best."
"Yeah, kid. You got this!"
"Thanks, Boss."
💬 Comments — Resting Half-Moon Bear Hunt Almost [lolol Rookie got cut!] Grandpa Kamar suddenly announcing he was job-hunting to follow me.
"Miss, I'm thinking of switching jobs."
"Huh!? Where to all of a sudden?"
"Hmm, I've lived long enough. Time to chase my dreams."
"Ah, yeah, that makes sense. I'll cheer you on, Grandpa!"
"Thank you. President."
"...?"
Something about better benefits here.
I could still picture the Chairman's blank expression hearing that.
Managed to talk him out of it, though.
And finally, the group photo we took together.
"Kimchi~"
"Cheese~"
"Smile~"
"Whiskey~"
"Whiskey?"
It was Dennis.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Reporters were swarming when we landed, right Snowy?"
"Lots."
"Yeah, tons. Took some doing to sneak out."
They must've smelled a scoop—way more than expected.
The others hadn't been on streams before, so regardless of who they really were, the photo with Isabelle alone drew the crowd.
"Was fun though, right?"
"Fun!"
"Heehee. Yeah, it was."
Snowy bouncing around so happily—what was so exciting?
Looking closer, she was rolling everywhere.
"Pahaha. But Fluffy, why'd you get so fluffy? C'mere."
"Fun!"
"Aigoo, my baby. Ball or bunny?"
Rubbing her wildly with a towel and blanket turned her into a total fluffball.
Hugging the soft Snowy and rolling around for a while, I suddenly remembered something I'd wanted since snacking on bread at the party hall.
"Wanna go eat ramen?"
"Yay!"
The sharp scent of flowers wafted from Snowy.
Hearing that, I shot up from bed—Snowy still in my arms waving her paws.
In that instant, the room warped, and in a blink, a quaint thatched house appeared before me.
The air shifted too, carrying the fresh scent of grass.
Tsssk. Tsssk.
"Whew—. Way better than grass. Cigarette smoke."
I lit up, sat on the porch, and pulled out my stuff.
"Pot! Water! Burner!"
"Yay!"
"Ramen!! Kimchi!!"
"Yay!!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ "My baby's meal!!" Seeing Snowy happily clutching the flower I handed her, her fluff settled down quick in the outdoor breeze.
I'd left the status window open for Snowy's meal funds. About to close it, I finally noticed the number and my jaw dropped.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ 💰 Remaining Funds: 1,555,425,000 won "Sold the gold bar, huh. Insane."
Sold for 1.6 billion, but price was blank—then I remembered spamming swim skills to save Dennis.
"Hmm."
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [Humboldt Penguin-level Swimming Lv.4] Swim speed increase in water
>Acceleration increase in water
>Trace skin respiration of dissolved oxygen in water
>Fish tastes even better
[Price: 80,000,000 won]
"Damn."
Ignoring the still-wonky description, I searched on my phone—about 30-40 km/h.
"Freakin' fast. Wait, me?"
Bubble bubble.
While searching, the ramen boiled over, filling the porch with delicious aroma.
"Let's eat! Snowy, want noodles too?"
"Slurp."
"...? Fluffy, weren't you a domestic bunny? Invasive species?"
"Learned."
From Arthur, apparently.
I ladled broth for Snowy and was about to lift my chopsticks when a thought froze me.
"Wait. Snowy, didn't I just search on my phone?"
"Yeah."
"No, where even are we? Why's there signal?"
Munch munch.
She just answered and went back to dipping petals in broth.
"Huh? Did it always work? No."
Phone worked fine as usual.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Han Ga-eul started broadcasting] — Hi Hi [Boss home yet?] — Where's this? [Our boss so diligent lololol] "Huh. It really works?"
— What works? Where are we? [???] — Boss popped Zolpidem on the plane? [lolol look at boss's cute PJs] It'd always been beyond human logic, but lately it felt even more so.
"Hmm. No clue."
— lololol So cute we forgive [Boss so earnest lolol] No idea how to answer viewers.
Not like I live countryside now—always hung near sister's shop outside, so they knew the general area, if not exact address.
"Ramen mukbang today."
— Sudden? Where tho lolol [Boss random af but we're used to it] — Fr lol [Real talk lol] I picked up chopsticks to show viewers.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 《Elegant Chopstick Handling》 The chopsticks elegantly swirled through the air.
Then dove like a giant hornet droning from a drone.
Noodles dangling like an aurora on the chopsticks.
"Ah shit. Not that. How're the noodles? I boiled 'em."
— Boss cooks great lol what else but delish [Chopstick skills pro tho lololololol] — Dying lololol [Too funny lololol] "Hoo— hoo—."
Slurp. Slurrrp.
"Hot damn."
Crunch.
Popping a piece of kimchi in, the hot ramen and crisp kimchi harmonized in my mouth.
"Haa—. So good."
— Ahahah can't take it Head Chef!! Water up!!! [Wanna bag one but only cup ramen home] "You guys have a head chef at home too?"
— Yeah lil sis gave allowance today ez [lolololololololol] "Pfft. How much?"
— 50k lol [Cool bro!] — RedParade donated 50,000 won [Me bro too hehe] "Whoa, thanks for the 50k donation, RedParade! Thank you!"
— lolololololololol [Boss reflexes sharp af lolol] — Tell Chairman go work lolol [lol] Poke poke.
Chatting with viewers, someone poked my thigh.
Looking down, Snowy was nudging my leg with her fluff.
"More?"
"Yeah!"
"Okey dokey. Right away."
— Snowy there too? [Snowythroner not visible] "Fluffy's tiny, so usually outta sight."
— True lolol [Yeah lolol] I angled the phone, ladled more broth into Snowy's dish.
"Gave her extra. Gotta eat mine too."
Slurrrp.
— lolol water boiled ramen ruined [Tasty tho] Finishing the broth felt like it cured the greasy party food hangover.
"Haa, thanks for the meal."
— Polite af [Eats so well] — Saw Boss's Boötes watch? Over 200 bil [That watch] Polished off the ramen, about to chat more and end, when watch talk popped up.
"What watch?"
— The one you gave butler dude. Buyer auctioned 10 yrs ago for 200 bil [Cry? Boss cry?] — Waaah cry? [Sob sob cry?] "Huh? No? Wasn't mine to begin with. We did quiz together, others helped get it. Not mine."
— Wait wrong reaction? [Boss enlightened?] Irk.
"What kinda talk. Guys, you know I just got home? Quick stream with ramen. See my babies tomorrow."
— Bai bai [Short but sweet bai bai] — Gnight boss [Sweet dreams babies. Bai bai.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Han Ga-eul ended broadcast] Trickle.
"Aigoo, aigoo. My 200 bil. Hweeeong. 200 bil ten years ago—what's that now? Hweeeong long dda. Aigo ooo."
Grrr.
"Master."
"Aigoo oo, belly. Guts twisting. Aigoo."
Grrr. Grrooowl.
"Snap out of it."
Writhing on the porch from gut pain, a sound like thunder or beast roar echoed from the sky—indistinguishable.
Snowy's paws kneading me snapped me back, but the sky roared again.
Grrrrroooowwl!
"Mr. Dickens... Are you crying?"