65.
What Kim Dae-seok said is not wrong. Because it was true that I was hasty in doubt without plausible evidence.
However, there is something that can be explained only if Chae Yoo-jung and Yoo Chae are the same person. For example, the first meeting between me and Yoo Chae.
Judging by the attitude Chae Yoo-jung showed at the wedding, he thinks of me quite well. That’s why he changed his attitude as soon as he found out that Hero’s ‘I’m Sleepy’ and Zenoris’ ‘I’m Sleepy’ are the same person.
After that, he must have heard from Seo Tae-young that I was doing Zenoris. The reason for hiding his personal information must have been on purpose in case I met him at the wedding.
More than anything, I’ve already experienced a case where Yoo Chae approached me pretending to be someone else. I had a strong premonition, like when I realized that Cotton Candy Fox was Yoo Chae.
‘But… But...…’
That was it. I couldn’t confidently ask Chae Yoo-jung if he was Yoo Chae.
I needed to take the time to check if they were really the same person or if it was just my imagination. At this rate, it seemed that it would bother both of them if it turned out they weren’t.
Especially for Yoo Chae… We’ve finally become close friends, and I didn’t want to hurt him with a ridiculous misunderstanding.
After organizing my thoughts, I looked down at the glass on the table. The iced lemonade glistened like a jewel in the sunlight coming through the window.
At that time, someone, who had walked close to where I was sitting, opened his mouth with a nervous expression.
“Hello.”
When I looked up, as expected, Chae Yoo-jung was standing there.
Instead of saying a word, I simply greeted him and pointed to the chair across from him, and he sat down, creaking like a rusty machine.
‘Why did you come dressed up like that?’
Chae Yoo-jung was wearing a light autumn coat over a dark blue turtleneck shirt with half of his bangs over. I’m just wearing a hoodie and jeans.
The eyes of the people around him were drawn to his direction because he’s a rather gorgeous-looking guy.
“H-have you been waiting long?”
“No.”
“Sorry. I, um, was going to come right away.”
Chae Yoo-jung made a face that reminded me a lot of a certain someone and stutteringly apologized. This is rather inconvenient.
“I really only waited about 10 minutes… It was me who suddenly called yesterday and asked to meet, so don’t worry about it.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Please order a drink first.”
Chae Yoo-jung looked at the lemonade in front of me and smiled brightly. There was an optical illusion that flowers were in full bloom around him.
What kind of man looks so pretty? That’s interesting.
“I’m fine.”
“Here is one drink per person.”
“......”
Chae Yoo-jung, who stood up awkwardly again, ordered a menu and returned. He ordered the same lemonade as me.
“I’m sorry for asking to meet you all of a sudden. I have something to ask in person.”
“No. I was very happy that you asked me to meet you first. That… actually, I wanted to meet you too.”
Chae Yoo-jung, who was shy with his ears dyed red, asked with his eyes twinkling.
“Can I call you Ji-han-hyung like last time?”
“By the way.”
I was scratching the back of my neck thinking about how to start talking, but I finally opened my mouth.
“How do you know me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Of course I know Chae Yoo-jung. Because you’re a popular pro player. We met as enemies many times.”
Let’s talk seriously without laughing, and Chae Yoo-jung, who was extremely excited, quickly calmed down.
“But no matter how much I think about it, I don’t know how you know me. Even if you heard about me from Tae-young-hyung...”
Wait. How should I put it better? ‘You like me’? The tone is a bit strange though. It’s like having a crush, but then again, this is also ambiguous. Should I say, ‘You’re following me’?
“… I don’t understand why you’re trying to be friends.”
When I hurriedly shook my head and asked instead of using the simplest words, Chae Yoo-jung raised the corners of his mouth and laughed.
“I know what Hyung is talking about. I approached you at the wedding a little hastily, right? I also regretted it a lot when I went home that day. I didn’t mean to embarrass Hyung.”
Chae Yoo-jung, who had become calmer than before, answered in a low, soft voice.
“It is true that I like you. Like a fan. I admire you a little.”
“What? Admiration?”
A popular professional player yearns for an ordinary college student?
“Hyung is good at games. It’s not just Hero, it’s all other games too. That’s why you’re cool.”
“Are you teasing me right now? Or are you kidding?”
“I meant it though?”
Feeling frustrated, I let out a small sigh and crossed my arms.
“Do you chat with someone you admire about them being a shit jungler?”
“Ah, that.”
“Honestly, it’s ridiculous for me. Every time I meet you, I lose. It’s because of my lack of skills and lack of team luck, so I can’t argue with it, but isn’t it kind of bringing a fight to say that in the entire chat?”
“...sorry.”
In an instant, with his shoulders drooping down, Yoo-jung looked at me with sad eyes.
My heart was slightly shaken by the pitiful appearance, like a puppy abandoned on a rainy day.
‘Uk……’
“I was trying to play a joke on Hyung, but I went too far. As soon as I started chatting, I felt that I had made a mistake and tried to apologize to Hyung… Since I wasn’t added as your friend, I couldn’t do it in the end.”
… Did he?
Well, I guess it was because I was upset. Come to think of it, right before I quit Hero, I put Gamgack on the block list.
Hero is different from RPG games, so you can’t talk to each other unless you add them as friends. At least, when we meet in the same game, all we do is have a personal chat or chat in the game window, but since I quit the game right away, I couldn’t even do that.
“… Alright. I didn’t listen and I blocked you right away, so I won’t pursue that further.”
“Bl-blocking? Did you block me?”
As if Chae Yoo-jung was shocked, his eyes widened and he panicked, then he pouted his lips slightly and glanced at me.
So what if you stare at me?
“So, what’s the answer to the question? I asked why you want to be friends with me.”
“I guess?”
“I’m asking because I’m curious.”
Chae Yoo-jung, who had a dissatisfied face with his lips tightly closed, turned his head around and said calmly.
“If you unblock, I’ll answer.”
“What?”
“Unblocking on Hero. If you unblock me, I’ll answer it.”
He really hits the target. What’s up with this guy?
I wiped my eyes, barely swallowing my irritation, and forced a smile.
“I’ll go home later and unlock the block right away, so why don’t you explain now?”
“I blocked you and quitted the game anyway? It doesn’t matter.”
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it.”
“No, then what?”
“Please send me a photo to prove that you unblocked me. I’ll meet you later and tell you.”
“…you know what a nuisance you are?”
In the end, I couldn’t stand it and said the sentence in my thoughts, and Chae Yoo-jung covered his mouth with his hand and cried.
“How can you say that, Hyung!”
“What.”
“You just said outright that I was annoying. I like Hyung... It’s really too much.”
“That one is too much.”
“It’s not a difficult request to unblock me… It’s because I really want to get close to you...”
Chae Yoo-jung blinked his big eyes several times as if he was upset. His long eyelashes fluttered lightly like a butterfly flapping its wings.
“If you don’t want to hear me saying that, you can start explaining.”
“Even swearing when asked to unblock…”
As my voice rose little by little, the attention of the cafe customers around me became more focused.
“Looks like they’re fighting over there.”
“Gosh, he’s really handsome.”
“Does it look like someone is crying?”
“......”
Chae Yoo-jung, who must have heard the gossip, lowered the corners of his eyes as if to show off more, and looked sad.
This pretentious bastard…
Me with my arms crossed and my face distorted violently, and Chae Yoo-jung with his head down with his shoulders narrowed and his mouth covered with his hand.
At first glance, the swearing came out in a situation where the perpetrator and the victim were clearly divided.
‘Fuck.’
I grabbed half of the lemonade I hadn’t had since Chae Yoo-jung came and gulped down half of it. Then, with a half-melted ice cube in his mouth, I jumped to my feet.
“Come out.”
The guy who had been watching me, asked with a stupid expression, while trembling.
“Yes?”
“Come out. I want you to confirm.”
“Wait a minute, Hyung!”
As I strode out of the cafe without any explanation, Chae Yoo-jung, who was surprised, hurriedly chased after me.
“Hyu-hyung. Are you angry? I really don’t want anything else, just take a picture of unblocking me and send it to me.”
“Be quiet and follow me.”
I didn’t want to hear what he said on the street, so I grabbed the guy’s wrist and walked ahead. Chae Yoo-jung, startled with a rattle, quietly followed me without trembling.
Fortunately, the destination was not too far from the cafe. Entering the alley right next to the cafe building and walking for about 3 minutes, a familiar sign appeared.
[Latest specifications, comfortable space! Nice PC room available!]
Support on KoFi: Chapter 69, 70, 71, 72
Chapter 66,67,68
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Credits:
Translator: Hoshi Miya
Editor: Meimei
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