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Chapter 55
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Si-hyun skimmed through the news and articles briefly before getting up from her seat.
She saw her younger sister rushing back from a distance.
Whether an S-rank Hunter had gone missing or not,
it wasn’t someone she personally knew, so it quickly faded from her mind.
Si-hyun and Si-yoon took public transportation to their meeting place.
Not long after they arrived, a taxi pulled up in front of the restaurant, and Ji-a got out.
“Sorry! Did you wait long?”
“No, we just got here too.”
Ji-a and Si-hyun exchanged greetings first.
“Unnie, it’s been so long!”
“Yeah, it has. Have you been well, Si-yoon?”
Si-yoon squealed with excitement and clung to Ji-a.
Ji-a hugged Si-yoon tightly, smiling brightly as she said,
“You dressed up so nicely! If someone saw us, they’d think we were going hunting for guys.”
“Hey, this is just the basics.”
“Si-hyun, you dressed her up, didn’t you?”
“Of course!”
Both Ji-a and Si-yoon turned their gazes toward the same person.
Si-hyun was wearing a brightly coloured dress.
A delicate ribbon around her waist accentuated her slender and beautifully curved figure.
Feeling awkward, Si-hyun scratched her cheek and turned her head, saying,
“I-I just tried my best….”
Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
Amused by her sister’s reaction, Si-yoon grinned and said,
“I picked out her outfit in advance. But guess what? She didn’t want to wear it at first!”
“Really? How did you convince her?”
When Ji-a asked, Si-yoon burst into laughter and replied,
“But of course, I succeeded with tribute!”
“Ah, I see.”
Ji-a immediately understood what she meant.
It must have involved Momobin merchandise again.
‘She’s going to get caught soon at this rate.’
Ji-a gave Si-yoon a cautious look.
…Though, it would probably be entertaining if she did get caught.
Si-yoon would freeze, too embarrassed to speak.
Si-hyun would stammer, her brain momentarily shutting down.
Imagining the scenario, Ji-a chuckled lightly and said,
“Standing in front of the restaurant forever isn’t ideal. Shall we head in?”
“…Yes, let’s.”
“Let’s go!”
The three women entered the restaurant.
Since Ji-a had made a reservation, they were comfortably seated at their table.
Si-hyun leisurely took in the atmosphere of the restaurant.
The dim lighting in the private dining area exuded a luxurious vibe.
There were tasteful paintings and sophisticated decorations.
‘This would be perfect for a date.’
Just like the brunch café they had visited for breakfast previously,
Ji-a seemed to know all the good spots in Seoul.
Thinking she might ask Ji-a for recommendations someday, Si-hyun struck up a conversation.
“You mentioned you pre-ordered one of the dishes?”
“Yeah, it’s something you have to reserve a day in advance to eat.”
Ji-a flipped through the menu she handed to Si-yoon.
When Si-hyun saw the dish she was talking about, Ji-a pointed it out with her finger and said,
“Beef Wellington. Have you tried it before?”
“…No, I’ve never even heard of it.”
“I’ve seen it on TV!”
When Ji-a asked, Si-hyun shook her head, and Si-yoon raised her hand excitedly, saying,
“It’s the dish chefs throw across the room in reality shows for being undercooked! Right?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
“I was curious about it when I saw it on TV, but this will be my first time trying it! Wow, I’m so excited!”
“Fufu, I’m sure you’ll love it.”
Watching Si-yoon’s excitement, Ji-a smiled behind her hand.
Si-yoon resumed diligently exploring the menu.
While looking at the menu together, Si-hyun spoke with an awkward expression.
“…Um, I don’t come to places like this often, so I’ll leave the menu choices to you.”
“Then I’ll have this one!”
“For that? Then let’s go with this one as the other dish.”
The menu decisions were made smoothly.
After they finished ordering, Si-hyun stood up and said,
“I’m going to use the restroom for a moment.”
She walked gracefully toward the restroom.
Her platinum-blonde hair shimmered softly under the restaurant’s lighting as it swayed gently with her movements.
Ji-a silently watched Si-hyun’s retreating figure.
Once Si-hyun was out of sight,
Ji-a turned back to Si-yoon and said,
“Si-yoon.”
“Yes?”
“You haven’t been caught about your broadcasts yet, have you?”
“No… not yet.”
Si-yoon’s lips drooped into a pout as she answered.
Seeing her reaction, Ji-a smirked and said,
“Sometimes Si-hyun asks me about things through messages. Like housing prices and stuff.”
“Oh… really?”
“She’s curious about how much income you’d need at certain Hunter ranks to afford a standalone house. Things like that.”
“…Oh… okay.”
Si-yoon fidgeted awkwardly with her fingers.
Ji-a watched her with amusement and said quietly,
“How long are you planning to keep it a secret?”
“…Until I get caught?”
“Won’t it just make things more awkward later?”
“T-that’s because… I’m her bias, and she watch my streams all the time, so it’s just… weird to bring it up….”
“Well… yeah, I can see that.”
Ji-a nodded in agreement.
The fact that Si-yoon, who was so shy, went out of her way to dress up and come here spoke volumes about how much she admired Si-hyun.
Even just that much made it clear how special Si-hyun’s love for her bias was.
“How did she get so into it?”
“…She says she likes the voice.”
“Pfft, the voice?”
“She said it reminds her of herself as a kid or something.”
Ji-a chuckled softly as she watched Si-yoon pout her lips.
The voice, huh? A simple yet definitive factor.
“Hehe… Well, I’ll keep it a secret until it gets found out.”
“Thanks, unni! But seriously, what should I do? Is there a good solution?”
“Hmm? I’m not sure.”
“Ugh… Maybe I’ll just disguise it as an accident and make my sister appear on a broadcast too.”
“Oh my.”
It was an extremely radical suggestion.
While Ji-a widened her eyes in surprise, Si-yoon seriously considered the idea.
“…It might actually work? Honestly, wouldn’t the viewers love it?”
“Hehe, they probably would? Si-hyun does have such a beautiful voice.”
“Alright! I’ve noted it down in my head.”
Si-yoon wore a sly smile as she thought to herself.
“They say desperate mice bite cats.”
If pushed to the brink, she might actually go through with it.
Of course, she knew this wasn’t a fundamental solution.
But wouldn’t a series of shocking events help cover it up for a while?
Si-yoon started to seriously consider it.
“What were you two talking about?”
Returning from the restroom, Si-hyun sat back down next to Ji-a.
Ji-a gave Si-hyun a playful smile as she looked at her.
“Si-hyun, what do you think of my voice?”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly asking about your voice?”
“Just curious.”
Though a bit flustered, Si-hyun earnestly answered.
“…Hmm, I’m not good at expressing these kinds of things…”
She gazed into the air as if deep in thought.
Tapping her cheek with a finger, she pondered for a moment.
Then, Si-hyun clapped her hands together with a loud smack.
“Oh! If I had to compare, you know Momobin, right? VTuber Momobin.”
“Yeah, I know. We even watched her on TV together last time.”
“Yup, yup. Personally, my favourite voice recently is Momobin’s. But sometimes she acts cute or speaks with a lisp.”
“…”
“Pfft… I see.”
Ji-a couldn’t hold back her laughter and covered her mouth with her hand.
Acting cute with a lisp?
Ji-a sneakily glanced at Si-yoon sitting across from her.
Her expression looked like she’d bitten into something bitter, but she was trying hard not to show it.
Her uncontrollable facial muscles twitched and wriggled.
Thanks to that, Ji-a found it incredibly difficult to suppress her laughter.
Si-hyun, oblivious as she was focused on Ji-a, seemed unaware of any of it.
Being stuck between the two and trying not to laugh felt like torture.
In the end, Ji-a decided to just laugh.
“Hehe…”
“…?”
Was it really that funny? Si-hyun tilted her head in confusion.
Having no clue, she calmly continued explaining.
“In comparison, your voice, Ji-a, hmm… It’s the kind of voice that makes listeners feel at ease?”
“…I see.”
“Ugh, it’s so embarrassing to say this to your face. Anyway, you’re my second favourite after Momobin!”
“Hehe, I see. Thank you.”
For Si-hyun, it must have been a genuine compliment.
Ji-a gave a bright smile and expressed her gratitude.
Just then, the waitress approached their table.
“Here’s your order.”
With a few words, she arranged the food on the table.
Once the food was ready, Si-yoon, who had managed to fix her expression as much as possible, spoke up.
“Hey, unni…?”
“Yeah?”
“You know there’s such a thing as a broadcast tone, right?”
“Of course. It probably varies for each broadcaster, though.”
“What would it be like if you spoke with a lisp? I’m curious, could you try it just once?”
At Si-yoon’s request, Si-hyun responded with a shocked expression.
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Why not? Just try it once!”
“Even if you brought me a full set of Momobin merchandise, I wouldn’t do it.”
“Ugh—”
When her sister firmly refused with a serious tone, Si-yoon swallowed her disappointment and backed off.
Internally, though, she thought, “It seems like that’s the only way.”
Of course, she didn’t say her thoughts out loud.
After that, the three women chatted about everyday topics.
They shared impressions about the Beef Wellington they were trying for the first time.
They talked about how creamy the pasta tasted.
The peaceful meal time passed, and when dessert arrived, Ji-a scooped a spoonful of ice cream and picked up her smartphone.
Out of habit, she casually checked the news.
“Oh…?”
Her face turned to one of surprise as she scanned through an article and read its contents.
Seeing Ji-a’s serious expression, Si-hyun grew curious about what she was reacting to.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, uh. I read in the news that Hunter Yoo Byung-joon has gone missing. Do you know who he is?”
“Ah, I saw that earlier. He’s an S-rank Hunter, right?”
When Si-hyun answered, Ji-a nodded and said,
“The dungeon where he went missing— it’s the same one we were originally planning to go to.”
“The A-rank dungeon that a big guild claimed first?”
“Yeah. So, it’s making me feel a bit uneasy.”
“Ah, I see.”
Si-hyun recalled the conversation she had with Ji-a at the brunch café before.
As she followed her memories,
“Oh…?”
She suddenly remembered something important.
“That dungeon… Didn’t you say the time limit was almost up? Before it goes berserk?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Things must be getting pretty dangerous. The Hunter Management Bureau must be on high alert.”
“Hmm…”
Satisfied with her curiosity, Si-hyun gave a small nod.
“Well, the bureau will probably handle it just fine, won’t they?”
Si-hyun’s interest ended there.
Since it wasn’t a matter involving herself or someone close to her, she didn’t feel the need to concern herself with it.
“Shall we head out? Let’s take a light stroll in the nearby park and then head to the wine bar.”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
The women, having finished their dessert, stood up.
After paying the bill, they left the restaurant.
Naturally, they strolled toward a nearby park.
While walking together and admiring the scenery,
Si-yoon smiled brightly and said,
“Let’s take some pictures! Photos!”
And just like that, it turned into a photo session.
They took group photos together.
They also took individual shots, each person having their turn.
Dozens of photos began piling up quickly.
“Hey, why don’t you two stand by that tree over there? I’ll take an amazing shot from here!”
“Hehe, then I’ll leave it to you!”
“…Alright.”
Excited by Si-yoon’s suggestion, Ji-a and Si-hyun walked over.
They climbed the steps to stand by the distant tree and posed together.
Seeing her sister fidget nervously, Si-yoon chuckled softly.
If I opened her phone gallery right now, it’d probably be completely empty.
I’ll make sure to fill it up this time!
Determined, she focused on taking the photos.
While Ji-a and Si-hyun stood together, they seemed to exchange some words.
Ji-a pointed her finger in one direction and gestured to Si-yoon before walking off.
Si-yoon nodded and moved to join them.
But just then,
A man approached Si-yoon, who was alone.
“Excuse me, I think you’re really attractive. Could I have your number?”
He was a persistent pick-up artist.
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