Chapter 133: Foreign Festival (2)
Part 3
“So, my streaming hours might be a bit late for a while. Probably less frequent too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, host?!”
“Is school more important than us, Noona?!”
“Of course school’s more important. Connections from school help; you guys don’t do much for my life.”
“Ouch…!”
“I’m mad, but I can’t argue…”
There’s a unique comfort in this familiar scene. The uneasy thoughts swirling hours ago seemed to wash away with the torrent of chat messages. Am I a proper streamer now?
How did the time meant to be the most performative become the one where I can speak freely? Proof that my daily life’s been too hectic? Should I be sad about that? Well…
“Starting next week, I might barely stream. Got too much on my plate.”
“No way!”
“Why aren’t you focusing on your main job, host…”
“My main job is being a student. I’m not a streamer first, I’m a college student.”
Come to think of it, I didn’t even do raids this week. I’d love to log in before the weekend, but will I have time? Thinking of tomorrow’s lectures and the festival committee tasks waiting afterward made my shoulders ache already. I won’t have much time to goof off like this, so where do I vent all this stress?
“So if we visit your school, we’ll see Noona on stage?”
“What? StormCloud in an idol outfit, dancing and singing?”
“Where are these people’s imaginations going lololol”
“If you’re too busy with festival prep to stream, isn’t that worth expecting…?”
“Seeing your imaginations run wild, you’d all make better novelists than viewers.”
Guess I’ll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Their chatter—“I wanna see this, that’d be fun”—drew a quiet chuckle from me. Are they free of worries, or do they, like me, think it’s okay to let loose for now?
Who knows? Maybe I’ll never need to.
“Sadly, that’s never happening,” I said.
“If Noona’s not performing, what’s filling the schedule?”
“Your school’s clueless; not using a natural performer like you???”
“Wait, maybe she’s hosting too, smiling all festival long, announcing ‘Next up is~’?”
“What!”
“WHAT!!!!”
These people.
“That was the deal—no performing, just helping with the committee. Sorry to disappoint.”
“No way!”
“NO WAY!!!!”
Sihyun’s voice flashed through my mind. He said he’d call back in an hour, but it’s past evening, and the stream’s ending with no word. I knew it was a big ask, but I couldn’t imagine him not following through.
“Still, there’ll be plenty to see. I watched some rehearsals—quality’s no joke.”
“Ugh… If Noona’s not there, why bother?”
“For real, I checked the wiki, it’s a 4-hour trip.”
“Don’t come then.”
Still, knowing Sihyun, he’ll call out of nowhere, casually saying, “Keep this time free.” To avoid rumors, maybe I’ll just say at the meeting, “Trust me, keep this slot open.” That should work.
Thinking of him—seemingly complex but predictably reliable—felt oddly funny. A person as complex as he seems, yet not as hard to read. Is he difficult or easy?
“Anyway, it’s open to outsiders too. It’ll be worth more than you expect.”
“Why so confident?”
“That smugness makes me wanna bop you lol.”
Am I making some weird face? I carefully smoothed my grin and coughed lightly. I’m just using a connection; Sihyun’s the one surprising people. No need for me to get cocky.
“Ahem… Anyway, you probably won’t see me, but it won’t be a wasted trip. That’s the vibe.”
“You’re suspiciously confident today.”
“Saying this much, is there a special performance for us who show up???”
“Oh!”
“No such thing,” I insisted.
Whatever. Good is good.
Part 4
“Did I call too late?”
“No, I haven’t gone to bed yet.”
The phone’s soft ring came a bit after the short stream ended. I was debating between lying down or staying at my desk, so it wasn’t early, but not quite late either—an ambiguous time.
“Things didn’t go as smoothly as you thought?” I asked.
“Well, I should’ve paced myself, but I overdid it. Too many strings attached to just drop everything now.”
His voice, closer to a sigh, made me tilt my head, though no one could see. What’s he getting at? Could it be… really tough?
“…Is it too much?” I asked cautiously.
“No, I cleared the schedule. Keep 1 to 2 p.m. free, one hour.”
His light tone embarrassed my careful question. Unsure how to respond, I held my breath, neither swallowing nor exhaling, as an awkward silence lingered.
“…Haa,” I sighed.
“Yoonseo-ssi?”
“No, uh…”
The still-on monitor flickered at the edge of my vision, slumped over the desk. Was I watching shorts? My head, resting on the desk, forgot what to say, vaguely pondering.
“Thanks for going through all that,” I said.
“…Pretty boring response for all that buildup.”
“Streaming doesn’t magically give me a sense of humor.”
“Life’s unfair. Thriving on just a face.”
“You’re not one to talk.”
“Sorry, but my skills match my looks.”
“Of course, naturally, obviously,” I teased.
“A bit harsh for someone who worked hard.”
Despite his words, his voice didn’t sound upset. He’s not one to bask in compliments about his looks, but something must’ve pleased him.
“I’ll pass it on at the meeting. ‘Trust me, keep an hour free.’”
“Don’t say anything that’ll make this bigger than it needs to be.”
“I’ll just say, ‘Trust me, clear the slot.’ I’m a fourth-year now, so no one’s gonna question me. Don’t worry.”
“Glad to hear that, but…”
The conversation stalled again. It’s set. Really? Thanks. No problem. That should’ve been enough, but Sihyun trailed off, as if he had more to say.
It was late. I could crash and sleep fine. Should I brush it off with, “Please take care of it,” and hang up? Or wait for whatever he might say? I couldn’t decide.
Is he still, in my mind, the unstable person who casually said he could die? Does he warrant this much concern?
One second. Another. The quiet night made our breathing stand out. Should I hang up? Just as I thought it, Sihyun spoke.
“Beautiful moon tonight, isn’t it?”
“…Huh?”
What’s he talking about now?