Chapter 109: By fountain (7)
Part 11
It took until the fourth plea for “one more game” for Bonfire to finally surrender. It wasn’t until after about three matches that the excuses—bad luck, good luck, or coincidence—stopped coming from both the chat and Bonfire.
“…Oof, damn,” Bonfire groaned.
“My hands suck, but my brain’s pretty good, you know? I was the baduk champ at school,” Yoonseo said.
Baduk and Star of Wars aren’t even related;;
What the hell just happened?
Give me my points back!
Bet wisely next time. Smirking, Yoonseo stepped back to let Sanghyun take over. From the second game, the stream had opened a betting pool with points on who’d win, and somehow, even as she kept winning, less than half bet on her, turning the chat into chaos.
I don’t know how to handle this. You deal with it, Sanghyun. She nudged his side, and he flinched, staring blankly at the monitor. You know I’m good at board games. Don’t make me feel weird too.
“…Seriously, how bad did you all think I was? It’s normal to have at least one genre I’m good at,” Yoonseo said.
“Exactly, folks! I’m a victim here too. I genuinely didn’t know!” Sanghyun exclaimed.
This guy. Just as she thought he’d snapped out of it, he painted her as the villain for sympathy. She jabbed his elbow in protest, but unless she kicked him hard, this monster was unfazed.
Raising her leg for another strike risked another “reward” clip, so she held back, painfully aware of the camera.
“So, all those lost points are thanks to this cruel fiend who’s been fooling even her family—ow!?” Sanghyun yelped.
“What are you even going for?” Yoonseo snapped.
As a last resort, she jabbed his armpit. Caught off guard, his rambling cut off with a weird groan. His wide eyes met her narrowed glare.
“Hehe, you two are so close,” Bonfire laughed.
Reward, oohhh!
I wanna be Cheongjeokun’s armpit…
Insane dude;
Glancing at the monitor, Yoonseo saw Bonfire laughing and the chat going wild. They think this is close? Or enviable? That’s proof they’re weird, right? They weren’t on bad terms, but was her gaming skill that shocking?
“Anyway, good work. You’re heading off to work now, right?” Yoonseo asked.
“Well, yeah, but I was gonna start on that bet with you first,” Bonfire said.
“You’re not that busy, are you? You always seem to have plenty of time,” Yoonseo teased.
“Ugh…”
When she’d suggested meeting, Bonfire said he had a free day. Now, he was prioritizing their bet over work. This guy lives way more leisurely than the rumors suggest.
“Guys, noona’s voice and eyes are killing me, what do I do…”
Lolllll.
Bonfire kneels before the supernova!
She’d envied Bonfire’s success, but peeling back a layer, he was just human. His sulky response to her teasing felt oddly refreshing, like the familiar reactions she got from text chats, but from someone unexpected. He’s streaming too, so maybe he’s playing it up.
“Anyway, I’m pretty good at Star of Wars. And baduk and chess,” Yoonseo said.
Really emphasizing the baduk and chess.
Noona’s bragging is so cute!!!!
“Bragging? Who’s—”
But seriously, you were way better than expected, Bonfire interrupted.
Her retort to the chat was cut off as Bonfire spoke at the same time. Both paused, and an awkward silence settled. Just as Yoonseo considered breaking it, a short cough came through the speakers.
“Ahem… Noona’s skills were legit. Not a pro, but you could climb the ladder pretty high. Like, Platinum? Early Diamond? In LoL terms,” Bonfire said.
“Ladder?”
Ranked matches. With your skill, you’d hit around there.
“But I’m definitely younger than you, so why keep calling me noona?”
“Huh? Now you bring it up?”
For a while, she teased Bonfire for his “everyone pretty is noona” nonsense, leaving his room as he jokingly whined about being misunderstood.
Part 12
Ready to sleep, Yoonseo finished brushing her teeth and washing her face. As she returned to her room, her phone rang. The screen showed 11:20 PM. Who’s calling this late?
“Not even streaming, and you pick up this slow?” Sihyun’s voice teased.
“What’s up with calling this late?” Yoonseo replied.
Sure, most 20-somethings were awake now, but a call, not a text, at this hour? Her voice carried a hint of irritation.
“Pissed off at a late call?”
“…Not really,” she said.
“Sure. It’s obvious in your voice. Bragging about board games all day, but you can’t hide your mood? You’d suck at games like Werewolf.”
“Don’t you have something to say?”
She sighed, redirecting. Was Sihyun the type to hate teasing? No. But calling this late just to mess with her? Doubtful.
A faint breath came through the phone, barely audible. Is something actually wrong? With him, anything’s possible. Anxiety crept in.
“…Wanna meet tomorrow evening?” Sihyun asked.
“Is something really up?”
“No, nothing like that.”
His denial felt like a strong confirmation. Dr. Kang’s words flashed through her mind—Sihyun’s condition wasn’t improving. He was still reckless, a ticking bomb. That vague sentiment sharpened into reality.
“When and where tomorrow? You’re working, right?” Yoonseo asked.
“Not a big deal to get so worked up about.”
“Don’t you know how I see you?”
“Wow, that line hit me right in the chest. Can you say it again?”
“Stop joking.”
A muffled hehe came through. Her unease grew. No one was watching, but her steps to the bed grew cautious. No reason, just instinct—she sat gently on the edge.
“Actually, I’m worried about you,” Sihyun said.
“What’s that mean?”
His playful tone vanished, replaced by a heavy one, as if he’d waited for her to sit.
“Even if you were a guy before, you’re surrounded by too many guys. I’m jealous, can’t handle it.”
His dead-serious voice stunned her.
“…What?”
Her voice sounded dazed.
A suffocating silence fell. What did I just hear? The reality of his words widened her eyes in shock. Neither spoke, letting the silence stretch.
“…You mean that?”
She broke first, saying what she shouldn’t have.
“Kidding, obviously. Just thought we could hit karaoke for some training. Did your heart skip a beat?”
Something snapped in her mind. For a while, she unleashed a torrent of incoherent words at Sihyun.