Amidst the Pouring Love Calls (7)

In the practice room of the pro gaming team ELF.

Although the start of the pro league was so close you could almost touch it if you fell, the atmosphere in the practice room was somehow unsettled and gloomy.

Except for a few players, the look in their eyes showed they had lost even the will to practice.

One of them was Gil Taeseong.

Gil Taeseong, who was scrolling down with his mouse while resting his chin on his hand, spoke nonchalantly.

“Junho hyung.”

“Yeah.”

Hyun Junho, who was analyzing the causes of defeat while watching replays, answered.

“Don’t you think you should go?”

“Go? Where?”

Gil Taeseong clicked his tongue as if frustrated. Then he pointed at the monitor and fired off rapidly.

“Han Yujin!”

“Yujin-ssi…?”

“Journalists say everyone thinks she’ll go to SUC. I did a poll on the community predicting her destination, and SUC was first there too. They say foreign sites are even setting odds and betting on it. And even there, SUC has the highest odds.”

Hyun Junho’s expression rapidly darkened as he looked at Gil Taeseong’s monitor.

“What if she really goes to SUC at this rate?”

“…”

“Hyung, you’re close with Han Yujin. Use your connections or something like that to do something. At this rate, we’ll evolve from an eternal second-place team to a 20,000-year second-place team. Ugh, damn it. I don’t even want to look at the number 2 anymore.”

Then Hyun Junho hesitated and drawled out his words.

“It’s her freedom, what can I do…”

“Ah, that’s why! Sprinkle some Hyun Junho seasoning on that free will! Secretly give her a bribe with a box of apples or seduce Han Yujin! Do something!”

At Gil Taeseong’s words, Hyun Junho scratched between his eyebrows and asked back.

“…Seduce?”

“Yeah. Try to catch her heart with your typical nice guy face. We’re really all going to die at this rate.”

Hyun Junho’s lukewarm attitude. Gil Taeseong thumped his chest as if frustrated.

“You still don’t grasp the situation? Okay. Close your eyes.”

Hyun Junho closed his eyes. Gil Taeseong spoke gently like a hypnotist.

“Imagine in your head. The next season has started, and Han Yujin is sitting on the opposite player bench.”

“Okay.”

Hyun Junho imagined Han Yujin in his mind. Han Yujin smiling at him from the opposite entry seat.

A smile naturally bloomed on Hyun Junho’s lips.

It was a sweet imagination. But the imagination soon shattered with a crackling sound.

“But she’s wearing a SUC uniform.”

“…”

“Next to her, that bastard Jung Soohyuk is sitting wearing the same uniform as Han Yujin. They’re giggling and whispering to each other, who knows what’s so funny.”

Hyun Junho imagined that scene in his head once again.

The two of them wearing the same uniforms, looking into each other’s eyes and flirting. Because they were even matching uniforms, they looked like a couple.

“It’s not over yet. Right next to them is that Takuya guy who came from Japan. That Golden Sun bastard.”

Hyun Junho imagined the blonde-haired Takuya teasing Han Yujin with his hand on her shoulder.

Then, veins bulged on Hyun Junho’s pale forehead.

Seeing that reaction, Gil Taeseong continued excitedly.

“But they’re going around smashing our skulls.”

“…”

“Then a dating rumor between Jung Soohyuk and Han Yujin explodes. Articles pour out like sweet potato juice with titles like ‘Couple of the Century’. Can you bear this, or not?”

Hyun Junho, who had been frowning deeply, opened his eyes wide. And he said resolutely to Gil Taeseong.

“I can’t.”

“Right? Then,”

Gil Taeseong, who had been pressing down with imaginary assault, patted Hyun Junho’s back.

“Deploy.”

Hyun Junho left the practice room. He let out a sigh and shook off his stuffy feelings in the chilly wind.

Imagining Han Yujin in a SUC uniform made him realize there was no time to dawdle anymore.

He immediately pressed the call button to make an excuse to visit Han Yujin’s house. It was his mom.

“Mom.”

-Yes, my son.

“…Do you have any side dishes left over?”

After exercising for the first time in a while, my body felt languid from exhaustion.

“Noona… I’m going to take a quick nap.”

“Okay. Me too.”

Thanks to that, Han Sejun and I, who had suffered together since the crack of dawn, lay down like corpses in our respective rooms.

My eyelids were so heavy even the strongest man in the world couldn’t lift them.

Just as I was about to fall into a light sleep with my eyes closed.

The doorbell rang.

“Ah, this sh-“

I called Han Sejun in the next room while lying down.

Han Sejun answered the phone in a weak voice.

-What?

“Go check.”

-No. You go check, noona.

“Do you really want to die?”

-Okay. Let’s do rock-paper-scissors fairly.

In the end, I lost the verbal rock-paper-scissors with Han Sejun and went to the front door with a sullen expression.

“Who the hell is it in broad daylight, really!”

I grumbled as I opened the door. The person standing there was,

Grandmother.

“…Grandmother!”

When I saw grandmother, I rushed to hug her.

“What’s wrong with this child in broad daylight! Are you sexually frustrated these days?”

Her booming voice that pierced my eardrums was as sweet as parfait.

Because in my past life, grandmother passed away early so I couldn’t see her for long.

I looked up at grandmother in her arms and acted coy.

“Grandmother, are you healthy?”

“I’m still in the prime of my youth.”

“Yes. Seeing how loud your voice is, I feel so relieved.”

“Even if this old lady dies tomorrow, it would be a good death, but I must see you get married before I die!”

I looked at grandmother with honey-dripping eyes and smiled broadly.

“Really? Then I guess I’ll never get married. Because I want to see grandmother for a long time.”

“You, where are you wagging your tail like a fox!”

I held grandmother’s hand tightly and led her inside. I made warm chamomile tea. A gentle fragrance enveloped the house.

Grandmother took a sip of tea and spoke.

“Yujin-ah, don’t you have a man?”

“I’m not interested in men.”

I hummed a tune teasingly in front of grandmother.

Then grandmother shook her head with a displeased expression.

“My son is making me worry in the Middle East, and my eldest granddaughter is so carefree about everything, how can I die peacefully?”

Grandmother continued speaking, bursting with frustration.

“You’re too aloof when you’re with boys! Is that Dojun boy doing well?”

“…Seong Dojun?”

“Yes. That tall Seong Dojun. He used to go around the neighborhood saying he’d marry you when he was little. Is that still valid?”

“Ugh.”

It’s horrifying just to imagine. There’s no horror like that horror.

“Anyway, my lifelong wish is to see you hold hands with a man, not even dreaming of you getting married, it’s my wish.”

“Ah, geez. What should I do to fulfill our grandmother’s wish?”

As I was teasing grandmother with a drawl, just then.

The doorbell rang again.

When I opened the front door, Hyun Junho was standing there with a gloomy expression.

“…Hello.”

This guy is now coming in and out of our house as easily as breathing.

But his face was different from usual.

Slightly trembling eyebrows. Awkwardly raised corners of his mouth. Tongue wetting dry lips.

Exactly, that thing.

An insurance salesman coming to sell insurance.

“…Why did you come?”

“To give you this.”

Hyun Junho held up a side dish container beautifully wrapped in a pink cloth.

Then he smiled awkwardly and said,

“Can I come in?”

“Ah, yes.”

Hyun Junho, who entered the living room, met eyes with grandmother. As if by reflex, he put down the side dish container and bowed his head.

“Hello!”

“Who might you be?”

Grandmother asked Hyun Junho with eyes full of curiosity.

“Yes, as for me, I am Han Yujin-ssi’s, Han Yujin-ssi’s…”

Hyun Junho rolled his eyes, then turned his head and asked me.

“What am I to Han Yujin-ssi?”

…Well.

The first sucker?

Grandmother snorted and poked at me.

“Well, well. I thought you were dull, but you’ve been doing everything behind the scenes.”

“It’s not like that.”

Then grandmother noticed the window frame and clicked her tongue, pointing it out.

“But, Yujin-ah. It’s cold out, what’s with the state of these draft excluders? Change these quickly.”

“Sheesh, there’s really no rest.”

As I was about to take out the draft excluders, Hyun Junho jumped in.

“No, please sit. I’ll do it!”

“…What?”

He snatched the draft excluders from my hand and started insisting he would change them.

Hyun Junho voluntarily changing the draft excluders.

This time, grandmother looked at the ceiling and raised her finger with a dissatisfied expression.

“Yujin-ah. The light bulb here is weak too.”

“Ah, I’ll do that too!”

Now he’s even up on a chair changing the light bulb.

Grandmother asked Hyun Junho with a bewildered expression.

“You look neat and tidy like a nobleman, but your actions are like a pure servant.”

“What? Ahaha, yes.”

Seeing grandmother patting his shoulder, Hyun Junho is now even possessed as a masseur, earnestly kneading her shoulders.

What’s wrong with him? Did he take the wrong medicine?

Should I throw out some bait too?

“Ah, I’m hungry.”

Then, as if he had been waiting, Hyun Junho bit my bait like a fish.

“Yujin-ssi! Let’s go eat! I know a really good place.”

“Ah, I’d like to, but it’s time for the kids to come…”

“Then we can all go together! I’ll pay!”

I glanced at grandmother. Her eyes lit up like twin flames, as if her son-in-law radar had been turned on.

Seeing Hyun Junho smiling brightly, one thought flashed through my mind like a light.

I see.

This guy,

He must have something to ask me?

We moved en masse to Gangnam, mobilizing Hyun Junho’s car and two taxis. It was like the great migration of the Germanic tribes.

We arrived at a Chinese restaurant called ‘Myunggung’ on the first floor of a famous hotel.

“Grandmother, isn’t this place expensive?”

Han Sieun asked with a worried look.

“It’s okay. This friend seems to earn good money.”

We entered a room with bright red wallpaper. The circular rotating table typical of Chinese restaurants greeted us.

Hyun Junho smiled freely and opened his mouth.

“Order whatever you want to eat.”

“Wow, hyung. Really? Awesome!”

Han Sejun and Han Suho cheered and scanned the menu.

And they started calling out their desired menu items like hyenas.

“I want lobster!”

“I need to diet, so stir-fried bok choy for me.”

“This old lady wants five-spice pork.”

“I want Gganpunggi.”

“Can I have shark fin soup?”

“Oh, they have Buldo jjang too.”

With each menu item added, the corners of Hyun Junho’s mouth thinned. Like his wallet.

“What about Yujin-ssi?”

“I’ll have… Yuringi.”

At that moment, Han Sejun asked me with a bright smile.

“Noona. I’m an adult now, so can I drink beer?”

“Yeah. Go ahead.”

Then number 6, Han Sumin, chimed in and raised her hand.

“Unni, me too!”

“No way. You can’t.”

“Tsk. Alcohol is essential for artists.”

I looked at Han Sieun next to me and saw she was watching something on YouTube. It was a broadcast of Hyun Junho’s past match.

“Excuse me, oppa.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you attack 3 o’clock here? From what I saw, it seems like attacking 5 o’clock would have been the right decision.”

Hyun Junho stretched his neck to check the video Han Sieun was showing and nodded.

“You’re right, I would have won if I had gone to 5 o’clock since it was unoccupied.”

I asked Han Sieun, feigning surprise.

“You’re working really hard?”

“Yeah. Galaxy War is so fun.”

At that moment, Han Sejin complained to me as if whining.

“Unni. Look at her dark circles. She’s completely turned into a raccoon. She’s so obsessed with the game she plays until dawn. Your grades dropped, right?”

“No. I got the top grade in the last mock exam too.”

“…”

Soon, the sweet and sour pork came out first.

As I picked up the sauce, I heard voices around me trying to stop me.

“W-wait! Unni, what are you doing?”

“What, what am I doing? I’m going to pour it.”

“No, why are you pouring the sauce!”

I smirked and rolled up my sleeves.

“Hey. Sweet and sour pork was originally created by Chinese people who lost the Opium War to cater to the taste of the British. You don’t know Tangsuyuk?”

“No, that might be its origin, but that’s not how it’s done in Korea now!”

“Anyway, don’t pour it!”

These kids, really!

Han Sejun flapped his arms and tattled to grandmother.

“Grandmother! Please stop noona!”

“She’s been stubborn about food since she was little. No one can stop her.”

I turned my head and asked Hyun Junho.

“Should I pour it? Or not pour it?”

“Huh?”

“Should I pour it, or not pour it.”

“Ah…”

Hyun Junho, who had been glancing at my siblings, bit his lip and answered.

“…You should pour it.”

“Right? Our Jin-ju nim wants this. If any friends have complaints, buy it yourself.”

Mournful wails erupted around me like ghost cries.

But they didn’t even reach my ears. It must be the cries of people who don’t know taste anyway.

“Ah, unni! Fried food should be eaten for the taste of the batter, but that, really ah!”

I picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and put it in my mouth. It had the perfect taste, mixed with the moist and sweet and sour sauce.

Idiots. It just tastes good.

When all the food came out, I tried each one like a royal taster.

Because spicy and stimulating food is still not good for our four sets of twins.

Only after trying all the dishes that came out did I pick up my chopsticks.

“Yujin-ssi, please eat now too.”

“Yes. I’ll enjoy the meal.”

I took a bite of the Yuringi, deeply fried in fine oil.

“Ah, it’s so gooood…”

The harmony of the Yuringi sauce with its sweet aroma and chili oil blended gently. The crisp texture of the green and red peppers also made the gourmet experience enjoyable.

A large family meal after a long time.

We chatted about various topics.

Grandmother’s health, Han Sejin’s debut, Han Sieun’s game immersion, Han Sumin’s aspiration for art high school.

However, Hyun Junho didn’t bring up the topic to me until the end.

“Yujin-ssi…”

“Yes?”

“…It’s nothing. Please eat.”

“Okay.”

This repeated, with him constantly moving his lips but putting the words back in.

After finishing the meal, we went to the counter.

Hyun Junho held out his card to the employee, but I stopped him and took out my card.

“I have a conscience too. How can I let you pay for all this by yourself?”

“No. It’s really okay. Please let me pay.”

“It’s fine. I earn good money now too.”

“Ah…”

Then I said,

“Buy me a meal next time.”

“Next time…?”

At my words, the corners of Hyun Junho’s mouth twitched.

“Okay. I’ll treat you to a nice place next time.”

When we came out of the hotel, the sky had already darkened with twilight.

I said to Hyun Junho,

“We’ll take a taxi on our own. You can go home first.”

“Okay. Ah, Yujin-ssi.”

Hyun Junho massaged the back of his neck.

“You probably already know since you’re so perceptive, but…”

“Don’t go to SUC, right?”

“Huh? Yes…”

Saying that, Hyun Junho listed praises about ELF like an insurance salesman.

“Our team members are really good. They have loyalty and are fun too. That’s why I’m not going to another team even though I could if I wanted to win. They’re all just hardworking fools.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And our benefits are good too. Free phone bill, we can buy 3 million won worth of Nike every quarter, um… also, also.”

An awkward atmosphere hung in the air as the audio became choppy.

Hyun Junho let out a “phew” and opened his lips as if he had made up his mind.

“Yujin-ssi.”

“Yes.”

Hyun Junho swallowed hard and raised his voice.

“Don’t go anywhere else. I want to play games with you in the same place. Sincerely.”

“…”

“Why am I like this? I always become strange in front of Yujin-ssi.”

Hyun Junho, who had pursed his lips, pressed the smart key button to open the car door.

“I just… wanted to say it without regrets one last time. I’m going.”

As I watched the car drive away, I tilted my head like a puppy.

Thoughts tangled and twisted inside me.

Strange.

Something’s strange.

“Unni, what’s wrong?”

Han Sejin put her hands in her padded jacket pockets and exhaled.

I slowly revealed my inner thoughts.

“No… come to think of it, that guy seems to like me.”

“Huh?”

“It’s confusing. That can’t be, right?”

Han Sejin looked at the other siblings and held back her laughter.

Then they all said in unison.

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“Yes. I could tell as soon as I saw him.”

“Unni is really clueless about these things.”

“He was dripping honey from his eyes.”

“Junho oppa’s face was all red today.”

And the four sets of twins too.

“That uncle likes our unni!”

“Really.”

“Yeah. I saw it too.”

“Is noona getting married?”

Grandmother too.

No, she’s already at the level of writing in a son-in-law notebook rather than a death note.

“Yujin-ah. I really like that boy. Hurry up and catch him before another girl takes him away.”

“…What?”

…Is this for real?

“You’re joking, right? You’re just teasing me, right?”

At my question, my family members all shook their heads at once.