Chapter 101: Everyday life in winter, Part 2

“This is… bittersweet…” Hong Seo-hyun muttered, turning on the heater in the club room. She was lamenting the downgrade in her honorific. She had gone from “Seo-hyun unnie” back to “Hong senior.”

“What’s there to be sad about? We’re just back to normal.”

“It feels…distant…”

It was for Hayoon’s convenience. It was confusing to call both of them “unnie” or “senior.” So, one had to be “senior,” and since Choi Arin had seniority due to knowing Hayoon first, Hong Seo-hyun became “senior” by default.

“I’ll call you ‘unnie’ sometimes, since you seem to like it.”

“Right? It feels closer. Let’s try to get used to it.”

Like a baby who, having tasted seasoned baby food, refuses to go back to the bland original, Hong Seo-hyun, having tasted the sweetness of “unnie,” didn’t want to return to the formal “senior.” But…

‘It’s easier for me this way. It’ll be confusing if both of you react when I call for “unnie”.’

…Hayoon had no intention of changing the honorifics.

She’d indulge Hong Seo-hyun occasionally, though. A comfortable silence settled between them. They relaxed in the warmth of the heater, enjoying the peaceful morning.

“We won’t be coming here much longer.”

Hong Seo-hyun muttered. Both she and Choi Arin had decided against the jobs they had lined up.

While it was understandable for Hong Seo-hyun, who wasn’t suited for a typical corporate job…

Choi Arin’s decision was surprising. She had received offers from major companies but chose to stay with BGG Company. And because of their decision…

“Yeah, we won’t be able to come here next year.”

…the Game Release Club, after two years, would be disbanded.

The club had only existed thanks to Hayoon’s leadership and Choi Arin and Do Jin-ho’s willingness to participate in her unusual projects.

While Hong Seo-hyun filled a spot after Do Jin-ho graduated, that was only temporary.

Once Choi Arin left, Hayoon would be alone, failing to meet the three-member requirement, and there’d be no reason for the club to continue.

“The company is doing fine with just us, and if we need a chat moderator, it doesn’t have to be a student.”

Recruiting random members would only create more work for Hayoon. She had enough on her plate managing the current members and their game development.

It was easier to just outsource to Do Jin-ho.

“How am I supposed to survive school without my seniors?”

“Hey…”

The Game Release Club would disband at the end of the year, a decision already communicated to Park Geun-soo. To dispel the gloomy atmosphere, Hayoon slipped her hand inside Hong Seo-hyun’s vest.

“Wh-What…?”

“Such a feisty response.”

Hayoon grinned, enjoying Hong Seo-hyun’s reaction, and slid her other hand between the buttons of her blouse.

It had been a while since their last playful scuffle; she decided to reassert her dominance.

-snap

Hong Seo-hyun’s face turned bright red.

“M-My bra… unhook it, quickly…”

“Oh, okay…”

Hong Seo-hyun was wearing a front-clasp bra.

It was similar to the mirror incident, except this time, Hayoon was the aggressor. They quickly separated, the sudden intimacy breaking the spell.

Despite the casual honorifics, there was still a clear boundary between them.

Hayoon felt uneasy. The club’s atmosphere was somber, a mix of concern for Hayoon, who would be alone next year, and a bittersweet feeling about the club’s end.

“I don’t like this.”

Her method of dispelling the gloom might be unconventional, but she genuinely disliked the depressing atmosphere. She decided to break the ice her way.

Just because it was winter didn’t mean the mood had to be cold and gloomy.

“Unnie, come sit here.”

“Uh…?”

Choi Arin first. Hong Seo-hyun was still on cooldown after the bra incident. Just like the awkwardness after the mirror incident, it would take time before they could be playful again.

“B-But we’re at school…”

“So? No one comes here during lunch.”

Hayoon, knowing Choi Arin couldn’t refuse, called her to the club room and had her sit on her lap. While Hong Seo-hyun had been a temporary setback, Choi Arin never resisted her touch. This was the easiest way to comfort her.

“Let’s just… stay like this for a bit. We won’t be able to do this for much longer.”

“That’s true…”

Hayoon wasn’t just being affectionate. She wanted to reinforce the meaning behind these gestures.

“Thanks to you and the seniors, my time here has been meaningful. Thank you for going along with my crazy plans.”

“Uh, yeah…”

Hayoon hugged Choi Arin, pressing her chest against her back, and whispered in her ear,

“We’ll still see each other at the office, so don’t be too sad. We’ll be together almost every day after I graduate next year.”

“R-Right? Every day, like this…”

Choi Arin’s cheeks flushed, and Hayoon, as if drawn to the warmth, briefly touched her cheek against Choi Arin’s before pulling away.

“Even if the club is gone, we’ll still have each other. We didn’t really have any other friends here anyway. There’s no reason to be sad.”

“Right? No reason to be sad.”

Hayoon gently lifted Choi Arin’s vest and blouse, caressing her stomach around her navel.

This had become her preferred method of comforting Choi Arin. She had heard that some people were incredibly sensitive to being touched there; she was curious to see Choi Arin’s reaction.

“I just wanted to say, there’s no need to be sad about graduation or the club disbanding.

High school wasn’t that important to us anyway, was it? What mattered were the people we met here, not the school itself.”

“That’s right! You’re right…!”

Hayoon whispered, her lips close to Choi Arin’s ear. Choi Arin was easy to read. This seemed to be enough to lift her spirits.

Hayoon devoted the rest of November to managing Choi Arin and Hong Seo-hyun’s emotional well-being.

She hadn’t realized how sentimental they were about graduation and the club disbanding.

She pampered them with physical affection, both Choi Arin and Hong Seo-hyun responding positively. By December 1st, their moods had improved considerably.

[BGG Company 2nd Generation Vtuber Audition]

The announcement for the second generation audition, to recruit Scarlet and Lucy’s future colleagues, was posted.

With the pandemic and the growing interest in Vtubers, it generated considerable buzz.