episode_0027

Even though I said it’s okay not to.

This guy went all the way home just to dress up and come out.

Did he finish showering in just 2 minutes?

Can’t even do it this fast in the military.

“Now you don’t smell.”

“The perfume scent is too strong.”

“Just a moment.”

Yoon Jichang wiped the perfume-smeared armpits and wrists with tissue from who knows where.

Now my nose feels a bit more comfortable.

“Phew. Once again, I apologize for showing such disgrace in front of you, Miss A…”

“Just speak informally like before….”

“How can you say that? Huh? The joy, light, and star of my YouTube life. A, K, A, Acclert.”

He’s going off on a tangent, really going off.

“No meal if you don’t speak informally.”

“Hey.”

His quick change in attitude caught me off guard for a moment.

“I’m sorry. Hey, you went too far. That’s right. What should I call you then? I can’t call you Acclert or Miss A outside.”

“You already told me your name….”

“Oh right. Minja Chaeja Wonja. May God bless you.”

I sighed heavily, touching my forehead with my hand.

I really didn’t want to see my friend like this.

“Ahem. Wait a moment, I need to practice. Chaewon. Um. Chaewon, oppa.”

“Ugh.”

“Why, why are you like that? Are you not feeling well?”

“No….”

I might actually throw up at this rate.

I need to quickly put something in my stomach to calm it down.

“Phew. I have a strong resistance to older sisters. Almost non-existent for younger sisters. Of course, that so-called older sister is closer to a chimera than a human.”

“So when will you stop using honorifics?”

“Now. What do you want for lunch?”

A bowl of soup to soothe my empty stomach is urgently needed.

“Sunguk.”

“Sunguk, good… no. Sunguk?”

“What.”

“You look like you’re about to eat the end of a baguette as if it’s covered in mud. It’s kind of fascinating.”

I stared at him dumbfounded for a while, but Yoon Jichang started rambling again as if there was no damage done.

“It’s really shocking. I heard Oasis-like music playing by A while half asleep, thinking it was a dream, woke up… and there was A in front of me. And A is even acquainted with my friend.”

“It’s a secret to Jung Siwoo.”

“A secret. Good. Since I keep one secret well.”

I nodded silently.

I know better than anyone how heavy his chatter can be.

“He said he might take a break from uploading for about a month. Did he move to Korea altogether?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Austria is nice. The musical city, Vienna. There’s probably no place as full of musical sensibility as there. Did you fail the music school entrance exam?”

“Music school? Why would I?”

“Just making conversation. So why did you come?”

I already knew why Chaewon came to Korea.

It was to inspect the comprehensive arts complex being built near our house by the Kanghwi Cultural Foundation.

“There was a reason to come.”

“Ah. Because of Siwoo?”

When I raised an eyebrow and glared, Yoon Jichang calmed me down by extending both palms.

“Whoa, whoa. Don’t get mad. Just talking.”

“Don’t think about personal information unnecessarily. Since I won’t tell you.”

“Hey, even if I find out, I won’t say anything.”

With a delighted expression, he licked his lips with both hands.

“Honestly, just having a direct conversation with A feels like I’ve used up all my luck in life.”

“Must be nice.”

“It is. In the video comments section, A always seemed kind, but now that I know he can also put on a cold expression and give a fierce glare, I’m even more excited about meeting him.”

“A, A, A. Stop mentioning him.”

“Oh.”

Like Yoon Jiyu, who has a strong mental fortitude, the guy who doesn’t react to most things seems to have no idea what to do with Acclert.

Well, I was pretty excited the moment I found out Chaewon was Acclert.

“Anyway. I am the first fan to eat the meal that Chaewon offers.”

To avoid seeing Yoon Jichang’s gleeful expression, I threw out one fact.

“Unfortunately, it’s Jung Siwoo who came first. He might not know it himself.”

With a look of frustration, Yoon Jichang sighed, his brows furrowed.

“Sigh. I’ve been a fan for much longer… How can someone who just found the channel less than a month ago dare to…”

“It was just luck.”

“No. Hold on.”

Yoon Jichang’s expression turned serious.

Soon, I realized I had made a mistake.

“You said you coincidentally met at the mart?”

Trying to avoid eye contact, but it was already too late.

“It was nice, A. I’ll stop being a fan from today onwards…”

“Hey, hey. Wait.”

“So they’re dating. Without even realizing…”

“No, that’s not it!”

I barely managed to grab Yoon Jichang, who was about to run out of the café.

“We just met after a long time, and the kid looked like he needed help, so I bought him food. And he said he needed to buy something, so I went to the café and then the mart with him. I couldn’t say anything back then because I was afraid you’d misunderstand.”

“Well, there is a big café on the second floor of that mart.”

“Please don’t misunderstand unnecessarily. We’re not involved in any way.”

He spoke to himself, hurting himself in the process.

This was the ultimate self-punishment and comfort.

“Anyway, being the second person to eat a meal bought by Chaewon, the YouTuber. Not bad at all. The world only recognizes the first place, but I’m not living to be number one. So…”

Though he seemed melancholic, he didn’t seem to need comforting.

I shrugged and asked him, “So, can I use this?”

“I told you. Use it and leave it where it was said. Even if you slack off at school, you still have to check in for lessons.”

Yoon Jichang leaned in as if sharing a secret.

His voice remained calm, devoid of any tension.

“Otherwise, I’ll get beaten to death by my dad. Please.”

His words were firm and convincing.

Having seen him wandering around campus with swollen eyes facing the egg store, maybe that’s why.

I nodded in understanding.

“But when will the lesson be?”

“Well, that’s the thing.”

Yoon Jichang casually handed me his phone.

Wait, is he asking for my contact information?

“Our professor is a busy person, so the lesson times are quite erratic. That’s why I have to inform you directly.”

Even though Jung Siwoo doesn’t even know Min Chaewon’s phone number yet.

How did Yoon Jichang find out first?

It’s sad to be behind Song Seonghyuk, but this is unacceptable.

“Never mind. I won’t use it then.”

“Where do you plan to perform?”

“Just endure for two weeks, that’s all.”

“Hmm…”

Perhaps my nonchalant response made him nervous, as Yoon Jichang chuckled and asked, “Can you really endure it?”

“…”

“You seem restless.”

Chin in hand, he began to predict my psychological state as if he were a psychologist.

“Oh, that wasn’t a dream. I suddenly heard La Campanella somewhere, so I thought Franz Liszt appeared in my dream.”

“You must have misheard.”

“No, you played it. It felt subtly ‘A’.”

“Where did you see that?!”

Is this guy good at listening evaluations?

How could he mistake my performance for Chaewon’s?

“You’ve never even heard me play a classical piece before pretending to know.”

Unable to deny it, Yoon Jichang scratched his cheek and folded his arms.

After cooling his burning throat with cold water, he asked again.

“This is a conversation we’re having. Would you consider uploading a classical performance to your channel?”

Asking someone who dislikes classical music to upload a classical performance. Now that’s novel and shocking.

“Not right now.”

“Why?”

“I’m busy arranging scheduled songs, preparing for cosplay, and filming videos.”

Although not entirely true, it’s best to brush off unnecessary requests.

While I know about Chaewon’s performances, I’m not familiar with her classical music performances.

The only thing that comes to mind is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, but even that is a piano solo version.

“I might raise suspicions if I let you listen for no reason.”

Jung Siwoo’s performance may not be exactly the same.

Certainly, my classical performance right now must reflect Jung Siwoo’s personality to some extent.

Three years later, Jung Siwoo and the current Jung Siwoo have slightly different playing styles. Yun Jichang should feel that similarity and more.

“Well… Even though I’m your fan, I can’t dictate things to you. Understand.”

“Thank you.”

Meanwhile, the landlady came out from the kitchen with a bubbling pot in hand.

One bowl in front of me, one bowl in front of Yun Jichang.

After carefully placing them down, a word from the landlady as she looked at me.

“But is it okay if I don’t remove the intestines? All the girls who come to our house eat it without removing.”

Saying it’s fine, I nodded, then to show my sincerity, I generously added perilla seeds and chives to the ladleful.

Ah, I should add some shrimp paste too.

And stirring it like this.

A moderately spicy sundae soup rice is complete.

“I will enjoy it!”

Chaewon not only eats Korean food well but also handles very spicy dishes exceptionally well.

When she lived in Austria, she forced herself to find and eat Cheongyang chili peppers, which are hard to come by.

If it weren’t for Chaewon, she wouldn’t have known that when cultivating Cheongyang chili peppers in Korea, they pay seed royalties to a German pharmaceutical company.

I was sold at a cheap price during the IMF era, which didn’t even exist.

— Hey!

Thinking about this and that, I blew on the soup and ate it, when the phone placed next to Yun Jichang spoke in Japanese.

— Hey!

That voice. Is it the heroine who gave everyone PTSD from birthing the favorite character in Episode 1?

“Ugh, just trying to eat.”

Seems like a KakaoTalk message from Yun Jiyu to Yun Jichang.

If it were in front of Jung Siwoo, he would’ve probably said something like ‘She should change her notification sound, damn it.’

“What video is this now?”

Yun Jichang received the video message while still holding the spoon.

— ♪♬

Hearing the flowing melody, I dropped the spoon.

The fallen spoon made a clear sound as it hit the table.

Yun Jichang glared at me with betrayal in his eyes.

“What’s this? Wasn’t that a dream? You lying again…!”

A short video message sent by Yun Jiyu to Yun Jichang.

It was undoubtedly “La Campanella,” which I played at the Baekjoongeon Hall.

“Ahaha….”

Though I laughed outwardly, inside, I cursed.

Even without asking, I knew who the person recording the video was.

Yun Jiyu, this damn woman is for real.