Chapter 160: The Meaning Behind Ra-hee’s Smile

Ｒｅa​ｄ ̈o​n &K;aţ&R;ea​ｄｉnｇCáf́e

Surprisingly, after Chae-yoon unnie left, the chat quickly quieted down.

It seems everyone thinks they’ve teased me enough.

I’m not sure if I should consider that a good thing.

Well, at least it means I’ve taken my fair share of hits.

Still, I’ll take solace in the fact that it didn’t escalate further.

Just as I was about to continue the conversation with the cherries, a sudden curiosity struck me, and I decided to ask:

“By the way, cherries, what kind of phones do you all use?”

– Phone?

– I’ve got a Galaxy S21.

– S21 Ultra here.

– Using an iPhone 12.

Huh, everyone’s got something different.

I got curious and looked it up—most of them are pretty recent models, though.

Some are using what you’d call budget phones, but even those look way better than mine.

[‘PersonWhoLikesWindows’ donated 2,000 KRW!]

– Why the sudden phone talk? Lulu, you thinking of switching?

I just asked one simple question, but somehow, they’ve already figured me out.

Feeling a little guilty after seeing a cherry’s donation, I spoke up.

“Ah, no. I’m not planning to switch yet, but I’ve been thinking about it a little. Actually, earlier today, when I was taking a picture of Lilith unnie, I tried using my phone first, but the quality was so bad I ended up using hers instead.”

– How bad are we talking?

– Aren’t most phone cameras decent these days?

– Lulu, what phone do you even use?

“Me? Uh, what was it again…?”

It’s such an old phone that I barely remember.

I turned it on, opened the system app, and checked the model name.

“Mine’s an A6?”

– ?

– Huh?

– A6????????????

– How old is that thing?

– That’s a real phone?

– Holy crap, I looked it up—it’s from 5 years ago.

– Even budget phones these days would get roasted for being that bad.

– Wow, the A-series is the bottom-tier line, not even mid-range.

Ah, so it’s been 5 years.

I thought it was only 4.

Turns out it’s even older than I realized.

“A-anyway, that’s why I’m considering switching.”

– No, don’t just consider it—JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!

– Is there even any room for debate here?

– Debate?

– Is someone threatening to kill you if you switch phones?

– At this point, your phone’s probably begging to be put out of its misery.

Ugh, everyone’s exaggerating.

It’s really not that bad.

My phone’s built like a tank.

Aside from a slightly cracked screen, it works just fine.

W-well, except when YouTube lags and pisses me off sometimes.

[‘IWantToBreathLulusAir’ donated 1000 KRW!]

– Lulu, didn’t you brag about upgrading your streaming gear recently? That stuff’s way more expensive than a decent phone.

“Well, streaming gear is a work investment, and since I use it for you cherries, it feels justified… But buying something expensive just for myself feels like a waste.”

– What kind of logic is that?

– No, if it’s for you, you should get something nice and expensive, Lulu…

– Please, show yourself some love…

– I don’t even know where to start with this.

E-everyone, don’t get so mad…!

Fine, I’ll switch! I’ll switch, okay?!

“S-so, cherries, you all think I should switch?”

– It’s not a ‘should’—it’s a MUST.

– There’s no choice here.

– Even if it’s not causing major issues, just switch already, Lulu…

– Phones aren’t as expensive as you think these days. The latest models are pricey, but prices drop hard after just a year—you can get something great for cheap.

Ooh, I see.

Well, I don’t need the latest model anyway.

Even a year-old phone would be dozens of times better than what I’m using now.

[‘omst’ donated of 10,000 KRW!]

– Lulu, I’ll chip in for your new phone.

[‘TINFH’ donated of 20,000 KRW!]

– I’ll cover the case.

“Ah, no! I’ve got enough saved up, so don’t donate for this! I wasn’t asking to collect money!”

I opened up a shopping site, planning to browse models with the cherries, but they started sending money for the phone anyway, so I panicked and had to temporarily disable donations.

– So, Lulu, any models in mind?

“Models? Not really. I don’t know much about phones…”

I know the basics, of course.

Like how iPhones take great photos, or how Galaxy Phones have good compatibility and convenience features.

But to me, a phone is just a tool for watching videos and staying in touch.

So wouldn’t any choice be fine?

– If the latest models are too pricey, the S20’s a solid pick—it’s gotten cheap lately.

– If you’re going Apple, maybe the 11? The 12 just came out a little bit ago, so it’s still expensive.

– Honestly, just go for the latest model anyway.

– Lulu, if your hands are small, skip the Ultra—it’s too big to hold one-handed.

Wahhh…

Usually, these people don’t backseat-game, but today, they’re picking out phones for me like it’s their own business.

I was just going to pick anything, but maybe I underestimated the smartphone world.

Sorry, cherries.

I’ll put a little more effort into choosing.

[Lucretia] – Lulu.

[Lucretia] – Can you check Discord?

“Huh? L-Lucretia unnie?”

I was about to scroll down, but then a familiar nickname popped up in chat, making my eyes widen.

W-wait, why is Ra-hee unnie here?

And Discord?

Did something urgent happen?

“Ahh, unnie. Can you hear me?”

“Yeah, I can hear you fine. Hi, cherries.”

• Hello!
• Hi-hi!
• Lucretia!!
• That voice… it’s the best…

Given that Ra-hee unnie’s voice has a slightly husky, melting quality to it, it didn’t take long for enchanted cherries to start popping up.

As expected of the Vampire Queen…!

“But unnie, why Discord all of a sudden? Is something up?”

“Mm, not really. I just heard our Lulu was worrying about phones, so I dropped by.”

“Huh? Unnie, are you good with smartphones?”

“Not really. Actually, it’s about time I switched mine too.”

Ah, I see.

Now that I think about it, I remember her mentioning in the group chat a while ago that she was considering changing her phone.

I never heard if she actually went through with it, though.

Guess she’s still thinking about it.

Well, this works out perfectly.

I was just about to pick one myself.

We can browse options together—kinda like a collab stream.

“Right now, I’m leaning toward the iPhone 12 Pro.”

“Ah, the cherries were recommending that one earlier too.”

“Yeah, it’s probably the most popular model among girls. There’s a Pro Max too, but it’s kinda big—it wouldn’t suit you, Lulu.”

So unnie’s set on the latest Apple model, huh.

Hmm, hearing the cherries’ recommendations does make me curious about it too, but the price is steep.

“Maybe I should go for the 10 or 11 instead? Those are cheaper…”

“Not a bad choice. But if you’re buying anyway, might as well go for the latest. Apple Phones don’t drop in price much, even for older models.”

“Eh? R-really…?”

Earlier, the cherries said last year’s Galaxy models were way cheaper, but unnie’s right—Apple’s pricing is different.

Even older models don’t have a huge gap from the current ones.

Does that mean last year’s model is still good?

The designs don’t look that different either…

But if the price gap isn’t big, wouldn’t the latest one be better?

• If you’re going Apple, just get the newest one.
• Older Apple models have no advantage.
• If you want last year’s, just get a Galaxy instead.

Mm, so I was right.

If I want budget-friendly, last year’s Galaxy is the way to go.

If I’m investing, the latest Apple model makes more sense.

But the price difference is brutal.

Last year’s S20 Plus is around 700,000 won, while Apple’s latest flagship easily clears 1.5 million.

At double the cost, the former seems smarter.

The cherries say the S20 Plus is solid anyway.

Maybe I should put the extra money toward something else…

“Hey, Lulu—wanna go phone shopping together?”

“Go shopping? Like, in person?”

“Yeah. It’s better to try them out before deciding. Plus, there’s stuff like carrier plans to consider.”

• That’s not a bad idea.
• If Lulu’s never used a newer model, testing’s a must.
• Some stores even let you trial them for a few days now.
• Go for it!

Ooh, trial periods? That does sound helpful.

Just browsing online doesn’t give you that click feeling.

“Sure, that sounds good. When should we go?”

“I’ll send you the details later. Let’s go after I finish moving.”

“Eh? Moving? Unnie, you’re moving out?”

• Oh?
• Lucretia too?
• Wait, didn’t she live with her parents?
• Finally going solo?
• The Queen kept singing about wanting her own place lol
• Dreams do come true

My eyes widened at the unexpected news.

Ra-hee unnie, moving? She never mentioned this before—not even during member meetings!

“Yep. Already packed most of my stuff.”

“Wow, so you’ll be living alone?”

“Yup. I’ve wanted to for ages, but my parents kept talking me out of it.”

That… makes sense.

From what I know, Ra-hee unnie can barely cook.

No wonder her parents were worried.

But if they agreed, she must’ve convinced them?

Still, I’m so curious—

Where is she moving to?

“Is your new place close to mine?”

“Super close. You’ll be seeing this unnie a lot more.”

“Whoa, really?”

Since Ra-hee unnie lived the farthest from me, the idea of her being closer is thrilling.

How close, though?

Like, a 10–20 minute bus ride?

That’d make visiting each other easy.

“Actually… I’m moving into your apartment complex.”

“………Eh?”

My brain short-circuited mid-thought.

W-wait.

Same apartment complex?

As in… Ra-hee unnie will be living here?

Now that I think about it, the CEO did mention this once— that she’d eventually have all the members living together in this complex.

No timeline, but she said they’d move in one by one.

“That’s why I laughed when Lilith teased you about your ‘date’ earlier. Soon, this unnie will be your next-door neighbor.”

“…….”

“Let’s hang out often, okay? If you’re bored at night, just drop by… Got it?”

• “Neighbor Unnie and Me at Night.avi”
• Omg…
• Stop tormenting the other members…

Her voice kept flowing through my earphones, but my mind had already flatlined, leaving me utterly speechless.

I did think living closer to the members would be fun, but I never asked for next-door delivery—!