Ch.7070. Audience

The outdoor table outside the convenience store.

It was late, so there were hardly any cars passing by.

-Tsss

As the sound of carbonation rising filled the air, Juyeon raised her can toward Suhyeok.

“…Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

-Clunk

The aluminum cans collided with a dull sound.

After taking a sip of beer, Suhyeok looked up at the sky.

It had been a while since he’d seen such a perfectly round moon.

“The moon is beautiful.”

It was a genuinely honest observation, but Juyeon fidgeted with her hair unnecessarily.

Whether Suhyeok knew it or not, in Japan, saying “the moon is beautiful” was a time-honored confession phrase.

“…It really is.”

Juyeon also lifted her head and stared at the moon.

Indeed, the full moon had a perfect shape, as if drawn with a compass.

“The response was good this time. Are you going to play games again next time?”

“Probably?”

“But if it goes on this long, I don’t think I can watch until the end every time.”

No matter how much she enjoyed the hobby, spending five or six hours a day on it was burdensome.

“It’s okay. Just having your help is more than enough.”

This was all happening because of Suhyeok’s goodwill.

Juyeon had no intention of forcing him to do more work than necessary.

“…Juyeon.”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think it would be like if your stream had a thousand viewers?”

One thousand viewers.

That would require her current average viewership to increase by more than 20 times.

But if you asked whether 1,000 viewers was an unrealistic number, it absolutely wasn’t.

Successful streamers often had several thousand viewers, and in many cases, tens of thousands.

“…I think it would be overwhelming.”

Suhyeok chuckled at Juyeon’s answer.

He had expected a more hopeful response.

But he could certainly empathize with her feeling that it would be overwhelming.

“Haven’t you ever imagined it though?”

People who spend a lot of time alone often indulge in daydreams.

Juyeon was no exception.

She had already frequently imagined ‘Yeoni’ becoming a mega-star.

“First, I’d make a lot of money, right? And get tons of donations?”

“I guess so?”

“Then, um… I’d probably save almost all of it.”

“Without spending any?”

Juyeon took a sip of beer and nodded her head up and down.

“I need to save hard so I can avoid getting a job in the future…”

What Juyeon feared most.

What terrified her most was the job-hunting season that would arrive in the not-too-distant future.

No matter where she worked, there was no company where she wouldn’t have to communicate with others.

The people who currently communicated with and got along with Juyeon were all those who were favorable toward her.

If she was struggling this much while in such a warm greenhouse environment…

Entering the cold, harsh world of office workers would be tantamount to a death sentence for Juyeon.

“That’s true. So is becoming a full-time streamer the best option?”

“But you know too. That’s realistically impossible.”

While nothing in the world is “absolute,” probabilities very much exist.

In that context, the probability of someone with Juyeon’s personality becoming a star was extremely low.

“It’s tough.”

“Sigh… If only I could talk in front of other people just like I’m talking with you now.”

She wished everyone could be as comfortable as Suhyeok.

Not having to stutter.

Being able to share trivial everyday stories without pressure.

“I know. I wish I could talk to everyone the way I talk with you too.”

Juyeon wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Suhyeok would have no other wishes if he could speak this freely in front of everyone.

“…How are you in front of the person you like?”

Juyeon asked quietly.

It might be a sensitive topic, but it felt like now was an okay time to bring it up.

“In front of her?”

Explaining to Juyeon how he acted in front of Hana…

Suhyeok found the situation somewhat amusing.

“Hmm… It’s not that I don’t talk at all, but I’m super cautious.”

“You know how it is. When she seems upset but you don’t know why.”

“I often worry about whether I should say certain things, or if she might misunderstand.”

Juyeon, holding the can with both hands, stole a glance at Suhyeok’s face.

It was a face that looked too worried to be thinking about someone he liked.

No. It might be more accurate to say it resembled an apologetic expression.

“When I’m around her, I just feel like I’m such an inadequate person. Even though she doesn’t say anything to me about it.”

“…No, you’re not.”

Juyeon interrupted Suhyeok’s words.

“Huh?”

“You’re not inadequate.”

Whoever the girl Suhyeok liked was, Juyeon didn’t want him, who had been so supportive of her, to complain about himself like that.

“Suhyeok, you are a good person.”

The wind swept through their hair.

Her dark brown bob hair followed its path, fluttering before finding its place again.

Suhyeok met Juyeon’s eyes.

She didn’t avoid his gaze.

As if trying to emphasize that her opinion wasn’t wrong, she looked straight into Suhyeok’s eyes.

“…Th-thanks.”

Unable to think of any other response, Suhyeok thanked her, but he felt his cheeks getting slightly warm.

Being told to his face that he was a good person made him feel flushed.

Suhyeok, who rarely stuttered in front of Juyeon, awkwardly scratched his head as if he had reverted to their first meeting.

“I won’t say irresponsible things like ‘gather your courage and confess.'”

Juyeon took a sip of beer.

The cold carbonation tickled the inside of her throat.

“But that doesn’t mean you should think badly of yourself, Suhyeok.”

It was something she could say because she was similar to him.

It was advice she could give because she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Suhyeok, who had been quietly listening to Juyeon’s words, smiled gently.

“You’re right. I think you’re right.”

Silence fell.

Reflecting on what she had said, Juyeon felt embarrassed and tried to find words to change the atmosphere.

“I-if you confess and get rejected, I’ll drink with you…”

Hearing those words, Suhyeok covered his head with his hands.

He was imagining that scene.

The image of him being rejected by Hana, crying his heart out while drinking with Juyeon, floated in his mind like a fluffy cloud.

That would never do.

Absolutely never.

“…No. I don’t think that will happen.”

“…Just saying.”

The beer cans grew lighter as time passed.

The two had agreed to have just one can each before calling it a night.

Suhyeok walked Juyeon home and bid her goodnight.

After seeing her safely inside, Suhyeok turned around and trudged down the alley.

“A good person, huh…”

She probably just said it to encourage him.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but like the resonance of those words, and a pleasant smile lingered on Suhyeok’s face.

It seemed like a night when sleep would come easily.

* * *

Friday arrived.

It was the day of the Behavioral Economics class.

Time to face the team project again after skipping it due to exams and the festival.

Throughout brushing his teeth, Suhyeok couldn’t shake thoughts of Nayoung.

Was it really Nayoung I saw that day?

With no contact or reaction from her, it was possible he had mistaken someone who looked similar.

It would be easier on his mind if that were the case.

After washing his face, Suhyeok grabbed his bag and left the house.

Arriving earlier than expected, the first thing Suhyeok did was scan for his team members.

He desperately hoped he wouldn’t be alone with Nayoung…

But uneasy premonitions rarely miss their mark.

“Suhyeok.”

The voice came from behind him.

There was no way to escape now.

“…Hi.”

Suhyeok forced a crooked smile and gulped.

“Why are you standing? Looking for the others?”

Nayoung approached him with a smile that reached her eyes.

“Ah… yeah.”

“Juyeon and Juho don’t seem to be here yet. Let’s go sit down.”

“Okay.”

The two took seats at a desk quite far from the screen.

Suhyeok took out his phone as if to signal he didn’t want to talk.

Just as he was about to text Juyeon asking where she was…

“…I saw your performance.”

Suhyeok’s thumb froze at her words.

“You were amazing, Suhyeok.”

He moved like a broken doll, his movements unnatural.

Through the curtain of his bangs, he could see Nayoung’s face.

Suhyeok couldn’t fathom her intentions.

What did Nayoung want?

“I thought it was so great that I wanted to see it again.”

“…Thanks.”

After all, she was an audience member who had filled a seat.

Looking at it that way, it seemed right for Suhyeok to express gratitude.

He thought the awkward moment might end there, but…

“Watching you on that stage, I finally realized.”

“What?”

Words that Suhyeok could only think of as lies flowed from Nayoung’s lips.

“That I liked you.”

-Thud

The bread bag slipped from Juyeon’s hand.