Rise When People Applaud (5)

“HaYoo-nim is…”

“…”

Chizuru, my senior maid, said with her heterochromatic eyes.

“A maid genius!”

“Huh?”

She kept praising me to the point her mouth might dry up.

“I’m so jealous! How do you get perfect ratings from every customer you serve? Please tell me your secret!”

“…I don’t know.”

That’s right. All the customers I served in the morning gave me perfect ratings.

…So what!

I feel like I’m trapped in a prison without bars.

There’s no moss or mold smell, and it’s full of loveliness, but why do I feel so suffocated?

Chizuru grabbed my hands and earnestly begged.

“Can’t you show me a moe moe kyun just once?”

“…No. It’s embarrassing.”

“I want to analyze what’s different between us! Please, I’m begging you, HaYoo-nim!”

Her pleading voice sounded so pitiful that I ended up nodding.

“…Just once.”

“Thank you!”

I showed her the moe moe… as requested.

Then, Chizuru smiled brightly as if she had realized something, even clapping her hands.

“Ah, I get it! You pause for a beat when doing moe moe! And you raise your voice pitch too.”

…Is that so important?

Knock knock-

The owner opened the staff room door and poked his head in.

“HaYoo-nim. Is lunch still far off?”

“I just finished eating.”

“A reserved customer is coming soon. Please hurry.”

“…Okay.”

I glared at Moon Jaehyun.

“How long do I have to do this?”

Moon Jaehyun scratched his head with a troubled expression.

“Could you please do a full shift until evening?”

“Do you want to die, really?”

“Eek. I’m sorry.”

-Don’t bully the sugar daddy manager

-Is this how you treat the swallow that brought you such fun content?

-Ey,,, you like it but act like this,,,

-Getting slapped by customers and taking it out on the manager?

-Breaking news) Han Yujin’s moe moe kyun enters Sylvie

-Ah lol hurry up and eat so you can shout moe moe kyun lol

…These guys are ridiculous.

The same guys who were cursing Moon Jaehyun are now defending him as if possessed by lawyers.

I trudged to the entrance. My feet felt heavy as if shackled.

I heard slow footsteps of someone coming up the stairs.

And,

Knock knock-

I took a deep breath at the knocking sound.

Just one hour.

I’ll do just one more hour and leave.

If I stay here any longer, I might have an identity crisis!

I acted cheerful and opened the door wide.

“Welcome back, master!”

But, a familiar face was standing there.

To be precise,

It was the face of a nemesis.

Someone I hadn’t seen in a very long time…

It was Ju Sehun.

“…Huh?”

“…Ah?”

We couldn’t hide our surprised expressions.

Ju Sehun.

The guy who became a stepping stone for my rise. The player who lost the bet of 10 million won and dogeza to me.

…Why are you here?

Ju Sehun’s face turned pale blue when he saw me. His lips trembled like a patient with PTSD.

“Why are you here?!”

…That’s what I want to ask.

I smiled gently with my eyes curved.

“Because I’m the hero’s maid!”

“…Stop talking nonsense.”

I glanced at the chat, and it was in an uproar.

-Mouse Sehun lololololol

-Literally a secret customer lol

-Look at him flustered meeting his bully lol

-Why are you coming out of there?

-Is this program called “We Made Up”?

-lololol ah this is so funny

-So he was secretly going to maid cafes and got caught by HaYoo? Damn if it were me I would’ve died of shame

-You go to maid cafes, you bastard..

-This isn’t staged, right?

-Sehun hyung…ㅠㅠㅠ How far are you falling

-Ah…;;;

-Now I just feel sorry for him

-That’s why you should’ve beaten him moderately

-This is why his internal ranking match results are shit, I’m disappointed as an ELF fan

All sorts of mockery continued in the chat.

“…Hmm.”

At this point, Ju Sehun seems more pitiful than me.

Just in case, I asked Moon Jaehyun.

“Did you call him?”

“No. It seems to be a coincidence.”

So it’s not staged.

How can such a coincidence happen?

I spoke to Ju Sehun, who was opening and closing his mouth.

“Are you going to leave, hero?”

“…Not really.”

Let’s think positively.

Anyway, it’s good for the broadcast.

I smiled brightly again with my eyes.

“Then I’ll guide you to your seat, master!”

---

Ju Sehun, who was eating from the same pot as Hyun Junho at ELF, let out a heavy sigh.

Ju Sehun’s life had been miserable lately.

His performance kept dropping, and he lost interest in the game.

Ju Sehun pondered the cause of his slump. There was one conclusion.

‘It’s all because of this woman.’

November. About a month ago from now.

Ju Sehun was miserably defeated by Han Yujin, who was called Barcode at the time.

It was a complete defeat with no room for excuses. He tried desperately, even resorting to dirty tricks to win, but couldn’t turn the match around.

In the end, Ju Sehun knelt down and did dogeza in front of the camera along with 10 million won. It was humiliating.

A defeat like a scar that wouldn’t disappear no matter how much he washed.

The hardest part was that hundreds of thousands of people watched that scene.

The internet became a festival ground. Everyone, as if in unison, ganged up on Ju Sehun.

Soon he became afraid to read comments, and he always had nightmares when he slept.

‘…I shouldn’t have done that back then.’

It was too late for regrets.

As they say there are no wings in falling, Ju Sehun’s internal ranking match results plummeted.

It was a painful fall that made the time when he competed for 1st place with Hyun Junho feel like a lie.

In the end, he chose to escape.

After losing to Han Yujin, Ju Sehun became deeply immersed in ‘Two Gods’, an open-world RPG mobile game, and maid cafes.

He spent 4 million won to pick up 4 limited characters and completed all ‘full awakenings’, the final evolution.

Completing daily quests for Two Gods at the maid cafe.

That was Ju Sehun’s only joy.

However, he suddenly encountered Han Yujin in this space that was like a shelter.

‘This is like, meeting the final boss in the tutorial village.’

Ju Sehun looked at Han Yujin, who was kneeling and holding ketchup.

“What should I draw on your omurice?”

“…It’s fine.”

Ju Sehun inadvertently averted his gaze.

Han Yujin, looking up at him with doe-like eyes, felt alluring.

‘…She’s really pretty.’

Han Yujin put her chin on the table and spoke cutely.

“Master, then I’ll leave a comment for you!”

Then she started writing on the plate with ketchup.

The plate said:

[Thx 4 1000mw lol]

Ju Sehun’s brow furrowed like a piece of paper.

“You’re rubbing salt in my wounds.”

“It’s not salt, it’s ketchup, master!”

Then, Ju Sehun noticed an option written on the menu.

[Mini-game with maid!]

Seeing that, Ju Sehun said with a glint in his eye.

“Let’s play a mini-game.”

“Oh. Are you saying you want to compete with me, master?”

Han Yujin’s clear voice was sharp like a blade.

Ju Sehun put down his spoon and spoke nonchalantly.

“Yes. I can’t win in Galaxy War, so I’ll win at this at least.”

“Alright. What shall we play?”

“Let’s do darts.”

Darts. It was the game Ju Sehun was most confident in after frequenting maid cafes day and night for the past month.

The two moved to stand in front of the dart board.

“Three darts each. Let’s throw twice, short and sweet.”

“Okay.”

Ju Sehun volunteered to go first with fighting spirit.

Thinking his opponent was Han Yujin, a tense feeling ran through his fingertips.

Thud- Thud- Thud-

The score he got from his first throw was,

Single 18, single 20, double 9 for a total of 56 points.

It was a good start, not bad.

‘I heard this woman is good with her hands… Is it true?’

Next, Han Yujin stepped up to the line and threw her darts.

The result was miserable.

Miss, miss, miss.

“Pfft!”

“Why are you laughing, master?”

“No reason.”

Han Yujin responded to Ju Sehun’s words with a snort and drawled,

“I think you were confident of victory like this back then too, only to lose… is what I almost said-“

“…”

Ju Sehun’s trauma switch clicked on at Han Yujin’s remark.

The dart board felt small, and it seemed far away as if it were a thousand miles away.

Ju Sehun barely calmed his trembling hand and threw three darts calmly.

Single 20. Single 20. Single 5.

Total 45 points.

‘Good. With a total of 101 points, it’s as good as won.’

Even if Han Yujin hit the bullseye, meaning the center circle of the dart board, twice, it would be 100 points.

Ju Sehun was confident of victory.

The expressionless Han Yujin put her foot at the edge of the line. She gripped the barrel of the dart with a 4-finger grip and threw it smoothly.

The first dart that flew out in a straight line hit the dead center.

50 points.

‘N-no way….’

Ju Sehun gulped seeing that.

However,

The second dart hit the top of the board and missed.

Ju Sehun let out a sigh of relief.

‘I can win at darts at least.’

And,

Han Yujin’s last dart flew powerfully.

With a thud, the dart stuck into the cork of the dart board.

Han Yujin’s final score was.

Triple 20.

60 points.

“Haha. No way.”

With a total of 110 points, Han Yujin’s victory.

She rejoiced as if about to jump.

“Wow, master. I won!”

Then she grinned at the camera.

-lolololololol

-Congrats congrats

-There are no miracles

-lololololol

-HaYoo comes from behind to win again…

-You lost again, Sehun

-This bitch is really a born competitor for real lol

-Oh my… it’s sad and funny ㅠㅠ

-Sehun, cheer up…

-Be thankful you didn’t bet 10 million won again lol

-Protect Sehun’s mental, losing 10 million won, dogeza, and darts, at this rate he’s not a bodhisattva? ㅠㅠ

Ju Sehun spoke with a dejected expression.

“You…”

“Yes?”

“Why are you so strong?”

“…Huh?”

Ju Sehun let out a deflated laugh as if he had given up.

“I lose. Human compatibility can’t be helped. I probably can’t beat you in my lifetime.”

Ju Sehun hung his head low like a rice stalk.

Seeing that, Han Yujin took out a postcard and scribbled something.

Then she patted Ju Sehun’s shoulder and put the postcard in his hand.

“I wrote why I’m strong. Read it.”

Ju Sehun unfolded the postcard and read it.

[Don’t burn like fire, flow like water.]

Reading the words written in cute handwriting, Ju Sehun smiled faintly.

‘That’s right. I’m no different from extinguished ashes now.’

Ju Sehun put the postcard securely in his chest.

“Thank you. Reading it gives me strength.”

“Ah, I’m glad, master!”

“Stop with that master talk.”

“Aw, but you like it…”

Ju Sehun wrote a perfect rating for Han Yujin and opened his mouth.

“Don’t worry. I don’t have any hard feelings towards Player Han Yujin anymore.”

“I’m glad. Me neither.”

Ju Sehun pondered deeply.

Then he moved his lips and spoke.

“We’ll meet as enemies next season.”

“I haven’t chosen a team yet though.”

Ju Sehun furrowed his brow as if he didn’t understand Han Yujin’s words.

“Huh? Did I hear wrong? The rumors are all over among the players right now.”

“What rumors?”

Han Yujin tilted her head with an expression that broke character. She seemed to genuinely not know.

Ju Sehun looked at the camera flustered once and said,

“No, um… Aren’t you forming a super team with Jung Soohyuk and the Japanese #1 ranked player?”

I remembered this saying.

A new today quickly erases yesterday.

Every day is always new and thrilling.

In a good way, or a bad way.

I turned on the computer and accessed a portal site.

A news article immediately visible.

It’s not entertainment news, nor sports news. It’s economic news.

But…

Why is my name mentioned!

[Economic Securities Newspaper]

[SUC closes at ‘upper limit’ on news of super team formation]

[Economic Securities Newspaper=Reporter Gil Minju] SUC (001246, CEO Kim Jungin) closed at the upper limit on news that the pro gaming team it owns is forming a super team.

SUC started trading at 98,000 won on the 2nd and closed at 127,000 won, hitting the upper limit.

Before the start of the regular season, expectations that SUC’s pro gaming team ‘SUC T1’, which is in the stove league, will form a super team by recruiting elite players from overseas leagues including Player Han Yujin, are interpreted to have pulled up the stock price.

…Han Yujin, you crazy bitch.

You’ve finally advanced even to economic news!