episode_0021

“Why, why are you like this?”

Did I say something I shouldn’t have? I didn’t make any mistakes in my words. I didn’t even say anything that would bother her.

“Oh no… That’s right. There’s no need to be afraid of liking something. I guess I just…”

So that’s what it was. I responded with an even brighter smile.

“I felt the same way. When I said I liked rock music, people would call me a rock freak, and when I said I liked heavy metal, they would say that noisy screaming isn’t music. They thought anyone who listened to that kind of music was just a bunch of misfits with a lot of societal dissatisfaction. But is it wrong to like what you like? The problem lies with those who criticize others for their preferences.”

“…You’re right! It’s the people who criticize who are wrong.”

It was a sudden realization, but her voice softened at my words.

“Would you like me to introduce you to a game?”

“Yes! Rose Fantasia is a game that I really love! Despite being a mobile game, it has been incredibly popular for over 3 years…”

Like a child explaining something exciting to their mother, her explanation was a bit clumsy but sincere, so I listened attentively.

“Oh. Get a hold of yourself. I didn’t know you were so knowledgeable.”

“No, it’s interesting. They remastered it once, and the graphics were really beautiful.”

“Oh, I see! Show me.”

I brought a chair over and placed it next to Minji.

“Oops! Wait, I accidentally turned off the power, so I have to reload…”

“Take your time. I won’t gobble you up.”

“Are you not going to eat your food?”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing. An anime line just popped into my head, so please continue.”

I can look up the meaning later. If such stories come up naturally, it means that the wall between us has somewhat crumbled. Meanwhile, as the loading finished, the game effects played…

– Rose Fantasia!

Huh? It sounds a bit different from before. Instead of the soft voice, it was a voice similar to mine. Curious, I asked, and she explained that each character has recorded lines that play randomly.

“By the way, the voice you just heard is Rose, the goddess of Rose Fantasia and a 0-tier character. She’s as popular as she is powerful.”

“Oh… Maybe I can imitate this voice.”

“Really?”

Recalling the line I just heard, I shouted.

“Rose Fantasia!”

“Wow…”

“Oh. Seoah, did you just do a Rose impersonation?”

“Come to think of it, your tone is similar to hers, Seoah.”

I shouted a bit louder, so Hyobin and Sunsoo heard it too. Anyway, if they all feel the same way, I’ve said enough.

“I should try doing a Rose impersonation during our debut broadcast.”

“Oh, yes… I’m sure it will suit you well.”

“Can I hear some of Rose’s character lines?”

“Yes, of course!”

She told me about Rose’s character lines and the interesting stories associated with them. Initially intended for the broadcast, I found myself getting drawn into it because it was unexpectedly fun to listen to.

“So, um… This might be a spoiler. What should I do?”

“I’ll watch it myself later.”

“Oh! Really? Yay…”

“Since we’re on the topic, should I try installing it now?”

Luckily, the company’s Wi-Fi signal was strong.

“Oh, but will it run on this phone?”

“Don’t worry! The game is well-optimized…”

“Oops.”

“Yes, yes? I’m sorry.”

Her desperate expression was so cute that I couldn’t help but laugh, but it seems like she misunderstood.

“No, I just thought we were getting closer.”

“Oh. Yeah. Haha, it’s still a bit awkward. But the feelings I had last time weren’t just a coincidence. For some reason, I keep feeling comfortable around you.”

Perhaps, without realizing it, I acquired a skill(?) from watching the orphanage director. In fact, after becoming a woman, it seems that looking warm is a big advantage. While sharing various stories, I quickly downloaded and launched Rose Fantasia.

“When you first run it, you need to download about 7-8 gigabytes. Since the Wi-Fi is on, it should be quick.”

As the video was downloading, short animations and background music flowed. I raised the volume a bit as I heard the electric guitar sound.

“The song is nice.”

“Yes! This is the opening song of Rose Fantasia, the main theme song…”

Listening more carefully, I realized that there were hardly any difficult chords, and it seemed like it could be played with simple chords.

“So, Minji must have listened to this song a lot?”

“Oh, no, not at all. When I used to broadcast as Mungmung, I always played it as the intro.”

That’s all she said.

“Wanna try playing the guitar?”

“Yes, huh?! Me? I don’t know how to play the guitar.”

“You can learn. I’ll teach you. There’s about a month left until your debut broadcast… I think you can play this song with just one chord.”

“Really?”

“Yes. There are no difficult chords. Let’s give it a try!”

Surprised by the sudden suggestion, she hesitated in response.

“I’m not really good at things like hand skills… It might be a waste of time…”

“You don’t have to play perfectly. Just showing your effort will greatly impress the viewers.”

“Um…”

Just then, the manager approached and joined in the persuasion.

“That’s right. We’re not going to be real guitarists. We just need to show off our YouTuber charm.”

“Is that so…”

It seemed like she was almost convinced. As if driving the final nail, I added a word.

“So~ If you show your cute side every time, and then show yourself playing the guitar like this…”

“Wow, Seoa, you really know what you’re talking about.”

I wonder what that means. I’ll look it up later.

“Anyway, let’s learn. By the way, our company has a place where you can borrow a guitar for free.”

“Oh really?”

That’s a good thing. I was going to have a hard time taking guitar lessons with my own guitar tomorrow, but now I can do it comfortably from today.

“Our chairman likes music. In order to inspire creativity among employees, music is essential! That’s why he brought it here for a demonstration.”

“It seems like the chairman and I will get along well.”

“Is that so? If it’s Seoa, it might really be like that. Anyway, what can we do? Minji.”

She turned off her phone, put it in her pocket, and replied in a determined voice.

“I said I would do anything if I came here, so if I miss this good opportunity, it wouldn’t make sense. Let’s give it a try!”

“Great! That’s the spirit. As expected of the winner, the Gacha Emperor, the Great Mungmung, the Modern Hamster!”

Praising her, she couldn’t control her body and twisted her body like a hamster.

“Then, Seoa, I’ll leave Minji to you. I’ll help the others with their debut broadcasts here.”

“Yes. By the way, I also have one more thing to do for my debut broadcast. I want to try a Rose impersonation.”

“Oh, Rose from Rose Fantasia? It’ll suit you well. I look forward to it. Yewon, please take the two of them to the soundproof room.”

And so, we arrived at the soundproof room where we could play the guitar, thanks to the manager’s introduction. Inside, there were not only guitars but also keyboards, drums, bass, and many other instruments than I had expected.

“Can we really do whatever we want here?”

“Yes. Employees are free to use it. You can rent small instruments like guitars, bass, and keyboards for several days.”

“That’s great. Minji, look at this.”

“Yes, yes!”

Countless types of guitars welcomed me. Linu Company is quite different from the large companies I knew. That’s why I like it even more.

“What kind of guitar do you want to play? Beginners usually prefer something easy to handle, right?”

“T-That one.”

“?”

“I-I mean, please choose that one.”

“Okay.”

One for me, one for Minji.

Placing the same model on the table, they sat down amicably.

“Wow, what’s this? I just picked up the guitar, but it feels like I’ve become a rockstar…”

“You know that feeling well. But more importantly, how does it feel? Not too heavy?”

“It’s manageable. But… you mentioned Flare, right? The guitar’s name.”

I nodded.

Did she watch my broadcast? It’s touching.

“You might feel a bit cheesy, but I was really impressed by naming the guitar… Can I name it too?”

“What name?”

“Maestro.”

It was a weighty name.

“Do you know what it means when you use it?”

“No. But it’s a resonant word. Resonate… Maestro!”

But Maestro didn’t resonate. I realized that I needed to teach her from the very basics of playing the guitar.

“First, try holding the pick.”

“Oops. Sorry. I got too excited…”

“It’s okay.”

As she became more familiar with me, she started to show her true self. A bit mischievous, but it was nice.

“But how should I address you?”

“Just call me Seoa unnie.”

“It’s too difficult to cross the barrier of reality…”

Come to think of it, did Minji ever call me Seoa unnie or Seoa nim? Probably not. Was this the reason why?

“Then call me by a nickname. Laria. It’ll be more comfortable, right?”

“Oh… Okay! Teacher Laria. Larasense!”

It seemed more comfortable now that she finally called me.

“Okay. Is there another barrier we need to break between us?”

“Well… No. But you don’t have to worry about me… Why…”

“Because we’re a team. Even if we’re not a team, I always want to help when you’re in trouble. I told you, I’m a meddler.”

Minji thought deeply for a moment and nodded her head.

“Thank you so much. I’ll do my best with the guitar.”

“Okay. But before that…”

If you want to make someone build a ship in “The Little Prince,” don’t teach them how to build a ship, but make them yearn for the sea. I really like that passage. Earlier, I played the opening BGM I heard in the loading screen.

“Wow, did you play it right after hearing it once?”

“Yes. As expected. It’s not that difficult. You can do it too.”

“Me too?”

She seemed momentarily speechless, blinking her eyes. But I knew exactly what that expression meant. She was imagining me playing the guitar.

“What should I start with?!”

Great! I successfully made her yearn for the guitar.

We continued step by step from the very basics, practicing easy chords, including the ones used in the Rose Fantasia BGM.

However, we encountered a slight difficulty. Minji’s hand seemed to have trouble following commands properly.

“Like this…”

“No, haha, that’s not it. A bit more this way.”

“Oh, I see. My hand doesn’t seem to listen to me. Did I press the wrong command…”

It’s not working. I stood up, went behind her, and gently wrapped my hand around hers, holding the chord.

“Oops!”