The Girl of Unknown Identity

Saturday, June 28th.

The day right before the 2nd regular meeting of the Chewy-Squishy Cow Guild.

The point when the voting deadline was almost up.

,Th-this…”

A trembling voice leaked from my flustered lips.

And for good reason, because the number of people who said they’d participate in the meeting was close to 100.

It was still increasing and decreasing in real-time, but the three-digit attendance number seemed to be fixed no matter what, with no major fluctuations.

From then until now, no, rather, as the voting deadline approached, the guild chatroom became even more active.

Oh, what do I do…

I sighed, kicking my feet on the bed.

The number of people who participated in the last meeting was only about 10.

If a really large group of 100 people came to this meeting, that would be a problem in itself.

Of course, being able to see a lot of guild members at once was a good thing, but the condition I added was the problem.

[The guild leader will pay for all meals.]

I confidently added that. Because I expected only about 30 people to attend at most.

Of course, not all 100 people who voted would come.

There will definitely be people who suddenly drop out on the promised day.

But even considering that possibility, the number of attendees would be close to three digits.

An ordinary restaurant wouldn’t do. I had to rent a large hall.

Cold sweat runs down my back.

Eventually, time passed and the voting deadline approached.

The voting rate was 100 percent. The number of people who could attend was closed at 120.

Considering the total guild membership of nearly 180, it was a considerable participation rate.

I calmly took a deep breath and started looking for a place to rent for the next day.

It was then. I got a call from Sohee.

,H-hello…?”

[Hayun-ah. It’s me.]

“Yeah. Sohee-ya.”

[Are you looking for a place to eat, by any chance?]

“Ah, yeah. 120 people said they’d attend, so I’m a little…”

[I’ll help you. Don’t worry.]

“Oh, how?”

[My dad has a friend who runs a place. You can get it cheap there.]

,B-but…”

[It’s okay. It just so happens that the customers who made reservations canceled, so all the prepared ingredients were almost thrown away.]

,R-really…?”

[Yeah, so. Don’t worry.]

***

Sunday, June 29th.

The day of the 2nd regular meeting of the Chewy-Squishy Cow Guild.

10:40 AM.

Yerin, who arrived at the meeting place 20 minutes early, checked her cell phone and looked around.

It was finally time to see the reality of the guild leader-nim, who had only been rumored about, with her own two eyes.

Since nearly 120 people were participating in the meeting, she could see a place where people were gathered from afar.

Yerin hurried to it. Even as she ran, her eyes moved quickly to check the number of people.

About 80 people were gathered, talking with awkward expressions.

But among them, the figure of that little girl she had been expecting was nowhere to be seen.

Yerin approached them with an awkward smile.

“Chewy-Squishy Guild… right?”

“Ah, that’s right. What’s your nickname, by any chance?”

The person who answered Yerin’s question and stepped forward was an ajusshi who seemed to be quite old.

He had a neat appearance in a clean outfit. His tone was also very polite, so she didn’t feel any repulsion.

“I’m using the nickname Yerin.”

“Ah-ha. Then, could you show us your guild group chatroom on your cell phone?”

“Huh? Group chatroom, you mean…”

Yerin tilted her head, but took out her cell phone and showed him the screen of the guild group chatroom.

The man glanced at the screen and bowed his head, explaining the reason.

“I don’t know why, but there was someone who pretended to be in our guild and was standing here. I was worried that something like that might happen again… Ah, I’m Yiyap.”

“Ah…”

Yerin nodded and looked at the other people.

As expected, there were quite a few men, but that didn’t mean there were few women.

7:3. It was a considerable number for a male-dominated game.

Yerin, who was looking around, carefully asked Yiyap, who was in front of her.

“Um, by any chance, the guild leader-nim…”

“Ah, she hasn’t come yet.”

Yerin breathed a sigh of relief at those words.

It was unlikely, but in one corner of her heart, she had a small hope that the figure of that little girl would appear in reality as well.

What does the person who moves that little girl’s avatar look like in reality?

Yerin imagined Yun, the guild leader in the game, and asked Yiyap a question.

“Um, Yiyap-nim?”

“Yes?”

“At the first regular meeting, the guild leader-nim really came, right?”

“Yes, the guild leader-nim had a pretty good time with us at the first regular meeting.”

It wasn’t just Yerin. Other guild members were also asking those who attended the first regular meeting about what happened then.

There were no accurate photos left, but everyone was talking about it.

Their guild leader is really a middle school student.

That’s how it became 11 o’clock, the appointed time.

But the guild leader, the little girl, did not appear at the meeting place.

Instead, a large limousine bus began to line up in front of the guild members who were waiting endlessly for their guild leader.

The number of buses that arrived was five in total.

At that moment, the door of the bus opened and a message from the guild leader Yun arrived in the guild group chatroom.

Yun-[I’m sorry I can’t go to the meeting place! I have something to prepare, so I’m sending a car separately, so please take it and come~]

It was at that moment that everyone was flustered. A man in a black suit got out of the bus and carefully opened his mouth.

“Are you all members of the Chewy-Squishy Cow Guild?”

While everyone remained silent without answering, Yiyap was the first to step forward.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“The Agassi has sent us. We will guide you.”

The man in the black suit bowed his head and gestured inside.

It was a signal to get on the bus.

I also checked the messages in the guild chatroom. The man in the black suit also said that the Agassi sent him and told them to get on the bus.

The hesitant people began to get on the bus one by one.

In that way, all 120 members of the Chewy-Squishy Cow Guild who gathered at the meeting place boarded the bus.

***

“Hey, Sohee-ya. Is this really okay?”

“Yeah.”

At Sohee’s answer, I scanned the surroundings with an uneasy gaze.

Just before heading to the meeting place, Sohee drove out like she did at the first regular meeting and came to pick up Harang and me.

The place she arrived at was an incredibly luxurious hotel.

The building was strangely empty.

Of course, the staff were visible. But other guests were nowhere to be seen.

It was strange. It was really strange.

“H-hey, aren’t you overdoing it?”

“Overdoing it?”

Sohee tilted her head as if she didn’t understand my question.

I fidgeted with my fingers and turned my head.

Is it really okay to use this place as the guild meeting place?

I just wanted to have a good time chatting while eating, and having fun playing games.

“Wow… this place is really big…”

Then, Harang, who had left for a while to go to the bathroom, came back.

He was wearing a black suit, just like last time.

I immediately went on alert.

I spread my arms and blocked the space between Sohee and Harang.

“Don’t come near me, you beanpole.”

“What?”

“Sohee’s scared.”

Harang frowned at my words.

I turned my head and looked up at Sohee, who was standing behind me, now gently placing her hand on my waist.

“Doesn’t look like it at all?”

Harang was right. But my pride didn’t want to admit his words as they were.

“Maintain a certain distance.”

“Ha…”

“That’s right. Oppa. Please keep a certain distance.”

Harang looked at me and Sohee alternately with a slightly complicated look.

He must have been quite hurt to hear those words from the woman he liked.

I smiled victoriously and placed my hand on the back of Sohee’s hand.

Sohee liked me more than Harang.

He could never beat me.

At that moment, Sohee took out her cell phone.

The height difference was so great that I couldn’t peek at the screen.

“What is it?”

“The guild members have arrived.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they said they’re coming up from down there.”

I went with Sohee to the large glass wall.

Beyond the large glass wall, I could see the scenery below the hotel.

Five buses were lined up along the long road, approaching the hotel.

“Sohee-ya.”

“Yeah?”

“Wait, the car you said you sent earlier, was that it?”

“Yeah.”

“,I-I see…”

I stared at the bus that was starting to park under the hotel.

I could tell even from a distance. There must be a considerable number of people on board.

I said to Sohee, who was holding my waist and wouldn’t let go.

“Hey, Sohee-ya. Shouldn’t we go down there?”

“Why?”

“Why, you ask… What if the guild members get lost?”

“I sent someone, so it’s okay.”

Sohee said that and turned her body.

I, who was being held by the waist by her hand, also had my body pulled along.

“,W-wait a minute…!”

“Let’s go wait first. They’ll come on their own.”

The place I arrived at with Sohee was a buffet prepared in a large hall.

The wide space and clean design made my vision clear.

I checked the scene and asked Sohee.

“Sohee-ya.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me honestly. Was it a lie that the customers who made reservations canceled?”

“No? They really all canceled.”

“,R-really?”

“Yeah. So don’t feel pressured.”

Sohee said it lightly, but there would be no one who wouldn’t feel pressured by those words.

I fidgeted with my hands and stroked Sohee’s hand that had gone up to my waist.

The guild members will be coming up soon. As the guild leader, I can’t stay in the arms of a middle school student forever.

“,L-let go of this.”

The game and reality were different. In the game, my body was a very, very powerful warrior, but in reality, I was just a very weak middle school student.

“You said you’d be by my side all day today?”

“,T-that’s when you’re having a hard time…”

“I’m having a hard time. Hayun-ah. I’m having such a hard time, stay by my side.”

W-why is this girl suddenly like this?

The skinship was more intense than usual.

I gave Harang a look for help.

But Harang smiled lightly and turned his head away.

It seemed that he was quite sulky about what happened earlier.

This immature guy who can’t even act his age…

I sighed.

“Sohee-ya. I’m the guild leader.”

“Yeah.”

“The guild leader has to be cool.”

“Our Hayun is cool.”

I let out a small sigh.

At that moment, more than a hundred people began to enter the large hall.

There were familiar faces, and there were faces I was seeing for the first time.

They were all my guild members.

I crossed my arms and made the most solemn expression I could.

Sohee’s hand was still on my waist.

“Welcome. My guild members.”

The expressions of the guild members twisted strangely at my welcome.