LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 55
After casually scanning the news and articles, Si-hyun got up from her seat.
She spotted her younger sister rushing back from a distance.
Whether an S-rank Hunter went missing or not, it didn’t really matter.
After all, they weren’t acquaintances, so they’d soon fade from the spotlight.
Si-hyun and Si-yoon took public transportation to the meeting place.
Not long after their arrival, a taxi stopped in front of the restaurant, and Ji-a got out.
“Sorry! Did you wait long?”
“No, we just got here too.”
Si-hyun and Ji-a exchanged greetings first.
“Sis, it’s been a while!”
“Right? How have you been, Si-yoon?”
Si-yoon squealed with joy and clung to Ji-a.
Ji-a hugged Si-yoon tightly and smiled.
“You dressed up nicely, didn’t you? Someone might think we’re going hunting!”
“Oh please, it’s basic, basic.”
“Si-hyun, you did dress her up, right?”
“Of course!”
Ji-a and Si-yoon’s eyes simultaneously turned to the same person.
Si-hyun was wearing a dress in bright colors.
A thin strap gently wrapped around her waist, accentuating Si-hyun’s slender and beautifully curved figure.
Si-hyun awkwardly turned her head and scratched her cheek.
“I-I said I tried….”
Her cheeks flushed from embarrassment.
Si-yoon seemed to find her sister’s reaction amusing and giggled.
“I prepared the outfit in advance! But at first, you didn’t want to wear it?”
“Really? How did you make me?”
As Ji-a responded, Si-yoon burst into laughter.
“But no way! I succeeded in my offering!”
“Ah-ha.”
Ji-a immediately caught on to what Si-yoon was implying.
It must mean she used Momobin’s merchandise again.
‘She’ll be caught soon enough.’
Ji-a looked at Si-yoon with a cautious gaze.
……Well, if she got caught, it might end up being amusing anyway.
Si-yoon would be too shy to say anything.
And Si-hyun might just have a brain freeze for a moment, right?
Imagining the situation made Ji-a snicker before gently suggesting.
“Standing in front of the store like this is a bit awkward. Shall we go in?”
“…Yeah, let’s do that.”
“Let’s go!”
The three women entered the store.
Since Ji-a had made a reservation, they sat comfortably at their table.
Si-hyun moved slowly, taking in the atmosphere of the restaurant.
The dimly lit restaurant created an air of luxury.
There were paintings that looked something special and sophisticated decorations.
‘This sort of place would be perfect for a date.’
Just like the brunch café where they previously had breakfast together.
It seemed Ji-a knew all the good places to eat in Seoul.
When the time came, she thought she’d have to ask Ji-a about it.
“Did you reserve one of the menus?” Ji-a asked.
“Yeah, it’s a menu you can only eat if you reserve it a day in advance.”
Receiving the menu from Si-yoon, Ji-a flipped through the pages.
She pointed to a menu item with her finger and asked, “Beef Wellington. Have you ever had it?”
“…No, that’s the first time I’m hearing the name.”
“I saw it on TV!”
Si-hyun shook her head at Ji-a’s question, and Si-yoon, who had been listening, raised her hand excitedly.
“It was the one the chefs threw away for being cold on that reality show! Right?”
“Yep, that’s it.”
“I was curious when I saw it on TV, but I’ve never actually eaten it! Wow, I’m so excited!”
“Hehe, you’ll definitely be satisfied.”
Looking at the thrilled Si-yoon, Ji-a covered her mouth and smiled.
Si-yoon earnestly continued to browse the menu.
Si-hyun, who was looking at the menu, said with an awkward expression.
“…Um, I don’t really go to places like this, so I’m not sure. I’ll leave the menu to you.”
“Then I want this one!”
“With that? Then for the other one, this would be a safe choice.”
The menu was settled quickly.
After finishing all the orders, Si-hyun stood up.
“I’ll be right back; I’m going to the restroom.”
With gentle movements, she walked toward the restroom.
As she moved, her platinum hair shimmered softly, illuminated by the store’s lights.
Ji-a quietly watched Si-hyun’s back.
After Si-hyun completely disappeared, she turned back and looked at Si-yoon.
“Si-yoon.”
“Yeah?”
“The broadcast—haven’t you been caught yet?”
“Um… not yet.”
Her lips curled down as she responded.
At that reaction, Ji-a gave a wry smile and said, “Sometimes, Si-hyun asks me things via message. About house prices and stuff like that.”
“Yeah… I see.”
“Like what Hunter rank you need to live in a single house. Things like that.”
“……Umm.”
Si-yoon fidgeted awkwardly with her fingers.
Ji-a watched her and quietly laughed.
“When do you plan to keep it a secret?”
“……Until I get caught?”
“If that happens, won’t it make things even more awkward later?”
“Well… that… I watch it constantly because it’s my favorite… so it’s a bit… awkward to reveal….”
“Well… that makes sense.”
Ji-a nodded in agreement.
After all, if she received merchandise as a gift and dressed up so beautifully, it made sense she’d feel shy about it.
Just from that alone, you could tell Si-hyun’s love for her favorite was different.
“How did she get so into it?”
“……She likes the voice.”
“Pfft, the voice?”
“She says it reminds her of me from when I was young.”
Ji-a chuckled at Si-yoon, who pouted while speaking.
A voice, how simple yet definite of a factor.
“Hehe… well, until you get caught, I’ll help you keep it a secret.”
“Thanks, sis! But really, what should we do? Isn’t there any good way?”
“I’m not sure? I really don’t know.”
“Mmm… maybe we can disguise it as an accident and make our sister appear on the broadcast.”
“Oh gosh.”
That was an extremely extreme suggestion.
While Ji-a’s eyes widened in surprise, Si-yoon seriously contemplated her idea.
“…Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad? Honestly, wouldn’t the viewers enjoy it too?”
“Hehe, maybe so? Si-hyun’s voice is truly beautiful.”
“Okay! I’ll make a note of that!”
Si-yoon thought cunningly with a mischievous expression.
They say ‘a cornered rat will bite a cat.’
If it came down to a dead end, she really might just do it.
Of course, she knew this wouldn’t serve as a fundamental solution.
But if shocking incidents happened one after another, wouldn’t it be somewhat better to cover it up?
Si-yoon began to seriously consider it.
“What were you talking about?”
Si-hyun returned from the restroom and sat back down next to Ji-a.
Ji-a wore a playful smile and looked at Si-hyun as she spoke, “Si-hyun, what do you think of my voice?”
“Huh? Why the sudden question about my voice?”
“I just became curious.”
Si-hyun was puzzled but earnestly answered.
“…Um, I’m not very good with words, so I can’t express this well….”
Her gaze drifted off into the air as she sank into deep thought.
She tapped her cheek with her fingers, pondering for a moment.
Then, Si-hyun clapped her hands together.
“Ah! If I had to compare, you know Momobin, right? The VTuber Momobin.”
“Yeah, I know. We watched it together on TV last time, right?”
“Yep, yep. Personally, Momobin has the voice I like the most recently. Sometimes she goes cute or talks with a lisp.”
“…….”
“Pfft, right, got it.”
Ji-a couldn’t hold back her laughter and covered her mouth.
Her trying to be cute and speaking with a lisp!
Ji-a glanced over at Si-yoon, who was sitting across from them.
She wore a face that looked like she had bitten into something sour but was trying not to show it.
Her uncontrolled facial muscles trembled.
Thanks to that, Ji-a found it hard to contain her own laughter.
Si-hyun seemed completely oblivious as she looked at Ji-a.
But being caught between the two while trying to stifle her laughter was torture.
Eventually, Ji-a decided to just laugh it off.
“Hehe….”
“……?”
Was it that funny of a story? Si-hyun tilted her head, confused.
Eventually, she continued her explanation, completely unaware of anything being off.
“In comparison, Ji-a has a voice that makes the listener feel at ease?”
“…Hmm.”
“Oh, come on! It’s embarrassing to say it to your face. But anyway, I like you right after Momobin!”
“Hehe, is that so? Thanks.”
That was surely a high compliment for Si-hyun.
Ji-a smiled brightly and expressed her gratitude.
At that moment, a waitress approached their table.
“Here’s the food you ordered.”
She set the dishes on the table with a simple remark.
After everything was set for the meal, Si-yoon managed to recompose her expression and said.
“Uh, sis…?”
“Yeah?”
“You know there’s something called a broadcast tone, right?”
“I guess so? It probably varies by broadcaster.”
“I’m curious what it would be like if you used a lisp! Can you try it out for me?”
At Si-yoon’s request, Si-hyun made a horrified expression.
“No way. Absolutely not.”
“Why not? Just this once!”
“Even if you bring a full set of Momobin merchandise, no.”
“Eeeh—”
When her sister flatly refused, Si-yoon swallowed her disappointment and backed off.
Deep down, she thought, ‘Is that the only way?’
Although she didn’t voice her thoughts.
Afterward, the three women engaged in ordinary conversation.
Their first impressions of Beef Wellington.
The creamy taste of the pasta, and so on.
As their peaceful dining time passed and dessert arrived, Ji-a took a spoonful of ice cream and pulled out her smartphone.
Habitually checking the news without giving it much thought.
“Um…?”
Her face turned surprised as she checked a few articles and confirmed the contents.
Her expression turned quite serious, piquing Si-hyun’s curiosity about what had shocked Ji-a.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, right. I just saw in the news that Hunter Yu Byeong-jun has gone missing. Do you know who that is?”
“Ah, I saw that earlier. Isn’t he an S-rank Hunter?”
As Si-hyun answered, Ji-a nodded and said.
“The dungeon where this person went missing was the dungeon we were originally planning to go to.”
“Is it the A-rank dungeon that a big guild took over?”
“Yeah. That’s why I feel a bit on edge.”
“Ah, I see.”
Si-hyun recalled a conversation she had with Ji-a at the brunch café earlier.
As she recalled the memory, she suddenly thought of something important.
“Huh? Didn’t you say that dungeon had a time limit? To the rampage?”
“Yes, that’s correct. The situation has gotten pretty dangerous. The management office must be on high alert.”
“Hmm….”
Satisfied that her curiosity was resolved, Si-hyun nodded slightly.
After all, the management office would likely handle it well, right?
Si-hyun’s interest stopped there.
Since it wasn’t related to her or someone close to her, she wasn’t inclined to worry.
“Shall we get going? Let’s take a light stroll in the nearby park before heading to the wine bar.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
The women finished their dessert and got up from their seats.
After settling the bill, they left the restaurant and naturally headed toward the nearby park.
As they walked happily and admired the surrounding scenery, Si-yoon cheerfully exclaimed.
“Let’s take a picture! A photo!”
In an instant, the photo time began.
They took pictures together and also individual ones, producing dozens of photographs.
“Do you two want to go over by that tree? I’ll take a stunning shot from a distance!”
“Hehe, then I’ll count on you!”
“…Hmm.”
At Si-yoon’s excited invitation, Ji-a and Si-hyun walked further away.
Climbing up onto the steps, they posed cozily next to a tree in the distance.
Si-yoon giggled at her jittery sister.
If you were to check Ji-hyun’s phone, the gallery would surely be completely empty.
Now’s the time to fill it up!
Determined, they took the photo.
From a distance, as Si-yoon watched, the two seemed to be having a conversation.
Ji-a pointed at one side, gesturing for Si-yoon and then moved on.
Si-yoon nodded and tried to join them.
But just then, a man approached Si-yoon, who was alone.
“Excuse me, I really like you. Can I have your number?”
He was a persistent hunter.