Chapter 59: The Silent Scent of Plum Blossoms

– Plum Blossom Scent
1.

After a shopping date that left only one person fluttering,

Hae Eung Eung returned with three new outfits.

Her usual wardrobe of jangsam, pipoongui,

and a straw hat unchanging for what seemed like 365 days was replaced by an ensemble handpicked by Joo Ahyoung,

who enthusiastically recommended it.

The outfit included a fitted turtleneck, an oversized knit vest, denim pants,

and western boots Joo Ahyoung’s “coordination set” (4/4).

“Why do you keep looking around?”

” If you keep doing that, you’ll only attract more attention,” Joo Ahyoung teased.

Hae Eung Eung, feeling self-conscious, kept pulling her waistband higher to cover her lower stomach.

Even after adding the knit vest as a desperate measure, she couldn’t seem to find peace,

more concerned now with the stares of passersby.

Seeing this, Joo Ahyoung feared the new clothes would be locked away in the closet forever, never to see the light of day.

She decided to employ a little trick.

“If you’re so uncomfortable, how about wearing something on your head?”

Hae Eung Eung’s face lit up as she pulled a bamboo juknip hat from a shopping bag.

“Not that giant sushi roll of a hat!”

Watching her sister’s emotions swing so wildly today made Joo Ahyoung’s heart flutter,

but she also felt a pang of guilt.

Maybe she had teased her too much.

Still, letting her wear the juknip was out of the question.

Joo Ahyoung was certain that if she allowed it, the jangsam and pipoongui would make a full comeback within a day.

Combat attire was fine when necessary,

but strolling around with that hat on would make them instantly recognizable, rendering the effort of picking out new clothes pointless.

“How about an umbrella?”

The night sky was clear enough to see the stars, with not a drop of rain in sight.

But who said umbrellas were only for rain?

After dealing with her sister’s unique fashion sense,

Joo Ahyoung had developed an open-minded approach to style and naturally sought accessories that could solve Hae Eung Eung’s concerns.

“You can carry it around to cover your face instead of a hat, use it to block sunlight if it’s dark-colored, and, of course, it’ll come in handy if it rains.”

Though this peculiar suggestion relegated the umbrella’s primary purpose to the backseat, it resonated with Hae Eung Eung.

[Where can I buy an umbrella?]

“Hmm… I’ve never heard of an umbrella specialty store. ”

“It might be better to shop online.”

[Then I’ll just use my juknip today.]

“No way! If it comes to that, I’d rather get you a convenience store umbrella. ”

“Oh, look at this! Convenience store umbrellas. They stockpile them because of acid rain.”

The rain was so dangerous that just 10 minutes of exposure could cause dermatitis, and an hour could lead to heavy metal poisoning.

All convenience stores were required to stock a certain number of umbrellas to counter such hazards.

“Why don’t we stop by my convenience store? I switched shifts with a friend to work the night shift today. ”

“We can kill two birds with one stone. Oh, don’t say it’s a hassle! Come on, please? Pretty please?”

Joo Ahyoung playfully poked Hae Eung Eung’s arm with her finger, wearing an adorably pleading expression.

In the face of such endearing antics, Hae Eung Eung’s expression softened.

[Fine. I owe you for today anyway, so let’s go to the convenience store together.]

As her sister happily agreed, Joo Ahyoung pondered whether to hand her an umbrella with a teddy bear mascot or one with a toad mascot.

It was a mischievous but delightful dilemma. A smile never left Joo Ahyoung’s lips it was a happy kind of problem.

2.

“And that’s it for today’s content ‘The Lonely Gourmet Outdoor Stream.’ Guys, time to go live your real lives~”

• Where are we supposed to live real life at 10 p.m.? 
• Open your eyes, stream, finish the stream, then sleep. Repeat.
• Bro, you’re so annoying. Can I punch you just once?

“Nope, you can’t. Compared to the Silent Swordsman, this is nothing. Anyway, I’m really signing off now, okay?”

With a short conversation to wrap up, Lee Haechan ended his stream.

It concluded with an average of 4,000 viewers watching live.

Shortly after, he received a message from his editor.

Nemesis Guy: 600k views incoming.
Lee Haechan: Add some more.
Nemesis Guy: Fine, 615k.

What kind of editor jokes like this and still collects a salary?

Lee Haechan grumbled but still planned to buy the local specialties of Myeongho-dong,

making sure to include some for his editor.

After all, he wasn’t just a good streamer; he was also a good boss.

“So, the Silent Swordsman really lives in a place like this?”

Though the stream had ended, Lee Haechan hadn’t let go of his one-person camcorder.

He was meticulously preparing footage and commentary for a secret pre-recorded special, “In Search of the Silent Swordsman.”

“Myeongho-dong’s house prices are around a billion won these days? ”

“Whew. Even with the gates, Myeongho Guild seems to be doing alright for a small guild.”

Thanks to the monsters and gates that mercilessly burst the real estate bubble,

housing prices in most areas had plummeted to under 100 million won.

By comparison, Myeongho-dong was holding its ground impressively well.

“I just Googled it, and guess who used to be in Myeongho Guild? Lee Myeongho.”

” He used to work under Kang Taebaek from Taebaek Guild, one of the top 10 guilds.”

Of course, he hadn’t “just” Googled it.

The commentary he was practicing for the camcorder was the result of thorough pre-stream research to ensure his delivery was smooth.

Even on a trip, knowing the local context could vastly enhance the experience.

In this case, instead of centuries-old stone pagodas or school trip artifacts, information about guilds or prominent figures was far more effective at grabbing his viewers’ attention.

[Transaction Details]
Myeongho Guild → My Account
+1,000,000 KRW

After explaining the broadcast content in advance and casually mentioning that it would double as promotion for Myeongho Guild,

their PR department generously wired a promotional fee of one million won.

With this financial incentive fueling his motivation, Lee Haechan found himself working late into the night.

Despite his stream ending at 10 p.m., it was already 1 a.m.

“Ugh, if I’d known it’d be like this, I wouldn’t have come alone.”

He stretched his back, only to hear an unsettling crack from his spine.

He winced, chastising himself for overdoing the recording.

If this continued, he might as well drop dead.

With no better alternative in sight, he stumbled toward the convenience store sign like a moth drawn to a streetlamp.

“Why are the Silent Swordsman sightings so inconsistent?”

Coming to Myeongho-dong had been the right choice.

However, the locals’ accounts were all over the place.

Some claimed he practically lived in a practice room used by aspiring idols.

Others swore he had fought 13 Myeongho Guild members alone, using a tennis racket-like instrument to knock them all out.

Yet others mentioned him teaching at an Awakener academy, bringing about a wave of educational reform.

“The kicker? Every story has witnesses.”

If these were baseless rumors, it’d be easier to dismiss them.

However, each location the Awakener academy, the 1 vs. 13 fight,

and the music practice room had people claiming to have seen the Silent Swordsman in action.

“Maybe I have a talent for this like a private investigator or a journalist digging up juicy leads.”

Haechan struck an exaggerated pose for the camcorder, leaning into the self-absorbed persona for his viewers.

“What’s up with that guy?”
“Must be drunk. Men are all like that when they drink.”
“Pfft, this is hilarious. Do you act like that too?”
“…Hey, no. Not me.”
“Oh, so you’ve done it before, huh?”

A couple out for a late-night date passed by, their teasing remarks striking a nerve.

Haechan’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

“Why am I doing this at this hour, recording and getting mocked by random people? Seriously, I can’t take this anymore.”

Still, as a successful v-tuber, even moments of embarrassment could be turned into content gold.

“Damn it, this is so humiliating. I can’t deal with this.”

But once the camcorder was off, the shame was unbearable.

This newly created chapter of his cringe-worthy history, at age 28, was enough to make him kick his blankets in frustration later.

To calm his nerves, he entered the convenience store, planning to grab a bottle of water.

Ding!
“Welcome!”

The cheerful greeting came from a stunningly attractive cashier.

‘Looks like the owner spent some money. Bet they’re making good sales.’

While thinking this, Haechan headed toward the refrigerated drink section.

His steps slowed when he noticed someone else already browsing the drinks.

‘Whoa. Even from behind, she’s a stunner.’

The person’s form-fitting knit vest, perfectly shaped hips,

and captivating silhouette made it hard for him to look away, even though he knew it was inappropriate.

Clink.

The sound of drinks being shuffled drew his gaze upward, tracing the elegant motion of her pale, delicate fingers.

But his attention stopped abruptly at the sight of her wrist, wrapped in professional-looking bandages.

‘Bandages? Not just any kind, either.’

The wrist was securely taped with what looked like sports-grade wrapping, designed to protect against strain and pressure.

The tape wrapped expertly across her wrist, palm, and between her thumb and forefinger, hinting at experience.

What kind of sport does she play?

As he watched her curiously, her hand, which had been selecting a drink, suddenly stopped.

‘Huh?’

Her eyes, reflected faintly on the refrigerator’s glass, looked at him with a wary expression.

It wasn’t even a direct look just her reflection on the glass but her beauty was undeniable, almost disorienting.

He stared for a moment, as if enchanted, before snapping out of it.

‘Did I get too close and scare her?’

Feeling awkward, Lee Haechan forced a sheepish smile, raising his hands to shoulder height as if to signal he wasn’t a threat.

He then stepped back, moving cautiously a step and a half away.

‘Wow, she really is stunning.’

In a neighborhood frequented by aspiring celebrities, could she be one herself?

For a brief moment, his heart soared, as if drifting among the clouds.

But then, a faint fragrance tickled his nose.

‘Wait, this scent…?’

It was subtle and airy at first, gently diffusing into the space around them,

but when it reached his nose, it hit with a distinct sharpness.

It was an unforgettable freshness not the harsh, synthetic scent of artificial cosmetics,

but the refined fragrance of flowers in nature.

‘This is plum blossom.’

He hadn’t learned the scent from hiking or from frequent use of perfumes.

It was from the Silent Swordsman a memory etched deeply into his senses.

The scent had captivated him during his first encounter with her,

and he had obsessively searched to identify it outside of his streams.

‘No doubt about it. It’s plum blossom.’

As someone who had been among the first to notice the Silent Swordsman’s broadcasts ,

and had spent countless hours immersed in her streams,

Haechan recognized the combination of her imposing aura and the distinct fragrance.

As he became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed the woman wasn’t wearing a straw hat or martial arts attire.

But her unique presence, her natural grace, was unmistakable.

‘Hold on. A step and a half?’

The distance she had maintained when she initially noticed him two full steps away.

And now, with the step and a half he had retreated, the gap was exactly three and a half steps.

That was the precise distance needed to unsheathe a sword, turn, and target an enemy behind her.

‘Could this be real? It’s not just my imagination, is it?’

The scent could be explained by an unknown perfume.

The distance might be a coincidence, an overinterpretation caused by his bias.

But her eyes—those eyes, deep and haunting, yet carrying a unique lifelessness were unmistakable.

They were the eyes of the Silent Swordsman.

“Excuse me, are you by any chance…”

Just as he mustered the courage to speak—

WEEEOOO! WEEEOOO!

A blaring siren pierced the air.

Haechan’s face froze, realizing instantly what it meant.

As if to confirm his fears, the convenience store cashier shouted in a panicked voice, her face pale.

“It’s a monster attack alarm!”

The gate in Myeongho 2-dong had opened.