Chapter 52: A Hesitant Encounter Between Caution and Curiosity

… Suddenly?

Sure, I was the one who first brought up meeting in person, but him suggesting a specific plan so quickly felt a bit abrupt.

“Ah,” I sent and then began typing. I wrote and erased, over and over.

Should I just agree?

I want to say yes.

“Hmm…”

But I feel a bit wary.

The old me probably would’ve agreed right away.

Anyone else might find it slightly inconvenient, but Lee Seong-hyun has always been incredibly kind to me.

But now… there’s something holding me back. I can’t quite explain it. It’s like hesitation, or reluctance. Why is that?

As I kept mulling it over, another message came through on KakaoTalk.

• “It’s about work. I wanted to discuss something with you.”
• “It’s a bit difficult to explain properly online, so I thought it would be better in person.”

Ah.

If it’s for a reason like that, then it should be fine.

“Sure! When would be a good time for you?”

• “Would Saturday evening at 7 work?”

“Ah, yes! I’ll take care of dinner!”

• “No, no. Let me treat you.”

“No way…! Really, it’s fine! I’ll treat you!”

We ended up having a playful argument over who would pay, but ultimately, it was decided that He’d be the one to pay.

Well, it wasn’t so much decided as it was me being voluntold.

…

“I won’t be streaming this Saturday.”

• ??
• Why?
• All of a sudden?
• Got a boyfriend, huh? Sigh.
• Defiled cute girl…

“No! I’m just meeting my editor. What’s this about a boyfriend now?”

• ??
• “You’re actually meeting him in person?”
• Are you kidding me!?!
• “Certificate of Defiled Cute Girl—Updated and Renewed.”
• Don’t meet him. Don’t meet him. Don’t meet him.
• “If you do, I swear I’ll write you a long email.”

“It’s not like that… It’s purely work-related, okay? Relax.”

Their over-the-top reactions completely caught me off guard.

“Seriously, there’s nothing going on. Stop worrying, okay? What, do you think every time a man and woman meet, sparks have to fly? Don’t you guys have any female friends?”

• There’s no such thing as male-female friendships, I swear.
• Let’s be honest, introverts know this better than anyone. Extroverts will say they have friends, sure, but only because they’re trying to hook up with them later.
• Sigh. What male-female friendship? Stop kidding yourself.

“No, seriously…”

Once again, I felt that peculiar mix of exasperation and joy simultaneously.

Sure, their overreaction was annoying, but having them care about my actions felt kind of nice too.

• Truthfully has donated 2,000 KRW.
• “Seriously, this is just me being cautious, but whatever you do, don’t drink alcohol.”

“Why?”

I asked, genuinely curious. Not that I planned on drinking, but his warning intrigued me.

• Truthfully has donated 2,000 KRW.
• “Just don’t drink, you idiot.”

“What… What did you just say!?

• User님 donated 1,000 KRW.
• “Predicted response”

“No… It’s a business meeting, okay? Why do you keep thinking like that? Are you all perverts or what?”

• Blah blah blah.

I barely managed to calm the viewers down and promised to upload proof photos, finally ending the stream.

…

Seriously, why do they act like that whenever I mention a guy? Normally, they’re all tsundere about everything else.

I vented about it to Yoo Ji-eun and Song Chae-hyun over the phone, saying I couldn’t understand the viewers’ reactions at all.

I thought they’d agree with me and call the viewers ridiculous.

But instead…

• “The viewers are right.”

“W-What?”

• “Don’t meet him.”
• “I agree too.”

Their voices were cold.

“Why, why not?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and reflexively asked.

• “It’s too dangerous.”
• “You don’t even know who this person really is.”

“But he seems like a nice person…”

I stammered, trying to defend him.

• “And how would you know that?”
• “You’ve only known him for a few days.”

“But still…”

I felt like I was getting more and more flustered.

Are they treating me like a child?

“Y-You’re treating me like a kid, aren’t you?”

• “…Huh?” (Chae-hyun sounded genuinely startled.)

“I-I can take care of myself, okay? I know how to judge people.”

After a brief silence, they spoke again.

• “I-hyun. Then how do you explain that time you were bawling and almost handed over money to a scammer?”

“Aaaahhh!!”

I screamed impulsively to draw them out.

I never told Yoo Ji-eun about that incident…!

• “What’s that supposed to mean?” (Ji-eun sounded incredulous.)

Chae-hyun then calmly narrated the entire sequence of events as if to rub it in.

Ji-eun stayed silent the entire time, listening to the story.

• “I can’t allow this.”

“W-What do you mean?”

• “We were going to let you go, but after hearing that, there’s no way…… We’re coming with you.”
• “Yeah, Ji-eun and I will go with you.”

What?

“No, you can’t!”

I cried out in panic.

The two went silent again. The atmosphere felt icy.

• “Why?”
• “…Why not?”

“N-No, it’s just…”

Why are even these two acting like this?

“It’s… It’s embarrassing. This is a professional meeting’.. it’ll be awkward…”

I decided to just tell them the truth.

“If you come… Or worse, if you sneak in, I’ll be really upset!”

But still…

The back-and-forth continued for a while.

In the end, despite their persistent objections, my strong refusal finally made them sigh and relent. They agreed but made me promise to video call them immediately after it was over.

…

Recently, I bought some basic cosmetics.

If I become prettier than I already am, just how beautiful would that be?

All those creams, foundations, blushers… Just looking at them made my head spin.

So, I quickly searched for beginner makeup tips online and bought the recommended products.

It wasn’t as hard as I thought. I guess I’m pretty skilled with my hands since I tend to excel at anything involving manual work.

Investing in your appearance is totally worth it. I’m already looking forward to the viewers’ reactions.

I’d already gotten a foam cleanser earlier, and after applying some other products, tapping on a cushion foundation, and drawing my eyebrows, I waited at the square’s center for Lee Seong-hyun.

The sun was slowly setting.

I wore the black shirt and black skirt that Song Chae-hyun had bought for me. I wanted to appear more mature.

As I waited, slightly enjoying the attention I was getting from the surrounding people…

“I-hyun!”

A male voice called out from a distance.

When I turned toward the voice, I saw Lee Seong-hyun wearing a brown monotone sweatshirt and black pants.

He approached me, and as he got closer, his height became more noticeable.

He’s kind of good-looking.

He seemed to be just a little shorter than Song Chae-hyun—about 174 cm?

Not extraordinarily tall, but to me, he felt huge.

He definitely had a masculine presence. He didn’t come across as particularly muscular compared to other men, but his shoulders were at least 1.5 times broader than mine.

Yeah, men are really something else.

“Oh, hello!”

I suddenly felt shy and tucked my hair behind my ears as I greeted him.

“Hi there.”

Seong-hyun smiled as he responded.

I stared at him for a moment.

Noticing my gaze, he blinked and said, “Oh.”

“You did your makeup, didn’t you?”

“Oh!”

My face instantly brightened.

“You noticed?”

“Of course. I always watch your streams.”

“Hehe… Thank you.”

“Anyway, shall we go grab some food first? We can talk there.”

“Yes!”

I nodded energetically.

“So, when I was editing that time, I accidentally spilled a drink on everything.”

“Pfft! What even is that?”

I burst into laughter.

…

This was fun.

He was incredibly kind and so mature.

He pulled out my chair, laid out a napkin, handed me chopsticks and a spoon, and even called the server for me.

His actions were laced with kindness, and it warmed my heart.

The way he treated me, like a princess… It made me feel special, like I was someone important.

As he looked at me and smiled, he said,

“…You’re stunning, you know that?”

“Heh, hehe… Thank you…”

“And you’re super cute, too.”

“Heh… Thanks.”

Hearing these things from someone in real life, not just from my viewers, made me feel amazing.

It was as if Seong-hyun knew I loved hearing such compliments, and he’d say them almost every time I was about to forget.

Yeah, I think I really am someone special.

That’s why I’m being treated like this.

“That was fun.”

He paid for the meal.

Apparently, he had already taken care of the payment as soon as we arrived.

…

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

Why did I agree to meet him again?

Was it just to strengthen our friendship?

I couldn’t quite remember.

While I was lost in thought, Seong-hyun’s voice brought me back to reality.

“I really enjoyed this. I’m glad I got to spend time with you, I-hyun.”

“Ah, thank you. Hehe…”

“You’re really adorable. Truly.”

“Hehe… Heh…”

I couldn’t stop smiling. My laughter flowed like a broken faucet.

Seong-hyun kept making me smile.

He looked at me warmly, then suddenly reached out a hand toward my head.

“Huh, huh?”

Instinctively, I stepped back, avoiding his touch.

His hand, left suspended in mid-air, hesitated for a moment before retreating.

Without realizing it, I had clasped my hands in front of my chest.

“Ah, um, hehe…”

Feeling awkward, I laughed to fill the silence.

Seong-hyun, standing with his back to the streetlamp, had his face obscured by shadows.

…

For a moment, silence took over the space.

And as the quiet stretched on, I grew increasingly anxious.

Was I too abrupt just now?

Should I have let him?

It’s just a pat on the head; it wouldn’t have hurt.

After all the nice things he did for me, was rejecting him over something so small inconsiderate?

Will he dislike me now?

Will this be the last time we meet?

Will he stop being nice to me?

Will he leave me?

A growing sense of unease gnawed at me.

“Ah, um…”

I tried to speak but couldn’t finish the sentence.

“I-I…”

I was about to say, “You can pat my head if you want.”

But before I could, Seong-hyun took a step forward.

As he moved out of the shadow of the streetlamp, his smile came into view.

“Shall we go now?”

Thank goodness. He wasn’t upset.

Relieved, I followed him.