Chapter 67: All Talk, But No One Seems Fine

“Ahaha, that was legendary. I only found out because the viewers mentioned it.”

“No, it’s been clipped and is circulating everywhere. Someone must’ve shared it—I even saw it on VTuber Shorts yesterday.”

“Isn’t that proof of success? World-class, man, world-class. Cheers.”

It didn’t take long for everyone in the group to feel the buzz.

It’s said that fools only need each other’s company to enjoy themselves, and that’s the magic of alcohol.

Even those who are stiff and shy will eventually loosen up and reveal a more carefree side if they keep drinking.

The awkwardness of the first meeting was long gone.

Now, everyone, their faces slightly flushed, raised their voices and bloomed with laughter over trivial stories.

“Shall we move on to the third round? Third round, anyone?”

“Ugh, I’m starting to feel it.”

“How much have you even drunk to feel tired? Are you a lightweight, hyung?”

“Wait till you’re my age. Things aren’t the same anymore. I’m twenty-nine, you know. Seriously, there’s a big difference between your mid-twenties and your late twenties.”

“There he goes again. So are we going, or not?”

“Of course, we’re going. No question about it.”

“Yeah, it’s hard to meet up like this since we’re all busy streaming.”

The group had long since left the restaurant where they first met.

Now, they were at a trendy bar recommended by Haktchu.

At the restaurant, the focus had been on food, and the only alcohol available was wine.

But this place was different.

They had been drinking so much here it felt like this was the real main event.

Especially the men—Hangang and Raimtak—were drinking heavily.

Raimtak wasn’t lying when he said he could handle his liquor; his face was just a little red, but he looked completely fine.

On the other hand, the oldest in the group, Hangang, had gotten slightly wobbly after going head-to-head with Raimtak.

Still, it seemed like his talk about going to the third or even fourth round wasn’t just empty words.

Despite claiming to feel tired, he kept moving to the next destination.

“None of you have anything scheduled for tomorrow, right? Great, then we’re going all the way tonight!”

“Hyung, that comment seriously sounded like a department head.”

“For real. Next, you’re going to suggest hiking over the weekend.”

“Pfft, hiking, huh?”

“What’s wrong with hiking? I like hiking.”

Having breathed in the fresh air outside, Hangang looked a bit more refreshed and spoke to the group.

“That was just a joke earlier. Honestly, if anyone’s feeling tired or wants to head home, feel free to do so.

We’ve all been drinking a lot since the second round, so there’s no need to feel pressured.”

Then, turning to those who hadn’t yet expressed their intentions as clearly as Raimtak or Haktchu, he asked again.

“Ririyang, Hoon, and Sensei, are you all good?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t have anything tomorrow, so I’m fine.”

“Me too.”

Hearing the positive responses, Raimtak spoke in surprise.

“…Seems like no one’s leaving?”

“Right? This is rare. Guess it’s our team for a reason.”

“With teamwork like this, no wonder we win tournaments.”

“So, where to next? Oppa, know any good places?”

“There’s a nice pub nearby… but it’s the kind of place that specializes in dry snacks.

Do you all like dried squid and stuff like that?”

Although everyone was mentioned, it was clear where Hangang’s gaze was directed.

It was toward Ririyang, who was now half-leaning on someone as she walked. That someone was Kayak, acting as her support.

“Ah,” Haktchu let out a small sound of realization.

So that was it. Even to Haktchu, the thought of someone with that kind of appearance gnawing on dried squid seemed hard to imagine.

Her face looked more suited to a wine bar or a cocktail lounge.

It seemed like the kind of face that would pair cheese with her drinks.

Though earlier at the trendy bar, she had been drinking soju and controlling Kayak, smacking her lips as if she wanted to drink more.

Where exactly was his gaze focused? Noticing the others looking at him, Kayak belatedly realized he was the center of attention and spoke.

“Why are you all staring at me?”

“Oh, nothing, sir. We’re planning to head to a pub. Are dried snacks okay with you?”

A soft chuckle escaped from Kayak.

“I like grilled pollack and dried squid. If there’s something like fishcake soup, that’d be great too.”

“They have fishcake soup. You know your snacks, sir.”

“Your taste is surprisingly old-fashioned…”

Hangang clapped his hands and Haktchu nodded as if surprised.

“More importantly… is Ririyang okay with going to the third round? She seems like she should call it a night.”

Kayak looked at Ririyang, who was leaning on him as they walked. She certainly didn’t seem fine.

She had been energetic during the first round, but now she was visibly off.

It was likely because of what had happened earlier—when she’d decided to stay close to Kayak to “monitor” his drinking but ended up drinking most of it herself.

Haktchu clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“Should we send Dahee home? If we’re heading to the pub anyway, we can hail a taxi on the main street.”

That’s when it happened.

Ririyang—Dahee—who had been stumbling along, suddenly raised her right hand and declared, “No! I’m totally! Fine!”

Her eyes were glazed, her face was red, and her voice was raised.

“You don’t look fine.”

Kayak’s blunt comment hit the mark, and it stung.

Ririyang turned to Kayak with the expression of a scolded puppy.

“Sir…? Are you trying to send me away?”

“You looked like you were struggling.”

“I’m not! I’m not struggling at all!”

As if to prove her point, Ririyang separated herself from Kayak and began walking slowly.

She walked from the wooden bench to the fountain ahead, her steps unsteady but determined.

When she finally reached the edge of the fountain, she turned around with a triumphant look.

“Did you see that?”

“See what…?”

“That I can walk perfectly fine without your support! A drunk person wouldn’t be able to walk like this! Sure, I’m not completely sober, but I’m not at the point where I need to go home!”

Haktchu and the others remained silent.

None of them mentioned how Ririyang had wobbled and swayed unsteadily while walking to the fountain.

Kayak also played along with her.

“Hmm… You’re right. I must have been mistaken.”

“Exactly! I’m staying until the end, and I’ll go home when you do, sir!”

‘Why does Dahee feel more like the younger sibling?’

From what he’d heard, Ririyang was twenty-three, and Kayak was twenty-one.

But the current situation made it look as though Ririyang was younger than Kayak.

Compared to Kayak, who was tall and lanky, Ririyang’s smaller frame made the impression even stronger.

The height difference might have been the reason, but to Haktchu, it felt that way.

“Alright, alright. Let’s get moving. Turn right here.”

Following Hangang’s lead, the group began walking slowly.

<No Streams to Watch>

Where did all the streamers who usually go live around this time go? Hangang, Ririyang, Kayak—all of them are missing.

• They went out for a company dinner.
  • Oh.
  • Wait, Kayak went too?
  • He didn’t mention it on his stream, but apparently, he said he was going.
  • Makes sense. It’d be awkward to skip it alone.

<So, is there zero chance of someone streaming tonight?>

Other teams sometimes do short IRL streams while hanging out. Is Kayak’s team completely off the radar?

• How would we know? LOL.
• It’s not like they have to stream. Kayak doesn’t even use a cam.
  • Even without a cam, streaming while hanging out is kind of a buzzkill.
  • This isn’t a work report to a boss. Why do they need to show you how they’re having fun? LOL.
  • I don’t know, I just want to see. I’m also a little nervous.
  • What’s there to be nervous about? Are the girls at the dinner your girlfriends? LOL.
  • If Ririyang announces she has a boyfriend, I swear I’ll lose it and write a rant. LOL.
  • Ugh, classic loser behavior.
  • But you’ve gotta admit, Ririyang is really cute.
  • What if Kayak is a loser too?

<I heard Hangang is a real ladies’ man…>

Apparently, he flirts with every woman he meets. There’s even a rumor that he hooked up with one of his subscribers after a fan meet and ghosted her. Hmm…

• Word is, Hangang has been suing people for writing posts like this lately. Be careful.
  • LIP (his management) seems to be well-prepared for that.
  • Where did you even dig this up from?
  • Asgard’s resident drama archives. LOL.
• (Info): Once, Hangang tried to pick up girls in a nightlife district and ended up causing a minor car accident.
  • Oh, that incident in Ingyedong?
  • Was he driving a Bentley back then? I was living in Ingyedong at the time and went to see it in person.
  • He’s no different from those wannabe rich guys.
• Please, just don’t drag Kayak and Ririyang into this…
  • How could he, when Kayak’s face hasn’t even been revealed? LOL.
  • With that enormous “heart pocket,” he’s probably already on Hangang’s radar.

<So, if none of the girls in Kayak’s team stream tomorrow, should we start suspecting something?>

Kayak usually streams between 7 PM and 11 PM.
Ririyang sometimes starts as early as 4 PM.
Haktchu… well, who cares?
By 10 PM at the latest, everyone should be back. I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll be ready by 4 PM. LOL.

• It’s posts like these that give streamers depression and anxiety.
• Why are you leaving out our adorable Haktchu?!
  • Yeah, but Haktchu has been openly dating since he was 20.
  • Do you really think Ririyang or Kayak haven’t dated? LOL. Stop with the selective unicorn nonsense.
  • Forget whether they’re virgins or not; their faces alone are disqualifying.
  • They’re not even good-looking.

<Who else is excited for the company dinner gossip? LOL.

What kind of descriptions will we get about Kayak’s appearance? How big will they say his “chest pocket” is? I’m so excited I can’t wait. LOL.

• What kind of psycho describes someone’s chest on stream?
• Still, I am curious about his face, though.
  • It’s a rite of passage for no-cam streamers…
  • They’ll probably just politely say he’s good-looking. Nothing to get excited about.
  • RhymeTak <<< That guy’s brain is so smooth he can’t lie. You could test the waters by sending donations to him.
• Reading posts like this makes me respect Kayak more for managing to maintain a consistent streaming career with a shadowy gallery of 3,000 creepy fans behind him.