29-99

EP.99 Jeong Seung-ah (2) – Isn’t This Totally Fate? 

The room was filled with the soft orange glow of a bedside lamp. 

A faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air, and an awkward, subtle tension hung between them. 

“Hiss…” 

When the alcohol swab touched the small elbow, the child sitting on the bed let out a quiet whimper. 

Startled, Seung-ah anxiously checked on him as if she’d made a terrible mistake. 

“S-sorry. Did it hurt?” 

“I-it’s okay…” 

He squeezed his eyes shut to bear the pain, but his round eyes were fixed only on Seung-ah. 

She couldn’t help the heat rising from her ears. 

‘Calm down, Jeong Seung-ah. This is just an accident. You’re just treating an injured child, acting like a responsible adult.’ 

She tried to convince herself, but the boy before her was the very “ideal” she’d pictured in her head after reading hundreds of doujinshi. 

‘This is bad for my heart…!’ 

His warm body heat and sweet breath at such close range were cracking the dam of her rationality in real time. 

After finally finishing the treatment, she put away the antiseptic and cotton, then asked, 

“So, what’s your name? Do you live in this building?” 

“I’m Hyun-woo. I was visiting Hyun-seong hyung’s place today and was on my way home.” 

“Hyun-seong hyung?” 

The name sounded familiar, and Seung-ah repeated it without thinking. Hyun-woo nodded. 

“Yes. He lives on the third floor.” 

For a moment, Seung-ah was speechless. 

So he knew the guy on the third floor. 

It wasn’t strange for friends to visit each other’s homes, but for some reason, the thought of this boy spending time with that man bothered her. 

‘No, more than that. Who sends a kid home alone at this hour?’ 

In her mind, her impression of Lee Hyun-seong dropped from “noisy upstairs pervert” to “irresponsible guy who can’t even look after a kid.” 

“Meow ” 

A small, fluffy white ball of fur approached. 

“A cat! Do you keep it?” 

When Hyun-woo showed interest in Mochi, Seung-ah seized the chance to talk more and beckoned the cat over. 

“Do you like cats?” 

“Yes. What’s its name?” 

“He’s called Mochi. Mochi, say hi.” 

At Seung-ah’s words, Mochi purred and rubbed against Hyun-woo’s leg. 

Hyun-woo scooped up Mochi and stroked his chin and back with practiced hands. 

Did he have a cat at home too? 

Watching Hyun-woo cuddle Mochi, Seung-ah found herself thinking, 

‘I wish… someone would pet me that kindly…’ 

Not only was she jealous of her own pet, she was now having bold fantasies about a kid she’d just met. 

She felt a surge of self-loathing, but the fantasy wouldn’t stop. 

Just then, Mochi, having enjoyed enough affection, hopped off Hyun-woo’s lap and slipped under the computer desk as if it were routine. 

“Wow…” 

Following Mochi with his eyes, Hyun-woo let out a low exclamation. 

“Noona’s room is like a secret hideout. It’s so cool.” 

He got up and, with cautious steps, approached the desk. 

As the boy neared the heart of VTuber “Moka’s” domain, Seung-ah’s heart pounded not from excitement, but from anxiety that her secret might be discovered. 

“This… is it a microphone? It looks expensive.” 

Hyun-woo pointed at the silver stand mic in awe. Seung-ah swallowed nervously. 

“Noona, do you stream?” 

“Uh, yeah? I mean… as a hobby.” 

“Really? Wow, I’ve never met a streamer in real life before.” 

“Do you watch a lot of online streams?” 

“Yes.” 

“What kind of streams do you usually watch?” 

It was a casual question, just to keep the conversation going. 

“These days, I watch a streamer called ‘Moka’ a lot.” 

“Hm. Moka…” 

Thunk. It was as if all sound in the world stopped for a moment. 

The ticking clock, the whirring computer fan, even her own heartbeat. 

That all-too-familiar name from the boy’s lips stabbed her eardrums like a shard of glass. 

‘Moka…?’ 

“Y-you mean the VTuber Moka?” 

“Yeah! Do you watch Moka too, noona?” 

It was too much of a coincidence to be random. 

What were the odds that the ideal boy she’d just met at her door would be a fan of her own stream out of all the possible channels? 

There was no word for it but fate. 

“Noona, are you okay?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine.” 

Seung-ah struggled to maintain her composure and nodded. 

She wanted to hear more from the boy, but time was cruelly short. 

“Oh, it’s already this late.” 

Hyun-woo glanced at the clock on the wall, looking genuinely disappointed as he stood up. 

“I should get going. Thanks for treating me, noona.” 

“Ah, yeah. Be careful on your way.” 

She’d only just met a boy like this… 

She wanted to talk more about “Moka” and about him, but now they had to part. Her heart felt cold. 

She wanted to say, “Don’t go, stay a bit longer,” but the words caught in her throat. 

It was late, and they’d only just met. 

As she bit her lip in regret, Hyun-woo put on his shoes at the door. 

It really was goodbye until, just as he reached for the doorknob, he turned as if remembering something important. 

“Noona.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Um, can I come over after school tomorrow to read comics?” 

The unexpected question made Seung-ah’s face light up. 

“Y-yeah. Of course!” 

“Then, can I have your phone number?” 

“M-my number?!” 

“I need it so I can call before I come over.” 

“O-oh, right. Hang on…” 

Flustered, Seung-ah fumbled for her phone. Her heart was pounding so hard she had to check her contacts app to remember her own number. 

With trembling hands, she finally gave him her number. Hyun-woo saved it in his little phone and flashed another bright smile. 

“I’ll really go now! I’ll call tomorrow, noona!” 

Bang. 

As the door closed and the boy disappeared, Seung-ah returned to her room and collapsed onto her bed as if waking from a dream. 

Only the warmth where the boy had been and the faint smell of antiseptic remained, proof that it had all really happened. 

The next afternoon, the early childhood education lecture hall was filled with boredom. 

“…Attachment formed in early childhood affects a child’s lifelong values…” 

The professor’s voice was distant, the sound of note-taking even farther. 

Seung-ah stared blankly into space, chin in hand. 

“Attachment formation.” The phrase overlapped with the intense first meeting she’d had with the boy, echoing in her mind. 

Normally, she’d be scribbling down every word, but today her notebook was filled with doodles of cats. 

– “Can I come over tomorrow?” 

Instead of the classroom blackboard, all she could see were those round eyes looking up at her, calling her “noona.” 

“Okay, that’s all for today. Don’t forget your assignments.” 

Even as everyone packed up noisily, Seung-ah remained lost in her daydream. 

Just then, a cheerful voice accompanied by a fresh perfume snapped her out of it. 

“What’s our star thinking about so deeply?” 

She looked up to see a dazzling woman with long, pinkish-brown hair smiling mischievously down at her. 

A pastel crop knit hugged her slim waist, and her cat-like eyes were accentuated by careful makeup. 

She was the complete opposite of Seung-ah, who always wore hoodies or sweats. 

“Yeri.” 

“The video you uploaded yesterday is getting great feedback. Did you check?” 

Without waiting for an answer, Yeri pulled out a chair and sat next to her, crossing her long legs and resting her arm on the desk. Her bracelet and nail art sparkled in the light. 

Her confidence seemed to change the air around her. 

Normally, Seung-ah would have felt a little overwhelmed by Yeri’s boldness, but today it felt grounding like an anchor to reality. 

“Sorry, I was tired yesterday… I haven’t seen it yet.” 

Yeri, undeterred, pressed her hand to her chest and said proudly, 

“I knew it! I put a lot of effort into that clip. Everyone’s saying your beauty shines thanks to my editing! Kya!” 

Even as Yeri fished for compliments, Seung-ah just nodded faintly. 

Yeri’s eyes widened, noticing something was off. 

She’d seen Seung-ah be unenthusiastic before, but never this much. 

“Huh? Is something really wrong?” 

“…No, nothing.” 

Yeri sighed, knowing further questions would get nowhere. 

“Well, if you say so. Anyway, let’s talk work. About that thumbnail artist I mentioned. Don’t you think we should find someone proper?” 

“Ah, that… But isn’t it fine as is? Your clips get good reactions.” 

“You can’t be so complacent. If you want to grow your channel, you have to strengthen every part…” 

Yeri’s voice faded into the background as Seung-ah’s phone buzzed in her bag. 

She checked the screen: an unknown number. But the preview made her heart drop. 

[Noona, it’s Hyun-woo.] 

She quickly opened the message. The next line hit her like a laser. 

[I’m done with school, can I come over today?] 

As she read each word, she could almost hear the boy’s voice from last night in her ears. 

Seung-ah bit her lip. 

“Seung-ah? Seung-ah! Are you listening?” 

Yeri waved her hand in front of Seung-ah’s face. Snapping out of it, Seung-ah jumped up. 

“Sorry. Something urgent came up! Let’s talk about it later, okay?” 

“Huh? Hey, Jeong Seung-ah!” 

Leaving Yeri’s surprised call behind, Seung-ah slung her bag over her shoulder and dashed out of the classroom. 

As she ran down the empty hallway, a bright smile she didn’t even realize spread across her face.