CH ss - 17

SIDE STORY – TO EARTH (10)

Nickname: Cowabunga

26 years old.

Freelancer.

To be more specific, he was an illustrator who specialized in concept art for games.

Instead of holding his tablet pen, he was eagerly typing on the keyboard, explaining his point.

Cowabunga: Don’t you smell something?

AAA: What smell? Did you fart?

Cowabunga: Hey. Your dad jokes are really annoying. Stop with that bullsh*t. I’m talking about Outbo and Norfolk.

This was the beginning of the incident.

Two days ago.

The chat room members, who had known each other for several years but had never even chatted using Discord Voice Chat, decided to hold an offline meeting.

Cowabunga did not show it much, but he was actually looking forward to the offline meeting.

It was clear to him that AAA was a middle-aged man, but he could not properly guess about the rest of the members.

‘It’s a surprise!’

Judging the sex of a person online by their way of speaking was too hasty.

Male or female, older or younger.

All of these things were unknown until they actually met in person.

‘It’s not that I have a strong desire to know.’

Anyway, wouldn’t it be fun?

Of course, there are things to be worried about too.

Because online relationships can change once you get to know the reality.

For example, really, really just an example since it’s impossible… Let’s say that AAA is a woman.

She’s also of the same age as me.

Then can we exchange dirty jokes together like before?

Of course, we can still do it, but it will no longer be the same as before.

I’ve known the chat room members for several years already.

They’re quite precious to me even though I’ve never seen their faces, so my expectations are greater than my worries.

And on the day of the offline meeting.

Whether it was fate playing a trick on me or not, the sudden rush of work and deadline adjustments led me to a situation where I couldn’t go to the offline meeting.

At that moment, three thoughts came into the mind of Cowabunga at the same time.

‘Ah, I really wanted to go.’

‘Maybe it would be better if we didn’t meet.’

‘What if everyone met and became close? I’ll be left out.’

But before he could choose one of those thoughts and deeply think about it, several messages came in succession.

Romantic Cat: Something suddenly came up at work, so I don’t think I can go. I’m so sorry. I’m really sorry since I’m the host.

AAA: I’m really sorry. Uh, I was seriously going to go there. But a lot of group orders suddenly came into the store…

‘AAA, you work in delivery?’

Anyway, AAA and Romantic Cat reported that they could not go to the offline meeting.

Three out of five could not attend.

AAA: But Norfolk and Outbo went, right?

Cowabunga: Yeah. And when we said that we couldn’t go, both of them said that they were in the meeting place. Did those two seriously look forward to it?

It was clearly 30 minutes before their meeting time.

Romantic Cat: Anyway, does that mean the two eventually met that day? Unless they lied to us and did not meet.

Cowabunga: Huh? Why would that happen? Besides, it would be seriously strange if two people who had already arrived at the meeting place to just turn around and go home simply because we were not coming.

AAA: Naruhodo.

T/N: ‘Naruhodo’ is Japanese for ‘I agree’ or ‘I understand.’ AAA is a weeb so they use Japanese words despite being Korean

Cowabunga: Everyone saw it too. For the entire day on that day, the two didn’t log in to Legend of Heroes 2, didn’t say anything in the group chat room, and ignored all our messages. Well, let’s say those two postponed it because they were busy. But was there ever a day when those two didn’t log in to Legend of Heroes 2? How could those two not go online for 24 hours? Those very two?

AAA: I can’t help but feel that it’s suspicious.

Romantic Cat: I mean, well… If those two really met, there’s no reason to lie to us, right?

Cowabunga: Why not! Those two met! Bam! They met eyes! Bathump! And they fell in love!

AAA: Oh.

Romantic Cat: T-They fell in love?

Cowabunga: Norfolk is cute when they usually chat. Maybe they’re a cute handsome boy. Or a pretty girl.

AAA: Oh… Is it a BL then if Outbo’s a tough guy and Norfolk’s a cute boy?

Cowabunga: Or maybe Outbo’s a tough guy and Norfolk is a cute pretty girl. No. Maybe Outbo is a woman.

AAA: If Outbo is a woman… a cool beauty with a cold impression seems to suit her.

Cowabunga: And she’s usually indifferent to others but only shows her feelings to Norfolk? Like gap moe?

AAA: Kek, my son is getting strange.

Romantic Cat: You perverts.

T/N: ‘My son is getting strange’ is a Korean slang that means ‘I’m getting an erection.’ The slang was created as an attempt to get around the filters in a forum. But its origins are… dark? It came from a doujinshi where a young male boy without any knowledge of sex gets stimulated for the first time by older women. The original line in the doujinshi was ‘my lower part is getting strange.’

Cowabunga: Anyway, it’s a definite possibility! And look at this chat log!

What Cowabunga showed on the screen was a conversation screenshot from the two people who went missing since the offline meeting but returned yesterday in the game.

<table>Yellow Storm: Welcome, Outbo.</tbody></table>

<table>Outboxer009: Hi, Yellow.</tbody></table>

Romantic Cat: The heck is that?

Cowabunga: I mean, they met but does it make sense for it to end like that?

AAA: It doesn’t make sense. And yesterday was the day of the ranking announcement. Usually, Norfolk will provoke and Outbo will talk back.

Cowabunga: That’s right! But they just greeted like that. What’s more suspicious is the next one!

Cowabunga displayed various chat logs on the screen.

<table>Outboxer009: Oh, I’m first place.</tbody></table>

<table>Yellow Storm: Ugh, I’m mad.</tbody></table>

<table>Outboxer009: Try a bit harder.</tbody></table>

<table>Yellow Storm: I’m definitely going to win first place next time.</tbody></table>

<table>Outboxer009: Do your best.</tbody></table>

That was it.

That was really everything!

Cowabunga: Does it make sense? Does that make sense!

Outbo makes fun of Norfolk like that and ends it?

No, that was not even teasing.

In addition, Norfolk did not have a mental breakdown either.

Cowabunga: Something smells… Something smells really, really fishy…

Cowabunga: The two met each other in the offline meeting.

Cowabunga: Norfolk was a younger female college student and Outbo was a little older, so he was a member of society with financial capabilities.

Cowabunga: Outbo asked her if they could eat together, so they ate. And then decided to have fun since they had already met, using as a date route the things we originally planned.

AAA: And after dinner, he drove her home?

Cowabunga: That’s right! Then a problem arises and… Outbo says ‘Would you like to rest for a while?’

AAA: Kyaa! No lewd stuff!

Romantic Cat: You crazy b*stards, what are you doing to your friends?

Cowabunga: But it’s definitely a possibility! It’s a possible situation!

The excited Cowabunga continued on with his guesses.

Cowabunga: And the two spent the night together, and it wasn’t until lunchtime the next day that they returned to their respective homes. Thinking like this solves all our questions.

Romantic Cat: No, what questions are being solved anyway?

AAA: We suddenly lost contact with the two after lunch. They did not log in to the game at night. They only logged in the afternoon next day. The point here is that the time when the two disappeared and the time when they reappeared almost overlapped.

Cowabunga: That’s right! AAA! Good job!

Romantic Cat: I need to get out of here.

AAA: But isn’t it more arousing if Outbo is a cool older beauty and Norfolk is a lively beast-like guy?

Cowabunga: That is a problem we can consider.

Cowabunga and AAA began to joke around as always while Romantic Cat, or Kim Hye Eun, took her hands off the keyboard and picked up her cellphone instead.

‘There’s no way that’s true, right?’

Kim Hye Eun did not know about Outbo, but knew the real appearance of Norfolk.

Norfolk was like a jewel who looked pretty, cute, and lovely even though she did not dress up.

‘It’s certainly a bit suspicious…’

She did not win first place again this time, but did not show any signs of a mental breakdown.

As if she had already resolved all the resentment she had for the other party.

‘Did she beat Outbo in something else?’

And if she really did beat Outbo, that meant that the two had met.

Not in Legends of Heroes 2, but in reality.

‘Suspicious.’

Really, really suspicious.

When she was asked on what happened two days ago, she kept evading it.

But it was at that moment.

Ting!

Kim Hye Eun was startled by the sudden notification sound and almost dropped her cellphone. She then hurriedly looked at the screen.

A familiar name appeared.

Yoo Hee: Unnie, unnie. Are you free this weekend?

Hong Yoo Hee.

The real name of Norfolk.

At the sudden question, Kim Hye Eun narrowed her eyes but immediately answered by typing on her cellphone.

Hye Eun: Did something suddenly happen?

Yoo Hee: No, I was just thinking of doing some shopping.

Hye Eun: Shopping? If you’re just going to buy hoodies and sneakers, just buy them online. It’s much cheaper there.

Yoo Hee: N-No. Not a hoodie…

Hye Eun: Not a hoodie?

Yoo Hee: A skirt… Anyway, I want to buy some pretty clothes. And some makeup too, hehe.

Kim Hye Eun stared at the cellphone for a while.

She once again read the messages Hong Yoo Hee had sent.

What the heck is she saying now?

You want to buy a skirt?

You want to buy makeup?

In short, you want to dress up prettily?

“Who are you?”

Fortunately, only her voice came out.

So Kim Hye Eun had some time to think before typing.

And the conclusion of her thinking was very clear.

‘Is it really because of Outbo?’

It’s because of Outbo?

But you liked him that much? I mean, what the hell happened that day that Hong Yoo Hee, a shut-in gamer, thought about going out first?

‘There’s something.’

Dressing up meant that Hong Yoo Hee was thinking of meeting Outbo for a second time.

‘What in the world did Outbo look like?’

No, aside from what Outbo looks like, who in the world are they?

How old are they?

What’s their sex?

First of all, is Outbo a man?

Yoo Hee: Unnie?

Hye Eun: Uh, yes. Okay. Uh… How about Saturday? Shall we meet at 4 o’clock on Saturday in Hongdae?

Yoo Hee: Yes, yes. 4 o’clock in Hongdae. Thank you, unnie.

Hye Eun: No need to thank me.

And Kim Hye Eun paused for a moment and thought.

Should I ask here?

Should I ask about Outbo?

‘No, now is not the time.’

If I ask her hastily now, it’s highly like that she’ll stutter and run away.

So I’ll ask her when we meet face to face on Saturday afternoon.

‘Norfolk and Outbo…’

Two people who had been fighting for 6 years.

But as soon as they met in the offline meeting, did they suddenly like each other?

‘Is this like some kind of romance manhwa?’

Though it’s clearly an attractive pairing.

‘Saturday…’

A rather mischievous smile spread across the face of Kim Hye Eun.

And at the same time.

“Hehe, Saturday. Saturday.”

I’ll buy pretty clothes with the money I saved from selling items and gold.

Hong Yoo Hee rolled around her bed and laughed, and soon let her imagination run wild.

Oppa next door will be surprised to see me prettily dressed up.

Outbo will always glance at me when we’re playing games.

“Hehehe.”

It’s a bit of a silly thought, but it’s my thoughts, so who cares?

“Outbo.”

Let’s chat with oppa at KakaoTalk again today.

Hong Yoo Hee smiled and blushed as she stared at the profile picture of Outbo, or Kang Jin-ho.

And at the same time.

The house next door of Hong Yoo Hee.

Which was the house of Kang Jin-ho.

Unlike usual, he was dressed very neatly as he stared at his closet.

Since he had only been choosing comfortable clothes in the recent years, his closet was full of sweatpants, short-sleeved T-shirts, and hoodies, except for two suits and a combat uniform.

‘Uh… Should I buy new clothes?’

It would be strange if he wore the same clothes every time he drove Yoo Hee to college or met her while passing by.

But unlike Hong Yoo Hee, Kang Jin-ho had no one to ask to go with him to buy clothes, so he turned on the computer to go internet shopping.

But it was then.

“Huh?”

The expression of Kang Jin-ho changed at the sound of a small alarm.

Because the sound came not from the cellphone he normally used, but from the military communication device he prepared for emergency contact.

The communication device had not made even a small sound for the past six years.

Kang Jin-ho hurriedly activated the screen of the communication device and soon widened his eyes in surprise.

[I’ll see you soon. Your Natasha.]

A short sentence.

Kang Jin-ho stopped moving for some time at the sentence written in Cyrillic instead of the Korean alphabet.

Without realizing it, he touched the part where the name Natasha was displayed and recalled the last time he saw her.

Natasha Molotov.

A woman who was always beautiful and strong.

And like Kang Jin-ho, Jude thought the same as he was lying on a motel bed.

The souls of the two had already split a long time ago, but their origin was the same.

‘Why is Natasha suddenly…’

No, more than that, is it really Natasha?

Fortunately, she’s unharmed.

It seems like she’s still doing well.

And…

‘I’m glad that it’s in Cyrillic.’

Because Cordelia did not know Cyrillic.

But he judged it too quickly.

At the time when Kang Jin-ho got sentimental and Jude also briefly thought of the face of Natasha, Cordelia turned to Jude with wrinkled eyebrows and asked Jude who finished being sentimental.

“Who is ‘Your Natasha’?”

Cordelia asked with a wide smile as if her eyebrows had not wrinkled earlier, and Jude remembered that before she was a goddess, she was an archwizard who could easily use language interpretation magic.

“Uh, she is…”

“Yes, she is who? Don’t tell me… She’s the woman in the night pool?”

Cordelia inquired again with bright smile, and cold sweat began to flow down the face of Jude.