An awkward silence hung over the table once the order was placed.
On other occasions, Yerin, who couldnât stand such silence, would have been the first to speak.
However, today she was following along, so she sat quietly and carefully observed the others. To everyoneâs surprise, it was Speranza who broke the silence and initiated a conversation.
âMister. Are you really Yoon Jiwoon?â
Speranza looked at Yoon Jiwoon with curiosity and asked him a question. Yoon Jiwoonâs face lit up with pleasure as he enjoyed Speranzaâs interest.
âThatâs right. Iâm singer Yoon Jiwoon, though Iâm hardly a singer these daysâŠâŠ.â
Speranza tilted her head at his answer.
âAre you not singing any more?â
âI didnât quit singing. But itâs been a while since I released a new song. Iâve been less and less on stage.â
âThen you donât like singing?â
âNo. Itâs not thatâŠâŠ Maybe itâs because I used up something inside me.â
ââŠâŠ?â
âI faced many challenges during my long career, but I always found it enjoyable to be a singer. However, one day, singing ceased to be fun.â
Yoon Jiwoon muttered with a blank expression.
âIt felt like I had a terminal illness, as if I were a toy that had run out of batteries. Suddenly, singing and performing on stage no longer brought me excitement. It was quite strange, donât you think?â
He smiled sadly.
Speranza, who had asked the question, continued to tilt her head as if she couldnât comprehend the answer, but the other three looked at Yoon Jiwoonâs smile with a hint of sorrow.
I could somewhat understand the phrase âCeased to be funâ.
It felt more like a genuine feeling of exhaustion than just the excuse of getting older, which evoked feelings of sympathy rather than just an excuse.
âBut that thought has changed a little recently.â
Yoon Jiwoon opened his mouth with clearer eyes.
âAfter watching the video of a young girl singing my song, I felt a sense of rekindled passion.â
Everyoneâs eyes naturally turned to Speranza, while the young girl looked puzzled.
âSo I immediately went to the studio and began working on the song. It wasnât as simple as I had thought it would be. I must have taken too much time off.â
Yoon Jiwoon looked at me and continued to talk.
âThatâs why I asked my company to reach out to Sihyeon. I believed that by meeting Speranza in person, I could fill the void in my heart.â
Yerin, who was listening quietly next to me, suddenly asked a question.
âDid it rekindle your passion?â
Yoon Jiwoon shook his head with a disheartened smile.
âIâm not sure. I had hoped for something magical to happen, but perhaps that was too much to ask for. Nevertheless, I am glad to have met Speranza like this. I am also a fan of the âDemon Girlsâ channel.â
âOh! As expected, I also greatly enjoy the âDemon Girlsâ channel.â
âHmmm, me tooâŠâŠ.â
Yoon Jiwoon, Yerin, and Park Jaeyoung bonded over their shared admiration for the âDemon Girlsâ channel, and the atmosphere at the table became much more lively as they began to chat.
âHere are your drinks and the complimentary service⊠Are you talking about âDemon Girlsâ? As expected, the girl from âDemon Girlsâ.â
The table soon became filled with lively conversations and anecdotes about the Demon Girls.
âSIHYEON, when will the next video be uploaded on the Demon Girls channel?â
The others also showed interest in Yoon Jiwoonâs question and participated in the conversation.
âThatâs right! Canât you upload the videos more often? When the cafe is quiet, I often replay the past videos, but itâs so tantalizing.â
âThe quality of the video is still a bit lacking, would you like me to introduce you to an expert who could assist you? I know many video experts in the company.â
âSihyeon, it just occurred to me, these days artists have their own fan cafe, so, why donât we open an official fan cafe for Demon Girls? If you donât want to manage it, I can take care of it for you.â
âUhâŠâŠ WellâŠâŠ.â
Everyone expressed their fanaticism, regret, and personal greed for the Demon Girls channel. I was unable to respond properly to their high interest.