NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 83
To keep from missing what the other person was saying, Si-hyun pressed her phone tightly to her ear and focused.
On the other end of the line, Ji-a, still unable to hide her excitement, spoke up.
– “Last time during that double dungeon, I had a feeling something was off!”
“Yeah, yeah!”
– “So I coordinated with the Management Bureau and came back down to the area again, and it actually worked! It’s all thanks to you, Si-hyun!”
“Come on, you put in the effort! Really, congratulations!”
Si-hyun genuinely congratulated her.
S-rank Hunter!
Currently, there are only a handful of them in South Korea, truly at the top of the pyramid of Awakened Ones.
The name Kim Ji-a is now added to that list.
It’s bound to cause a commotion everywhere.
Imagining the news being filled with Ji-a’s story for a while, Si-hyun smiled brightly.
“So, when are you coming up to Seoul?”
– “Hmm… I’ve got a lot of dungeons to handle this time, so I don’t think it’ll be soon.”
“I see… Hehe, won’t you be busier when you come back?”
– “Hahaha! That might be true!”
At Si-hyun’s light joke, Ji-a burst into bright laughter.
– “Huh? Oh, wait a second, Si-hyun.”
It seemed someone was talking next to her.
Si-hyun quietly waited, listening to the faint sounds of conversation.
A moment later, Ji-a spoke in a slightly regretful tone.
– “They say the next dungeon is about to go berserk. I think I need to hurry…..”
Her voice dripped with reluctance.
Si-hyun replied with a wry smile.
“Well, it can’t be helped. You’ll let me know when you’re on your way up, right?”
– “Of course! Oh, can you keep it a secret from Si-yoon? I want to tell her myself.”
“Sure, got it!”
Si-hyun gladly accepted Ji-a’s request.
After all, Si-yoon had already gone inside to work today.
That would make it easier to resist the urge to spill the beans.
Though the soundproofing seemed good, and usually, sounds from inside were barely audible, wouldn’t there be a surprised voice today?
Si-hyun finished the call with Ji-a while chuckling to herself.
* * *
Leaning back on the sofa, Si-hyun held the TV remote.
With a familiar motion, she launched Tubetube.
She confirmed that Momobin’s broadcast hadn’t started yet.
‘It’s about to start soon.’
Checking the time, Si-hyun casually scrolled through the video recommendations to kill some time.
Her tastes had become clear and it was tempting her.
“Hmm….”
Her gaze lingered momentarily on a short music broadcast from Momobin.
It felt like she used to do singing broadcasts occasionally, but not at all recently.
Si-hyun had never watched a live singing broadcast from Momobin.
Swallowing her disappointment, she moved her fingers again.
It was something edited by someone else and a video she’d seen before.
‘…Should I watch this instead?’
Si-hyun’s eyes landed on a stylish middle-aged guy drinking in Japan.
With her recent growing interest in alcohol, Si-hyun watched the video with a light heart.
‘Travel, I want to go.’
Maybe she could find the time to go after this semester ends.
It would be fun to ask Ji-a and Si-yoon and match their schedules to go together.
She could quickly get a passport.
Si-hyun reviewed the spontaneous plan that popped into her head.
…And lost track of time.
“…Ah!”
Momobin’s broadcast must have started by now!
Checking the time, Si-hyun hurriedly returned to Momobin’s broadcast.
The opening had already ended, and Vtuber Momobin was chatting with the viewers.
《Huh? Why am I playing this game again today? Well, because I want to.》
– Hahahaha
– Right? Hahaha
– If you want to, you should! Hahaha
– Seriously, lol
Glancing at the chat, Si-hyun checked the broadcast information.
The game Momobin was going to play looked familiar somehow.
‘Is that because I watched an old video?’
Si-hyun pondered as she tried to remember.
And then, it clicked.
‘Ah! That’s the game Si-yoon asked about a few weeks ago.’
The night she had dinner with Ji-a and Si-yoon.
The day when Ji-yoon handed her Momobin merchandise and played doll games with her.
Si-yoon had definitely asked for help with a game back then.
She wanted to enjoy it but said it was too difficult.
‘I wonder if she’s been enjoying it since then?’
After she learned the strategies and told them to Si-yoon, they hadn’t talked about that game again.
《I’ve been practicing this! Today, I’ll definitely clear it.》
– Here we go again, lol
– You think practicing will work? Hahaha
– What’s the point of practicing when your hands don’t cooperate? Haha
– She’s already asking for clips, lol
As Momobin boldly declared, the viewers started laughing openly.
Si-hyun joined in on the laughter. What a twist.
– “I believe in our Momobin!”
《Oh, seems like some people believe in me! Everyone, learn from that attitude.》
– You really believe it, huh? Hahaha
– I believe (that she will fail)
– For real, lol
– Hahahaha
– Nod. Nod.
A peaceful conversation usual to them continued.
Then, suddenly, Momobin said,
《Ah, hold on a moment? I’m getting a call.》
The broadcast mic went off.
Si-hyun stared blankly at the chat window.
Right then.
– Wowww! Oh my god.
A surprising, startled scream suddenly leaked from the next room!
It sounded as if someone hurriedly covered their mouth, cutting off the sound awkwardly.
‘…Huh?’
Si-hyun’s eyebrows twitched as she looked at the door.
She turned back to the broadcast screen.
A few moments later, she looked at the door again.
In that brief moment, countless question marks flooded Si-hyun’s mind.
‘…Is this just a coincidence?’
It could be.
After all, it just happened to be good timing.
Thinking of what had happened today, it was definitely Ji-a calling, and Si-yoon must have been startled and yelled out.
Right when Momobin was taking the call…
‘…There’s no way this is just a coincidence, right?’
No, no, no. Even so, it has to be a coincidence.
If it wasn’t a coincidence, wouldn’t that be stranger?
In the first place, when they returned to Earth, Si-yoon had said.
[Uh, well… I’m a freelancer! It can get noisy in here sometimes, but don’t mind it too much, okay?]
She had clearly said that.
Even if there was some noise coming from inside, don’t be too concerned about it.
However, there had barely been any noise that they believed was there.
She thought they must have soundproofed the room.
She’d never been in there due to the stern warning to never enter, but she wasn’t sure.
‘…I feel like I’m starting to rationalize this.’
With a stiff expression, Si-hyun continued to stare at the door.
If the pressure of a human gaze exists, she had already shattered the door with how hard she was staring.
Si-hyun’s emotions continued to deny the truth.
When someone’s thoughts are captivated by one thing, they naturally block out all other possibilities around them and flow only in the direction they want to believe.
But Si-hyun’s sharp mind persistently held onto reason.
It insisted that she couldn’t let this slide.
Caught between emotion and reason, Si-hyun swayed back and forth like a reed in the wind.
Returning to the TV screen, Momobin was still on the phone and hadn’t resumed the broadcast.
‘I’m sorry for Si-yoon, but I need to run this experiment…’
The reed that was Si-hyun swayed but did not break.
She devised a way to resolve the questions that kept popping into her head.
Si-hyun patiently waited.
With the keen eyes of a predator awaiting prey, she watched the situation closely.
Silently and quietly.
Waiting for Momobin’s broadcast to resume.
《Sorry, sorry! That took so long, right? It was an important call.》
– What kind of call was it???
– Did someone really have an important call with Momobin?
– Hahahahahahaha
Momobin’s broadcast resumed.
She looked just the same as always.
She casually brushed off the call without anyone caring.
After chatting naturally with the viewers, she officially started the game of the day.
Si-hyun still watched the broadcast without moving a muscle.
She didn’t even move her fingers to participate in the chat.
《Alright! I’m definitely going to show you guys the ending today!》
– I believe (that she’s going to fail)
– Believe?
– I’ll believe, for now, haha
《Oh come on, why is everyone so untrusting?》
Momobin went on with a slick attitude, engaging as she continued broadcasting.
After chatting for a bit, she pressed the button to start the game and officially kicked things off.
‘Not yet, not yet…’
Si-hyun still did not act.
She waited for a stronger angle.
‘If it’s an illusion, I’ll go back to enjoying the broadcast. But if it’s not…’
…What will I do if it’s not?
Her head was once again filled with confusion. But she had to do something.
With hawk-like eyes, Si-hyun kept her focus on the broadcast screen.
And then…
‘…Now!’
Right when Momobin was about to start an important battle!
Si-hyun picked up her smartphone and called her sister.