Chapter 55: Chapter 55

After skimming through the news and articles, Si-hyun stood up.

She could see her younger sister hurrying back from a distance.

Whether an S-rank hunter had gone missing or not didn’t concern her.

After all, the hunter wasn't someone she knew personally, so the story would quickly fade from her attention.

Si-hyun and Siyoon took public transportation to the meeting spot.

Soon after they arrived, a taxi stopped in front of the restaurant, and Jia got out.

“Sorry! Did I keep you waiting long?”

“No, we just got here too.”

Si-hyun and Jia exchanged greetings first.

“Sis, it’s been a while!”

“Yeah. Has Siyoon been doing well?”

Siyoon squealed happily and attached herself to Jia.

Jia wrapped her arms around Siyoon and smiled brightly.

“You look so pretty! If someone saw us, they’d think we’re out hunting for men.”

“Ha, it’s just basic, you know?”

“Did Si-hyun dress you up?”

“Of course!”

Both Jia and Siyoon turned their gaze to Si-hyun at the same time.

Si-hyun was wearing a bright-colored dress.

A delicate tie around her waist accentuated her slim figure and graceful curves.

Si-hyun awkwardly turned her head, scratching her cheek as she spoke.

“I-I said I’d try, so…”

Her cheeks turned bright red from the embarrassment.

Siyoon seemed to find her sister’s reaction amusing and grinned widely.

“I picked out the clothes, but at first, she didn’t want to wear it.”

“Really? How did you make her wear it?”

Siyoon giggled as she answered Jia’s question.

“Of course, I succeeded with an offering!”

“Aha.”

Jia immediately realized the meaning behind Siyoon's words.

She must have used more of Momobin’s merchandise.

‘She’s going to get caught soon enough.’

Jia looked at Siyoon with a cautious expression.

...Well, if she did get caught, it might make the situation even more interesting.

Siyoon would probably freeze in embarrassment, and Si-hyun would be stuck in a daze for a while.

Amused by the thought, Jia chuckled softly and casually spoke.

“We’re standing here, so how about we go in now?”

“…Yeah, let’s go.”

“Let’s go!”

The three women entered the restaurant.

Since Jia had made a reservation, they comfortably took their seats.

Si-hyun, moving slowly, admired the ambiance of the restaurant.

The room, with its soft lighting, had an elegant atmosphere.

Sophisticated decorations and some art pieces also added to the aesthetic.

‘This would be the perfect place for a date.’

Just like that brunch café they visited before.

Jia sure knew where to find the best places to eat in Seoul.

Si-hyun decided she would ask Jia for recommendations whenever the need arose. She turned to her and spoke.

“Did you already order one menu in advance?”

“Yeah, it’s a menu you can only order if you reserve it a day ahead.”

Jia took the menu from Siyoon and flipped it over.

She pointed to the menu Si-hyun had asked about and said,@@novelbin@@

“Beef Wellington. Have you ever had it?”

“…No, I’ve never even heard of it.”

“I saw it on TV!”

Si-hyun shook her head at Jia’s question, and Siyoon, who had been listening, raised her hand excitedly.

“It’s the one they threw out because it was cold on that chef reality show! Is that the one?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“I was curious when I saw it on TV, but it’s my first time trying it! Wow, I’m really looking forward to it!”

“Hehe, you’ll definitely be satisfied.”

Watching Siyoon’s excitement, Jia smiled and covered her mouth, amused.

Siyoon began diligently scanning the menu again.

As they were looking at the menu together, Si-hyun spoke with an awkward expression.

“…Hmm, I don’t usually come to places like this, so I’m not sure. I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Then, I’ll go with this one!”

“That one? Then, this one would be a safe choice for the other one.”

They quickly settled on their orders.

Once the ordering was done, Si-hyun stood up.

“I’ll be right back, just going to the restroom.”

With graceful steps, she walked toward the restroom.

Her platinum hair shimmered in the restaurant's soft lighting, swaying gently with her movements.

Jia silently watched Si-hyun’s retreating figure.

After Si-hyun had completely disappeared from view, Jia turned back to Siyoon.

“Siyoon.”

“Yeah?”

“The broadcast… you haven’t been found out, right?”

“Umm… not yet.”

Siyoon’s smile faded, and her response was less than enthusiastic.

Seeing this, Jia let out a wry smile.

“Sometimes Si-hyun asks me about it through messages. Things like house prices and stuff.”

“Ah… I see.”

“How much does your Hunter rank need to be to afford a detached house? That kind of thing.”

“…Ugh.”

Siyoon awkwardly twiddled her fingers.

Jia watched her with a quiet smile and asked,

“How long do you plan to keep it a secret?”

“…Until I get caught?”

“Isn’t it going to get even more awkward if you wait too long?”

“Well… since it’s my favorite, I watch it all the time, so it’s a bit… embarrassing to reveal…”

“Yeah… I can see that.”

Jia nodded in agreement.

Seeing Siyoon go through all this to dress up like that, she could tell just how much Siyoon loved her favorite.

“How did you get so obsessed?”

“…She said my voice reminded her of when she was younger.”

“Pfft, your voice?”

“She said it made her think of me when I was a kid.”

Seeing Siyoon pouting, Jia couldn’t hold back her laughter.

It was a simple yet definite reason for Siyoon's fondness.

“Hehe… Well, I’ll keep it a secret until you get caught.”

“Thanks, Unnie! But, seriously, what should I do? I can’t think of a good way out of this.”

“Hmm, not sure.”

“Hmmm… What if I just pretend it was an accident and get you on the show?”

“Ah!”

That was a very extreme suggestion.

Jia widened her eyes while Siyoon seriously considered her idea.

“…Maybe that could work? Honestly, the viewers might like it.”

“Ha, maybe? Si-hyun has such a nice voice, after all.”

“Great! I’ve noted it down in my head.”

Siyoon smirked, clearly scheming.

‘A cornered rat will bite a cat,’ she thought.

If it came down to it, she might just go through with it.

Of course, she knew this wasn’t a permanent solution.

But maybe if she caused a shocking series of events, it might cover everything up.

Siyoon began seriously considering her idea.

“What are you two talking about?”

Si-hyun returned from the restroom and sat back down next to Jia.

Jia, with a playful smile, looked at Si-hyun and said,

“Si-hyun, what do you think of my voice?”

“Huh? Why are you asking about my voice all of a sudden?”

“I just got curious.”

Si-hyun seemed confused but answered sincerely.

“Well… I’m not great with words, so I can’t really express it well…”

She gazed into space for a moment, tapping her cheek with her finger as she thought.

Then, after a moment, Si-hyun snapped her fingers and said,

“Ah! If I had to compare, you know Momobin, right? The VTuber Momobin?”

“Yeah, I know. We watched it together on TV last time.”

“Yeah. Personally, the voice I like the most is Momobin’s, but sometimes she makes those cute noises or a lisp.”

“….”

“Hehe, I see.”

Jia covered her mouth, unable to stop laughing.

A lisp? That was too cute!

Jia glanced at Siyoon, who was trying hard not to show it, but her facial muscles were betraying her.

It was almost impossible to suppress the laughter.

Si-hyun, who was focused on her own thoughts, didn’t notice.

But for Jia, trying to hold in her laughter was a real challenge.

Finally, she couldn’t hold it in and just laughed.

“Hehe…”

“…?”

Was it really that funny? Si-hyun tilted her head.

Not knowing anything, she continued the conversation casually.

“Compared to that, Jia has a voice that’s soothing to listen to, right?”

“Hmm.”

“Ah, really? I’m embarrassed to say it in front of you, but I like it right after Momobin’s!”

“Hehe, I see. Thank you.”

It was definitely a high compliment from Si-hyun.

Jia smiled brightly and thanked her.

Just then, the waitress approached their table with the food.

“Your order has arrived.”

She said simply as she set the dishes down.

Once the meal was set, Siyoon, now with a more controlled expression, spoke up

.

“Um, Unnie…?”

“Yeah?”

“You know how there’s a broadcast tone for the shows, right?”

“Probably. Every broadcaster has their own style.”

“I wonder what it would sound like if you did a lisp on air? Could you try it for me?”

Si-hyun’s eyes widened in shock as she answered quickly.

“No way. I’m never doing that.”

“Why not? Just once!”

“Even if you gave me Momobin’s merchandise set, I still wouldn’t do it.”

“Tch…”

When Si-hyun firmly refused, Siyoon reluctantly backed off.

But secretly, she thought, ‘Maybe that’s the only way.’

She hadn’t said it out loud, though.

The three women then resumed their normal conversation as they finished their meal.

Talking about their first time trying Beef Wellington and the creamy pasta they had.

Later, when dessert arrived, Jia took a spoonful of ice cream and pulled out her smartphone.

Without much thought, she checked the news as a habit.

“Huh…?”

Her face grew serious as she read the article.

Si-hyun, seeing her reaction, was curious about what she had read.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, um. I just saw the news about Yu Byeong-jun, the hunter, going missing. Do you know him?”

“Ah, I saw that earlier. He’s an S-rank hunter, right?”

Si-hyun replied, and Jia nodded, continuing.

“The dungeon he went missing in… that was the dungeon we were planning to go to.”

“The A-rank dungeon the big guild got to first?”

“Yeah. It’s making me feel uneasy.”

“I see.”

Si-hyun remembered a conversation she had with Jia at the brunch café earlier.

Thinking back, she suddenly recalled an important fact.

“Wait… didn’t they say that dungeon had a short time left? They were even talking about a rampage?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s getting pretty dangerous. The Hunter Bureau must be on high alert.”

“Hmm…”

Satisfied with the answer, Si-hyun nodded slightly.

She wasn’t really concerned since it didn’t involve her or anyone close to her.

“Shall we head out soon? Let’s take a walk in the nearby park and then go to the wine bar.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

The women finished their dessert and stood up.

After paying, they left the restaurant and casually walked to the nearby park.

As they strolled, enjoying the surroundings, Siyoon suddenly grinned.

“Let’s take a picture! Picture!”

The photo session began immediately.

They took several pictures together, some individual shots, and a dozen photos were quickly snapped.

“Hey, wanna walk over to that tree over there? I’ll take a perfect shot from a distance!”

“Hehe, sure, I’ll leave it to you.”

“…Mmm.”

With excitement, Siyoon made her request, and Jia and Si-hyun walked toward the tree to pose.

Siyoon smiled quietly as she saw her shy sister.

She knew that if she opened Si-hyun’s phone gallery, it would be empty.

So, she made sure to fill it up now!

After snapping the shots, the two women chatted from a distance, and Jia gestured to Siyoon.

But then…

A man approached Siyoon, who was standing alone.

“Excuse me, I really like you. Could I have your number?”

It was a persistent hunter trying to hit on her.