Chapter 168

“Da-eun.”“…”

Da-eun stared at me intently. I was sure she had heard me since I said it right to her face, yet she simply stared back without saying a word.

“Da-eun.”

“If you call me ‘Unnie (Big Sis) ,’ I’ll answer you~”

“…”

“…Just kidding! Don’t look at me like that….”

Da-eun said with an awkward laugh, though her face was full of disappointment.

‘Unnie…’

It’s not a title I can’t call her.

Back when I appeared briefly on Da-eun’s stream to help her out, she had called me “Unnie.” Since calling her “Da-eun” as usual didn’t feel appropriate, and calling her “Joanie” felt even weirder, we agreed to go with “Unnie” during the broadcast.

Before the stream started, I practiced calling her that a few times to avoid messing up. She was absolutely ecstatic.

Honestly, what’s so great about being called “Unnie” that she’d get so excited…?

Seeing her grinning from ear to ear made me wonder if I should just start calling her that all the time.

‘Nope. Impossible.’

I quickly shook my head.

I guess you could say it just didn’t feel natural in my mind or on my tongue.

It’s not that I couldn’t say it if I had to—I just didn’t want to.

“Da-eun.”

This was already the third time I had called her.

The saying goes, “Third time’s the charm,” so I let it slide the first two times. But if she didn’t answer me now, I couldn’t guarantee what I’d do next.

Fortunately, Da-eun finally responded on the third call.

“What’s up?”

“Um…”

I’d finally gotten her attention, but now that it was time to say what I needed to, I wasn’t sure how to start.

Seeing me struggle to find the right words, Da-eun tilted her head curiously.

Then, her eyes narrowed as if she had figured something out.

“…Seeing you hesitate like this… Could it be—?”

“Did you fall for someone?!”

“…Wh

What are you talking about?

That’s what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t get the words out.

Da-eun had grabbed both my shoulders and started shaking me before I could.

“What kind of scumbag dares to—! No way! Kana, you’re too young to be in a relationship!”

“L-let go of me…!”

“This Unnie doesn’t want to see you suffer because of some bad guy!”

It wasn’t exactly dizzying, but the way she shook me made it impossible to speak properly. My words came out long and distorted, like a video playing at the lowest speed. �

‘This is annoying.’

Amid the blurry, shaken view, that thought passed through my mind.

If she didn’t stop soon, I was ready to kick her shin.

As if sensing my growing annoyance, Da-eun stopped shaking me just in time.

Her survival instincts were truly something else.

“So, who is it?”

“…What do you mean, ‘who’?”

“The guy who’s trying to win you over.”

“You know there’s no such thing, so stop spouting nonsense.”

I had no plans of dating anyone, but first, I needed to correct her misunderstanding.

“And what’s this about being ‘too young’? I’m practically an adult by this world’s standards.”

“Which also means you’re not quite an adult yet! You still need a guardian to protect you. Especially someone like you, Kana—you need to be extra careful.”

“Why?”

“Because of your looks… Ahem! That’s a secret!”

“That’s basically just saying it outright, isn’t it?”

There’s no law that says, “You can’t date until you’re an adult.” I didn’t need to look it up to know that.

Even with my incomplete memories, I still had enough common sense to figure that much out.

…Then again, can I even trust what I know with my incomplete memories?

That doubt flashed through my mind for a moment but quickly disappeared.

The real issue wasn’t my memories—it was that Da-eun had started spouting nonsense again.

“I don’t even go outside, so what would I know about relationships?”

“My, my, Kana. That’s such an outdated thing to say. Do you know how many people meet online and even get married these days? Humans are capable of forming deep connections without ever meeting in person.”

“…”

Her tone was strangely infuriating.

“Of course, the failure rate is higher compared to meeting in person. And the chances of encountering weird people are also higher. That’s why I’m worried.”

“Worried about what?”

“I’m worried you might have met someone strange online… I know you don’t go outside, but I can’t see what’s on your phone. Not that I want to.”

“That’s such a useless worry.”

There’s a phrase for this kind of thing.

When people fret unnecessarily about things like the sky falling or the ground sinking.

“Are you talking about baseless fears?”

“Ah, that’s the one!”

“Kana, you really know everything. So smart!”

I brushed off Da-eun’s over-the-top reaction.

“Let’s end the jokes here.”

As I’ve already said, even Da-eun knows that I don’t have a boyfriend or anything of the sort. She’s just rambling for the sake of it.

“A joke?”

“…”

…Probably just a joke.

“Hmm.”

But, now that I think about it, Da-eun’s words weren’t entirely wrong.

Not about dating, or boys, but about meeting someone online.

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

Though, that’s assuming Silia Online counts as the “internet world.”

From the perspective of someone from Earth who knows nothing, it technically is.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day, and this saying fit the situation perfectly.

“The Greatsword Chick… Yuki. You know her, right?”

“Huh, what?”

Da-eun’s eyes grew wide with surprise, as if she never expected me to mention that name.

“Why are you suddenly bringing up Yuki?”

“Suddenly?”



It was only natural for Da-eun to react this way, not knowing what I went through during my recent visit to Silia.

Even I thought my decision was impulsive, so I could understand her reaction.

“I owe her a favor, and she’s in the same line of work. While we don’t interact often—”

“So, you’re not exactly friends, but you know each other?”

“Yeah. I’d say she’s a fairly close acquaintance. Of course, that’s just how I see it. Yuki might think differently.”

She might consider me closer, or not as close…

Da-eun added her own perspective.

“Still, recently, she’s been watching my streams more often because of you, Kana. Doesn’t that mean she sees you as pretty friendly?”

“…Me?”

“She said she was completely captivated by your swordsmanship.”

“Oh.”

I nodded in acknowledgment.

“That’s nice.”

“…? So, why are you suddenly bringing her up?”

“Can you call her over?”

“…Call her over?”

“Yeah.”

“Where to?”

“Here.”

“Oh.”

Da-eun made a sound of understanding, mimicking my earlier reaction. She rested her chin on her hand thoughtfully.

“So, you’re asking if I can bring Yuki to our house?” S~eaʀᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Yeah.”

To be honest, I could call Yuki myself.

If I met her on Earth, I’d have to explain some things anyway, which would reveal a few truths I’d been keeping hidden.

Inviting Yuki here wouldn’t cause any problems, but I chose not to do it because this isn’t my house.

As someone living as a guest in someone else’s home, inviting another guest without the host’s permission felt wrong.

Complete role reversal.

I didn’t want to become someone so shameless.

As I finished that thought, Shin Da-eun’s lips, which had been chattering nonstop while I was lost in my own mind, suddenly stopped.

‘Ah.’

I could feel it.

Rather than resisting the urge driven by instinct, I immediately covered my ears.

“What in the world are you talking about?!!”

The lion’s roar that erupted from Da-eun as soon as my small hands covered my ears was deafening. Once again, my intuition hadn’t failed me…

“…Ugh.”

Unfortunately, even this makeshift solution wasn’t enough to block Da-eun’s powerful roar.

My poor ears…

***

A silver-haired woman lifted her head.

A strange scene unfolded before her eyes.

“There’s something interesting for me here?”

A sudden message.

To be more specific, an unexpectedly abrupt message.

And the content? It lacked any sense of effort or courtesy.

‘There’s something that might interest you, Yuki.’

…Really?

Even for someone as detached as her, wasn’t that far too lacking in effort? If it had been anyone else, they might have dismissed it as a phishing scam or an attempt at manipulation.

But this woman—Yuki—was unlike most people in many ways.

“This is amusing.”

That was why Yuki had agreed so willingly to Shin Da-eun’s invitation. If there was something genuinely intriguing, then that would be good. And if it turned out to be a trap or led to trouble, well, that would be fine too.

Her way of thinking was purely driven by curiosity.

Though her recent involvement with Silia Online had somewhat tempered her restlessness, Yuki still harbored an ingrained boredom that gnawed at her constantly.

It also reflected her confidence—no matter what happened, she would handle it.

Yuki strolled through unfamiliar streets as if they were familiar.

…

Every time the sunlight danced across her shimmering silver hair, heads turned to follow her. Gazes full of admiration and envy bore down on her.

She was fully aware of the attention, yet her expression didn’t change in the slightest.

‘Because I’m used to it.’

It wasn’t the first—or even the hundredth—time she’d experienced such stares. From the moment she’d come of age and started standing out, such reactions had become a daily occurrence. She’d long since stopped paying them any mind.

It was partly because she just didn’t care.

Gracefully avoiding a man nervously approaching her, Yuki found her destination with ease, thanks to the conveniences of modern technology.

“So, this is where they live.”

Strictly speaking, “sophisticated” might have been a better descriptor—

But Yuki had no intention of correcting her own impression. She walked forward confidently.

When the security at the gate asked her purpose, she answered simply, “An invitation.” After a brief verification process, she was granted entry into what seemed like an impregnable fortress.

‘…What a hassle.’

Her interest was beginning to wane.

Still, having come this far, she didn’t want to waste the effort. Clinging to the dwindling embers of her curiosity, she stepped into the elevator.

Arriving at the designated floor moments later, Yuki stepped out and stood before the door.

Without hesitation, she pressed the doorbell.

The familiar, cheerful chime announced her presence.

“Yes, I’m coming~!”

The voice from inside was one she recognized well.

Though it was Yuki’s first time meeting Da-eun in person, she showed no signs of nervousness. Was it because watching Da-eun’s broadcasts had created a sense of closeness?

If someone had asked Yuki, she would have immediately shaken her head.

Her demeanor stemmed purely from her personality.

As Yuki waited briefly, small footsteps approached the door.

‘She’s small.’

Just from the sound of her steps, Yuki could estimate Da-eun’s foot size. Even considering she was a woman, her feet seemed exceptionally petite.

While Yuki pondered this observation—

The door swung open.

And there, peeking out, was a head topped with bright pink hair.

A girl, shorter by several handspans compared to Yuki, tilted her head back to look up.



“…?”

As their eyes met, Yuki’s face momentarily froze, her expression blank.

—

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