I Returned, and Now I See Strange Things

It was embarrassing, but after moving around so intensely, she really was starving.

She barked at the still-dazed Hyesung and had him drive them into the city.

But since it was already late at night, finding an open restaurant wasn’t easy.

Even if a place was technically open, when they went in, it turned out they weren’t serving dine-in customers.

“There’s nowhere we can go...”

“...It’s already pretty late.”

Hearing Hyesung’s words, she checked the time—it was just past midnight.

Shouldn’t this be peak late-night meal time?

...Ah, so that’s why people get delivery.

Sighing inwardly, she rubbed her eyes, which were still dry and itchy.

Maybe some dust had gotten in—her eyes were slightly bloodshot.

Hyeyeon, watching from the back seat, leaned forward.

“Want me to take a look?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Would you?”

She answered without thinking, and suddenly her seatback reclined. Blinking in surprise, she saw Hyeyeon’s face right in front of hers.

Cold fingers gently pulled at the corner of her eye, and then a warm breeze brushed against her face.

It still ached, but the dry irritation eased almost immediately.

Ayun calmed her slightly racing heart and thanked Hyeyeon.

As the seat returned to its upright position, she leaned back and looked out the window.

She spotted a sign: Goraeseong.

“A 24-Hour Chinese Cuisine Specialty Restaurant...”

Maybe they were still serving dine-in?

She reached out and tapped Hyesung on the shoulder, pointing to Goraeseong.

“Let’s try that place.”

“G-Give me some warning... You startled me... Let’s see... Goraeseong... looks like they might be doing dine-in. Let’s go.”

Seeing Hyesung still nervous even after all this, she couldn’t help but chuckle.

They parked and stepped into Goraeseong.

The inside had a strangely nostalgic feel.

It was the kind of neighborhood Chinese place that felt familiar, like somewhere you’d visited a long time ago.

People sometimes called it something else, less politely...

They sat down, and a slightly sticky table welcomed them.

‘...Did they really have to replicate that part, too?’

She grumbled silently as Hyesung started wiping down the table with a wet napkin.

It didn’t seem necessary, but when he pulled a tripod out of his bag, she tilted her head.

“What’s that for?”

Setting it up on the table, he replied like it was obvious.

“We have to stream. You ended abruptly earlier—this is a good chance to give a recap.”

“R-Right...”

As expected of a pro—reliable when it counted.

After a bit, a staff member came by and dropped off a water pitcher.

Hyesung asked if it was okay to film, got permission, and turned to her.

“So, what are you eating?”

She hesitated, then decided to go with the most basic option. Hard to go wrong with the basics.

“Hmm... Jjajangmyeon.”

“What about you, Hyeyeon?”

Nodding, he turned to ask Hyeyeon. Still on her phone, she tapped the screen a few times before casually answering,

“Shrimp fried rice.”

Fried rice, huh... Not a bad choice. It usually came with some jjajang sauce on the side, so maybe that was the best of both worlds...

‘Still, we came all this way—I’ve got to have jjajangmyeon.’

And if possible...

“One jjajangmyeon, one shrimp fried rice, and one jjamppong, please...”

At that point, Hyesung glanced at her, then shook his head and continued.

“And one medium tangsuyuk, too.”

“Got it. I’ll bring it right out.”

Tangsuyuk... She hadn’t asked for it—how did he know?

Well, maybe they were both pretty hungry, too. Hyesung hadn’t eaten when he was filming with Arin before, said his stomach was upset... He’d grown since then.

She looked at him with satisfaction as he sighed, accepted Hyeyeon’s phone, and connected it to the tripod.

As he finished setting up, the staff brought out side dishes, and Hyeyeon gently touched her face.

“Noona, it’s about to go live... Get ready.”

“Okay.”

Staring calmly at the phone screen, she saw Hyesung nod.

On screen, a young girl’s face appeared, and chat messages began to pour in.

She blinked, confused for a moment—

‘Oh, right. That’s me.’

Feeling strangely self-conscious, she cleared her throat.

“Ahem, ahem... I bet the sudden stream cut earlier was a surprise.”

You think?! lmao

What the hell happened!!!

Ex

Plain

Your

Self

NOW

Looking at the flurry of angry messages, she let out a quiet laugh. It really had been a dangerous situation, but it seemed the viewers hadn’t felt the urgency at all.

...Or maybe they were ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) just the kind of people who didn’t care.

Well, since you’re back I guess you’re okay

lol I was legit worried you’d end up in the news

...Okay, maybe not everyone was like that.

“Anyway, thanks to cutting the stream, we got out safely. A few more showed up afterward, but we didn’t get to show you. That’s a shame.”

WHAT!!!

Can’t you get a GoPro or something????

Look at her face, she doesn’t look that sorry lol

Messing with them like this was oddly fun.

As long as no one started trolling like earlier, she thought... this wasn’t so bad.

Then one comment caught her eye.

By the way, where are you?

“Here? We came out to eat after finishing up.”

Eating???

Damn, you’ve got guts eating after seeing all that.

“I moved around a lot. Of course I’m hungry. You’d get it if you tried it yourself.”

I’ve got a medical condition where I die if I leave the house

Same

For real tho lol

Seeing these pathetic chats made her shake her head.

...Though there were people who liked that kind of thing.

She started seriously worrying about the future of this country.

They chatted with viewers for a while.

Before long, the food began arriving, one dish at a time.

The signature scent of chunjang from the jjajangmyeon, the smoky aroma rising from the jjamppong, and the oily fragrance of freshly stir-fried rice—

Finally, the crispy golden tangsuyuk, puffed up and boasting its crunch, with its sweet and sour sauce on the side.

She swore she heard her stomach growl.

Without a word, she picked up her chopsticks and mixed the jjajangmyeon.

The yellowish noodles, typical of Korean-Chinese places, became drenched in the dark sauce.

Scattered vegetables and meat glistened enticingly.

Lifting up the well-coated noodles, she brought them to her mouth.

Slurp...

The chewy noodles burst with flavor, the sauce rich and savory.

Crisp onion and tender meat followed, completing the bite.

It felt like they’d cut back on the garnish compared to the past, but the taste was unbeatable.

Licking her lips and savoring the flavor, she saw her reflection on the stream.

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Still in her school uniform, she looked like a student having her first jjajangmyeon after a graduation ceremony with her grandmother.

Her face felt slightly warm. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth before checking chat.

LOL she just started eating without even saying anything

Means she was really hungry~

Dammit I want jjajangmyeon now—is it too late to order?

The reaction wasn’t bad, but for some reason... it was kind of embarrassing.

Feeling awkward, she looked at Hyeyeon and Hyesung—who were both staring at her, not eating.

“...Why aren’t you two eating?”

“Oh, right.”

Hyeyeon hurriedly shoved a spoon into her fried rice, and Hyesung, after thinking for a moment, called the waiter.

Then suddenly, he ordered a beer.

“...?”

They checked IDs, and soon a bottle of beer landed on the table.

It was the same one she’d tried with chips last time, but in bottled form.

Blue, gold, and white packaging—sleek and expensive-looking.

Hyesung popped the cap and poured it into a clear glass.

The golden liquid filled the glass, topped with soft white foam.

He set it in front of her.

“...You want me to drink it?”

Hyesung nodded silently.

It felt a little weird... but it would be rude not to drink it now.

It would probably go better with tangsuyuk than jjajangmyeon, so she picked up a still-steaming piece of pork.

Hyesung, as if remembering something, asked,

“Ah—should I pour the sauce over it?”

“Are you crazy?”

“....”

She knows the truth lol

Real ones know it’s pour-over!

Nah, dip it, always

She snapped at him while glancing at the chat. Embarrassed, he put down his chopsticks.

How dare he try to pour sauce in front of her—she didn’t care if he was paying, that was unforgivable.

Anyway.

She dunked the hot tangsuyuk into the sauce and popped it into her mouth.

Crispy batter, savory, seasoned meat, and the sweet-sour flavor of the sauce coated her tongue.

Blowing on it to cool it down, she chewed and swallowed—then took a sip of the beer Hyesung had poured.

Gulp, gulp.

It slid down her throat with a pleasant sting, the rich taste washing away the slight greasiness in her mouth.

“Ahh...”

Not bad at all, this combo.

Once she got started, she couldn’t stop.

A bite of jjajangmyeon, a dip of tangsuyuk, a nibble of danmuji, a crunch of raw onion with chunjang—

Then a cleansing sip of beer when it all got a bit too heavy.

She repeated the cycle silently, happily, until the jjajangmyeon bowl was empty.

Breathing a satisfied sigh, she wiped her mouth and finally glanced at chat.

Why aren’t you saying anything, just eating lmao

I’m not even mad tho, she’s eating so well I put water on for ramen lol

lol she’s looking at us now

“Ahem, ahem... This place is good.”

Hyeyeon giggled and then coughed, maybe choking a bit while eating.

She glanced at Hyesung, sipping jjamppong broth with a satisfied look.

Then, chewing a piece of tangsuyuk, she turned to the camera and brought up something she’d forgotten.

“...Ah, right. For all of you who were curious—I’m thinking of going back there again tomorrow afternoon.”

This time it was Hyesung who choked on his soup and started coughing painfully.

“We’ve eaten, so I’m ending the stream. If you’re curious, come watch tomorrow.”

W-Wait, no!

Don’t end it!!!

There’s still tangsuyuk left!!

She ended the stream just like Hyesung and Hyeyeon had taught her.

As soon as the broadcast cut, fatigue hit her like a wave.

Stretching and yawning, she saw Hyesung—finally recovered—coughing and asking,

“W-Wait, you’re serious?”

“Yeah. Something’s bugging me. It’s daytime—should be fine, right?”

“I’m in.”

“W-Wait...”

Seeing the dread in Hyesung’s eyes, she spoke softly.

“This is really the last time. Just help me once more.”

Hyesung looked between her and Hyeyeon, then sighed so deeply it felt like he’d sink into the ground and nodded.

“Thanks.”

“...At least you know you’re being unreasonable.”

“Come on, I have some shame.”

She answered while dipping the remaining tangsuyuk in the sauce.

The once-crispy pork was now slightly soggy from the sauce.

Still, it was delicious.