LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 76
The two were dodging Mollru’s gaze as if playing a game of stealth.
The target had become Ryuah.
“Ryuah.”
“Uh, yeah?”
“When did you go so far? Come sit here.”
Ji-eun, tapping her side eagerly, gestured for Ryuah to join her.
Ryuah felt deeply moved by this expression from Ji-eun, who usually showed little reaction and rarely expressed emotions.
But Ryuah knew.
If she stepped into that spot now, it would be game over.
Just like Tex a moment ago, she would be done for too.
“Hey? Why aren’t you coming? I’m bored.”
“Just, give me a sec…”
The slightly frowning face of Ji-eun, looking like she’d be disappointed if Ryuah didn’t comply, was just too lethal.
It made Ryuah feel as if she had committed some kind of great wrong and should hurry to fulfill Ji-eun’s request.
What had Ji-eun said again?
Ah, to come sit beside her.
Right, let’s go over there.
To the seat beside Ji-eun, whom I adore.
What was there to hesitate about? It wasn’t a difficult decision to just stand up and take a few steps.
As Ryuah was about to rise and take a step, she heard—
“Ryuah, pull yourself together…!”
“Eh, what?”
“If you get dragged in too, it’s all over…!”
Mollru’s whispering from the side jolted Ryuah back to reality.
She nearly made a huge mistake.
Staring at Ji-eun’s tragic expression, she felt a twinge of guilt.
Right now, it felt like the leash had come off.
Ji-eun’s already potent beauty was now uncontrollably shining through her previously emotionless facade.
Not anymore.
Ji-eun’s bright smile was the cutest thing Ryuah had ever seen.
‘No way!’
Thud-
Ryuah almost lost consciousness again.
She slapped her cheeks lightly to snap back to reality.
“What should we do? If we keep going like this, we’ll both end up like him…”
“There’s only one way…”
“What’s that?”
Ryuah whispered with a serious expression.
“The only option is to feed Ji-eun to the wolves first…”
It hurt her heart, but Ryuah thought this was the best solution.
If Ji-eun caused both herself and Papi Joah to collapse here.
Who would look after an out-of-control Ji-eun?
Setting aside the fallen team members, it was Ji-eun who posed the real problem.
There’d been a stalking incident recently, and even if that hadn’t happened, Ryuah felt Ji-eun was in constant danger.
Thanks to that dazzling appearance of hers.
Ryuah thought about how much Ji-eun must have suffered all this time.
While she may have benefited from that beauty, Ryuah could see Ji-eun’s twisted personality stemmed clearly from her natural looks.
Something had to have happened in her past.
As Ryuah fell into thought, Papi Joah on the side whispered.
“Yeah, that seems like the best option… We need to contain Mollru somehow.”
“Let’s give it a shot.”
Plan number one: Get Mollru drunk.
They needed to get closer.
Just as Ryuah was about to take her drink and approach Mollru—
“What are you two whispering about…?”
Ryuah turned her head at Mollru’s voice.
Oh no, in focusing on the strategy meeting, I totally forgot to care for the most important target.
Ji-eun looked rather sulky.
Puffing her cheeks and glaring with her eyes somehow made her ridiculously cute.
Ryuah just wanted to rush over and ruffle her hair right then.
No, wait, that’s not it.
Ryuah had a mission to carry out.
She couldn’t get swept up in her emotions.
If they were resorting to using charm, it was clear Mollru was feeling pressured.
“You two are just having fun chatting… whispering to each other… you must both dislike me, right? Isn’t that it…?”
Ji-eun sulked as she lowered her head.
Ryuah and Papi Joah waved their hands in denial.
“Oh no, that’s not it…”
“Why would we dislike Mollru? We like you a lot!”
“Yeah, that’s right! I only have eyes for Ji-eun! I can’t live without you!”
Ji-eun lifted her head gently.
Her previously drooping smile had returned to light up her face.
“You don’t dislike me…?”
“Of course not!”
“Definitely not!”
Ji-eun’s face brightened again as she pounded her side of the table once more.
“Then come here and play with me.”
And just like that, they were struck back!
The implication of playing didn’t need any deep thought.
Just look at the drink Ji-eun was shaking with delight.
Ryuah spoke in a trembling voice.
“That’s a bit…”
“…it’s fine. You don’t have to lie. You really do dislike me, don’t you?”
Ji-eun whipped her head sharply away.
Clearly, Ji-eun’s spirits weren’t getting any better.
At this rate, they couldn’t even carry out their operation.
What on earth should they do—?
“Um, is it alright if I intervene for a moment?”
Ryuah found herself at a deadlock when a man unexpectedly appeared and steered things in a different direction.
“I’m Burpi, a switch streamer and YouTuber. I’m currently broadcasting, and I was wondering if you’d be open to filming?”
With a selfie stick concealing his phone camera, the man politely asked.
Papi Joah visibly recognized him, suggesting he was quite popular.
Ryuah also felt a strong sense of déjà vu as she fumbled with her phone.
“I kept seeing chat messages asking to see the Jackie team, so I came to check it out, but it looks like it’s difficult.”
Burpi scratched his head in disappointment, eyeing the fallen male team members.
“They want to see our team?”
“Yeah, the Jackie team is famous for various reasons. Especially, there’s been a lot of chat messages asking to see Mollru.”
“Me…? ”
From under the table, a girl crawled out suddenly.
A brief moment of silence passed between the table as the unexpected scene unfolded.
Burpi, quick on the uptake as a professional streamer, spoke up.
“Is this Mollru…?”
“Yes… I’m Mollru…”
“…the rumors weren’t exaggerated after all.”
Burpi gaped in astonishment at Ji-eun’s stunning looks.
Finally getting her wits back together, Ryuah stepped forward to manage the situation.
“Excuse me, but she’s not doing well, and the only two here who are fine are me and Papi, so I think it’ll be tough to broadcast.”
“That’s a disappointment, but it can’t be helped. Maybe next time—.”
Just as Burpi began to leave, someone jumped in.
“Broadcast…? You mean broadcasting?”
“Oh, Mollru. The viewers have been looking for you so much! But today seems a bit difficult. Maybe next time we can broadcast together—.”
“Why is today difficult?”
Mollru tilted her head in confusion.
Burpi calmly replied.
“Well, both you and everyone else have had a bit to drink, so…”
“Just who’s drunk? Who gets drunk after one cocktail? I’m completely fine…! Just look at me.”
And with that, she began to spin in place like a circus elephant to prove her sobriety.
Everyone jolted in surprise at Ji-eun’s sudden act, asking her to stop.
“Ah yes, you’re not drunk at all. I must have misjudged.”
“Hehe. See? I told you I’m fine! My drinks are just too strong.”
“Haha, right, right—haha.”
Burpi took a few cautious steps back, awkwardly chuckling.
“Um… Burpi? V-Pee?”
“It’s Burpi. Mollru.”
“Yes, Burpi. Would you like to have a drink with me?”
“Haha, I’m good. I’ve already had plenty over there.”
In any other circumstances, being asked to drink by such a beauty would have felt like a dream come true.
But Burpi instinctively felt he couldn’t get caught here.
With a watery-eyed refusal, he turned down her suggestion.
However, what Mollru said next stopped him in his tracks.
“So shall we… broadcast?”
“What?”
“You asked if you could film earlier, right? That’s what you intended to do, isn’t it?”
Mollru wobbled slightly as she pointed to his phone.
“Ah, yes… that’s true, but are you okay with it?”
“Of course… but my face can’t show up…”
After Ji-eun sent an ‘okay’ sign, Ryuah looked at her in confusion.
“Ji-eun, what are you talking about? Broadcasting?”
“Uh-huh… I want to broadcast. You and Papi aren’t playing with me, so I’m bored.”
Ji-eun whined like a toddler.
Ryuah face-palmed in realization.
Just when she was trying to escape a deer, she ended up facing a tiger instead.
Trying to smooth over a sticky situation had just turned into a mess.
“It has been three days since my last broadcast, so I’m getting worried…”
My cafe might just burn down…
Caught in the middle, Burpi felt stuck, and Papi Joah gave a look of impending doom.
And Ji-eun appeared resolutely determined, her face slightly flushed.
There was no escaping this.
“Then just a quick broadcast, alright?”
“Uh, can’t we do it longer?”
“Burpi can’t just stay here. He has to go around and meet others too.”
After recognizing Ryuah’s grim signal, Burpi quickly chimed in.
“Yes, I need to meet others aside from Mollru. Maybe about 10 minutes? 5 minutes? Should be enough.”
“Really…?”
“Shall we go ahead and broadcast then?”
Burpi pulled out his phone and spent a moment setting it up as Ji-eun muttered softly.
“That’s too short…”
Ryuah thought as she watched Ji-eun.
Please, let nothing strange happen.