More people came… That’s… totally lucky, isn’t it?
On a weekend afternoon, light snowflakes gently tickled people’s noses.
The air was cold and biting, as if it were cutting into the skin.
In front of the subway entrance, couples and families bustled about.
“Oh my… Haha. Honey, look at that child.”
“Where? Ah. Haha. She looks just like our daughter when she was little.”
All eyes turned to an adorable child peeking out from fluffy fur clothing.
Her long purple hair swayed gently, slightly curled, and her red eyes wandered curiously around.
The child, seemingly in a hurry, kept taking out her phone to check the time while stomping her feet.
“Ugh. Why did I come an hour early… So cold…”
Sniff.
Sniffling back mucus, Arin shivered violently.
She never expected the cold to penetrate despite wearing so many warm layers.
‘Where did global warming go?! Why does it only apply to polar bears?’
Thinking of a polar bear sinking into the water, unable to swim because it has no home, Arin teared up…
Growl.
“Ugh…”
Just as her mind started wandering into conspiracy theories about global warming being a nationwide scam, Arin’s stomach growled.
Her tiny, adorable face turned bright red as she clutched her stomach, praying the sound would fade.
She considered stepping into a café for a moment, but if Ah-yun arrived during that time, her early arrival would have been meaningless.
Arin firmly believed that coming early was all about pretending not to brag to the latecomer about being early.
Yeah. So what if she’s a little hungry now? Soon, she’d be eating with Ah-yun, who always spoiled her with affection.
“Hehe. Samgyeopsal~♪ Samgyeopsal~♪ Eating samgyeopsal with Ah-yun!”
Arin happily tapped her feet as if she were doing a little tap dance and imagined the samgyeopsal.
The golden-brown color, the sizzling juice about to burst out, the sound of rain-like sizzling…
“Wow… Ah, slurp.”
Arin quickly wiped the drool from her mouth with the back of her hand.
Hopefully, no one saw that, she worried.
But seriously, when was Ah-yun coming? Her facial muscles were starting to freeze, making it hard to force a smile.
But if Ah-yun was even one minute late, Arin could use it as an excuse to demand extra affection.
That thought alone kept Arin going.
The snow fell cold and sharp, and she couldn’t feel her nose or ears anymore.
Just as she was feeling cold and lonely…
Whoosh.
“Arin-ah. Have you been waiting long?”
Arin’s world suddenly felt muffled.
It was because of the two warm hands gently cupping her bright red ears.
Surprised by the unexpected warmth, Arin grinned widely and looked up.
Eyes as green as freshly sprouted spring grass, and long brown hair tickling her nose.
Sharp but gentle features and a smile that felt like a goddess’s blessing.
Arin’s already red face turned even redder as she forced a smile.
“Hehe… Ah-yun’s hands are so warm… Ah! No, no! I haven’t been waiting long… Achoo!”
As Arin shook her head vigorously, expressing the cold with her whole body, Ahyun’s face hardened.
With a fist full of concern and worry, Ah-yun lightly tapped Arin’s forehead.
“Ouch!”
“Liar… Why did you come so early? I told you I’d be late.”
Staring straight into those deep green eyes, Arin grinned sheepishly.
“Hehe. I just… wanted to see you sooner.”
“Sigh. What am I going to do with you… Ah. Should we head to the barbecue restaurant first? I made a reservation. It’s an expensive place.”
“Hehe! Sounds fun! Yay!”
Bounce. Bounce.
Arin, seemingly overjoyed just to be with Ah-yun, stretched her short legs as far as they could go, taking big, clumsy steps.
Like a baby bird desperately trying to take flight, she looked adorably awkward.
The light crunching sound of her steps on the snow piled lightly on the ground added to the charm.
“Oh, by the way. Someone else is coming today…”
Ah-yun trailed off awkwardly.
Arin, who loved people and being doted on like a golden retriever, might not mind… but still, this was clearly Ah-yun’s fault.
Bringing someone else to what was supposed to be a one-on-one meeting was just plain rude.
“Who? Seongha? Or… Rie?”
But such logic didn’t apply to Arin, who was practically a puppy in human form!
Arin’s eyes sparkled as she leaned closer on tiptoes.
Whether it was Seongha, Rie, or anyone else, Arin would be happy if it meant more head pats.
Such pure and innocent joy made Ah-yun feel a little guilty.
“No… It’s someone else. I’ve never actually met them in person either.”
“Huh? Who is it…?”
“You know them too. White Palette.”
“…White Palette? The same White Palette I’m thinking of?”
“Yeah.”
Freeze.
Arin stopped mid-step.
A name she couldn’t forget, even in her dreams.
The name viewers constantly chanted during broadcasts…!
Her fingertips trembled, not from the cold, but from emotion.
She felt tension creeping up her spine.
Scenes flashed through her mind like a montage.
Bang!
A legendary highlight reel where she was headshot by White Palette.
A YouTube short with 2.5 million views.
‘Nice try, Misa.’
Ratatatat!
In a 1v1 scenario, White Palette had taken everyone else out.
When Arin rushed in with her gun blazing, White Palette caught her with a pre-placed rendezvous trap.
‘Nice effort, Misa.’
Shing!
After trading shots early in the round, White Palette suddenly appeared from the side and stabbed Arin with a knife.
‘This round was pretty good, wasn’t it?’
Countless painful memories flashed through Arin’s mind.
Traumatic and haunting memories.
“…Arin-ah?”
“Squeaaak!”
In the heavy snowfall, a little fox let out a frightened cry.
Sizzle…
As the samgyeopsal began to grill, Arin’s eyes sparkled again as she scanned the sizzling meat.
Her scared expression from earlier was completely gone, replaced by hunger and anticipation.
Ah-yun chuckled slightly at the sight.
“That table…”
“Wow…”
“Are they celebrities…?”
People at nearby tables whispered, ignoring their own food.
With two distinctively charming girls laughing together, it was only natural that attention was drawn to them.
Of course. The members of Lumi Live were all known for being “blue pill” and lacked nothing in that regard.
Even though Ju Arin might seem insignificant, she was loved by many due to her cuteness and small stature, especially by those with specific preferences.
Seo Ah-yun, who was grilling meat in front of Arin, had a pure and innocent image, and she had received many confessions in the past.
The other members, when their private photos were leaked, weren’t criticized by the community but were actually praised for being pretty.
Arin was extremely proud of this.
Even if trolls in YouTube comments threw insults at them, she just wanted to scream that all the first-generation Lumi Live members were this pretty!
But now…
“…I don’t really have anything to say.” There was simply nothing to talk about.
“Yeah. Whenever something happens in Nightcode, they just talk about it…” Ding! At that moment, Ah-yun’s phone chimed with a message notification.
[WhitePalette: I’ll be there soon. I’m wearing a black cap, black mask, and a hoodie.]
Seeing the message, Ah-yun smiled brightly and replied joyfully. “Oh, they’ll be here soon.”
“Hmm… Ah-yun, you said you’ve never seen them, right? What do they look like?” “Well… I’m not sure. I heard they don’t go outside much, but maybe their skin is pale?”
However, Ah-yun didn’t know much about them. She only knew that WhitePalette was an illustrator who hated going outside. WhitePalette was surprisingly secretive about their personal information.
So, there were no real expectations about their appearance. In fact, it was probably better that way.
Even if Lumi Live members weren’t exactly stunning, Ah-yun wouldn’t have said anything about it. After all, being a VTuber or an illustrator didn’t require being handsome or pretty like an actor or an idol.
“We must just be lucky in our generation,” Ahyeon thought.
She looked at Ju Arin, who was standing proudly, puffing out her chest with confidence. Ah-yun realized that the feeling of maternal affection could overflow in a way she had never understood before.
“Still, Ah-yun! They must not be prettier than us, right?! All of us first-years are beautiful!” “Hmm. Shouldn’t I exclude myself?” “No! You’re the prettiest among the first years!” Arin whispered like a child using the secret code they made among friends. They couldn’t advertise being first-year Lumi Live members outside, so the code was justified.
“Hehe…” “Seriously! In the eyes of ordinary people, no one’s prettier than you…”
Ding-ding! The bell attached to the door rang loudly. Normally, after that, a greeting like “Welcome” would follow, but… it was unusually quiet.
Ah-yun, sensing something was off, looked around. There were no customers grilling meat. Everyone seemed frozen, staring toward the entrance.
Only then did Ah-yun turn her attention to the entrance.
The cold winter wind blew through, scattering silvery hair that shone like moonlight. Her clear, blue eyes sparkled like a transparent frozen lake.
Her small face held perfectly proportioned features, flawless and beyond criticism.
Her pale skin, just flushed enough to show a faint color, had an unrealistic beauty that could easily be featured in a cosmetics commercial.
She wasn’t just an idol; she could be called one of the top idols of this generation.
Even though she was wearing a black oversized hoodie, cap, and mask, her body’s S-line was subtly visible, which only added to her allure.
She had the ideal figure that any designer would dream of—curves where they should be, slender where they should be.
A perfectly unique and pure image, flawless and captivating.
Ah-yun stared at her, still stunned, and realized:
“This… is that person?”
She couldn’t believe it. The reclusive “hikikomori” was this stunning beauty?
Ah-yun stood there speechless, her mouth hanging open.
“Is that really them…?!”
Arin, who loved pretty girls, couldn’t be happier.