Chapter 94:Epilogue [2007/10/07]

October.  

A cool breeze swept through Beijing.  

A spacious traditional teahouse.  

In the grand space, where luxurious shades of red and gold blended harmoniously, the sound of traditional instruments resonated softly.  

There, a boy, a girl, and a middle-aged woman sat together.  

They paused their quiet conversation, taking in the ambiance and fragrance of the place.  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

Go Hana picked up the elegant porcelain teacup before her and blew gently on it. Then, she carefully took a sip, letting the fragrant aroma of the tea flow through her nose and mouth.  

-Slurp…!  

Hana closed her eyes and savored the scent.  

Having grown accustomed to the bitterness of coffee, she found the aroma of tea quite pleasant.  

Different from coffee,  

a unique kind of relaxation that only tea could offer.  

Not bad.  

“…Phew.”  

Savoring the lingering aftertaste, she reached for the dried fruits placed on a fine wooden plate.  

The sweet and tangy dried fruits quickly washed away the slight bitterness.  

‘Unlike frozen fruit, the natural flavor of the fruit comes through better… I was expecting something like tanghulu, but wow, even the snacks in an expensive teahouse are on another level.

I should bring Uncle and Aunt here next time.’  

Satisfied with her discovery, Hana used her small hands to scoop up more dried fruits and sunflower seeds.  

Crunch, crunch.  

Munch, munch.  

“…!”  

‘…Oops, I ate them all at once because they were so good. I wonder if they offer refills?’  

Glancing around cautiously, she considered calling a staff member.   

A soft chuckle came from beside her.  

“Hehe…”  

“…!”  

Wei Lan covered her mouth, a fox-like smile playing on her lips.  

“Forgive me… I just found it delightful to see our adorable genius writer enjoying the aroma of tea.”  

“Ah, w-well… I don’t drink tea often, but thinking of it as a cultural experience makes it feel really special.”  

“I see. That’s a relief.”  

Saying this, Wei Lan subtly pushed the wooden dish in front of her toward Hana.  

Hana, her cheeks tinged slightly pink, accepted it.  

“Thank you. This really is a wonderful place. The tea’s fragrance is lovely, and the background music is just beautiful…”  

“Hehehe… Finding a friend who appreciates sound is like obtaining the world itself. But a friend who also understands the taste of tea?

That must be a fated encounter sent by the heavens. Tell me, would you also like to experience the delights of gourmet dining tonight?”  

“Gourmet dining?”

“Yes, just like you, a great figure in the art world… This capital is filled with restaurants run by genius chefs who could rule the culinary world. Let’s savor the finest flavors together.”  

“Aah… T-Thank you. I’m already so grateful that you introduced me to master woodworkers over the past month, and now you’re treating me so generously as well…!”  

“Oh, think nothing of it. This, too, is fate, is it not? Just enjoy yourself until the very last day.”  

“Thank you. Even during the last exhibition, you were considerate enough to accommodate my unreasonable requests. And on top of that, you even returned all the paintings that were originally meant to be sold…”  

Hana looked at Wei Lan with deep trust in her eyes, seeing her as a truly reliable business partner. After all, Wei Lan had shown her countless kindnesses ever since the New York exhibition.  

Hana bowed her head slightly and said,  

“I look forward to working with you on future exhibitions as well.”  

“Hehe, there’s nothing more rewarding than sharing the traces of a genius with the world.”  

Wei Lan chuckled, her fox-like smile remaining ever-present. To her, every word this adorable genius uttered sounded like a beautiful melody.  

At the same time, she was already planning ahead.  

‘Hehe, it was a wise decision to establish this connection early on. I never expected they’d entrust us with all consulting work for the next New York exhibition. 

Since it’s an interactive installation, if we merge its innovative image with the prestige of the Golden Lion Award in our advertising…’  

Sitting quietly beside them, Chen Haolun sipped his tea. Then, in a low voice, he spoke, his tone as fleeting as a poem,  

“An old tiger trying to lick a young phoenix…”  

“….”  

Without a word, Wei Lan flicked a single drop of tea from her cup’s lid at Chen.  

-TAP!  

That tiny drop of tea slid down his cheek.  

“….”  

Chen remained silent, his expression unchanging.  

Watching this exchange, Hana let out a wry smile.  

‘…So even Chen, who spent the entire workshop crushing people with cold hard facts, is nothing more than a helpless kid in front of his aunt. He was a great debate partner over the past month, though. A bit of a shame, really.’  

Feigning surprise, Wei Lan calmly spoke.  

“Oh dear, are you alright? I thought I heard the sound of a softshell turtle crying just now. Surely, no such impudent creature would dare show up here and be rude to his own aunt. Wouldn’t you agree?”  

“Indeed… My apologies. I was just debating whether to retract the part about you being old or the part about the tiger.”  

“Still as sharp-tongued as ever, I see. When do you plan to fix that habit?”  

“If speaking truthfully is considered a fault in this world, then I’d rather sever all ties.”  

Sigh. 

“And that’s exactly why, even in an art school filled with beautiful dancers, you still don’t have a girlfriend. Stiff and awkward in front of girls your age, yet acting like you’ve experienced all the sorrows of the world… It’s honestly laughable.”  

Chen was struck down.  

Visibly flustered, he adjusted his glasses repeatedly. His eyes wavered as if searching for an escape.  

“In school… I simply haven’t met anyone impressive enough to catch my eye, that’s all.”  

“And if someone did appear outside of school? Do you have the confidence to confess?”  

Chen picked up his teacup with slightly trembling hands. The faint clinking of porcelain against wood echoed, reflecting his unease.  

After taking a slow sip, he finally spoke.  

“…Understood. I admit my mistake. Let’s drop this topic.”

Weiran giggled.  

Hana subtly shifted the topic so that Chen wouldn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.  

“By the way, Chen, you said you were planning to debut at the large-scale joint exhibition next year, right?”  

“…Yeah. Since it’s being held alongside the Olympics, it’s expected to be a massive event.”  

“Wow, that’s amazing! It’s practically a national exhibition.”  

“It’s nothing compared to you, who actually represented the country.”  

Hana responded kindly.  

“Oh, come on. It’s not like there are rankings in the art world… I just prepared for a different exhibition, that’s all.”  

“…I see. I must’ve said something silly without realizing it.”  

“Chen, you’re incredibly knowledgeable, so I’m sure you’ll put on a great exhibition.”  

“…”  

This conversation was blatantly designed to lift Chen’s spirits.  

Anyone could see that Hana was throwing him a lifeline.  

Which, of course, made it the perfect opportunity for Weiran to tease him.  

“…”  

So, Chen glanced at his aunt with a slightly reluctant expression and nodded.  

But Weiran didn’t press any further; instead, she watched the scene with a satisfied smile.  

She chuckled and said,  

“The two of you have a four-year age gap, but you seem so close, like friends. That’s a relief.”  

Hana smiled sheepishly.  

“That’s true. I’ve been lucky to have kind people around me who treat me warmly regardless of age.”  

“Hehe, like attracts like… It’s only natural that talented people gather around a genius.”  

“Haha… Thank you.”  

The three of them finished their conversation and sipped their tea.  

“…”  

“…”  

“…”  

Weiran spoke mischievously.  

“By the way, Hana, you must have interacted with many traditional artists over the past month. Was there anyone you grew particularly close to? Someone who stood out in a special way?”  

“?”  

Hana tilted her head while holding her teacup, seemingly unsure of the intent behind the question.  

Weiran narrowed her eyes and smiled meaningfully.  

“Well, there’s Haorun, for one. And plenty of other talented artists in your circle who probably see you as a younger sister… I was just wondering if there’s anyone you secretly feel closer to someone you’d like to call ‘oppa.’”  

“…?”  

“…It means ‘older brother.’”  

“Oh.”  

Even though they were speaking in English,  

Weiran had deliberately said only the word “oppa” in Chinese.  

Hana, unaware of the subtle nuance behind the term, quickly waved her hands.  

“Oh, no! I just see them all as respected seniors in the art world.”  

“Fufu…?”  

Weiran giggled. Meanwhile, Chen, who had been quietly sipping his tea, let out a sigh.  

“…Please stop with those kinds of jokes, Aunt.”

Weiran’s expression grew even more mischievous.  

“Why, Haorun? Did you perhaps want to be Hana’s oppa (哥哥)?”  

Chen firmly placed his teacup down and replied without hesitation.  

“…Not at all.”  

“Why not?”  

“Just because a phoenix is beautiful doesn’t mean it should be trapped in a cage.”  

“…”  

Hana, completely unaware of the underlying meaning in their conversation, simply chuckled and agreed lightheartedly.  

“Haha, we’re just equals and friends.”  

“…That’s right.”  

“…I see.”  

The three of them quietly resumed drinking their tea.  

Meanwhile, Hana thought to herself.  

‘So, China is also quite particular about age… They keep bringing up this oppa thing.’  

She made a mental note, from now on, whenever she met Chinese people,  

she should be extra polite and respectful.  

…That was the conclusion she came to.

*

Hana received a grand send-off from the Chen family as she wrapped up her schedule in China.  

– “Come visit again!”  

– “Yeah, thanks for everything over the past month.”  

While waiting for her flight back to Korea in the airport’s first-class lounge, a sudden curiosity struck her.  

‘…By the way, I wonder if the VTuber project has made any progress?’  

It was one of the seeds she had sown a project by a Japanese publishing company that had taken inspiration from the VTuber concept she had introduced.  

‘I’ve been so busy this past year that I completely forgot about it. Since it was influenced by my work in some way, I really hope it’s going well.’  

Hana borrowed an airport computer and browsed the publisher’s website.  

And she found it.  

The prototype VTuber project [Fantasia Project Unit]!  

An illustration of a trio of beautiful heroines, themed around red, green, and blue, was displayed along with a brief introduction:  

– A fantasy-themed interactive broadcast featuring virtual heroines!  

“!”  

With a pounding heart, Hana clicked the link that led to a Japanese video streaming site. However, she couldn’t watch the video.  

‘Huh? You have to pay to watch live streams…?’  

A bit of a hassle, but she went ahead and purchased a premium account using various methods.  

Once she did, she was greeted by a slightly unfamiliar UI, displaying a list of the unit’s talents a warrior, a rogue, and a mage.  

At that moment, only the warrior-themed VTuber was streaming.  

[<F.P.U’s Blue Warrior Eri-chan Classic Game Challenge! #Episode 9> LIVE]  

“…!”  

Click!  

Onscreen was an awkwardly motion-captured blue-haired heroine. Her voice strained with forced enthusiasm.  

“Yes! Right now! Warrior-chan just defeated a goblin! Whee! Whee! Whee! Everyone, give me a round of applause!”  

But the live chat was silent. The most recent comment was from two hours ago, simply saying, Nice work.  

“…”  

With trembling eyes, Hana checked the viewer count.  

[Current live viewers: 6]  

“…”  

[Current live viewers: 5]  

“…?!”  

Someone just left…?  

‘No…! At this rate, they’re going to go under…!’  

As a foremother of VTubers, she couldn’t just sit back and watch. With shaky hands, she even used a translation tool to write a comment.  

「Anonymous: This stream is so fun! You’re doing an amazing job hosting! 」 

「Anonymous: Could you share your streaming schedule? I’d love to tune in every day!」  

Eri-chan’s model jolted in response. The movements were much clunkier compared to future VTubers.  

“Oh? W-Wow! T-Thank you! My streams are from Monday to Friday, at an exact time of…!”  

“…”  

Hana averted her gaze from the screen and murmured under her breath.  

Guh-hh…