Chapter 131

“Hmm, I think the older sisters would look great too. You should try it on too─!”

It was Ha Eun’s request, maintaining Diah’s characteristic high-pitched voice.

In the end, Jee Hye-min and the other members followed Ha Eun to the kimono rental shop she had heard about and changed into kimonos that suited each of them.

A gasp escaped at the unexpectedly high rental fee for the kimonos, but.

When they finally emerged from the rental shop and reunited with Ha Eun, the admiration burst forth naturally.

“Wow. No, wow….”

To exaggerate a bit, the members seemed to be in awe of each other’s kimono attire.

The aura of an actress from earlier when they took photos of Ha Eun in her kimono was already hidden.

Soon after, a very eager group photo request came from Ha Eun.

Mile’s phone switched from vlog mode to selfie mode.

“Okay, ready? 3, 2, 1!”

– Click.

The selfie stick held high by Mile continued to operate a few more times after that.

Ha Eun, not satisfied with just one shot, kept asking for various poses.

Thus, after a photo session that lasted until Ha Eun was satisfied, the photos were promptly sent.

A few days later, when they returned to Korea, Ha Eun’s heartfelt voice followed, promising to print the photos and keep them as mementos.

“Uh? Not my picture, but our picture?”

“Why would I print my picture? If I’m going to print something, I should print the older sisters’ pictures.”

“…Is it because it’s your own picture that you feel indifferent?”

Naturally, Ha Eun and the other members did not understand each other.

It was because their views on each other’s photos were so different.

The other members thought Ha Eun’s atmospheric solo photo was the truly impressive one.

After all, this was a real advertising model, so the quality of the photos was bound to be different.

On the other hand, Ha Eun thought that the group kimono photo with the members of Gensokyo was the one worth keeping.

Part of that was because it was a photo that only Ha Eun, among the many fans of Gensokyo, could possess.

Anyway, their group trip to Japan for Gensokyo had just begun.

Having already changed into kimonos, they decided to explore places more actively.

Thus, they enjoyed the trip while wandering around souvenir shops at Senso-ji in Asakusa, restaurants selling simple snacks, and famous photo spots.

“Oh, fortune-telling!”

They arrived at a fortune-telling booth where many people were already trying their luck.

With less than a month until next year, they secretly hoped to pull a good fortune, wishing for only good things in the coming year.

After paying 100 yen, Ha Eun pulled out a long wooden stick.

She needed to find the drawer that matched the number written at the end of the stick and retrieve the fortune paper inside.

“Number 33, where’s 33… Ah, found it!”

Ha Eun maintained Diah’s cheerful voice.

However, the moment she understood what her fortune meant through the translator on her phone.

“Eh? It’s a great fortune─! Amazing─!!”

Ha Eun transformed into an even more lively version of herself and started bragging about her fortune to Jee Hye-min and the other members.

Of course, Ha Eun’s excited voice was completely recorded in Mile and Ria’s vlog.

However, the other members thought that Ha Eun was already living a good enough life.

“Hmm, what should our maknae do to succeed even more than now?”

“Indeed.”

It was hard to imagine Ha Eun doing even better than she was currently.

In the end, they filled the vlog’s audio with jokes about improbable things, like surpassing a million simultaneous viewers.

The filming of Mile and Ria’s vlog continued until about three hours later.

More precisely.

“Yeah! Diving into the bed─!”

It was the last scene of Day 1 of the trip, jumping onto the wide bed after finishing dinner at a gyukatsu restaurant.

Only after Ria and Mile’s camera turned off could Ha Eun return to her original voice.

Thanks to having drunk water several times in between, her throat wasn’t too sore.

Before long, they would enter Dreamland.

Since they had to head to the ski resort early on the second day of the trip, they wanted to get plenty of sleep.

However, the other members had yet to fall asleep.

In fact, it was the first time for them to see Ha Eun sleeping.

Perhaps because of that.

-Ding.

“Diah’s Sleeping Sound ASMR, starting now…!”

The members began filming their vlog again, secretly recording Ha Eun as she slept.

Strictly speaking, the only things captured at that moment were the white blanket covering Ha Eun and her gentle breathing.

Nevertheless, that short scene was destined to become the most popular moment in their Japan trip vlog.

No one knew the exact reason.

As time passed, when the completely set sun began to reveal itself once more.

“Oh, that’s the Shinkansen!”

“Wow, Ria unnie seems like a real otaku─☆”

“What?”

Ha Eun and her group, having just arrived at the train station, began filming their vlog again.

For some reason, it felt like the trip was more fulfilling because they were filming a travel vlog, leaving no space for silence in the audio.

However, they had to pause the vlog filming temporarily once they arrived at the ski resort.

Since it was their first time at a ski resort, they needed to learn how to ski first.

Ha Eun was included in that group.

But perhaps due to having relatively better athletic ability than the other members.

-Crack.

-Crack.

“Wow, are you already doing a short turn?”

“Um, Representative. Is that difficult?”

“Absolutely! It’s not something you can learn in a day or two.”

She quickly moved past the beginner stage and fully adapted to the new sport of skiing.

In contrast, the other members were not skiing or snowboarding but merely rolling around.

Perhaps it was for that reason.

Every time Ha Eun encountered familiar faces lying in the snow while skiing, a playful tone slipped out of her mouth.

“Wow, it’s a living snowman─!”

“W-Well, I’m not that much of one!”

“You’re covered in snow from head to toe, so saying you’re not is just wrong~.”

They were certainly not filming a vlog.

Nonetheless, Ha Eun maintained her high-pitched voice while even showing Diah’s mischievous sides.

“Well then, I’ll go first~. Ria, the snowman, just rolls down~.”

-Crack!

“…If I get caught, I’m done!!”

Of course, Ria, who was very heated, never got the chance to catch Ha Eun.

No matter how hard she tried to keep her balance, she quickly fell, becoming a living snowman as Ha Eun had described.

-Hah.

Every time Ria fell, the laughter echoing from afar seemed to be no mere illusion.

Ha Eun’s raised corners of her mouth were proof of that.

*

-Tock.

“Uh…?”

“Oh, it’s snowing!”

It was after the ski resort’s hours had ended.

To be more precise, it was while they were taking a taxi to a famous hot spring near the ski resort.

“But if that’s the case, can we really experience the snow at the hot spring?”

“We’re going to fulfill Diah’s wish~.”

White snowflakes began to fall from the towering sky.

Strictly speaking, they had known about the possibility of snow from the weather forecast, but.

Since weather forecasts were generally not very reliable, they had only expected a little bit.

That’s why Ha Eun sincerely hoped that the snow currently falling would keep falling.

One of Ha Eun’s bucket list items, <Snow Falling Hot Spring>, was what she wanted to come true today.

Shortly after, they finally arrived at the hot spring.

Fortunately, it was still snowing.

Thus, they quickly finished all preparations and headed towards the outdoor hot spring before anyone else.

-Warm!

“…!!”

The heat was far more intense than what they had experienced in the open-air bath during the school trip, making them take a small step back.

Nonetheless, Ha Eun struggled and struggled to get into the hot spring and finally succeeded in immersing her entire body in it, except for her face.

When she tilted her face up for a moment, pure white snow started to pile on her forehead.

Thanks to that, she could properly experience what it felt like to be in a hot spring while snow was falling.

Thus, while slowly relieving their fatigue from the ski resort in the warm water of the hot spring.

“Ha Eun, come here for a sec.”

“?”

Yena, who had now entered the hot spring with the other members, called for Ha Eun.

As she took a few steps through the warm waters to sit next to Yena.

Yena leaned closer to Ha Eun’s right ear as if whispering.

“…Diah is really awesome~.”

“!!!”

The words that Ha Eun had previously heard from one of the sunset messages were now being said directly by Yena.

In an instant, Ha Eun’s face heated up, and she hastily covered her chest with her arms, trying to hide her flustered state.

To put it bluntly, it was a sight that invited teasing from head to toe.

Even if she didn’t want to harbor ill thoughts, Ha Eun’s reactions were too enticing to not tease her.

However.

“Why, why are you saying that to me…! If you really knew the truth─”

At that moment, Ha Eun, who completely lost her composure, was about to point at Jee Hye-min, sounding almost wronged.

“…What?”

In an instant, a fierce glare from Jee Hye-min transmitted a hint of danger.

-Slap!

“Ugh! Ugh!”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

In the end, Yena had to cover Ha Eun’s mouth with her hand to prevent her from digging her own grave.

No matter what, if she said something about Jee Hye-min again, Yena would also be caught in the crossfire.

Ha Eun didn’t want to experience that strong grip again from the airport cafe.

From that moment on, Yena stayed next to Ha Eun, keeping her mouth shut until they finished showering off in lukewarm water after leaving the hot spring.

“By the way, Ha Eun, you really have a nice figure.”

“…Thank you.”

“No, I’m not saying this to tease you, I really mean it. Your line is like this─”

-Swish.

-Tock.

“I’ve never seen someone with such a clean figure. There’s absolutely no flab.”

“Um, I don’t really think it’s necessary to touch…”

“When else will I get a chance to feel a girl’s abs in my lifetime? So come on, flex your stomach.”

“………….”

-Jump.

-Ping─!

“Wow, they’re really toned!”

“…No matter how I think about it, you’re definitely teasing me.”

It was a little later when Ha Eun finally got dressed and came out of the hot spring.

Nonetheless, she felt relatively satisfied since they had achieved the goal of experiencing snow while in a hot spring.

However, the day was not yet over.

Since they could chat as much as they wanted that night, unlike the previous night.

“Hm, what should I buy?”

Just like the other members who were choosing snacks for the night at a nearby convenience store, Ha Eun also filled her basket with various foods.

Thanks to her experiences during the school trip, she knew which convenience store foods suited her taste, making it easy to choose.

However, since the other members, being fully grown adults, bought a considerable amount of Japanese beer that Ha Eun couldn’t buy.

Even Jee Hye-min.

“Ha Eun, you know it would be a big problem if you bought alcohol, right? There’d be articles on the internet, and it would be a disaster.”

“…I know…”

Despite the teasing tone, she ended up buying several cans of her favorite brand of beer.

As a result, Ha Eun felt a little left out.

Once they reached the hotel and the end-of-year party began with the various snacks they bought from the convenience store.

-Klck.

-Crackle─.

“Ugh─. This is the taste.”

Looking at Jee Hye-min and the other members enjoying the so-called ‘adult pleasures’, Ha Eun could only sip her can of cola.

Even in the midst of conversations continuing.

“If, just hypothetically, if it turns out that Ha Eun is in a red pill situation, do you think we would be treated like celebrities too?”

“Oh, now that you mention it, that might really be the case.”

Their talk was nothing more than sporadic chatter or.

They also discussed the upcoming end-of-year Gensokyo collaboration broadcast that would take place in about two weeks.

“I’m still worried about what we should do during the collaboration broadcast. Should we start with a year-end summary?”

“It might be good to do a rolling paper or something!”

“Eh? Individual rolling papers? That sounds good!”

Or perhaps they talked about the first anniversary of Gensokyo members arriving next spring.

Moreover, they discussed the recruitment for the second generation of Gensokyo set to take place next year, filling the hotel room with their voices.

‘…Hmm….’

However, for some reason, her vision kept swirling.

Was the fatigue from the ski resort still not gone?

-Sip.

-Thud.

“Ah, I’m done drinking… Yes. Maria unnie, could you get me one more can of cola….”

“…? What’s up with her state?”

The perplexed expressions from across the room.

No sooner had a few seconds passed than a surprised voice was heard from someone.

“Wait a second. Why is my Jack Coke here?”

Jack Coke.

To be precise, Jack Daniel’s with Coca-Cola.

“Wait, one, two, three… how many cans have I drunk?!”

Strictly speaking, it was correct that there was cola.

And while it was also written on the label as Coca-Cola.

“Unnie, cola… no more available…?”

The real identity was whiskey containing about 7 percent alcohol.

“…Hiccup.”

With Ha Eun’s hiccup, an instant silence fell.

Nevertheless, she showed no concern and began crawling towards Maria.

“Unnie, I drank cola…. so I want more….”

“W-Wait, Ha Eun. That cola is not the same cola…!”

At that moment, just as the very confused Jeong Maria tried to calm Ha Eun down.

-Hug.

-Sneak.

“Ha…Ha Eun?”

Suddenly, Ha Eun hugged Jeong Maria and burrowed into her embrace.

As expected, the voice that followed was.

“Cream, cream…. Hmmm….”

It was completely disheveled.

It was clear evidence that Ha Eun was drunk.

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