Chapter 16: The Decision in Despair
“Oh, should I really do this or not?”
Even while filming, I was restless, nervously pacing back and forth, unable to solidify my wavering heart.
Should I just press the OFF button for the broadcast now? Dayaeng was seriously contemplating it.
—Shhhh
A secret sound of water can be heard from behind the mysterious door ahead.
And the hot heat seeping through the crack in the door.
I couldn’t dare lower the camera, as beneath lay a chaotic mess of outer garments in a scandalous state.
[What the hell, Forming Ah. Let’s just go crazy and open the door wide!]
[Just to hear sounds is such a tease, you know?]
[Forming! Shoot this like a grand event!]
[We’re right before Friede’s shower scene, how can this make sense.]
[Justice has fallen!]
[That’s nonsense, you filthy people!]
[You wanted to see Friede naked, right?]
[Shower scene!]
[Absolutely!]
[Something you’ll rarely experience in life!]
[LOL]
And while a chaotic party had begun in the chat, my vision went dark.
‘I should have stopped this sooner.’
I regretted it, but regrets cannot be made too early; they’re bound to come late regardless.
I wondered if it would have been okay if I had insisted on stopping before the broadcast started. Who would have thought the shower would come up in our fishing conversation?
Dayaeng recalled what had just happened.
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Though a luxurious camping car can get crowded when a bunch of people gather, the internal broadcast was decided to be handled by Sehee and Dayaeng alone. Jihae and Aijin were resting in the back bedroom.
Dayaeng thought this arrangement was fine. The reactions from the chat seemed pretty good when they explored inside the camping car.
“Here’s the driver’s seat, and right behind is the living room. If we assemble the table and move aside the cushion chairs, ta-da! We can use it like a bed. It can fit five people, but it’s flexible enough to accommodate more.”
In the front, Sehee lounged on the wide cushion chair, spinning around.
[The cushions aren’t just for chairs, you know, Sensei.]
[If you lie face down, your back will bend like a bow because of the natural cushion, LOL.]
[There are better cars than my apartment?]
[LOL, does it even matter if we promote this to our group? Those who can afford it, raise your hands.]
[Hey, don’t poke fun at our struggles, young friend.]
[Even if you told me to live here forever, I wouldn’t even want to!]
[Camping car technology has come so far that it revolutionized space usage!]
[This is the essence of WVS technology! Amazing!]
“This is the kitchen, and if you go further in, there’s a bed.”
As the camera turned towards the inner bedroom, Aijin who was lazing on the bed squished her hoodie cap down and giggled.
Beside her, Jihae, with an overly relaxed pose, lifted a beer can and greeted the camera with a sly smile.
“Oh, Friede! Are we on camera too?”
“Yep, how’s the bed?”
“It’s super comfy. I could say I’m on a cloud. We could fit five people here without a problem. Plus, check this out.”
When she pressed a button beside her, the ceiling opened up, revealing a glass window.
It showcased a beautiful sky view as the sunset slowly dimmed.
“The weather looks nice today, and wouldn’t it be amazing to watch the stars while sleeping? The glass window means no worries about bugs coming in; you can see the designer’s thoughtful consideration.”
“Aren’t you being a bit too promotional?”
“Ah~ gotta give a proper advertisement. At least call me professional, boss.”
“You’re funny; just drink moderately. We’ll have plenty later.”
“Yeah, yeah~. Hey, Aijin. Say something too. Viewers keep calling you a ‘theater player.'”
“Ah! I don’t know!”
She’s shy.
With a dismissive sip of beer, Jihae was the last to look at Dayaeng and Sehee. They turned the camera around, analyzing the closet in the corridor and various storage spaces, admiring the arrangement when it finally came.
The shower room.
‘It’s here.’
Dayaeng gulped.
Why was I so nervous? It was because my sister had brought up that weird talk about showering earlier at the fishing site.
A strange tension brushed against my neck, and sensing a bad feeling, Dayaeng quickly opened her mouth.
“Sis, let’s only show the shower room briefly. After all, it’s difficult to provide water in a camping car.”
As Dayaeng tried to rush past, Sehee tilted her head. Why was she so worked up?
“It’s fine! This car has a full water tank, so it can cover two or three people for showers. Just don’t take too long.”
Just a quick wash would be enough.
“The bed is just lying down, and the chairs are just sitting, but the shower room is different, right? You have to experience it directly for an authentic review.”
“Ah, no, but we’re live.”
“Don’t worry. We can just switch the camera.”
Oh no, sis, don’t do that!
Before Dayaeng could find a chance to protest, Sehee confidently entered the shower room, leaving Dayaeng staring blankly.
Ignoring the uproar in the chat, Dayaeng anxiously paced while outerwear was abruptly tossed outside the opening door, and it felt downright wrong to leave her underwear inside the shower.
That’s just attracting attention!
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‘Crazy sister. She’s really lost it.’
After standing dumbfounded in the hallway for about ten minutes,
—Creeeak!
The creaking of the hinges mixed with a metallic sound, and the door swung open, releasing a plume of steam.
And…
“Dayaeng, you’re still here?”
“Ah, of course! Sis!”
Sehee’s wet hair peeked out.
Surprisingly, her expression didn’t look bad; she was quite satisfied with the shower room of this camping car.
The gentle flow of water caressed her body perfectly, and the hot water was flowing well.
Though the water pressure could be a bit weak, it wasn’t enough to hinder a shower.
Considering this was a camping car’s shower facility, my first impression was it was surprisingly decent.
“Dayaeng, don’t you want to join? Let’s wash together.”
“You go first.”
“Hm, why? Isn’t the broadcast that important?”
Um, this is essentially your broadcast.
Dayaeng was just baffled facing her disbelief while Sehee smirked and extended one leg out.
As her white and smooth leg appeared through the door, the chat went ballistic. The number of active viewers soared as rapidly as a missile.
Just like before, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment from taunting…
“This is definitely getting edited! No one can see this!”
Dayaeng shouted as she abruptly turned off the broadcast.
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“This is definitely getting edited!”
Echoed Dayaeng’s scream from inside the camping car.
“Those crazy viewers are having a blast among themselves.”
Peppae twirled around, making a mock face directed at the back of the camping car.
As if ignoring Peppae’s complaints, Yuri was focused, carefully chopping other ingredients. She had moved to an outdoor table to avoid interrupting the camping car’s filming and to concentrate on cooking.
This was actually a nice change of pace. She had been struggling with her sharp tongue until now but was feeling a bit relaxed, calling this a well-deserved holiday.
Then Yuri stretched out her arm.
“Oh, Peppae. Pass me the butter over there.”
Oops, gotta be careful. Clearing her throat, Peppae puts on a big smile.
“Sure, Yuri dear.”
Before handing it over, Peppae secretly rubbed the butter container against her backside. Surely, Yuri wouldn’t notice with her eyes glued on the cooking.
Sometimes, you gotta have lowbrow fun while camping, right?
As Peppae snickered to herself and presented the butter with a hint of a sweaty odor,
—Swish!
“Yikes!”
The knife’s swift slice cut through the air with a chilling clang, reaching Peppae’s throat in less than a second.
Her petrified body failed to react, suspended in mid-air, while in her dilating eyes, she witnessed the burning rage in Yuri’s expression.
“Peppae…”
“Y-yes?”
“You did something weird, didn’t you? The container feels suspiciously off.”
“Ah, no, I didn’t!”
Peppae initially meant to pass it off as a joke, but the atmosphere felt serious. Just as she was about to frantically deny it,
“That’s a lie.”
With an uncanny movement reminiscent of a dislocated 3D graphic, Yuri thrust her face close to Peppae’s. There were no emotions except a singular obsession with uncovering the truth of the situation.
“Don’t lie for no reason. Just admit it. If not….”
Gulp!
“Hiiik!”
A chilling sensation made her skin crawl like being devoured by a wild beast. Indeed, Yuri was biting down on Peppae’s cheek. With an intensity that teetered on the edge of tearing flesh, Peppae felt a pain that made her unable to scream.
Time felt as if it had stopped, leaving only the ominous sound of flesh tearing resonating in the stillness.
How long did it last? Finally, Yuri leaned back, casually smiling wide.
“I’ll punish you for this.”
“…Y-yes. I’ll be careful.”
“I wasn’t expecting that answer though.”
What?
Peppae’s mind froze as Yuri’s whisper streaming from her lips turned to icy thorns that prickled all over.
“I told you not to put on airs.”
“Ah, uhm, yes, Yuri dear. I’m sorry.”
Seeing Peppae’s underbelly exposed made Yuri beam with satisfaction.
“Exactly. That’s the tone I wanted to hear.”
Under the bright sunlight, Yuri’s smile shone brighter than ever.
Clad in an apron before the kitchen, her demeanor was pristine and neat, making Peppae feel as though what transpired earlier was an illusion, resulting in her stammering voice.
“U-uh, how long have you known?”
“Well, quite a while? Jihae mentioned she got played badly, but your eyes were alive with determination.”
Yuri nodded to herself, connecting the dots she made.
Even though her manner of speech seemed foolish, it was evident that Peppae had at least made some changes. Surely, everyone must have thought that.
But, Yuri saw a sparkle within Peppae’s eyes.
“No matter how hard you pretend, you can’t fully deceive someone unless you empty your heart. Peppae. If you carry such-burning passion, no matter how foolish the act seems, it will shine through. So you can’t fool me.”
“Y-you don’t mean to tell Jihae and Dayaeng, right?”
Peppae’s tone trembled with anxiety as Yuri tilted her head.
And the reply that followed was like a ray of light to Peppae, who had given up half-heartedly.
“No? Why would I?”
Yuri questioned, as if puzzling over the point.
What was this? Why was it?
Yuri had surely taken a significant debt from Jihae, a cursed hero who could not live without her.
“Right now, it’s beneficial for Jihae and everyone else, so let’s just leave it this way. No need to do anything strange.”
“Y-yeah. I was wrong. Dear.”
Is this maintaining the status quo? The atmosphere felt spooky, but the results weren’t bad. It was a relief indeed.
Just as Dayaeng felt a weight lift, curiosity stirred. Originally, Peppae, and the other heroes saw Yuri as a calm and kind high school girl.
Not a hardcore person who chews on others’ flesh.
Like a reflection of another persona within a mirror, Peppae could hardly approach Yuri, unable to fathom such strangeness.
So…
“W-were you always this perceptive? Yuri dear.”
She voiced timidly from a few steps away, finally expressing her curiosity.
“I wasn’t always like this… But living as a hero in this world opened my eyes a bit.”
“E-eating ‘see in secret’?”
“Yeah, that dish.”
Turning her body, Yuri grabbed a piece of meat with one hand and brandished a knife with the other.
“The faux pas of the villainous noble lady I faced was…”
Swoosh!
“Too scheming and vile. Anything less wouldn’t have sufficed.”
With laughter bubbling, Yuri began humming a happy tune while carving the meat ruthlessly.
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