MAX 20

Han Jiho unconsciously held his breath. The low voice digging into his ears made goosebumps erupt all over his body.

【1Jiho】 [Chaehyun-hyung, hi!]

【JunkCollectionMaster】 [Oh. You’re here.]

However, since he couldn’t just ignore him, Jiho offered a greeting, and Chaehyun responded with a laugh.

【Chaehyun】 [Hello, 98-nim.]

【Chaehyun】 [I promised we’d play together, so I’m sorry for just logging in now.]

He apologized abruptly as if it were just the two of them. It was unexpected.

As expected, he hadn’t forgotten the promise. He had just been busy fangirling. And of all things, he was busy fangirling over ‘Han Jiho.’

Actually, at first, Jiho had planned to lightheartedly ask why he was so late if he logged in even at a delayed hour.

Right. That could happen.

But now that he knew who Chaehyun was and why he was late, Han Jiho didn’t want to ask anything, nor did he want to know anything. He simply didn’t have the confidence to hear Chaehyun talk about fangirling over him with his own ears.

【1Jiho】 [Ah, right! Hyung. I heard you met Jiho-hyung today! Crazy, I’m so f*cking jealoussss!]

【JunkCollectionMaster】 [Good grief. I wondered when that would come up.]

And 1Jiho, who could never have known what Han Jiho was thinking, let out a wailing sound, pouring out his intense envy toward Chaehyun.

JunkCollectionMaster’s voice sounded fed up, while Hansum was just letting out continuous chuckles as if enjoying the situation.

Chaehyun looked so relaxed, like a winner, that it felt strange. Jiho couldn’t believe that meeting him and getting an autograph was such an object of envy.

【JunkCollectionMaster】 [I’m going to smoke.]

WrigglingDdorak left the spot as if she’d been waiting for an excuse to go to the bathroom, and JunkCollectionMaster also left to smoke. All that remained were Hansum, Chaehyun, 1Jiho, and Han Jiho, who had missed his timing to leave.

【1Jiho】 [Hyung, hyung. What was it like seeing Jiho-hyung in real life? Sum-hyung said his real-life visuals are insane.]

“Pfft! Cough!”

Han Jiho, who had been drinking water to calm his chaotic mind, burst into a fit of coughing. It had gone down the wrong pipe.

“…”

With a pale face, he stared at the monitor and wiped the water off his chin.

What do you mean insane? I’m just a normal human.

He wanted to grab 1Jiho and say exactly that.

Throughout his life, he had never once thought of himself as handsome. He was just at the level of looking manly; rather, someone like Chaehyun was the one the word ‘handsome’ actually suited.

Chaehyun had one of the most handsome faces Han Jiho had ever seen among men. He looked like a statue that a master craftsman had poured his soul into to carve beautifully and elegantly.

【Chaehyun】 [Yeah. Totally insane. That’s why at first, I thought it wasn’t Jiho-hyung.]

【1Jiho】 [Why?]

【Chaehyun】 [Because he was so radiant.]

【Hansum】 [Crazy bastard.]

The words ‘crazy bastard’ came out naturally. Beyond being absurd, Jiho felt like he was going to lose his mind.

【Chaehyun】 [I’m thinking of going to the eye doctor tomorrow.]

【1Jiho】 [Eh? Why?]

【Chaehyun】 [I think I went a little blind after seeing Jiho-hyung.]

Please, please stop.

Han Jiho wanted to cover his ears at Chaehyun’s calmly delivered, cringe-worthy fan praise. Hearing such things from a truly handsome person didn’t make him happy at all. He only felt a sense of self-loathing.

【1Jiho】 [Ha. So jealous. I want to see Jiho-hyung in person too. I want to take a photo with Jiho-hyung too…]

【Hansum】 [Should I show you the photo we took together?]

【1Jiho】 […No. I won’t look. I feel like I’ll actually cry if I see it.]

At 1Jiho’s voice, which sounded like he might actually cry from envy, Hansum burst into laughter again. He was clearly teasing him.

【1Jiho】 [98-nim, have you ever seen Jiho-hyung in person?]

Then, out of nowhere, the sparks flew his way. For Han Jiho, who had been shaking his legs and just looking for a timing to leave, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Have I seen Han Jiho in person?

“…”

He saw him yesterday, saw him today, and planned to see him tomorrow. As long as there was a mirror, wasn’t Han Jiho’s own face something he could see anytime?

He barely managed to tap the keyboard.

[Party] HanJiHo98: Yes… I’ve seen him.

【1Jiho】 [Heol, really? When did you see him?]

I saw him when I went to the bathroom earlier.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

【1Jiho】 [Aaaaah, I’m the only one who hasn’t seen him!]

【Hansum】 [Hey. Won’t you get a chance to see him eventually?]

【1Jiho】 […Sum-hyung. You know you’re seriously the most obnoxious one, right?]

【Hansum】 [Ah, if I’m obnoxious, then you go meet Jiho-hyung, get an autograph, and take a photo too.]

[WrigglingDdorak]

Are you guys still talking about that?

【1Jiho】 [Noona. 98-nim said he’s seen Jiho-hyung too. I’m seriously so, so lonely…]

[WrigglingDdorak]

At this point, isn’t it just that you haven’t put in the effort to see Han Jiho? lolololol

【JunkCollectionMaster】 [Exactly. Your ef-fort was lacking.]

WrigglingDdorak, who had gone to the bathroom, and JunkCollectionMaster, who had gone to smoke, returned just in time.

[WrigglingDdorak]

But what brings you here?

【Chaehyun】 [Ah, I saw that 98-nim was here so I dropped by for a bit. I’m going to head back out.]

[Party] HanJiHo98: Oh, Chaehyun-nim. See you later then…

【JunkCollectionMaster】 [What’s with the typo? Is it hotpot?]

Han Jiho squeezed his eyes shut and opened them. Every time Chaehyun mentioned him, he just wanted to shut down the computer immediately.

Should I just turn it off and claim there was an error? He even considered that for a moment.

[WrigglingDdorak]

How do you know about hotpot if you don’t even know the memes?

【Hansum】 [Childish, so childish.]

【Chaehyun】 [98-nim. So, did you join our clan then?]

Chaehyun, completely ignoring the others’ conversation, asked that. He seemed curious about why Jiho was suddenly in the clan channel.

【Chaehyun】 [That’s a relief. I was worried. I look forward to working with you.]

He didn’t know what was such a relief. Did he think he’d run away?

Ah, if I knew it would be like this, I should have just run away. He wanted to turn back time to when he knew nothing.

But it was already too late to regret. Han Jiho felt like he was going to die from the awkwardness and the suffocating atmosphere of the situation.

【1Jiho】 [Ah, Chaehyun-hyung. We decided to have a meet-up this time, and 98-nim is coming too! You’re coming too, right?]

[WrigglingDdorak]

lolol It’s a meet-up to celebrate 98-nim joining yup yup

Furthermore, the topic of the meet-up, which had barely ended, cropped up again. If he could, he felt like gagging 1Jiho.

“Sigh…”

Han Jiho exhaled a sigh and covered his face. His cheeks were hot as if he’d been holding a heat pack against them.

【Chaehyun】 [Really? When are we doing it?]

【Hansum】 [We haven’t decided yet. 98-nim said he was busy, so we’re going to set it according to his days off.]

【Chaehyun】 [Ah-ah.]

【1Jiho】 [Eyy. How can that be! I’m really looking forward to it!]

1Jiho’s excited voice continued. The voice that had been wailing about being envious and lonely was nowhere to be found.

【1Jiho】 [We have to go to a PC cafe together and play Genfo!]

[WrigglingDdorak]

No, why are you playing Genfo lolol

[WrigglingDdorak]

That’s seriously so ridiculous lololololol

【JunkCollectionMaster】 [Wasn’t the meet-up just used as an excuse?]

【Chaehyun】 [I’ll look forward to it too. 98-nim.]

Even amidst the noisy atmosphere, that low voice pierced clearly into his ears and whispered like that.

“Ugh…”

He couldn’t take it anymore. He felt like he would die, shouldering all the embarrassment and shame in the world as the price for being the only one who knew the secret.

Typing as fast as he could regardless of typos, Han Jiho pressed the power button on the tower and shut down the game immediately without even listening to his teammates’ farewells.

Then he ran straight to his bed and collapsed face-down on top of it.

He didn’t want to think about anything right now. He desperately needed an escape from reality.