SWNOVELXO Chapter 170
Chapter 170
After the long holiday ended, we returned to our daily routines.
On Monday night, I turned on a live broadcast on the B app and shared some episodes from the Lunar New Year with the Airies for about 20 minutes.
After the live broadcast, I complied with the Airies’ enthusiastic requests and posted a carefully selected video of Daebak and Sobak playing in the yard on SNS.
– A cat behaving like a dog…
– The best addictive video of 2018
– Daebak’s face when he felt upset because Raon petted him and then got distracted for a moment. So cute.
– We’re disappointed in Kang Ji-woo. How could you hide the existence of these angels from us when our relationship is not just an ordinary one? This Airie officially requests Kang Ji-woo to post pictures of the Pakpakis once a day from now on.
Kang Ji-woo, who had been silent, heard the news and solemnly promised the excited Airies that he would regularly post photos of Daebak and Sobak on SNS.
There were also many questions in the live broadcast chat about when we would make a comeback.
Although I pretended not to see them at the time, as they suggested, we started preparing for the next comeback.
Muk Hye-sung’s request was also related to the next activity (of course, having already received 2 million won, I was determined to accept it), so I sought permission from Kwak Sang-hyun.
Kwak Sang-hyun, who was in charge of our schedule, readily agreed, saying it should be fine.
“Tell them we accept the offer. Usually, these things go ahead without our consent, and we just have to follow. It’s considerate of them to consider our situation, they’re good people.”
“I already thanked them.”
Muk Hye-sung probably thought I would feel burdened, so he called it a request.
Actually, it was something we should have asked for ourselves, so after hearing the details of the request recently, I thanked him.
“But aren’t you guys already busy? Are you sure it’s okay?”
“It’s not like we’ll die from doing one more thing. I’d rather have more work.”
Kwak Sang-hyun looked at me with satisfaction.
Hey, we’re not that far apart in age.
* * *
A few days later, I woke up earlier than usual due to a loud and irritating ‘dirong dirong’ sound.
It wasn’t just noisy; it was sharp and piercing, making it impossible not to wake up.
‘Did that fox change my alarm again…?’
After Ban Yo-han played a similar prank on me once before, I made him promise never to do it again.
I vowed to come up with a much worse nickname for him than fox if he broke that promise.
I groped for my phone where I left it before bed to turn off the alarm, but my phone was completely silent.
Since it didn’t seem to be the alarm of any other member, I opened my dry eyes, suppressing my irritation.
‘What’s that noise?’
A system window greeted me.
[A gift for your 1st return anniversary has been given!]
[Would you like to open the gift?]
[Y/N]
It wasn’t the fox’s doing but something else entirely…
‘Sorry for misunderstanding.’
I silently apologized to Ban Yo-han, who was still fast asleep.
Of course, he wouldn’t know that I had cursed him or that I had apologized.
The 1st return anniversary…
Come to think of it, today marked exactly one year since I returned to this world.
A year ago, I had been eating popcorn in my room, about to play a strange game, when I suddenly found myself dropped into a PC bang, wandering unfamiliar streets without even knowing Korean. It felt both like a distant memory and something that happened just yesterday, which was quite amazing.
At first, I had no idea where to sleep or what to eat, but within a year, I had been given more than I could have ever imagined back then.
I wanted to tell my past self, “These are the things that will happen to you in the next year!” but I couldn’t, and I knew my past self wouldn’t believe it anyway, so I gave up on the useless fantasy.
Instead, I decided to think about something more productive.
Like whether that guy ate the popcorn I left behind.
It was tasty popcorn that cost 5,000 won per bag.
I hoped he ate it.
I hoped he was doing well.
Come to think of it…
‘Why was On Raon at the PC bang then?’
He didn’t seem like the type to play games.
Maybe the computer in his officetel was broken, and he needed a computer for something important.
I didn’t know beyond that.
I just hoped that my sudden arrival in this world hadn’t disrupted something important he was trying to do.
‘If there had been a problem, something would have happened by now.’
In the meantime, I was fully awake.
Having lost all desire to go back to sleep, I got up.
‘Did they really have to give me a gift at this hour…?’
Grumbling inwardly, I checked the gift that had been given.
[Gift of Truth (One-time use) has been provided.]
[Special Item: Ancient Gift of Truth (One-time use)
▶ A one-time use truth item crafted by an ancient priest. Makes the target speak only the truth for a certain period. Refusal to speak the truth will result in extreme pain.]
It was a highly unrealistic, inhumane item, but since I figured it might come in handy someday, I generously forgave the Larry who had interrupted my precious sleep.
* * *
On the 28th, as soon as midnight struck, we celebrated Seo Moon-gyeol’s birthday.
Since we had already done this for my birthday, we didn’t prepare a fake meeting and a surprise birthday party with everyone pretending to know nothing this time.
Instead, we decided to be sincere in a different way.
The members and Kwak Sang-hyun all donned costumes they had acquired from somewhere and ambushed Seo Moon-gyeol, who was alone in the practice room, unaware of anything.
Five costumed figures—a bear, a dinosaur, a monkey, a raccoon, and a lion—waddled towards Seo Moon-gyeol, stumbling, hitting their heads against the wall, and finally tumbling over one another, causing Seo Moon-gyeol to fall over one of the already fallen costumed figures. It was a rare spectacle.
Fortunately, Seo Moon-gyeol seemed sufficiently touched by this chaotic celebration.
An employee who had been working late brought in a cake, and Seo Moon-gyeol blew out the candles.
The other members and Kwak Sang-hyun, their faces drenched in sweat after removing the costumes, said Seo Moon-gyeol’s reaction was as bland as they had expected, but I saw him smile amidst it all.
It felt a bit frustrating to know this alone.
No one would believe me if I told them!
And Seo Moon-gyeol wouldn’t say it himself!
I wish I could share my skill of reading expressions with others.
[No, it can’t be.]
I hadn’t expected it to be.
Actually, Seo Moon-gyeol’s birthday was not February 28 but February 29. However, since this year wasn’t a leap year, we celebrated a day early.
To delve a bit deeper, even the year Seo Moon-gyeol was born, 1998, was not originally a leap year. However, due to significant and special astronomical reasons in this world, that year was specially designated as a leap year.
To think he was born on February 29 in a year that originally wasn’t a leap year.
It felt like a coincidence, as if someone wanted to make Seo Moon-gyeol’s life difficult.
Well, it’s just a feeling. Being born on February 29 doesn’t actually make someone’s life unhappy.
Maybe it’s better than having a birthday on April Fool’s Day or Christmas.
* * *
Late March.
News that thrilled the hearts of fans was announced.
– Orca, comeback confirmed for April (Official)
Finally, the much-anticipated comeback schedule for Orca was confirmed.
– Wow, finally a comebackㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– So excited for Jjangruka’s comeback
– Their performances are so good and fun
– Considering the teasers released during the hiatus, the new fans seem to have high expectations for this comeback~~
– How much was their first week sales last time??
┗ Was it 6.7?
– There are many big idol comebacks in April, so hopefully, they don’t get overshadowedㅠ
– Will they surpass 100,000 in first week sales this time?
┗ Why are you overestimating them? They’re not at that level;;;
– Orca is doing well now, but they’re a small company idol group that can sink if they flop once… They need to nail the concept or something
– I hope they come back with a solid concept since it’s been a while. Their debut song reminded me of T-Tick
┗ Huh, what are you talking about
┗ Not at all?
┗ As a T-Tick fan, I didn’t feel that at all
– I trust their stylist this time tooㅠㅠ Please be as good as during Liberation…
– Will they come out with a strong song this time?
┗ No, judging from the teaser images, it doesn’t seem like it
Orca’s official SNS posted teaser images for their second mini-album ‘Lucid’ and a new logo designed by Ju Yeol-eum to match the album’s concept.
One of the released teaser poster images featured the album name ‘Lucid’ prominently displayed alongside a traffic light with both red and blue lights lit in an eerily atmospheric street.
The logo, which received praise for its unique aesthetics in the last album, was designed this time to shimmer with a rainbow-like light, creating a hallucinatory effect. Fans reacted, saying it looked like a ‘drug’ or ‘mesmerizing.’
– I keep looking at it without realizing
– It’s scary because this is what I’d imagine seeing on drugs
– Ju Summer nailed the logo againㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– It would be pretty to make hologram stickers of all the logos later
┗ Brilliant idea, Sid! Please make it into merch
– I think I’ll like this concept, so I’m excited
– But I’m worried the concept might be too niche..
┗ 222 Liberation was just right with a winter-refreshing vibe, not too strong, not too weak, but this time I’m anxious
┗ We’ve only seen the logo and poster, what’s there to worry and be anxious about
– Seeing more people commenting than before, they’ll probably get more popularㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Meanwhile, Orca wasn’t the only group making a comeback in April.
– Chart-topper Cheristine, comeback confirmed for April 23 (Official)
– Jupiter CT, signaling a comeback after 1 year and 2 months… Anticipation rising
– Chronicle celebrating their 20th anniversary, hinting at an epic full-member comeback… Also ramping up variety show activities