Netkama Punch!!!

That made Kim Seyoung freeze for a moment, but in the end, he didn’t outright deny that we were dating—he just looked like he only hated being touched. As expected, Seyoung’s pretty simple. If you phrase things a certain way, he just accepts it.

And when I tagged along to work and whined that I was hungry, he bought me a whole bunch of food from the convenience store. He grumbled the whole time and acted annoyed, but he still got me exactly what I asked for. I liked that about him. That’s probably why I started acting clingy around him, something I’d never done to anyone else before.
“We need to restock the fridge. Gimme your card.”
“What?”

“Actually, never mind. Let’s go shopping together after you get off work. There’s a market nearby.”
“……”
When we really did end up having nothing to eat at home, I brought up going grocery shopping—but the look on Seyoung’s face got weird. Not in a “ugh, I don’t want to” way, but more like he genuinely couldn’t understand why this was happening. I could practically read the thought on his face: ‘Why the hell is this guy still clinging to me?’

“Are you coming home early today?”
“Haa…”
I ignored that look and said what I wanted to say. In the end, Seyoung sighed and agreed. After we finished eating cup ramen, I carried home the snacks he bought me.

Plop.
“Phew…”
I dropped the snacks on the table and collapsed face-down on the bed. I’d tossed and turned until dawn last night, so I was still a bit tired.

But as soon as I caught the scent lingering on the sheets, sleep slipped away. Instead, I found myself getting more and more awake. I wrapped myself in the blanket just like Seyoung does, hugged it tightly, and buried my face.
“……”
Then I remembered what happened at dawn—and I couldn’t lie still anymore. Even when I tried to focus on something else, my mind kept circling back to Seyoung’s body.

“God, fuck…”
In the end, I got up and took another shower.
* * *

“What the… Copyright warning again?”
Whenever my head got noisy, working was the best distraction. Luckily, I had my editing gear and backup footage, so I could get stuff done even here.
But seeing a list of videos flagged private had me irritated.
“Haa… so much shit to do.”

I upload at least two videos a week, and with that workload came a lot of little problems. I’d tried hiring an editor before to lessen the burden, but no one ever met my standards. Hard to find someone who works up to what they’re paid.
‘I used to complain about bosses acting high and mighty over pennies when I was part-timing…’
Now that I was the one paying someone, I was starting to get it. Maybe those old guys had a point.

I sighed and scrolled through the private video list. Then I noticed one I’d set to private a few days ago.
"Perfect Job Combos for Couples♥Play Arcadia Together♥"
‘Oh right, this one got flagged for music copyright.’

Shame, I really liked that track. I found a new royalty-free BGM, swapped it in, and updated the thumbnail since the old one annoyed me.
Before I knew it, it was already 11:30.
‘Should I order food?’

That’s when my phone rang.
PD Son
010-XXXX-XXXX
I saw the name and picked up immediately.

“Hello?”
“Heejae, what are you doing? I’m nearby, wanna grab a bite?”
PD Son was the one who brought me into the agency I’m currently with. We got along well, and we’d often grab meals together. Ever since I moved near the office, we met about once every two weeks.

I thought he just wanted to hang out again, so I was about to decline—but he beat me to it.
“There’s an ad proposal that came in today. Thought we could chat over lunch.”
“An ad?”

“You know that new mobile game from N Company launching soon? They’re planning a big promo…”
The pay and terms sounded decent, and I immediately got a visual in my head of how to make the promo video. That usually didn’t happen, so I felt like this one would go well.
Creak.

As I shifted during the call, the creaky bed groaned again. It bugged me.
‘…Should I just buy Kim Seyoung a new bed?’
I was gonna be staying here for a while anyway. As I mulled it over, I grabbed a stuffed cat lying nearby and pressed its face in with my palm, answering PD Son.

“But it’ll take me about an hour and a half. I’m not in Seoul right now.”
“Oh? Really? Then maybe next time?”
“No, # Nоvеlight # I can head out now. I’ve wrapped everything up for the day.”

“What time works for you, then?”
“I’ll text when I get close to the office.”
“Sounds good.”

After ending the call and stepping out, I suddenly remembered that I had promised to go grocery shopping with Kim Seyoung today.
‘Well, it’s not like I’m out playing around or something…’
This was all for the sake of getting Seyoung a new bed, after all.

So I kept it simple.
Noona ㅇ.ㅇ
Something came up, so I don’t think I can go shopping with you today. Sorry ㅇ_ㅇ
Take good care of Saenyang, okay?
Seyoung replied right away.

Seyoungie
What?
Even just reading that one word, I could tell he was pissed. But it didn’t bother me—in fact, it made me happy. I liked that he got annoyed when I canceled on him.
See? Even if he pretends not to care, Seyoung likes hanging out with me. He was looking forward to it. And now that I bailed, he’s in a shitty mood.

Grinning, I slipped my phone back into my pocket.
* * *
After that, I talked contracts with PD Son, then had a three-hour meeting with the company’s content production team. And since PD Son liked drinking, we started early and drank hard.

I’m not huge on alcohol, but PD Son definitely favored streamers who could handle their drinks. So I played along—it was part of the job.
‘God, I’m tired…’
Thankfully, we wrapped up before 10 p.m., and I took a cab back to my place for the first time in a while.

After being cooped up in Seyoung’s shoebox of a studio, returning to my spacious apartment should have felt great—but tonight, for some reason, it felt oddly empty. I stripped off my outer layer and slumped onto the sofa, tilting my head back.
“…Huh?”
I blinked. Thought I’d only closed my eyes for a second, but it’d been three hours. My phone said it was past 1 a.m. I checked for missed calls just in case.

But there was nothing from Kim Seyoung. Not even a text. Yuna had called three times, though. When I checked our chat, Seyoung hadn’t said a word beyond that last "What?"
“…Seriously? You’re not even curious what I was doing?”
Noona, are you asleep? ㅇ_ㅇ

I’d expected at least a pissed-off message, a rant or two, but the silence made me a little uneasy.
‘Something happen? Or is he way more pissed than I thought?’
What level is Saenyang ㅇ.ㅇ?

I was debating whether to call him if he didn’t reply when, thankfully, he read the message and answered like usual.
Seyoungie
Deleting character.
Why tho lol

Seyoungie
I’m pissed.
LOOOOOOOLLLLLL
I grinned at the reply and split my phone screen, pulling up a luxury bed retailer. I clicked on the honeymoon package, but the mattress looked huge. I wasn’t sure it’d even fit in that room.

‘Will it even get through the doorway…?’
And it didn’t really match his apartment’s vibe either.
‘Wouldn’t it just be easier if he moved in here?’

I glanced around my place, wondering how Seyoung would react if he came here. Would he get hit by a dose of reality?
‘Still… this has got to be better than where he’s staying now, right?’
Of course, knowing his personality, there’s no way he’d just move in willingly. I shelved the idea for now and went back to the chat.

But Seyoung didn’t reply after the last message. It was already 1 a.m., so maybe he’d dozed off?
I hit the call button. The little bastard didn’t pick up right away—he waited a while, then answered, even though I knew he was watching the screen.
“…What.”

I heard his groggy voice and asked,
“Were you dozing?”
“No? I said I’m pissed.”

Trying not to laugh at his sulky tone, I asked,
“Why? Who pissed you off?”
“Pick up your fist… and punch your own damn face.”

“Pfft—hahaha!”
I burst out laughing, and I could hear him muttering curses on the other end. I stifled my laughter and decided to explain why I ghosted him today.
“My agency suddenly called for a meeting, so I had to swing by Seoul.”

“Oh, really?”
“I’ll make it up to you when I get back, okay? Don’t be mad.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”

“I gotta work to feed you, don’t I?”
“And why are you feeding me? I don’t need that shit.”
Even as he said that, he didn’t hang up—just let me listen to his breathing. He sounded way more relaxed now, so I told him about the meeting.

“Hey, you know Kingdom of Apostles? I’m gonna be doing an ad for that.”
“No? Never heard of it.”
His reply was cold, but I heard a rustling sound on his end. Probably looking it up.

Sure enough, a moment later—
“Oh… this? I’ve seen it on YouTube ads…”
“Yeah, that one. I heard they already hit 10 million pre-registrations.”

“Is it fun?”
“No idea. Haven’t tried it yet.”
“What the… It’s like some kingdom-building game… Doesn’t suit you.”

“Please. I’m way too cool for that.”
“Right. Can’t believe N Company’s using someone like you for advertising.”
“You were just looking it up the second I mentioned it.”

“That’s different! I didn’t say I was playing it!”
Laughing, I remembered another point from the meeting and asked,
“Hey, wanna reserve usernames with me? Streamers get early access during the event.”

“With you? Why?”
“Let’s do Saenyang and Heenyang.”
“You’re so childish.”

He said it was childish—but he didn’t flat-out refuse. I made a note to try again later. Fighting down another grin, I decided it was time to let him sleep.
“I’ve got some work to catch up on from staying at your place. Don’t cry when I don’t show up.”
As soon as I made my fake-flirty voice, Seyoung hissed like a cat.

“Cut that shit out.”
“If you miss me too much, just call.”
“If you step one foot outside of Seoul again, I’m reporting you.”

“Okay. I’ll be back soon. Love you~?”
But after hanging up, I felt weirdly embarrassed. Love you? Not really a word I say often. Guess that’s why it felt so strange.