NOVEL NEXT C14
#14. Taking a Deeper Breath
A small problem arose after I started Instagram.
-> Let’s follow each other~ (♥)
-> Let’s chat~ (♥)
–> What’s your breast size? (This ID has been blocked)
-> Unnie, you’re so pretty~ (♥)
The problem was the incessant DM alerts, like alerts, and heart alerts.
Someone might say.
‘Can’t you just turn off the alerts?’
That’s not wrong. If we’re only talking about the likes and heart alerts.
The problem was the DM alerts.
Even if you turn off DM alerts, the damn records remain.
Since I’ve been suffering from an illness where I can’t stand seeing red numbers on KakaoTalk since my previous life, I simply couldn’t bear to see that notification showing that a new person had sent a DM.
But if I tried to clear those notifications by clicking on all those numerous DMs.
-> Let’s follow each other~
-> Excuse me?
-> Why aren’t you replying? I can see that you’ve read it.
-> You’re crossing the line by just lurking;;
Things like this would happen.
“What am I supposed to do, really…”
First, I blocked all these bastards who sent messages so rudely but the number of people I blocked this way already reached three digits.
Thinking this couldn’t go on, I decided to consult an expert about this matter.
“So, your Instagram has grown rapidly, and you’re getting a ton of DMs that are hard to ignore, right?”
“Yeah.”
Yu-jin, self-proclaimed internet phantom and keyboard battle expert, said while sucking on a grapefruit ade from the cafe.
For some reason, Last and Han Cheol-ho were also with her, and it seemed like their detective agency business was quite slow.
Yu-jin said.
“Unnie, maybe…I’m sorry to say this, but are you not good with machines and such?”
“Hmm? No?”
That comment slightly cracked my pride.
With just the number of keyboard keys I’ve clicked in the other world, it would exceed the personal assets of the Cheongang Chairman, and she’s asking if I’m technologically challenged?
“Then, could you click on the settings button in the upper right corner?”
“You mean this?”
I obediently followed her instructions to hear what she was trying to say.
“Yes, when you go there, do you see where it says ‘Only receive DMs from people you follow’?”
“Ah.”
And then I regretted it.
I had come to understand the feelings of elderly people who desperately try to embrace new technologies to avoid falling behind the times.
“Click that and then press the save button…”
“Wait!! You can stop explaining!!”
I desperately covered Yu-jin’s mouth as she was trying to give unnecessarily detailed explanations.
Yu-jin struggled in my arms and then collapsed with a blue face.
I felt heat rising throughout my body. My face must be red too.
It’s definitely not because of embarrassment.
-Flutter flutter…
As I was fanning myself because of the heat, Cheol-ho said.
“Honestly, since I don’t know much about Instagram or such things, I thought you were making a fuss, but I can definitely feel gazes on us.”
My gaze turned to the surroundings.
He was right. I had been feeling several gazes on us for a while now. And they were different from the restaurant—these were sticky gazes.
“Nah, that’s not it. We have a celebrity here.”
But I deliberately ignored such gazes and tapped Last’s shoulder.
Isn’t Last also a celebrity who became a hot topic on the internet for a while?
Then Last, who had been spacing out, flinched in surprise and looked at me.
“Huh? Why are you so surprised?”
“No. Just a bit.”
Last awkwardly grabbed a cup and downed the drink.
What’s wrong with this person?
Cheol-ho, who had been carefully observing, said.
“By the way, you two, aren’t you dropping the formal speech?”
“What?”
“Aren’t you the same age? Are you going to keep using formal speech?”
Huh…speak informally to Last?
‘Me?’
For a moment, I felt like I wanted to run away from this place.
Since I had invited them out, I couldn’t actually do that, but dropping the formalities…That was truly not an easy thing to do.
For example, look. In front of you is an idol you’ve been admiring.
A celebrity, film director, actor, whatever.
Could you babble informally, ‘I’m a fan! Give me an autograph!’?
Last was like an admired idol to me.
In fact, just being mixed into each other’s daily lives like this was already pushing it.
But informal speech? That’s when it happened.
“Then, Yu-ha.”
“Huh? What?”
I slammed the sofa I was sitting on.
‘Damn it! How can you enter without signaling first!!’
I had reflexively answered!!
The attention of people around us, startled by the noise, focused on me. I apologized and sat back down.
“Haah…”
As I sighed, Cheol-ho, who was watching me, laughed like a gangster.
“Hyun just scored one.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“It’s the first time since the hospital that I’ve seen Yu-ha’s smiling face crumble.”
“……”
And you’re a gorilla with a talent for making people speechless.
“So when are you going to drop the formalities?”
Cheol-ho said, pointing toward Last.
When I turned my gaze in that direction, I saw Last staring at me as if expecting something.
No, what’s wrong with this person…
“Wait, just wait a bit.”
I took a deep breath.
So, to clarify now.
Since he called me Yu-ha…what should I call him?
Last? No, definitely not that.
Jin Hyun? The full name seems too stiff.
Then, perhaps.
‘Hyun just scored one.’
Should I call him Hyun?
‘Damn it!!’
I imagined myself calling him “Hyunaaaaa~” affectionately with my shrill voice.
I wanted to escape this place immediately.
“SAINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Just then, three huge masses came rumbling from far away.
They were all gym enthusiasts with tank tops that revealed their deltoids and sporty haircuts.
“It’s an honor to meet you in a place like this!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“The way you shouted for freedom in front of people for us, I’ll never forget it as long as I live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Here are our Instagram IDs!!!!!!!!!!!! If you could follow us back just once, I’d have no other wish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Due to the resonating voices of the three men, the cafe shook as if an earthquake had struck.
And so, we were all kicked out of the cafe together with the gym nuisances.
It was a blessing.
Agio’s office near Royal Road.
Looking out the window, you can see the hill-like golden city with buildings as dense as a forest.
On the other side, through the opposite window, there’s the city of darkness where the fog gets thicker as you go downward.
In this dual space that starkly shows the wealth gap of Minos City, Agio was stuck in a dark office, looking at his phone.
“I got blocked…!! W-why…!?”
On Agio’s phone was a picture from Chae Yu-ha’s newly opened Instagram, a picture of her drinking beverages in a cafe with what seemed to be three people.
To borrow Yu-jin’s words, Instagram is something that never rests, and she had uploaded it under that influence.
Of course, no faces were captured.
Agio was so envious of the invisible three people who seemed to have gone to the cafe with Chae Yu-ha.
I’m good at drinking beverages too…
So at some point, he couldn’t hold back anymore and sent a DM to Chae Yu-ha’s ID.
This was the result.
-Blocked.
“Uwaaang…!!”
Agio couldn’t sleep that night due to sadness.
-> Bullshit ㅋㅋ
-> Wait, why the fuck is this real
-> Die die die die die
-> Where do you live? I’m coming for you
-> Come in if you dare, I’ll beat you up ㅋㅋ
-> I’m really coming, fuck
-> Calm down, everyone. Did the Saint follow you all so you could fight?
-> But why did she follow back?
-> Dunno? She said something like “thank you”?
-> Who are you to receive thanks from the Saint?
-> Just die for real
-Tap.
The sound of a phone being closed echoed.
Nazha, a researcher at Cheongang Group and the mother of nanomachine technology, was looking around a cafe in the downtown area.
“Hmm, already gone? I came as fast as I could.”
Nazha entered the cafe with disappointment and rotated the radar installed in her eyes.
It was to find a seat that matched what she had seen on Chae Yu-ha’s Instagram.
Finally, Nazha found a seat with a good view by the window.
Lucky or unlucky, the cups from Yu-ha’s party were still on the seat, not yet cleared.
They didn’t have a chance to clean up themselves as they were forcibly kicked out.
Nazha inwardly shouted bingo and found Yu-ha’s cup. Then she took out a saliva collector from her sleeve and quickly swiped the part where the mouth might have touched.
“Excuse me, what are you doing?”
A Vitaloid asked from behind Nazha. It seemed to be a cafe employee.
“I was about to sit down, but the cups haven’t been cleared yet.”
“Ah, I’m sorry! I’ll clear them right away.”
The Vitaloid immediately gathered the cups and moved them to the sink.
Nazha quietly left the cafe, watching the Vitaloid’s back.
In her hand was the collector with Yu-ha’s saliva successfully collected.