117 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.117 #117. Holiday Gift One of the biggest holidays in South Korea: Lunar New Year. As always, the phrase "holiday special" has a certain resonance that makes people's hearts race. As a child, it felt like I watched so many films on TV during this time. Now that I'm older, have I regressed in some way? At least no one would call someone out for watching holiday movies. [Ah! Everyone! You've waited long enough!] Sigh... Luca, just show us already. Having seen the announcement about the special New Year’s avatar, I was eagerly twiddling my thumbs, waiting for her. How amazing must it be if even I, her boyfriend, haven't been allowed to see it? [Everyone, have you eaten lots of delicious food this holiday?] Luca was chatting away while displaying only the waiting screen illustration. The eager fans were responding actively, pleading for her to reveal the avatar soon. [Honestly... Everyone... I'm still too shy to show it...] Here she goes again. That trick. As her antics to build anticipation continued, my throat was getting painfully dry. Please stop teasing us and just show it! I'm begging you! She’s already been talking for about an hour now without revealing anything! If she took any longer, I was seriously considering storming into the studio. Was she trying to see me composure crack? -Donor "LucaFanatic" contributed 10,000 won [Oh my! LucaFanatic! What? You want to see the new outfit... Ahh~] Despite the reactions, Luca remained steadfastly tight-lipped, driving some to launch a barrage of donations in resistance. -Donor "Zenon982" contributed 20,000 won [You still won't do it? Really? I don't get it~] At this point, I began to wonder if she’d gone a bit off track, prompting me to use a forbidden tactic. -Donor "LucaLoyalist" contributed 50,000 won [Ah~ Luca... Loyalist... hahaha... Fifty thousand won...] The sound of a mouse clicking echoed. This time, her reaction was decidedly different from to earlier donations. It seemed she’d realized it was me. [Oh, everyone, stop with the donations now! Really, I'll just show it to you. Just wait a little, okay?] It seemed my donation attack finally succeeded. -Whirring sound- [I told you not to donate. Didn't I?] A concise message appeared alongside an emote of a fist. Hey. But isn’t this situation your fault? I had my own reasons today too. Why tease us and coax for donations? The irony of them blaming me when I just gave them what they wanted struck me. [Sigh... Everyone, get ready for a nosebleed.] The screen darkened. Nothing but the rapidly scrolling chat was visible against the black backdrop. Ssss... Not a bluff...? Usually, Luca would feign vulnerability before making her big reveal... When she directly said we'd get nosebleeds, it truly felt like something different was about to happen. [You're all about to fall for me again. Sigh. Such a dilemma.] Soon, the screen returned, and before us appeared...! [Wow!!!!!] [Luca, I love you!!!!] [Please marry me! Please marry me! Please marry me! Please marry me! Please marry me! Please marry me! Please marry me! Please marry me!] [What’s with the quality?] I thought nothing could surprise me too much anymore. But the avatar that appeared exceeded all expectations, captivating the fans with ease. ‘Noona’ That word alone captured it perfectly. Today's Luca avatar exuded a more mature vibe than usual. It wasn’t just the new physique or appearance. The new avatar was dressed in a hanbok, yet how could a hanbok look so... Thank you, creator! Thank you for giving our Luca such a splendid outfit! I might have even considered bowing three times to the creator in gratitude for this best-ever costume. Though the chat was already notably fast-paced, it sped to an unreadable pace, and Luca quietly clicked the blush button, slightly coloring her face. [I told you... This is why I was hesitant to show it...] Ahhhh... Oh... it's wonderful... To think that being a nerd with no holiday plans would lead to such gratitude. Gracious Luca had complete control over the emotions of her fans. [Happy New Year... this year too...] As Luca respectfully bowed on screen, more donations poured in. [New Year's gift for you, Luca!] [I’ll empty my savings to give to you!] [Please, let me serve as your servant, lady!] [I won’t accept a pervert like you as a servant!] Ah. How is it possible for someone to be this cute? I felt like I might go insane from Luca’s cuteness. * * * "Seriously... I meant it was for Lunar New Year only, understand?" Despite being told not to donate, my brother couldn’t help himself and had been raving about the glory of Hanbok Luca all the way back home. "No, come on. How can that be a one-time thing? Does that even make sense?" "It's for the New Year's special event. What’s she supposed to do, broadcast in that every day when it’s not New Year’s?" "That can't happen!" His nerdy lament echoed down the dark alley. "Gosh~" What should be done with this big guy? I stood on tiptoe to pull his ear, and he complained about the pain. "But Luca as a noona was amazing, Doa. Wow... It was a truly moving experience." While I was pleased with the compliments, the term 'noona' felt oddly off-putting. "What was so great about it?" "Just, unlike usual, there was a sort of mature charm to her?" Mature. Mature charm. Indeed, the avatar prepared today had doubled the usual bust size of Luca. Naturally, my eyes drifted downward. My chest isn't exactly flat, but it certainly doesn't warrant the term "noona." “Are mature types your thing?” I casually baited him, and he bit like a fish jumping out of water. “With avatars, I guess they are.” Oh? So using “avatars” as an insurance policy, huh? I stopped in my tracks, prompting him to do the same. “Why? Is something on your mind?” “...What do you think of my figure?” A question I wouldn’t have dared to ask in the past due to awkwardness. But enough time had passed since we started dating that I felt this was okay. “What do you mean?” “Just, what you think... from your perspective...” It seemed like a harmless conversation beforehand, but now that the words were out there, I felt a bit self-conscious. “Uh... it's nice...?” His lukewarm response made me squint slightly in suspicion. “What’s nice about it?” “Just... everything.” It was obvious he was trying to gloss over this, so I pressed a bit harder. Caught off guard by my persistence, his expression began to shift into something more serious. ...Could it be that he really isn’t into my type? The thought of hearing him say that he wasn't impressed was starting to scare me. Oh, why did I bring it up? Is there no undo button? “...Doa.” “Yes.” I swallowed nervously and responded. “Do you really want the honest truth?” Curiosity’s pull. Reason’s warning to escape. I nodded calmly. He leaned in to whisper in my ear. Shivers ran through me at the tension. My frozen ear from the cold felt warm with his breath against it. “...Your chest fits perfectly in one hand, and your butt is cute.” ...Did I hear that right? He looked down at me with a bemused expression, as if asking if that answered my question. “Achoo!” Apparently, my body wasn't equipped to handle such remarks, releasing a sneeze that fans would adore. “Oh, I love your sneeze too. Really love it.” Uncertain how to steer the conversation past this awkwardness, he pulled me into an embrace. The warmth and comfort were nice, but... My mind was racing with confusion. Is this a compliment...? It's a good thing, right...? A cute butt... And a chest that fits in one hand... ...Wait? Isn't that just another way of saying they're small? A belated realization clicked in my mind, and my teeth clenched. “Oppa.” “Yeah?” “...Achoo!” Ugh, sneeze, not now! Why do you only interfere when things get serious? “You know what you just said, right? What you told me.” “...Yeah.” “Isn’t that just saying my chest is small?” He winced as if I'd hit the nail on the head and looked up to the sky for a moment. “...Let's just say my hands are big.” I kicked his shin hard and stormed ahead with determined strides. Ugh, that Luca guy... Tae-min hurried after me, asking where I was going and insisting to go together. Celebrity or not, it was clear he wasn’t living up to his looks.