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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: How's My Kiss?
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I wondered what kind of camera that was.
Since Chaewon loved taking photos, I brushed it off as no big deal. But looking closer, I noticed it wasn't a phone—it was a GoPro, which struck me as odd...
Yeah, when it came to gear, my friend was dead serious. She had money to burn, after all.
I figured she could afford to ditch a high-end phone and go full travel vlogger with a GoPro.
"Forever! This is the childhood friend everyone's heard so much about but never seen—my Yumin~."
Up until the moment this bratty one shamelessly swung the GoPro my way and launched into her spiel.
"...Have you finally lost your mind?"
"Heyyy~. Even so, blocking the lens is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Isn't filming a vlog exactly what you said you were doing?"
"Yesss~. So today, I'm making special memories while vlogging in Kamakura with my childhood friend Mini—."
"It was a pleasure meeting you. Have a great trip, Chaewon."
"Wait, hold on! Don't be like that~."
Chaewon grabbed my wrist in a panic.
And she didn't stop there—she leaned back with all her might to hold me in place.
'I can't just ditch the girl who came to see me now...'
Haah. With a quiet sigh, I turned my head away.
Through the brim of her black bucket hat, her bright, sparkling eyes peered out. Skin whiter than Snow White's. An unrealistically small face and ideal proportions. A figure that screamed perfection, forged from innate genes and countless drops of sweat.
"You really are an idol."
"Huh?"
"Maybe it's because it's been three years, but you feel different somehow. Like I'm actually looking at a celebrity."
We talked on the phone and texted every day, so it hadn't really hit me, but Han Chaewon was a global star.
She'd always been strikingly pretty as a kid, and after entering the industry, meticulous care and relentless effort had polished that beauty to flawless perfection.
On top of that, her personality was so down-to-earth and fun—who wouldn't love her?
"You falling for me?"
Of course, it fell flat with me, her childhood friend.
"Does that mean you want me to head off in the opposite direction?"
"Sorry. I won't say anything weird anymore, so please?"
Entertainer Han Chaewon tucked her tail immediately.
Knowing this was all high-level acting to snag vlog footage, I cut straight to the point.
"Anyway, I'm not doing the vlog."
"Why not?"
"Do you know how many views Ever's vlogs get?"
"Hmm... Usually around two million?"
"The highest?"
"Forty million. The one starring this big sis. Hehe."
"Does that make sense now?"
"Huh? What? I have no idea."
She'd been all smug about those forty million a second ago, but now her eyes shone with pure innocence, like she truly had no clue.
Especially that deliberate, awkward act of feigned naivety—it was infuriatingly spot-on.
No wonder she'd swept the Best New Actress award at last year's Baeksang, outshining all those heavy hitters.
"If you don't get it, I'll spell it out: I don't want my face getting recognized."
I laid it out plain and clear to snap her out of it.
I hoped she'd finally get the message this time, but Chaewon wasn't the type to back down just because I said no.
She'd keep pushing until she hit her fourth strike.
"You're misunderstanding—this one appearance won't dramatically change your life."
Look at her.
Sassing back every time.
"I just don't want to. Satisfied?"
"Whoa. Pulling out the cheat code, huh?"
Chaewon puffed out her cheeks, putting on her best hurt expression.
No, isn't that the face I should be making?
"If you don't upload it to YouTube after filming, I'll allow it."
"Then why'd I bring the GoPro? I'd just use my phone."
"Negotiations broken. Too bad, Chaewon."
"...I'll buy you something delicious?"
"I have money too."
"How's my kiss?"
"Oh."
"Wait, you like it—?!"
"How about my fist?"
I clenched my fist tight to counter her puckered lips.
Frustrated by our irreconcilable views, Chaewon wrinkled her nose and pouted sulkily.
"...Ugh, can't you just appear once?"
"Why are you so hung up on this? People want to see you, not me."
"Vlogs with friends are trending right now."
"I'm sure there are plenty where the friend's face doesn't show."
"..."
"Haah, fine. I'll allow your voice. Honestly, even I think no voice at all would be petty and unreasonable."
"I want to show your face..."
"Han Chaewon. That's exactly why I want to know what makes you so stubborn when I say no."
I spoke frankly to the increasingly deflated Chaewon.
I usually gave in easily, but if I refused four times, it meant I truly didn't want to.
She knew my personality well, so she rarely pushed beyond four asks.
"I just wanted to introduce my awesome childhood friend. Is that so wrong?!"
She'd pout with a full-force "You're the worst" expression, that's all.
Fine. This was a variation on an old pattern.
Shameless impudence after four years?
"Even if I did, it'd only end badly for you."
"...I just want to make memories with you."
Look at her tucking her tail right away.
She drooped her head and shoulders at my words, but...
"Don't think I've forgotten your tricks just because we haven't seen each other in a while."
I patted the bratty one's shoulder.
"As expected. You know me too well."
Shameless punk.
No wonder she gripped viewers by the throat with that audacity—clearly why she'd won Best New Actress at Baeksang.
Her sly smile was unmatched in the world.
"But I really do want to brag about you, Mini."
"Name five things."
"You're smart, athletic, pretty good-looking, and you listen to me well."
The more she went on, the weirder the boasts got.
"And."
"And, uh..."
"And?"
"...You eat really well."
"Ha. You're just spouting nonsense now."
"I named them all, so vlog time?"
Chaewon slyly grinned and raised the GoPro to my face.
I smirked and gently pushed the GoPro aimed at me downward.
"That's not what we agreed on, Yumin."
"I said I'd talk, not that I'd let you film."
"You punk! There's a code of honor in the jianghu—how can you break the unspoken rules...!"
"You watching wuxia lately?"
"Mini, come on. I've asked so nicely—won't you do it for me? Even if you get famous, it'll blow over in three months, no, one month."
"Okay. I'll allow it. But keep my face out as much as possible."
"Our Go PD has this strict vlog philosophy that the star's face has to be in it."
"Go PD?"
"GoPro PD."
"Ah——."
What kind of conversation is this?
I let out a hollow laugh and locked eyes with Chaewon as she subtly raised the GoPro again.
I tilted my head at my childhood friend's unusually persistent attitude today.
"What's up? Is there something about filming my face?"
"W-what would there be?! All the members have their besties' faces in theirs— it'd be weird if mine's the only one without!"
"What are you, in elementary school? 'Mom, I'm the only one in class without an iPhone...!' Like that?"
"Mini, I've never begged like this before. Please? Just once."
Chaewon clutched my hand tightly.
'She still has that habit of holding hands when she's desperate.'
I snorted and gently pried her hand off.
And there it was—the classic sulk.
Chaewon puffed her cheeks, raised her eyebrows, and put everything into signaling "I'm mad."
After fifteen years, I knew the drill.
I twisted away, effortlessly dodging her gaze.
"Keep this up, and I'll really get mad."
"It's fine. I'm already mad."
"...You really won't?"
"Yeah. I really won't."
"...Kang Yumin, you're the worst. Idiot. Dummy. Loser guy. I hate you. Hate hate. Ptooey."
Childish insults not even a kindergartener would stoop to.
Chaewon pursed her lips and sulked with full commitment.
As I sighed and met her eyes to tell her to cut it out, she whipped around...
What the? Suddenly, I'm the bad guy?
The mood flipped in an instant, leaving me blankly stunned.
"...Hey, you're really mad?"
"Is there such a thing as fake-mad?"
"Isn't that a girl thing?"
"Shut up! Ignoring your childhood friend's request after so long? That's peak loser guy! No, completely, utterly, the lowest loser guy?!"
She yelled, then spun away again—pouting at 21 years old.
Her sharp tone and blatant "Don't mess with me" whining meant this brat was genuinely upset.
'...Is this really worth getting mad over?'
I wanted to say, but she was a friend I hadn't seen in ages.
Bickering here would just mean awkward vibes the whole time we hung out.
Yeah. I knew it well.
She'd suggested the vlog out of pure joy at seeing me after three years.
She genuinely wanted to record memories and show off her longtime childhood friend to the fans.
And.
It didn't hit me much, but she was a celebrity.
Wherever she went, she drew eyes and sparked chatter.
Only I, her childhood friend, could remember and capture her sparkling self in ordinary moments.
Free times like this were rare, so she wanted to preserve them somehow.
Yeah. I knew it well.
Too well.
"...Haah."
This is the problem with childhood friends.
We know each other too damn well.
"...Han Chaewon. How long are you gonna keep this up?"
I poked her shoulder lightly with my index finger—total radio silence.
Haah.
With a light sigh, I forced her stubbornly stuck-out lips back down.
"You gonna film a vlog with that energy? Fake childhood friend rumors would screw me over more later."
She flinched.
If she were a puppy, her ears would've perked up and tail wagged.
Chaewon sneaked a sidelong glance at me.
Her lips played sulky, but her big eyes were already grinning uncontrollably.
Childhood friend perks, huh? Truly infuriating.
"...You'll do it?"
"I don't know how many minutes it'll be, but edit it so my face shows as little as possible. Got it?"
"But based on Go PD's strict philosophy, no matter how I edit..."
"Then I'll set a time limit per scene—use just that much."
"I'll do my utmost to maximize efficiency with minimal cuts!"
Chaewon beamed and turned toward me.
Just a vlog.
Thinking about it again, I couldn't fathom why filming one made her so happy...
'Yeah, even if people recognize me, it'll be over in a few weeks at most.'
Seeing my childhood friend smile so brightly after so long lifted my spirits too.
"Let's go eat."
It definitely wasn't because of free food.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"...This actually worked."
I mumbled as I watched Yumin's back while he said he'd grab something from the convenience store.
I'd made the promise with the members, but honestly, the vlog was just an excuse.
I figured I'd be content just filming together. Given Mini's personality—barely taking photos, let alone videos—it was a miracle in itself.
But what was this?
The guy who hated social pressures enough to avoid cameras was okay with filming and uploading a vlog?
"He's not Mini, is he?"
Silly talk, even though I knew it wasn't true.
I was just that thrilled.
"But now I have to confirm it for real..."
At the same time, I was just as nervous.
Haah...
I stamped my feet and hung my head.
Living close to Yumin, I'd heard the dating rumors plenty.
More intensely and persistently than even the members' grilling.
We'd laughed it off somehow every time, but even when I denied it, people said he was just too reserved—that I should make a move.
Yumin. The golden boy famous across schools since student days.
Smart enough for Seoul National University.
Taekwondo-honed physique.
Handsome enough for showbiz.
And a great personality.
...Yumin. Of course he's a great friend.
Always by my side when I needed him.
The one I trust and rely on most.
So precious to me.
He must feel the same.
After all, in fifteen years, Yumin had never once shown romantic interest in me.
Not even as a joke.
If he didn't mean it, he never said it.
Once, even after getting hit on by a famous idol, I teasingly told him I loved him, but...
-Yeah, thanks. But isn't today Pepero Day?
He always thought I was hinting at snacks.
No, I have pride too.
Think I'd say that just for free food?
...Ha, utterly ridiculous.
Could I ever meet another guy—or anyone—so indifferent in my life?
So nonchalant even when faking it...
His straightforward, unbiased gaze was the Yumin I knew, and part of why I saw him as a lifelong friend.
Especially 'that day' sealed it.
'Ah, whatever.'
My childhood friend after three years was the same steadfast guy.
His attitude and feelings toward me couldn't have changed much.
"Agh, seriously! If they hadn't said weird stuff...!!"
Still, reason one to let people know you.
A guy with fewer than thirty KakaoTalk friends agreed to a vlog that millions might see. Just because I asked.
Reason two to let people know you.
Han Chaewon lives and dies by loyalty... and keeps her promises.
Sorry, Mini, but I have to for the members' pact.
Reason three—the last—to let people know you.
"If I check these three, it'll be certain...?"
Once I'm curious, I have to try it to satisfy myself.
Kang Yumin.
I'm curious about you after three years.
That's all there is to it.