As we walked, we chatted about Boyfriend and the recent Broadcast.
Today’s meeting didn’t have any specific purpose. It wasn’t like we were going to G-Star together or collaborating; it was just one of those “let’s grab a meal sometime” setups that ended up being today.
If we had to label this meeting, we could call it a gathering for friendship. We spent our time talking and eating, just taking a break. That’s pretty much how I would sum up today’s outing.
The first stop was a restaurant. It was a pasta place known for its delicious wine and a famous chef, so let’s just say it had the vibe of an upscale Western restaurant.
This was also a location chosen by Nicang. The meeting itself was arranged by her. I just needed to trail behind her and chime in whenever necessary.
“This place has a great atmosphere, right? I came here with friends last time, and the pasta was delicious—”
“Oh, pasta…”
Just like that. By nodding along appropriately, Nicang began to chatter excitedly.
One thing I’ve noticed while interacting with women these days is that they tend to be talkative. Of course, there are some quiet ones, but the women around me are mostly quite chatty.
I guess that’s what you call social butterflies. They love meeting new people and can’t stand any awkward silence during conversations.
Some viewers referred to me as a social butterfly too, but I could never be like Nicang.
My appearance has changed, and I’ve developed some social skills, but the inherent personality and temperament that lie within a person never change.
In conclusion, during meetings like this, it’s enough to just sit back and listen. There’s no need to jump in and start talking first, which could be seen as a bit convenient as well.
“So, this one is slightly spicy… Kayak, are you listening?”
“Oh, yes. Are you saying the squid ink pasta is spicy?”
Of course, with every advantage, there comes a disadvantage. The conversation flows so quickly that if I zone out for even a moment, I end up missing the topic.
Up ahead, Nicang was discussing what menu item to order, and she shot me a pointed look.
“Not the squid ink, but the oil pasta is spicy. You weren’t paying attention, were you?”
“Hey, you didn’t hear me right, did you?”
Half of what was said was probably ignored. There were so many menu options that it felt like a hassle to choose, plus everything just seemed the same to me.
“Just order whatever you want, Nicang! I eat anything well,” I said, handing over the decision-making power to her, but she kept on explaining.
“Hehe…”
But revealing such inner thoughts directly was amateurish. At times like this, it’s best to brush it off with a smile. After all, not many people would roast you when you’re grinning like a goof.
So, we ended up ordering pasta and a thin Gorgonzola pizza. I took a slice of pizza while watching Nicang snap a pic for her Instagram.
Mmm, tasty. The crust is thin, so it’s not heavy, and the cheese flavor really comes through.
But I wasn’t sure it was “OMG, drop everything and shout it’s delicious” worthy. Looking around, the restaurant was packed, and the team that arrived after us seemed to be waiting, so I wondered if it’s worth the wait of several minutes… well, who knows…
Even after leaving the restaurant, I followed Nicang’s lead. Next up was a cafe with pretty decor and tasty macarons. This place was also bustling with people. According to her, it’s the latest hot spot.
The interior was definitely pretty, and the macarons looked… well, photogenic. They were visually appealing for sure.
It wasn’t bad, but I had similar thoughts as before. Looking at the crowd, I wondered if we really needed to come to such a packed cafe just for this.
Honestly, coffee and macarons are available at local cafes too, aren’t they?
“It’s popular for taking photos,” Nicang responded to me.
Photos, huh? I saw people shivering in the cold waiting outside just to snap a pic. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Anyway, it was comfortable just trailing behind Nicang. Her movements were so graceful that even though the place was popular and had a wait, we were able to enter immediately upon arrival. She was indeed someone to trust without question.
The course finally led us to a bar after passing through a diner and a café. Located deep in an alley between the bustling streets filled with people, this place felt oddly different from the others, to say the least.
A bar named “Suicide Pub.” Literally translated, is it a bar for suicides? It’s not like a suicide strike team opened this place, what a name!
Now that I think about it, what’s the difference between a pub and a bar?
Out of nowhere, I got curious and asked Nicang next to me, but she didn’t know either.
I thought maybe asking the staff would help, but I decided against it. I didn’t want to make an employee who looked like just a part-timer feel uncomfortable.
This place was just as crowded as everywhere else we’d been. Since Nicang chose a popular spot that people frequently visited, it was expected, but being right in the heart of the bustling area made it feel like everyone was unusually staring.
Those gazes were now familiar to me. If I stared any longer, it felt like someone would walk up and ask for my number immediately. So I casually turned my head and stepped inside.
Following the staff’s guidance, we ordered beers along with the recommended dishes, and it wasn’t long before our order arrived at the table.
Nicang busily tilted her phone to take pictures like earlier. The one good thing was that she wasn’t trying to stop me just to take pictures of food.
In fact, when I reached for some snacks, she asked if it was okay to take a picture with my hand in it.
“Is it fun? Stardust? You seem to be taking a ton of pictures since earlier.”
It wasn’t so much uncomfortable as it was simple curiosity. I hadn’t really used apps like that aside from ones for communication before.
In response to my question, Nicang paused for a moment, thought, and then answered slowly.
“It’s not completely boring. When I post pictures, people leave comments and all. But more than fun, I feel like I’m kind of keeping a record. If I post it, later I can look back and remember what I did that day, who I was with, what I ate… it brings it right back to mind.”
“Hmm.”
That made a bit of sense. After all, what remains are the photos; there are countless people who snap pictures at every little thing they do.
And there are those who constantly upload personal videos to VTube for the sake of preserving memories, so using social media like Nicang does doesn’t seem too bad after all.
“Kayak, are you not doing Stardust? If you did, people would totally freak out.”
“Me?”
“This is not just about records; it can also be a way to communicate with fans. You can do live broadcasts and everything… When I post pictures, viewers leave comments and stuff.”
That was in line with Yusia’s suggestion to shoot a vlog. SNS is also a means to interact with viewers.
Now that I think about it, ever since I learned how to make drip coffee recently, I’ve been taking a surprising number of pictures.
Every day, after brewing coffee, I’d take pictures and post the results in what was practically my fan cafe gallery as if it were part of my job.
Looking back, starting a Stardust channel or opening a fan cafe wouldn’t be a bad idea after all. I couldn’t keep using the gallery for personal stuff that didn’t match the theme. It wasn’t something I could do right now, but it’s worth considering at least once.
Afterward, I asked Nicang about Stardust, and we took pictures together to post while we were at it, deciding to drop the formalities in our conversation due to the drinks. Of course, although Nicang was two years older than me, it seemed she preferred talking casually.
“Okay, sure, Seolha.”
“Yeah, from now on, you can use casual speech, or not.”
With my actual age being much older, it wasn’t too hard for me to speak casually to her.
However, I did worry about what would happen when I eventually faced Riri. I was concerned that if I broke the ice with Nicang, Riri might feel a bit awkward. It was like a family tree gone wrong, you know?
I don’t know. Well, two years isn’t a huge age difference, right? They say these days, young people can easily become friends regardless of age as long as they get along.
Perhaps I was just stuck in my outdated Confucian ways.
As we were slightly tipsy, chatting back and forth, a guy with a bright red face who clearly reeked of alcohol approached us.
From the moment Nicang and I entered the place, I felt his gaze piercing us, and my gut feeling was proven right.
“Ahem, excuse me.”
I briefly contemplated how to deal with the suddenly approaching man.
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