Chapter 83 of Season 1 of The Genius Archer

29. Fan Service (3)

"Omen! I believe you!"

"......"

Under Joo-hyuk's strange toast.

Clank.

The glasses of Joo-hyuk, Ji-a, and Sang-hyun clinked together.

"Ah."

"Ugh."

"Kyaa."

Each of them let out different exclamations, frowning.

Then they slurped the stew in their bowls.

"This is pretty good."

Joo-hyuk said, tearing a piece of octopus. He had been skeptical about the octopus in the kimchi stew, but it turned out to be quite refreshing.

"Right."

Sang-hyun agreed, taking a bite of the hot tofu.

Only Ji-a remained silent.

She was just slurping the stew without a word.

"Ji-a seems to prefer soup dishes."

Ji-a looked up at Joo-hyuk, swallowed what was in her mouth, and replied.

"......It's delicious. Isn't it?"

"Ah, it is!"

"Hey, pour more drinks."

It was still an awkward drinking session. Sang-hyun knew that alcohol was the best medicine in such situations.

"Okay!"

Joo-hyuk enthusiastically opened the soju bottle.

Clink.

The three glasses were filled again.

Gulp.

Without hesitation, they all drank it in one gulp. They would probably be hungover tomorrow, but all three had jobs that allowed them to take a day off.

"Pour more!"

Sang-hyun held out his glass again.

At this point, it felt more like a bar than a stew restaurant.

But they didn't want to move.

They wanted to stay here. Now that the people who recognized them were gone, they didn't want to go outside and be recognized again.

Being famous was fun, but they didn't like it when people joined their drinking session.

"Sure, sure."

Joo-hyuk poured more drinks.

They drank it all in one go again.

This was the medicine for awkwardness.

* * *

Too much of a good thing can be deadly.

The awkwardness disappeared completely.

"Hey! Almond......!"

Swish.

Ji-a's finger wobbled in front of Sang-hyun's eyes. Was it me wobbling, or was it Ji-a?

"You... are really popular, aren't you?"

Joo-hyuk tried to intervene.

"Is that Ji-a?"

"Damn."

Thud.

Ji-a pushed Joo-hyuk, but she just fell into him.

She was too small and too drunk.

"I'll take care of it! But who will make the video!? Hey!?"

"You will."

Sang-hyun was also drunk, and they had already dropped the formalities.

"Right! What?"

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Exactly! Jo... just... Ah! Forget it! Damn."

Thud.

Ji-a fell to the side again.

This time, it was on the opposite side of Joo-hyuk, towards the hallway where people were walking.

Joo-hyuk almost grabbed her collar to pull her up.

"Hey, Ji-a. Why are you acting like a kid?"

"Joo-hyuk, you must feel good being older, right?"

Pfft.

Sang-hyun burst out laughing.

"Joo-hyuk."

Seeing Joo-hyuk's expression, he couldn't help but feel victorious.

"......What, what."

"Right, Joo-hyuk. Don't talk about age."

"You too? You're thirty, aren't you! Damn!"

"Actually, I'm 28."

"......What?"

Kim Joo-hyuk's expression was now indescribable.

'What is this guy saying?'

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"I'm exempt from military service. I was a young head of household. Didn't you think it was strange? No two years of military service, no college."

"Shit. I thought you just slacked off for two years!"

Unbelievable.

Yu Sang-hyun was still 28.

"Then why did you lie about being in your thirties?! Even on the stream!"

"Well, everyone around me knows I'm 28, and there's not much difference between 28 and 30."

Kim Joo-hyuk wanted to grab Sang-hyun's head with one hand and Ji-a's collar with the other.

"Are you 3 years younger than me?!"

"I'm almost 29, so what?"

"I'm almost 32, damn it! What kind of logic is this?"

"Who went abroad for studies?"

Hahaha!

Sang-hyun laughed as if he was having the time of his life.

'This crazy devil.'

If Joo-hyuk had a choice between a red pill and a blue pill, he would have chosen the blue pill.

He didn't want to remember anything. He just wanted this to be an illusion, and for Sang-hyun to be 30, one year younger than him, as he originally thought.

"Hey, what's the big deal? You knew he was younger, right?"

"Is a one-year difference the same?!"

"It's all the same. What's the point of nitpicking over a year?"

"No, I went abroad, not you—"

Thud!

Suddenly, Ji-a opened her eyes wide and stood up.

As a result, Joo-hyuk's chin hit her head.

"Ouch!"

The momentum was so strong that even the big Joo-hyuk staggered.

Sang-hyun burst out laughing again.

Meanwhile, Ji-a's gaze was fixed on her phone, as if she didn't care about anything else.

"I... I...!"

She muttered, looking at her phone notification in disbelief.

"What? What is it?"

"Elect... electronic..."

"?"

Joo-hyuk and Sang-hyun looked at each other, confused.

"Electronic started streaming."

* * *

If it were the old Sang-hyun, he wouldn't have been surprised that a streamer started streaming. He would have been indifferent.

'Wasn't it said that he hasn't streamed for three years?'

Electronic's hiatus was three years.

Since then, he only occasionally did some commercial shoots.

He was practically no longer a streamer.

He didn't even play games.

'No way.'

The name 'PapaPapa' flashed in Sang-hyun's mind.

He quickly opened his phone and checked Trivia.

As soon as he entered, the main screen showed Electronic's streaming.

'How many viewers?'

It wasn't displayed yet.

It must have just started. Sang-hyun quickly clicked to enter.

"......What?"

[This channel's broadcast has ended]

What's this?

Didn't the notification just go off? Is it an error? Is it the Wi-Fi?

"......It's off."

Ji-a said the same thing.

That means it really turned off.

"The broadcast was on for a moment and then turned off."

"......"

Ha.

Sang-hyun let out a sigh. He had been subtly tense without realizing it.

Just because Electronic started streaming.

'Is he aware of me as a rival?'

Yes. Maybe he is a rival.

Considering Electronic's impressive history, it might be presumptuous to say so...

But he was definitely a rival. They had competed a few times in the past.

Of course, he couldn't compare to Electronic's pro-gamer days. But even in the streamer days, Almond had a chance with records in other games.

"......It must have been an error."

Joo-hyuk put down his phone and leaned back on the sofa.

Even as a manager, he seemed quite tense.

Electronic's return could also be a problem for Almond's character.

At least in Joo-hyuk's mind.

"Huh."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"Hmm......"

Thud.

Ji-a fell onto the table and fell asleep. She was already out of it, but she must have used superhuman strength to stand up when Electronic started streaming.

'Was she a fan of Electronic?'

Considering Ji-a's personality, it wouldn't be strange if she was a fan of Electronic.

It would be natural to think she switched to Almond, who was in a similar genre, after Electronic's long hiatus.

"Let's go."

Sang-hyun got up first.

When he went to the counter to pay.

"Ah, no need to pay."

"......What?"

The owner said he wouldn't take money.

"Why, why not?"

"Well, you were asked to be our franchise model, right? Hahaha!"

The owner gave a look that said, 'I know things too, you know~'

Know things? Bullshit.

"I haven't accepted it yet."

"!?"

It was a brand he hadn't decided to accept yet.

"Ah... Is that so? Hahaha! The CEO is quite... enthusiastic."

"Here."

Sang-hyun handed over his card.

But the owner shook his head.

"Then it's for the best. Our successor store! Remember that! Hahaha!"

He refused to take the payment.

"Please consider the ad again! And please speak well of the CEO!!!"

He bowed 90 degrees and saw them off. It was a bit awkward, but not unpleasant.

"Hey, I always wondered why old people like flattery so much."

"......Why?"

"Don't you get it? I know now! Hahaha!"

Joo-hyuk seemed to be in a very good mood, regardless of whether it was unpleasant or not.

He carried the wobbling Ji-a himself.

Sang-hyun shook his head.

"Hey, I'll carry Ji-a."

"Huh? You're drunk too."

"No, I'm not."

"Fine. I'm taller."

"I'm stronger."

That's true, given his