NOVEL WEB Chapter 8
Finally, the day of the AGP arrived.
I got ready to head out, wearing my usual plain clothes and throwing on a sling bag I found lying around the house.
“Woo-yu, I’m off. Keep an eye on the house for me.”
“Nyaang.”
I said goodbye to Woo-yu and slipped out of the house.
As I stood in the blazing sunlight, I felt like I’ve been going out a lot more since the Twip Party.
Sure, I wasn’t completely housebound — I had my gym and personal errands — but those were just the same old monotonous hamster wheel of a routine. So, these outings always brought a bit of excitement.
『Today’s Fortune』
– Today’s fortune is ‘Destined Reunion’.
The day when passing coincidences turn into fate and return to you.
Don’t take any meeting lightly; what if today flows by and you end up reuniting with someone?
.
.
.
On my way to the subway station, I glanced at today’s fortune, which had some rather profound content.
Has there been any meeting worth such a fate recently?
– I hope you know that there’s someone who truly cherishes Mr. Cosmo. I sometimes feel that Mr. Cosmo might not realize how precious he is.
Pondering over it, a certain face flashed in my mind.
If there’s someone I’d actually want to meet again, it’d probably be her. But what are the odds that such a coincidence would happen again?
“Damn.”
I finally arrived at the ATEX venue where the AGP was being held, and an involuntary curse slipped from my lips.
Wow, what the heck is all this?
People usually call large crowds a swarm of ants, but I never expected to see such a sight. Just how many people are there? Will I even get in today?
If I had known it would be this packed, I probably shouldn’t have come at all. The sponsors even mentioned that the line would be so long that it might not be worth coming.
They didn’t even send me tickets, so I had to come out of my own pocket.
I thought about turning back, but it’d be a shame to waste the trip after coming this far.
Besides, since someone like me got the job of handling the ads, I should do it properly. I could use the AGP experience as content for Just Chatting later.
Alright, the line isn’t moving too slowly, so let’s just wait it out. As the saying goes, patience brings rewards.
“Excuse me, please move for a moment…!”
“…Huh?”
Just as I was about to take out my phone to pass the time, I sensed a familiar voice among the murmurs of the crowd and turned my head reflexively.
Huh? That person is…?
“Excuse me, pardon me. Sorry!”
As I mixed into the line, I wondered if I had just imagined it, but with a face like that, it was hard to forget. So, I confidently stepped out of the line and headed to the back.
At that moment, our eyes met, and the woman standing at the back and I both widened our eyes in shock.
It’s no wonder,
“Mr. Cosmo…!?”
“Oh…? You’re the one I met at the Twip Party, right?”
Indeed, she was the woman who had introduced herself as my fan at the Twip Party.
In that moment, my fortune from this morning flashed through my mind like a panorama.
No way, did that fortune really come true? What a miraculous occurrence.
“Oh, hello. Nice to see you here.”
Dressed in an ivory coat and a checkered tennis skirt, she bowed her head politely, looking quite chilly.
Why on earth would she wear something so thin? Is she not sensitive to cold?
“By the way, are you here to check out the AGP today?”
“Yeah, I’m curious about the game Mr. Cosmo is advertising, and I thought I’d look around.”
“Ah, I see. I wondered if you would actually be interested in this kind of stuff, but that’s a pleasant surprise.”
I phrased it diplomatically, but what I meant was that it didn’t seem fitting for such a beautiful person to be at this geeky event. Based on her appearance, she seemed more like someone who’d appreciate art at a museum.
“By the way, weren’t you in line up front? What brings you all the way back here…?”
“Oh, I heard a familiar voice and thought I’d check if it was someone I knew.”
I spoke without thinking and then quickly regretted it.
I didn’t mean to come off like I was flirting, but I worried she might take it that way.
You know how it goes, men don’t waste time on women who don’t show interest. And given how pretty she is, I’m sure she’s dealt with guys trying to subtly approach her before.
“Oh…! Thank you. I actually wanted to say hello when I saw Mr. Cosmo, but I was worried it might be too much…”
Thank goodness she didn’t misconstrue my words; she smiled, easing my burden.
Wow, I still can’t believe someone so kind and beautiful is a fan of mine. Did I save a country in my past life?
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. I feel guilty for speaking without thinking.”
“No, it’s fine…! I’m actually quite happy about it…”
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
This is the kind of scenario where being a fan and streamer really pays off.
If I tried to strike up a conversation with someone like her in daily life, it wouldn’t be strange to get reproached for bragging about just meeting once.
“Since we’ve met, would you like to wait in line together? It’s a bit boring to wait alone.”
“Wait, I’ll try my best…!”
“No, you don’t have to….”
I was taken aback by her fierce determination as she clenched her fist, suddenly becoming more spirited.
She seems like she has a mature style but is surprisingly innocent.
As we chatted about how my breakfast went and how the line was longer than I expected, I realized I had been starting conversations with “Um…” or “By the way…,” never taking the initiative.
Hmm, well, since we’re likely going to be waiting for a while, I can’t keep doing that.
“Oh, by the way, how should I refer to you? I didn’t catch your Twip nickname when we first met…”
Mustering a bit of courage, I asked about her title, and her eyes started darting chaotically as if she were confused.
“Oh… um, well, that’s…”
She started to speak but then abruptly stopped, hesitating to find the words.
Ah, I wonder if she feels a bit uncomfortable revealing her nickname or real name? Maybe there’s a personal reason?
Some might think it’s silly to hold onto a name, but everyone has their own circumstances. It’d be rude to pry.
Maybe I should find a middle ground? Hmm, what could work… Aha!
“If you’re not comfortable sharing your name, how about I call you Older Sister?”
“Y-You mean… Older Sister?”
My attempt at creativity made her repeat “Older Sister?” like a marionette malfunctioning.
“You asked me to call you that at the party. It just popped into my head.”
I felt a bit bad since I had only met her once, but she didn’t seem entirely offended.
She didn’t look too opposed, though, either.
“I-I’m fine with it… But, is Mr. Cosmo okay with that?”
“Of course. I have an Older Sister in my family, so calling you that is no problem for me.”
“Oh, right.”
Since I mentioned it on stream before, she seemed to recall. She nodded vigorously, looking relieved.
Great, with that, I got the green light.
“Then I’ll call you Older Sister for the day. If it feels uncomfortable at any point, just let me know, and I’ll find another way to address you.”
“No, it’s fine! Honestly, I’m just really happy…”
“Haha, I’m relieved to hear that.”
I didn’t think she’d be so thrilled about just being called Older Sister, but I was grateful that she was trying to ease my anxiety.
“By the way, aren’t you cold? They even issued a cold wave warning today…”
Feeling a bit closer because of the new title, I asked about her outfit since she was clearly underdressed compared to everyone else, who wore at least jackets or multiple layers for warmth.
“I-I’m fine! I’m kind of strong against the cold… achoo!”
“…You don’t look that way at all.”
She tried to play it cool but couldn’t hide the redness in her cheeks from the cold and ended up sneezing.
If she keeps this up, she’s going to catch a cold…
“Well then, keep this in your pocket. It should help a bit.”
“What? This…”
As I pulled out a hot pack I had in my right pocket and offered it to her, she stared at me and the hot pack, alternating her gaze in confusion. There’s no way she doesn’t know what a hot pack is.
“I’m feeling fine since I layered up, so don’t think of it as a bother. Just use it.”
“No, I… really don’t need it…! achoo!”
“Come on, don’t be stubborn.”
If it were someone I was closer to, I would’ve offered them my coat, but that might feel too much, so this felt appropriate.
I handed the hot pack to the stubborn Older Sister, smiling, causing her already red face to flush deeper.
“Why did you wear something so thin? It’s not like you’re here to impress someone.”
With her warming up with the hot pack, I was suddenly curious and threw the question out. If she came with a boyfriend, I’d understand, but this level of thinness for no reason puzzled me.
“I-I just thought it would look pretty.”
“……?”
She gave a slightly bland response and began fiddling with the hot pack, staring at it.
I wanted to retort that no matter what she wore, her beauty wouldn’t diminish, but saying that to her face felt impossible, so I held my tongue.
I wondered how much longer we’d be waiting.
The line that led to the building had quickly dwindled down.