Chapter 39
Chapter 39: Strange Neighbors (2)
Han Su-a had shuffled out in her slippers to go to the convenience store.
She had been up all night working and her head was in a daze, but the moment she saw Mu-yeong, her drowsiness vanished completely.
Why is this person here? Am I still in the middle of editing?
She had definitely just finished the deadline for [Outdoor Stream Part 2] moments ago.
And she had come out after scheduling the upload for exactly 9 o'clock—yet here was Mu-yeong in the flesh, standing right in front of her.
She rubbed her eyes wondering if she might be dreaming, but this was reality alright.
As her mind snapped into focus, his face came into sharper detail.
But…… he really is insanely handsome.
Of course, seeing him through a screen had been incredible enough, but in person it was on a completely different level.
On par with a celebrity.
Or beyond.
Han Su-a had fairly high standards, but he had cleared them by a staggering margin.
Honestly, he was so striking that making eye contact felt almost uncomfortable.
But perhaps because he was the one who had gotten her hooked on editing lately?
A sense of inner familiarity welled up alongside a strange surge of confidence.
She cleared her throat with a little ahem and walked into the elevator with a wide smile.
"Hello. Good morning!"
Taken aback by the sudden greeting, Mu-yeong was thoroughly flustered.
Exchanging pleasantries was something anyone could do.
But when someone who looked half-dead delivered the words this brightly, the situation became something else entirely.
Is this perhaps a final flare of vitality?
Was she about to suddenly keel over at any moment?
Concern rose in him first, but he returned the greeting for now.
"……Good morning."
"I'm Han Su-a, from floor 12."
"Mu-yeong, from floor 15."
"Ah, is that so! I've lived here for a long time, so I thought I'd never seen you before!"
"It's been roughly two weeks since I moved in."
"Ooh! Two weeks!"
Han Su-a's eyes lit up.
The fact that she was doing this with her half-vacant expression was unsettling in its own right, but he didn't let it show.
She stood beside Mu-yeong and asked carefully.
"I apologize for being so forward on our first meeting, but…… could you perhaps be the person behind that punch machine video that's been all the talk lately?"
"……Embarrassing as it is, that's correct."
"I've rewatched that clip so many times! Especially this one."
Han Su-a pulled out her phone and showed him a video.
It was an edited version—not the original, but one that had been cut together to look impressive.
"I saw this and immediately became a fan of yours, Mu-yeong! One swing—thwack—and the punch machine just shatters, it was so intense and thrilling!"
She swung her arms around in imitation.
The childlike display made Mu-yeong let out an inadvertent chuckle.
"Fortunately enough, the company said they'd provide the unit free of charge. Something about the publicity it generated."
"Really?"
"Apparently new orders flooded in from the day it hit number one on Hot Clip. The shop owner contacted me too, saying the place has become a landmark and thanking me."
"Well, at their end of things it's practically a net gain. Boosting their image and growing sales—it's killing two birds with one stone."
As she spoke, Han Su-a glanced at the mirror on the side of the elevator.
She patted her bangs into place, then casually opened her mouth.
"But you know…… don't you think this video is really well made? Personally, I like the original too, but I think this one is even cooler."
"Ah, that person? I don't know who it is, but I'm grateful for it."
"Right? Whoever it is, the fitting background music, the sound effects, even the flashy visual effects! They must have put an enormous amount of effort into it."
"That's why I tried to hire them as an editor, but there's no way to contact them anywhere. I'd hate to let a talent like that slip through my fingers."
Flinch!
The moment Mu-yeong finished speaking, Han Su-a gave a great shudder.
She whipped her head to the side, her expression doing its best to contain a smile.
When she turned her face back, she looked decidedly pleased.
She twisted a strand of her side hair around her finger.
"I saw that too. The Random Toys channel, right? But in my opinion—they probably can't be brought on as a personal editor."
"What makes you say that?"
"Hmm…… just a feeling? People who do things as a hobby generally don't like being tied down anywhere. They have their own standards, and when they think, 'this is fun!' they move fast—but otherwise, well. You know how it is."
Mu-yeong let out a short hum of thought, having to concede there was a fair point in that.
"What a shame. In that case, I suppose I'll have to leave a comment asking for all those videos to be deleted."
"……Pardon? Why would you suddenly—"
"Wouldn't it be better to hire a different editor and grow my own channel instead? The way things stand now, they only look like a thief stealing views. A capable person is all well and good, but if they're harmful to me, I'll cut them off without hesitation. I'll ban them from editing anything related to me forever going forward."
"Huh? Wai—?"
Han Su-a froze solid.
With an expression that screamed that wasn't the plan, cold sweat began trickling down her face.
Wearing an awkward smile, she snapped her fingers.
"W-well, couldn't it work like this? Since it's a hobby anyway, uploading those videos onto your channel……"
"Wouldn't that be too much of a hassle? On top of which, since it's being done without permission, there's a high likelihood of problems arising."
"They might be nicer than you think and not make an issue of it? Since they're a fan of yours, they might just say it's fine!"
"And how would you know they're nice?"
"Wha……"
Han Su-a was struck dumb.
In the meantime, the elevator arrived at the first floor.
"Are you not getting off? I have business on basement floor three—in the Training Hall."
"A-actually, I was heading to the Training Hall too."
"Then why did you press the first floor?"
"My hand just……slipped?"
Shortly after, Mu-yeong and Han Su-a entered the Training Hall together.
An enormous space spanning roughly 50 meters in both length and width.
The ceiling was quite high as well, making it the perfect place to swing a sword to one's heart's content.
Mu-yeong drew the practice sword at his hip.
I would have preferred to be alone, but it doesn't matter. She clearly knows nothing about martial arts or combat techniques anyway.
As a rule, watching another person's training was practically an unspoken taboo.
Showing one's martial arts was the same as laying all of one's cards on the table.
And that could easily lead to a situation in which one's life was forfeit.
That was why it was forbidden even between close acquaintances—but Han Su-a was an exception.
Stripping away the bare minimum of muscle needed for everyday life, there wasn't a single trace of training in her body.
She had no internal energy, let alone a dantian.
However one looked at her, she was 100% civilian, pure and simple.
As long as she wasn't filming, it seemed she could occasionally serve as decent company.
A brief exchange had made it clear she was well-versed when it came to broadcasts.
Swsh
Mu-yeong closed his eyes.
He swept away the scattered thoughts in his mind, then drew a deep breath.
I have been neglecting my training while pouring myself into the stream, it's true.
Repaying the debt was one thing, and enjoying modern life was another, but what had to be done had to be done.
Always refining oneself so that one never grows rusty—that was the foundational mindset of a martial artist.
With a direction set, Mu-yeong extended his arm.
The instant he focused solely on the dialogue between himself and the sword, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art unfolded into the world one layer at a time.
.
.
.
.
How much time had passed.
Mu-yeong, who had been swinging his blade in a state of complete immersion, slowly opened his eyes.
"Huuu……"
His entire body was drenched in sweat.
His clothes were soaked through as if he had been caught in rain.
But his mind was clearer than it had ever been.
"It seems one's true nature cannot be deceived after all."
Coming to the Training Hall had been the right call.
He could not express it in precise figures, but he could feel that his overall mastery had advanced by one full level.
The live combat experience he had accumulated all this time had undoubtedly been a great help.
Mu-yeong gazed at his hand with sharpened eyes.
But it's a pity I couldn't channel my power into it. If I could use it properly, the improvement would be even greater.
The solution was one thing.
Playing a game in which he could use his internal energy to the fullest.
Mu-yeong clenched his fist and headed straight for the exit.
And then he spotted Han Su-a, nodding off.
"Zzzzz……zzz……mmngh, I'm sorry. Please just let me edit……"
She appeared to be having a frightening dream; she waved her hand through the air with a swoosh.
Every now and then she even groaned and shuddered.
Mu-yeong chuckled to himself.
"Figured as much."
From the very first look, it had been plain to see that fatigue had built up in her—so this was the natural outcome.
Should he wake her, or leave her to sleep?
Still, they had come to the Training Hall together; it felt wrong to leave alone.
Mu-yeong drew close to Han Su-a and was about to shake her awake when he paused.
It was because of the dark circles still deeply etched under her eyes.
A little bit should be fine.
Mu-yeong raised his index finger.
And then he began swiftly pressing the acupoints on Han Su-a's body.
Papapapak!
The moment he finished, her eyes opened.
"Mmm? Mu-yeong?"
"My training is done."
"Ah, I fell asleep for a moment. I pulled an all-nighter yesterday……"
Han Su-a had been rotating her shoulders and neck when she suddenly stopped.
She pressed on various spots across her body and let out a cry of delight.
"Wow, all that stiffness I wake up with is completely gone? That's amazing!"
"You must have slept soundly. Congratulations."
"Watching you swing your sword made me suddenly overcome with sleep! It's thanks to you! Thank you."
"……I'm glad it was of help."
Should he take that as a compliment? Or not?
Mu-yeong scratched his head and pointed at the exit.
"Let us be on our way."
"Sure!"
Han Su-a, who finally looked like a human being again, jumped to her feet.
As they waited for the elevator together, Mu-yeong asked something he had been curious about.
"From the way you were talking earlier, you seemed to know quite a lot about games—is that right?"
"Of course! When it comes to games, I'm basically an expert."
"Then could you recommend something that lets me use my martial arts to the fullest? I still haven't decided what to use for the next stream."
"Pardon me!? Your martial arts—to the fullest?"
Her voice pitch shot up sharply.
She made the expression of a child receiving a present, then vigorously shook her head.
"Ask me anything. Genre? Concurrent players? Popularity? I'll answer everything I know!"
At her confident words, Mu-yeong adjusted his assessment of Han Su-a for the first time.
A fairly useful neighbor, he decided.
.
.
.
.
"What is this? Our Daehwasan Sect is going into Sect Lockdown for a whole year?"
Yu Ye-rin had woken up to a text of nuclear proportions and her eyes went wide.
Her hands were trembling, but she soon collected herself.
It was because of the line stating that while the Sect Leader and the Elders would be going into Closed-Door Training, the disciples would be permitted to continue their external activities.
She had fortunately avoided having to shut down her stream.
But her curiosity only grew.
"Still though, why did they suddenly make this decision? Could it be……"
A single possibility surfaced in Yu Ye-rin's mind.
The Shadow Corps.
"They got caught. Obviously they got caught."
Given Mu-yeong's level of martial prowess, it was always a foregone conclusion.
She didn't know exactly how things had unfolded afterward, but if an issue had been raised over sending an assassin—
A Sect Lockdown as the outcome was perhaps only natural.
"Haaa……"
Yu Ye-rin let out a brief sigh and prepared to go out.
Today was the day of her weekly scheduled live sparring with her senior martial brother, No Song-baek.
A major incident in the form of a Sect Lockdown had erupted, but the prior engagement had been made, and she still had to go out.
"But when will I ever be able to bloom all the plum blossoms……"
The essence of Daehwasan.
The Twenty-Four-Form Plum Blossom Sword Art.
Her senior martial brother was said to have reached mastery at the same age she was now.
By contrast, Yu Ye-rin remained at barely half his level.
She hadn't even learned all the forms yet.
Displaying the complete art herself was the dream of Yu Ye-rin's lifetime, but the road was long and arduous.
To be frank, she had felt stagnant for nearly six months.
Perhaps that was why—every time her senior martial brother performed his swordsmanship, the deep and lingering fragrance of plum blossoms he left behind was something she could never forget.
Wiiing!
Just then, the vibration of her phone shattered her idle thoughts.
Yu Ye-rin set down the martial robe she had been holding and checked it.
The contents were a shock.
"……What? Senior martial brother is also entering Closed-Door Training along with them?"
Then what about their sparring?
Was a whole year of it cancelled outright?
With major events unfolding one after another, Yu Ye-rin fell into a panic.
Thud!
She sat down on the bed and began sorting through the situation.
All first-generation disciples and above are going into Closed-Door Training. That means there won't be anyone left to teach me swordsmanship at all……
Even while sparring once a week, she had already hit a wall.
And now she was supposed to do this alone going forward?
Having been struck by what felt like a bolt from the blue, Yu Ye-rin pressed her hand to her forehead.
At the end of a long deliberation over how to resolve this, the one name that suddenly surfaced was Mu-yeong.
A man with greater martial strength than her senior martial brother, with whom she had built a certain degree of familiarity.
But asking him to look at her martial arts was an entirely different matter.
"Still…… a little bit should be fine, shouldn't it? Something like pointing out where I need to improve……"
Yu Ye-rin fiddled with her phone.
She wrote out long messages and deleted them over and over, and eventually pressed the back button.
Even by her own assessment, this didn't feel right.
And so, just pressing whatever her hand landed on, she ended up navigating to Mu-yeong's Newtube channel.
A new thumbnail had appeared among the related videos.
Yu Ye-rin puffed out her cheek.
[Streamer Yu-na and Mu-yeong's Outdoor Stream]
"This must have been the punch machine episode, right? Also, the person called Yu-na is incredibly pretty……"
He had told her they'd play a game together at some point, and yet here he was on a date with another woman, having a grand old time behind her back.
Just as she was starting to feel slightly gloomy, her phone vibrated once more.
Yu Ye-rin checked the sender and her eyes went wide.
"Huh?"
—Mu-yeong: Would a collab stream be possible sometime soon?
—Mu-yeong: I've found a game we can play together, just the two of us.
The collab stream proposal from Mu-yeong she had waited and waited for.
Yu Ye-rin replied within three seconds.
Smiling brightly, as though nothing had happened at all.
—Yu Ye-rin: Of course!