HBWnovel Chapter 32
Chapter 32
I don’t take immense pride in being one of the early members of Ifrit Gallery.
After all, it’s only natural for new users to join over time.
However.
"The ones joining now are just trolls."
For a long while, there had been almost no influx of new users to Ifrit Gallery.
But now, suddenly, at this time, a flood of newcomers?
It had to be trolls.
And so, I took "action."
[Author: UnveilLondonSecrets]
[Title: Just joined the gallery—why are there so many newcomers?]
[Content: Don’t newcomers know they can’t earn fixed nicknames for a month?]
I made a subtle jab.
Of course, no such rule actually existed.
It wasn’t even in Red’s community guidelines.
I just invented it on the spot because I wanted to.
Shortly after posting:
L: ????
L: Is this for real??
L: Never heard of this in my life...
L Kang Hoo-min: Does that mean I need to reset my fixed nickname after two weeks of gallery use? ????
└ L: You’ve been in the gallery for over two years, what are you talking about?
└ L: Acting like a newbie, LOL.
└ L: Newbie (with 130,000 posts combined).
└ L: My concept of "newbie" has really changed.
L: Right! Fixed-nickname LondonSecrets is totally correct! LOL.
└ L: A jab disguised as flowery sarcasm, classic.
└ L: Jeez, look at this passive-aggressive tone, like Red. Just stop it.
The comments started pouring in rapidly.
It seemed like many people had been waiting for me to post something.
As I scrolled through the gallery, the stillness in my room was broken by a voice.
“Oppa, what are you doing tomorrow?”
Yeram’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
Tomorrow...?
I didn’t have much planned aside from going to the café.
Lately, that’s all I’d been doing.
“I’ve got my shift at the café. Why?”
Hearing this, Yeram hesitated as though debating whether to say something, before finally speaking.
“Well... can you come with me somewhere tomorrow?”
A completely unexpected request.
“Where?”
If it wasn’t too far, I could skip a day at the café, but if it was a significant distance, taking two days off would be tough.
“There’s a place in Seongsu-dong with good food. I did well on my mock exams, so... could you treat me?”
The mention of Seongsu-dong gave me a bad feeling.
The place was notorious for its high prices.
Everything sold there was expensive.
“Let me check first.”
It was best to see what kind of restaurant it was before agreeing.
After all, the price would determine whether I could go or not.
“Oh, here.”
Yeram cautiously handed me her phone, where she had saved the restaurant’s details.
The information caught my eye.
[ Braised Short Ribs (Small, 2-3 servings): 45,000 won ]
“...”
For a moment, I doubted my own eyes.
Forty-five thousand won for braised short ribs?
Sure, I knew braised short ribs were expensive, but I hadn’t imagined they’d be this pricey.
“Hold on.”
[ Ifrit Gallery ]
The gallery had plenty of knowledgeable people for this kind of random query.
[Author: UnveilLondonSecrets]
[Title: First time in Seongsu-dong—any recommendations?]
[Content: Totally new here. What’s worth seeing?]
I posted the query and put my phone back in my pocket as we headed to the location Yeram had marked on the map.
When we arrived, a sleek-looking restaurant caught my eye.
“Oh, the exterior is really nice.”
“Well, it’d better be for the price.”
She wasn’t wrong.
If you’re paying that much for a meal, the place should at least look presentable.
As we stepped inside—
“Welcome!”
The staff greeted us warmly.
It had been a while since I experienced such hospitality, and it felt a bit overwhelming.
“Um, it’s just the two of us. Where should we sit?”
“I’ll show you to your table.”
With a slight bow, the staff guided us to our seats.
“Call me when you’re ready to order.”
After another polite bow, they left.
“Just one order of braised short ribs?”
“Yeah, anything more would be a bit much.”
Given the steep prices, we opted for the small portion.
Rice would surely come with it, right?
“So, why did you suddenly want to come here?”
I still hadn’t heard the reason.
Sure, I knew Yeram loved food, but why travel all the way to Seongsu-dong?
“Oh... The streamer I watch eats here often. It looked delicious, so I wanted to try it.”
“I thought you didn’t watch live streams.”
“I do sometimes.”
“More like often.”
“Hey, stop exaggerating.”
I grew more suspicious, but there wasn’t much I could do.
It wasn’t my college entrance exam on the line—it was hers.
I could only hope she managed herself well.
Just then, I heard familiar voices from the restaurant entrance.
“Ugh, I’m so tired...”
“But it was fun, right?”
“Yeah, it was.”
Turning toward the source of the voices—
“Huh? What the...”
A blonde woman with strikingly foreign features stood at the entrance, looking exhausted.
‘Harin? Here?’
She wasn’t alone—another woman, unfamiliar to me, stood beside her.
It was an odd coincidence to meet her here.
As I reached for a piece of radish kimchi—
“Wow...”
I turned to see Yeram’s eyes sparkling.
She looked more excited than I’d ever seen her before.