Chapter 27

It was just another day at work. Arkane has a special film scheduled for this late morning, and all of the members dressed up like different members for the video.

Yumi exclaimed, "Jaeseong-shi!" as he turned around. "Let me fix your make-up," she said, then wiped the sweat from his brow and applied powder to his face.

The clown was bothered by how she addressed him, so he remarked, "You know, you don't have to call me so formally. We're friends."

"We're at work. We might be friends personally, but you're still older than I am in the industry."

He let out a gentle sigh. "That's true, but still," he complained. Yumi finished and moved on to the next person in line.

"Minjoon-shi! "she yelled out.

"Noona!" Minjoon waved to her as she approached him, who was standing beside Jiwoo.

Yejoon then scooted beside them, frowning, in the middle of her job. "Will we play G.A.M.E.S. after this?" he inquired.

"Are you already wishing to rest after weeks of working?" Yumi replied sarcastically.

"You remember how time doesn't stop inside the game when we're here?" he said. "In just three hours, I have piano lessons with the prince. I can't skip that."

"I'll go with you then," Jiwoo said.

Whether they like it or not, they must all log in if one of the members does. Angela and Heric were included. That's exactly how the rules are, because if one person stays here while the other logs in, time will stop in the earth realm. Similarly to what happened to Yumi before, on the day they arranged to own a familiar.

The director begins recording minutes after the crew has finished fixing the boy's make-up and hair.

"You guys have fun with your Switch version performance," Yumi said as she walked away.

"Thanks, noona!" Minjoon replied with a smile and a wave, while the others smiled and bowed.

Haejin handed her a cup of coffee as she headed back to where the other staff members were behind the camera to relax during their little break.

"Thanks," she murmured, huffing in exhaustion.

"How is your stay here so far?" Haejin inquired as she sipped her drink.

"Tough, but manageable," Yumi answered, and as she sipped her drink, Haejin spotted one of the members giving her a sidelong glance.

The boy slowly switched his gaze to Haejin, who was staring back at him. When he noticed the woman catching his eyes towards her buddy, he hurriedly averted eye contact.

She beams. "I noticed Jiwoo-shi keeps staring at you; could he, perhaps?" she teases, earning a disbelieving wince from Yumi.

It baffled her how delusional her Sunbaenim was; she knew she applied to an entertainment company in Seoul full of artists, but she didn't apply for this position merely to hook up with the artists.

"What drugs are you on, Sunbae? We only met a couple of weeks ago," she says before turning her focus to the gamer.

Coincidentally, she happened to catch him glancing at her before he quickly averted his gaze.

He was embarrassed and pretended to be talking to his members while they were preparing for the performance.

He returned his gaze a few seconds later. But this time, he waved with an embarrassed look. Yumi responded to him with a slight grin and her fist raised, sending gestures of encouragement.

The boy's bashful grin transformed into a giddy smile as a result of her small move. It appeared to have brightened his day a bit.

"Believe me now?" Haejin asked, taking a sip of her drink with a smug look.

Yumi snickered. "That doesn't mean anything, Sunbae," she said.

Although they had met a few months before, the time they had spent together or seen each other was insufficient for someone to fall in love with her.

She knew Haejin was just being a delusional employee. They were working in an environment where fandoms were the most delusional.

Jiwoo was not the kind to fall in love easily. Even if he was that type, Yumi doesn't recall making a good first impression on him when they first met inside G.A.M.E.S.

***

After the recording, the crew assisted the artists in removing their makeup before heading home. It had been a long day, and both the artist and the staff were fatigued with stiffened backs.

Yumi wanted to sleep as soon as they arrived home, but the guys needed her to join them and log in.

She went up to the boy's dorm above her and rang the doorbell after changing into something much more comfortable.

Jiho picked up the door a few seconds later and smiled.

"Hey noona, you arrived just in time! Come in!" He said as he led her to their living room, closing the door behind her.

They had gathered in the living room to await her arrival. Yumi was taken aback when she noticed that they were all wearing something warm on top.

Was I not made aware of something? She pondered.

"What's with those jackets?" she inquired, pointing to their large hooded jackets with her brow furrowed in perplexity.

"Didn't Angela inform you?" asked Seongho.

"About what?"

Joseph went on to explain that, despite the fact that it was summer in the earthly realm, it was winter in the gaming realm. His explanation surprised her. Summer normally arrives in the middle of the year.

"Apparently summer's in January, while it snows in the middle and at the end of the year," he added.

They had never experienced winter in the summer before. Despite being warned of the cold, Yumi didn’t mind logging in without a jacket or blanket to keep her warm.

It would be quite tempting for her to stay if she returned to her dorm. She was also too sluggish to return to her unit.

"You sure? Angela said it's pretty cold," Seungjae asked.

"It never bothered me anyway."

But as soon as they logged in, the cold air hit their bare skin, leading Yumi, the only one without a thick cover, to shiver in regret.

"See, I told you." Seungjae shrugged as the girl trembled in the cold.

Even with proper warm cover, winter in the gaming universe was exceedingly chilly for them, despite being inside the cabin with their big jacket on.

Outside, it was snowing, which covered the backyard and froze the pool. While everyone else was looking for various methods to stay warm inside, Sujin took care of the fireplace, using his 'red fire' power to start the fire.

"Noona, I made the fireplace work," he told Yumi.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed as she sat down in front of the fire. Winter in the game world was no laughing matter; it was truly bitterly cold. It was far colder than the winter she had experienced in Tokyo.

As she warmed her freezing hands, unexpectedly, she felt someone place their thick jacket on her shoulder. The person then sat down next to her.

She turned to see who it was and saw Jiwoo. Because of what he did, the cold breeze took over his jacket's warmth, and he was now warming his hands on the warm fire beside her.

Yumi was grateful for what he had done, but she was concerned that he might catch a cold. She removed his jacket and returned it to him, but the gamer declined.

"Don't worry. This glove can help me through the cold," he responded.

Jeongmin snickered as he saw what his pal had done. He could see the boy acting tough in front of her while shivering uncontrollably from the cold.

The Imaginator took blankets from the bag he had taken with him to this dimension, then threw one at the boy, surprising him.

"Stop lying," he said to the gamer, who chuckled.

"Thanks for the blanket," he replied, wrapping himself in it as Z sat on his lap to warm herself.

Art was sitting on her master's lap, warming herself up, and seeing them two, the other familiars joined in the warmth. Though it was freezing, it felt cozy inside.

"Jeongmin-ah, toss me a blanket!" Jun exclaimed when he noticed the boy carrying bundles of fuzzy blankets.

"Catch!"

"Wait, toss it gently."

But before the boy could hear his message, the Imaginator hurled the blanket hard, falling on the Elen-der’s face. The momentum prompted the youngster to grunt, and Jeongmin audibly gasped when he heard that sound.

Jun pouted and softly groaned, "I said gently."

"Sorry," he lamented.

While the majority of the friends were resting inside the cabin, a couple of them were clearing snow out of the path in the front yard.

Seongho noticed the flag raised from the mailbox as they worked. He opened it and discovered a letter inside.

"Hey, we got a letter!" He told the others.

"Who's it from?" Yuto inquired as he approached the knight. He was given the letter to go over, and he realized it was addressed to Minjoon and Yumi.

He informed the chef and instructed them to give it to Yumi instead, as he was too busy tending to their garden. So Yuto went inside, holding the letter in his hand.

"Yumi noona! You've received a letter!" he loudly said as he handed her the fancy-looking envelope.

"Who's it from?" she wondered as she stood up and took the letter.

"I don't know. It doesn't say from who on the envelope," he remarked as she sat back down and examined the envelope.

Looking at the time, there were only a few minutes left before the musician's piano lessons started with the prince. Yet, the carriage has not arrived.

He then noticed Jaeseong enter the cabin, trembling from the cold as he placed the shovel next to the drawer.

"Has the carriage arrived yet, Jaeseong Hyung?" he inquired.

"No. Were they supposed to pick you up?" he asked, then looked at the clock, which showed 1:45. "Oh damn, they must've forgotten."

"I'll go by foot then," he said, standing up and taking his belongings.

"In this weather, no, you're not," Seongho said after overhearing their conversation as he entered with Minjoon after their job in the front yard.

"I'll take you there with my vehicle," Jaeseong offered.

Yumi advises they bring an umbrella with them on their ride to keep the snow from brushing across their faces. It was frigid outdoors, so they should bring items and clothing that would keep them warm on their trek to the castle.

With the woman's guidance, they rode the piñata to the castle, carrying an umbrella, jackets, and masks to shield themselves from the cold.

"Take care!" Seongho said as Yuto sat down beside Yumi and began reading the letter.

"Who's it from?" he inquired.

"From the King of Holland," she answered.

"What does he want from you?" Jiwoo inquired.

"It says here,

March 19, 2024

Dear Ms. Mizukasa and Mr. Seo,

We wrote this letter to invite you both to my son's 20th birthday on the 23rd and to request that you serve your so-called dish, pizza, for his celebration.

We expect about 40 people to attend, hence why we need your permission. Of course, this request will not be done for free; we will compensate heavily for the meal.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Yours truly, King Michael Kors.”

"I see we've attracted another king besides King Schmmok," the chef said. While this astounded the chef, it made the Imaginator ambivalent.

The Holland Kingdom was somewhat far from Houndlet, so traveling there by carriage would most certainly take a day. The letter was sent on the 19th and delivered to us the following day, leaving us with only three days until the actual celebration.

"I'm down for it," Minjoon answered unconcernedly.

His excited demeanor was the opposite of Yumi’s. She wasn't sure if getting involved with matters from other kingdoms was a smart idea, especially since they weren't from this universe.

"Plus, you'll be given free food," Yuto continued.

Yumi was in deep thought, debating with herself. According to the letter, if they accept this job, they will be well compensated. They also get to partake in the festivities and feast on the buffet.

That, to Yumi, was definitely a win-win situation.

"Alright then!" she shouted, "this will be our first job as a chef, Joonie!" She stood up and pinned the letter to the refrigerator to remind them of the important date.

***

Yejoon and Jaeseong arrived at the castle ten minutes later, shivering and their hair covered with snow particles. As Yumi had predicted, the ride to the castle without the carriage would be agonizing.

Their appearance downright surprised Mr. Smith when he opened the castle doors.

"Good heavens, look how ghastly you both look! Please, hurry inside!" Mr. Smith stepped aside to let the boys in and then quickly shut the front doors. "I can't believe you walked all the way here; you should've waited for the carriage to arrive!"

"I waited, but no one came to pick me up." Yejoon quivered.

"Let's get you all warmed up!" the butler said as he led them to a room with a fireplace where they could warm themselves.

It felt delightful to walk inside the room in the dead of winter. It wasn't as cold as the cabin, and the warmth felt nice on their skin.

They sat in front of the fireplace with a blanket wrapped around them, enjoying the warmth but still feeling cold from the aftermath of the journey.

The king entered the room a few minutes later and saw the boys seeking to keep warm under the cover. The clown and musician turned to see who had entered, and their eyes widened as he approached.

"Y-your Highness!" Yejoon attempted to stand, but the King instantly stopped him.

"There's no need to be formal. I believe winter isn't your favorite," he said, starting a casual conversation.

"Not really, your highness," Jaeseong hesitated, then huffed coldly, causing the King to crack up at their appearance.

"Mr. Smith will come back with some warmer clothes for the both of you."

Yejoon noted his majesty dressed professionally as he examined the king's attire. "Are you going somewhere, your highness?"

"To the village. To bring some warm food, drinks, and blankets for the citizens, perfect for the cold. We wouldn't want them to suffer in this awful blizzard, would we now?" he responded.

It was lovely and heartwarming to witness the monarch taking care of his people rather than taking his wealth for granted.

"In that case, please take care, your highness!" Yejoon exclaimed with a bow.

"Thank you! We'll be back in about an hour; if you're hungry, please notify Mr. Smith; you may use the kitchen to prepare your meal; I'll be leaving now!"

The clown and musician bowed to the monarch as he exited the chamber.