READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 212
“I don’t know, they’ll figure it out themselves.”
Switching to channel 36 on the news channel that keeps repeating the same thing over and over.
As if it’s not Christmas, a live-action movie is playing where a blond, blue-eyed American boy outsmarts a thief.
Snacking on treats and gathering in front of the TV, it’s time to relax and watch Christmas specials.
Christmas events these days aren’t much to look at, and I find myself missing old classics more than computer games.
Similarly, Siyeon, who’s also an artist, is taking a day off, sitting comfortably on the sofa in front of the TV, enjoying a leisurely moment.
Suddenly, the event that comes to mind when thinking about Christmas at our house.
“Aren’t you going to say you want to eat cake this year?”
It’s the Christmas cake tasting.
When I asked, the answer came back as if she hadn’t forgotten.
“I’ll eat it all at Mari’s birthday-”
She says we can eat it all at my birthday.
It seems Siyeon has realized that Christmas isn’t such a big deal, so even the Christmas cake we used to buy is skipped this year.
Well, eating cake every week does feel a bit burdensome.
At this point, it’s just another passing holiday.
But since the media makes such a big fuss, it feels like we’ve finally got a peaceful holiday without any monster appearances.
Relaxing and focusing on the TV, Siyeon continues the conversation.
“Oh right, did you see the photo Ann sent?”
Ann, meaning Tiara.
The photo she recently sent shows her preparing for Christmas with some well-known influencers.
It’s currently 11 PM on Christmas Eve in LA.
With a 17-hour time difference, while we’re almost done with Christmas, it’s just getting started there.
“Yeah, they’re preparing for Christmas.”
In our country’s magical girl environment, direct conversations are avoided on calls or messaging apps.
Unlike our small peninsula, in the vast continent of America, they can openly reveal who they are and gather followers.
She even showed us through the messaging app how they’re preparing for Christmas, with a bright face, and wished us a happy Christmas in carefully written Korean.
Truly American, serious about various holidays, the way wealthy people enjoy festivals is quite different, and the scale is astonishing.
Who would have thought I’d receive a photo of a whole roasted turkey?
I heard it’s not as tasty as it looks.
Staring blankly at the smartphone, Siyeon seems to be looking at the photo Ann sent.
Curious about the unknown food, she asks me.
“What does turkey taste like?”
“Less tasty than chicken, chicken is the best.”
I haven’t tried it myself, but that’s what I heard from a YouTube video.
It’s said to be smelly and dry like chicken breast.
Well, if it were as tasty and juicy as chicken at that size, it would have gone extinct by now.
At the mention of chicken being the best, Siyeon suddenly perks up and says.
“Gasp, I want to eat chicken.”
“Suddenly?”
From talking about chicken and turkey, the conversation suddenly shifts to chicken.
Checking the time on the smartphone, it’s 4:36 PM.
Too late for lunch, too early for dinner.
But since she wants to eat, might as well order.
Opening the delivery app on the smartphone, I tap the search bar and look at Siyeon.
“What kind of chicken do you want?”
“Honey combo!”
“Ah, that one.”
The first franchise to introduce delivery fees.
Adding the Honey combo, a 23,000 won menu, to the cart.
Basic delivery fee 2,000 won, regional delivery fee 1,000 won extra.
Plus a Christmas surcharge I’ve never heard of, an extra 1,500 won.
Without adding anything extra, the price is already 27,500 won.
Almost 20% of the food cost is delivery fees, the world’s gone to hell.
“Of course, you guys are eating too, right?”
Turning my head slightly to look at the sofa armrest.
Asking the two mascots sitting comfortably, Gomteng slaps his chest with his fluffy arm as if it’s obvious.
“Needless to say, do we have mouths or not?”
“Then two…”
With four mouths to feed, one chicken is nowhere near enough.
Better to have leftovers than not enough.
Changing the number from 1 to 2, checking the price.
With a click, the first digit changes to 5.
With this money, might as well go to a buffet…?
No, it’s Christmas, anywhere you go, you’ll have to wait at least an hour.
Feeling a bit wasteful, but not wanting to move a step from the room on Christmas.
No choice but to press the payment complete button, feeling the money slip away indirectly, and slumping my arms.
Estimated delivery time, 56 to 72 minutes.
Normally, I’d think ‘it’ll come a bit early’ and ignore the estimated delivery time.
But given the date, that phrase stands out.
“Guess everyone’s ordering for Christmas.”
“Why?”
“The minimum estimated delivery time is 56 minutes?”
“Wow, but won’t it come a bit earlier?”
When I mentioned the minimum estimated time, Siyeon expressed hope for an early Christmas delivery.
Well, usually it comes earlier than the estimated time, saying it arrived XX minutes early, so the estimated time is usually set generously.
But that’s only on regular weekdays.
“Haha, probably not.”
Calmly crushing the hope, with a relaxed uncle’s laugh, hinting at a negative future.
From the first day of summer to the World Cup, big game tournaments, and so on…
On days clearly marked as ‘chicken eating days’, you shouldn’t take the estimated delivery time lightly.
Whether it’s the owner or part-timers, sweating buckets in front of boiling oil, frantically pulling out chickens, hastily entering the estimated delivery time.
Of course, it could take longer.
And, shortly after.
As they say, bad premonitions come true?
The chicken god, expected in a maximum of 72 minutes, is still nowhere to be seen.
The house defense movie where the thief is outsmarted has already moved on to the next series.
“Ah, when will it come-!”
Finally unable to bear it, Siyeon gets off the sofa, rolls on the living room floor, and lets out an annoyed shout.
As expected, after over an hour, not only is the delivery not complete, but the intercom hasn’t rung either.
“Told you, right?”
“Ugh.”
Final confirmation of the crushed hope.
With a short groan, Siyeon stretches her limbs into an H shape on the floor and slumps.
Yeah, on a good day for ordering, what could possibly be delivered on time?
After waiting another 10 minutes or so?
Ding dong, the sound of the intercom.
“It’s here!”
Suddenly ringing without warning, the sound brings color to Siyeon’s face, who was lying on the floor like a dead fish, and she runs to get it.
The time is already 6 PM, almost dinner time.
Unintentionally, the chicken arrived just in time for dinner.
They must have been really busy, even after all that time, the chicken box is still warm.
Meaning, it wasn’t that the delivery took a long time…
But that there were so many orders, our order was simply delayed.
The tyranny of the chicken franchise headquarters is astonishing, but the store owners frying chicken on such a day… I respect you.
“Let’s eat-”
Pouring out the broth from the well-opened chicken radish into the sink, returning to the table with four small forks and a plastic glove container.
Grabbing a piece of chicken that looks like it’s from a chick’s leg and wing, bringing it to my mouth.
The strong salty taste of soy sauce chicken first covers the mouth, followed immediately by sweetness.
The combination of sweet and salty that can’t fail, although the size is disappointing, the taste is guaranteed, almost swallowing the juicy chicken leg without chewing.
Crunch, the sound of the fried coating breaking.
Crunch, the sound of chewing chicken radish.
Not a single word of conversation, but the noisy table, I ask Siyeon about the upcoming high school life.
“Is it really okay to just go to school as it is?”
“Mm.”
Chewing, rolling the chicken wing in her mouth, Siyeon looks at me and nods.
High school is as close as possible.
A girls’ high school slightly away from the middle school we spent three years in.
The reason I asked Siyeon if it’s okay is…
Probably because of the bad experiences at the all-girls middle school, I’m worried about similar experiences at the all-girls high school.
Moreover, girls who start at an all-girls middle school usually continue to an all-girls high school.
Although it’s quite far, so such cases are rare…
But if I meet one of the bullies from the previous middle school, it’s going to be a headache.
No matter how angry I was, I transformed right in front of them.
Worrying about high school life before it even starts.
But, as if there’s nothing to worry about, Siyeon stretches her neck up and says.
“Mari is there, so what!”
“Right, I’m there after all.”
As the source of Siyeon’s well-founded confidence, I have no choice but to live up to her expectations.