Chapter 17
After spending half the day out yesterday, I fell asleep the moment I got home.
Maybe this body’s stamina really was much worse than I’d thought. I went to sleep at ten last night, but didn’t wake up until ten this morning.
Since I’d fallen asleep completely exhausted, I’d blacked out, and the sunlight greeting me as soon as I woke up left me bewildered.
But I still couldn’t forget my promise to Yoo Jieun.
Tomorrow, I’m going to experience hell all over again.
"Phew..."
The moment I thought about it again, I sighed.
I really couldn’t understand Yoo Jieun’s intentions.
She said I’d hurt her badly, so why was she suddenly asking to meet with me, the person who’d hurt her?
To threaten me?
To get back at me?
Either way, I couldn’t think of anything good, and it left me feeling a little down.
"Ugh."
With a sigh, I pushed myself upright.
I’d put that aside for now and do what I could.
I had cereal for breakfast and lunch, played Bell for a while, and when I felt like I’d woken up properly, I put on a bra.
Then I started streaming.
'Unemployed High School Graduate, Loser, Never-Dated, Virgin, Pretty Girl has started streaming.'
---
Hey, unemployed high school grad or whatever, pretty girl
Had fun with your old classmate?
---
At the end of my last stream, I’d mentioned in advance that I was going out with that female classmate and might not be able to stream.
Maybe that was why the chat was pretty mild.
"Yeah. It was really fun."
I said, smiling shyly.
I feel like I’ve been smiling a lot more lately.
---
DysonRobot donated 1,000 won.
But where’d you get the money to go out? Didn’t you say you were broke?
Come to think of it, yeah.
Now that you mention it, true
Aren’t you full of shit?
Lying pretty girl, damn
---
"My old classmate paid for everything. She even bought me clothes. Thanks for the 1,000 won."
---
?
Why’d she buy you clothes?
Must be loaded
Why would a girl friend pay for you?
Doesn’t she have a thing for you?
Oh damn lol
Oh my~
---
"Ah... It’s not like that. Don’t tease my friend."
I was used to getting teased, so I didn’t mind, but Song Chaeyeon was just a regular person.
And how could Song Chaeyeon have a thing for me?
We’re both women.
...Remembering how my heart had raced back then made my face grow a little hot.
Well, if you looked at it from Song Chaeyeon’s perspective, you could call it a thing, I guess.
Maternal instincts...
Ah.
I nearly forgot what I was here for while chatting.
I only have 32,000 won in my bank account right now.
Rent is due in four days...
...I’m broke.
I hadn’t realized because I’d set up automatic payments, but rent... really was an astronomical amount of money going out every month.
"Um... everyone."
As I watched messages like “Huh? Why?” pop up one after another, I hesitated over whether I could really be this blunt.
Then I said it.
"Give me... money."
---
lol
There she is, the donation-bait pretty girl
Why’re you so shy about asking, though?
For real
You used to ask for it outright lol
---
"...Back then, I’d just gotten sued, so I was out of my mind."
Somehow, now I felt embarrassed asking so bluntly.
---
Spaghetti123 donated 1,000 won.
You’ll have to do something cute first (round two)
---
"Something cute..."
If you want to get something, you have to give something, too.
But I turned on the camera last time, so what should I do now?
Should I take off my mask?
That’s a little... scary.
What if someone recognized me and came to my house?
Since there were only a handful of people in the whole country with gray hair and gray eyes, worrying about that after they’d already seen my hair and eye color was pointless.
Still, there was such a thing as psychological resistance.
"Hmm..."
I thought for a moment, then suddenly came up with a good idea and said,
"Want to see the clothes my old classmate bought me?"
---
Oh
Ooh
Yeah
Nice
Yeah
---
Just as I’d hoped, they reacted well.
It made me feel like I was someone important.
I enjoyed their reaction... then went offscreen and took the white shirt and black skirt I’d worn yesterday from the closet.
"Here."
---
So pretty
For real
For real, that’s a real woman’s outfit
Pretty
Her classmate knows what’s hot lol
Pretty
---
I’ll make sure to remember those two usernames for now.
I held the shirt and skirt up against my upper and lower body.
---
Oh
Wait, why’s the skirt so short? It’s like a foot or two above the knees
That’s how everyone wears them these days
Looking at it, the skirt itself isn’t that short; her legs are just really long
---
"...What? Everyone wears clothes like this these days, apparently."
...For some reason, I pictured Song Chaeyeon trying to stop me from wearing it, so I found myself making excuses.
"...So, should I try it on?"
---
Oh
Nice
Are we finally going to see her in something other than pajamas?
Show us show us show us show us show us show us show us
---
I watched their enthusiastic reaction with satisfaction.
Then I folded my arms.
And made a subtle expression.
They could only see my eyes because I was wearing a mask, though.
"Hmm..."
---
?
What’s up
You look kinda pissed
That’s kinda annoying lol
---
"I mean, I don’t mind changing..."
As I spoke, I made a circle with my index finger and thumb.
"But I might need a little incentive..."
My face grew a little red.
Had I always been this shameless?
No, it was my bleak life that had made me this way.
If you’re going to blame anyone, blame society, not me.
---
Spaghetti123 donated 10,000 won.
Do something cute (put it on) go go go
---
...A whole ten thousand won!
...But hearing them say “something cute” over and over made me feel like they were treating me like a kid.
They were offering money, so I’d let it slide for now.
"Thanks for the ten thousand won!"
I unfolded my arms and lowered my head.
I’d be in trouble if anything went wrong, so I remembered to keep one hand on the front of my pajama top.
I could feel myself getting more and more used to this body.
I took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change.
Just in case, I turned off the camera before coming in. I’d closed the bathroom door, but... it was for my peace of mind.
I took off my pajama bottoms, stepped into the skirt, pulled it up, and fastened the button.
I took off my pajama top, put on the shirt, and buttoned it up one button at a time.
Then, just as I was about to fasten the last button at the base of my neck,
I paused to think.
If I went out wearing clothes that showed off my legs like this, there’d definitely be a lot of people having those kinds of thoughts.
The streamer forum would be full of sexual harassment again, too.
...Would that be okay?
I hate sexual harassment.
But the answer had already been decided.
All I’d had was a few seconds of hesitation.
Honestly, as much as I didn’t want to admit it,
there was something else I wanted besides money.
Sexual harassment was scary, though.
...But I wanted to be complimented.
I wanted to hear that the new shirt and skirt suited me, and that I was cute and pretty.
That feeling was what finally made me fasten the last button on the shirt.
I fiddled with my hair and adjusted my clothes for a long time. Then I stepped out, swallowed, and fiddled with the camera—my phone.
I should get a new camera soon, too.
Money...
Just before turning it on, I stepped outside for a moment, went to the back, took a deep breath, then came into view.
"...S-So, how do I look?"
I tried to act as composed as possible, but it was harder than I’d expected.
I was a little worried my pose might look unnatural.
...I was nervous.
It was the same nervousness I’d felt when I first showed myself to Song Chaeyeon and Yoo Jieun.
Slowly, I raised my head and looked up at the chat.
---
Oh
Nice
Nice
Niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Wow, that’s insane
Her proportions are crazy
How are her legs that long, seriously?
She looks insane in anything other than pajamas
---
"...Hehe..."
I felt good.
Ah, seriously.
As much as it hurt my pride to admit it,
I’d felt it with Song Chaeyeon, too: when people said I was pretty or cute, I really couldn’t control the corners of my mouth.
A laugh slipped out.
---
She likes that, cute lol
For real, she’s so damn cute
I really wanna rub my cheek against hers
---
"Well, if you guys treat me nicely and give me lots of compliments, I might wear it again."
I tried playing hard to get for no reason.
I’d gained a little confidence, so I tried striking some cute poses, too.
And each time, I glanced over at the chat.
While I was doing that, question marks gradually started appearing in the chat.
Puzzled, I went closer to check what they were saying.
---
? Who’s the manager in the viewer list?
The stream has a manager? What’s going on
They just appeared
---
...No way.
I scrolled up through the chat a few times.
---
'YooJieunJieunJieunJieun has entered the chat.'
---
"Eek..."
So she really did come.
---
No way;
Oh...
Who is it who is it who is it who is it
---
When I saw that and fell silent, the viewers’ thoughts began sinking deeper into the abyss of lust.
I came to my senses and hurriedly spoke up.
"Um... that person is... a woman, and our relationship is..."
But for some reason, the words wouldn’t come out easily.
I couldn’t tell them I’d been sued for online sexual harassment.
---
No lies allowed
But her name is Yoo Jieun, so is she actually a woman?
What if that’s a disguise? What if we’re brains in jars? Damn
No way lol
Oh... Oh...
---
The chat started splitting into so many different theories that it was getting hard to control.
"Um..."
I’d been through a situation like this before, so I’d thought I’d be able to handle it quickly if something similar happened again.
But once again, I didn’t know what to say.
The chat was moving so fast that my head began to spin.
I stayed there, dizzy and disoriented.
♫♬♩
My phone rang.
And the camera on the phone I was using as a webcam seemed to turn off.
---
What, did the camera turn off?
Ghosts, damn
---
"Ah. Sorry... I’ll hang up."
I said, reaching for the phone beside my desk.
'Yoo Jieun'
Yoo Jieun’s name was on the screen.
......
What was this?
Why was she calling all of a sudden?
Couldn’t she just say whatever she wanted in the chat?
She must be telling me to answer it.
But then they’d get even more suspicious.
...Still, I didn’t have a choice this time, either.
What could I do? I had to answer.
"Sorry, everyone. I think I have to pick up."
Ignoring the chat messages about how this was no place for flirting, how she really was a non-virgin pretty girl after all, and how her boyfriend was a little intense, I answered the phone, feeling dizzy.
"...Hello?"
[Ah, yes. Hello?]
"Yes, Ms. Jieun... I’m streaming right now..."
I let a little of my displeasure show.
[Ah, I know. I’m in the stream, too.]
Yoo Jieun said, then chuckled softly.
If she knew, why was she calling...?
I was grumbling to myself when
[Ihyeon.]
"Y-Yes?"
Hearing my name all of a sudden made me jump.
But Yoo Jieun continued, unfazed.
[Could you switch your phone to speakerphone for a moment?]
"Huh? O-Okay..."
[And hold it up to the microphone.]
"W-Why?"
[Hm?]
"...All right..."
Not knowing what she was planning, I reflexively held the phone up to the headset’s microphone.
---
??
What’s going on?
---
As the chat filled with messages wondering about that,
her voice rang through the room and the microphone.
[Ah, ah. Can you hear me?]
---
?
Oh
Wow
What’s with that voice?
Big sis;
---
[I’m the manager. YooJieunJieunJieunJieun.]
She said that, then chuckled briefly.
[It seems like there’s been a big misunderstanding, so I called to let you hear my voice. I hope we get along from now on.]
[I won’t be doing much to control the chat, but I’ll ban anyone who crosses the line, so please be careful~]
With that, she abruptly hung up.
Just like that.
If she said it like that, our twisted viewers would hate it.
When I thought about how I’d probably have acted the same way,
...my mind was already growing hazy.
Still, I thought it was five hundred times better than having them gossip about a man.
Feeling a little grateful that she’d put out the fire she’d started, I looked at the chat with a tense expression.
---
Yes... Big sis...
For real, I feel like my ears are melting
Why’s she so gentle-sounding;
But she’s kinda scary
For real
Feels like she’d make you disappear if you messed up;
---
Just like that, public opinion changed in an instant.
......
Men...
You’re so easy it’s almost stupid...
I sighed.
The stream went smoothly after that.
...But.
---
Where’d Big Sis Manager go?
Big sis, say something in chat
Your voice is so nice
Big sis... ㅠㅠㅠ
---
"......"
Messages like those kept appearing throughout my stream.
It was my stream, and they weren’t paying attention to me. I didn’t like how intensely they were reacting to her.
"I’ll ban you if you keep bringing her up so much."
I said, pouting a little, and continued playing Bell.
* *
"......"
I stared blankly at the food in front of me.
The food laid out before me looked like an expensive work of art.
Yoo Jieun watched me with a smile as I stared blankly at the food.
She came right up beside my ear and whispered to me:
"Looks delicious, doesn’t it?"