Chapter 9: The day before planting (3)

Part 6

“…What happened?”

“Huh? Nothing…”

“Hmm…”

– We had a talk show. Don’t trust us?

– Honestly, Cheungjeokun’s broken more promises than he’s kept. We’re more trustworthy, right?

“I’ve kept most of my promises, haven’t I?”

– [YouTube clip]

– “If I lose this game, I’ll shave my head, lol.”

As the donation clip played, a smug Sanghyeon appeared on screen, followed by an edited cut of the game’s defeat screen.
I didn’t know the context, but the viewers who followed his streams seemed to get it.

“…I did shave… Thanks for the 10,000-won donation.”

– So pathetic, Cheungjeokun…

I stifled a laugh, catching Sanghyeon’s narrowed gaze, but I couldn’t stop giggling.
What happened earlier was a secret between me and the viewers.
For now, I’d keep it that way.
Sharing a silly secret with so many people felt surprisingly nice.

“Seriously, how good was your talk show that in just five minutes, you got nearly a million won in donations?
You guys know that’s more than when I did my Diamond promotion death match, right?”

Naturally, the donations had no messages attached.
I’d asked the viewers not to write anything since Sanghyeon would definitely get mad if he caught on.
Even so, his suspicious glare told me he sensed something, but I wasn’t spilling.
If he wanted to know, he could ask his loyal viewers when I wasn’t around.

The chat had “broken” briefly, but there didn’t seem to be any lasting traces, so the odds of Sanghyeon finding evidence were low.

“What game are we playing today?”

“…League, as usual.”

His obvious attempt to change the subject came with a grumpy expression, but I kept up my innocent “What’s wrong?” look.
Even though my face wasn’t on camera, the chat, picking up on his reaction, started flooding with “lol” again.

– Sis, stop bullying him and start the game.

– Officer! There’s a guy bullying his family here!

“When did you guys get so chummy with my sister? Shouldn’t someone be on my side here?”

– You never had a side to begin with, lol.

– When were we ever close enough for that?

– Cheungjeokun… you thought we were friends? Damn, lol.

“Please don’t bully my brother too much. He may look like this, but he’s kinda human inside.”

“I’m seriously gonna cry… This is the first time I’ve ever felt like an outcast…”

Giving up on figuring out what happened, Sanghyeon, teary-eyed, launched the game client.
Would I end up like this if I ever streamed?
The familiar scene felt different now.

– Can’t Sis stream with the camera off?

“You guys trying to see her face again… Wait, camera off?”

– Why’re you getting all excited?

– Don’t you trust us?!!

– Disappointed in you, Cheungjeokun…

“Are you guys the same people from the other day? How do attitudes change overnight like this?”

Well, they probably didn’t need to wonder anymore.
Most viewers had already seen my face.
Maybe some hadn’t, but no one was questioning it in the chat.
I still wasn’t sure if my appearance was worth all that attention, but their burning curiosity seemed mostly satisfied.

“I’d be too embarrassed… I’m bad at games.”

– That’s what makes it good!

– Play a game, Sis!!!!

What’s good about that, exactly…?

“…Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen you play League since you first started.”

“You teased me so much back then. I swore I’d never play in front of you again.”

Sensing the conversation turning against him, Sanghyeon jumped on the new topic.
I’d been worried he’d keep prying about earlier, so this was a relief.

– Cheungjeokun’s fault.

– Come on, Sis, play!

– 50,000 won if you play three League games, Sis.

“He’d tease me too much, so no way. The hurt to my heart would be worse than any money.”

“Sis?!”

I giggled, and the chat exploded, bashing Sanghyeon.
Mixed with “lol” and his fake-annoyed-but-smiling expression, it didn’t seem like anyone was genuinely malicious.

A relationship where you don’t fully know each other.
A selective connection through a screen, showing only what you want.
Yet, you can throw playful jabs, laugh, and not take offense.
There’s something to that.
In the fleeting moment of the stream’s confined space, I quietly reflected on it.

Part 7

Thankfully, no one seemed to have recorded the video.
Some might have it privately, but it hadn’t reached Sanghyeon’s ears, so I laughed it off with a whatever.

“Haa…”

In a groggy haze, I forced my heavy eyelids open.
Groping for my phone by habit, I pressed the power button.
The clock read 5:32 a.m., the bright screen stinging my eyes.

“…Let’s wash up…”

Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled through the dim hallway to the bathroom.
Standing at the sink, I turned on the cold water, splashing it on my face.
The sharp, almost painful sensation jolted me awake.

I squeezed out some foam cleanser, lathering it across my face, mechanically checking for missed spots in the mirror.
Random thoughts swirled like fluffy clouds.
I’d bought this cleanser for skin issues, but with this body, do I even need it?
Should I switch to cheaper toner or essence?
My goal was clear skin by the time I returned to school.
School.
School…

“…School?”

Some foam got in my mouth, the bitter cosmetic taste stinging my tongue.
Grimacing, I rinsed my face, then swished water in my mouth three times.
The bitterness lingered.

“…Ugh.”

Now that I thought about it, I had to return to school.
It wasn’t some prestigious university.
It was a national one with affordable tuition, and thanks to aiming low, I’d been told I could get a full scholarship through undergrad.
That’s why I went.

It let me stay in touch with high school friends who went to nearby colleges, and I’d met cooler professors than expected, so I was content enough.
But dropping out after finishing three years felt like a waste.
Returning to school was non-negotiable in my mind.

“I worked hard to aim for a master’s degree…”

Now that I thought about it, I wasn’t super close with anyone in my department, so that was fine.
But shouldn’t I tell my professors about my situation?
My high school friends, who I’d known for nearly eight years, were probably worried too.
I should tell them soon.
I yanked a towel from the rack, rubbing my face.
It faintly smelled of Mom’s shampoo.

“…Ugh…”

There were more hassles than I’d realized.
How would my friends react?
Would they be upset?
A guy turning into this?
If they said something cheesy like, “You’re still you,” and treated me normally, I’d act annoyed but secretly be happy.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be messing with streaming…”

A little over two weeks since my body changed, the time I’d spent wasting felt suddenly precious.

“…I should talk to my family.”

First, I’ll make breakfast for Junseok.