Chapter 28: Neutering, Moving, and a Streaming Mishap

The next day, the moving company staff arrived on time, and the long-awaited move began.

Ji Yoon had more stuff than I expected, and though I tried to help, the movers and Ji Yoon turned pale when I lifted a box, shouting at me to put it down. Reluctantly, I gave up.

…Carrying stuff isn’t a problem for me.

“Ji Yoon? Is it okay if I take Chunja to get neutered?”

“Neutered? She’s not neutered yet?”

“No, I haven’t had time. I’m planning to do it today. Is that alright?”

I’m useless here anyway. Getting Chunja neutered during downtime is more efficient. Grabbing Chunja by the scruff as she clung to the blanket, refusing to go, I put her in the crate. As I put on my shoes to leave, Ji Yoon spoke with a worried tone.

“It’s fine, but… can you go alone, sis?”

“Yeah. I can’t help much here, so it’s better to use the time to get Chunja neutered.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Someone needs to stay home. Don’t worry, just stay here.”

Ignoring Ji Yoon’s concerned gaze, I put on a mask and sunglasses and stepped out.

Covering my deathly face keeps people from staring, so I headed to the vet with a light heart, crate in hand, and handed Chunja over.

“Neutering doesn’t take long, but recovery from anesthesia and discharge will take a bit.”

“How long?”

“Ten minutes for the procedure, two to three hours for discharge. You’ll need to wait a while.”

“That’s fine. Two or three hours is…”

Enough time to organize story ideas and write a chapter. Plus, by then, Ji Yoon’s packing should be mostly done, so the timing works out.

“Raaawr!!!”

“It’s okay, the pain’s temporary, but neutering’s forever.”

I handed the thrashing Chunja to the nurse and opened my writing app, typing away. Before I knew it, Chunja’s surgery and recovery were done.

“Is the surgery over?”

“Yes, it went very well. Here are the post-op care instructions—follow them carefully. She seems like quite a handful, so be extra cautious.”

“Will do. Thank you.”

The vet handed Chunja back, and I checked her immediately. Aside from a desolate expression, she looked healthy. Her face, like she’d lost something precious, reminded me of someone, but everything else seemed fine, so I put her in the crate and said goodbye to the vet.

“Thank you. See you next time.”

“If anything seems off, come back immediately. Delaying could be dangerous.”

“Of course…”

“And you—if something’s wrong with you, get to a hospital. Honestly, you look worse than the cat.”

“…Okay.”

Brushing off the vet’s concern, I returned home to find the mover-filled chaos transformed into a tidy, even stylish setup. The furniture was arranged simply yet efficiently—probably Ji Yoon’s thoughtful touch for me.

“Where’s Ji Yoon? Grocery shopping?”

I took off my sunglasses and mask in my room and, curious about Ji Yoon’s setup, cautiously opened her door. There she was, streaming joyfully.

“Have you ever seen such a seductive witch? You guys are too much…”

Witch cosplay? More cute than seductive. She played along with the viewers’ teasing, pretending to be miffed but clearly enjoying it. I quietly closed the door to write, but as I turned to leave—

“What? A corpse behind me? What’s that supposed to… Oh.”

Ji Yoon turned and locked eyes with me.

“Our Ji Yoon’s streaming so hard, huh?”

In the awkward moment, I scratched my cheek. Flustered, Ji Yoon stammered an explanation, but she looked so cute I laughed and said it was fine.

“Wait. Uh, sis? How did this…”

“It’s okay, no need to be embarrassed. What’s wrong with working hard?”

Smiling, I started to close the door, but Ji Yoon grabbed my hand.

“Sis? Can you help me out a bit?”

“Help? I don’t think I’d be much help.”

“No way! You being here gives me strength! Sis… could you join the stream for a bit?”

Streaming? I’m not against it, but I’d be useless. I’m not witty, entertaining, or good at communication. I’d probably tank the stream, ruin the vibe, and hurt my precious sister. I was about to refuse, but her earnest plea made me agree.

“I don’t think I’d help…”

“You will! Just sit in that chair!”

She pulled me to the computer, resuming the stream with a lively voice.

“Sorry for the wait! I’ve brought a special guest!”

– Special guest? Who’d you call?

– Evergreen’s such a loner, who’d she know? All the streamers she’s close to are live right now.

– So who’s the guest?

“It’d be boring to just tell you. But since we’re short on time, I’ll reveal her now! Ta-da! My sister I finally found! Isn’t she pretty?”

As expected, despite Ji Yoon’s attempt to lighten the mood, the viewers fixated on my appearance.

– That’s just a corpse.

– Sister (formerly).

– We wanted a witch, not a necromancer, ma’am.

– Damn, this house does makeup well.

– A witch? That’s a necromancer! But seriously, isn’t she in danger?

The chat exploded with concern as Ji Yoon introduced me, but I was too busy marveling at the stream setup.

“Uh… sis? You need to introduce yourself…”

“Oh, sorry. The stream’s so new to me. Have you shared your real name?”

“No, just call me Evergreen, my streamer name.”

“Got it. Hi, I’m Evergreen’s sister. Nice to meet you!”

– If she took off the makeup, she’d probably be gorgeous.

– If she looked healthier, she’d be the perfect frail beauty… swoon…

– Do you work in makeup? That’s too realistic.

– Did she do that makeup for a necromancer or corpse concept?

– Her voice is shaky; that’s no concept…

“No, the makeup…” Mmph?!

As I tried to say it wasn’t makeup, Ji Yoon covered my mouth, whispering:

“Sis, just say it’s makeup. If you admit it’s not, we’re both in trouble.”

True—if I said it wasn’t makeup, an ambulance might show up. I hate hospitals, so I nodded slowly. Ji Yoon removed her hand and continued the stream with a smile.

“It’s makeup! She’s helping with the stream today but went a bit overboard. Hehe…”

Before she finished, a donation came with a question.

<MakeupRemover’s 5,000 won donation!>

<<Did you do the makeup yourself?>>

“Yes, I did. Please don’t call the police or safety hotline because I look like a corpse… I got dragged away for that before…”

– Makeup-obsessed sister lol

– Why’d she get hauled to the hospital lol

– I’d report her if that wasn’t makeup, for real.

– Looks like a fresh corpse from the morgue.

– Not fresh, cold as ice, idiot.

– Oh.

After begging viewers not to report me, Ji Yoon and the chat teased me as the stream continued. For example:

“Everyone, watch! Necromancy! Zombie taming! Pet it!”

“Uh… now?”

“Right now!”

– Witch and zombie in one room.avi

– Petting it might make her arm fall off…

– So pathetic lol

– That’s necromancy…?

They had her order me around with a necromancy concept or donated for tonics and supplements.

<<…Buy some tonic with this.>>

“Thanks for the 10,000 won! But I’m really healthy.”

“You look one breath from death, sis… Just accept it.”

– She’s a corpse. Movie zombies look healthier…

– Breaking news: Zombie movie makeup artists fired for being outdone by an amateur.

– Her makeup could be a stream concept. It’d outshine most pros.

“Thanks for the compliments…? I’ll come back if I get the chance.”

There won’t be a next time.

Streaming with Ji Yoon was fun, but it exhausted me. Checking chat, responding to donations, and keeping up the vibe with her was way harder than expected. Maybe streaming’s just not for me.

As the stream dragged on, my eyes grew heavy, and I nearly dozed off mid-broadcast.

“Uh… sorry, but I need to go. I’m too tired to keep up.”

“Huh? Oh, no problem! If you’re tired, rest! I’ll wrap up soon too.”

“Alright, I’m off…”

I stood and took a step, but the floor seemed to greet me.

…Huh?

Crash!!!

A dull pain rang in my head as my consciousness faded.