Chapter 59: Togo Napshin (11)

Part 23

After the four friends visited Yoonseo’s house, they concluded, “This one needs some caution,” and promptly created a separate chat group. Their first move was to contact Yoonseo’s family. Seongyoon’s suggestion—“Shouldn’t we at least get some pointers from her family for safety?”—was met with no objections, as none could find a reason to disagree.

Reaching out to Sanghyeon, the most approachable family member besides Yoonseo herself, was a natural choice. After all, he’d spent the most time with her since she’d come to terms with her situation.

“Uh, Hyunji-ssi,” Seokyoon began.

“Yes…?” she replied.

“I’m not exactly an expert in this culture, but…” he trailed off.

What they’d heard from Sanghyeon was more than enough to put them on high alert. Stories like Yoonseo locking herself away for three days, refusing food and denying reality after seeing her reflection for the first time. Or the doctor’s advice to the family: “She doesn’t seem to view her condition positively, so please help her build self-esteem,” hinting at something significant from her counseling sessions.

“Are cosplayers usually that intense?” Seokyoon asked.

“What do you mean?” Hyunji replied.

“I get that you’re excited and a fan, but isn’t that a bit much?” he pressed.

“…It’s just a hug between girls. We’re not exactly regular people—our faces are out there,” Hyunji said.

“Yoonseo’s not a streamer. She’s not even doing this for herself. Honestly, she’s not into this subculture stuff and probably sees you as just a stranger,” Seokyoon countered.

He’d meant to hold his tongue, but here he was, using what he’d learned in this way. Hyunji’s wide-eyed stare met his narrowed gaze. Damn it. So much for escaping forever-alone status—now I’m just surrounded by more women. What a pain, he thought.

“You’re talking like I committed some huge crime—” Hyunji started.

“Yoonseo’s not exactly thrilled about her appearance,” Seokyoon interrupted.

“Huh?” she said.

“Seokyoon-ssi?” Homin cut in, sensing the direction of the conversation and trying to intervene with an awkward smile.

Seokyoon offered a faint, apologetic smile but didn’t respond to Homin. A diehard fan of Sanghyeon’s streams from the start, huh? He knows something. “Sorry, I don’t want to scold a beauty like this either,” he seemed to say.

“Right after Yoonseo appeared on Sanghyeon’s—Cheungjeokun’s—stream, viewers begged for her to come back. She flat-out refused, and from what I heard, she said…” Seokyoon continued.

Once he started, he couldn’t stop. Friend’s mental health comes first. If she broke down crying again, who’d handle it? He bit his lip, knowing Yoonseo was probably wrestling with the outfit, sighing and agonizing. Time wasn’t exactly abundant.

“She’s had a hard time because of her looks. She says she’s fine now, but to those around her, it doesn’t seem like it,” he said.

“…Oh,” Hyunji breathed.

“That stubborn idiot Yoonseo acts all smiles but still goes to counseling. You knew that, right?” Seokyoon pressed.

Sanghyeon’s stories, even the recent ones, weren’t all rosy—plenty were negative. The incident on her first day at the bakery job didn’t exactly endear Homin to Seokyoon either. He’d been keeping Homin distracted to spare Yoonseo, but now a third party had thrown things off.

“Uh… well…” Hyunji stammered.

“Seokyoon-ssi, calm down. Getting this worked up without her here doesn’t look good to anyone,” Kwon Hyuk said firmly.

Seokyoon’s mouth snapped shut. His own aggressive tone hit him—he’d only meant to warn, not ruin the mood. A heavy sigh later, he saw Homin’s flustered expression, Kwon Hyuk’s stern face, and Hyunji’s near-tears look.

I messed up. Regret flooded Seokyoon’s mind.

“That… hard time she had…” Hyunji began.

“It’s old news, and she’s brighter now. Just don’t bring it up in front of her. As her friend, I’d appreciate it if you kept that in mind,” Seokyoon said.

“Sorry… I didn’t know…” Hyunji apologized.

“…Hyunji-ssi?” Homin said.

“No, it’s nothing…” she mumbled.

Hyunji, insisting she didn’t cry, sat silently, swallowing hard and sipping three glasses of cold water from the nearby dispenser, brought by Homin and Kwon Hyuk.

Part 24

“…Wow,” I gasped.

Was staring at my reflection and gasping a sign of early narcissism? But it didn’t feel like me in the mirror.

“This is… definitely something.”

The quality was unreal. Fully changed, minus the boots, I took a moment to process. Beyond “cosplay,” it was undeniably striking. My neck, pale from avoiding the sun, and my nearly bare shoulders stood out. The exposed back when I stood at an angle.

My loose hair made it differ from the game’s Traveler, but it had its own charm. Like moving a customized VR character—others might not notice, but to me, it wasn’t quite “Traveler” or “Yoonseo.” It was… someone else.

“Ugh…” I groaned.

This is me, isn’t it? So embarrassing. The more I scrutinized, the worse it got. Why are you blushing? Stop that. Be confident!

Staring at the mirror, I sank to my knees, overwhelmed. The white outfit might get dirty, but the fitting room was clean enough. Wearing this in front of people?

“It’s not just the back, legs, or shoulders…”

Aren’t armpits inherently embarrassing to show? This outfit was outrageous. Shouldn’t there be a cape or something? Was my sense of decency off? Standing in front of thousands, photographed and drawn in this?

“Ughhh…” I moaned.

Banging my head against the mirror, time ticked on. How long until the shoot? The outfit seemed fine, but how long would makeup take? How much time did I have to stay like this?

“You can’t stay like this forever. It’s an apology, so stop whining,” I told myself.

If you’re too embarrassed, what? Change back and sneak out saying, “Sorry, I can’t do this”?

“Let’s… get the outfit checked first,” I decided.

Shakily standing, my face was half-teary from embarrassment, but I couldn’t hide forever.

“Seokyoon’s probably done talking by now…” I muttered.

I’d ask him what they discussed later. Forgetting that briefly, I cautiously opened the door. Opening it boldly might’ve been less embarrassing, but I stuck my head out, speaking in a dying voice.

Part 25

“Uh… Hyunji-ssi…?” I called.

“Yes?!” she replied.

My voice, coming from the fitting room, pierced the tense atmosphere among the four. For Hyunji, the source of the awkwardness, being called out now sparked a near-fearful feeling.

“Could you… check if I put this on right?” I asked.

“Oh! Yes, of course! Hold on!” she said.

Glancing at the others, she saw Seokyoon nod as if to say, Why check their reactions? Clenching her fist, she slowly approached me, my head poking out of the fitting room.

Her voice sounds weak, even from a distance. Did I upset her by being too forward? Is she secretly cursing me? Did I hit a nerve? Her thoughts swirled as she neared me, my beckoning hand urging her on.

“…No, this isn’t the time for that,” she muttered.

She’s adorable, but after what I just heard, I can’t think like that. Steeling herself, Hyunji strode to the fitting room. My head was low, my trembling hand gripping the door tightly. A bead of cold sweat rolled down my flushed cheek, catching her eye.

“…What’s wrong?” she asked.

“It’s… my first time in something like this, so I’m embarrassed,” I admitted.

“Haha… yeah, cosplay can feel awkward and shy. Should I come in?” she offered.

“No, no. Can you just check from here…?” I said hesitantly.

Just the two of us in there? My reluctant tone made Hyunji flinch. Does she still have trauma? What happened to her? Feeling sympathy but keeping work in mind, she carefully gripped the door.

“Excuse me, then…” she said.

A strange guilt washed over her, as if she were doing something wrong. My honey-blonde hair and flushed cheeks stood out, my shoulder line accentuated by our height difference and my posture. As I straightened, my face vanished, and her trembling gaze followed me.

“…Gasp,” she breathed.

“Did I… put on the underwear right too…?” I mumbled, fidgeting with my hands.

My nervous movements drew her eyes to my flushed skin, pink from my cheeks to my bare shoulders. My soft blonde hair was beautiful, but it almost felt unfair that it couldn’t fully cover my blushing skin.

A shy beauty has this much impact? Hyunji thought, silently raising a thumb in approval.