Holding the slightly heavy clothes, I stepped into the fitting room, locked the door, and the noise diminished somewhat.
“Hoo…”
It wasn’t that I disliked the bustling atmosphere.
When I was younger, gatherings often involved casual and enjoyable activities like card games, celebrations, or farming.
But recently, every gathering seemed to revolve around work or involved taking advice from past managers or senior part-timers.
At least these days, thanks to my streams, I’ve met many good people.
“Still… I’m already tired.”
As I undressed, the reflection of myself in the mirror showed a noticeably weary expression.
I wasn’t sure if it was because I had been running around and working since dawn, regressing to an expression I had half a year ago, or if it was because of that man, Kang Han.
No matter how much I shook my head, the expression didn’t change.
Deciding to get it over with quickly, I reminded myself of Seol-hwa’s request and put in my best effort as I changed clothes.
“It’s warm.”
Even with the hot weather approaching Chocoa’s birthday in July, the air conditioning at the filming location made the warm clothes surprisingly comforting.
Su-yeon stepped out of the fitting room in those clothes.
***
Geum Seol-hwa POV
“Huh?”
Seol-hwa arrived at the store that had reported an issue, her taxi ride seemingly in vain, as the manager admitted it was a mistake and bowed apologetically.
“Well… the boss told me to report this problem to you immediately…”
“…Wow, everyone really wants to mess with me. Should I just quit?”
When Seol-hwa muttered this with a grimace, the branch manager nervously clasped their hands together, fidgeting.
Though the branch manager’s subordinate position naturally made them anxious, hearing the workaholic Seol-hwa, who rarely expressed emotions, mumble about quitting, only added to their guilt.
“It’s nothing. Well, it’s good that there’s no actual problem. I still have work to do, so I’ll be on my way.”
Catching another taxi, Seol-hwa checked the time on her phone.
She absolutely didn’t want to miss this.
“Is it greedy to ask for a slight delay…? Sigh…”
The results would come anyway.
The outfit she had recently designed was one of her best, even if her junior had given it a strange name.
When the connection through Lesik cosplay sparked last time, she gathered detailed information that the streams couldn’t provide.
With that knowledge, she planned something completely different for Baraa.
Baraa’s usual appeal lay in the cuteness stemming from her innocence.
Especially when she was with close connections like her younger sister, Strawberry.
Occasionally, the broadcasts revealed a side of her as an elder sister, which highlighted a more mature charm.
Seol-hwa designed the outfit to accentuate Su-yeon’s mature aura.
Although it wasn’t ideal for summer, autumn or winter came to mind when thinking of maturity.
Even if the timing wasn’t perfect, she gave her best effort, combining and crafting the finest pieces for Su-yeon.
Hoping to witness the scene firsthand rather than through photos or videos, she stared out the window.
***
Lee Su-yeon POV
Su-yeon exited the fitting room.
The blue jeans, which she often wore casually, emphasized her perfectly proportioned legs despite their short length.
The white sneakers, gifted by Min-young in the past, gave the illusion of adding 3–4 centimeters to her height.
Unlike the usual plain white T-shirts she wore, this one was made of a slightly thicker material, perhaps suited for the season.
Still, it couldn’t completely obscure her figure.
The beige coat over her outfit softened the darker tones and exuded a calm elegance.
Surrounded by several staff members, Su-yeon had her outfit adjusted with meticulous care.
Other staff members helped her with poses, angles, expressions, and emotions, guiding her to present herself in front of the camera despite her inexperience.
Everyone watched in silent admiration at the near-perfection unfolding before their eyes.
The previously silent set echoed with the sound of a camera shutter as someone rushed in from outside.
The photographer began filling the studio with shutter clicks.
Beads of sweat slid down Seol-hwa’s cheeks as she returned.
The gears, briefly halted, resumed turning swiftly, restoring the set’s orderly pace.
Su-yeon’s photoshoot didn’t take long.
If anything, it was too brief.
There were no elements for an NG, and Su-yeon’s time in front of the camera was mere minutes.
As soon as the shoot ended, Su-yeon quickly changed back into her clothes and left the set.
“Hmm… Did I do well?”
Though she hurriedly greeted everyone before leaving, she couldn’t tell if she had done a good job.
No one praised her; they simply stared at her without saying anything.
Puzzled by their ambiguous gazes, she sat on the stairs and checked the messages from her sibling.
-When are you coming?
-When are you coming?
-Where are you?
-Unnie? Are you busy? Are you still working?
-Where are you, sis?
Feeling quite hungry, she replied, “I’m on my way,” and stretched.
“Ugh! That posture was so unfamiliar…”
As she stood up again, the door behind her opened.
Turning around, she saw Seol-hwa.
“Thank you so much for today. The photos turned out amazing.”
Handing something to Su-yeon, Seol-hwa continued.
“Today will be the best day of my life. Of course, I’ll keep watching your streams, but if you’re ever interested in this field… don’t hesitate to contact me. Even if it’s for something small!”
Hearing someone call her from the set, Seol-hwa, with no regrets, disappeared inside.
“Ugh… I’m home…”
After several transfers between subway and bus rides, Su-yeon finally returned home.
As soon as she arrived, she was greeted enthusiastically by Strawberry and Min-young and began preparing a meal for them.
Eun-ah unnie, perhaps out for coffee, wasn’t home.
“Why were you so late today?”
“Well… I should’ve been back 2–3 hours earlier, but something came up, and I ended up trying something new.”
She showed them the photos Seol-hwa had placed in her hand—images of herself taken that day.
“Wow…! As expected, you’re amazing, unnie.”
“What do you mean…”
“I like this style. Let’s go shopping later! I’ll dress you up in this vibe.”
At her almost bossy remark, I let out a faint laugh and handed over the photo they were secretly trying to take.
“Don’t lose it while playing with Strawberry.”
“Okay!”
Holding Strawberry, who was bursting with energy after finishing her food and constantly climbing onto my lap, Min-young started playing with her.
Once I finished the coffee I was drinking for dessert, I went to the living room and spent some time with Strawberry and my sister, something I hadn’t done in a while.
“Hello~”
As soon as I turned on the stream, people started flooding in.
Maybe because it was a weekend evening, the viewer count hit three digits within minutes.
-Why are you starting so late today?
-You didn’t stream during the day today; did something happen?
-If you’re not going to stream, at least say something… I waited three hours, and you didn’t show up…
-lol
“I had work all morning and afternoon today. Originally, I wasn’t supposed to have anything in the afternoon, but something came up, so I couldn’t let you know yesterday.”
-How about posting announcements or something?
-Oh, are you making a fan café?
“A café…? Like a fan café? I don’t know if anyone would actually join, but I’ll think about it later.”
-By the way, what were you up to today? You seem to have a bit of makeup on.
-No way
-A date?
“Oh, no, it’s not that. I visited a friend in the military and helped out someone who contacted me from the cosplay shoot I did last time. Oh… Min-young!”
When I called her, she came in with Strawberry perched on her head.
She had a toy fishing rod stuck in Strawberry’s mouth in one hand and her messy hair clearly showed how sincerely she had been playing with her.
“What?”
“Give me that photo from earlier.”
She glanced at me and my computer, mouthed “Ah~,” then pulled the photo from her pocket and held it up to the camera.
By then, the chatroom had already exploded into four-digit activity, the messages scrolling up rapidly.
For some reason, it felt like she understood streaming much better than I did.
“Do you watch streams often?”
“Huh? Uh… not really? I only watch one or two people. Why?”
“Just feels like you’re pretty good at it. Strawberry, come here.”
When I called, Strawberry leaped down from Min-young’s head and landed lightly on my lap.
Having exhausted her energy playing with her, she settled down quietly, purring softly.
Geum Seol-hwa: That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Hehehe… Look forward to the Noah fashion magazine…
That night, the stream was filled with nothing but talk about that photo until the very end.