NOVEL NEXT Chapter 64
Busy modern individuals need rest—it’s essential!
In a rapidly spinning society, if you don’t prove your abilities, you’re left behind!
Forget about rest; you split your precious personal time for self-development and to spend time with family!
You come home exhausted, barely able to remember what you used to enjoy!
The bottom line is that having your own time is important!
The time you truly consider a rest—
“Hey, sis, are you listening? Why do you look so spaced out?”
“Yeah, I think the left side looks better.”
“Left? Are you sure it’s left?”
“Mm-hm.”
“You weren’t listening, were you…”
Ji-yeon pouted and gathered the clothes in her left hand.
The yellow dress looks like a chick; it’s cute!
At that age, a chick-like outfit is basically a cheat code!
On the other hand, the clothes on the right… aren’t they too daring?
For a high school student, at least!
“These days, kids wear stuff like this, sis.”
“Still, it’s… something, isn’t it?”
Of course, with Ji-yeon’s looks, she looked pretty no matter what she wore.
They say the completion of fashion is the face, and even in such simple clothes, her face still shone!
But conversely, it means any outfit wouldn’t matter that much!
I don’t know if I’m too Confucian-minded, but is it really necessary to take the risk of showing skin?
“If you say so, I won’t wear it, heh.”
Spending time with family is also part of rest, right?
I didn’t come out on my own accord, but I knew I’d be a hermit if no one dragged me out of my shell!
Under the pretext of spending time with my only sibling, I declared an unofficial break from broadcasting.
Even though I appeared once on my early broadcasts, the viewer sentiment regarding Ji-yeon was explosive!
It felt like I had a legitimate excuse for a break; I thought I should use Ji-yeon occasionally, picking up a magazine in front of me.
I took a sip of the black tea beside me and opened the magazine.
A pretty girl posed with a haughty expression.
Maybe it’s just because the model is beautiful, but the clothes look good…
“Cough! Cough!”
I forcibly swallowed the black tea I’d been holding in my mouth.
Wait—this looks like me?!
The woman in the magazine was me!
The outfits felt familiar; they were ones I wore during a previous shoot.
Eun-ha, who had approached unawares, plopped down in front of me.
“Doesn’t it look pretty?”
“Did you make a magazine too?”
“This isn’t for sale; it’s for keepsake. I made one as a commemoration.”
Why would you make such a thing for commemoration?
I couldn’t express such grievances to Eun-ha, who was smiling brightly with the magazine in hand.
I felt it before; she’s quite the mood-driven person!
Yet, she always knew where to draw the line; if I requested, she’d erase everything I’d appeared in, from the magazine to the shopping mall and YouTube!
“All the clothes Ji-eun wore are sold out! The reviews are fantastic. Sales have been staggering!”
“Really?”
“I’ve been sending you regular reports… Did you not see them?”
Turns out, she periodically texted me about how much the products sold and the praises for the model.
The term ‘regular report’ fit well; it was consistent and passionate!
I… have no memory of it; I think I’d marked them as read with all the spam texts piling up.
I was impressed she had sent such unanswered texts all this time!
“I was waiting for the day you’d come to the store again. Since you’re busy, I should treat you to something.”
“No, you don’t have to bother with that.”
Originally, Ji-yeon’s urging was there, and I was doing it for myself as well.
An effort to get used to my awkward body.
Plus, I received modeling fees; I was sufficiently compensated!
“I knew you’d say that, so I prepared everything in advance.”
“Huh?”
“New items just arrived! As soon as I saw them, I thought of you!”
Eun-ha didn’t seem to think the same way.
I heard from the company that if you achieve a certain level of performance, you get bonuses, or something like that.
As someone who had experienced office life, I found that relatable and accepted it.
She started pulling out shopping bags one after another.
Looking at the clothing piling up at a terrifying speed, I thought—
Will I even wear all of this?
*
“Ugh…”
I dragged my tired body home.
Just a little further; I’m almost there, really!
I insisted Eun-ha against the danger of the night and turned her away.
Isn’t the risk greater for my underage sister?
I felt heavy.
In my left arm were the clothes Eun-ha gave me; my right arm carried the side dishes Ji-yeon prepared!
Honestly, I rarely go out and often skip meals.
When considering efficiency, neither was particularly valuable, but I couldn’t decline!
They each thought of me, after all—how could I refuse?
You can’t live life treating people mechanically!
In relationships that have grown this deep, especially!
“Haah…”
The night air was cool and chilling.
Now it’s the kind of weather where you exhale, and your breath shows!
I looked up at the night sky.
The moon is beautiful.
I momentarily slumped on a nearby bench, lost in the enchanting view of the night.
It’s just the end of another day, but oddly, I felt a sense of satisfaction.
Or rather, it’s not just another day. To be precise…
I was once a person who rotted away in my room, not forging relationships with anyone.
Gone is the human who felt a vague emptiness each passing day!
I, who discarded fear and took tentative steps outside my cage,
Am now bathed in overwhelming love and warmth from the sunlight!
Is this… true life?
Does that mean my previous life was fake?
Suddenly, I felt like there’s no difference between the two.
At the same time, I began to think that this phenomenon happening to me is a blessing—not a curse!
A new name and a new life.
I feel like I’ve discovered another version of myself that I didn’t even know existed!
Was I really this bright of a person?
I’ve become more talkative!
It’s not like I’m chatty, but compared to before, it’s undeniably more!
Before, I barely spoke even ten words a day!
How long did I sit there blankly? I started feeling cold!
Time to go inside!
If I linger any longer, I might freeze!
As I reached home and was about to enter the front door…
“…?”
I felt an oddly familiar sense of discomfort.
My sensitive senses pinpointed the cause of this feeling.
It felt like the kind of sensation when you’re in a crowded place but thicker and more sinister.
Someone… was watching me, I felt!
In a sudden chill, I turned to check behind me.
But all I saw was the dark bushes of the night.
I turned my head side to side; it was the same!
Was it just my imagination?
I figured I was just tired and walked into the building, ignoring the rustling noise behind me.
*
“Is this how it’s supposed to proceed?”
-Yes, please read the sent file and proceed as noted. It’s all detailed, and since this is a live broadcast, we’ll monitor everything, so there’s no need to worry! Do you have any questions?
“Um… none right now, but I’ll reach out if I think of something.”
An advertisement came in.
This feels like an old-school home shopping ad!
The unique part about it isn’t that it’s on public broadcasting but internet streaming!
It’s a trendy mix of live streaming and e-commerce, targeting today’s consumers!
Seeing this makes me feel how much the world has changed!
Well, if I’m changing, how could the world possibly stay the same?
It’s a trendy way to sell products while streaming live!
Usually, a host runs the show, but here I’ve got the hosting role!
Don’t ask why, but now I have to promote a product while running a solo broadcast!
So what’s this product?
“Naengmyeon in midwinter… am I losing my mind?”
I grabbed the pre-delivered naengmyeon package and thought.
It’s strange they’d trust me with a food advertisement, as the mindset is different from the usual suspects!
Hanareum F&B… maybe it’s a startup?
I’m not a live-streaming host!
In other words, I can’t show myself eating in real-time!
What’s crucial in food advertising?
While photos are sufficient, showing a delicious eating moment is undeniably important!
Taking this stylish angle away from me is absolutely insane!
Yet, an insane notion is what drew me in!
Among all the advertising offers I’ve received, I accepted this simply because it looked fun!
That’s my sole reason—nothing else is required!
I have no clue about the possible outcome this ad could have!
With a pounding heart, I turned on the broadcast!