NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15
To be honest, Hayoon had been thinking about the nickname “M4 Agabang Security Guard” ever since she sent a package to that person.
Ah, this is what people commonly refer to as a severe nerd who uses such a nickname…
But…
‘How can such a normal-looking person have a nickname like that…’
M4 Agabang Security Guard, Hayoon’s first customer at the first booth, turned out to be a rather chunky student with a somewhat innocent appearance.
‘The world is indeed…’
“G-g-g, thank you. I-I’ll go now.”
“A, yes.”
Hayoon bowed deeply while sending off M4 Agabang Security Guard who stuttered while bidding farewell.
Looking at how he stutters, he might be rather introverted, but his true nature seems kind…
‘How did he end up using such a nickname?’
Hayoon shook her head back and forth as if it were something you think you understand but really don’t.
“Uh, by any chance, could we take a picture? You’re so pretty!”
“A, yes, of course. It’s possible. Please also take a look around the booth.”
“A, understood!”
Her strategy was spot on. While taking a picture with M4 Agabang Security Guard and handing over the goods, people started to gather and approach one by one.
“G-g, could you point the gun downwards for a moment?”
“Like this?”
“Y-yes, thank you so much!”
Click.
Click.
The man who took a few photos of Hayoon bowed deeply in gratitude and then briskly approached the booth display to inspect the items.
“Oh… Are there only four of these?”
“Yes, it’s our first booth, so the variety is a bit limited. I apologize.”
“A, no, not at all. On the contrary, even though there aren’t many varieties, the quality here is much better! The Acrylic stand is also incredibly large!”
He reacted a bit exaggeratedly, then boldly declared his intent to buy the full package.
“The full package is 75,000 won… I will purchase the full package.”
“Yes, thank you. There’s an account number on the booth sign, please transfer the payment there.”
“Yes, understood!”
Indeed, the saying that people who come to events like these are generous isn’t random.
With the full package purchase, Hayoon was extremely grateful and, from the box containing the pre-sold quantities set aside for on-site sales, handed over two types of Acrylic stands, a mat, and a framed art piece.
“Thank you, I’ll take good care of them.”
And so, another satisfied customer moved away with a contented expression.
“Uh…”
A new potential buyer approached Hayoon with a somewhat humble look.
‘Picture?’
By now, Hayoon had a good sense of what was coming.
“Is it alright to take a single photo?”
“Of course!”
People who approach with a face wondering ‘what if they refuse?’ end up asking for pictures a hundred percent of the time.
And those people naturally consider purchasing goods as well.
So, a small nudge at this moment could help.
“Would you like to browse the goods as well? We are selling four types of ‘Girl War’ goods.”
“Four types?”
“Yes! We’re selling M4’s goods that I’ve Cosplayed as this time.”
“Ah… I’ll buy them all. They don’t cost too much.”
“Thank you!”
It naturally transitions into a purchasing flow.
Isn’t it a man’s nature to want to show off in front of a woman?
Especially in front of someone as pretty as Hayoon, the instinct to want to impress, even if it’s just for a brief encounter, naturally stirs up.
Hayoon was banking on that thought process.
“Hello, is this the ‘Haru’ booth? I’m a pre-order customer…”
In this way, moths drawn to Hayoon’s looks started gathering one after another.
“Is this the Haru booth? I’m a pre-order customer…”
Among them, there were also pre-order customers. But, of course, these aren’t people who approached simply due to Hayoon’s looks.
“Wow… The quality is insane? Could I take a single photo?”
“Of course. Please stand over here.”
These are people who responded positively to Hayoon’s promotional posts for ‘Girl War’, a new booth operator, and even made pre-orders.
Even as they were about to leave after receiving the goods, they often pulled out their phones, captivated by Hayoon’s cosplay quality, and requested photos.
However, there was one small issue…
“How do I make the payment?”
“Uh, the account is next to the sign over there!”
“Could I take just one picture?”
“Oh, yes, please wait a moment…”
Since Hayoon was operating the booth alone, the manpower shortage was becoming quite severe.
Ultimately, Hayoon had to move busily like crazy…
“Hu-aah…”
Before she knew it, it was lunch break.
With an utterly exhausted expression, Hayoon plopped down onto the chair.
Perhaps because it was lunch break, or maybe due to fewer people participating in the rush, her booth finally found a bit of relief…
“Uh…?”
“Eh…?”
Just as she was sitting down to catch a breath, her eyes met with a familiar face.
It was the M4 Cosplayer she had seen before at AGC.
#
“Uh…?”
“Eh…?”
Was it because both had striking appearances?
Within moments, both recognized each other and exchanged a peculiar sigh as they faced each other.
And the one to break the awkward silence first was…
“Could we perhaps take a picture?”
It was the M4 Cosplayer.
“Yes, of course, it’s possible.”
Hayoon, relying on her recent experiences, responded adeptly.
Although it was rare for a woman to ask for a picture, since this was already their third encounter, there was a strangely comfortable feeling about it.
“May I hold your shoulder?”
“Yes, it’s fine…”
“Please look this way and smile.”
“Okay.”
After taking a few photos…
“I see you’re also running a booth.”
“Yes, since I can draw pretty well too. Just drawing pictures feels rather disappointing, so working on something like this is also a form of practical experience.”
“Indeed…”
While inspecting the booth, the M4 Cosplayer nodded in agreement with Hayoon’s words and expressed admiration for the goods that were infused with Hayoon’s expertise.
“Like you said last time, layering a soft sheen as the base and using water droplets as focal points really draws the eye.”
“Yes? That’s why I don’t randomly draw things like that.”
“Especially this framed piece…”
Upon inspecting the framed piece that depicted HK-M in a swimsuit, complete with realistic dewdrops running along her chest and stomach, the M4 Cosplayer’s cheeks turned slightly red.
“The men will like this…”
Even to this woman, the allure was undeniable—a certain flirtatious aura, achieved without any exposure of private parts, was captivating.
Even though she specialized in animation at high school, such detailed illustrations were a fresh stimulus, as opportunities to create them were rare.
“How much would it cost to buy all the goods here?”
“The full package, with a 5,000 won discount, comes to 75,000 won.”
“That’s cheap. The quality of your illustrations and goods doesn’t match that price at all.”
“You won’t have to worry about them selling out even at this price.”
“Could you package them for me? I’ll make the payment.”
“A, yes.”
While Hayoon was carefully pulling the goods out of the box, the M4 Cosplayer entered the 75,000 won into Hayoon’s account.
“Uh, I… don’t have any shopping bags prepared separately…”
“That’s fine. I have something I can carry them with.”
Then, somewhat awkwardly approaching, the M4 Cosplayer took the goods Hayoon handed over.
The request for packaging made Hayoon feel somewhat embarrassed since she didn’t have a proper shopping bag to bundle everything together.
Of course, that fact didn’t matter much to the M4 Cosplayer.
“If you’re interested, feel free to contact me.”
“…?”
“Then, it’d be nice to see you again sometime.”
With a nod of acknowledgment, she gracefully drifted away.
“Uh… asking to be contacted if I’m interested?”
What did that even mean?
She said something so random that Hayoon herself was baffled and thought to check if the payment went through correctly by opening her bank app…
Deposit amount: 75,000 ₩
Depositor: Choi Arin (@Arin_Choi_03)
The depositor’s clearly labeled username was prominently noted next to the name.
What could this mean…
“New kind of flirting…?”
Even though the person is a woman, could it be a suggestion to try Cosplaying together sometime?
Arin Choi’s intent wasn’t quite clear, but if Hayoon’s presumption about her intent is correct…
“This could be interesting.”
It seemed worth giving a call.
Hayoon had already confirmed twice at AGC and Cosplay Festival how good her Cosplay reactions were, and Choi Arin also had quite an appearance…
Even if not, taking some sort of photo shoot together at Yoo Soohee’s studio wouldn’t be bad.
Of course, this was all within Hayoon’s imagination…
“Uh, by any chance…”
“Is it the photo you’d like to talk about?”
“Yes! Could we take one, perhaps?”
“Of course. Could you come over here?”
First, deal with the customers gathering, and then find some time to make that call later.
She obviously wouldn’t expect the call anyway.
#
A few more hours later…
“Waaaah!”
Hayoon shouted with joy as if the exhibition hall would lift off.
“All sold!”
Complete sell-out!
The restocked items were sold out, and even the exhibition goods leaned on the easel were all purchased. Since the pre-order customers were told in advance that goods would only be distributed on Saturday, they all came and collected their merchandise.
The first booth operation was an absolute success! A major profit!
“Waah, congratulations.”
“Congratulations.”
“Ah, thank you.”
For the past few hours, while taking pictures and networking with the neighboring booth operators, they congratulated Hayoon. Hayoon, receiving their congratulations, gathered her change of clothes and headed to the dressing room.
“Hhehehe…”
Current balance: 21,687,329 ₩
Looking at the amount on her bankbook, it felt like she might float away.
It wasn’t just about surpassing a simple 10 million won in sales. Achieving a net profit of 10 million won, then going further to exceed 20 million won for the entire year, made her feel exhilarated.
“I am a deity!”
Alone in the dressing room, Hayoon got changed into her regular clothes and couldn’t contain the exhilaration bubbling up inside her.
She felt like she could earn several times more next year…
…
And, the status window was also preparing to take action as January 1, 2020, approached.
Just as much as Hayoon wondered about how much she could earn without the event buffs, so was the status window curious too…