Since I Became a Woman, I’ll Do Cosplay - Chapter 82

It was 5:30 PM. Time to wrap up the karaoke stream.

“Cough, cough… I’m exhausted. I’ll be back in 10 minutes after getting some water. I’ll leave a playlist of covers, so listen to that while you wait.”

Scarlet winked, adding a clumsy aegyo, and disappeared from the screen. The background music switched to a playlist of covers from her YouTube channel. And Hong Seo-hyun, streaming from her apartment in Seoul.

Turned off her microphone and…

“I’m dying… I’m so tired.”

“S-Senior?”

…collapsed onto the guest lying on her bed, her sanctuary.

“I’m going to die from exhaustion. So tired… so tired…”

She was simply, utterly exhausted.

“I ran out of water, and it’s awkward to ask for more when there are only a few songs left, so I just kept going, and my throat feels like sandpaper, but I didn’t want to mess up the notes, so I really pushed myself…”

“Y-You did…”

“Yeah…”

“I-It’s okay, it’s okay…”

There’s one reason why women do this. Why ramble incoherently about their struggles without any logical flow?

It’s a plea for empathy and comfort. So, Hayoon turned around and patted Hong Seo-hyun’s back. Since it was almost time for the break anyway, she moved the blanket aside, intending to get up. But there was nothing between them anymore.

Hong Seo-hyun rested her head on Hayoon’s soft chest, kicking the blanket with her legs and complaining about being tired, and Hayoon continued to pat her back, offering comfort.

‘Has it been two minutes yet?’

She discreetly checked the time. Comforting her was one thing, but they couldn’t be late for the stream. If she said she’d be back in 10 minutes, she should return in 9.

“Am I going to have to ruin my throat like this every stream? That can’t be right.”

“No, your streaming schedule depends on your condition. We both used up our period leave days, so we have school tomorrow, and we’ll stream after school.”

“Right?”

“So, it’s all up to you. You pushed yourself today because it was your debut.”

“Oh, that’s good…”

Perhaps Hong Seo-hyun felt pressured, being technically employed by Hayoon.

She nuzzled Hayoon’s chest, groaning. Then.

“Your chest is really big. Almost as big as Choi Arin’s.”

“Really? I think hers is bigger…”

“No, I’m sure. You might not be able to tell since you see each other all the time, but I can be objective.”

She seemed to have recovered and started chatting. She had been complaining about her throat, but now, she seemed energized. Youth was a wonderful thing. But…

‘7 minutes.’

The stream wasn’t over yet. Knowing Hong Seo-hyun, she would keep chatting and lose track of time. Even Hayoon could lose track of time.

“It’s been 7 minutes. Shouldn’t we get back to the stream, Scarlet-nim?”

Hayoon gently tugged on Hong Seo-hyun’s ear. They couldn’t keep messing around.

“We still have 3 minutes. Just a little longer…?”

Hong Seo-hyun clearly wanted to stay, but… they couldn’t. Another minute had passed. Hayoon slipped her hand under Hong Seo-hyun’s skirt and firmly grabbed her butt. Hong Seo-hyun jumped in surprise, her face flushing slightly.

“Y-You…”

She sat up abruptly, looking down at Hayoon with an indignant expression. But.

“Blame your laziness for needing such drastic measures. If you keep this up, I might not stop at just grabbing your butt.”

“Geez…”

Hayoon wasn’t intimidated. After all, it was Hong Seo-hyun who normalized this level of physical contact between them. Hong Seo-hyun pouted and went to the kitchen to get some water. She still had a few hours of streaming ahead; hydration was crucial.

-Her singing is so good.

-Honestly, her singing alone makes this stream worth watching.

-The GOAT of radio streams. There aren’t many who do JPOP covers in Korean, let alone live. There’s no one else like her.

Hayoon watched the chat while Hong Seo-hyun was in the kitchen. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Her singing, their planned strength, had captivated the audience after nearly five hours of non-stop karaoke. Word of mouth had spread, and the viewer count had reached 1,500.

-33 chickens!

The follower count had also surpassed 1,800. They would be giving away at least 33 chickens, and with the rest of the stream still ahead, they might even hit 40.

“Growing rapidly.”

Hayoon grinned, put her phone down, and stretched. She had been lying on the bed while Hong Seo-hyun sang, so her body was stiff. As she stretched, her joints cracked.

“Are you tired?”

“No, why would I be? I was just lying down.”

Hong Seo-hyun, still pouting, checked on Hayoon. When Hayoon said she was fine.

“I’m not. So stay still.”

“W-Wait, senior?”

Hong Seo-hyun suddenly hugged Hayoon tightly, burying her face in her chest.

“Haaa, your chest is so soft. It feels good to lean on something.”

“Wh-What…”

This was ridiculous. Her face was just resting on Hayoon’s chest; how could that feel good?

“Anyway, I’m going to start streaming now. Get back on the bed.”

“O-Okay…”

Hong Seo-hyun pushed Hayoon back onto the bed without further explanation.

Payback for grabbing her butt…

Tit for tat. They were even now.

“Time to tell you all about me. Since the working folks haven’t joined us yet, let’s chat until 6.”

Hong Seo-hyun, a smug grin on her face, started the stream.

The newcomer orientation went smoothly. Re-energized after the break, Hong Seo-hyun streamed flawlessly, and the response was explosive.

Even major Vtuber agencies took a long time to produce original songs – at least a year.

But to release an original song at debut?

While average viewers might not grasp the significance, it was huge news for hardcore Vtuber fans who followed even overseas Vtubers. This level of dedication suggested she wasn’t planning on suddenly retiring or “reincarnating.” It built trust with the core Vtuber audience.

But Scarlet’s appeal wasn’t limited to just Vtuber fans.

-Promising five streams a week on her debut is a bit much, but I guess it’s okay.

-Yeah, with the chicken giveaway, I don’t think she’ll break that promise.

-Good enough.

She had promised five streams a week. Many newcomers started with three or four streams a week, citing real-life commitments. Five streams a week was a strong selling point, even for demanding viewers.

“The original song will be released on October 31st, Halloween! Mark your calendars! And come back tomorrow for the chicken giveaway!”

Finally.

Scarlet’s long debut stream ended, and the red-haired, busty doctor reverted to a black-haired high school student.

“Good work.”

Hayoon came up behind her and patted her head.

“I-I did it…”

They had hit over 40 chickens. Hong Seo-hyun trembled, seemingly overwhelmed by the successful stream.

“I’m hungry after all that streaming.”

She looked at Hayoon, smiling brightly.

Then.

“You must be hungry too. Want some ramen?”

Remembering Hayoon enjoying her ramen at lunch, she offered dinner.