Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber - Chapter 77

Chuseok, the biggest holiday in Korea, has arrived.

The origin of Chuseok is tied to an important milestone before the harvest, something about agriculture’s key turning point. Anyway, after offering rites to the ancestors, people can relax and enjoy the holiday, as the harvest is done and the weather is fine.

With the whole family gathering, people arriving at the house seemed endless from the first day of the holiday.

“Why did you bring so much stuff?”

“Come on, it’s just a few side dishes. Oh my, is that Suhyun? You’ve gotten even prettier since I last saw you!”

“Haha, thank you.”

“What’s this, Suhyun? Wow—now that you’re an adult, you really shine!”

“Thank you.”

With adults pouring in, I was getting dizzy. Every time someone entered, they tossed a compliment my way, and I found myself bowing over and over, thanking them until my neck was sore. Then, they’d praise my manners and give me pocket money, and I’d bow again in thanks. Repeating this process left the living room packed with adults.

Naturally, I and the younger ones gathered in my room, where I had hastily tidied away my merchandise.

“Hmm…”

First, we have the middle and high school siblings, who are relatives of Mr. Kim’s family: Kim Namseok (17) and Kim Yuna (15).

Then, from Jangyeosa’s family, there are the little sisters: Jang Yul (3) and Jang Uri (8).

We’ve got everyone from kindergarteners to elementary and high school students—and me, the adult. It’s like an assorted gift set.

“All right, kids, the adults have some conversations to share in the living room, so we’ll have to entertain ourselves.”

Not that I’d be setting up any shady gambling games with the little ones around. But as the one who’s supposed to keep an eye on them… what should I do with them?

“Wow, are you a princess, unnie?”

“Yes, yes, I’m a princess.”

Well, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be too hard. The sisters, Jang Yul (3) and Jang Uri (8), are at that age where they love all things pretty. They’re already entranced, staring at me with wide eyes.

And our adolescent siblings are busy on their phones, awkwardly avoiding each other.

Huh? Does this mean I don’t actually have to do anything?

But there’s something striking about the appearance of those two.

Are they delinquents? Both have distinctly above-average looks, fitting for relatives of Mr. Kim, but Kim Namseok (17) has brown hair, and Kim Yuna (15) has dyed hers yellow. Not to mention, Kim Namseok (17) even has a piercing.

Hmm…

It’s not my place to interfere. Besides, aren’t middle and high schoolers scary these days?

I vaguely remember being more ordinary when I was a guy—is this the butterfly effect? Did they change because they don’t have an older cousin or brother to hang out with during the holidays?

Or maybe it’s just my prejudice. They might just be kids who enjoy dressing up.

Look at Roah—she has a rough exterior, but on stream, she’s as pure as can be.

As I quietly observed them, Kim Yuna (15), who’d momentarily looked up from her phone, caught my gaze and flinched.

“Wh-why?”

“Which school did you say you go to?”

What’s this? Why does she seem so scared?

As female Kim Suhyun, I don’t really have any memories of my younger cousins. I used to just hole up in my room during holidays. So, I’m relying on memories from my time as a guy, but everything feels so different.

“Uh… Dajang Middle School….”

Dajang Middle? So, not much has changed from when I was a guy.

The Kim siblings are my relatives, but since they live nearby, I remember they went to the same middle school as me. So, which high school did Namseok (17) end up going to?

“And you, Namseok?”

Finally, Namseok (17) tears his gaze away from his phone and looks at me, though he can’t meet my eyes directly. Well, I guess I’m still a bit intimidating for a high school freshman.

“I go to Dajang High….”

“Hmm, so you’re my junior.”

He ended up going to the same high school I graduated from. It’s been two years since I graduated—has anything changed?

“Who are your teachers?”

Maybe I’ll start a conversation with him through our shared school experience. Teachers are a safe topic with a high school junior, right?

“By the way, um…”

“Yeah?”

“Are you… well-known?”

“Me? Famous?”

“Since middle school, yeah.”

Me? Famous? Well, I guess this neighborhood isn’t very big. Plus, being Kim Suhyun, known for knocking down celebrities, I probably had some level of notoriety as a student.

“Really? Even the teachers know?”

“Yeah, and the seniors, too.”

“The seniors? Which ones?”

“The third-year seniors.”

Third-year? So they’d have been freshmen when I was in my final year?

“Why would they know me?”

“I don’t know, they just do.”

“Really?”

Did they hear about me from the third-year students who were in my class?

But, seriously, even searching my memory, there’s nothing special about female Kim Suhyun’s school days. Just the usual: sleeping when tired, listening in class, cramming before exams. I was a clean-cut student, never dated, only hung out with same-gender friends.

“I didn’t do anything noteworthy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s not like I was hanging out or anything. What do they even say?”

“Nothing much; they just treat me really well.”

“Treat you well?”

“Yeah, ever since middle school, the older guys and girls have been really nice to me.”

Uh… well, that’s… good? Or maybe not.

Why would they have changed so much compared to when I was a guy?

The only difference now is my presence.

“Hmm, why’d you dye your hair and get a piercing?”

I asked, just to be sure. Was this really because of me?

“Huh? Some older guys recommended a good place.”

Hmm…

“And you, Yuna?”

“Me? Some older girls told me to.”

Well, damn.

So, it really was my influence?

“Here.”

This is a knot I tied; it’s only right for me to untie it.

Good thing I withdrew some cash in advance. I pulled out my thick wallet, which I’d slipped into my pocket, and took out ten 50,000-won bills, handing them half each.

“Huh?”

“What’s this?”

This isn’t something that’ll be solved right away, but for now, this should be enough. They seem like good kids, after all.

“Alright, after Chuseok, change your hair back to black and take out the piercings.”

Luckily, Yuna (15) didn’t have any piercings, probably because she’s younger.

As for Namseok (17)… well, the piercings suited him enough, but it’s better to stop here.

“Huh?”

“What? Not enough money?”

“N-no, it’s enough.”

They seemed surprised at the sudden cash handout, but honestly, I’m even more taken aback.

Back when I was a guy, they were model students, and now, here they are, looking like rebels…

“Look, if I say undo it, then undo it.”

I’m not saying those older kids are bad influences. They probably meant well, and my younger cousins look up to them. But this isn’t right. They shouldn’t go astray.

“This noona has absolutely nothing to offer, so you shouldn’t try to bask in my light.”

Besides, I have zero interest in doing anything for them. Why should I? I ignore calls from people my age, and they’re two years behind me.

Then, I took out two more 50,000-won bills from my wallet and handed them to Namseok (17).

“Huh? More?”

“Yeah. If I end up going out, you need to help take care of the younger kids.”

At seventeen, he’s at that perfect age to play the responsible older brother.

Even now, the little ones—Jang Yul (3) and Jang Uri (8)—seem to be getting bored with just watching and are starting to cling to me.

If I run out of energy later, Namseok (17) will have to earn that money by taking over.

“Alright…”

“Good. For now, I’ll entertain the kids, so you two go back to looking at your phones.”

I gave them a small smile to suggest they could relax, but instead, both Namseok (17) and Yuna (15) jumped, quickly pocketed their phones, and stepped over toward me.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. We’ll take care of it. We played with them last Chuseok too.”

“Wow, that’s really nice of you!”

“No problem, you just relax, unnie.”

I hadn’t pressured them or anything, yet they volunteered to entertain the younger kids. Maybe thinking of them as rebellious teenagers was my misunderstanding? They’re actually pretty sweet.

But if the middle and high school duo takes charge of the little sisters, what am I supposed to do?

Looks like I don’t have anything to do after all. Guess I’ll just lounge comfortably on the bed?

This isn’t me breaking my promise to Jangyeosa or shirking my duties. I’ve simply delegated effectively. And they volunteered, after all.

This is the beauty of a virtuous cycle. I can see why big companies use subcontracting. The corporation avoids extra work, and the subcontractor earns money.

Sometimes, Jang Yul (3), who has trouble controlling her actions, would suddenly charge over to where I was lying on the bed, but I could handle that with a gentle hug. And honestly, isn’t she adorable?

Her cheeks are plump and so satisfying to squish.

“Unnie, what kind of princess are you? Where do you come from?”

And she’s so smart—she speaks so well. At three years old, isn’t it usually just “Mommy, Daddy”?

“Unnie is a princess from the sky.”

“The sky?”

“Wow…”

“She rules over thousands of people up there.”

It was just something I said offhandedly, but her eyes sparkled so brightly it was almost overwhelming. Well, I guess it’s not entirely untrue. If anything, it’s an understatement. Just look at my YouTube subscriber count.

“I… I want to be a princess like unnie!”

“Hmm, Yul, you’re a bit young.”

“I can’t?”

Her face scrunches up, ready to cry, and it’s so cute I can hardly stand it.

After dealing with the mischief of the Miro fans, seeing the pure innocence of a child feels like a breath of fresh air.

“It’s not that you can’t; you just have to wait a little.”

“How long?”

“Hmm… how about a hundred nights from now?”

A hundred nights should be okay, right? I heard that kids don’t really count much beyond that.

“That long?”

“But after that, you’ll become a princess.”

“Really?”

“Yes~ really.”

Well, it may not work out, but by then, I won’t be the one by her side anyway. Lord, forgive me. Uncle, Aunt, if she starts crying about wanting to be a princess, please comfort her.

“Alright, shall we go play with oppa again? Oppa is a knight!”

With that small white lie to preserve a child’s innocence, I handed Jang Yul (3) back to her designated caretaker, Kim Namseok (17).

Taking care of these kids is a breeze. Jangyeosa should feel ashamed for calling me a runaway over something so simple.

As I continued to keep the kids entertained, it seemed about time for dinner, so I stepped out into the living room.

The table was almost completely set. It must’ve been lively in here while I was with the kids.

“Hey, you’re back. Are the kids having fun?”

“Piece of cake. But wow, dinner’s all set? I didn’t even get called.”

“We figured you were doing a good job with the kids, so we didn’t want to bother you.”

Fair enough. I really was handling them well.

“So, is it time to eat?”

“Yeah, go ahead and bring the kids out.”

Finally, today’s work is just about over. There’ll be more tomorrow, but it shouldn’t be too tough. I wonder if I should give Namseok (17) a hundred thousand won and let him take the kids to a PC café or the playground. The playground is probably better with the little ones.

I headed back to the room.

“Hey, kids, it’s time for dinner… huh?”

But…

“Wow! This is so soft!”

Why is that open?

What I see is the soundproof booth wide open, with Jang Uri (8) sitting innocently on the chair inside. 

I was gone for less than a minute! How did Jang Uri (8) manage to escape supervision, open the door, and get inside the booth so fast?

“Whoa… the graphics card is insane,” I hear Kim Namseok (17) marveling at my computer.

Yeah, it’s about the age where he’d be into stuff like that.

Looking at the computer is fine, but…

“There are two monitors, and is this a webcam? And a microphone, too.”

He knows way too much. Please, let’s leave it at that. Stop deducing, Namseok. Even if you’re family, there are boundaries…

“Unnie, do you stream by any chance?”

Ah, crap.