Now That I Have Become a Woman, I Am a Vtuber - Chapter 98

“Hoo-ah.”  

As I opened the door, the steam trapped in the bathroom billowed out in clouds.  

“How do you feel? Better?”  

“Yes, I feel so refreshed.”  

After a shower and slipping into some of Tenshi-san’s larger-sized clothes, I finally felt like a person again.  

It had been such an uncomfortable trip getting here.  

“Still, it doesn’t look like the rain’s stopping anytime soon.”  

“Yeah, seems like it.”  

We both stared blankly at the rain cascading outside the window.  

Although we managed to make it to Tenshi-san’s house, it didn’t seem realistic to carry on with any plans today.  

And just thinking about earlier… Ugh, my face heats up all over again.  

Why did I have to trip like that?  

As a result, my clothes got completely ruined, leaving us no choice but to rush to the nearest place—Tenshi-san’s house.  

While I was touching my flushed cheeks, still embarrassed by my earlier thoughts, Tenshi-san, who had been watching me, laughed and said, “It’s okay! It was cute!”  

“…Just forget it.”  

I heard you laughing earlier, so why would I believe that now?  

Ugh, next time it rains, I’ll just wait patiently.  

“By the way, since we’re here, should we order delivery?”  

It felt a bit strange to be the one suggesting it in someone else’s house, but knowing Tenshi-san, they probably preferred delivery over going out in this weather.  

“Yes, let’s do that!”  

Luckily, Tenshi-san agreed right away. If anything, they looked a bit excited about it.  

“Su-hyun, relax on the sofa! I’ll place the order.”  

Maybe Tenshi-san also liked staying in rather than going out. After all, being a VTuber is evidence enough of a preference for staying home, isn’t it?  

While Tenshi-san pulled out their phone to browse the delivery app, I grabbed the remote in front of the sofa.  

“Should we watch something while we eat?”  

Eating without anything to watch would be boring, right? The TV was big enough, so a movie seemed perfect.  

“Sure! Go ahead and pick something!”  

Pick something, huh? What should I choose?  

I scrolled through an OTT site connected to the TV, wondering about my options.  

Now that I think about it, I’ve heard that even the same site has different content depending on the country. What’s available in Japan?  

With a bit of curiosity, I opened the site, only to find that it was set to the Korean version.  

“Uh, this is the Korean version?”  

“Oh, I watch the Korean version! It’s good for studying, too.”  

Wow, so dedicated to Korea…  

If Tenshi-san weren’t a VTuber, they could probably run a Korean culture channel on YouTube and support three generations of their family.  

With this, picking something becomes a lot easier.  

Even if Tenshi-san is somewhat fluent in Korean, they’ve lived their entire life in Japan. Watching a foreign film without subtitles would still be difficult for them to relax and enjoy.  

What’s the overlap between us—a Korean and a Japanese person—where we can both comfortably eat delivery food and enjoy watching?  

“How about this?”  

I picked a Japanese romance movie.  

With Korean subtitles, it was the perfect choice for both of us to enjoy—practically a Solomon-level decision that slapped all doubts away.  

“Oh! I like it!”  

Thankfully, Tenshi-san seemed to approve, so I started the movie right away.  

The delivery food would probably arrive in the middle of the movie, but that was fine.  

As the movie began, Tenshi-san placed their carefully considered order. Later, the delivery arrived around the midpoint of the movie, and we ate while continuing to watch.  

While chatting about various topics—like deciding on songs for an upcoming year-end live event—the time flew by. Eventually, it started feeling like it was time to head back.  

Hmm… Should I go home now? Or would it be fine to just stay over?  

The rain was still falling, and the thought of heading back in such weather made me feel even more sluggish. Besides, I needed to collect my clothes, which were currently being washed and dried in Tenshi-san’s laundry machine.  

My parents, who were usually a bit grumbly but a sweet couple deep down, might even prefer having the house to themselves without me around for a night.  

“Hey, Tenshi-san.”  

“Eh?”  

“Would it be okay if I stayed over tonight?”  

“Ehh? Of course!”  

Since I needed the host’s permission first, I asked, and Tenshi-san nodded enthusiastically.  

Great! With their permission secured, I texted my mom to let her know I’d be staying over at a friend’s place. She replied almost immediately with an “Okay.”  

– I was ready to explain the situation in case she asked, but her immediate approval was a little disorienting. Doesn’t she worry at all?  

Anyway, since I got the green light, I was set to stay.  

Fortunately, Tenshi-san’s house was far superior to the tiny studio I’d lived in before, so there was plenty of space for me.  

I could spread out a blanket on the floor or even share the large bed in the master bedroom if needed.  

Having decided to stay the night, we had plenty of time to relax. Both of us lazed around aimlessly until, at some point, the rain outside stopped.  

…After pouring like it would never stop, it cleared up the same day. The abruptness left me a little stunned.  

As I confirmed the rain had stopped, Tenshi-san, who noticed as well, suddenly suggested something.  

“Su-hyun! Since the rain’s stopped and you’re staying over, how about we grab some drinks?”  

“Drinks?”  

“Yeah! There’s a great izakaya nearby!”  

Oh… a local’s recommendation for an izakaya.  

I’m not much of a drinker, but that idea was incredibly tempting.  

“Sounds good. Let’s go right now.”  

Borrowing an extra coat from Tenshi-san, I stepped outside with them.  

The nighttime streets of Japan were entirely different from the morning. Near this residential area, there were barely any tourists, and the number of people outside could be counted on one hand.  

Hmm, this atmosphere was nice.  

Maybe it was because the houses were beautiful, but even walking down these streets felt romantic.  

Or perhaps it was because they reminded me of scenes from anime stored in my memories, giving them a nostalgic charm.  

Before long, just as Tenshi-san had said, we arrived at an izakaya not far away.  

The place seemed fairly popular, judging by the crowd inside. Thankfully, a few seats were still available, so we didn’t have to wait.  

We settled into our seats.  

“I’ll order karaage and my favorite sake!”  

“Sounds good.”  

Since I didn’t know much about the menu, I left the ordering to Tenshi-san.  

Shortly after we placed our order, the friendly-looking owner brought the food over. The karaage looked incredibly crispy, and the sake was perfectly poured.  

Even though we hadn’t gone long since eating delivery food, the sight of that crispy karaage paired with sake made my mouth water.  

“Cheers.”  

“Cheers.”  

We clinked our glasses, downed the sake, and immediately went for the karaage. The crunch was so satisfying that it made me feel like coming here was the right decision.  

Maybe this is why it’s good to have local friends.  

Eating at a place like this made me feel like I’d become a true local myself, as if I were Japanese for a moment.  

Perhaps it’s time I seriously considered learning Japanese. If I could, I wouldn’t have to rely on others to order when I come back someday.  

With that newfound determination, I kept sipping sake and chatting with Tenshi-san, making repeated toasts. As the alcohol settled in, I started to feel tipsy.  

Maybe I’d been drinking a bit too quickly? Tenshi-san, who had been chatting non-stop just moments ago, was now nodding off, her head drooping slightly.  

I thought about waking her up to head home, but since her house was close by and we were already out, I decided to let her rest. I stayed behind, enjoying the atmosphere and sipping my sake alone.  

Just as I was starting to relax, I heard a voice behind me.  

“Um, ano—.”  

I turned to find three men standing there. One, seemingly their leader, spoke to me, while the other two hung back awkwardly.  

The situation was immediately clear.  

Even here, in a quiet local izakaya, I was being hit on.  

Great. Just what I needed on the first day of my trip.  

And this time, they were Japanese?  

Getting hit on by locals at a local restaurant—how ironic.  

Since I didn’t know Japanese, I was ready to gesture my rejection and ignore them.  

“…Hey, does she understand Japanese?”  

“I heard she knows a bit. Not sure how much, though.”  

The whispers between the two men in the back gave them away.  

Wait—are they Korean?  

Ugh. These guys.  

Why couldn’t they just enjoy their drinks quietly at a local restaurant in Japan?  

I could understand their actions on some level, but perhaps because of the alcohol, I felt more annoyed than usual.  

Seriously, they traveled all the way to Japan, only to waste their time hitting on women?  

“Hm? Hm?”  

Just then, Tenshi-san, who must’ve overheard their voices, blinked awake.  

Maybe she wasn’t as drunk as I’d thought—just tired. Her cheeks weren’t that red now that I looked at her more closely.  

“Etto…”  

She tilted her head slightly, looking at the men with a puzzled expression, and I could see they hadn’t anticipated her noticing them.

Tenshi-san, who seemed to have caught some of the whispered Korean, glanced briefly at the men before turning to look at me.  

She probably realized they were Korean and was leaving it to me to handle.  

Hmm… what should I do?  

The alcohol had dulled my thoughts, making it hard to think clearly.  

“Uh… ‘issho ni’… um, what’s the Japanese for ‘sit together’?”  

“Hey, idiot, I don’t know either. Just say something about drinking sake.”  

“If you don’t know, hurry up and pull out a translator app.”  

These guys were whispering Korean right in front of me.  

Ugh, forget it. I’m in a foreign country anyway—why not just deal with this decisively?  

What should I say to get rid of them?  

As I half-listened to the men talking, I mulled over possible phrases. Finally, I came up with one that would surely shut them up.  

Not exactly a “good” sentence, but definitely effective.  

Ordinarily, I’d never say something like this. But the alcohol buzz made me bold, so I let the words fly.  

“*Damare! Chosun-jing!*”  

My shout was followed by a heavy silence.  

Yes, I’d just used a term I normally wouldn’t, but hey, I’m Korean.  

It’s like how Black people sometimes casually use the n-word with each other.  

“W-what?”  

Hmm.  

I guess they might feel differently about it, but…  

Do I care?  

Not really. I’m too drunk to think about it.