Chapter 106: Ah, that damn butt!

Sssssshhhhhh—

When she came to, she was at some kind of amusement park.

Summer. The weather was scorching.

‘There’s so many people.’

The rides in the distance whirled noisily, and the crowd nearby surged like waves.

Sua soon realized one thing. Everyone here was smiling.

Their joy was so vivid it couldn’t be contained, blooming outward like heatwaves. Their steps were light and lifted.

It was a place where sorrow wasn’t allowed—because it was an amusement park.

Whack—!

That was when someone smacked the back of Sua’s head.

“Stay right here. I’ll be back after I have some fun.”

It was Sua’s stepsister.

Even Sua knew her sister didn’t like her. From the very start, her attitude had been openly hostile.

“This is so stupid. Why’d you throw a tantrum begging Mom to send you to the amusement park? Why the hell do I have to be your guardian…?”

But still—

“Ehehe…”

Even so, she couldn’t help but smile like an idiot.

That’s how Sua was now.

The fact that her stepsister hated her, that it was hot—none of that mattered. What mattered was that she had finally stepped into an amusement park.

“Eh… ehehe.”

Sua moved.

Ignoring the order to wait, she roamed the amusement park freely.

“That girl’s acting weird.”

“Hey! What are you doing to my kid?!”

“Get lost!”

Naturally, chaos followed her every step.

“Uh… I’m sorry… sorry. Sorry. Sorry…”

She scared people by following them out of curiosity, and when she tried to pet a child, she was misunderstood as someone with bad intentions.

“I’m sorry…”

It was an endless stream of apologies, but she didn’t mind.

She had finally come to the amusement park of her dreams.

She didn’t know how much time had passed.

Nor did she realize she was lost. That she had no idea how to return to where she started.

But there was no fear.

She was planning to wander every corner of the amusement park until she was satisfied.

─This is a notice from the lost child center. We are looking for Kim Sohee. Kim Sohee. Description is…

She didn’t even register the announcement about her.

Because the amusement park was still dazzling.

“Hey! Wait up!”

“It’s way too hot today…”

“Let’s just take pictures at the carousel and go on the Viking ship.”

But what defines ‘dazzling’ differs by perspective.

For most people, it’s the usual kind—faces glowing with joy, sparkling rides, kids tugging their parents with excitement. That’s what you’d expect.

But for Sua, it was different.

To Sua, everything was music.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Woooosh!

The Viking ship swaying at regular intervals was the kick.

“Hey! Run! That line’s shorter!”

Tat-tat-tat-tat—!

The rush of people sprinting became the snare.

Sure, their steps were uncoordinated, but in her mind, she could rearrange them into rhythm.

All the noise of the amusement park formed a waltz in Sua’s mind.

She began humming the melody that surfaced to her lips, nodding her head in 3/4 time.

“Hmm, hmhmm… hehe…”

That’s why she made no effort to return.

Because to Sua, the amusement park itself was a giant orchestra. She couldn’t leave until this performance ended.

And then, at some point—

─Calling Kim Sohee. Kim Sohee, please come forward.

The announcement echoed again.

“Kim Sohee! Where the hell are you?!”

Her stepsister shouted with a flustered expression.

“Isn’t that her over there?”

“Looks like it. Her description matches…”

People started to recognize Kim Sohee (Sua).

And Sua moved as if possessed.

A busking piano seat had just opened up, and she sat down, her fingers twitching.

She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Whatever had been boiling inside her—it had to be released now.

“…Looks like we’ll have to drag her off.”

“Ugh, I was going to film myself playing and post it on SNS. Why’d she have to sit there right now? She doesn’t even look normal at first glance.”

“Let’s go ask her to move. Where’s her guardian, anyway?”

However—

None of their ideas ever came to fruition.

The stepsister who had carelessly abandoned Sua and only now came looking, the lost child center staff—none of them needed to act anymore.

Because—

Sua had pressed the keys.

Da-da-da-dan—

That was her introduction to the world.

More delicate than any spoken phrase.

◈◈◈◈◈

A little later.

Once the entire experience had ended, inside Sua’s mind—

It was mealtime.

Tiny Suas sat around a round table like a family. Today’s menu: ramen and perfectly fermented kimchi. Everyone was too busy eating.

─Ramen, oh, I do find this truly delicious.

─You better do the dishes today.

─Hmmm….

Wi Ji-hye cleared her throat a few times.

─How can a sword master wield anything but a blade? To defy fate is unforgivable. I am the supreme of the outer sect, the unrivaled master of all time, and also…

─You’re on dish duty. Do it. Before I shoot you.

But then—

Clatter—!

Suddenly, another Sua burst through the door.

─…?

Bewilderment spread across the tiny Suas’ faces.

She was pretty, at a glance. Simple and youthful.

But what unsettled them was the expression on her face.

It was… vacant? The kind that immediately makes you think—Oh, this person isn’t all there.

The ominous feeling quickly turned into reality.

─Uuuu….

Sohee-Sua plopped down at the table without asking.

─I’m hungry.

She grabbed Wi Ji-hye’s chopsticks and began eating the ramen. And not in small bites, either—she slurped down massive mouthfuls, leaving nothing for Wi Ji-hye.

─Wow, hot… hot… delicious…

─….

The rest of them went silent for a while.

─….

They just stared at each other for a long time.

─Ah.

Something told them… life was about to get a lot harder.

◈◈◈◈◈

That night. In the real world.

Vrrrrrrrrm—

Sua’s phone suddenly started vibrating.

She was extremely sleepy. The last thing she wanted was to be disturbed.

Vrrrrrrrrm—

But Sua forced her eyes open and checked the caller.

If it was an urgent work call, she had no choice but to answer.

But soon she realized it wasn’t. The caller was Monkey.

And it wasn’t even a regular call—it was a video call.

Out of nowhere?

“Let’s talk later. Later…”

Sua mumbled and lightly tapped the phone. Decline.

Probably just wanted to play games or something. Whatever the reason, she was way too sleepy for this.

It’s fine. We’re friends. They’ll understand I need to sleep…

But then—

Vrrrrrrrrm—
Vrrrrrrrrm—
Vrrrrrrrrm—

“Aaaagh, seriously!”

Sua gave in and answered the call.

“What is it? What the hell is going on?”

She shouted, still barely able to open her eyes.

The screen lit up with Saengji and Monkey. Both of them were rolling their eyes wildly—clearly something was off.

“Looks like we woke Sua up…”

“Where you woke up is important. Was it a motel? Hotel?”

“I can see Sua’s collarbone. Is she naked?”

“…Did you sleep with a guy? Is there a guy next to you or not?”

What even is all this?

Sua let out a deep sigh and furrowed her brows.

“…I’m alone. What’s with the questions all of a sudden?”

But the ones being dramatic were the two on the other side.

“Sua, we’re talking about Lee Su-an! What’s going on?”

“Yeah! Did you get a boyfriend or something? What is it?”

For a while, Monkey and Saengji kept freaking out.

They were asking where she met someone like Su-an, who’s a complete mystery of a rookie, how she got close with such a handsome guy, what kind of relationship they had…

Eventually, Sua understood.

‘Ah, right.’

It was only natural for them to be curious.

She had been too busy since the awards. She hadn’t explained anything.

“Well, the truth is, I’m actually Lee Su-an—”

But Sua stopped mid-sentence.

It was instinct.

‘Wait.’

She realized something. There were too many clues.

Saengji and Monkey thought Su-an and Sua were different people, the production team and Director Kim Iseo were busy manipulating public opinion around the rookie award, and online communities were in a frenzy lately.

Everything fit together perfectly. The conclusion came easily.

‘Better not say anything yet.’

There had to be a reason why the production team and Director Kim chose to keep Sua and Su-an separate. Clearly, it was part of a larger plan.

She couldn’t let her loose lips ruin all that.

So Sua spoke in a calm voice.

“We’re just close friends. Nothing more.”

As if they were two completely separate people.

“So you’re seriously not, like, hooking up or anything? Not, like, satisfying each other’s needs on a regular basis or something…?”

“No! Not at all.”

“Okay, then that’s a relief…”

That’s when Monkey joined in again.

“Su-an and you are both being mentioned as Rookie of the Year candidates. I’m working on the online side, and Saengji unnie’s doing what she can as a journalist. So I wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“What kind of public sentiment do you want? Should we push for you?”

“Hmm…”

Sua shook her head.

“No. Mr. Su-an is from the same agency as me, and he’s a really thoughtful, kind person. Honestly, he’s smart too.”

Of course, praising Su-an meant she was praising herself, but Sua had already mastered that level of shamelessness. SuaShameless™.

“So please support him just as much as me. Anyway, Special Forces Unit 808 is going to air soon, right?”

“Hmm…”

“Please. If he does well, I’ll do well too.”

“Alright, got it.”

Phew, that went well.

Sua thought to herself. I was sharp, I handled that pretty smoothly, right? Is the world scared of how much Lee Sua’s growing?

But—

That’s when it happened.

“Hey, Sua. Then… could we maybe…”

She didn’t expect the next move at all.

“Just like with Mr. Sun-il before… could we get a video call with Su-an sometime?”

“Huh?”

“Not trying to meddle in your private life, but I’m just curious what kind of person he is. Plus, he’s super handsome.”

“…Agreed. If he’s not your boyfriend, introduce him to me.”

“…”

What now.

In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

◈◈◈◈◈

Meanwhile, on NeoLive’s streaming platform—

[ LIVE ]
[ Shikarin’s New Outfit! Let’s Chat All Night! ]
[ 25,000 viewers watching ]

It was the weekend, and her avatar was wearing a new costume.

With those two factors combined, Shikarin’s stream was thriving as usual.

However, the deer sensed something slightly off.

Especially noticeable in the chat.

[ Shikarin, did you see Lee Sua’s recent stuff? ]
[ Lee Sua ended up winning the Grand Prize ]
[ She speaks so clearly and confidently too ]
[ First time in my life I’ve been interested in short films ]
[ Shikarin, are we watching a movie today too? ]
[ Let’s play “Guess the Celebrity” ]

‘…Lee Sua’s gotten this big?’

The reason Shikarin—aka Deer—Go Eun-bi was flustered.

It was because a huge portion of the chat was all about Sua.

Normally, once she did her promotional bits, interest would die down immediately. Whether it was a game, food, or some product—it was all the same.

Wow, finally done with this ad!
Good job, viewers!
Shikarin, please do literally anything else now!

Yeah, it was always that kind of vibe.

Basically, the usual sense was “This ad sucks, but we endured it for Shikarin.” But this time was different. The viewers were genuinely interested. In the person named Lee Sua.

“Guys, I’m wearing a brand new outfit too…”

Shikarin shook her avatar.

Compared to last time, it was a much more revealing hanbok outfit. Usually, this level of skin would make the audience go wild.

[ Even with this, she’s still smaller than Sua ]
[ Holy crap, that woman’s butt is insane ]
[ Like she’s holding a whole kimchi jar back there—ready for a drum solo ]
[ Cleanbot has flagged this message as inappropriate ]
[ Honestly, if she fell on her butt, it’d probably be super cushy lol ]

“Ao, that damn butt!”

Shikarin shouted without even thinking.

“What, is it really that great to have something that huge and hippo-like?!”

[ ? ]
[ ??? ]
[ ???? ]

Deer realized her mistake too late.

[ Yeah ]
[ It’s amazing ]
[ So damn amazing ]
[ I forgot her whole speech because of her ass ]
[ Shikarin’s butt is flat anyway ]

“….”

She couldn’t argue.

Even she knew it was pure jealousy.

In the past, every time she saw Sua, she used to think—

Why does only Sua have that kind of overwhelming volume? It’s not like God’s supposed to favor just one person. Why is it so unfair…

Of course, Deer later came to her own conclusion.

Creatures evolve based on their environment. And if you’re gonna use that level of intelligence to seduce males and carry on the bloodline… you’d need a body like that.

It’s just nature’s way. That kind of thinking.

I mean, that’s what she used to joke about back then.

Now she genuinely supports Sua! Like, seriously!

Still, even someone like Deer, who treats her VTuber duties with the utmost professionalism, found this particular moment unsettling. A totally new experience.

This was her stream, and yet she wasn’t the main character—what the hell?

She tried to steer the conversation.

“Aren’t you guys curious about Kim Sun-il? Special Task Force 808 is airing tomorrow. Seo Yeon-ju’s in it too.”

[ It’s that rookie Kim Yuhan playing the role, right? ]
[ Doesn’t matter, Rookie of the Year’s gonna be Lee Sua anyway ]
[ Not watching the Yang Ha-rin drama? ]
[ Seems like every drama this season has a rookie in it ]
[ This year’s race is intense ]

“Why don’t you guys watch it with me? I’ll turn on a reaction stream. Can’t show the screen, but we can all sync up and watch it at the same time.”

[ But Sua’s not even in that one ]
[ We wanna see Sua ]
[ Nah nah, bring Lee Sua in here ]

But even trying to pivot the topic didn’t work. Everything came back to Sua.

Maybe it was because her core audience was mostly male? Here, Sua’s approval rating was overwhelming. Meanwhile, in more female-heavy communities, people seemed more taken with Lee Su-an’s looks. Deer herself secretly was, too.

[ Did you see Lee Sua’s acceptance speech? ]
[ Shikarin, let’s watch it together ]
[ At 3 minutes and 19 seconds, that bounce was next-level ]

Ugh, why does it always go back to Sua?

“Should I just… invite Sua on the show or something…”

She mumbled without thinking.

[ ? ]
[ ??? ]
[ ? ]
[ ??? ]

Suddenly the chat exploded.

It looked like time itself had stopped for a moment.

Go Eun-bi realized a second too late.

[ Let’s bring her in, bring her in, bring her in ]
[ Just collab once with NeoLive, please ]
[ If not now, then when? It’ll only get more expensive later ]
[ You said Shikarin sings well—bring her on to sing ]
[ Shikarin, please bring Sua on the stream ]

“….”

Deer’s mind grew tangled.

‘I mean… there’s no real downside, right?’

And the more she thought about it, the better it sounded.

‘I already planned to support Sua anyway, and there’s no better publicity than a collab. Huh… actually, if the collab goes viral, my own channel benefits too.’

Shikarin nodded to herself.

“Alright, I’ll… try reaching out to her once.”

Immediately, the chat was flooded with celebrations.

There was just one day left before Special Task Force 808 aired.