Chapter 122: Sleeping in the Same Bed with Linne-chan!

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After washing up in the grand shower room, which was as big as my entire room, I sat on the bed, which seemed spacious enough for two people to lie down comfortably. My eyes kept closing, and my head kept nodding down.

【Pfft, how can even your sleepy face be this cute?】

【Ah, Linne-chan…】

As I dozed off, nodding my head, Linne-chan, who had just finished her shower, looked at me and smiled. She approached me, her hair still wet, and said,

【Should I dry your hair? Even if you’re going to sleep, you should dry your hair first.】

【Eh, is that okay?】

Ever since I became a girl, one of the most inconvenient things for me personally has been drying my hair. I know how much of a hassle it can be, so I felt both grateful and slightly guilty about Linne-chan’s offer. It seemed like she hadn’t even dried her own hair yet. I didn’t want to trouble her unnecessarily.

【Sure. Sit on the chair. I’ll go get the hairdryer.】

【Thank you, Linne-chan.】

If it were any other day, I would have refused and dried my hair myself, but today I was so sleepy that I just nodded, wanting to get it over with quickly so I could lie down.

Click—

Soon, Linne-chan returned with the hairdryer, plugged it in, and began blowing warm air onto my hair with a whooshing sound.

【How is it? Is it okay?】

【Yeah, it feels really good. Linne-chan’s touch is so gentle… I feel like I could fall asleep right now.】

【That’s an honor.】

It wasn’t just empty words—Linne-chan’s touch was incredibly delicate. When I dry my own hair, the comb often gets tangled, and it hurts, but Linne-chan used her fingers to part my hair, untangling any knots before combing through it. It was so comfortable that I could completely relax.

Oh, so this is how you dry hair properly. I’ve learned something new.

First, she used her fingers to sort out the hair, then the comb.

【Da-jeong, your hair texture is really nice.】

【R-really?】

【Yeah, it’s so soft. Do you have any special care routine?】

【Uh, no… I just wash it with shampoo. That’s all.】

【Shampoo? So you don’t use any treatments or anything?】

【T-treatment?】

What’s a treatment? I’ve heard the word before, but… Ah, is it something like rinse?

Ugh, I don’t like that.

Because it feels slippery and sticky. Even after washing my hair, it doesn’t feel refreshing. I tried using it once before but gave up.

【Ah, yeah. I don’t really use that.】

【Really? That’s so unfair. Some people use treatments and oils to take care of their hair, and it still doesn’t look as good as yours…】

Twirling her own silvery hair with her fingers, Linne-chan pouted for the first time, sounding genuinely dissatisfied.

【Hehe… I think Linne-chan’s hair is really pretty too.】

【Even if you say that, it’s just flattery. I’ve never seen hair as soft as yours in my life.】

【Really? I don’t like my hair because it’s so curly… I wish I had pretty straight hair like Linne-chan or Jia unnie.】

Of course, both curly and straight hair have their pros and cons, but at least my preference is for the latter. My hair isn’t just curly—it’s practically frizzy. Sometimes when I go out, I try to style it properly, but no matter what I do, this hair sticks out in all directions, making it look like I just woke up.

Ugh…

Maybe that’s why I’ve started preferring to tie it up recently. At least when it’s tied up, it looks less messy.

【Alright, it’s done. Da-jeong, if you’re tired, you can go to sleep first. I’ll just finish drying my hair and do a bit of work on my laptop before I sleep.】

【Laptop?】

【I need to check some videos the editors sent me. Even though it’s a vacation, it’s easier to get things done now.】

Wow, so cool.

She really gives off the vibe of a successful career woman.

Linne-chan, like me, can’t seem to fully relax even during breaks. Maybe we’re a bit alike in that way. I also tend to roll around in bed during my off days but end up checking Discord or group chats to confirm things the staff sends me.

That said, I am sleepy, but…

I feel a bit bad leaving Linne-chan alone and sleeping by myself. It’s not just because I’m taking over the host’s bed. Since we’ll be parting ways tomorrow, it feels a bit sad to end the night like this. Of course, it’s not like I, who’s nodding off, have any right to say that, but still.

【L-Linne-chan.】

【Hm? What is it, Da-jeong? Do you need something?】

I reached out toward Linne-chan, who was sitting on the chair looking at her laptop, and called out to her. She turned her head and asked in a kind tone. I felt a bit awkward saying it, since I might be bothering Linne-chan while she’s busy working, but I didn’t want to fall asleep like this.

【I-if you’re not too busy… would you like to sleep together?】

【Sleep… together?】

【Y-yeah. There’s still so much I want to talk to Linne-chan about… I want to lie down on the bed and chat until we fall asleep.】

With my face half-buried in the bed, I shyly conveyed my thoughts to Linne-chan, who looked like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. My cheeks were probably bright red by now.

【Da-jeong, where did you learn to talk like that?】

【Eh, eh…? S-sorry, did I say something wrong?】

Was it really that inappropriate? Just as I was about to apologize, Linne-chan suddenly stood up and walked over to me with a scary expression.

【This is practically asking to be pounced on!】

【Kyaaaah?!】

With those incomprehensible words, Linne-chan used her height advantage (she’s about 20 cm taller than me) to pounce on me, creating a situation where she was hugging me from behind.

【Alright, tonight I’m going to enjoy Da-jeong’s body to the fullest before I sleep.】

【Ugh, that sounds so weird…】

Then, Linne-chan rested her head on top of mine, draped her arm over my shoulder, and spoke in a cheerful voice, completely immobilizing me. Depending on how you interpret it, her words could be taken in a very suggestive way, so I couldn’t help but retort. But Linne-chan didn’t seem to care at all, just smiling and stroking my hair.

I feel so pathetic for enjoying being petted like this…

【So, what did you want to talk about?】

As Linne-chan moved her face closer to my ear, her gentle voice tickled me, and I couldn’t help but squirm a little as I answered.

【W-well, I didn’t have a specific topic in mind… Is there anything you want to talk to me about, Linne-chan?】

【Something I want to talk to you about? There’s so much. If I listed everything, it would take until tomorrow morning.】

【R-really? Like what?】

Curious about what she meant, I cautiously asked and after a moment of thought, Linne-chan began to speak. Her tone was completely different from her earlier cheerful voice—now it was serious and gentle.

【Actually, remember that small accident we had during our collab a while ago?】

【Y-yeah. I’m really sorry about that.】

Even though I had already apologized, hearing her bring it up again made me feel guilty all over again. But Linne-chan shook her head, indicating that wasn’t the point.

【You don’t need to apologize. It’s just that, after that incident, whenever I rewatch old videos, I can’t help but think… Da-jeong, you might be too harsh on yourself while being so kind to others.】

【Ah…】

It was something Yuna had told me before. So Linne-chan had noticed it too.

【Of course, I know it’s important to push yourself. I do that too. But there’s a difference between pushing yourself and not loving yourself. Do you understand what I mean?】

【…Yeah, I understand.】

I nodded slightly, agreeing with her cautious tone. Whenever I watch streams from other members or VTubers like Linne-chan, I realize something. They clearly push themselves and work hard, but that doesn’t mean they don’t cherish themselves. They love themselves more than anyone else in the world, and they’re proud of who they are. That’s the kind of confidence they all have.

【So, I want Da-jeong to realize her own charm and loveliness. If you do, I think you’ll naturally start to take better care of yourself. After all, the person you should love the most is yourself, not someone else.】

【Thank you, Linne-chan. Actually, Yuna told me something similar before. She asked why I don’t take better care of myself.】

【Yuna, you mean Yukiko-chan? I see. You have a good friend.】

That’s true. It’s not just Yuna. The CEO and the other members always treat me like I’m someone incredibly precious.

At first, I thought they were just being kind to someone like me. Honestly, I still think that way. I’m clearly the least capable among the members, so I always tell myself I need to work harder. But maybe, deep down, they knew how I felt and deliberately tried to take better care of me.

You’re precious.

You’re a good person.

They always say things like that and embrace me, hoping it would help me reflect on myself.

【Honestly, I still don’t really get it. I don’t know if I’m someone who deserves that much love. I don’t know if I’ll ever like myself as much as I like others.】

It’s not self-deprecation or anything. The Blue LUV members in my memory, and even amazing VTubers like Linne-chan, are like shining stars—so incredible that it’s intimidating just to approach them. Even though I’ve become a VTuber myself, I can’t see myself as being on the same level as them. But maybe my thoughts have changed a bit since the beginning.

【But if the people I like care about me, then I think there must be something valuable about me too. So I’m okay now. At least I won’t go back to being the person I was before.】

Some people might think this is a silly way of thinking. The reason I’ve started to like myself is because the people I like care about me. But it’s not self-deprecation. If the people I love the most in the world care about me, then there must be something worthwhile about me.

I just believe that.

Until the day I can fully believe in myself, I’ll just keep moving forward, step by step, relying on the faith of others.

【Yeah, that’s enough. It’s okay to change little by little. I’m sure the Blue LUV members think the same way.】

【Hehe… yeah.】

Linne-chan affirmed my somewhat foolish answer, and I turned around to face her, hugging her tightly.

Maybe it was because of the soft bed, or the sweet scent coming from Linne-chan, or the fatigue from the day catching up to me, or maybe it was just Linne-chan’s warm words that made me feel at peace.

All I knew was that I wanted to close my eyes and sleep peacefully.

【Goodnight, Da-jeong.】

Then, like a mom from an American drama showing affection to her daughter, Linne-chan buried her face in my hair and said goodnight. As my consciousness began to fade, I wriggled my hand and snuggled deeper into Linne-chan’s embrace.

Thank you for today, Linne-chan.

LegoMyEggo