episode_0036

Now that I’ve become a woman, I have to be careful with every little action I used to do as a man, but I keep forgetting. I hurriedly lowered my arms and cooled my flushed face by fanning it with my hand. Meanwhile, the manager who was driving glanced at us through the rearview mirror.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. Just checking if Laria unnie shaved her armpits. Just a moment.”

“Wow. The resistance spirit rocker, open-minded.”

“…”

“Did I just see that? Wow…”

If it had been just that, I wouldn’t have felt as embarrassed, but it seems like everyone except the manager driving in the driver’s seat saw it.

“I saw it too. It brings tears to my eyes.”

“Don’t try to cry over that…”

She seemed like she was really going to cry, so I poked fun at her innocence.

“Who would’ve thought we’d see Kwon Seo-ah’s body like this! What an honor.”

“Wait, wait. What did you see on NewTube?”

[Scarlet – Stem Cell (wish)]

It was a live video from my indie band days, where I was running around with a mic, shouting. Thanks to the person who filmed and uploaded it, but it was a bitter video that didn’t even reach 100 views…

[636,000 views]

“Huh? When did it surpass 600,000 views?”

“Every time Seo-ah unnie becomes a hot topic, the views gradually increase.”

The comments below also show a sense of having searched for Laria’s broadcast.

– Wow, she was crazy from that time

– If you think you know why she’s a genius, give a like

– Is this a song a person can sing live? It’s more surprising that she didn’t get famous for singing this well…

– She’s talented, but a bit lacking in mainstream appeal… The lyrics are too cryptic…

– Seriously… A singer born in the wrong era and country.

– Instead, she’s enjoying her second heyday now.

Comments that make me uncomfortable, comments that hit the nail on the head, and so on. I skimmed through them once and moved on.

“Since we’re on the topic, let’s watch the video. Let’s listen to Seo-ah unnie’s song while we go.”

“Should we?”

“This is a song that Lassen composed and wrote the lyrics for! I’ve heard it once before, actually.”

“Really? How was it?”

“The melody was so intense, it stuck in my memory.”

“It’ll be even more intense when we listen to the live version.”

On the way to the clothing store, my unheard song was echoing in the manager’s car. The vocals that had become richer and more unique since becoming a woman were beyond words.

“Wow. The drum sound is insane.”

“If Lassen plays the guitar like this, it must take quite a while, right?”

“She’ll do it quickly.”

“If Lassen says it’ll be quick, then it’ll take me about 10 years.”

“I like keyboards too~ I became a Scarlet fan because I fell in love with Seo-ah’s voice and this melody.”

They were talking about the instruments that caught their ears. Starting with the vocals, one by one, their ears opened up. This is the charm of band music. As the song ended, we arrived in front of a No Brand clothing store.

“You guys go in first and pick out some clothes. I’ll park and be right there.”

“Okay~ The manager should buy a set of clothes too. Let me recommend something that makes you look like you’re in your early 20s.”

“Hyo-bin, you’re something else. Hehe. Can’t I be in my teens?”

“Haha! Do you want to wear a school uniform? Hurry up and park the car.”

A No Brand women’s clothing store.

It resembled a department store, with various types of clothes displayed.

“There are so many clothes here.”

“Yeah. It’s a famous place. Hasn’t anyone been here before?”

Everyone was quiet.

“Really? Not even Seo-ah unnie? Or Sun-soo?”

“I bought mine at our university street.”

“Oh, I see. That place is famous too.”

I mean, until recently, I was a man, so I didn’t have any reason to buy women’s clothes since I didn’t date. I couldn’t say that honestly, so I just made up an excuse.

“I didn’t have money to buy clothes.”

“That makes sense. Are you okay now?”

“Alright. Some were given by the chief under the living expenses category, and some were sponsored during Kwon Seo-ah’s time.”

Hyobin’s curiosity was not satisfied here, so she approached Minji and Goeun, who had no answer, and asked.

“Where do you guys buy clothes?”

“I buy them online.”

“I, I’ve been wearing the same clothes for over ten years… It’s been quite a while since I bought new ones.”

No wonder, even though she didn’t say anything, Minji’s clothes were wearing out because she had been wearing them for so long. Hyobin pointed that out.

“What?! Are clothes electronic devices? Even if others don’t know, Minji, buy a few clothes while you’re at it. They’re about to tear apart.”

“Oh no! Really? Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“Maybe they were afraid to…?”

As I answered, other people also nodded their heads.

“Kyaaah…!”

“Oh, cute shouting. Come over here, everyone.”

Hyobin skillfully picked out clothes, nodded her head after trying them on different people’s bodies.

“Do you have a lot of clothes at Hyobin’s house?”

“Well~ I have a lot. We even use a whole room as a closet with my sister.”

Then she handed me a piece of clothing. It was a common sleeveless gray dress that people often refer to as a “Dongtan dress.”

“Try this on once. It’ll look really pretty.”

“Wow. It’s really tight from the beginning…”

“And Minji, you can wear this hoodie… and these pants… Sunkyung and Goeun, why don’t you get a few clothes too?”

Sunkyung approached with an interested face, but Goeun shook her hands hesitantly.

“Okay, then. I’ll change into this outfit and come back. Goeun, can you hold onto my phone and wallet for a moment?”

“Sure.”

Since Goeun is older, she talked to someone else except me, and she still looked a bit awkward.

The four of us each took a fitting room and changed clothes. Everyone seemed to change quickly, but since I was wearing this kind of outfit for the first time, it didn’t fit well, especially around the chest area.

“Ugh…”

“Why, Seoa? Hehe. Do you need some help?”

“No, it’s just stuck for a moment around the chest.”

“What?! You’re exaggerating.”

After struggling to put it on, does this feel like wearing clothes? It feels like wearing a thin towel that sticks tightly to the body.

“I’ll go out now.”

Since this dress had no sleeves, I wasn’t sure how to move my arms. It’s annoying that I accidentally opened my armpits earlier without realizing it.

Clunk!

When I opened the door, the team members who had changed into new clothes except for Goeun were all staring at me with wide eyes.

“Bow down…”

“Wow, you look amazing.”

“Ha… Seoa’s casual clothes. It touches my heart.”

“Really? I’m glad it suits you. You all look good too.”

I approached Goeun and delivered the promised words.

“How about it? Can we use this as a reference for the drawings?”

“It doesn’t look like a lie, does it? It’s like coming out of a cartoon. Kya. It’s not just a cartoon…”

“Hy-Hyobin?”

I prevented a word that would have been a huge embarrassment.

“It seems like a good reference. Thank you.”

“Okay, a reference. You spoke well. Let’s try some other clothes on Seoa.”

“Um, can I also… get some clothes recommended by Lassen-sensei?”

“Recommend clothes to your favorite… kyaah!”

Everyone’s faces were full of excitement.

“Okay. Feel free to recommend.”

“Rose Goddess outfit!”

“Isn’t that not here, Minji?”

“Just kidding. How about this hoodie with a round cat printed on it, just like mine?”

The first recommendation was Minji’s round cat hoodie. But maybe because her chest was big, the circle turned into an oval.

“What’s this. It’s the same as mine…”

“No, no. It suits you well. Let’s try the next one.”

Sunkyung recommended a white knit tee and what looked like denim jeans. It was a common white denim outfit.

“If only I had a chest like Larria’s. But I don’t have that.”

“I guess I have to get it custom-made. Seoa Unni…”

Hyobin creates something round and round with her hands. I know what that means, and it annoys me.

“Just express it in words. You perverted squirrel!”

“Hehe.”

As I try on various clothes, the manager comes into the store.

“Why are you so late? I picked out a few outfits for you, Manager. Try them on.”

“Well~ But what about Goeun?”

“I’m fine…”

“It’s fine. Try them on.”

With the manager’s help, Goeun also changes into new clothes. The manager comes out first.

“I’m fine. Do I look like I’m in my 20s?”

“Yes, you could pass for a freshman in college now.”

“Really? Then if I stand next to Minji… Oh, I’m feeling self-conscious now. I’ll stop.”

“Hahaha. Why? You look good.”

Finally, Goeun also comes out in new clothes.

“Goeun Unni looks good because she’s tall. The midi dress also suits her well.”

Hyobin’s speculation. The order of chest sizes is Me>Goeun>Hyobin>Soonsu>Minji. Even though Hyobin and Soonsu are the same age, Hyobin was born first, so it might not be wrong.

“Then… what should someone like me, short and with a big midsection, do?”

“Minji, you have good proportions. I’m not just saying that. If you dress well, you’ll have a slender look.”

“Really? Is ‘slender’ a term for someone like me?”

“Then.”

“Really?”

For some reason, Minji always asks me last when she can’t believe something. I nodded my head, thinking that the proportions weren’t wrong.

“Oh…”

“So you should buy a few more outfits.”

“Yes, Minji. Pick out a few more.”

Shopping for clothes ends here. It was time to pay separately.

“Put it all together.”

“Uh, Manager?”

The manager handed over his card for payment. It wasn’t a corporate card, it was a personal card. I realized that he had been suggesting to buy a few more outfits naturally because he wanted to treat us.

“We haven’t been able to have company dinners because of our debut preparations, and I haven’t bought you anything. So I wanted to treat you at least once.”

“Wow… I bow to you.”

“We’ve already received support under the living expenses category…”

“That was from the company. I wanted to take care of it separately.”

The manager confidently handed over his card. His card payment didn’t end there, he also treated us to lunch. Let’s not forget. Someday, we must repay this kindness.

We bought clothes and returned to the orphanage. When the teacher and children saw me in new clothes, they showered me with overwhelming compliments.

“Oh my. Where did our Seoa go and who is this fairy that has descended?”

“Seoa Unni looks beautiful.”

“Not just anyone can pull off these clothes, right? Youth is good.”

“Even young people can’t pull it off just like that. Our Seoa is a nationally significant celebrity.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the embarrassment. I’m not a celebrity, but I’ve gotten used to the word, but I still can’t adapt to the term ‘nationally significant’. Late at night, I checked my SNS while preparing in the warehouse-like room.

[@Sku]

“Today, I went shopping for clothes with the Palette team. The manager bought the clothes… it was so great. By the way, I accidentally saw Larria Unni’s abs and was mesmerized. Staring at the sun with your naked eyes is dangerous, indeed.”

– What did you see?

– Show me what you saw

– Abs? Could it be…

What is this cheeky squirrel talking about on SNS again? I laughed and played along.

– Me (Larria): Next time, remember to bring sunglasses.

ㄴ Sku: That’s right~ Unni, the reference material you provided for the drawing today was so cool.

ㄴ Me (Laria): Hehe…

ㄴ Sku: Next time, be my model.

ㄴ Me (Laria): As long as you don’t ask for anything weird.

ㄴ Sku: What are you imagining~~? I’m just a fitness model o.o!!!

ㄴMAMAMOO

ㄴIt’s big!!!

I messed up my hair again today.

[@Hamchi]

[Today, the boss bought clothes… It was a couple hoodie with a round cat drawing on the chest, but it looked oval on me because Laria wore it…]

ㄴEek

ㄴHehehe

ㄴLooks like the sun melted

ㄴ Me (Laria): Hamchi, the hoodie you wore today was pretty. Wear it often. It suited you much better than me?

ㄴ Sku: Yeah, our proud slender youngest!!! Be brave

ㄴHamchi: Really? Well, then I can’t help it.

ㄴSlender ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴSlㅋㅋㅋㅋender ㅋㅋㅋ

ㄴHamchi: Get ready to be punched by the two above.

***

The next morning. Today is the day of Laria’s first cooking class. It won’t start right away, as she will first become a partner streamer and engage in light communication before starting around lunchtime.

“Sua, what are we making today?”

“Hamster cutlet.”

“What was that again?”

“Well, when I was young, I used to buy it for 500 won at the stationery store. It’s a hamster-shaped cutlet with sauce on it, skewered on a wooden stick…”

Since many viewers are around my age, there will be good empathy.

“Oh, that. Haha. Sua used to love it so much when she was young. Kids would love it too.”

“Yes.”

As the head teacher said, the children at the daycare center would also enjoy it. I’ve never seen a child who dislikes fried food with seasoning sauce in my life.

“I should go to the cooking room early and clean up.”

“I can do it…”

“No, I’ll do it. Can I help with anything else?”

“You’re already helping enough.”

“I’ll go easy on the seasoning when making the sauce~.”

I wonder if the head teacher has ambitions for broadcasting? It’s just a light voice appearance, and when I asked the boss before, he said it was okay. He even said I might appear on the broadcast…

“I’ll tell you when we cook later.”

“It’ll be fun.”

“Don’t ruin your work for no reason, Sua. If you don’t like it, firmly refuse.”

“No. I think it’ll be really helpful if you’re there.”

“Okay then. Helpful or not.”

During breakfast, the head teacher filled the children with anticipation.

“At lunch today, Sua unnie will make hamster cutlet for us~. It must be delicious, right?”

“Wow!”

Even though they may not know what hamster cutlet is, the word cutlet alone elicited cheers. In fact, there’s another reason for making hamster cutlet.

“When my tooth was loose when I was young, I endured it by thinking of hamster cutlet. Now there are so many people who need to be pulled out. I hope it will be a source of strength for them.”

“I remember. When you were young, Sua, you said you wouldn’t pick me if you didn’t buy me hamster cutlet.”

“Haha. When was that. About 20 years ago.”

“Back then, you were this big…”

[Broadcast Title: Morning Laria is here. Part 1 Partner Streamer Commemorative Communication~ Part 2 Laria’s First Cooking Class]

[Loading~!]

-Laria is here

-Laria is here!

-Hehe, it’s morning

-It’s Laria in the morning!

I usually broadcast in the evening, so it feels new to do it in the morning. The sunlight greets me when I look out the window.

A different atmosphere from the evening broadcast.

To set the mood, I played a children’s song.

“Everyone! Round Laria is here. Stand up from your seats…”

-Kya ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Morning exercise, let’s go

-What’s this ㅋㅋㅋ

Orphanage morning, doing exercises with the children and broadcasting it to the viewers.

“Stretch big!”

– Oof

– Oh, that sounds like a bone cracking

– Ugh~ Stretch~

“No chatting, hahaha! Please act like a child.”

After finishing stretching with the adults(?), now adding reverb to the microphone.

“The current time is 8:50 AM. Once it’s 9 o’clock, I’ll become a partner streamer… But before that, as a commemoration, I’ll sing a K-pop song.”