If Only the Image Changed (2)
Ah, now that I think about it, it’s not the face. I just said “face” to get out of the situation. Technically, it’s the image. Everything needs to change. The face, the vibe, the body… everything except the voice. Then it really would be the image. I whispered to Moddeok again.
“It’s the image!!”
“It’s the face. What do you mean ‘image’ when talking about a person?”
“Ah… but I can’t think of any other word. Look, everything except the voice has to change completely. Right?”
“Hmm… still, ‘image’ is…”
“Then tell me the right word. I’ll correct myself. I just didn’t know the proper term.”
I said it confidently. It’s true! She had nothing to argue with. If there’s a better word, I’ll use it. I’m always willing to change—I just didn’t know. Moddeok turned her head, thinking.
“Hmm… what would be good? Life? Everything? Everything except one thing?”
“That doesn’t have any flavor.”
I whispered quietly to Moddeok again. The word has to hit just right, and “everything except one thing” just doesn’t land like “image.”
“Still, ‘image’ is too rude. Let’s just say ‘life except the voice.’ No, there’s a good word—image. Let’s go with image.”
“Hmm… yeah. Image it is.”
There were plenty of things I could’ve argued against, but I didn’t. Of course you shouldn’t say rude things. I know that much!! I only sounded rude because I didn’t have a replacement word. If I can change it, I should. I looked at the two of them.
“Image… right. You two just relax!!”
I glanced back and forth between Pyeongjipja and Raming. Well, nothing I can do about it. It’s a shame. That’s just how they were born. Mm… yeah.
“What were you two talking about?”
Raming suddenly walked over. She definitely gives off that “been to college” vibe. She can’t stand not knowing something. Her curiosity is way too strong. Pyeongjipja, on the other hand, didn’t seem interested at all. It was like she was saying, “You guys talk, I’m doing my own thing.”
“What is it? Tell me too. What were you guys talking about so seriously? Come on, spill.”
“It’s nothing. You’ll get hurt if you know.”
“Hurt how? Were you badmouthing someone?”
“Something like that.”
“No, unnie, tell me. I’m curious.”
When Moddeok made an awkward face and tried to dodge, Raming turned to me.
“Tell me, my friend. What did you say?”
“You’re curious?”
“Yeah. Really curious.”
“Ah~ I’ll tell you. It’s about your images… mmph—”
Moddeok suddenly covered my mouth.
“Mmph… mmph…”
I could’ve spoken, but I just pretended I couldn’t. Raming frowned and glared.
“Hurry up and tell me. What did you say?”
“What’s there to know? We just said that.”
“So tell me already… hurry up.”
Moddeok answered with an awkward laugh, but Raming wasn’t satisfied. She grabbed both our arms and shook them. I pushed Moddeok’s hand away and spoke.
“I said it was funny how Pyeongjipja and Raming have completely opposite images!! Curiosity solved?!”
“Uh… yeah. Okay?”
“I’ll tell you exactly what image I had of Raming. A female delinquent. 167 cm tall. Smokes Marlboro Reds. Has a dog named Choco at home. Uses a cracked iPhone. That was the image I got from watching ASMR.”
“Whoa… that’s shocking.”
“Everyone probably thinks the same. Anyway, that image ended up going to Pyeongjipja instead.”
At my words, Raming’s gaze shifted backward. Pyeongjipja was sitting on the sofa. Her image really changes every single day. To me, she’s the true god of editing. Even more than Maru. At least Maru pretends to listen—Pyeongjipja doesn’t even bother. At some point she’d put in earphones and started working on her laptop. God of editing and workaholic at the same time. She really only does work. Even on the Haerang Train, she spent most of her time working. Watching her, Moddeok had said, “She’s amazing…”
“Hmm… it’s a really rude way to put it, but somehow it feels right. That’s ridiculous.”
Raming stammered as she agreed. Of course—she knows I don’t lie.
“Right?”
“It is. But… yeah. It’s a bit much.”
“What is? What part?”
I stared straight at Raming. I was curious what she meant.
“Still, that expression is way too rough.”
“Rough? Where? Tell me and I’ll fix it.”
I’m the type who definitely takes feedback. I always try to think positively… and one of those thoughts is that I’m always in a state where I can grow, always in a state where I can learn. That’s who I am. So when someone gives feedback, I absorb it completely.
“It’s still too rough. It’s hard to explain. Just… yeah.”
“Got it. Just… yeah… okay. Then what should I say instead? I’ll change it to that.”
“Uh… just a pretty high school girl?”
“Whoa!!”
“How was that? Good, right?”
“Yeah!! It’s really good. But then it doesn’t feel like a delinquent at all. The key point is the delinquent part. Female delinquent.”
“Do you have to include that?”
At Raming’s question, I answered firmly.
“Yeah.”
“Female delinquent” is Pyeongjipja’s entire identity. Without it, it’s like a bun without red bean paste. Empty and hollow.
“Then… a pretty and popular high school girl?”
“Mm… got it.”
Honestly, it felt a bit lacking. It doesn’t hit as hard as “female delinquent.” But this was just rambling anyway, so I reluctantly nodded. I’d just said I take feedback well… saying “no” here would be bad.
“That work?”
“Yeah… good. Then…”
“Since we’re done, let’s eat. What should we get? What should we order?”
I was about to ask Raming to explain the farming thing too, but Moddeok cut in.
“Mala tang.”
“Mala tang? Go get it yourself.”
Moddeok flatly rejected Raming’s suggestion.
“Hamburger?”
“There are lots of burger places around here. Go get it.”
“Chicken feet?”
“Chicken feet… it’s still lunch time. Anything else?”
“Seafood stew?”
“Too heavy.”
“Then why did you even ask? Just eat what you want.”
Moddeok shot down every single one of Raming’s menu ideas. When Raming started huffing in frustration, Moddeok looked at her phone and said,
“I’m listening to opinions. There might be something good in there, right?”
“Wow… seriously. Legendary. Absolutely legendary.”
“Why? You never know—you might stumble on something while talking.”
“No, you’re just gonna do whatever you want anyway.”
“Exactly.”
I found myself nodding at Moddeok’s confident attitude. It was strangely logical. Moddeok was pickier than I thought. She ended up ordering twelve different dishes. At this point I was starting to wonder if she was even hungry. She still couldn’t decide and kept staring at her phone. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. If you can’t decide, just get gukbap. When I shouted “gukbap” because she was taking too long, Raming started shaking her body. She said she didn’t feel like gukbap and wanted something else… seriously. In the end, Raming shook her head and said,
“Let’s just eat separately.”
“Eating separately feels lonely.”
Moddeok, who had ordered thirteen dishes, said that. Honestly, I wasn’t even hungry so I didn’t care. If I had been hungry, I probably would’ve felt a tiny bit disappointed. Raming smacked her lips and let out a big sigh. Her face turning bright red was just a bonus.
“Ah… agh… haa… seriously…”
“Let’s just cook something. There’s nothing to eat anyway.”
“Ugh… this is exhausting.”
“Everyone’s fine with that, right? Seon-a, let’s cook. Home-cooked meal.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Raming, what about you?”
“Wow… then what was the point of everything we just did?”
“Thanks to that, we decided on a menu.”
Incredible. I was genuinely impressed by Moddeok’s logic. There were no holes in it.
Tomorrow was worrying me. We decided to cook, so I thought someone would be good at it. But no one was. Not a single person showed the kind of performance I’d expected. Mom’s cooking… I honestly thought it tasted bad, but she was an angel. It was genuinely delicious and healthy. Only now could I acknowledge Mom’s cooking skills. Were they even women? They were so bad I started doubting it. At least Pyeongjipja’s seaweed soup was the most edible. Everything else was just the worst. After lunch, everyone agreed to order dinner. So we got chicken for dinner.
As night deepened, everyone did their own thing. Pyeongjipja edited, Raming lay down and read webtoons, Moddeok watched YouTube… and I watched them.
“Hmm…”
Honestly, I was really bored. My hands and mouth itched. I should go bother them one by one. First, I went over to Pyeongjipja. Whoa, dizzying. She was clicking away on some weird editing program… I had no idea what she was doing.
“Hmm…”
Pyeongjipja’s focus was incredible. Even with me right next to her, she just kept working. I watched her edit and thought…
“This part was fun, right?”
“…”
“You used the 4-star Windfong here. I want to do it again. It was fun.”
“…”
“Wow, this part was really awesome.”
“…”
She wasn’t answering even though I was talking right next to her. That felt a little disappointing… but I couldn’t tell her to stop working. I slowly stood up.
“Hmm…”
I rolled over to Raming, who was lying on the floor.
“Why?”
“I was just curious and came over. What are you doing?”
“Watching this. Do you know it?”
A scene with a princess and two guys fighting over her… got it.
“Enjoy!! I’m going.”
I rolled my body straight over to Moddeok, who was right beside her.
“Moddeok, what are you doing?”
“Me…? Watching this.”
What the heck?
“What is it?”
It was a short where a hot bead melted styrofoam as it went down. What… what is this? What’s supposed to happen? I watched it intently for a full minute. Nothing. Just the bead melting styrofoam as it descended.
“Why are you watching this?”
“It’s just fun.”
“Uh… okay?”
I watched it twice and still didn’t get it. Anyway, got it. I slowly stood up and said,
“Enjoy.”
Everyone’s tastes are really strong. They all look like they’re relaxing comfortably, so why am I the only one bored? I’m so bored!! Hmm… hmm. Is there nothing to do?
“Ah!!”
I headed to my room. Since I’m bored, I might as well play some Minecraft.