Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Fanatic Wears Prada
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Going out and playing around was something only people who knew how to have fun could enjoy.
My hobby was watching VTuber streams, and my job was virtual streamer.
I also moonlighted as the "Specialist in Resolving Anomalous Phenomena, Awakener," but unless I had a schedule, I rarely ever stepped outside.
I didn't like shopping for clothes, so I'd never really gone shopping.
I'd never done any gourmet food tours, either.
The extent of my "walks" was just heading to the convenience store in front of my house.
Having lived a life where my home and body were one, it was only natural that I had no idea how to have fun outside on a day as clear and sunny as this.
But.
Okay, sure, I had some excuse—my hobby of watching VTuber streams and my job as a virtual streamer could only be done at home, not outside.
But why didn't this person, Yoo Euisul, know how to play outside?
We'd already been circling Seoul in the car for a full hour.
No way.
Going out to "play" couldn't possibly just mean sightseeing Seoul from inside the car, right?
"Where are we headed right now?"
"…"
"Hey, hello?"
"Shut up. I'm thinking hard here."
Awakeners were the ultra-rare breed of humans who could be called celebrities among celebrities, influencers among influencers, simply by existing.
Even an unpopular Awakener showing up in a busy district would draw hundreds of people around them.
Paparazzi shots of the Awakener would flood every community site.
But.
As far as I knew, there'd never been a single sighting of Yoo Euisul posted on any community.
You might dig up one or two if you scoured the archives, maybe.
Point was, Yoo Euisul was someone who just didn't go out much.
I asked her, just in case.
"Sis, what's your daily routine like?"
"Training, food, training, games."
"…"
Right.
Come to think of it, her hobby was gaming too.
And she was more serious about games than anyone.
Being a ranker meant not just natural talent, but grinding serious time into it.
There were clear limits to how far pure talent without effort could take you.
In other words.
To sum up the current situation simply.
Two total otaku hikikomori who had no clue how to have fun outside were riding around in a supercar with zero plan, zero thoughts, just wasting time.
No.
Shouldn't the person who suggested meeting be responsible for the content?
Starting to feel frustrated, I said to Yoo Euisul,
"I'll do whatever you want for real, sis. We can go to a cafe, get our nails done at a salon, or even a cat cafe if you want…"
I racked my brain for stuff girls supposedly liked and listed it all out for her.
Of course, I didn't actually want to go to a cafe, or get colorful nails at a salon.
But honestly, anything had to be better than wasting meaningless time stuck in the car like this.
However, she turned out to be way less "girly" than I'd thought.
Yoo Euisul looked at me in surprise and said,
"Seeing you like that stuff proves you're a girl after all."
"No, I hate it too. I just said it thinking you might like it, Euisul sis."
"Bullshit. You still don't get me? You think I'm some dainty little girl?"
"…"
Isn't she, though?
"Why go to a cafe? Why get nails? Can't you see mine? I'd rather game in that time."
"Ah."
Yoo Euisul's nails were shorter than a guy's.
Makes sense.
Someone swinging a sword around couldn't have long nails.
So what now?
Were we seriously just gonna drive around till sunset?
As I silently pressured her, Yoo Euisul seemed to make up her mind, scanning me up and down before saying,
"Let's buy clothes first."
"Clothes?"
"Yeah. Every time I see you, I think it, but that outfit of yours? Can't stand it."
The clothes I was currently wearing?
What was there to say.
They were the ones I could wear most comfortably: the Archivist robes from the Omnia Archive.
So, as an Archivist of the Omnia Archive, I couldn't tolerate anyone insulting these clothes.
"That's blasphemy."
"Blasphemy this, fuck that—honestly, part of why we can't get out of the car is you. Know that?"
"Why? What'd I do wrong?"
"Your whole outfit's the problem. You trying to spread rumors like 'I'm VTuber Lee Jia' or something?"
"Not that, but… this really is the most comfortable thing I have."
"That's why we need to buy you some clothes first."
"Hm."
She had a point.
With our destination decided, we headed straight for a department store to buy clothes…
…not.
We decided to visit a small neighborhood shop that sold women's clothing instead.
It was due to Yoo Euisul's strong insistence that we couldn't go somewhere crowded while I was wearing these Archivist robes.
This woman seemed to care more about hiding my identity than I did.
Me? Convenience store clerks, PC bang clerks—they'd already busted me multiple times.
At this point, I didn't even care anymore.
For starters, my streamer avatar looked exactly like me, so hiding was doomed from the get-go.
Whatever.
Still, I agreed a hundred percent that avoiding getting caught was better than getting caught.
Arriving at the clothing store entrance, I felt a bit flustered.
"It's break time, though?"
"Yeah. Let's go in."
"No, I said it's break time."
"Door's open, though. Just go in. If they kick us out, they kick us out."
Yoo Euisul really did have a mindset completely different from normal people.
Makes sense.
The biggest section on her Omnia Wiki page was controversies and incidents, after all.
Expecting her to act politely was unreasonable from the start.
Even more absurd was.
Despite the clear "Break Time" sign, we didn't get kicked out.
The owner must've been in a good mood.
Naturally, aside from us, there wasn't a single other customer in the store.
We could browse clothes in peace.
We'd made it to the store and all, but.
I had no idea what clothes to buy.
What I wanted was simple: clothes that were easy to move in, no question.
Surprisingly, hoodies and sweats didn't feel as comfortable as I'd hoped.
No, they were actually uncomfortable.
Any little movement, and my chest would rub, making me hyper-aware of it.
There was a reason I always wore these "Omnia Archive Archivist robes."
Yeah, ultimately, these damn lumps of fat made pretty much any clothes uncomfortable.
Still, Yoo Euisul probably knew clothes better than me.
So I asked her,
"Recommend something, sis? As comfortable as possible."
"No clue. Ask the staff."
"Too lazy?"
"Not lazy. I just don't know."
"…Be honest. You're not a sis—you're a bro, right?"
"That's my line, you rude little shit."
Looked like I couldn't count on Yoo Euisul's help.
She was just as clueless about fashion as me—a total efficiency chaser.
Soon enough, she tuned me out and started browsing for herself, muttering things like, "This'd be good for workouts."
Argh.
Then why'd she even suggest buying clothes.
Asking the staff felt kinda awkward.
I hesitated.
Fidgeted.
As I debated asking the staff or not, the female shop assistant noticed my vibe perfectly and approached me.
"Looking for something in particular?"
"Yes… just some comfortable clothes."
"Ah, I see! In your case…"
And after that.
The fashion show between me and the shop assistant began.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The place Yoo Euisul and Lee Jia visited wasn't just any clothing store—it was a fairly well-known curated boutique.
Yet despite its reputation, there wasn't a single other customer besides them.
The reason was simple.
It was break time, not operating hours.
The reason a clothing boutique had a break time—even though it wasn't a restaurant—was straightforward.
It was a one-woman operation run by the owner and sole employee, Han Yeji.
So Han Yeji had openly hung a "Break Time" sign at the entrance for her late lunch/early dinner.
But whether they blatantly ignored the sign or just had terrible eyesight.
Yoo Euisul and Lee Jia boldly entered without issue and started browsing on their own.
Normally.
Han Yeji would've apologized to the customers and sent them away before finishing her meal.
But with Yoo Euisul and Lee Jia.
No—more precisely, upon seeing Lee Jia, Han Yeji didn't chase them out.
She hadn't recognized Lee Jia's identity at a glance.
It was just.
The pink-haired woman's physique was so outstanding that an overwhelming urge welled up to dress her in pretty clothes.
Opening a curated boutique instead of a regular clothing store was proof the owner had a huge passion for fashion.
Han Yeji was a severe fashion addict who lived and breathed clothes.
And that pink-haired customer was the kind who might appear once every few months—or years.
A true owner of a god-given physique.
Break time be damned, Han Yeji welcomed the customers warmly.
Opportunity knocked soon enough.
Seeing the pink-haired customer vaguely browsing while hesitating, the five-year boutique veteran Han Yeji was certain.
This woman is a fashion newbie.
If she could just sweet-talk her right, she could dress her up in whatever she wanted.
And so.
The fashion show between the pink-haired woman and Han Yeji began.
Of course, off-the-rack sizes couldn't possibly handle the woman's figure.
But this was a curated boutique where the owner imported whatever she pleased.
There were overflowing big sizes she'd brought in thinking, "Someday a customer who can pull this off will show up."
The clothes Han Yeji recommended to the customer came in all varieties.
Dresses, blouses, tank tops with cardigans, and more.
Every time the customer emerged from the fitting room with slightly flushed cheeks, Han Yeji clapped enthusiastically, lavishing praise on how perfectly they suited her.
Not empty words, but genuine compliments based on solid facts.
However, the pink-haired customer didn't seem fully sold on the recommended outfits.
"I was actually looking for something less flashy… more comfortable."
"Oh? Were the ones I recommended uncomfortable?"
"No, not that. They were all comfortable. But… you know."
The pink-haired woman seemed to be under a serious misconception.
Han Yeji started rapid-firing her words, not giving the woman a moment to think otherwise.
"By any chance, is the 'comfortable' you're talking about stuff like sweats or hoodies…?"
"Ah, yes! Exactly! Those safe, casual clothes."
"You've tried those before, right? How were they? Not uncomfortable to move in?"
"Uh… yeah. Super uncomfortable."
"See? For someone like you, it's way better to go for clothes that properly hug and define your chest line…"
And so Han Yeji unleashed her silver tongue like a fish in water.
The pink-haired customer who had wandered into the boutique.
Like she'd been possessed, ended up buying every single outfit Han Yeji recommended.