Beauty Blitz and a Skincare Tsunami
Before the braised galbi could get cold, I said, "I'm... totally clueless about this stuff, but could you maybe recommend some shampoo, body wash... um... and a few basic skincare products?"
The moment the words left my mouth, Im Nana, sitting across from me, froze mid-motion. The galbi rib in her hand dropped plop onto her rice bowl.
"Areumie. What did you just say?"
"Uh... just a few basic skincare products..."
At that instant, Nana's eyes changed. The soft, puppy-like gaze that had been beaming at me with a pure "This galbi's delicious, right?" was gone. It was like a predator that had finally spotted its prey while hunting for food...
'Huh?'
A bad feeling crept in.
'Did I step on a landmine...?'
Alarms started blaring in my head. I realized I'd flipped the switch on a self-inflicted disaster right in the middle of this peaceful dinner.
"Basic skincare, huh...?"
Ah... her eyes look a bit off. Sharper, maybe? Should I run? Change the subject?
As I agonized over it—
"Areumie."
Nana called my name in a voice a tone lower than usual.
"Come here for a sec... sit down. It'll just take a minute."
She dragged me to the vanity we'd checked out earlier and, with a gentle but irresistibly firm grip, planted me in the chair. No time to resist—her hand strength was way stronger than I'd expected.
"First things first, Areumie, we need to diagnose your personal color!"
She pulled out swatches of fabric in various colors from a drawer—professional-looking stuff—and started draping them over my shoulders.
"At a glance, you're definitely summer cool-tone light, but we need natural light for accuracy. Anyway, with this lighting, let's give it a rough go. Warm tones make your face look floaty... yep, cool tones for sure. See how pastels cling right to you? No wonder in your videos, when you wore that black hoodie, your face looked like it was just floating there!"
I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror. Honestly, they all looked pretty similar to me.
"For your basic routine, go with a low-irritant hydrating line that balances oil and moisture. Your skin texture's good, but you've got a bit of internal dryness, so hyaluronic acid ampoules are a must! Cleansing—since you're bare-faced, no need for oil; a mild acidic gel cleanser, rolled gently like this! That's key!"
Hyalur-what? Chaos started spilling from Nana's lips like incantations from a Great Old One's high priest. Once the machine gun started firing, there was no stopping it.
She yanked open the vanity drawers, lining up products in front of me, rattling off ingredients, benefits, and usage instructions non-stop. She looked like a mad scientist who'd finally found the perfect subject to prove her theories after decades.
How much time passed like that? Felt like a solid three hours.
"...Apply it like this, and finish with this serum for perfect basic care..."
Nana's enthusiastic voice trailed off. Snapping back to reality, she looked at me sitting there.
My eyes were open, but the focus had flown off to some distant galaxy... like a boxer who'd burned it all out in a 15-round epic but lost on points with a broken body.
"Oh my. Already 30 minutes...?"
"...30 minutes... I see. Skincare really is a profound world. Got it..."
Finally realizing she'd gotten carried away, Nana hurriedly kneaded my shoulders.
"Sorry! I got too excited... You okay?"
"Ah... yeah... it was... educational..."
That 30 minutes had been mentally tougher than any crisis I'd faced in my life so far...
After the beauty storm passed, we sat back at the table. While reheating the now-cold galbi, Nana kept apologizing profusely, looking guilty.
"Hehe, sorry. Whenever skincare comes up, my eyes just glaze over."
"No... I asked first, so..."
"Still... oh, but everything I explained? You have to use it all. No exaggeration—every single one!"
...For real? All of that? She listed over ten products... and that's just the basics?
"......"
"I'm serious! That's the bare minimum basics."
She caught my skeptical look. Man, this is more complicated than packing camping gear...
"Sigh, guess I have to buy them then. Not like I'll never use them."
"Exactly! When you start thinking 'Do I have to?', it's already too late!"
"Got it, got it. Oh, and I think I'm signing with President Kim Manho soon."
"For real?!"
Nana's face lit up brighter than during her skincare rant. She suddenly jumped up and grabbed both my hands.
Whoa, a bit overwhelming. Way too close?
"Awesome! So we're really gonna be company fam now? Yay, so happy! Welcome aboard for real, Areumie!"
...Calling someone this excited "overwhelming" makes me feel like trash again.
Watching her childlike joy, I couldn't help but smile.
"Ahaha, that happy, huh?"
"Duh! Now we can collab without awkwardness whenever!"
"...? What do you... mean...?"
"Not just camping—come on my channel too! 'Camping Goddess Han Areum's Bare-Face to First Makeup Glow-Up!' Views would explode!"
This woman...! Give me back my!!!
"We'll... start with basic makeup lessons first..."
"No worries! Just buy 'em, and I'll coach you from one to ten!"
"Okay, okay. I'll buy them... Now let's eat."
"Oh! Right. Hang on, I'll heat it up quick!"
Nana dashed to the kitchen, returning with a ladle and a huge bowl. The meal continued in a warm, lively atmosphere. From beauty channel talk to plans for the next camp spot—topics flowed endlessly, but no awkward silences.
Did I get better at talking, or is Nana just that sociable?
Even I, with over ten years without chatting with women, felt this at ease. If that's her special skill, it is.
"Puhh, Areumie. You eat like a champ. Love to see it."
"...I always eat well. Just can't eat much."
Truth is, I wanted to scrape the pot clean and mix it with rice. I'm a solo eater by style, so why's this so fun and tasty? Half more bowl?
But...
'More? I'll reflux on you?'
'One more galbi piece and I'll start contracting?'
'Tasty food in, but I'll send it back out?'
Semi-threatening signals from my stomach. Argh, such a shame. Delicious food right there, but can't stuff myself.
Time to head home. Glancing at the clock—past 8 PM.
"Gotta go soon. Past rush hour, traffic should be clear."
"Already? Crash here. Still tons to tell you."
"Got stuff tomorrow. Thanks for the amazing meal."
"Hehe, sure! Come again. I'll cook more."
As I slipped on my shoes at the door, Nana's voice came.
"Areumie."
"Yeah?"
Why the mood? Oh... one of those heartfelt goodbyes? Gotta film a drama scene since parting feels a tad sad?
"You have to do basic skincare. If you forget the list, I'll compile all the links in KakaoTalk later—buy 'em all and check with me after?"
"..."
Mood killed. Gotta minimize skincare talk around Nana from now on.
Stepping out, she tried to see me to the elevator despite my protests—I shooed her back inside. Got in the car at the parking lot and headed home.
"Whoa, ate as much as when I was a guy."
At a light, I glanced down—belly poking out cutely. Not quite "gut," more adorable puff.
Was delicious. Galbi hit different from solo delivery. Not just the food—sharing with someone was novel for me.
What a whirlwind day. Bored this morning, but dinner with Nana drained more energy than meetings. Not the eating, but her non-stop chatter.
Still... if she offers again... hard to say no.
Home by 9 PM. Dove straight into bed. Lying there, I patted my bloated belly, savoring the satisfied fullness.
Kka-dok.Kka-dok.Kka-dok.Kka-dok.Kka-dok.Kka-dok.
Wh-what? My smartphone on the bed vibrated like it was having a seizure, buzzing and stopping repeatedly.
I grabbed it. Screen flooded with dozens of message notifications.
Sender: [Im Nana].
I stared blankly at the screen. The moment I opened the chat, a massive info tsunami hit my eyes. The chat was plastered with over ten links, even detailed usage instructions between them.
Should I be touched... or call her a demon...?
"Basics...?"
I'd half-tuned out earlier, but seeing it now—insane amount of products. My brain went blank.
And the prices? Not cheap. Buying all this? Tens of thousands of won gone easy.
Ah, so daunting. Then how much was Nana's vanity setup? Hundreds of thousands? Millions...?
Gulp. I swallowed dryly without realizing.
Living as a woman cost way more than expected. Thought earning enough for free camping was fine.
'...Gotta hustle.'
To make money, seal the MCN deal soon. Wonder what terms President Kim Manho brings. Exciting. His actions so far suggest no bad deals, but business is business—stay sharp.
Thought it'd be chill, but lots to think about.
"Things are gonna get hectic from here."