Chapter 10
What's this clueless girl blabbering about? I couldn't say a word in response to Jung-ah's explanation. I had no idea what "good at picking up women" even meant, so I was completely speechless.
"Where the hell do you get off saying I'm good at picking up women?"
"I don't know if you're doing it on purpose or not, Oppa, but to women, it looks like you're a total pro at seduction."
"Me?"
Hearing that, I had no clue what else to say. I thought I was acting totally normal, so what the fuck was going wrong?
Jung-ah must've been frustrated by my obliviousness because she started pointing out my behaviors one by one, staring right at me.
"I only met you today, so I don't know if this is how you always are, but there's that whole Oji-kom line, right?"
"Oji-kom?"
There it was—the thing I'd been dying to know. What the fuck was this Oji-kom bullshit? I was just plainly stating who I was, and everyone calls it Oji-kom. I had zero idea what it meant.
"What the hell does that even mean?"
"Ah... it's short for Oji-san complex, you know? Like... it's a phrase that older guys who still look young use a lot."
After that, I got a rundown from Jung-ah. Apparently, it was about the fantasy women have for handsome actors who call themselves "old uncles" despite their age.
"That's just for good-looking guys, though."
"Yeah, exactly!"
"So that ain't me?"
If there's one thing separating me from the guys who fit this Oji-kom crap Jung-ah described, it's looks. You think my face is anything to write home about? Last time I saw it properly in that bathhouse, it was like some fucking bandit from the mountains had set up shop. Shave the beard a bit, and maybe I'd graduate to Joseon-era thug—that's it.
If someone called me handsome, I'd deny it to infinity and beyond.
"No way! With a face like yours, Seong-hoon Oppa, it totally works!"
"Why the fuck would it?"
"Well... the beard and all that gives off this manly vibe, I guess? And your build is huge compared to other guys."
"Bullshit..."
The curse slipped out without resistance. My hair... yeah, one salon trip costs enough for a convenience store lunch box and a cup of o-gae-jang ramen. I'm scraping by day to day, so I know damn well how big 10,000 won is. I let it grow out of necessity, and what I'd call filthy over in my old world? Here, it's "manly charm," apparently.
And... my build...
"This is just from manual labor."
"Huh?! A guy doing hard labor?!"
"Why not?"
"It's just... guys doing tough work doesn't make any sense."
Well, from what Jung-ah said, yeah, it tracks. I hadn't exactly been blind to guys in this world. First day here, I saw one out on a date with five women. They were all carrying the bags while he giggled, "Jagiya-dul~♥ I love you, muah muah~♥" and shit. Watching a dude do aegyo made me wanna puke, but the women were eating it up like candy.
I figured no need to conform to this world's bullshit, so I'd just be myself. Never dreamed my normal behavior would come off as flirting to Jung-ah and other women.
"But your body... there's no fixing that."
"True... honestly, when I first saw it, I was like, damn."
"Damn my ass."
I let out a sigh without thinking. The wiry muscles and broad shoulders from construction were worlds apart from the guys here. I'd kinda suspected, but... shit, this was a real problem.
"How about trying to tweak your speech and habits a bit? I'll help you out from the sidelines!"
"Yeah... got it."
In the end, I admitted she had a point and decided to be more careful going forward. Yeah... thinking back to that Gragas-lookin' auntie on day one... I'd been way too oblivious. Gotta watch myself from now on.
After that, things had quieted down in front of the goshiwon, so I headed back to my room.
"Alright... I'll knock tomorrow, Oppa! Wait for me! And if it's not me knocking, don't open the door!"
"What am I, in elementary school? Don't worry."
I reassured the ever-worried Jung-ah and slipped inside. Lying on the bed, I pulled the blanket over me and stared at the ceiling.
Warm. Compared to my usual cardboard bed and newspaper blanket outside, it was pure bliss. So cozy it almost felt wrong—like, could I really live like this?
I could've drifted off instantly... but one nagging worry kept me awake.
Tomorrow marks two days in this world. All I knew was males were rare and precious here. Time to face facts: wandering alone is dangerous.
Jung-ah was right—day one's Gragas auntie proved it. Solo strolling ain't viable here.
"Sigh... guess begging's off the table for a while."
I'd considered keeping it up, but the risks were too high. Hit up any woman with "Spare some cash?" and she'd probably go "OK yes, my money!" wallet flying open. Big bucks, sure—but big dangers too. Not everyone's a saint; some'll come charging with other ideas.
So no begging for cash anytime soon. Need another income source.
If I had a phone or internet access, receiving money would be easy. With males so rare, there had to be stipends or something. But to check, I'd need a net café or whatever.
PC bang now? Too late—solo at night is risky.
Sleep it off and scout properly tomorrow.
I pulled the blanket higher, closed my eyes slowly.
Finally, a warm night's sleep.
Exhausted... Broadcasting usually tires me out, but today it's double.
"Haa... what a weirdo."
Seong-hoon Oppa, the guy I met outside today—total oddball. Nothing like the usual folks. Felt like someone straight out of the media.
Is he what women mean by a "unicorn" guy? I haven't seen many males myself. Back in co-ed high school, there was one guy in my class. He'd avert his eyes if I approached and bolt with a "Hiiik!" if I spoke. Total hikikomori types. The few active ones were streamers like me or had entourages of girlfriends.
But Oppa? No entourage—in fact, he looked ready to protect someone. Sackcloth rags, ripped clothes flashing wiry muscle... like he was spraying pheromones everywhere. And that Oji-kom dialogue straight out of media uncle roles.
Today, fending off the crowd eyeing him was no joke. Made me wonder if he was from another world.
"But... I scored big time."
Over a million won in donations. My first time hitting that—total shock. I figured just streaming with a guy would boost viewers and tips, but this much? Next month's rent? Covered. Keep this up consistently, and I'm set for life.
Streaming with Oppa regularly... sounds perfect.
"But today was basically my first real convo with a guy."
I'd chatted with a few before. They'd run or hit me with "Wanna be girlfriend number five?" One-sided talks like today's? Oppa was a first.
Did I mess up? Friends said guys need constant flattery, total pampering from A to Z. But Oppa didn't care. Was I wrong? No clue what's right, but it felt great.
His room's not next door—two over, I think. Visiting now would be rude. Tomorrow morning with the promised cash... wonder if he'll meet up.
"Oh right, he said no phone."
Wanna stay in touch somehow. What if I give him this? Dug out an old spare phone from a box in the corner. Plugged it in—still works fine. Reset it, hand it over: perfect for contact. Lucky, maybe he'll share his number.
Quietly charging the spare, I pictured Oppa's face for tomorrow.
Can't wait— he's so damn cute!