Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Japanese Girls Have Big Breasts After All – Mixed Blood Delivers
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One thought flashed through my head in that instant.
'Oh, fuck.'
Ha-neul had caught me red-handed, right as I was about to enter Ye-rin's room.
What the hell was I supposed to say? What excuse could fool Lee Ha-neul?
I racked my brain as fast as I could.
Then Ha-neul gave the most unexpected reaction.
"Ah, sorry!"
"...?"
For some reason, Ha-neul apologized like she was the one who'd messed up, then ducked back into the shower room.
...Well.
Whatever this was, it was clearly my chance, right?
"Um... Ha-neul. I'll turn around and keep my eyes closed. Hurry and go in."
"Ah! Okay!"
I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my back. I heard her feet pattering from the shower room all the way to the inner room.
Then the door clicked shut.
-Click.
Only then did I let out a deep sigh of relief.
'That was way too close.'
If the timing had been off by even a second, Ha-neul would've seen me heading into Ye-rin's room.
I'd be in a jail cell instead of her room right now.
I just lost ten years off my life.
'...That aside.'
It was only a split second, but I'd seen it clear as day.
Ha-neul wearing nothing but her underwear.
'Sky blue bra. Fitting nickname.'
And those breasts.
Holy shit.
If that sky-blue bra could talk, it'd be begging, "Kill me..." They were violently huge.
On that tiny frame, no less.
How big were they, exactly?
Bigger than Ji-woo's right now, even after she'd bulked up, that was for sure.
Insane.
Japanese girls have big tits? Mixed blood or not, Japan's Japan, I guess.
And she's the shortest one.
All my fantasies were coming true in spades.
'E-cup? F? Or bigger?'
Hmm.
I was dying to know.
I stood there guessing her size to myself.
Then Ha-neul came back out, dressed.
Matching her sky-blue underwear, Ha-neul now stood before me in sky-blue pajamas.
She spun on her tiptoes, sneaking glances at me.
The air felt awkward.
Should I be the one apologizing?
Common sense said yes, but since she wasn't reacting much, it felt weird to bring it up.
I pondered it for a good while.
"...What brings you here, Manager?"
Ha-neul asked cautiously, eyes wary. I could read her mind.
Yeah, let's just drop it.
That's the look of someone who wants to pretend it never happened.
"Spot-checking the fridge."
"The fridge?"
Ha-neul tilted her damp head at my answer, then edged slowly toward the fridge.
I shook my head at her as she reached to open it.
"Not that one."
I opened the cupboard instead.
"Ah, that's..."
Ha-neul's mouth fell open in surprise.
'Knew it.'
Tucked inside the cupboard was a mini-fridge.
I couldn't help but admire it on sight.
Damn. Who thought to stick this in here?
They'd perfectly hijacked the outlet meant for the dishwasher and food waste processor.
I opened the mini-fridge door.
A chill wrapped around my hand, revealing the sugary treasures inside...
Holy shit. What the hell is this?
No, seriously, what?
I couldn't believe my eyes.
This was a girl group's fridge?
It was packed Tetris-perfect with every high-calorie snack imaginable.
A Post-it on the door read:
-All Park Ji-woo's!
'You little shit.'
I took stock of the snacks inside.
Ice cream, caramel peanut snacks, Choco Dayze... a massive tub of Nutella...
And beside the fridge, even more unopened bags of snacks.
Six tubs of Nutella.
Six...
"Even bulk-up pros don't go this hard."
"Eek!"
"And you even got the zero-sugar cola for the conscience points. Wow..."
"Sob...!"
She was full-on sniffling now.
Every time I muttered to myself, Ha-neul's shoulders shook as she stifled her laughter.
I'd noticed it before, but Ha-neul's sense of humor was a mystery.
Anyway, this confirmed it.
Park Ji-woo.
She had zero intention of losing weight.
It was all talk, all "I'll diet" in words and thoughts.
'At this point, isn't Ji-woo's metabolism a miracle?'
Eating like this and only gaining that much?
A god-given gift, straight up.
But confirmation was confirmation.
Now, how to report this? And confiscate it?
I was mulling it over, eyeing the pulled-out goodies.
-Creak.
One of the doors opened again.
The door sound made Ha-neul and me turn our heads in unison.
There was Park Ji-woo, emerging from her room.
She froze, spotting her snacks getting raided in the kitchen.
"Ah. Uh. Um. ...Huh?"
System malfunction.
I scanned Ji-woo's figure top to bottom.
Even under baggy pajamas, her curves were obvious.
Sucked in where it should be, popping out where it should.
'That's what she gained in a month?'
Impossible.
No way someone devours all that high-calorie stuff and only bulks like this.
Park Ji-woo! There it is!
God-given metabolism confirmed.
"...Ji-woo."
I called her name lightly, snapping her out of it. She blurted desperately,
"I bought those ages ago!"
Bullshit.
I glanced at Ha-neul beside me.
"... ."
Eye-roll city.
Lie detected.
"Yeah, sure. Got it."
"Really?"
"Yep."
I stuffed the snacks back into the mini-fridge as I spoke.
"And since I said I trust you, I'll leave them be for now."
"Ah, that's..."
Leaving them seemed off to her too. Ji-woo fidgeted with her sleeves awkwardly, then grinned.
"I forgot about them anyway since I wasn't eating them. No need for Manager oppa to worry."
Yeah, sure you won't.
I flashed a kind smile.
"The Department Head told me to confiscate anything I found and report it straight."
"Huh? The Department Head?"
"Yep. But since we had our little private chat, I'll trust you like we agreed."
Total bullshit, of course.
I was just desperately hoping Ji-woo wouldn't lose the weight.
Confiscate it now, she slims down, and poof—my chance to prove myself gone.
Couldn't sabotage my own golden opportunity.
Oblivious to my scheme, Ji-woo murmured gratefully,
"Thanks, oppa."
"No problem."
Thank you.
Heh heh heh.
I gazed at the thoroughly duped Ji-woo and continued innocently,
"But if you don't lose the weight, I'll get in deep shit, so please stick to it. And tell me if it's tough—I'll help."
"Okayyy."
Ji-woo murmured again, all meek.
She played it brazen like it was no big deal, but deep down, she was mortified.
Good. At least she had some shame.
She'd fit a mukbang better than the stage, but shame beat Ye-rin by miles.
I chuckled to myself at the thought when I felt eyes on me.
Ha-neul was watching with a subtly odd look.
"Why're you staring like that?"
No answer. A few seconds later, she shrugged.
"Nothinggg. Just."
"...?"
Her weird gaze lingered after that.
After declaring martial law on snacks.
A week passed.
Ji-woo claimed she hadn't touched them, but with the Department Head's orders, the other managers and I did several more spot checks.
No more hidden honey pots... er, snacks turned up.
Kang Min-jae even pulled the girls aside one by one, just in case.
But same reactions across the board.
"You haven't seen Ji-woo eating snacks?"
"Nope."
"... ."
Min-jae flinched at Ye-rin's prickly response.
Soon Chae-rin nodded with her wide-eyed innocence.
"Ji-woo unnie doesn't snack much anyway. Maybe she gained from all the fruit?"
Nope. It's the nighttime Nutella feasts.
"...Could be."
I forced agreement, and Chae-rin shyly ducked her head with a smile.
Cookie, stuck to Ha-neul's side, chimed in,
"But if someone who doesn't snack suddenly balloons like that, could it be a health issue?"
Yeah. No.
If Ji-woo ever got sick, it'd be from clogged arteries after midnight Nutella binges.
I shook my head inwardly.
"Kihihi...!"
Ha-neul burst out laughing.
No idea why, but hey—lots of laughs meant easy on the eyes.
No one had seen anything, but I couldn't buy it.
Not distrusting LUNIQUE—just Ji-woo's appetite.
Had she really turned over a new leaf that day?
For real?
That Nutella fiend?
Right around then—a week and a day later.
"Huh?"
I was checking LUNIQUE's schedule when the Department Head called.
"Yes, Department Head. Got your call. What's up?"
I picked up, and a heavy sigh came through the speaker first.
-Sung-woo. I'm sending a photo. Check it now.
"A photo?"
-Don't hang up.
"One sec. Checking now."
I opened KakaoTalk, saw the pic from the Department Head, and one thought hit me.
'Called it.'
Ji-woo hadn't changed.
Two Lock & Lock plastic tubs in the photo.
Black gunk inside. Normally it'd take guessing—miso? Bean paste? But I knew instantly.
"Department Head. This is..."
-Nutella. The cleaning lady called—found two tubs in the practice room.
Of course.
No way she quits cold turkey overnight. That's why she gained.
-Sigh.
He exhaled heavily over the line.
-Sung-woo.
"Yes, sir."
-It's been a week since I put you specifically on Ji-woo duty. You know that, right? Can't control her?
"Not at all."
-Good. But if you can't, just say so. Might need to go harsh.
"Huh?"
Go harsh?
I trailed off, clueless, then his next words made me stiffen.
-Think we gotta swap in a manager who'd make the girls uncomfortable.
Fuck?
What about me?