Chapter 194
I'm not kidding.
"Ah, but the model is so perfect that the drawing just had to turn out this good..."
Yoo Seol-ah kept letting out gasps of admiration, unable to tear her eyes away from the illustration she'd just finished. But she more than earned the right to gush like that. The model was flawless, of course, and it perfectly demonstrated why Yukinyang was the hottest illustrator around these days. It nailed Yuna unnie's signature vibe—mature and effortlessly cool.
"...If you hype it up too much, I'm gonna get embarrassed..."
"Unnie, I'm already holding back a ton right now."
Of course, Yuna unnie was the type whose maturity vanished the moment she opened her mouth. Right now, she was grinning ear to ear, barely containing her delight. But that was exactly what made the age gap feel less noticeable, letting us hang out like friends without any awkwardness.
Lee Seo-yeon couldn't look away from the illustration either.
"But seriously, that secret two-tone hair fits so well. I've never seen that inner blue shade before."
"Short bob with secret two-tone is just the formula. It can't not suit her."
Yoo Seol-ah answered confidently, then launched into a quick explanation of the colors.
"And that blue as a subtle accent? It's chef's kiss. It matches unnie perfectly, too. I just got the vibe out of nowhere earlier."
"Oh, blue's my absolute favorite. Especially a deep, rich blue."
Yuna unnie definitely evoked blue. Sure, as an astrologer, most people might picture a clear blue sky, but I saw it differently. The color that suited her best was the deep, unfathomable blue of the ocean depths. She might come off these days as a former office worker turned cafe owner obsessed with mobile games, but beneath that, in the Yuna unnie we knew, lay an endless depth. Our serious talks back in Astasia had always pulled me right in. It was like her personal color.
"Really? Thank goodness. I was even thinking of redoing it if you didn't like it."
"No, no—it's perfect. I'm over here wondering if I should get on my knees and beg..."
Laughter bloomed in the warm atmosphere. Yoo Seol-ah was beaming, and I figured we'd be trading compliments for a while. But she had a knack for defying expectations sometimes.
"Yeah? You like it that much?"
"Yeah. I want the roughs too. Can you send them over?"
"Of course! But..."
"...But?"
As Yuna unnie tilted her head, Yoo Seol-ah chirped brightly.
"How about cosplaying it just like this?"
...Her eyes had glazed over for a second earlier, but apparently she hadn't snapped out of it yet. Yoo Seol-ah's request flowed out so naturally, like she'd planned it from the start, leaving Yuna unnie momentarily flustered.
"...This? W-well, there's no actual outfit..."
"I'll make the clothes. I've sewn plenty of cosplay outfits myself."
She hadn't done much new cosplay lately with how busy she'd been, but Yoo Seol-ah's cosplays were top-tier quality even setting aside her killer looks. It all came down to her handmade or customized outfits. I wouldn't be surprised if cosplay was the main reason she majored in fashion design.
"...No, I do like this outfit, but... isn't making it a ton of work? It's from there, so it's super unique—nothing like it on Earth...?"
"Unnie, don't worry about it. Just say you'll wear it, and I'll whip it up in no time."
"......"
Personally, I thought it was a seriously cool outfit. It suited her position as an astrologer and regular army officer to a T. The pristine white tones amplified her intellectual aura, while the draped robe over the shoulders and the layered black belts crossing diagonally added a touch of luxury. It was basically custom-made for Yuna unnie, so of course it'd look perfect on her.
Seeing Yoo Seol-ah refuse to back down, Yuna unnie started fishing for an escape.
"...But wouldn't you rather see me in my old outfit...?"
"Yep!"
"......"
Once exclamation points started popping up at the end of Yoo Seol-ah's sentences, there was no stopping her. She just got bolder from there.
"...It's pretty, but walking around in it would be kinda awkward..."
"It's fine. Just wear it for us. For now."
That trailing "for now" seemed to crank up Yuna unnie's anxiety. Her face started looking like she might cry, and finally, she spilled her true feelings.
"...Isn't it weird for someone my age to wear a uniform and robe? Honestly, even back there, it felt kinda like cosplay..."
"Unnie, only you could pull this off. If I or Lee Seo-yeon tried, it'd fall totally flat."
We were three women who could slay with our figures anywhere, but the reason she'd split us into "me and Lee Seo-yeon" vs. "unnie" was obvious.
Yuna unnie looked a little downcast.
"...I wish I could just bulk up too..."
"Nooo! Unnie, you're the queen of slender. Right?"
"Yeah, nothing looks bad on you, unnie."
I'd heard Yoo Seol-ah mention once during a fashion chat that big chests actually made some clothes unwearable. As a guy, I just nodded along, but people always seemed to covet what they didn't have.
But with the topic being what it was, I—the lone guy—couldn't exactly jump in. Lunchtime was approaching, and I wondered when Doyun hyung would show.
"Baek Sion, doesn't the outfit look perfect on unnie?"
...I'd planned to stay quiet, but Yoo Seol-ah dragged me in. It did look perfect, though, so I nodded obediently.
"It suits her great."
"See?"
"......"
Yuna unnie hung her head even lower. Cosplay seemed to embarrass her a lot, but like she said, it was her actual outfit—didn't she realize it wasn't really cosplay?
Right then, Lee Seo-yeon's phone rang, and she stood up.
"I'll go grab oppa quick."
"Take your time~ You two can take a stroll."
"We'll be right back...!"
Lee Seo-yeon huffed and vanished in a flash. Yuna unnie grabbed Yoo Seol-ah's hand with an increasingly pitiful expression.
"...You wouldn't, like, withhold the files if I don't wear it... right?"
"Yep! Gotta wear it to get 'em."
Yuna unnie's mouth fell open in genuine shock. But Yoo Seol-ah clearly hadn't expected her to buy it, because she cracked immediately.
"Kidding, obviously. I'll send all the files from the start. I'd draw whatever else you want too. I just... really want you to wear it. Okay?"
"......"
Yoo Seol-ah wasn't the type to play hardball with conditions or negotiations against a friend. With that slight aegyo lilt as she looked up pleadingly, Yuna unnie had no choice but to cave.
"...Fine. Make the outfit, and I'll try it on."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. But take your time—no rush. Actually, please take your time... And I'll cover all the materials."
"It's really fine..."
"Nope, if you don't take the money, I won't wear it."
"...Okay. Two weeks, then."
Yoo Seol-ah beamed at Yuna unnie's insistence on paying—essentially accepting the cosplay—and declared two weeks on the spot.
"...Is that taking your time?"
"Yeah, I was planning to finish in a week."
"......"
How badly did she want to see Yuna unnie in her astrologer glory? Yoo Seol-ah liked pretty people in general, but Yuna unnie matched her personal 2D girl tastes perfectly. She'd told me once: she preferred slender types in 2D, but drew busty ones more for... obvious reasons.
"...Mind if I head upstairs for a bit? Those cats were too cute earlier..."
"I wondered where you'd vanished to—you were up there? The terrace here's amazing too."
Yuna unnie slipped away for a break, leaving Yoo Seol-ah and me alone. Unlike the last time we'd visited, though, it didn't feel awkward at all.
She stretched a little, then fixed me with a stare.
"...You were staring pretty hard at unnie's outfit too, huh?"
"......"
She'd asked, so I'd answered—but her eyes narrowed like she was serious, though the suppressed smile gave away the teasing.
"First time seeing it properly. Your illustration brought it to life."
Still, I had to say my piece. She poked my thigh playfully as I tried to dodge, flashing a grin. And I wasn't done.
"I do wanna see unnie's cosplay, but yours in that combat gear? Even more."
100% serious. The outfit's design was peak otaku bait for Yuna unnie's, sure. But whose cosplay did I want to see more? Obviously hers.
Yoo Seol-ah flustered, waving her hands.
"...Hey, I was kidding—you don't have to force it... You don't think I'd get jealous after asking, right?"
"I'm not kidding."
"Huh?!"
"It suits you."
She froze for a second, then started flushing redder by the moment—like a game character's affection gauge filling up.
"...Ah..."
Yoo Seol-ah, who'd been quietly clamping her mouth shut, suddenly muttered something I couldn't make out.
"-----."
My vision blurred instantly, the world going dark. In combat, I'd have cleared it right away, but no need now.
Soon, I felt her presence close, followed by a soft, slightly damp touch on my right cheek.
Mwah.
Vision returned after a beat. I turned to stare, but she avoided my eyes, fanning her still-flushed face with her hand.
"...Gonna have to hustle if I wanna make two..."
Her quiet mumble was the cutest thing. Cosplay outfits weren't easy, but one word from me, and she was all in—no hesitation.