Chapter 199: How About a Cameo? (3)
Chapter 199: How About a Cameo? (3)
The places Seo-yeon could go on her own were extremely limited.
She managed to settle her meal at a nearby McDonald's. Even if she couldn't communicate, she could get by somehow using a kiosk.
After eating, Seo-yeon pondered for a moment where to go next.
I’ve already seen plenty of Akihabara.
She wanted to browse the second-hand shops more, but she knew that if she kept looking, she would inevitably want to buy something. Seo-yeon was well aware that she lacked restraint when it came to things she liked.
Therefore, her strategy was to avoid looking altogether.
"I should go somewhere other than Akihabara today!"
Feeling a bit adventurous being on her own and enjoying the novel sensation, Seo-yeon headed toward the station.
As for where to go, Shibuya happened to cross her mind.
There’s a lot to see there.
She had heard that the Pokemon Center in Shibuya was quite large. Seo-yeon hopped on the subway toward Shibuya, intending to check it out.
Considering that most of her trip so far had been an otaku pilgrimage, this was a relatively moderate bout of window shopping. If Sora had been there, she likely would have asked why they hadn't done this sooner.
I should get this for Dad.
Seo-yeon knew that Young-bin liked Pokemon. She was looking around, thinking of buying something since she was already there, when...
Huh?
Two women dressed in what was commonly known as Gothic Lolita fashion caught Seo-yeon's eye as they passed by. They even had quite pretty faces. She had seen people dressed like that a few times in Akihabara, but it felt novel every time she saw it.
People really walk around dressed like that in Japan.
"Impressive," she thought. But the moment they brushed past her...
"This place is packed every time we come."
"That's why there's nothing much to see. Let's just go to the Lush store downstairs."
"This is all about the vibe, you know?"
She heard them speaking. Seo-yeon reflexively turned her head.
The words she had just heard weren't Japanese—they were Korean.
Th-they were Korean?
It was completely unexpected. She never imagined Koreans would be touring around in such outfits. Seo-yeon's eyes followed them discreetly.
It was the "Jirai-kei" style that had recently become a trend in subculture circles.
But why?
Were those people just unique? Or was it a feeling similar to cosplay?
Lost in thought, she descended one floor from where the Pokemon Center was located.
"Oh?"
A shop caught Seo-yeon's eye. It was a store that sold the exact kind of clothes those women had been wearing. To be precise, it was a shop specializing in Jirai-kei and Gothic Lolita fashion.
Interesting.
The fact that a shop selling such outfits was nestled among ordinary clothing stores made it stand out even more. It was simple curiosity. Being an otaku herself, Seo-yeon couldn't help but be drawn to it.
As she drifted closer to the shop, she felt eyes on her.
Wh-why?
She was sure she had covered her face properly with her mask. Had someone recognized her?
But still, I've only appeared on one variety show.
No matter how much of a hot topic she had been, surely more people didn't know her than did. She had hidden her face with a black mask and even changed her hairstyle. When she appeared on TV, her hair had been down, but now it was tied in pigtails.
At first, she thought she was imagining it, but the persistent gaze following her every time she examined a piece of clothing made Seo-yeon quite uncomfortable.
Of course, the people around her hadn't actually recognized her. It was just...
Seriously? Wow, she's incredible.
Are those colored contacts? Should I ask where she bought them?
Her clothes look normal, but she's definitely an experienced one, right?
It was Seo-yeon's two eyes, shimmering with a red light. Added to that was the black mask, a staple of the Jirai-kei look. Even her hair, which she had tied in pigtails as a disguise, only made her stand out more.
Her clothes were ordinary, but to anyone watching, she looked like a Jirai-kei girl in the making. Her eyes were sharp, her skin was pale, and even with the black mask covering her face, her beauty was striking.
Naturally, the shop clerk couldn't help but take notice of her.
"Are you looking for something in particular?"
When the clerk approached and asked, Seo-yeon just stared blankly.
What did they say?
It wasn't that Seo-yeon knew no Japanese at all. Having watched so much anime, she could grasp the general nuance.
Are they asking if I'm looking for clothes?
The problem was that even if she could infer the meaning, she didn't know how to respond.
Mata setana? Damare? No, what should I say?
Back at the convenience store, she had said "Hey, woman (Oi, onna)" once and had been nagged incessantly by Sora and Eun-ha upon her return.
Onna and Kisama were forbidden. In fact, they had made her promise several times to keep her mouth shut as much as possible.
She wondered why. Seo-yeon had only spoken exactly as she had seen in anime.
"Um..."
When Seo-yeon remained silent, the clerk spoke up, just in case.
"Are you perhaps Korean?"
"...Do you speak Korean?"
"Of course. I love Korean idols. I go to Korea often, too."
The pronunciation was a bit lisping, but her Korean skills were quite impressive. Regardless, the clerk had taken a liking to Seo-yeon. Above all, she was beautiful! Even her voice was lovely.
Is she a celebrity? No way.
The thought naturally crossed her mind. Of course, she didn't think a Korean celebrity would visit such a niche shop. However, the clerk desperately wanted to see Seo-yeon wearing the clothes sold in her store.
So, she began to use her sales skills to the fullest.
"Since you're already wearing red lenses, if you pair them with an outfit like this, it would really suit..."
"They aren't lenses."
"?"
The clerk stared into Seo-yeon's eyes. Wait, those red eyes weren't contacts?
Then they're natural?
Was that even possible? Curiosity piqued, but honestly, from the clerk's perspective...
I'm so jealous.
Red eyes without even wearing lenses. As someone who personally preferred the black-hair-red-eyes aesthetic, she couldn't help but be envious of those eyes.
"Then it's even more of a waste, miss!"
"Pardon?"
"I think it's a loss not to dress up when you have such talent!"
Could red eyes be called a talent? More importantly, what kind of talent was it? A talent for being a Jirai-kei girl? If so, it wasn't exactly a welcome one.
Regardless, once the floodgates opened, the clerk's words began to pour out like a machine gun.
"People visiting from Korea actually buy these quite often."
"They say it's because it's an outfit you can't normally wear in Korea? A cultural difference?"
"Anyway, they feel like they're 'liberating' themselves since they're in Japan! But look, isn't it pretty? Don't you want to try it on? It'll definitely be hard to wear in Korea, right? Since you're in Japan, why not try a new experience?"
Under the barrage of the clerk's words, Seo-yeon began to think, Is that so?
It was true that it was a difficult outfit to wear in Korea...
Hmm, it actually seems useful for a disguise.
Since she was traveling in Japan, it wouldn't hurt to try things she couldn't do in Korea, right? The thought crossed her mind, and while it wasn't exactly cosplay, the vibe was similar.
Besides, the clerk kept saying it was a "waste," and even the women nearby seemed to be nodding in agreement. She started to feel like she was losing out on something if she didn't do it.
Should I try it once?
The gullible Seo-yeon was completely swayed. That had happened about an hour ago.
*
"Ugh."
Seo-yeon was conscious of the gazes around her. To be honest, it had been quite fun at first. The clerk had excitedly picked out clothes for her, and there happened to be a matching accessory shop nearby.
A black Gothic Lolita outfit with a black mask. Her pigtails were adorned with hairpins that had a suitably "gothic" feel. When she finally stood in front of the mirror fully dressed, everyone there had let out gasps of admiration.
Yes, up to that point, it was fine.
She had excitedly put on the whole outfit and stepped out onto the streets of Shibuya, carrying her old clothes in a paper bag. But the moment she did...
What have I done?
Seo-yeon snapped back to reality. She realized she had impulsively fallen for a sales pitch. Looking at her reflection in a cafe window, she saw that it actually suited her quite well.
I really am pretty.
A bit of narcissistic thought crept in. No, that wasn't the point. Anyway, Seo-yeon was full of regret.
"R-right, th-this is also an experience."
She sighed, trying to convince herself. At the very least, she was certain no one would recognize her. Yes, that was enough.
She was walking along with that thought when...
"Huff, huff. You're... you're Actress Ju Seo-yeon, right?"
"..."
Even that hope was crushed.
How did they know?
As soon as she crossed the crosswalk, two men ran up and spoke to her. And it wasn't even Japanese—it was Korean.
She wondered who they were, but she could guess their identity from the cameras in their hands.
Paparazzi!!
As she grew wary, they hurriedly waved their hands and added, "W-we're reporters! We're definitely not suspicious people!"
Japanese reporters? Or are they paparazzi making excuses...
Actually, it didn't matter to Seo-yeon either way. The important thing was that they had realized she was Ju Seo-yeon. And furthermore, that her current outfit was, of all things, Jirai-kei!
If she were caught like this, it would surely spread to Korea in no time. Then, it would definitely damage her image. Yes, the sophisticated image Ju Seo-yeon held as an actress...
Wait?
Seo-yeon thought for a moment.
Isn't this better than a gorilla?
It was called Jirai-kei, but it wasn't much different from the Zeroro costume Jo Seo-hee had worn at the theme park.
Besides, after what I did on my first Japanese variety show appearance...
When she closed her eyes, her appearance on yesterday's variety show came to mind. Everyone had packaged it as the "passionate acting of a genius actress," but it was still a bit much that the first image Japanese people had of her was a ghost crawling on the ground.
Seo-yeon knew now. She knew how much effort it took to improve an image once it was established!
Between a Jirai-kei girl and a bizarre ghost crawling on the ground... if she had to choose...
"Who are you?"
Seo-yeon, who had been about to bolt at full speed, stopped in her tracks. If they really were reporters, she figured it might be better to hear what they had to say.
*
Narumi Sora and Eun-ha were in despair the moment they woke up. Because Seo-yeon had vanished into thin air.
"Sh-should I try calling her?"
"No, I tried, but she's not picking up. What on earth is that girl doing?"
Sora flinched at Eun-ha's words. The phrase "what on earth is she doing" had come out so naturally. However, she couldn't deny it; Seo-yeon had a tendency to attract trouble, whether she intended to or not.
Above all, she had little awareness of being a celebrity, so she often failed to hide her face properly. Especially in Japan, under the impression that no one would recognize her, she had been walking around with her face completely exposed.
After yesterday's massive buzz, surely someone will recognize her...
Eun-ha was worried about Seo-yeon. What if she got into a fight? Of course, she wasn't worried about Seo-yeon, but rather about the person who might pick a fight with her.
Eun-ha knew. She knew that Seo-yeon had recently become obsessed with martial arts manga. When she had cautiously asked if Seo-yeon wanted to learn martial arts this time, Seo-yeon had replied:
"A lion does not need to train."
She had flashed a triumphant smile while reciting a line that sounded like it came straight out of a manga.
At any rate, Eun-ha was inwardly relieved that she didn't seem to have plans to actually learn martial arts. While she was being careful about her image lately, Seo-yeon fundamentally liked being strong.
Knowing Seo-yeon, if she were to get into a confrontation in Japan... she would never back down.
"Maybe we can find something out if we check the news?"
As a panicked Eun-ha said that, Sora, who had been panicking with her, was the first to calm down.
"Um, Manager. Isn't that a bit much?"
How could she think her own actress would show up on the news? Though the scary part was that it wasn't entirely impossible.
"R-right. I was so flustered I just said anything. But Seo-yeon is a bit of a... well, she has a way of making things explode."
Of course, she was generally a quiet and good girl. It was just that once she got excited, she couldn't control herself. Especially since Japan was so deeply connected to Seo-yeon's hobbies, she was always like a lit fuse. In other words, it wouldn't be strange for her to explode at any moment.
"If we keep calling, won't she eventually pick up?"
"We shouldn't go out to look for her recklessly, or we might miss each other..."
For the record, Seo-yeon had left a note saying where she was going. She said she was going to Shibuya. Of all places, not Akihabara, but Shibuya.
They waited anxiously for several hours.
Clack.
The sound of the door opening came just as the sun was setting.
"S-Seo-yeon, did anything happen—"
Eun-ha, who had rushed to the hotel foyer thinking Seo-yeon had returned, froze in her tracks. Sora, who had followed her to see what was wrong, also froze.
What on earth happened?
She had thought Seo-yeon was a bit of a bomb. But she never expected her to return as a "landmine."
Furthermore...
"Um, I just did an interview."
Seo-yeon suddenly dropped that bombshell.
"Wh-what? An interview?"
In that outfit? No, it did suit her. It suited her so well it was a problem. It was as if a manga character had suddenly popped into reality.
"And, I think I'm going to appear in a drama as a cameo."
"Huh??"
At those sudden words, Eun-ha and Sora could only stand there, completely frozen. This was something they hadn't expected at all.