Today, I Transform!
After finishing the character sketches, I sent the file to Bam Nuna.
- Drew the protagonist and three heroines. There are also a few supporting and minor characters.
- Please confirm.
I sent the message over KaTalk using polite speech. Ever since I found out Bam Nuna was Yusi, using polite speech felt strange, but it would be just as odd to speak politely to the other older sisters and then use casual speech only with Bam Nuna.
The moment I sent the message, the unread "1" vanished.
"...Were you waiting?"
How had she even known exactly when I'd finish... kind of unsettling. She wasn't already pushing me to start on the first chapter, was she?
Not long after, Bam Nuna called.
"Yes, Nuna. Did you check it?"
- Kkang-cheol.......
Bam Nuna's voice quivered faintly. I tensed up and asked back.
"...You don't like it? Is it no good?"
- Nooo! The opposite! It's so good!
Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew. You startled me. If you like it, why do you sound like you're about to cry? I thought I'd have to redraw it."
- It's because I like it! Tears come naturally when you're happy too, you know!
...She even shed tears? No matter how much she liked it, was it really that moving? Just like Ah-reum, women sometimes cry at moments I never expect, leaving me completely caught off guard. Was I really that emotionally dense?
Well, in any case, I was relieved she liked it. I chuckled and teasingly poked at Bam Nuna's way of speaking.
"By the way, why are you using polite speech again? You were speaking casually earlier."
- ...Oh, was I?
She apparently hadn't even realized she'd slipped back into polite speech.
Bam Nuna laughed, sounding a little embarrassed.
- Ever since I first met you, I kept using polite speech out of habit, so it got stuck. And aside from Hana and Saebyeok, I use polite speech with everyone.
"Are you going to keep using polite speech with me too?"
- Mm. I want to use polite speech. It feels more comfortable.
"I'm more comfortable with casual speech though......."
- No! I'm your Nuna!
Instantly shut down.
"Yes, ma'am, Nuna."
- Heh heh.
Bam Nuna laughed, satisfied.
Soon, she asked in a worried voice.
- But Kkang-cheol, is not taking payment really okay? It's a bit awkward to say this, but I have plenty of money. You don't have to feel burdened.
After finding out that Yu-bam and Yusi were the same person, I'd taken on the illustration role. With that, Bam Nuna had tried to pay me as usual, calling it an official freelance commission.
But I didn't accept the money for several reasons.
"Taking money for a club activity feels a bit....... Hana and Saebyeok Sunbae aren't charging for making the costumes either."
- I do cover the costume production costs though.
"That's different. If the money were from comic sales, I'd understand, but I don't see this as a private transaction. And I don't really have any production costs."
Of course, there was such a thing as opportunity cost, but as I'd said back in the club room, I wanted to let this slide as a special service for a regular customer. After all, how much money had Yusi earned for me over the years?
- I feel bad about this. Because of me, you couldn't even take other commissions.......
"I'll handle it. Think of it as a loyalty perk for a regular, you know."
- Mm. Got it. The more I think about it, you should have the copyright too, Kkang-cheol. If this project goes well, let's do this all the way to the finale!
"No, that's a bit......."
My face automatically furrowed.
The original source material for this comic was an adult web novel called 'Received the Grace of the Incubus,' which Bam Nuna was writing under the name 'Yusi.' For reference, it was currently serialized up to 100 episodes, with a planned total of around 400 to 500 episodes.
Meanwhile, the portion to be sold at SeoCo was only a fragment of the very early episodes, structured into a complete story arc with a beginning, middle, and end. To draw this all the way to the finale, even at a fast pace, we were looking at a minimum of 10 volumes in print, and over 200 episodes in serialized form.
- Tch.
At my appalled reaction, Bam Nuna clicked her tongue. Don't tell me she was seriously planning on making me draw the entire thing.......
"Anyway, let's move forward with the characters as they are, and I'll work on the draft after a meeting."
- A meeting?
"The early setting for this comic is a military base, right? Nuna, did you do proper research before writing this?"
- I did some research.......
Her voice took on a slightly deflated tone, which made me uneasy. Sure enough, the historical accuracy issue I'd been worried about was there.
- When I was serializing it, I got a lot of hate in the comments. They called me a draft-dodger and stuff.......
"Yikes, just as I expected. Military accuracy is a touchy subject; you get tons of nitpickers."
- Kk, Kkang-cheol, you're a Korean man. So you must know all about it, right?
"...I'm a draft-dodger too, you know?"
Being a Korean man didn't mean you automatically knew about the military. If you hadn't done active service, of course you wouldn't know. And even among those who had, it apparently varied wildly from unit to unit.
"Mm. Should I ask Seongju Hyung for help with this......."
- Ah, now that you mention it, Seong-ju has completed his military service!
Bam Nuna's voice brightened.
- I need to ask Seong-ju to teach me about the military. I want to revise the early part!
"Okay. Then next......."
We roughly discussed how to produce the comic going forward. We aligned our opinions to a reasonable degree, and the conversation was winding down.
I was about to say goodbye and hang up when.
Suddenly, as if something had just occurred to her, Bam Nuna let out an "Ah!" and exclaimed.
- Kkang-cheol, are you free tomorrow?
"Tomorrow? I was planning to work if nothing comes up... why?"
- Tomorrow, I'll treat you. To celebrate you agreeing to draw the comic!
"Come on, what's with 'treating' me. It's fine."
- Please let me treat you. You said you wouldn't even take money. I'm asking you, please.
It really was fine.......
But it also felt awkward to keep refusing when she was being this persistent. I set an appointment with Nuna and hung up.
'Is she going to buy me a meal or something? I'm on a diet, so I should ask for beef.'
Well, since she was someone who said without hesitation that she had a lot of money, I didn't need to worry about her wallet. Let's lighten the rich club Nuna's wallet a little.
*
The next day.
I came out onto the street dressed in a roughly oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants.
"Ugh, it's crazy hot. Today's temp is... ack. 28 degrees?"
It was already the last week of May. The long winter had ended, and spring had passed so quickly I barely noticed it was there. Now it was full-blown summer.
Wearing long sleeves in this kind of weather, I hadn't even gone far before beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I wiped the sweat running down my forehead with my sleeve and thought.
'I need to buy summer clothes soon.'
Because I'd kept putting off buying clothes until I hit my target weight, the only clothes I had were for winter. I'd managed to tough it out until now, but it seemed impossible now that it was getting hot.
"Haa. I wonder if there are any summer clothes that cover the neck......."
Truthfully, I hadn't put off buying clothes purely as a diet excuse. Winter clothes were the best for covering my neck, which had burn scars, after all.
Well, since I wore a cover sheet, the chances were high I'd be fine even walking around in thin clothes. It was probably just me being self-conscious and worrying in advance.
Realizing I was suddenly having these thoughts made me aware of how much my condition had improved. Around this time last year, I'd been so scared of even going out to the gym that I'd done nothing but home training the entire time.
While I was lost in these various thoughts, I arrived at the café, our meeting spot. When I stepped inside, Bam Nuna, who had arrived first, spotted me and waved her hand.
"Kkang... Cheoljjin! Over here!"
Bam Nuna, who had been about to call me Kkang-cheol and then hurriedly changed her wording. Since my nickname was originally Kkang-cheol anyway, it was fine to just call me that.
"You got here early? It's ten minutes before our time."
"Hehe. I got here early and was doing some chatting."
"Chatting?"
How do you chat by yourself? I looked at her curiously, and saw someone approaching from behind Bam Nuna.
"Saebyeok Sunbae...?"
"Hey."
"Ah, yeah. Hello."
At the unexpected appearance, I greeted her with a dumbfounded expression. Why was this person here?
I ordered a coffee first and then sat down. Soon, Bam Nuna, sitting side by side with Han Saebyeok, looked back and forth between me and Han Saebyeok and asked.
"It's not too uncomfortable, is it?"
"N-no, not at all. Haha......."
...Honestly, it was uncomfortable. If you're bringing company, you should say so in advance! It was fine when I saw her at the club room, but meeting her at a private gathering like this was incredibly awkward.
Actually, Han Saebyeok made me a little uncomfortable regardless of her cold attitude. Should I say our personalities don't mesh? To put it simply, it was like the dynamic between a popular kid and a loner.
You could tell just by looking.
Her chilly expression and appearance aside, the piercings in her ears, the tattoos on her neck and wrist created a somewhat intimidating aura. The fact that her usual style was rock chic, street, and hip-hop fashion played a part too. Her whole aesthetic made her hard to approach.
As I sat there laughing awkwardly, Bam Nuna slurped her coffee and spoke.
"I called Saebyeok because I needed help. Saebyeok's an expert, you see."
"Help? Expert?"
"Clothes."
Bam Nuna raised her finger and pointed at me. Specifically, at my clothes.
"Cheoljjin always wears the same things. Hoodies, sweatpants, sweatshirts."
"That's because I kept putting it off until I lost weight......."
"You've already lost a lot of weight. And your clothes are way too thick. I get hot just looking at you!"
Having nothing to say, I clicked my tongue sheepishly. It was precisely because I was so hot that I'd been agonizing about needing to buy new clothes.
Bam Nuna grinned and linked arms with Han Saebyeok.
"Saebyeok's an expert on clothes. Top of the third-year class in the Fashion Design Department. I'll buy you the clothes, so today we transform!"