Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The Outsider Picks a Swimsuit for UCC
***
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I called Yoo So-mi, who had ended up in a fitting room without a mirror, and nagged her to switch rooms.
"So-mi, let's just move to a fitting room with a mirror. It's inconvenient to take pictures there anyway."
I didn't explain the real reason for changing rooms.
"Please, just move for me..."
She seemed curious about the reason but eventually followed my instructions and switched fitting rooms.
And only then could I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing I didn't have to give awkward explanations to a girl from the same school—like what body part stood out most in the photo she'd just sent,
or the similarities between the lining of a swimsuit she'd just taken off and her underwear she'd just removed.
But after that, Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi kept changing into swimsuits and sending me photos. Every time a picture came in, I had to tense up and open the message.
Han Si-a: The feature of this swimsuit is that the shoulder straps cross over the neck area. It exposes the shoulders more naturally, but it covers the chest securely, so no worries about exposure.
[A photo of Han Si-a in a swimsuit, slightly bending at the waist to emphasize her chest.]
Han Si-a: The color is light green, but I'm not sure if it matches the shooting background. You're in charge of filming, Jeong Yi-an, so judge it well.
Han Si-a explained each swimsuit's features and her impressions in detail with every photo, like a staff member out on official business.
But in the actual photos, she smiled attractively and struck model-like poses,
so it was impossible to tell if she was treating this professionally or just enjoying trying on various swimsuits.
Of course, from my perspective as the receiver, it wasn't uncomfortable at all. Quite the opposite—I liked it.
Just looking at them was a treat for the eyes.
Plus, the swimsuits weren't overly revealing, so I didn't have trouble knowing where to look.
And her detailed comments on the swimsuits were incredibly helpful information for someone like me, who knew next to nothing about women's swimwear.
But Yoo So-mi's were a different story...
Yoo So-mi: Hmm... The clerk said they didn't have my size, so I got a size smaller for now. What do you think?
[A photo of Yoo So-mi's swimsuit stretched to its limit along her soft, flared hips, practically screaming, and her blushing face as she desperately covered her crotch with her hand.]
Yoo So-mi: It's a type you tie at the back, so I thought the chest would be fine, but I didn't expect the hips to turn out like this...
Yoo So-mi: If you like this design, they can order the right size separately, so give me your honest opinion!
Another photo arrived where I had no idea where to look.
This was exactly the situation I'd tried to avoid by making her switch fitting rooms, but this time it was the swimsuit size causing issues.
Of course, Yoo So-mi had such a curvaceous figure—rare even in Korea—so this wasn't entirely surprising,
but still, I wished she'd consider more seriously that the recipient was a guy from the same school.
On top of that, my attention got completely fixated on imagining what was under her hand, so I barely remembered the swimsuit's design.
...
Wait a second. This couldn't be...
Ah.
I hurriedly deleted the photo Yoo So-mi had just sent.
.
.
.
In the end, once Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi finished trying on swimsuits and it was time to decide,
I only had one photo left from Yoo So-mi.
"Huh? You deleted them all? That's too much! I worked hard picking and trying them on!"
"So-mi... I appreciate the effort, but you can't send photos like that to a guy."
"Hmph! I wouldn't send pics like this to anyone but you, Yi-an. And I covered everything, so it's not a problem, right!?"
Yoo So-mi was extremely disappointed that I'd deleted her photos.
She'd struggled into smaller sizes because fitting ones were scarce, so she probably felt even more betrayed.
And Han Si-a, watching from the side, was already giving me a reproachful look.
"Jeong Yi-an, this isn't a joke. So-mi put in so much effort for the contest video, and you deleted them just because they were a bit embarrassing?"
Hmm... Somehow the situation was making me look like the bad guy?
But I had no choice about deleting Yoo So-mi's photos. There was a good reason.
"But the swimsuit was stretched so thin that you could see through to the inside! Sure, you covered the key spots, but your underwear was visible!"
No matter if it was just for trying on, nobody tries swimsuits directly on bare skin for hygiene reasons.
Fitting swimsuits get tried on by multiple people in rotation... Everyone gets that without further explanation.
So you at least wear underwear while trying them on.
Yoo So-mi had a rare Korean figure: ample bust, slim waist, wide hips.
And one-piece swimsuits need to fit all three dimensions perfectly to function,
so stores rarely had her exact size.
That's why Yoo So-mi trusted the stretchiness and tried on a swimsuit compromised on hip measurement.
But due to her wide hips, the fabric stretched to its limit and was too thin to hide her underwear straps.
It was sheer enough to faintly see skin tone. That said it all.
Anyone checking the photo could instantly tell, "Oh, So-mi wore a thong today to hide panty lines."
"...Huh? So-mi, is that for real?"
Han Si-a, who'd been glaring reproachfully at me until just now, turned to Yoo So-mi with wide eyes after hearing my explanation.
She probably agreed the see-through underwear made it inappropriate.
But Yoo So-mi averted her gaze and made an absurd excuse.
"Ahaha... I couldn't go without underwear, right? And since Yi-an's my bestie, I thought a little see-through would be okay... Right?"
"No!" "No way..."
After that, Han Si-a dug into my phone's trash folder and permanently deleted the photos,
and Yoo So-mi resent cropped versions that cut off below the waist.
Luckily, the upper bodies in the swimsuits she picked fit well—they were pretty with minimal skin exposure.
And finally, we could hold our meeting to choose swimsuits suitable for filming.
"Our dance has almost no moves showing our backs to the camera. So for exposure, we can just evaluate the front."
"We should check if Si-a's and my swimsuit colors match... We've matched outfit codes in previous videos, so let's at least coordinate the accent colors this time!"
"Anyone good with color combos? Considering the pool's shooting angles, the blue pool and Han River bridge will be in the background. Recommendations on matching colors would be great."
Our meeting proceeded in a serious atmosphere, no laughter.
Ultimately, we chose bright-colored swimsuits like sky blue and yellow.
The designs weren't controversial since both performers liked them from the start,
but the colors were decisively picked because I, as the filming lead, strongly voiced my opinion.
"The Han River pool at 9 AM will be under direct summer sun with no shade nearby. Everything around will shine brightly, including your fair skin. From an editing standpoint, to adjust brightness later, bright swimsuit colors would be best."
"Yeah, dark ones would look dull in the final video."
"But full black would contrast too harshly and make the dance look weird... A bikini might've worked better."
Alright, swimsuits picked. Time to check out and head home?
Today's haul was just a department store cafe stop and swimsuit shopping, but I was already exhausted and craving my bed.
Lunchtime was approaching, so we could eat together and part ways.
I started searching for nearby restaurants to fill up.
"Next up: clothes to wear over the swimsuits. I'm planning short jeans below and a loose thin shirt on top."
"I'll wrap a knit around my waist and wear sunglasses! Wanna buy matching accessories too?"
But my friends showed no signs of heading home yet.
Wearing outer layers over one-piece swimsuits would make them less revealing than their current outfits...
From their conversation, I sensed a strong resolve not to expose skin in the UCC video.
...Honestly, I was inwardly reluctant to show their swimsuit figures straight-up in the contest video too, so maybe this was for the best?
I couldn't say it out loud for fear of seeming creepy,
but I was relieved that Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi decided to cover up themselves.
.
.
.
After that, we bought clothes and accessories from women's and variety stores, had lunch,
and settled into the sedan heading home.
Today started with morning heat, then I suffered in the car from my friends' antics on the way to the department store.
And plenty more hassles there.
So even though it was midday with the sun high, I was plenty worn out.
And after a full lunch, sitting in the plush back seat, drowsiness hit like a tidal wave.
"Guys, sorry, I'm gonna catch some Z's... Wait, I'm the only one still awake?"
Turns out Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi, who'd spent the day with me, were just as tired.
While I was half-dozing in sleepy haze, they'd already dozed off beside me.
So I closed my eyes without guilt and soon passed out completely.
...
Thus, I didn't notice the girl to my left slyly opening her eyes.