Something's Off About Making Serin Fall for Me (1)
The chase scene that broke out in the middle of the city naturally became a hot topic online. There were simply too many witnesses. And since the Imperial Princess was a nationally famous figure, it was impossible for her not to stand out—especially while sprinting barefoot down the street in a bright red dress. Still, the imperial family’s response was frighteningly swift. Before long, rumors spread that the footage of Serin running through the streets was part of a movie shoot. Comment armies flooded every corner of the internet, shaping public opinion that it was all a minor incident. They even contacted the original uploaders on SNS and online communities, quietly taking the posts down through amicable agreements.
It seemed that while I’d been distracted, fiddling with Serin’s toes and spouting nonsense, So-hui had smoothly taken the lead on information control. ‘Honestly, it wasn’t going to cause any real problems anyway, but the way they can make an entire event disappear like it never happened is honestly terrifying…’
Incidentally, the person who told me all this was So-hui herself. She’d bragged about how they’d managed to bury the whole thing before it turned into a major scandal. Since I wasn’t very familiar with that side of the industry, all I could do was nod along and think, Oh, I see. In any case, the situation had been safely wrapped up.
After that, we parted ways without any further incidents and I headed straight home. There were tons of preparations to make for the plan I’d come up with, and I also needed to talk to the boss about the sudden real-life collab we’d scheduled.
“I’m going to make you fall completely head over heels for me so you can’t quit being a VTuber.”
…I’d gotten caught up in the moment and blurted that out, but I wasn’t mentally strong enough to say something like that and then act totally casual about it. Whoa, hold on… just thinking about it again made my face burn.
Was that a confession? No, anyone who heard it would immediately know it was the scheming words of someone with ulterior motives!
“Ughhhhhh…. I want to forget, I want to carve out a piece of my memory and throw it awayyyy…!”
Face-down on the sofa, I screamed into the cushions, writhing in agony over the fresh, piping-hot black history I’d just created. At the time, my emotions had been running so high that I’d simply spoken from the heart. But now that I was home and thinking about it calmly, it felt unreal. This wasn’t some youthful anime. I couldn’t believe I’d actually said those words to someone’s face in real life. And not just anyone—Serin, the very person I’d always been wary of!
Aaaargh! Somebody erase my memory!
Maybe it was because I was flailing my legs wildly in the air and making such a racket, but my little sister, who was sitting beside me, gave my backside an annoyed smack.
“You’re being loud, sis. Keep it down. I can’t hear anything.”
“Eep…! Where do you think you’re touching?!”
Did she think my butt was some kind of mute button?! I glared at my increasingly cheeky little sister with fierce eyes. Still, the way she was gently patting rather than actually hitting me must have taken the sting out of it. My strength drained away, and I obediently folded my legs, curling up like a shrimp.
Apparently satisfied by my sudden silence, Ha-yeon withdrew her hand and went back to focusing on the TV. Curious what she was watching, I peeked over and saw it was a popular cable variety show. It looked entertaining enough. Since I wanted to clear my head a bit, I stared blankly at the screen for a while. Then a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I sat up properly to look at her.
“Hey, can you leave the house for a bit around lunchtime tomorrow?”
“Out of nowhere? It’s Sunday tomorrow.”
“Well… a friend is coming over. It’d be awkward for everyone if you were here, so…”
Of course, it was a lie. If I had to be precise, the real reason was that I didn’t want her finding out about my VTuber activities. Especially since tomorrow’s special real-life collab was happening in my room. Having my sister in the house wouldn’t just be uncomfortable—it would be downright problematic.
But it seemed my vague excuse wasn’t enough to convince her. Ha-yeon flashed a somewhat chilling smile and spoke in a cutesy tone.
“Sis~ I’m curious about your friend. Can’t you introduce me?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Just for a second. I’ll leave after seeing her face.”
“Ugh, I said no!”
At the office she always wore a hat and mask and slightly altered her voice, so only the boss and I knew that the friend in question was Serin, the Imperial Princess. Still, for the stream, she’d have to remove at least some of the disguise. There was a chance my sister might recognize her. That was a huge worry, separate from the risk of my VTuber identity being exposed.
“Haa…?”
But it seemed she didn’t like how firmly I was refusing to show her. The bright smile Ha-yeon had been wearing vanished, replaced by a cold expression. Then she crawled across the sofa like a ghost, sticking to me as she brought her face close and spoke in an icy voice.
“…So you’re saying you won’t tell me. After all the help I’ve given you until now.”
“Ugh… No, I am grateful, really…”
“If you’re grateful, isn’t it only proper for an elder to show appropriate sincerity?”
“Wait… Are you mad?”
“Tsk, I’m not mad.”
No no, she literally just clicked her tongue. Anyone would see that as the attitude of an angry person! I had trauma around women speaking to me in that chilly tone! I averted my eyes from Ha-yeon, who was staring straight into mine from mere inches away. The way her eyes had narrowed like a predator eyeing its prey was genuinely scary.
At this rate, I was going to get steamrolled. I quickly racked my brain and hurriedly offered her a deal.
“Allowance! I’ll give you allowance…!”
“How much?”
“T-ten thousand won…?”
In truth, I had plenty in my wallet and could easily give more if I wanted, but since she was still a student, I figured there was no need to give too much. Ten thousand was already a lot anyway. The intimidating aura she’d been giving off softened as she smoothly rose to her feet. It had been a bit pathetic, but it looked like I’d successfully bought her off with money.
Yeah, just as I thought—a person needs a thick wallet to get through crises like this. My confidence surged.
“Ah, how boring. Fine, I’ll go out for a bit tomorrow.”
“…Should I send it now? I don’t have cash, so I’ll transfer it through the app.”
“No need. I’m not desperate for allowance. I’m going to work out with a friend.”
…Huh? So it wasn’t about the money?
I watched in confusion as my sister left the living room. She suddenly glanced back and tossed out a casual remark.
“Don’t think you’ll be able to run away like this starting next week.”
“U-um…?”
Next week? What’s happening next week? The sudden comment from my sister was hard to decipher. Still, she was the type who always kept her promises, so at least I’d be able to get her out of the house safely tomorrow. That meant I could avoid her finding out about my VTuber life or about Serin. I let out a sigh of relief and rubbed my chest.
Just then, a notification popped up on my smartphone. It was a message from So-hui saying she’d obtained the item I’d asked for. As expected of an imperial bodyguard—she’d found it in just a few hours. How reliable.
Good. With things at this point, I had to commit to making this a success. I only had one chance. Failure was not an option.
The day of the decisive battle arrived after a single night had passed. It was a little past one in the afternoon, just after lunchtime, when a beautiful girl stepped through our front door and gave a polite greeting.
“Thank you for having me today. My name is Serin, a friend of Seolhwa’s.”
There stood Serin with an atmosphere I had never seen before. She wasn’t the Serin from school, who carried an intense presence like the sun. Nor was she the playful, eccentric Serin from the office whom I always wanted to take care of. This was a version of her I’d never witnessed—a polite, earnest young woman who seemed respectful toward adults. If I had to compare it to something, she gave off the calm, gentle vibe of a modest older sister who could embrace anything.
Perhaps that was why my mother, who had come to the entrance with me to greet her, didn’t seem particularly flustered. She clearly hadn’t realized that Serin was the Imperial Princess.
“My daughter has such a pretty friend… Ahaha, please make yourself at home.”
“Thank you for the compliment. You look incredibly young and beautiful yourself, ma’am. If I hadn’t heard about you beforehand, I definitely would have thought you were her older sister.”
“Oh my goodness! Really?”
This girl… She just hit Mom’s favorite line…
Well, to be fair, it wasn’t just empty flattery. Our mom was a thirty-eight-year-old mother of two high schoolers, but she looked young enough to pass for someone in her twenties—an unrealistically youthful beauty. Still, it was embarrassing to see a grown woman who would be forty in two days getting so genuinely happy about a compliment from her daughter’s friend.
“Mom, stop it. You’re making me embarrassed…”
“No, I’m being serious. By any chance, are you interested in modeling work?”
“M-modeling?”
“Mom! You’re actually considering it! I said no! You already have your main job as a yoga instructor!”
Argh, seriously! That’s enough! Get back inside, Mom!
I practically shoved my mother back into the living room. At this rate, she really would end up offering Serin modeling work out of nowhere. I had no choice but to physically separate them. Grabbing the bewildered Serin by the wrist at the entrance, I dragged her straight into my room.
Feeling like a storm had already blown through right from the start, I collapsed onto the floor and breathed heavily.
“Hehe, are you perhaps jealous that I was getting along so well with your mother?”
“Jealous, my ass! Listen. My mom has a hard time saying no when people ask her for things! And if you butter her up and ask for something, she’ll agree to anything in a heartbeat! So none of that from now on—none of it!”
It wasn’t something a daughter should say, but my mom really was an easy mark. I was genuinely worried… After explaining the reason, I placed a cushion I’d prepared beforehand on the floor and told her to sit. Serin smiled gratefully and sat down neatly, then nodded to herself as if pondering something.
“That’s somehow… Mm, I suppose parents really are mirrors for their children…”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing. Never mind. I was just thinking that when you grow up, Seolhwa, you might turn out like your mother.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Well… youthful looks are largely genetic. I’ll probably end up similar, I guess.”
“That’s not what I… Never mind. Yes, that’s true. I’m looking forward to the future.”
If you have something to say, just say it properly. I stared at her intently, urging her to finish her thought because the vague comment left me feeling uneasy. But Serin simply gave an awkward smile as if brushing it off and took off her hat and glasses. She even undid her tied-back hair and gave it a light toss with her fingertips, letting it fall messily.
With that, her true appearance—which had been hidden like it was sealed away—finally revealed itself.
Right. Now we were really getting started.
I’d been letting my guard down, but the sight of Serin entering battle mode made tension rise within me.
“So, how exactly do you plan to make me fall for you?”
“Telling you right away would ruin the fun. What hunter reveals their secret weapon to the prey?”
“Hmph… So you really do see me as prey? This is the first time I’ve been treated like this.”
Crackle. Snap.
Invisible sparks of electricity flew fiercely between our locked gazes. We hadn’t even turned on the stream yet, but the battle of wills was already intense. However, Serin seemed utterly convinced that she held an overwhelming advantage. She straightened her back, pressed a hand firmly against her chest, and spoke with a relaxed smile.
“I’m sorry to say this, but I already prepared countermeasures yesterday. It’s true that physical contact is my weakness, but… with all the audiovisual materials I’ve trained myself with, clumsy physical attacks won’t work on me anymore.”
“Oh really…”
“Besides, Seolhwa, you don’t even see me as a woman in the first place, do you? No matter how hard you try to make me fall for you, it would only be an act. Did you really think I would fall for something like that?”
…As expected, her attitude wasn’t baseless confidence. Since I’d already told her what I was planning, she’d had time to prepare for her weaknesses. And the biggest problem was… the fact that I didn’t particularly like her in that way. Well, I did like her. I liked her a lot as a friend and as a fellow VTuber. But the idea of becoming lovers with her didn’t interest me much. Besides, I’d never really been comfortable with the whole concept of dating someone.
In other words, no matter what Ryu Seolhwa did, she couldn’t make Lee Serin fall for her. Her words were completely reasonable. I already knew that much.
‘Still, she hasn’t predicted my actual plan.’
This should definitely deal a solid blow. Convinced of that, I sprang up from my seat. Looking down at her as if to say she’d understand once she saw it, I spoke.
“Wait here a moment. I’ll go get the secret weapon I prepared to defeat you.”
“…I’ll be looking forward to it.”
I strode out of the room with full confidence and headed to my mother’s room, where I’d already moved the necessary items. After quickly finishing the preparations exactly as I’d practiced, I returned to my room. The moment Serin saw me, her eyes widened like saucers.
“S-Seolhwa? That appearance…”
“Seolhwa? I’m not sure who you’re looking at to say something like that?”
Well, I could understand why she was surprised. She probably never imagined things would turn out this way. I glanced sideways at the full-length mirror by the door. Reflected in it was a cosplaying girl with a mysterious aura.
Long white wig flowing down to her waist. Clear blue eyes created by special lenses. Naturally pale skin. And the outfit—a revealing white burial kimono that showed off cleavage and shoulders. It was a sight I had grown incredibly tired of seeing.
After all, this was a perfect recreation from head to toe…
“I am Snow, from Unimori’s third generation, Baekgwi Yahang… right?”
It was the exact appearance of my virtual avatar, Snow. When I smiled brightly just like I always did during streams, Serin unconsciously swallowed hard. It seemed she had realized this wasn’t going to be an easy fight after all.