The Heavenly Demon Orders a Punishment Broadcast (2)
Quite some time had passed since Enri went into the room saying she would change clothes, yet she still hadn't come out. From the presence I could feel inside, it seemed she kept sighing while looking at the outfit, trying to put it on, sighing again, glancing at the mirror, and sighing once more. At this point, it would be better for her to just steel herself in every way, but there she was. There was still some time left before the broadcast started, so I decided to wait, but if she dragged it out any longer, I would have to barge in and force the clothes on her.
While fiddling with my smartphone and thinking that, a ringtone sounded. So someone else was still coming here.
“Ara! Could you open the door? My editor said she'd handle the camera!”
Someone here to help with today's broadcast. The person shown on the entrance screen was different from the one who had helped rescue the previous editor. Not long after I opened the door and let her in, the woman who entered the house froze the moment she saw my face.
“Are you... Hwaryeong-nim?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you. I'm Hwaryeong.”
“Wow. Wow! You're incredibly beautiful! It's like your VR avatar came to life!”
Of course it was. She was modeled directly after me, after all. Watching the girl chatter excitedly without pause made a laugh slip out.
“Ah, that's not important. My name is Park Riha! I'm one of Enri-nim's editors! Please take care of me!”
“Riha-ssi, then.”
Bright and cheerful. It reminded me of the first time I met Harin. I couldn't bring myself to dislike someone who showed goodwill toward me, so I smiled and responded, which made Riha beam with joy.
“Ah, right. There's something to be grateful for too! Thanks to you, Hwaryeong-nim, our MyTube channel is going to be rolling in cash! The boss's maid outfit, of all things!”
Even though the person paying her salary was about to face humiliation, she wore such a bright smile. She really was a little devil. Come to think of it, my own editors had also looked delighted whenever embarrassing videos of me spread. Did editors care more about MyTube views than their boss's dignity? Well, the disaster that had struck me was already over, and now I was in the position of watching the marketplace burn, so it wasn't my concern how much trouble Enri got into.
“Enri-ssi helped my MyTube channel, after all. I'm just returning the favor.”
“Mutual aid, huh!”
It felt more like we were strangling each other's necks than helping each other, but whatever. The moment she stepped inside, her hands moved with practiced ease as she adjusted the camera positions—there wasn't a hint of awkwardness. She had clearly done this kind of work more than once or twice.
Since Enri's sighs were still audible from inside the room and it looked like it would take her a while to come out, I decided to follow Riha around and learn a thing or two.
“By the way, Riha-ssi. How exactly do you operate the camera?”
“The camera?”
When I asked, Riha hesitated. The way her fingers fidgeted on the camera made it obvious she was nervous. It was plain what she was thinking. She probably worried I might somehow break the camera. How unfair. Did I have gunpowder on my hands? It wasn't like a single touch would make it explode. Yet she reacted like that. When I deliberately lowered my gaze, Riha's panic only grew worse. Watching her flail her hands in confusion made a sigh escape me.
“Is it not allowed?”
“It's not that it's not allowed, it's just... Ugh. Could I just explain it verbally for now?!”
She looked ready to cry if I pushed any further, so I nodded. Riha broke into a wide smile and began showing me how to handle the camera while explaining various things. Pride was evident in her voice—she must have studied quite a bit.
While I was absorbing knowledge like that, the firmly closed door finally opened and Enri appeared.
“Um... How do I look?”
From my perspective, having seen plenty of cat maids in the VR world, the ears and tail were clearly the awkward parts. That couldn't be helped. No matter how well-made they were, fakes were still fakes. But aside from that, Enri made for a rather charming maid. She had always been quite beautiful to begin with—pale skin that reminded me of the Ice Palace's snow, lively blue eyes, golden hair that reached her waist, and a lithe body without an ounce of excess fat, as if she took meticulous care of herself. Add the maid outfit and a touch of embarrassment on top, and who could deny that fresh, youthful appeal?
“Don't worry. You look pretty.”
“It doesn't look weird, right? Right?”
“Of course not! Boss! Have some confidence!”
Once Riha and I both fussed over her, Enri finally straightened her shoulders. Her cheeks were still flushed red, but she seemed to have gained some confidence. I didn't know what would happen once the mischievous viewers started teasing her after the broadcast began, but that was her problem to handle. She had been in this industry far longer than I had, so she would manage just fine.
“Then let's start the broadcast already! Wearing this outfit makes me feel like I'm taking burn damage to the face!”
*
After finishing the broadcast setup, Riha let out an exclamation as she looked through the camera at Enri and Hwaryeong sitting at the table. Having two beautiful people side by side really made operating the camera enjoyable. Especially since their types of beauty were different. If Enri-nim gave off a lively, bright beauty, then Hwaryeong-nim had a calm, composed kind of beauty. The two of them sitting together made for a perfect picture no matter how you looked at it. It would have been even better if Hwaryeong-nim's clothes were a bit nicer, though. What on earth was she wearing? A baggy hoodie and loose jeans! And not even anything trendy! The hoodie was covered in wrinkles like it hadn't been cared for, and the jeans had faded! Anyone sensitive to fashion would probably tell her to throw them straight in the trash. Thanks to Hwaryeong-nim's naturally high base stats, she still looked pretty even in that, but if it were anyone else, people would assume she was just running to the convenience store down the street. What a waste. Such a shame. She had beauty that looked like her VR avatar had stepped straight into reality, yet her fashion sense was like this. If she was going to cover her face like that anyway, she might as well have lent it to me. I could really put it to good use.
“Riha-ssi! Are you ready?”
“Yes, Boss. Shall we start the broadcast?”
“Just a moment. Ara-ssi, please put on the mask.”
“Understood.”
Riha felt a pang of regret inside as she watched Hwaryeong put on the fox mask. She still hadn't revealed her face, so it couldn't be helped.
“Alright, let's begin!”
Only Hwaryeong wearing the mask was visible on the broadcast screen for now. It would look better if Enri appeared after some viewers had gathered. The highlight should be saved for later, after all. Viewers who had entered Enri's stream but found her missing began expressing their confusion, so Hwaryeong quietly opened her mouth.
“Hello, everyone.”
“Yes. I'm Hwaryeong. Nice to meet you all in real life.”
When Hwaryeong bowed her head and greeted them politely in a clear, measured voice, the chat descended into chaos.
That reaction was understandable. Even Riha had been flustered when she first heard Hwaryeong use honorifics. The person who had always been arrogant and looked down on others in the VR world was now speaking politely with honorifics.
“Thank you. It's become a habit, so it's hard to change now.”
Huh? She used to speak Korean before?! From what the viewers were saying, it seemed Hwaryeong had already appeared on Enri's stream and shown herself speaking Korean even before starting her own broadcast. Viewers really remembered everything.
Once it was revealed that the woman in the fox mask was Hwaryeong, the chat atmosphere instantly became lively. Someone who had only greeted people in the VR world was now standing in front of a real-life camera. Of course people's attention would be focused on her.
“What's wrong with my clothes? As long as they're comfortable, that's all that matters.”
Even though this was her first time broadcasting in real life, the broadcasting experience she had accumulated so far hadn't gone anywhere. Hwaryeong began communicating with the viewers skillfully.
“She's hiding behind the camera right now. She's like a scaredy-cat, so it's cute.”
“Who are you calling a scaredy-cat?!”
Perhaps deciding it was about time, Enri, who had been timing her entrance behind Riha, stepped into the frame and shouted loudly.
“Enha! Hello everyone! It's Enri! As announced, today's a punishment broadcast! I don't know what I did wrong, but if I don't do this, it'll be chaos, so I had no choice but to wear the maid outfit. How is it? Do I look pretty?”
Enri had been shy before the broadcast started, but she was a professional too. The moment the camera turned on, she put on an iron mask and showed not even the slightest hesitation. As expected of the boss. She was usually a sloppy slacker, but when it came to broadcasting, she was a true pro. It would be nice if she showed this level of professionalism during her usual game streams too.
“Hey, Enri-ssi.”
“Yes? What is it, Hwaryeong-ssi?”
“Why isn't the cat maid using cat speech?”
Perhaps the criticism was unexpected. A small crack appeared in the mask Enri had put on.
“Uh, well...”
“A punishment broadcast should be done properly, right?”
So let's start over from the beginning.