Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: I'm Gonna Devour Them!
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Blooming.
An all-girl high school band made up entirely of second-year students.
According to Yoo Seolha, their parents had known each other since they were very young. Influenced by her, they all started learning instruments back in early elementary school.
They performed at school festivals and did street busking, gradually shifting into a pro-oriented band through those shared activities.
‘That’s why their synergy feels so solid.’
The harmony of instruments and vocals that couldn’t be forged overnight. Instruments that highlighted the singer without overshadowing her unique flair.
The entire band shared the same mindset.
Bound by the common belief that the star and heart of Blooming was their vocalist Yoo Seolha, they pulled off sophisticated ensemble playing despite lacking standout individual skills.
And their star, Yoo Seolha, had the chops and talent to meet those expectations.
A one-of-a-kind tone blending crisp freshness with a boyish charm you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Innate sense of rhythm and a wide vocal range.
Her most distinctive trait? Deliberately roughening her breaths or trailing off lyrics to convey raw emotion.
They might not look like winners just yet, but the talent they packed was seriously impressive.
That’s why, the moment I heard about this mission, I’d planned to recruit Blooming as my teammates.
Team picks happen via draft.
My slot’s second—safe enough to snag who I want.
I’d already mapped out the lineup after rewatching the show a bunch of times.
That train of thought shattered when Yoo Seolha thrust a pink, frilly shalala dress at me, her eyes sparkling.
“Siyeon! Try this on?”
“...Too flashy.”
“Hmm. True, Siyeon rocks cool tones way better than warm! Hang on!”
With that, she trotted off.
Cool tones? Warm tones? Beats me.
From the jump—shopping with high school girls—I’d braced to be their living dress-up doll.
Anyone seeing a cute little kid like me would itch to drape her in sparkly princess getups. Human nature.
Even I’d thought, post-possession, that I kinda looked the princess type myself.
But imagining’s one thing. Wearing it? Whole different beast.
Seo Siyeon’s style meshed with mine.
Jeans. Dark tees.
Not a skirt in sight.
Truth was—later memory jog—she’d been too shy at the nursery to grab what she wanted from donations.
Either way, it meant zero fashion stress for me.
I’d picked cute fits for shoots, sure. But skirts? Never once.
“Ta-da! Isn’t it adorable?”
“...It’s adorable.”
Black mini skirt. Knee-high stockings.
Top: billowy frills, ribboned blouse with sheer sleeves...
‘This menhera fashion or what?’
Not a perfect match for the menhera style I knew, but the vibe? Spot on.
Obviously, looked like death to wear.
Previous life me stuck to sweats and tees. Overly girly stuff like that? Ego annihilation incoming.
“N-No way am I wearing that!”
“Ehehe. Sis’ll buy it all! Wear it, and I’ll treat you to parfait later!”
“Pa... parfait...”
Parfait. Weirdly a fave from my old life.
Not huge on sweets, but those? Always hit different.
And now, girl-ified sweet tooth aside, pricey desserts? Couldn’t even picture it.
“Ugh... fine.”
Sold my soul for parfait.
Should’ve stung. Felt great instead.
Mouth watering already, I pattered into the fitting room.
Fumbled with alien fabric and back zipper. Emerged to stares zeroed in.
Incheon outlet. Kids’ clothing section.
Weekend rush at the city’s lone big mall—packed. Even here, foot traffic galore.
Forgot one thing: ditched hat and shades while changing. Blue eyes out in the open. Instant aggro.
“Huh? Si-Siyeon?”
“Ah. Yeah.”
Yoo Seolha froze at my bare face—no disguise—blurted my name. Trigger pulled.
“Hey, ain’t that the kid from TV?”
“Mom! There, there! It’s the TV sis!”
“Huh. Seo Siyeon?”
Nearly an hour of photo ops later, we broke free.
***
Outlet chaos behind us, we hit the sushi spot nearby that Yoo Seolha had booked.
Pristine room setup. Kinda fancy for tagging along with a nine-year-old.
I mixed soy and wasabi like always, dipped my sushi.
“Pffft!”
“Huh? Siyeon, you good? Oh! Way too much wasabi!”
Mortified, head down.
Old-life portions. This body? Overkill spice bomb.
“No worries. Sis’ll mix it right!”
“Thanks.”
Yoo Seolha beamed, chopsticks flying.
Mulled it over. Perfect moment to set the board. Dabbed mouth, went deadpan.
“About that team battle earlier. Curious why I wanna draft all of Blooming?”
My abrupt shift froze her.
Blank stare. Then tense posture tweak.
“Uh... yeah. Honestly? Super curious. We’re no prodigies. Just rode the high school girl band hype for attention.”
Undervaluing hard.
Ensemble crushes most Hongdae acts.
Synergy from years together trumps raw chops sometimes. Blooming nailed that.
“Your strength’s the synergy. Weakness? Crystal clear. Solo skills lag. Everyone but Seolha-ssi just plays—no extra spark.”
Ice-cold breakdown. Her eyes wavered.
No casual fan spiel.
Phone out. Hit play on my prepped file.
“This? Demo I cooked up for your next round.”
Speaker rhythm: not standard band fare.
Dreamy, slick J-web music texture. Chorus engineered to explode with Blooming’s signature crispness.
Her breaths hitched. Soft hum-along. Then wide-eyed stare.
“This... matches my range and style like a glove.”
“Had a fitting track ready.”
Casual tea sip. Salmon roll down.
Pricey joint lives up. Tasty.
Five hundred times nursery grub.
Thought flashed—sorry, nursery aunties.
“Blooming’s ace? Seolha-ssi’s tone, no contest. Prelims, round one? More credit to the vocalist than the band.”
Breather. Beef roll popped.
Lux meat juices sliding down. Bliss.
Resumed.
“That lens? Best track to spotlight vocalist Yoo Seolha... right here.”
Silence stretched.
No cute kid before her now.
Monster who gutted their flaws. Served fixes.
Skill legit, sure. Production polish helped...
Mindset shift. Instant.
“...Chills, legit. Who are you?”
“Told you. Your team captain. Losing games? Pass.”
Glasses nudge. Kept going.
Should’ve re-masked sooner. Slipped my mind.
“Next round, wanna shred the stage with this? Convince Blooming. I captain. You? The star.”
She nodded, mesmerized.
Then weird look. Out-of-left-field Q.
“But Siyeon. Why ‘Seolha-ssi’? Not ‘unnie’?”
“Ugh.”
Pathetic groan. Eyes averted.
‘Unnie’—quintessential femininity. My ego’s not there yet.