Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Guess I'm Doing All the Girly Stuff Myself
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All things come with a price.
Just as you have to work to earn money, or show kindness first to gain favor in return.
And if you want to threaten someone, you have to be prepared to get hurt yourself. That's a truth any intelligent person living in the modern world learns through experience from childhood.
The first time I got a huge donation from Young-joon Mon.
My initial feeling was bewilderment.
Why? A nagging doubt settled in the corner of my mind.
So I refused it.
It was a perfectly reasonable decision based on the logic that there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
But then.
Mission.
A format where viewers propose challenges, and if you complete them successfully, you get the prize money as a donation.
A mission felt like a fair trade, in a way.
The instinctive aversion was less strong.
So after pondering it, I gladly accepted.
"Call!"
I gladly accepted and immediately dashed off somewhere.
The place I headed to was none other than a convenience store.
"A 500k mission deserves more than just silent meditation."
What I bought at the convenience store.
Clear tape and scissors.
I ripped off a piece of tape with a screech, cut it to size, and slapped it right over my mouth.
A sticky sound and cold sensation spread across my face.
It's a whopping 500,000 won mission.
Has to be at least this much to break even.
To make sure it wouldn't come off midway, I pressed firmly around my mouth to reinforce the adhesion.
"Mmph, mmm."
Perfect.
Stepping outside like that, the stares that were already on me upgraded to full Pied Piper levels.
The whole world's attention was on me.
Murmuring crowds. Groups whispering about something.
From now on, I was the center of attention in this district.
Maybe because all eyes had been on me for a while now.
The viewers seemed to be feeling secondhand embarrassment.
Even these shameless types apparently knew shame.
I chuckled inwardly at learning this new fact, which only made them squirm more.
Weird stuff?
I'm just normally making money here.
Just two hours of this, and a cool 500,000 won drops into my pocket.
If I think of it that way, it's embarrassment I can gladly endure.
Though somehow, the viewers seemed more tortured than me.
It's the stream you guys chose.
Tough it out. Mmph.
The donation chime rang true to form.
The moment I glanced at the message.
Thud—
"Ack!"
I hadn't been watching where I was going and bumped into someone.
Quick to apologize for my carelessness.
"Mmphbrrph."
I turned to look. There was a girl about my size.
Wearing a school uniform, probably just out of class and out playing.
She saw me and exclaimed in surprise.
"Huh? Y-you!"
Y-you?
"The streamer! You're the streamer, right?! Lemon TV!"
"Mmph?"
Never thought someone would recognize me here.
Am I really a full-on celeb now, no escape?
Should I prep a signature in advance?
"Your name's... Hyo-jeong? TS Hyo-jeong? The crossdressing girl! Saw you online. Remembered you 'cause you're super pretty!"
She remembered me a bit off, but still.
Meeting someone who knew me made me secretly happy.
"Oh, are you doing a mission? Like silent mode?"
"Mm."
"Oh, got it. Seeing you in person is so wild. Sis, you're so pretty. IRL slays! Amazing!"
I'd heard similar compliments countless times.
But hearing it from a girl felt... weirdly off.
It's praise, but not something you can just bask in fully. Kinda ambiguous...
As I pondered my self-identity, I spotted the schoolgirl on the stream screen and hurriedly turned the phone away.
Fortunately, her face wasn't caught... but.
Ye-eun's earnest warning about not letting others appear on stream flashed in my mind.
Afraid her face might show, I alternated pointing between the phone camera and her face to warn her.
"Ah! It's fine if my face shows on stream! I want it! Eek! Mom, I'm on TV!"
She was thrilled instead.
"Mmph."
"Viewers. Hyo-jeong sis says shut up."
Oh.
"Whoa? I'm down!"
And so, an unexpected two-person party was formed.
The schoolgirl was dubbed "Interpreter" for convenience, but a viewer's casual nickname stuck surprisingly well, and soon everyone was calling her that.
As we walked together.
I spotted a nearby street food tent and tapped her shoulder, pointing at it.
"Mm mm."
"You want some?"
"Mm."
"Tteokbokki? Fish cakes?"
"Mm."
"Ah, fish cakes."
Inside the tent, Interpreter fulfilled her role admirably.
"Auntie, one fish cake please."
"Mm mm."
"You're buying mine too?"
"Mm."
"Sweet! Auntie, two fish cakes!"
Screech.
To eat the fish cake, I peeled off the tape briefly.
I had plenty to say but could only furrow my brows due to the mission. That's when.
"Viewers. What'd you say now? Hyo-jeong sis says be quiet."
Good.
I gave Interpreter a thumbs-up and handed her a chicken skewer.
Interpreter wasn't just sharp at interpreting; her situational awareness was top-notch too.
"Sis, can I switch the chicken skewer to spicy?"
Then.
"Ah, shouldn't make you talk and risk a reply."
She handled it herself.
The presence of this cute high schooler was healing in itself.
The viewers seemed pretty thrilled with the new face too.
They seemed pretty thrilled...
After a quick bite, I re-taped up and hit the streets again.
Sure enough, stares poured in.
Fine for me since it's the mission, but for Interpreter with nothing to gain, it had to be awkward.
I was grateful she was spending her time helping my stream.
So I looked around for a simple gift.
"Mm."
Right on cue, a cotton candy stand.
And next to it, a stall selling animal ear headbands.
Girl trait: can't resist sweets.
Before I knew it, I pictured Interpreter with cotton candy and puppy ears.
Super cute.
I went to her and pointed at the stand.
"Mm mm."
"Huh? Cotton candy?"
"Mm."
"Headband too?"
"Mister! One cotton candy please. And the headband... um."
I quietly pointed to the puppy ears.
They'd suit her bouncy charm perfectly.
"Puppy ones please!"
She took the cotton candy and headband.
Since my other hand held the phone, I patted my head with my free hand, gesturing for her to try it.
Quick-on-the-uptake Interpreter got it right away and nodded.
"Ta-da!"
She plopped the headband right on my head.
"?"
Then handed me the cotton candy too.
I stared in shock, and she grinned brightly.
"You wanted me to put it on you, right?"
Shake shake.
I recoiled and tried to yank it off in panic.
"Mm?"
Selfie stick and cotton candy.
Hands full, couldn't remove it myself!
"Mm mm!"
Shake shake.
Shake shake.
Flail flail.
Fidget fidget.
"Mm mm!!"