But If It's Dangerous Days, Can't We Just Do It From Behind?
I'd always thought it was just mindless labor, but the workload wasn't as intense as I'd imagined. There weren't many customers to begin with, so it couldn't be helped. Who would even step into a cafe with such a vague concept, utterly ordinary as it was?
In the end, it turned into time spent chatting alone with Baek Harin sunbae rather than actual work.
Of course, that time wasn't as easy and sweet as it sounded.
Three years into living as a woman, I'd dealt with plenty of XX-chromosome holders, but Harin sunbae was by far the one with the highest aegyo power.
"Yup yup! Your skin is like total baby skin. Can unnie touch it?"
With a voice high enough to resonate with a passing cat, sunbae leaned in close, her eyes sparkling. Caught off guard by her momentum, I nodded without thinking.
"S-sure, it's fine."
Her smiling face was always like that. Even early in the morning after the MT the other day, when she'd come out with light makeup, I'd roughly guessed it. But up close like this, one-on-one, it hit me crystal clear.
From her speech habits and little affirmations, to her voice and the subtle gestures in between—like now, gently grabbing my arm. Every single one overflowed with aegyo power.
Just listening to her made me feel like my chest was going to grow another cup size.
And her interests, too. She was a hardcore cosme-deokhu and fragrance fanatic—basically obsessed with makeup and perfumes. The polar opposite of someone like me, with my big chest but hobbies more suited to a monk.
"I've got this BB cream I was gonna use, but it's too light for me! It's shade 13, but it'd be perfect for you, Yuwon."
"R-really?"
I forced a smile and nodded.
"Yup yup. On my skin, it turns me ghostly white like Kabuki. But your tone is so bright. I peeked at your underarm earlier—thought you were white like a foreigner."
My energy was just getting sucked away.
"So what do you usually use, Yuwon?"
"Me?"
I was a woman now, after all, so I'd done makeup sometimes. Lip products were convenient, and if I was the only one bare-faced among friends, it stuck out, so these days I'd put some on first. But that was it. No eyeliner or contouring—nothing pro-level.
Couldn't, really. My hands weren't skilled enough. Maybe just getting my eyebrows trimmed by Song Yunseo whenever we met?
"Honestly, I'm not that into makeup. And I don't really know how to do it properly."
And in that moment, light burst from sunbae's eyes. No way it was literal, but her gaze, like a cute baby beast possessed and ready to devour me, seemed to pour out beams.
"Hey, Yuwon. Then can unnie touch you up juuust a tiny bit today?"
"Huh?"
Touch up? Where? What?
Trailing off her elongated words, Harin sunbae shot up and called out to the male sunbae behind the counter.
"Seungcheol oppa over there! Can I take Yuwon inside for some makeup and come back out?"
Wait, hold on. Why was the conversation suddenly heading this way?
"S-sunbae. No, unnie. Calm down first—"
"Yuwon? Go ahead. No one's coming anyway."
"Hear that? Let's go inside with unnie real quick!"
With permission granted, she yanked my hand and dragged me off.
"U-unnie! Even so, what if customers come?"
"There are tons of guys here. Don't worry about it, Yuwon!"
~
This wasn't my first full-makeup experience. I'd had it done a few times before. After leaving the cram school, Song Yunseo—convinced my socialization as a woman was complete—had used me as a dress-up doll. And Yoon Chaewon, the most womanly of my friends, had eyed my face hungrily and gotten her hands on it a couple times too.
Honestly, what's fun about dolling up someone else's face? I still thought that.
Their shared opinion: the base is pretty, so it's satisfying to enhance it!
I wouldn't know about Yunseo, but Yoon Chaewon was plenty cute herself.
But Harin sunbae, beaming triumphantly in front of me now, was definitely different from those two. Yunseo and Chaewon had some skill, sure.
"How's it look? Not bad, right?"
Sunbae spun the desk mirror toward me, urging me to check.
I stared blankly at the unfamiliar woman in the reflection.
What to say? Harin sunbae's touch was practically professional. The girl in the mirror wasn't the usual pale-faced, pouty me with zero life to it.
As a total newbie judging this: subtle eyeliner, strategic shading on key facial points making features pop. Pink blush on cheekbones and nose tip breathing vibrancy into the porcelain skin.
Saying this myself felt a bit much, but... my already pretty features, under her hands, now looked sharper overall. Yeah, beautiful. Like a visual center from a top idol group's fan-cam— no, surpassing that.
I'd only just gotten used to my original face. Seeing this one... damn.
"Harin unnie, did you study this stuff separately?"
"Hehe, not reallyyy. It kinda overlaps with my current job."
At the praise, she shyly elongated her words and continued.
"And it's 'cause you're so pretty to begin with, Yuwon. Lots of girls wouldn't turn out this good even with way more effort!"
Okay, fine. Pretty's pretty. But...
"Unnie, isn't this a bit too much?"
Eyelids and under-brows glittering with pearl.
"Hehe, yeah, a little overdone. Pretty much stage makeup level."
She nodded honestly and went on.
"But so what? It's a festival— this is just aegyo."
With a cute grin melting my heart again, she admired her work, scanning my face from every angle. Embarrassed by her gaze, I averted my eyes diligently.
After thoroughly inspecting, she pulled out her smartphone and closed in.
"Yuwon! Can I take a commemorative pic?"
"A p-photo?"
"Yeah. You're the first to come out this pretty for me."
Honestly, it was burdensome. Especially solo shots!
"Wanna do one together?"
"Then one of you alone first, then together."
I tried dodging her full-force pressure, but with her soft voice, she blocked my path again. In the end, we took a side-by-side, then she snapped a ton more "for reference."
"Can I post this on Insta?"
"Uh... sure."
My energy was draining bit by bit. Conversations with alpha females like this.
"And cleanse hard tonight! Got cleansing oil at home?"
"No, just foam."
"Then take a sample of unnie's. I'll check via Kakao later tonight!"
~
After makeup, there were a few orders waiting when I came out. Sunbae headed to the kitchen naturally, leaving me to the simple table for drinks.
Seven tables occupied. Checking receipts: five had been served, one just now. Left: one mint choco, one iced Americano each.
Mint choco...? Wondering what kind of person orders that, I told the classmate next to me I'd handle this table.
"Uh... y-yeah. Got it."
But her response was oddly hesitant.
And not just that—the surrounding gazes stuck to me thickly for some reason.
No need to spell out why.
Even I thought... wow.
"Yuwon, you into guys?"
"Huh?"
Trying to check my face on my darkened phone screen, Harin sunbae's voice nearly made me drop it. She'd almost turned the pretty junior into a cracked-up menhera landmine.
She set drinks on the serving table and sidled up softly.
Dodge with serving first. I'd have to come back, but...
Grabbing the tray quick, I headed to the table.
"Mint choco and iced Americano. Enjoy!"
They looked like a couple. Mint choco to the plain guy, iced Americano to the fully armored girl. Kinda reversed, huh.
Back after serving and returning the tray, sunbae grabbed my arm like she wouldn't let me escape.
"So, Yuwon, no interest in guys?"
W-wait. Don't pull like that...
"N-not really?"
"Aww, c'mon. Festival vibes—doesn't looking around spark something?"
"What about you, unnie?"
"Hehe. I wanna play too, but student council duty. Cleanup and afterparty after."
She stuck out her tongue and continued.
"Yuwon, you know Suvin?"
"Kang Suvin sunbae?"
The Suvin from Harin sunbae's mouth was intellectual and sleek—intimidating aura. Beauty, but opposite of cute Harin beside me. Admired as cool by some girls, rumored iron wall against guys.
"Yup. Last shift, she got a number from a sports uni guy and bounced together right after."
"Ehh? For real? Doesn't Suvin sunbae hate that stuff?"
"Dunno. Guess even quiet cats climb the stove first!"
"Whoa."
Funny. Suvin sunbae, who seemed least likely, snagging a guy's hand and leaving. And me, casually chatting gossip I'd usually brush off.
Was this festival magic?
"Yuwon should get dragged off by a guy too~"
"Aww, unnie! You know me."
"Know what? Didn't see it coming from my bestie Suvin."
Sunbae slyly pulled my arm to her chest, bursting into laughter.
Wait, unnie. That presses my arm against your boobs...?
Amid the fresh green apple perfume and soft, chewy feel on my arm.
A dark silhouette entered the tent. Arm-in-arm with sunbae, I greeted him.
"Welcome!"
"Welcome, huh?"
But the guy facing me was... off. Way off.
"Whoa! What the— Song Yujeong?"
T-this bastard! Why the hell was he here?!
Panicking, I forgot who was beside me and glared at his mug.
Hanjiu stared back, equally stunned.
Then from the side: "Song Yujeong?"
"Oh, my old name."
"Oh?"
Sunbae nodded slightly, then her eyes sparkled more than during makeup talk, fixing on me.
"More importantly, you two know each other?"
"N-no. W-well..."
Stammering in shock. Explaining our relationship straight-up? That word was too destructive.
"Classmates! High school classmates! Known each other even before."
"Hmm? Classmates?"
Sunbae's innocent eyes narrowed long.
I elbowed Hanjiu's side, who was still dumbly staring at my face.
"Hey, Hanjiu! What're you doing? Sunbae's gonna misunderstand."
"Oh! R-right. Yes. I'm Hanjiu, Economics freshman. Yujeo— I mean Yuwon and I have known each other since we were kids."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
No, sunbae. Seriously, we're not... well, kinda, but not really!