College Student.
College Student.
To give my tired fingers a break, I leaned back in the chair, ate some fruit, and glanced at my phone.
Conveniently, a message came in from Da-yeon.
(Da-yeon) - Si-yoon~ you working on the assignment?
(Me) - Why? I'm almost done.
(Da-yeon) - Really...?
(Me) - Wanna come over? We can do it together.
(Da-yeon) - Yeah! I'll be right there!
Da-yeon showed up at my place with a USB.
After saying hello to Dad, she came straight into the game room.
She sat down beside me, turned on a computer, and watched me working on the assignment.
"Wow..."
Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack!
"Eat up and watch."
"Yeah..."
I finished up the last assignment while Da-yeon ate fruit.
I saved all the files, then slowly helped her with her assignment.
Since she mostly tried to do it on her own, it took quite a while.
The second she finished, Da-yeon tried to email it straight to the professor, and I did everything I could to stop her.
"There's no extra credit for turning it in early. Isn't that a little too much enthusiasm?"
"But..."
"We'll just touch it up on and off whenever we get a better idea~"
"Ah!?"
"And if we take it easy, we can go see Ji-hoon next month, right?"
"Ohhh!?"
Days of going to school with Da-yeon, taking liberal arts classes, and exploring around for good places to eat repeated.
Today was the weekend, so it was mostly the same as usual, but a little different. I was sprawled on the sofa with Dad.
"It's cramped. Move."
"No, you move."
"I was here first, you know?"
"I paid for this sofa, you know?"
We each held Alpha and Beta,
and even Alpha, who used to hiss every time he saw Dad, had become completely docile now.
Almost like he'd finally grown up or something?
Even when Roy and Rosa dropped by, he'd just plant one solid meow-punch on them without any real hissing.
Dad grabbed Alpha's front paws, sniffed the burnt-rice smell of him, and then, as if overcome with emotion, stared up at the ceiling.
"My little girl's really an adult now..."
"So? Feeling nostalgic?"
"Yeah. But hey, you know something?"
"What?"
"Two more years, and Dad's gonna be the age he had you, Si-yoon."
"You keep saying 'had' me—what, did you push me out your ass?"
"... The age I... made you..."
"You gotta go by the age Mom had me. So three years, then. Well anyway, you're right~"
"Right?!"
"So I guess I'll have to have one in three years, too?"
"...No."
"What's 'no' about it."
"....."
"Okay, so now that we've established I'm all grown up, you don't care what I do, right?"
Dad looked at me and raised a forefinger.
"I was gonna bring that up, too."
"Go on."
"Except for drinking, smoking, gambling, tattoos, men, revealing clothes, unannounced sleepovers, and overseas trips. If it's something that makes you feel guilty, ask Dad first."
"Why don't you just write it down."
"Ah, hah."
"Da-yeon asked me to go to the pool. I should start getting ready now~"
I casually walked out of my room wearing the mesh swimsuit I'd worn to the club.
That swimsuit nearly got torn apart by Dad's hands.
"Do you... want to be grounded?"
"This is too revealing? Huh!? I'm an adult now, so shouldn't I be wearing at least this much!? What, am I supposed to wear some cutesy-ruffly swimsuit covered in solid-color lace at my age?"
Dad squeezed his eyes shut and spoke as if steeling himself for the decision of his life.
"...Anything beyond that... absolutely not."
To be fair, anything beyond this really was basically walking around naked.
My glossy pink hair got wet and clung tightly against my body.
I lay my water-soaked self down on a nicely designed sunbed.
Da-yeon had been enjoying herself swimming for a long time, but now she seemed tired. She sat down beside me to rest for a moment and stared at my body.
"...?"
"So... do I need to, like... manage my body hair...?"
Da-yeon's eyes were fixed on my crotch.
I looked down at my lower half for a second, then adjusted my swimsuit.
Thwack.
"Oh my god! What are you doing out in the open!!!"
Da-yeon, horrified by how casually I was touching myself, frantically tried to cover me with her body.
"Does it bother you?"
"Yeah... I mean, I do go with my mom for underarm management, but..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Da-yeon suddenly looked at my armpit and touched it with her finger. It tickled, so I twisted my body away.
"I'm jealous... I wish I didn't grow any either..."
"Thanks to that, it's a lot fuller down below. Practically a humid jungle."
"Kim Si-yoon!!! There are people around us, you know!?"
The "people around us" Da-yeon mentioned consisted of exactly two female bodyguards.
And since the bodyguards were also smoothly covering their own ears, was there actually anyone listening besides Da-yeon?
"So, you wanna do waxing?"
"It's a little uncomfortable wearing a swimsuit... What if some pokes out?"
"Haven't you talked to your mom about it?"
"That's a little... embarrassing, I guess?"
"Then should we ask Aunt Yua?"
"...Yeah."
Da-yeon, now an adult, was trying to reveal her own colors.
I'd put in quite a bit of effort on this one,
She eventually came around after I'd said what's the point of working out so hard if you're just gonna hide it all away.
Though Da-yeon caving from just that one line meant she already had it in mind.
Time passed, and we got into Aunt Yua's car when she came to pick us up.
"Back then you looked at people like they were bugs, huh?"
"Just drive..."
Aunt Yua glanced once at me and once at Da-yeon, then smiled.
Aunt Yua drove us off somewhere, and behind us, the bodyguards followed.
"Whoa, all those cars following us are the bodyguards?"
"Yep."
"Wow... how many is that...?"
"Hmm... usually around four cars, I guess?"
"Looks like way more, though?"
"The teams assigned to me and Da-yeon are Team 5 and Team 7, so that'd be eight?"
We arrived at a waxing shop not too far from my place.
I never once imagined I'd be getting a wax, in all my life as Si-yoon...
Seeing the decor designed to protect privacy so perfectly, even though it's not exactly necessary here, it feels like they're trying to reassure first-timers.
We had a long consultation with the shop owner.
"Si-yoon, how about a heart shape?"
"...What?"
Aunt Yua grinned slyly as she looked at the samples.
She picked up a photo and started trying to bring it down toward my lower half.
I snatched the sample photo away fast.
"Wouldn't it be super cute?"
"...Are you crazy?"
Da-yeon's face stayed red the whole time, but she said she had no intention of showing it off to anyone; she just didn't want it to look unsightly in a swimsuit.
"Hmm, if you have no one to show it to, it's really better to just take it all off~ No need to worry about bikini lines. Could you fill out the paperwork first, please?"
The paperwork asked about prior waxing experience, skin condition, any conditions or illnesses, and so on.
At the end were a procedure consent checkbox and a signature line.
I filled out the paperwork while consulting, then went into a private room for sugaring wax.
Seeing the waxing bed, it was only then that the feeling something was wrong hit me.
Did I think about this too lightly...
Or has this life just gone on a little too long?
Exposing my lower half in front of a strange woman really... it meant enduring a whole lot of shame.
Thankfully, the only people in this room are the owner and me. That's a relief, at least.
"Please shower and change, then come out~"
"Yep..."
When I went into the changing room, there was an outfit that looked like a white sauna robe, and the lower half was, naturally, breezy.
I'd already washed up, so I finished the shower fast and put on the robe waiting outside.
Good thing my upper body's short... This is seriously no-pants fashion at its finest.
When I hesitated after changing, the owner gave me a benevolent smile...
I came out, lay my body down on the bed as the owner guided me.
The owner placed a screen across my stomach, preemptively preventing any accidental eye contact.
When she lifted up the robe to check, the cold air hit my skin right away, and the feeling of openness was really something...
"Your skin is incredibly nice?"
The owner personally touched my legs to fix them into position.
If I had to describe it, my legs were making a circle, I guess you'd say...
Glad she didn't give me any bullshit about it being a pretty shape.
"You don't have to be too embarrassed~ This is my job, after all?"
"Ah... okay."
The owner's gloved hand touched my sensitive area.
"Kh-hup..."
"Relax your muscles~"
"Yep."
"The good thing about natural sugaring wax is. . . . ."
The owner picked up scissors and started by trimming the hair short...
Snip... snip...
I guess this is what you get from a pro...
The owner explained this and that before I even had time to get awkward.
She went over the differences from laser hair removal, pros and cons, and aftercare procedures.
Still, the sensation of something being spread and applied to my sensitive spot gave me the chills...
They say beautiful women have more hair, don't they?
The hair growing on my treasured parts is on the slightly more abundant side compared to most people.
And why am I bringing this up...
Because the moment she ripped the hair out, I almost pissed myself.
People say sugaring doesn't hurt, but it hurts like a fucking bitch.
"Are you okay?"
"...Yep."
"If it hurts, you have to tell me it hurts."
"It's fi— Hrghak!"
"Ah-ha-hah."
The hair removal process was definitely over fast, which I guess is another mark of a pro...
I showered, and afterward, for my exposed hair follicles, she applied a tonic and moisturizer to prevent the growth of bacteria, and placed a pack over it.
"It's good to come in on a cycle of every four to six weeks. It won't hurt like today next time~"
"....."
When I walked out spreading my legs as if my groin were chafed raw, the owner smiled.
"Here's a little gift for your first hair removal~"
The owner packed up an assortment of supplements for me...
And she also gave me a paper listing post-treatment precautions.
- On the day of the procedure, refrain from using public restrooms and be attentive to hygiene.
(There is a risk of folliculitis.)
- Do not touch or scratch the waxed area with your hands after the procedure.
- Do not use cleanser or body shampoo for 24 hours after the procedure.
(Only a light shower with cold or lukewarm water is OK.)
- For at least 48 hours after the procedure, avoid activities that generate heat or friction, such as half-body baths, spas, saunas, and tanning.
(Risk of bacterial infection.)
- Starting one week after the procedure, use a waxing scrub 2-3 times a week to exfoliate dead skin cells.
"Because it's your first time, you should also refrain from sweat-inducing activities like exercise for about two to three days~"
"Okay..."
Things felt kind of breezy down there.
Honestly, I was really glad I'd followed Da-yeon's advice and come in a long skirt.
When I went outside, Da-yeon was waiting for me with Aunt Yua.
"Si-yoon, how was it? Did it hurt?"
"Didn't hurt at all~"
"Really?"
"Yeah, yeah."
It felt like I was gaping open down there, but thanks to my acting skills layered over my nonchalant face, Da-yeon didn't catch on that I was lying.
Aunt Yua seemed to figure it out after seeing my gait...
As I sat down beside my aunt, she suddenly fluttered my skirt.
The feeling of the cold air coming in wasn't half bad, so I just flopped down and spread my legs.
"Pfft, what's that~ You're sitting like some middle-aged man."
"Aunt Yua, is Da-yeon in there now?"
"Yep, she's completely inside."
"Seriously thought I was gonna die..."
"Ha-hah, I saw all that hair and thought you might react like that. So, did they put the pack on?"
"Yeah."
"I was the same way my first time~"
Da-yeon came out after finishing, and she looked like she'd shed a few tears.
"You said it didn't hurt..."
"K-hup."
"That's so mean..."
Guided by Aunt Yua, we went back home.
I was sitting and eating some mango Dad had peeled for me when Dad looked over at me.
"How was it?"
"The waxing?"
"Yeah."
"Your baby girl thought she'd die."
"Ha-ha-hah."
"Have you ever done it, Dad?"
"Of course~ Si-yoon's mom liked waxing."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. So she'd make Dad do it too."
"Oh... Then come with me next time, Dad."
"...What?"
So Mari liked waxing, huh...
Can't say I'll ever relate, but looking in the mirror now, my skin looked a little like a baby's, so I kind of got what the feeling was about.
Time passed, and now my important region was all nice and smooth.
With a newly confident stride, I went with Da-yeon, both of us in swimsuits, and arrived at the pool.
Looking at how self-assured I was, Da-yeon smiled.
Da-yeon and I basically lived with our Nantendos.
We didn't even go into the water at the pool. We just lay side by side on sunbeds, heads together, and enjoyed Debtor's Forest.
"I wanna have Jjuni, too~"
Da-yeon had come over to my island to look at the squirrel character.
"So cute~"
I'd personally designed a maid outfit for Jjuni using dot art.
When Da-yeon saw it, she absolutely loved it and went back to her own island to put one on her Jackson, too.
They're both male, but if you think about Antonio, you can see Da-yeon's tastes are pretty consistent.
Da-yeon, who'd been admiring Jjuni on my island for a long while, returned to her own island.
"Si-yoon, what's your turnip price?"
Turnips...
For a bunch of animals, they've got a stock market system.
Every Sunday, they sell turnips for 100 Bells. The price is different in the morning and afternoon, and it fluctuates anywhere from 20 Bells to 500 Bells.
Turnips that rot after ten days.
Forget stocks—even Bitcoin can't compete with the volatility of these Turnipcoins.
Da-yeon and I used a workaround, firing up three game systems, including Dad's, and started playing the turnip market.
In the past, people supposedly used a workaround that involved changing the date, but you can't do that now, so we were currently juggling multiple consoles.
"This isn't gonna work. Let's buy seven more consoles."
"...Seriously?"
"There are events every season, so we've gotta enjoy them all fast."
"There aren't... that many available, I hear...?"
"Heh. If supply is scarce, you ought to reconsider whether the shortage was ever in money, not supply."
"....."
How the rich enjoy a grind-heavy game is simple.
I sent a text to Dad, then set down my Nantendo and dove into the pool.