Chapter 41

“What should I dress her in…?”

Is she thinking of me as some kind of RPG game character?

It’s embarrassing to say, but as Yun Soo-hee scanned Hayoon from head to toe, deep in thought, it was as if she were pondering which swimsuit skin to dress her main character in.

Honestly, it was a bit shameful.

After all, she’d never had such a conversation with her mother in her entire life.

‘Is this what all mother-daughter relationships are like…?’

The greedier Yun Soo-hee’s gaze became, the more tense Hayoon felt, her lips drying out in anticipation.

But even so…

“I still have something to say…”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I said I wanted to be a model, but I haven’t specified what kind of model, right?”

It was about time she told her that she wanted to do cosplay.

“Okay, what kind of model? Sports? School uniforms? Magazines? If you’re talking about professional fashion modeling, well, the elite do their own thing, but for commercial models, I can definitely pull some strings to get you a spot. If you build your recognition step by step this way, you might eventually debut as a fashion model too.”

As if waiting for the cue, an avalanche of TMI spilled forth.

‘Guess she really did want me to become a model…’

The Hayoon before she became Hayoon might have faced a more difficult challenge trying to walk the path of an illustrator—perhaps even more resistance than the current Hayoon, who had become a woman under her “status window.”

If the Hayoon of the past recalled Yun Soo-hee as “such a pity she didn’t go the art exam route,” then the current Yun Soo-hee would have likely said, “Not modeling? You? With that face and body?”

And fiercely opposed her every step of the way.

‘Apparently, before I became me, I must’ve persuaded my mom to suppress her desire to make her daughter a model…’

But the current Hayoon had come to Yun Soo-hee herself and declared her intention to become a model.

This world.

It was essentially suicide, wasn’t it?

As her head began to throb, Hayoon barely managed to begin speaking again.

“First of all, I have no intention of being a regular commercial model.”

“Then why? Is it a hobby? You’re in that phase of adolescence where you’re fascinated with yourself and want to document and enjoy your appearance?”

“That has nothing to do with adolescence! That’s narcissism! You know.”

“Is that so?”

“Not that it matters, but—”

The conversation had momentarily derailed, but failing to explain now would only let Yun Soo-hee’s misconceptions grow uncontrollably.

Thus,

“I said I don’t want to be a regular commercial model. Regular.”

“Then what?”

“I’m going to be a cosplay model. Cosplay.”

She tried to state it definitively, but…

“Cosplay…?”

Bzzzt.

The moment the word “cosplay” slipped out, Yun Soo-hee’s gaze turned deadly sharp instantly.

“Cosplay is a photographic style that diminishes the model’s presence to the extreme. What possible reason would you have for doing something like that?”

With a heavy step.

Yun Soo-hee, who had been sitting on the bed conversing with Hayoon, moved to stand before her, placing a finger under her chin.

And then,

“Isn’t your face beautiful?”

With that, Yun Soo-hee pressed her finger to lift Hayoon’s chin, tilting her gaze to meet her own.

Next,

“Isn’t your bust just the right size?”

She gently cupped Hayoon’s chest, which was growing steadily toward the optimal size for a model—size C.

“Isn’t your waist slim?”

Then came the waistline, concealed beneath a loose silk sleepwear, which she pulled back to reveal.

“And isn’t your pelvis nicely proportioned?”

Pressing her hands on Hayoon’s hips where the waist tapered down,

“And isn’t your butt plump and round?”

“Th-that’s…!”

Finally, she finished by massaging Hayoon’s bottom with her hands, completing her impromptu sizing of Hayoon’s body using only her hands.

“You have a body made for modeling! Your parents worked hard to give you this Western bone structure, and now you plan to waste it on cosplay modeling? Really now? Isn’t that something ridiculously big-chested girls do? Besides, why would you want to dress up as someone else’s fantasy character when you could shine as yourself?”

Though things had gotten awkward and embarrassing due to the physical examination,

Yun Soo-hee was dead serious.

She was an industry insider, after all, and cosplay modeling never received good evaluations in the modeling world.

How could she possibly sit idly by and watch her precious daughter get involved in something like that while seeing everything so clearly?

‘I kinda expected this…’

Still, Hayoon had no intention of giving up.

She’d already included a cosplay book in the crowdfunding campaign.

If the contents of that were to change, there was a possibility the funding platform might blacklist her…

It had to be done.

And besides, for reasons beyond mere practicality,

“I like cosplay, that’s all.”

Why would she deliberately seek out something as attention-grabbing as cosplay?

She did it simply because she liked the feel of it.

“As I mentioned when I told you I’d be an illustrator, I want to make money doing what I love. I’m already making some money drawing illustrations, and this is just an expansion of that.”

“An expansion?”

“Yes, I’m also expanding my range to games. The reason I want to do cosplay is because I want to portray the game’s female protagonist.”

“Why?”

“It’s a kind of self-satisfaction. Seeing the character I imagined come to life through me and offering it as merchandise to fans, making them happy as well?”

“That kind of low-grade modeling job…!”

Sheesh…

Apparently, Yun Soo-hee harbored even stronger prejudices against games and cosplay than Hayoon had anticipated.

It wasn’t particularly strange.

Her parents’ generation wasn’t fond of games, and the modeling industry certainly didn’t look kindly on cosplay models.

With two factors against her, everything had compounded negatively.

But Hayoon knew.

“Mom…”

The ultimate weapon wielded by Min Hae-yun, her only daughter.

“I want to. Let me do it.”

Cuteness.

While she didn’t really want to resort to this…

Yun Soo-hee’s demeanor was truly disquieting.

It seemed that the past Hayoon had likely also persuaded Yun Soo-hee with this same charm, guiding her onto the path of being an illustrator. And now, once again, Hayoon sought to use her charm to overcome the situation.

“Hmph…”

Yun Soo-hee sighed deeply, looking at Hayoon clinging to her affectionately, then gently embraced her with a smile before speaking,

“Do you know the Japanese gravure idols? Or the models for Korean Maxim?”

“I guess I have some knowledge of them.”

“Generally, their shoots are quite provocative. And afterward, fans go absolutely crazy, showering them with endless commentary. Ugh…”

In short, could Hayoon endure the inevitable sexual harassment that would come along automatically?

For a normal person, it might have been something worth considering.

“I don’t mind that.”

“Why not?”

“What, if they don’t look, doesn’t it end there? Plus, even if I get famous, I rarely go out, so it’s not a big deal.”

“You rarely go out? You haven’t even attended the entrance ceremony yet!”

“Oh, well… Should I just drop out? How about that graduation equivalency exam?”

After all, she was a key talent Meister High School had been counting on.

She had secured Choi Arin for Live 2D work and Do Jin-ho for coding.

There was no need to bother with school. She could just stay home, broadcast live, and work…

-Zzzzak!

“Agh… That won’t do… Understood…!”

“No more talk of dropping out. You think the graduation equivalency exam is easy? With your mindset, you’d probably have to retake it.”

“Alright, I’ll behave and attend school…”

“Yes, that’s the right choice.”

After delivering a firm slap on Hayoon’s back, Yun Soo-hee looked at her with the expression of someone unsure how to handle the situation…

“Dear, how do I ever defeat you…?”

She pulled Hayoon, who was nestled in her arms, even closer and muttered her complaints.

There is no parent who can win against their child, isn’t there?

Just as she had allowed Hayoon to pursue the illustrator’s path in the past, this time too, Yun Soo-hee had no choice but to give in to what Hayoon wanted.

Just one thing, though,

“As minimally risqué as possible, accentuating the inherent beauty of your body and clothes. No sexual allure. Remember, you’re seventeen, right? Got it?”

On this point, there could be no compromise.

And yet…

“But I’m going to be photographed in a bunny girl costume?”

“WHAT?!”

When Hayoon casually let loose this outlandish announcement, all that could follow was a roar akin to a lion’s roar.

#

Elsewhere, shortly after the commotion had subsided.

After establishing an agreement on the level of appropriateness with Yun Soo-hee, Hayoon finally felt at ease and dialed Choi Arin’s number.

“Hello?”

“Yes, sis. It’s me. Do you remember Studio Yun in Hongdae?”

“Hongdae, you say? The one your mom runs?”

Choi Arin responded cautiously.

Here, any reaction could risk causing offense.

However, contrary to her careful tone,

“The photography will start this coming Friday. Are you available? You’re not going to school anyway.”

“Huh? What about online classes?”

“Pfft. Whatever.”

Hayoon had arranged everything with impeccable precision.

Cosplay.

It was time to once again enjoy the long-denied hobby due to the pandemic.

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