Chapter 267

Erin Skully, a woman with striking deep red eyes and lips that contrast with her bright platinum hair, is an impressive presence.

While it sounds nice to call her a leading announcer, a more realistic description would be that she is the main trumpeter for Memorial Times.

Sometimes she boldly declares lines like, “High-ranking officials, do not turn a blind eye to your own sins!” and then immediately laments, “There are so many ignorant people who underestimate corporate social responsibility…” She is the enchanting announcer who opens the morning in Neo Haven.

She provides a refreshing scratch to lightly itchy spots and sometimes expresses the frustrations that anyone might hold inside. She can deliver scripts with emotional depth, almost as if they were her own opinions.

She drives both the fans and critics crazy, and of course, she was a frequent character in the original game.

…Though since she appears on TV and radio, direct interaction is impossible!

In any case, she feels quite familiar to me—though I think most original characters do—but at the same time, I felt like I didn’t know her at all aside from her on-screen presence.

When she said, “Why are you leaving your seat? I’m just borrowing some equipment from the waiting room, so let’s just chat,” I felt a bit worried…

“So, you were invited as a beauty model for a photoshoot, huh? That sounds a bit light, but I heard some big names are involved. You really have the skills, huh? …Tsk, is there really no way to surpass the charm of youth?”

“Model lady! Can I hold your hand for a moment? Your skin is so beautiful… I can’t take my eyes off your perfectly touched cheeks!”

“I don’t mind being touched, but… I just can’t figure out why that little squirt is such a nuisance!?”

Was drawing a high-handed and haughty image an excessive preconception?

It seemed as though she appeared domineering and fierce from the screen, so I didn’t want to provoke her recklessly. But once we started talking, I felt that she has quite a cheeky and slippery personality.

As soon as I realized she was here to work as a representative, the distance that had rapidly narrowed made it difficult for me to adapt.

For now, when Bethany, my secretary, asked for a moment to hold my hand, I allowed it, but I really hoped she wouldn’t just start pinching my cheeks without warning.

What in the world is going on?

Is it true that a professional doesn’t hesitate to initiate physical contact?

“Ahh! Erin, sister! The cheeks of model Anastasia are so plump and soft! They don’t even seem like skin; it’s amazing, what should I do? And there’s a super sweet scent coming from her… Maybe we should change our announcer’s perfume to this one!”

“Hmm…? Oh my, for sure. Little lady, can you tell me what perfume and blusher you use? They look so comfortable on you, but I’d like to lower my tone with something subtle like this in my daily life.”

“…Ah, I don’t know either.”

With her head caught in the beauty machine that was operating at full capacity, Erin couldn’t lean forward and instead pulled my wrist towards her face and inhaled deeply.

Her eyes, which rolled back as if savoring the taste, and the soft touch of her fingers entwining on my skin were incredibly intoxicating and mesmerizing, causing me to briefly lose my mind.

And there was my secretary, endlessly poking my cheeks as if kneading dough, making her pronunciation all jumbled.

No, just to describe the intensity of her touches, it felt more like she was playing with a stress ball. If you mush dough like that, it wouldn’t be able to withstand and would burst, you know?

In any case, I was dragged to a celebrity seat in front of a mirror that I didn’t really want to sit in and was half-forced into this position.

Was this some opportunity for girl talk, which had never come my way? Or should I say, was I offered up as a suitable sacrifice for a break at work?

Since the waiting room with the hair styling machines was all in use except for this one, meeting me before going live probably turned out to be a perfect coincidence to kill some time.

“What? You came without any makeup?? What is wrong with you! This won’t do. Bethany, at least give this girl an eyeliner! There’s no rule that says we can’t look fancy for a hologram shoot; even if the data curator says they’ll correct it afterward, you should at least come prepared!”

“Huh… Ms. Durgy said it’s fine. Is that the industry standard…?”

“Implicit agreement! If you’re a celebrity… especially a model, you should always be ready to shine, whether it’s in any situation. If you’re hitting public broadcasting, that comes with the territory.”

… I mean, I wasn’t asking for this because it’s all entirely new to me.

Even if you asked if I hadn’t experienced this while working, or if I hadn’t heard it from my manager, today is both my debut and retirement day, so I’m not thinking about anything else. Yes.

This wasn’t even comparable to the casual and practical hobby that Helena had, and she was moving in like she was used to gabbing away.

Maybe she had gotten accustomed to all kinds of personal invasions, as she had been emphasizing her outrageous professionalism, but fortunately, I didn’t feel any intense excitement.

In fact, you’re being followed around by fans or paparazzi. I’m just stuck with a professional stalker who drags people off into the darkness after chatting with them, okay?

…I don’t even know my exact location right now. That makes it even more uncomfortable!

Moreover, my manager is… a stupid tin can.

Zero, you! Don’t just sit there; look up how to politely turn down women’s affections! I told you not to use violence at any time! What kind of spectator just sits there watching me get mugged!?

– …Do you have a highly contagious, hidden illness? Should I request you to step back? –

“…….”

Hey, did I really suggest that anyone should be treated like a severe patient? If I had a contagious disease, I would have been rejected at a medical check at the entrance early on. Geez…

“Alright, model Anastasia! Please turn towards the mirror for a moment. Close your eyes slightly as if you’re in deep thought…”

“That expression has been bothering me for a while…! Ugh, …Alright.”

I gave up on expecting to be treated differently after all. I was merely a weird and clueless new model, receiving treatment without a guardian, only accompanied by a bunch of security droids.

After all, the reason Erin and Bethany had come was to fix my tousled hair before the recording started, so once they set the hairstyle perfectly straight like the announcer’s usually slick middle part, they would probably leave right away.

I just need to endure until that time comes. Patience is all it takes.

I know it’s beyond rude to use the expression “to endure” when the efforts of those helping me go unnoticed, but still.

“Yes~ yes♪ Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you should be careless; you need to manage your lifestyle pattern thoroughly, like this sister here, okay? It’s good to check for aging genes in advance and suppress them, and if you feel like the management company isn’t attentive enough, you should look for another one.”

For the first time, Erin took satisfaction in my helpless appearance as she caught me under their treatment and smiled brightly again, focusing on handling her own nails.

And though her manager suggested doing something with other parts because the blemish-free face was just fine, I blankly nodded, hoping she wouldn’t cause me any pain. Yes.

Instead of adding deeper colors around the eye corner to enhance my mature charm…

The lipstick, instead of making a strong impression, was applied lightly to give a hint of color…

Swish, swipe… tap, tap.

With what appeared to be an automated glove for correcting any hand trembles pulled out from her handbag and put on, she began painting someone else’s face while I turned my gaze subtly away.

Naturally, it was directed towards Erin Skully.

Why, you ask? Because I suddenly grew curious about something.

The passionate and authoritative announcer I saw on broadcast.

She is the face that automatically comes to mind when you think of “Neo Haven news flash!”

In reality, she is easy-going enough to get along well with her clumsy manager and even shows interest in unrelated rookie models.

Once I know this, I want to ask several things.

Did I not mention that Erin Skully is the leading trumpeter at Memorial Times?

If one were to look at her from a different perspective, instead of simply seeing her as an announcer, couldn’t she be viewed as a performer meant to sway public opinion? What thoughts could Erin possibly have while acting out a version of herself that isn’t truly her in front of the world?

‘Something… While I feel like I’m being viewed warmly, this topic isn’t really icebreaker material.’

Aaron from Paradise, Martina the scout from Elysium, and our unidentifiable Korean friend…

I know they all saw different sides of me and came to distinct conclusions.

I’m not saying someone was in the wrong or made mistakes; it’s just…I did my best to act within my given limits.

Being overly influenced by others’ evaluations or gazes irritates me, and I’m a bit frightened by it too. I’m curious about how those experiencing similar struggles cope with it.

Feeling guilty for purposefully approaching someone known, it’s a problem inherent in living here. Moreover, the friendship connections I’ve built are expanding increasingly, making it difficult to be cautious every time.

Regarding these concerns that have recently been surfacing…

If selling an image scripted for an immense public is her livelihood, I think it’s safe to believe she possesses a solid opinion or belief as a professional.

I’m not sure if she’ll be willing to share even her trivial mindset, but at the very least, it’d be worthwhile to ask her.

…While giving it a slightly packaged approach that fits the situation.

“Excuse me, Erin…? Or should I say, Announcer Senior??”

“Huh? Why are you trying to be all formal now? What’s up? Model little lady.”

She blew on her nails to shape them and checked under the lights to ensure the polish was intact before turning her attention to me and immediately threw out a question.

It was clearly a spur-of-the-moment thought, conveyed seamlessly without any particular meaning behind it, just out of curiosity.

“Is it… much different from what we see on the broadcast? …Are you saying you’re really unremarkable in reality?”

If you said that so blatantly, then I would feel quite embarrassed! Either way, won’t people misunderstand in personal meetings, and doesn’t that get tiring? Isn’t it annoying to be misunderstood over and over?”

Oh no. I started speaking too hastily, selecting the wrong words before refining them.

She must have heard similar questions from whoever she met, right? I didn’t mean to sound rude while I meant to say something mild like “You seem to be handling it well.”

However, she responded indifferently as if it were nothing even though I belatedly added some glittering phrases.

“I don’t mind being called a dumb cow or being mocked as a clown. It’s my job after all.”

“…Huh?”

Was that an easy topic to bring up? Really?