LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 73
The sound of summer cicadas, the sweltering heat and humidity, and the periodic monsoon rains that provoked people’s irritation have now completely faded away.
When going outside, everyone is wearing a variety of coats instead of short sleeves, and the leaves, too, start to darken their colors to match the people—it has turned into autumn.
And with autumn comes a nationwide event.
“Chuseok is coming soon.”
“Oh, right.”
It’s Chuseok. The season for family gatherings is approaching.
That means soon, all kinds of relatives will be gathering at our house.
Since Chief Kim bought a House with a Yard in Seoul, our home naturally became the venue for family gatherings.
My cousins will be flocking over soon.
When I was a boy, I would gather all my cousins into my Room and face them like Horo-gwan’s Leopo, but memories as Kim Soo-hyun (Female) are a bit different.
Instead of having fun with them, as soon as Kim Soo-hyun (Female) gives a glance and says don’t come in, no one is allowed into the room.
Surely, beauty is a major factor; if it weren’t for this appearance, I wouldn’t have been able to protect the goods in my Room.
There’s a slight regret about the overwhelming elitism surrounding appearances in this society, but I also feel a bit of satisfaction knowing I benefit from that.
“During this holiday, play with the younger ones.”
But this time, it seems I can’t just hide away like Kim Soo-hyun (Female) would in her memories.
“Eh? I don’t want to.”
“This brat hides in her room every time our relatives come over; I can’t even show my face.”
Is that really so?
If I had a daughter with an appearance like mine, wouldn’t I be spreading the news throughout the neighborhood?
No, even more than that; both Mrs. Jang and Chief Kim have my picture as their KakaoTalk profile, so why can’t I show my face now?
“Am I too young for my younger cousins?”
“Do you know their ages?”
“What age? There are middle school and high school kids, and even toddlers.”
All of our family members from Chief Kim’s side and Mrs. Jang’s side gather during the holiday.
So the age ranges for the kids alone are diverse.
“Oh goodness, I see that. Anyway, you’re an adult now, so take care of the kids a bit. Last year, you didn’t even come down because you were independent.”
I definitely came down last year… Ah, Kim Soo-hyun (Female) didn’t come down.
Staying cooped up at home should have its limits.
“Alright, I’ll play with them.”
“Really?”
“What, do you think I’m lying?”
Though I might look this way, when I was a boy, I did play with my cousins quite a bit.
After all, I entertain thousands of people every day, so what’s a few cousins?
“What’s this about? Normally, you would have avoided the answers and slacked off.”
…Is my image that terrible?
No, this isn’t my image; it’s the burden of Kim Soo-hyun (Female).
Honestly, aside from my face, voice, drawing skills, and minor gaming skills, everything else is a disaster.
“How hard could it be? Just leave the kids to me while you and the mom can do some illegal gambling with the aunts.”
“Isn’t that someone who could get caught? Just leave go-stop out of it.”
“But you’re betting money, aren’t you?”
“Anything under 500 won is fine.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know, your dad said so.”
“Oh really?”
Well, I may not be sure, but if Chief Kim said so, then it must be true.
“Anyway, you are taking care of the cousins, right? You can’t run away later?”
“Don’t worry; where would I run off to?”
“True, aside from locking myself in my Room, what else would I do?”
…Isn’t that a bit harsh?
Still, where would I go…
Hmm…
“Look at you, unable to speak; do you really have nowhere to go?”
“Uh, no. I do.”
Maho’s place?
It’s close and… she seems like she would open the door if I went…
Wait, isn’t Maho also going to be away for Chuseok?
Then…
“Ha, I’m going to my Room.”
“Oh dear, are you sulking?”
“How old do you think I am?”
There’s no way I’d sulk; this is just a strategic retreat.
Let’s continue this discussion once I have a few more friends.
So I went into my Room, closed the door, and lay on my bed.
The breeze flowing in through the open window announces the full arrival of autumn.
Autumn is said to be the season for reading and gourmet food… Should I read a book? Or is exploring good restaurants also fine?
I’ve been thinking about learning some Japanese, too.
With some free time on my hands, learning a foreign language always helps.
Its difficulty is lower than other foreign languages, and it seems beneficial for my broadcasts as well, so it wouldn’t hurt to learn it at least once.
Lying on my bed, I rolled over and searched for Japanese textbooks on my phone.
Since I only do broadcasts at home, I should spend some of the money I’ve saved on something like this.
I may not make astronomical amounts of money, but I do earn significantly more than the average person, so buying these materials is no burden at all.
Speaking of which, since I moved back into my family home, I’ve hardly spent any money.
When I lived alone, I spent quite a bit on delivery food and other expenses.
Now, even when Mrs. Jang is absent, I can cook for myself without any issue.
I feel like I’ve turned into quite the domesticated woman.
“Is this good?”
I bought a Japanese textbook that had a lot of reviews.
Since I’m only going to learn the basics, it should be fine as long as I buy a book that many people purchase to study.
Besides, Chuseok is coming soon…
I don’t have the same concerns as others for Chuseok.
Wasn’t I a prestigious engineering student back when I was a boy? During Chuseok, my shoulders were always high, feeling proud of my accomplishments.
In Kim Soo-hyun’s (Female) memory…
She really was like Lu Bu.
What could anyone say about this face?
People just thought she’d be well-fed and living well, so they didn’t bother me much.
Well, my seclusion in my Room also contributed greatly to that.
Since it’d be a bit awkward to be too distant from my relatives, I should be more warm this Chuseok.
How about giving my cousins some pocket money and having fun together?
“Ugh!”
After finishing my profound thoughts about Chuseok, I went to sit at my computer desk.
But should I take a break from broadcasting during Chuseok?
There’s still some time left, but it’d be better to announce it in advance if I’m going to.
After all, the Miro Team will also be busy dealing with their relatives during Chuseok, so they probably won’t have time to watch my broadcast.
I should also take a break and play with my cousins.
For now, I started writing a notice for a break on the café’s website.
I didn’t want to write it carelessly like last time, or it might blow up again, so I should put some effort into it.
Hmm… but, it’s just an announcement that I’ll be on break for Chuseok since my cousins are coming, so is it necessary to write a lot?
I should just write it straightforwardly, sticking to the six Ws.
While I was drafting this notice in the proper format, my phone on the desk vibrated.
Who could it be?
Well, it’s probably either my manager or Hyejeong.
Since Hyejeong did it last time, it must be my manager this time.
Thinking that, I checked my phone, and sure enough, it was my manager.
What news does she have for me this time? I answered the call immediately.
“Hello?”
[Ah yes, Miro, how have you been?]
“I’m doing fine these days.”
[That’s a relief.]
What’s this? Oddly polite.
If someone who doesn’t usually act like that suddenly gets formal, it means one of two things.
They either have something to apologize for or something to ask.
“I’m not doing it.”
[Excuse me?]
“I don’t know what it is, but can I just not do it?”
[Wow, Miro, you’re quite perceptive, aren’t you?]
Damn it, I was right after all.
Based on that reaction, it’s closer to a request than an apology.
“So what is it? If it’s about the second generation evaluations, I’m going to refuse right away.”
[Well, it’s not about the second generation; in fact, it might be something good.]
“Oh, what is it? Is the third album already coming out?”
[That’s not planned, and… it’s something else.]
Huh, no plans? They seemed to jump into planning for the second album really quickly.
It looks like The Six is a bit too comfortable.
Well, they’ve been doing well; after releasing the second album, the growth of the other members has been increasing too.
“So then what is it?”
[You know there are just over three months left until the end of the year, right?]
“Approximately, yes. About 100 days?”
[But isn’t it a pity to just let the first year of the Celestial Realm Project pass by?]
“Why is the preamble so long? What are you trying to get me to do?”
At first, they pushed me hard, and then The Six basically stepped back.
In terms of broadcasts, they’ve been hands-off while supporting with avatars and songs from behind the scenes, so what on earth are they trying to do this time?
[Well, how about we hold a Live Concert at the end of the year?]
“A live one?”
Can that happen? More importantly, a concert? It can’t be offline, right?
[Yes, we’re talking about a live online broadcast where all the members will perform live to wrap up the year.]
It sounds pretty good in theory… But is it possible?
“Can it really happen? What if there are mistakes?”
[Of course, it would be a pre-recorded live show.]
“Then it’s not really live, is it…?”
[In the industry, they consider this live as well.]
Is that so? Come to think of it, it seems like they do that back home too.
After all, it might be a bit excessive to do something as major as a concert live in a virtual world where all kinds of incidents and accidents could happen.
What would happen if there were program errors?
“I’m not sure if it’s possible, but it sounds fun.”
It does seem somewhat interesting.
The members gathering to perform together, right?
The thrill was immense during Miro 24/7, so who knows how great it would feel for a concert.
[Everyone sings well, don’t they? But more importantly…]
Everyone does sing well, but why are they hesitating? What exactly do they want?
“What’s more important?”
[Do you perhaps dance a little?]
…Dance?
Could I even manage that?
“I mean, can’t we just do it in MMD…?”
[Unfortunately, MMD doesn’t count as live… The higher-ups have already planned out dance lessons. We’ll provide everything from the dance instructors to the space, meals, and snacks, so you just need to come and practice regularly.]
Wow, just showing up is all they want? It must cost a pretty penny.
Or wait, they’ve already laid out everything? Then why say it’s a proposal?
“Is this really a proposal?”
[Like I said earlier, you’re quite sharp. In reality, it’s a contractual obligation. But doesn’t it feel better to present it as a proposal?]
“What does that even mean….”
Isn’t this a nefarious contract…!
I don’t know how many times I’ve thought about it, but Kim Soo-hyun’s (Female) physical abilities are abysmal.
I would just hole up in my Room drawing and indulging in otaku culture; would it really make sense for me to have good physical abilities?
In fact, I could be seen as being weaker than an ordinary woman who lives actively outdoors.
But dancing?
To dance with this body that squeaks every time I move?
That’s basically a request for me to throw my life away.
They say it’s better to roll in a pile of dung than to die like this.
Rather than risk my life on a trivial task and pride, I will prioritize my survival.
“Ack! Please let me dance in MMD instead!”
So, I crashed down.
I can’t believe I’m throwing a tantrum at this age.
[Why would someone who can do well suddenly act like this…?!]
I could hear my manager’s panicked voice through the phone, but I just ignored it.
Whatever, I don’t care.
I can’t dance.