The misunderstanding grew larger.
“…Hmm.”
Bihangwoon brushed aside the frozen Suhyun and stepped into the house.
The entryway, visible as she removed her shoes, was fairly neat.
It was a bit unusual that there wasn’t a shoe rack, but the shoes were neatly arranged in rows.
Is it unexpectedly clean? Bihangwoon thought in mild surprise as she walked further in.
“Ah! You shouldn’t see inside…!”
Suhyun, regaining her senses, hastily reached out to stop Bihangwoon, but her head was lightly pushed back with one hand.
Suhyun’s arms flailed, but she couldn’t reach Bihangwoon, who was about 10 centimeters taller.
“Ah.”
“I told you not to look….”
There it was—the dirtiest room Bihangwoon could possibly imagine, laid out in full display.
A chair that had become a coat rack. Underwear piled next to the bed.
Energy drink cans scattered across the desk, crumpled snack wrappers compressed into tight wads.
An empty frame hanging inexplicably on the wall next to the computer.
It looked like it should hold a family photo, yet it contained nothing.
“My goodness.”
Bihangwoon muttered in quiet amazement.
It was as if she were looking at the room of a hikikomori who hadn’t left for months.
If it were Emi or Rie, she would already be relentlessly poking Suhyun’s side with a finger.
Forcing herself to remember the purpose of her visit—to apologize—Bihangwoon tried to maintain a neutral expression.
“…Do you live here?”
At the one sternly suppressed question, Suhyun, who had shrunk back, suddenly raised her head as if ready to argue.
“Yes! I’ve organized it according to my own rules…!”
“Quiet.”
Suhyun’s head dropped again.
At this point, Bihangwoon was losing patience.
Rules? Does she even understand the meaning of that word?
Bihangwoon’s trademark neutral expression crumpled.
For someone with fairly high standards of cleanliness, Suhyun’s room was an utter disaster.
‘On par with Emi, or perhaps even worse.’
Recalling the day she had visited to help set up broadcasting equipment but ended up cleaning instead, Bihangwoon let out a deep, meaningful sigh.
Rustle, rustle.
Bihangwoon pulled out a pair of black leather gloves from her pocket and slipped them on.
She had cherished these gloves, but touching this mess barehanded was unthinkable.
“Before we talk, we need to make this place livable for humans.”
“Eek…”
Suhyun puffed out her cheeks slightly and stepped in front of Bihangwoon.
Bihangwoon raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out Suhyun’s intentions.
After their last broadcast, Suhyun had become noticeably livelier and more mischievous.
She definitely wouldn’t have acted like this when they first met.
It seemed broadcasting had made Suhyun more playful and spirited.
Just as Bihangwoon’s analysis concluded—
Whoosh!
Suhyun’s thin arms stretched out to block Bihangwoon’s path.
It was a quiet but firm act of rebellion.
“This is my house! And those piles of tissues are references for understanding shadows and backlight, and the energy drink cans…!”
And now the rebellion turned loud and annoying.
Bihangwoon was starting to get irritated.
How dare this little cat-like creature act up.
“This isn’t going to work. We can’t clean like this.”
“What are you—Hey…!”
Thunk.
Before Suhyun could react, Bihangwoon shoved her into the bathroom.
With a quick flick of wit, she wedged a broomstick between the door frame.
“Give me about an hour. Take a shower or something.”
“Wait! This is my house! Hey!”
Ignoring Suhyun’s pitiful cries, Bihangwoon began to clean.
It was rude and absolutely inappropriate, but who cared?
“Hey! Open up!”
Knock, knock, knock.
Soft, weak knocks echoed against the door.
Bihangwoon smiled and began sorting the laundry.
Creaaak…
“Hey! Open this door! You…!”
She hadn’t realized this would lead to an even bigger disaster.
Knock. Knock.
Suhyun’s small, pale fists tapped tirelessly against the wooden door, but the sound was only faintly cute.
It would take an eternity, like water wearing down stone, to actually break the door.
“Darn it.”
It was no use. No matter how much she knocked, the door wouldn’t budge.
Inside the computer… the search history.
She hadn’t deleted it. Oh no—the heated forum argument they had during ego-searching…!
[User1: So what did WhitePalette even do in the collab? (Serious question)]
[User2: What have YOU done in life? Leeching off your parents? (Serious question)]
[User1: LOL WhitePalette is here, hey dude.]
[User2: Your dad’s gay. I’m a woman, you moron LOL]
[User1: The way you’re bringing up family insults shows your upbringing LOL. Your mom cheated, your dad killed himself LOL]
[User2: Writing your autobiography now, orphan?]
It stung because there was a little truth to it, but Suhyun had fought back valiantly.
Right before she could rival the length of The Tripitaka Koreana, reality hit her and she stopped.
But the evidence still remained on her computer.
No login was needed—just a few tabs away lay her embarrassing history.
“If she finds out…”
‘Suhyun, you really love yourself, don’t you?’
‘Ah… no, that’s not…’
‘But your username is Silver-Haired Blue-Eyed Busty Enthusiast, and you said…’
“AAAHHH!!!”
Chill. Goosebumps ran all over my body.
If I end up spending more time with Bihangwoon, this embarrassing dark history will haunt me forever…!
No.
I must somehow get out of here and stop Bihangwoon’s clutches…
But what can I even do?
I have no strength, and even if I break down the door, how would I fix it?
The only way is for her to open the door herself. But how…
Whether I was a man or a woman, I need to think of every weapon this body has…!
“Oh, right.”
Aren’t I pretty good at acting?
I don’t really recall ever being caught in a lie.
Come to think of it, even during our collab stream, people immediately believed whatever nonsense I said.
In an instant, my image changed from a stuttering loser to someone who was once a social butterfly.
Hmm. Maybe it was just luck.
But in most of those TS Vtuber novels these days, the protagonist ends up acting in the entertainment industry.
What if I’m… secretly a genius actor too?
“Ahem.“
Alright, let’s start with some analysis.
First, Bihangwoon is cold, sarcastic, and annoyingly sly, but… she’s also a very responsible person.
She always takes responsibility for the consequences of her actions.
And this space… the bathroom.
It’s small and narrow, very enclosed, but the walls amplify sound.
Even if the sound of knocking is faint, my voice will definitely reach her.
I need to make her think I need to be rescued.
People usually help someone trapped if it’s a rescue scenario…
Hmm. I’d need to seem like I’m in some kind of danger.
There’s no external threat, so my only option is something internal…
“Ah! That’s it!”
Clap.
I clapped lightly, just in case Bihangwoon could hear me.
This was a golden chance to mess with the woman who always toyed with me.
If the issue is internal… trauma! PTSD!
Of course, I don’t know much about it… but this body surely remembers something.
If I can just recall that memory…
“Hoo.“
Suppressing the corners of my mouth that were threatening to curl up in excitement, I steadied my face.
I lowered my eyebrows, relaxed my facial muscles, and let my lips tremble slightly.
This is the first time I’ve ever tried to fool someone this seriously… Hoo.
Ahem. Okay, let’s start with something like this…
“Ah… Ahh… Haa…”
Pause.
Bihangwoon, who had been lightly humming Lumilive’s debut song, froze in place.
A faint sound of Suhyun’s groaning came from the bathroom.
It wasn’t lighthearted or suggestive—it sounded genuinely pained.
“…Suhyun-ssi?”
Bihangwoon carefully called out to Suhyun, not even properly tying the last remaining trash bag.
Facing someone suddenly overtaken by an intense emotion like fear, she thought it must have been a joke.
After all, when emotions like anger or love surface unexpectedly…
People can’t help but feel confused at first.
Tap. Tap.
The sound of hands knocking on the door carried desperation, echoing through the house.
“Is no one there? Really… no one…?”
“Suhyun-ssi. Are you okay?”
Bihangwoon threw the trash bag against the wall and approached the bathroom door.
Her usual expressionless face was already stained with confusion and guilt.
Weren’t they just playfully teasing each other when Suhyun got locked in the bathroom?
Even when Suhyun cursed while being locked in, she hadn’t been serious… right?
Thump. Thump.
Unlike the heavy weight in Bihangwoon’s chest, her heart pounded uncontrollably.
She hadn’t anticipated this outcome at all.
Because someone like her… having experienced something like this…
“Haa… It’s so small here… too… too small…”
Contrasting the ragged breaths, Suhyun’s voice was growing weaker.
The faint knocking sound on the door was fading, too.
“Suhyun-ssi. Please wait just a moment.”
It was then that Bihangwoon realized how much she’d judged Suhyun through preconceived notions.
How could she have assumed that just because Suhyun was pretty and had a good physique, she wouldn’t have been bullied?
…But still, she was so pretty.
But this wasn’t the time for excuses.
“Damn it. It’s stuck…”
Thud! Thud!
Bihangwoon put all her strength into pulling out the broom wedged between the door and the frame.
Sweat dripped from her forehead—not from exertion, but from anxious tears.
Crack.
The old broom couldn’t withstand Bihangwoon’s force and snapped.
With trembling yet determined hands, Bihangwoon flung the door open.
“Suhyun…”
Thud.
The girl, who had been leaning against the wall staring vacantly at the door, rushed forward and hugged her tightly.
“Hhik… kuu… huuk…“
Suhyun’s arms were trembling uncontrollably, and her throat could barely produce coherent words, only choked sounds.
“Suhyun-ssi. I’m so sorry. Truly. But during the stream, you said your school days were fine…”
While hugging and comforting Suhyun, Bihangwoon kept rambling excuses—excuses that weren’t meant for anyone in particular.
But soon, feeling pathetic and foolish, she stopped talking and focused on gently patting Suhyun’s shoulder.
Bihangwoon wasn’t at fault.
It’s just that Suhyun’s acting the last time had been impressive.
And this time… Suhyun’s performance had been perfect.
“I’m sorry… From now on… I won’t act out. I won’t step forward in front of anyone…”
With a sinking feeling in her heart, Bihangwoon didn’t notice the mischievous smile hidden on Suhyun’s face as she buried it in her shoulder.
“Suhyun-ssi. For not knowing your pain… for doing something so awful… I’m truly sorry.”
With trembling hands, Bihangwoon gently stroked the back of Suhyun’s head.
‘Hehe. Acting success!’
What started as a small prank had unintentionally earned Suhyun the #trauma tag.
If she’d known how angry Bihangwoon would get once she learned the truth, she wouldn’t have been smiling so brightly.