Chapter 87: An Enigmatic Defeat

<Why isn’t Friede streaming?>
Author: TickleMoaPasan

“They just won a prestigious computer gaming tournament, shouldn’t they start streaming immediately?
How can they leave us hanging with that last vlog and then go on a hiatus? This is ridiculous! Did Lotus really meet Friede in person? What did they talk about? Shouldn’t they at least share the details with us? I’m losing my mind here…”

[DummyNator: This is the Friede you chose. Stick with it, no matter what.]

[hope5555: It’s a bit infuriating. Now’s the perfect time to capitalize on the momentum, and they go on hiatus, ugh.]

[yaSergei: Missing a golden opportunity while small-time streamers lament on their behalf, hilarious.]

[ᄋᄋ: Are we being dumped here? Like, is this an exit scam?]

[LLAmpadu: Dumped? C’mon, don’t be ridiculous.]

***

<Already Rewatched the Stream 20 Times>
Author: NunaEatsMidir

“So, when’s the host coming back?”

[oo: They’re not. Your host took your donations and is out clubbing, mixing ‘DNA shakes’ with men.]

[IlGwangSoGeom: Wow, you just went all out with that statement. Savage!]

[ZigGarterBelt: Can you shut up, please? ^^]

[SweetHanNam: Retract that immediately and apologize unless you want to meet an untimely demise.]

[SlimChair: Looks like it’s time for some national-level education.]

[yaSergei: I just want the host to stream again. It’s not like there’s much content from this new streamer to begin with, and I’m already 15 full rewatches deep.]

[SeSutDaeYa: Amateurs. I’m already on my 50th rewatch.]

[Lᄋᄋ: SeSutDaeYa… You don’t have a life, do you?]

[SeSutDaeYa: Seven years of living as a scrap collector. Friede is my salvation.]

[Loo: Wow, your choice of words is dizzying.]

***

[<Jealous of Lotus? Upvote!>]
Author: SlimChair

“If you’re jealous of Lotus, the one who saw Friede’s face for the first time in virtual reality, then upvote! Starting with me, lol.”

[RedLotus: Jealous?]

[LyaSergei: Confirmed.]

[GwangSoGeom: Not buying counterfeits, thanks.]

[ᄂᄋᄋ: LOL, the variations on Lotus’ nickname these days are insane.]

[ZigGarterBelt: I even saw ‘BlueHouseLotus’ once.]

[LyaSergei: Wow, dizzying.]

[RedLotus: Hahaha.]

***

“Ah, it’s chaos, pure chaos.”

Here, there, everywhere—it’s madness.

I sighed, letting my shoulders droop as I stared at my smartphone, realizing just how pitiful my current situation was.

Even ego-searching had become boring, so I turned my gaze toward Dayoung and Ajin, who were standing ahead.

“Um, excuse me…”

“Doesn’t this outfit suit this weather?”

“Y-yeah, sure.”

“Guys…”

‘Please don’t ignore me. I’m cold.’

Calling out from behind felt pointless.

‘Were my words not reaching them?’

Watching them argue over a few pieces of clothing made my head throb.

I glanced at the time on my phone’s screen.

It had already been an hour since we entered the store.

‘Isn’t choosing clothes supposed to take 10 minutes at most?’

Thank goodness the store was spacious and crowded.

If it were a small shop, we’d have gotten death stares by now.

“Ahem!”

I awkwardly cleared my throat to catch Dayoung and Ajin’s attention.

Finally, they turned around.

“How about we wrap this up and check out a movie or something?”

“Wait, we’re almost done. Just a few more to try on.”

“Really? You said that 30 minutes ago, and you’ve already tried on four outfits since…”

“Are you… talking back to me?”

‘Of course I’m talking back! What am I supposed to do, stay silent?’

“We… we’ll buy this for you! Just wait a bit longer, okay?”

Ajin tried to placate me, which was sweet in its way, but…

‘Sigh.’

I was exhausted.

Not physically, but mentally. This was so boring, so uninteresting, that I felt like I might lose my mind.

How could they enjoy themselves so much? I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

‘I envy them, being able to get so excited about this.’

‘I wish I could just play a game instead.’

Looking around, all I saw were racks of clothes, other customers, and store employees.

The cozy and sophisticated vibe of the store matched its upscale status, but there wasn’t anything fun to distract myself with.

At least barbecue restaurants have retro game consoles in the waiting area.

My attention naturally returned to my smartphone, the one constant in this boring universe.

Ten minutes passed in what felt like a time-warping eternity.

“Hey, what about this one?”

“This… this one seems to suit you the most…”

They finally seemed to have agreed on something. I glanced at the clothes they were holding.

Thankfully, they weren’t anything overly eccentric.

‘Not that an upscale store would sell anything too outlandish.’

“There were plenty of dresses and flowy outfits earlier. It’s not one of those, right?”

“Those were nice too, but you said you didn’t like them. So we chose something with more of an office vibe. Try it on!”

“Alright, alright. Stop pushing me.”

I grabbed the outfit and headed toward the fitting room, praying this would be the last time.

“Hey, Ajin.”

“Why?”

Dayoung, who had been grinning moments ago, suddenly straightened her expression and asked a question.

“What do you think our sister will look like in the outfit we picked?”

‘What was she talking about all of a sudden?’

It felt like such a pointless question since the result would be visible in just a moment.

“If it’s her… it’ll look… good.”

“Of course, it’ll look good. With a figure like hers, there’s no outfit she can’t pull off. But what I mean is…”

“W-what… do you mean?”

“Do you think the outfit we gave her will, you know, emphasize her chest?”

At Dayoung’s words, Ajin unconsciously nodded.

“Of course, it would. Quite a lot, in fact.”

The outfit they picked was a surprisingly simple but very tight black office look.

With a vest layered over a shirt, Sehee’s figure would cause the vest to cling slightly, further emphasizing her chest and undergarments.

Not to mention, her already large chest.

“Why does that matter?”

‘Didn’t you know that when you picked it?’

Ajin’s gaze, filled with suspicion, made Dayoung awkwardly avert her eyes—a clear sign of evasion.

‘Didn’t you know when you picked it?’

‘Of course, she knew.’

She chose it knowing it would emphasize her chest and highlight her figure because she thought it would suit her.

But then it hit her.

‘Oh, right… she’s a guy.’

‘Wow, how long did it take her to remember something so important?’

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Calling her “sister” all this time must have somehow gaslit her into forgetting the truth.

“Hey, Ajin. I have a question.”

“What now?”

“What’s your cup size?”

“…Huh!”

Ajin instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and took a step back.

“Wh-why are you asking that?”

“Just to confirm something. I’ll go first. I’m a B.”

“Ugh!”

Ajin’s face twisted at Dayoung’s confident declaration.

Seeing her expression, Dayoung no longer needed to ask.

‘Got it. I’m a B, and you’re an A.’

‘If this were a grade, it’d be acceptable, but unfortunately, it’s about bra sizes.’

“How would you feel if a guy’s chest was bigger than yours?”

“You… you idiot! Have you finally lost it?”

“I’m just asking. Imagine a guy who transitioned, has an amazing body and appearance, and even huge breasts. How would you feel?”

“Ugh… That kind of humiliation… I’d rather d-die.”

“I just saved your life today.”

“What are you even saying?”

Sometimes, keeping the truth hidden is the better option.

It wasn’t her style to gossip about others, especially when it involved Sehee’s privacy.

She had only asked Ajin out of curiosity to see if her feelings were unique or not.

‘Well, the answer was as expected.’

The result wasn’t surprising.

It wasn’t just her being jealous or envious.

Whether she should feel relieved that she wasn’t petty or humiliated by her strange defeat was unclear.

***

-Clack!

“Huh!”

The fitting room door opened, and Sehee stepped out.

Dayoung and Ajin both froze, holding their breaths.

Sehee wore a neatly buttoned, milk-white shirt.

Over it was a sleek, tailored vest that hugged her figure tightly, almost like a corset, accentuating her upper body.

Her cape-like jacket hung elegantly over her shoulders.

Her short skirt, snug around her thighs, emphasized her legs, surpassing even leggings in showing off her figure.

Her stockings completed the look, highlighting her slim legs.

And finally…

“Wow…”

“Wow…”

Her chest, which didn’t just assert its presence but seemed to defy gravity with its I-cup size, was almost oppressive in its impact.

“This is uncomfortable… and kind of embarrassing.”

Sehee muttered as she glanced down at herself, giving a critical review of the outfit.

Dayoung could only shake her head in disbelief.

“This is the best one so far. Shall we move on to the next stop?”

“The n-next stop?”

Seeing Sehee’s bewildered expression, Dayoung and Ajin nodded as if it were obvious.

“We still need to visit the salon and buy some makeup. You don’t even do basic skincare, right?”

“Y-you’re so confident… I mean, wow.”

Even as she mumbled, Ajin chimed in, supporting Dayoung’s suggestion.

‘Though Sehee looked slightly annoyed, what could she do?’

With her natural beauty, imagining how she’d look with some effort made it impossible not to feel excited.

“You’re coming with us.”

Dayoung grabbed Sehee’s arm and linked hers with it as they left the fitting room.

-Soft.

“Huh!”

Feeling the soft, bouncy sensation against her arm, Dayoung flinched in surprise.

If clouds had a texture, surely this was it.

‘See, I had to ask.’

Even if she’d questioned Ajin earlier, the answer was obvious.

Sehee was a guy, yet her chest size was an I-cup.

‘Should I be resentful about losing to a guy?’

Feeling Sehee’s chest press against her arm, Dayoung realized something:

Sometimes, keeping a secret can turn into a torturous burden.