Chapter 23 : I ended up being forcibly kidnapped right in the middle of Seoul. Please save me

Thanks to turning off the broadcast early the previous day, I woke up in the morning, which was rare.

The appointment time was 11 AM, and we decided to have lunch together.

I washed up, got ready, lazed around a bit, and then headed out to the destination.

“Uh? Uhh? Ughhh?”

So-eun, who met me in front of the subway station in our neighborhood, screamed like a zombie, making unintelligible noises.

I was a bit surprised too, but she overreacted so much that I couldn’t show that I was also surprised.

“Jin Ah unnie? Is that you?”

“Yes, that’s, no, that’s not it. Yes.”

I almost said, ‘Yes, that’s how it is’ again unconsciously.

It’s not good to be too immersed in internet memes.

They keep popping up in everyday conversation without realizing it.

I didn’t have a daily life or conversations, so it was okay until now.

“You really had silver hair and red eyes? How is that possible?”

So-eun touched my hair, stroked it, and then started pulling it lightly. Of course, it hurt.

“Ouch! What are you doing!”

“Is this really not a wig? Wow. Unbelievable.”

“I told you. Do you think I could wear a wig in this sweltering summer?”

It seems that the silver hair, which was different from white hair, was unbelievably difficult for her to believe.

“It’s really not dyed, it’s natural? Your eyes are not contact lenses, they’re originally like that? I’m really confused about your nationality. Which star did you come from? And how come you speak Korean so well?”

“Because I’m a native Korean. It’s obvious.”

“It doesn’t look obvious at all.”

While So-eun was carefully examining me, I also scanned her.

She was about a handspan taller than me.

A bit tall for a woman.

And she was very slender, not the weak, skinny kind like me, but the healthy, lean kind without any flab.

She probably works out to maintain her figure.

This is a bit rude to say, but even with such efforts, she couldn’t overcome the limitations of genetics, so her chest was quite flat.

Nevertheless, the curves of her body were beautiful, the kind that would make most people feel attracted to her.

Her face was also that of a rare beauty, the kind that would garner goodwill wherever she went.

‘With that face and that body, what do you mean a shut-in? What a waste.’

Maybe I shouldn’t be saying that.

Also, she’s only a homebody because she works from home a lot, not because she hates going outside like me.

Once again, I’m the only one with a problem. That’s how it is.

“Unnie, you really look like a doll. Show me your ID card.”

“Why my ID card all of a sudden?”

“Hehe, I became suspicious that a sly little middle schooler might be pretending to be an adult to fish for attention.”

The way she’s grinning, it doesn’t seem like she really suspects me.

“I’m definitely not little enough to be called a kid.

160 is the average height, isn’t it? You’re just unusually tall.”

“I’m not unusually tall either. Hmph.”

I grumbled but still took out my ID card from my wallet and showed it to her.

Is this also a kind of explanation? My life is a series of explanations.

I felt a little embarrassed to reveal my birthdate.

I felt like I’ve shown too many sides of myself that don’t match my age of 28.

“Wow, I can’t believe it even after seeing it. Where did this character pop out from?”

“I came from another world. I’m actually an otherworlder.”

It’s the truth without any lies.

The truth was buried, taken as an otaku joke.

We went to a pizza chain restaurant in the downtown area near the station, where the taste is guaranteed no matter which location you go to, bought lunch, got a ride in Jin-ah’s car, and headed to my house while I played the role of a human navigation system.

A shiny white Benz S-Class, out of place in a neighborhood where only compact cars, small cars, and old mid-size cars are seen, was parked.

It was an old five-story building. Not room 401, 402, or 403, but room 404, tucked away in a corner of the hallway where there shouldn’t be a room.

Who would have thought that someone could live in such a place? This single room, less than 2 pyeong, which was somehow squeezed into the blueprints and constructed, was my home.

Still, it’s a cozy space. It has a private bathroom, and privacy is important.

“This is a bit much.”

Whether she didn’t think it was rude or was too shocked to even think about it, So-eun, who entered the room, expressed her raw feelings without any attempt to hide them.

“Well, that’s how it is.”

What can I do if that’s how things are? If the conditions aren’t good, you just have to live with it. You can’t die. I died once, but still.

“No way. We’re moving out today and going to my place.”

“But I already paid this month’s rent.”

“Why are you saving on something so cheap? I’ll pay you back for everything, so shut up and pack.”

Hey, sister. Why are you so forceful? I’m scared.

“There’s not much to pack anyway. Let’s just load everything into my car now. Throw away the fridge, desk, and mattress.”

So-eun said that and actually started packing my things.

“Hey, hold on.”

“I’ll buy you new ones!”

“How can I accept all that? I’ve already received too many favors.”

As I hesitated, So-eun glared at me with genuinely angry eyes.

“Seeing you live like this makes me upset. It pisses me off, unnie! If it’s hard, say it’s hard. If you need help, say you need help!”

But when you shout like that, there are very few cases where someone actually helps.

I have to take responsibility for my own life.

“That’s why I borrowed money…”

“Money? To buy a cam? It’s really funny that you bought a proper cam to do cam broadcasts while living in a place like this. Isn’t the cam more expensive than your monthly rent?”

Why do I feel like I’m being scolded again?

“It’s not that much…”

Actually, it’s similar. If you include the microphone, it’s more expensive.

So-eun seems determined to kidnap me, I don’t have the energy to resist, and honestly, I do have a slight desire to move to a place where I can lie down comfortably, so I packed my things following her lead.

Once we decided to throw away the biggest items – the desk, the mattress, and the mini-fridge that only had banana milk in it – there was really not much to pack.

“Seriously, you’re pretty like a doll, so why do you only have these drab clothes? Unnie, we need to go clothes shopping.”

“L-later. Ahhh! I’ll organize the underwear!”

It felt strangely embarrassing for a girl 7 years younger than me to touch my underwear, so I snatched the clothes box and hugged it.

I’m technically the same gender now, but it just feels weird somehow.

“Well, it’s already organized, so you just need to load it without touching it.”

I said that, but with my low stamina, the most I could do was move the mouse and keyboard.

No, just going up and down to the 4th floor is already exhausting.

This crappy building doesn’t have an elevator. I’m at my limit just supporting my own body.

So, So-eun ended up carrying all the heavy things like the clothes box, computer, monitor, etc.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for my trashy, weak stamina and strength.”

“I got it, so just guard the car, I’ll turn on the AC.”

As I sat alone in the car, enjoying the cool air conditioning and posting a notice about my break, I felt a considerable amount of guilt.

How did I become such a weakling, ending up just being a burden in the car?

Seeing So-eun sweating from the unexpected exercise in the hot summer, she looked so sexy, no, healthy, that I couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

If I had to become a woman, wouldn’t it have been better to be like her?

“What are you thinking about?”

Suddenly, the face I was thinking about popped in through the car door.

“Ah! I wasn’t playing around! I was posting a notice about my break on the community board!”

“Why are you so startled and apologetic? Are you afraid I’ll scold you for not guarding the car properly? Unnie, you’re really, unbelievably cute.”

“Because I feel bad for making you move all my stuff while I’m just sitting here…”

“Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry. How many narrow-minded people have you met?”

No, it’s because you’re too broad-minded. Other people would complain.

Maybe they were just picking on me because they didn’t like me.

“Phew, I need to take a shower as soon as I get home!”

So-eun said as she sat in the driver’s seat after loading all the luggage.

And when we arrived at So-eun’s apartment.

“Unnie, let’s shower together.”

But I didn’t know that shower meant showering with me.

“No! I didn’t sweat, so I’m fine!”

“What are you talking about? Whether you sweated or not, you were at a dusty moving site, so you need to wash up.”

“The computer! I’ll connect the computer first and then shower! You go first! I need to make sure it’s working properly since I have to broadcast again tomorrow!”

“Do that later! Come here!”

“No. I don’t want to. Don’t do this.”

“Do you hate showering with me that much?”

Seeing So-eun’s hurt look weakened my resolve, but, hey, this isn’t for my sake, it’s for yours.

You can’t show your naked body to a stranger you just met today.

“Fine. Let’s shower together.”

Unable to withstand that look, I was dragged into the bathroom.

“Let’s see that back!”

“Ah, no, I don’t want to!”

So-eun, as an illustrator, has a lot of knowledge about otaku culture, so she’s easy to talk to, but why is she not listening to me at all today?

“Ahhhh!”

That place, so forcefully? Against my will?

Ahem. I’m talking about scrubbing my back.

My eyes were feasting, but mentally I was being tortured.

After being washed like a dirty dish, I was forced into a bathtub that was big enough for one person but a bit cramped for two.

With both of us completely naked, our bodies slightly touching and our eyes meeting in the bathtub, I felt like steam was rising to my head and I was going to turn into a steamed bun.

‘People actually take baths in bathtubs at home. I thought that only happened in Japan.’

I try to divert my thoughts elsewhere.

Well, why else would there be a bathtub? If you have a clean bathroom like this with a proper bathtub, it makes sense that you’d want to soak in it sometimes.

It’s just that the houses I’ve lived in always either didn’t have a bathtub or had one that was old and broken and unusable.

After washing up, the cool air of the comfortable room, thanks to the air conditioner, felt heavenly on my slightly warmed body.

“Here, drink this.”

And So-eun handed me fresh kiwi juice.

The sweetness and coolness were fully contained on top of the sour fruit taste, it truly felt like I had ascended to heaven.

“It’s delicious. Really delicious.”

“It was a good idea to shower together, right?”

“Yes. In many ways.”

Thank you and sorry in many ways.

I’ll pay for the sins I committed today when I go to hell next time. Namu Amitabha Buddha.

For the record, I’m not religious.