Indeed, pleasant moments pass by in the blink of an eye, don’t they?
The moment I closed my eyes, it felt as though everything had already finished.
“Now I’ll rinse it. Close your eyes nice and tight~”
While it would be a lie to say I didn’t feel a sense of loss, I can’t afford to simply sit there forever, lathering my hair.
Actually, it wasn’t all that brief of a time.
Elderlyn must have massaged my scalp for quite a while.
It’s probably just because I became addicted to the strange sense of pleasure. For some reason, her technique was very good, and I still love warmth, so I couldn’t dislike the tender touch with which she kneaded my scalp.
When I did as I was told and closed my eyes, the bubbles were rinsed away by the running water. A cool, refreshing sensation from the herbal shampoo lingered in my hair, making me feel fresh and clear-headed. Afterward, I turned on the water and swept the remaining foam from my body.
“You’ve been good, Da-eun.”
“Stop treating me like a child…”
“Right, right, got it. Sorry about that.”
Her voice conveyed not the slightest apology. If anything, she didn’t even listen to me, as she continued to gently stroke my hair.
Well, Elderyl seems to be in a good mood right now, so I can let this slide.
“Da-eun, would you like me to wash your body too?”
“No thanks. I’ll wash myself.”
Even if you asked me, I’m not going to permit you to wash more than just my hair.
The feeling of someone touching your hair and someone touching your body are distinctly different.
I’m not the kind of person to give in so easily.
No matter how long you keep staring…ah, I feel my resolve weakening. Would it really be fine to just leave it to her?
My body isn’t anything all that special, after all.
I hesitated a little, but my decision didn’t change.
If I agreed to that, I feel my head would overheat before even entering the bath.
Fortunately, Elderlyn stepped back a bit.
“Alright then, got it. Let’s hurry up and get cleaned up before going into the tub.”
With the quick shower finished, it was now time to really enter the water.
With Sansa’s assistance, I sat on the edge of the bath.
I guess I’m growing up.
People learn from their mistakes, and those mistakes ultimately translate to experience.
If you’ve been hurt many times, there must come a time when you manage to avoid it.
When I was stronger, I could just jump right in without trouble. But now, it would be a little reckless.
This fragile, sensitive body lacks resistance even to hot water.
When I shower at home, I need to adjust the temperature anyway.
At times like that, I carefully wet my wrists, proceeding cautiously.
So, trying it slowly with just the tips of my right foot…
“Ky!”
I endure it enough not to screech like a bird.
It didn’t feel so hot when I touched it with my hands just now.
Still, once the initial burning sensation subsided, I adapted quickly and gradually increased the submerged area.
On the side, Sansa looked at me with a smile as Elderlyn stepped in quickly but moved more slowly.
It took plenty of time to fully submerge up to my neck.
It felt…a little embarrassing, but this was also one of those necessary struggles to keep going.
Still, isn’t there a saying that perseverance eventually brings reward?
The reward after struggle was incredibly sweet.
“Huffuuu…this feels good.”
The warmth of the water caused my body to relax.
Pointlessly dunking up to below my eyes, I gathered water with my two hands and splashed it on my face.
They must have added some bath salts, and the scent of either herbs or flowers filled the air.
Thanks to that, a delicate tint colored the water, which pleased me.
Because we were inside, it obscured our bodies so they weren’t visible to each other.
That resolved my biggest worry!
Now, all that remained for me was to enjoy this happy moment.
The soft ripples of the water felt good.
It seemed like warmth was spreading through my body, making me feel somewhat drowsy.
It felt as though faint, hazy steam drifted around, and I even had the illusion of being inside a cloud.
While enjoying the rare warmth of the bath, the women began to strike up a conversation.
“Will you be going anywhere special this summer?”
“Me? Hmm, I don’t have any appointments yet. Not like I have anywhere to go anyway.”
“That’s surprising. You seemed like the type to have lots of friends. You know, the popular girl amongst girls kind.”
“Not really. The body piercing was just to try out a new image; I’ve always been a homebody.”
The conversation between Sansa and Elderlyn.
It seemed the first topic was naturally summer vacation.
It’s a subject difficult to interject into.
If I started speaking, wouldn’t it seem like I’m trying to wedge myself into their circle?
Pretending ignorance, I let out a small stream of bubbles underwater.
Unfortunately, my social skills are laughable at best.
I’m incredibly shy and struggle with gauging the distance between myself and others.
Truthfully, it’s more peaceful to not approach people first.
Yet, when others come to me first, I find myself overcompensating in the opposite direction.
I can’t keep annoying people who’ve reached out to me.
If I only go with the flow of my own desires, the people around me would have to stay by my side forever.
And that would only gift us both an eventual downfall.
Fortunately, I’ve been trained slightly.
Understanding my own abnormalities allows me to exercise moderation to a degree.
A small amount of loneliness and alienation was something I swallowed alone.
Of course, in dire straits, it’s okay to search for people within the game.
The bubbles created as I exhaled disappeared in front of my eyes.
‘This is surprisingly fun.’
They say that men can act childish no matter how old they get.
Adult men can display somewhat childish behavior and still be understood.
As I blew more bubbles, the voices of the two people paused.
Two pairs of eyes now focused on me.
Why? How long have I been under their gaze?
I peeked around with my eyes before lifting my head out of the water.
“…What? Why? Continue with your conversation.”
“Da-eun, we asked if places like Jeju Island or Japan would work.”
“Ah, um…I’m not quite sure. When were you planning to go?”
It might be a little difficult.
This wasn’t an attempt to refuse outright.
I do have my own schedule to tend to now.
By the time Prelude ends, the temporary license period for the access devices will also be over.
Assuming things go well, from the summer league onwards, my name will be on the roster.
From then on, I’ll also need to move according to the team’s schedule.
It’s true that I had more free time until that point, but broadcasting complicates things.
My stream is just beginning to take off.
Stopping the broadcast for several days could be critical to its growth.
I also needed significant playtime to maintain my rank as number one.
However, it seemed that their discussion had already progressed beyond that.
“So, we decided to adjust according to your schedule.”
“Sorry, I didn’t hear. I was distracted.”
“Haha, it showed. It’s better to get an answer early, isn’t it? It’s wise to reserve early so we can pick better places for the trip.”
“I’ll think about it by the end of this week.”
So, they were planning to include me too.
Indeed, that was the case.
It’d be awkward to bring me here and talk about a trip without including me, wouldn’t it?
Still, they hesitated to include me too soon, and even asking felt slightly awkward.
After all, those like me—awkward types—are often considered troublesome.
Dipping my body in the warm water, warmth spread through my heart.
Unable to prevent my lips from curling upward, I submerged myself underwater, which was a mistake.
“So, what were you thinking about?”
“Hmm, last time, you agreed to cosplay on the stream, right? Did you choose a character yet? Were you thinking about that?”
“Phhheuwk…cough cough, keh!”
Being tickled underwater is unbearably painful.
From the back, Elderlyn gently patted my back.
“Are you alright? You don’t need to feel too pressured. Whatever you do will surely look good and pretty.”
That’s not the issue here.
It seemed as though Sansa truly didn’t know, and she continuously smiled.
That bright, dazzling smile was blinding.
I had no idea her eyes could shine that brightly.
“If it’s hard to choose, why don’t we help you pick a character? I’ll help with the costume too. Since you’re an assassin in the game, how about switching to a magical girl atmosphere? Or we could try something edgier and more daring…”
“I’m not doing anything too revealing. I’m not comfortable with that, and I won’t wear it.”
“You still don’t know much, Da-eun. A person can seem sexy without taking anything off. And especially for you? You have the potential.”
“…?”
Sansa proudly nods, content with her own accurate explanation.
Glancing over, Elderlyn seems to agree too, leaving me in the dark about their meaning.
Judging by the situation, it seems some kind of tacit agreement has formed.
It feels as if something terrible is taking place without my knowledge.
Why am I the one left in the dark?
Regardless, an agreement is an agreement. I don’t plan to casually dodge my promise to cosplay.
Streamer is ultimately a job where you earn from people. In other words, it’s a professional career.
You need to keep your word when you’ve said it.
“Well, I already have something in mind.”
“Really? Give us a hint.”
“It’s a secret…”
Not yet.
