"Your skin is really good, not oily or dry. Just keep doing your usual skincare routine, and in the winter, maybe just add a face oil. Did you put on sunscreen today? Let's see... I think you'd use shade 13 for foundation. With a base this nice, you can keep your blush and contour natural. I recommend this product for that—what do you think?"

"Thank you. Is there a makeup room here by any chance?"

"It's inside. I’ll show you the way."

…How did I end up in this situation?

Wasn't makeup supposed to be about burning your enemies or covering your face in dust and gunpowder after a building collapsed during a mission? I thought tactical makeup was just the dust and dirt that piled up on your skin after a rough operation. I guess I should count myself lucky that after spending over four years in the battlefield with no time to care for my skin, it’s still in good condition.

Meanwhile, Dice and the staff were speaking a language full of terms I’d never heard before, leading me straight into the makeup room, which felt like a hellish abyss. Was this the "Malebolge" of my personal sins? I shuddered at the powerlessness I felt for the first time.

"Agh…"

"Wow, there’s really not much that needs to be done. Yujin, if you just learn some basic eye and lip makeup, you’ll be all set."

"Ahhm… mmph."

"Ah, no moving, please!"

What is this, a dentist's office? What's happening here?

A stick ran along my cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin, followed by something that felt like a brush tapping my face. I had no idea what was going on. I could only sit there in dread, not knowing what was about to happen… So, this is makeup?

The world sure is full of things I don’t understand.

Meanwhile, Dice was excitedly muttering complaints under her breath.

"Wow, I barely did anything, but it already looks great. Your face is so small that I didn’t even need to do much contouring. Gah, I’m not even that good at this. I’ll probably need help with the eye makeup later."

"For someone who claims not to be good, you sure seem thrilled."

"Hehe. You can open your eyes now."

How much time had passed, anyway?

I managed to open my eyes. The scent of cosmetics lingering near my nose felt strange. I looked into the mirror—well, what can I say? It didn’t seem like anything dramatic had changed.

I examined myself more closely, but honestly, I didn’t see much difference. Maybe there was a bit more contrast here and there, but for the amount of time we spent, it seemed pretty inefficient.

I glanced at Dice, who quickly started defending herself.

"Hey, it's not that my makeup skills are bad! You just don't look that different with makeup on. I swear, I did my own makeup today, too. I followed all the guidelines!"

"Hmm…"

"Geez, you could look at it positively—you're just that naturally stunning! It’s like a diamond. You don’t overdo it with extra decoration; you just mount it on a ring, right? Same idea."

"Stop saying embarrassing things like that."

"Ow!"

Why does she always have to add some weird comment?

Unfortunately, this makeup ordeal was just getting started. Dice told me that now that the base was done, we were moving on to the "interior decorating" stage, which meant eye and lip makeup. I wasn't sure how much more dramatic things could get, but I decided to just go along with it. It was something to experience at least once, and if it got too annoying, I could just shove all the products into a corner. If I ever became interested, I could always ask someone else for help.

A few more minutes passed.

"With your fair skin, a light pink glitter eyeshadow should work great…"

"Your eyeliner is already sharp, so instead of thick triangles, I’d suggest using a fine brush pen for a softer look…"

"Your lashes are pretty long, so you just need a bit of mascara—nothing too much. We’ll curl them lightly with this…"

This was the first time so many unfamiliar hands and tools moved across my face. Back in the day, the most I did to my face was wear a balaclava or use war paint before deploying into battle.

On the rare occasion I had downtime during missions, I might have raided some cosmetic stores in Manhattan for basic skincare products. Of course, my shameless teammates always stole them for their own skincare routines, but I got back at them with a bit of sparring.

As these irrelevant memories floated through my mind, Dice had already bought a whole stash of eye makeup and dragged me back to the makeup room. The only difference this time was that she’d brought an assistant along to help.

Between the gasps of "Oh my gosh, wow, that’s amazing!" I let the words drift in one ear and out the other. If I focused too much on this, my head might spin.

How much time had passed?

"You can open your eyes now. Wow, you look beautiful! Just adding a few highlights made all the difference."

"It really suits you."

Huh…

When I looked in the mirror, I had to admit—it did give off a "she put effort into her appearance today" vibe.

The reason wasn't hard to figure out. The soft glittering eyeshadow, neatly drawn eyeliner, and mascara-coated lashes made me look objectively nice. The problem was that it was my own reflection staring back at me.

Why am I even explaining this? It’s making me feel worse.

Anyway, I guess I could say I looked "done up." But then I glanced over and saw the collection of lipsticks and lip glosses laid out beside me.

I guess that’s next.

With a sigh, I closed my eyes again.

"For the lips, it’s good to keep it lighter on the outside and darker towards the inside…"

"We’ll use this pink shade as a base and deepen the inner part with a lip brush, making sure to blend the edges properly…"

"Yes, that will look lovely."

Ugh.

I’m about to lose my mind.

"Thank you for visiting! Please come again!"

"Yes, yes, thank you!"

Today's haul:

30,000 won worth of cosmetics that will be delivered to my house within two days, and Dice, who couldn’t stop smiling to save her life.

I thought department stores were either pleasant places or traps filled with booby traps like rocks on a battlefield. Turns out, they’re also places that can exhaust you beyond belief. This place has taken on a new, third meaning for me now.

A brief conversation followed.

"So, how do you feel after your first time?"

"I feel mentally drained."

"Hehe. But you look gorgeous! It’s amazing how just a few key touches can really make things pop. I didn’t get it before, but now I do."

"…I think I’ll just stick to basic skincare and sunscreen from now on."

"Aww, but I bought you all those products! You have to use them sometimes."

"No promises."

I was serious.

If it had been something I bought myself, it would already be shoved in a corner somewhere. But unfortunately for me, Dice had splurged 300,000 won of her own money on all this stuff, leaving me with no excuses.

All I could do was hope I wouldn’t need to wear makeup again anytime soon. If I had to attend a formal event, I’d rather just hire a stylist to do it. After all, I’m more used to lifting kilos of metal than performing delicate makeup rituals.

As the fatigue set in, I started craving something sweet.

Our eyes met.

"Yujin."

"Yes?"

"We're thinking the same thing, aren't we?"

"I seriously doubt it."

"Oh, come on! You’ve got your makeup done—now it’s time for clothes shopping! There’s a women’s section starting on the second floor. Let’s each get one outfit. Just one! If we buy too much, the prize money will disappear in no time. What do you think?"

Sigh.

With a small sigh, I spoke up.

"I guess this is where I drag you to a café?"

"Come on, we’re already here! Let’s do some shopping. I—wahh! My waist! The tail! I’m floating! I’m floating in the air!"

"Let’s sit down and have an honest chat over something sweet."

"Wait, didn’t you just eat 15 different desserts at the buffet?! Fine, okay! Put me down! I give up!"

Tactical capture.

It reminded me of a mission where I had to carry Harmony, and someone in the chat called it a "tactical piggyback." I guess what I’m doing now is pretty similar. Though this piggyback involves some serious conversation.

Our next destination was not a room of truth, but a café. Time to pay the price for letting someone toy with my face.

Of course, we did end up buying clothes afterward.

My dislike for department stores just keeps growing.

 

 

"Next week is the start of the ad filming season, right? Come to think of it, even though you have sponsorships, it must be hard for you to shoot commercials in real life. What offers have you gotten?"

"Well, there are collaborations with accessories and sports gear... I also got a renewal offer from SSM. There's the usual broadcast interviews, and they want to make a documentary about pro gamers too. Surprisingly, I’ve also had quite a few requests to promote tactical gear."

"Oh wow… That’s unexpected. I figured you’d get offers for sports or everyday products, but accessories and tactical gear? That’s a first—ah! Stop squirming!"

"Whoops."

How should I put it?

After all the pestering, we ended up coming to a reptile café. But it looks like Dice is going to need a bit more time to get comfortable with real snakes. Her body was stiff from nervousness.

Anyway, it was 5:26 PM, and as mentioned, we were at a pet café in Seoul. With some time to kill before dinner, we decided to stop by after finishing our department store shopping. It felt like I was following the same pattern I did with Harmony, except this time, it was reptiles instead of mammals—snakes, lizards, turtles, and the like.

A yellow ball python slithered around my neck, moving across my shoulders like it was dancing. I gently stroked its head, and it nudged its face into my cheek. It was almost like the snake was intelligent.

I’m not sure how to explain it, but it seems like I have a natural affinity with reptiles. Maybe it’s because I’m an anaconda that I get bonus points with them?

They seem to like me a lot, responding well and being unusually affectionate.

"Wow, a snake with a snake. Hehe."

"Does it really suit me that much?"

"Yeah, actually. Yujin, you kind of have a ‘snake face’ too. Not in a bad way, just… there’s something about the elegance of a snake."

Sigh.

"Ow!"

Dice lightly swatted my ankle with her tail.

It didn’t hurt much, of course.

"Maybe there’s another snake down there. It could’ve hit you instead."

"Right, sure. Anyway, thanks to Yujin, we got some free snacks for taking a few photos. What a day."

Dice sipped her iced tea, satisfied.

She was right. Nowadays, pet cafés offer free entry on your first visit if you bring a manifested being with you. This café was no exception. The staff and employees’ eyes practically popped out of their heads when I walked in, but oh well.

As long as you didn’t mind those reactions, it was a nice way to spend time without spending money. The conversation continued on a similar note.

"By the way, I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned anything about interviews, have I?"

"You bring it up like there’s something unusual about them."

"There kind of is. I guess you could call it a ‘scrim interview.’ Just because it’s broadcast doesn’t mean they won’t use VR interview functions. Of course, there are real-life interviews, but Yujin, you have limitations in that area, don’t you?"

"Yeah, that’s true. But these interviews must feel different from the usual ones, especially because of the special status of being an AP national representative, right?"

"Exactly."

Dice, barely nibbling on the carrot cake that came with her drink, continued.

"Being a national representative doesn’t last very long—maybe a month at most? Sure, there’ll still be some shoots after the Asia qualifiers, given how many ads we’ve already secured, but it’s a ticking clock."

"I see. So, to make the most of that limited time, they do these special interviews. But do they all follow this format?"

"Not all of them. But as you guessed, Yujin, even though one in ten Koreans might have watched KSM, the remaining nine who didn’t include quite a few sponsors and advertisers."

"Ah."

Capitalist logic at its finest.

Well, considering my past with the Dark Zone, which was both my reality and a game, it made sense that massive amounts of capital would be closely tied to it.

The more interesting part came when Dice lowered her voice to keep others from hearing.

"Even with scrim interviews, it’s not like they show much. People outside the pro world who aren’t tuned into the smallest details won’t really understand the skill gaps between players from different countries."

"Haha, so the goal is just to look cool."

"Exactly. Plus, it’s a good way to shake off the rust from the first week. The bigger the audience, the more likely you’ll get nervous again."

She gave a playful smile as an employee brought over my snack—honey bread.

"You’re already getting recognized everywhere, Yujin. I bet that makes you nervous."

"…Huh?"

Clatter.

The male employee placed a tray on our table. On the plate of honey bread sat a chocolate plaque with the words "Congratulations on your KSM 1st Place!" inscribed on it.

Along with it came a sheet of A4 paper and a pen.

With a slightly nervous voice, the employee spoke.

"Excuse me… You’re the streamer Yujin, right? Congratulations on placing first in KSM and making it to the Asia qualifiers. Would you mind signing this for me…?"

"Um, I’ve never given out an autograph before… I’m afraid I can’t take pictures, but is there something specific you’d like me to write?"

"Oh, no, anything you write is fine. And is your friend also a pro gamer?"

A quick glance between Dice and me, and Dice finally spoke up.

"Just a reminder, if you tell anyone, our legal team will come after you. Anyway, I’m Dice, the gamer who placed second in KSM. I’m with SSM Entertainment. Nice to meet you."

"Wow, wow, wow, oh my gosh…! I’ll be right back with another sheet of paper!"

And with that, the employee dashed off.

I wrote a simple message, wishing him good fortune, and handed it over.

"Same to you."

"…Yeah. Didn’t expect the spotlight on me."

Well, of course.

Dice’s reckoning was still ongoing.