Startled!

A faint knocking sound came with her sister's voice.  
Si-hyun was taken aback and quickly checked the time.

It was already past 9 o'clock.

After a long time broadcasting late into the night, she had become too immersed in the conversation with her viewers.  
Si-yoon quickly made an excuse and muted her microphone.

She hurriedly approached the door.

Creak—

Slowly, she opened the door just a crack and poked her head out.

“I-I'll be out in a minute!”  
Si-yoon stammered a bit but tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“Yeah, I brought back a lot of delicious food, so hurry out!”  
“Got it!”

As the door closed, Si-yoon leaned against it.  
She placed her palm on her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

Her heart was pounding loudly.  
She still didn’t have the courage to reveal that she was her sister's favorite VTuber, Momobin.

*This isn’t the time for that!*

Si-yoon hurried back to the monitor.

What if her sister turned on the TV now?  
What if she naturally launched the streaming app?

Surely, Momobin’s live stream indicator would glow red, tempting her sister.  
Her sister wouldn’t be able to resist that temptation.  
Even if it was just for a moment, she would definitely log into the stream.

Si-yoon had to wrap up her broadcast before that happened.  
She had already said she would be out soon.

If she ended the stream before her sister had a chance to watch, it wouldn’t be obvious that she abruptly ended it at the end of the rewatch.

“Everyone! I’m going to end today’s late stream here!”  
- Suddenly?  
- What? What? What?  
- Since we had a late stream today, okay.  
- No, don’t go!  
- No no no no no.

Messages from viewers trying to hold her back flooded the chat.

“I did a late stream today! Let’s meet again next time!”  
- Okay, okay, understood.  
- Mobba.  
- Mobba.  
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.  
- Don’t go, don’t go.

Si-yoon calculated the timing appropriately and ended the broadcast.  
She slowly approached the door, glancing around cautiously.

In that brief moment, a flurry of thoughts rushed through Si-yoon’s mind.

What if her sister had already turned on the TV?  
Even though her sister hadn’t paid much attention to the fact that she had claimed to be a freelancer until now…

What if she began to suspect her? Should she confess the truth then?  
Just imagining it made her dizzy.

Her sister was such a devoted fan of Momobin that she would even look up old videos.  
If there was a mouse hole, she would want to hide in it.

Si-yoon opened the door slowly, very slowly.  
She cautiously peered out like a sloth to gauge the situation.

……

*I’m safe!*

What a relief!  
Her sister was leisurely setting up food on the table.  
The quietness indicated that the TV was still off.

Si-yoon pretended to be calm as she stepped out of the room to prepare some drinks.

Soon, Si-hyun’s ambitious late-night snack was all ready.  
Si-hyun naturally picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

Just as Si-yoon had predicted, Si-hyun opened the streaming app.  
As expected, the live stream that had ended for Momobin did not appear on the main screen.

Si-hyun always kept the promises she made with Si-yoon.  
When watching TV together after work, they would watch something other than VTubers.  
And she never entered her sister’s room.

She had never broken that rule even once.

After casually scrolling through the video list, she handed the remote to Si-yoon.

“I don’t have anything I want to watch right now. Just play what you want.”  
“U-Um, okay!”

Although Si-yoon had pretended to be calm, the muscles in her face were subtly twitching.  
She manipulated the remote and played a harmless video.

Only then did she let out a sigh of relief inwardly.  
Her heart began to settle.

Unaware of her sister’s feelings, Si-hyun smiled brightly and said,  
“Today, the boss gave a magic stone in the dungeon that was just what Ji-a needed!”  
“Oh, really?”  
“Yeah! So I gave it to Ji-a. They said they would send a lot of money to my account later after handling the by-products.”  
“Wow... that’s great!”

As Si-yoon expressed her surprise, Si-hyun excitedly continued,  
“Although there’s still a lot lacking, once I study more and save up, let’s move to a new house!”  
“A new house...”

It wasn’t a bad thought.  
Considering Ji-a’s income and house, it was clear that if she moved in with her sister, they would move to a comfortable and nice place.

But Si-yoon instinctively sensed.  
If they weren’t going to live independently, the moment they moved into a new house, she would have to reveal that she was a broadcaster at the very least.  
That way, they could properly set up soundproofing.

Even now, she had done her best to prepare for soundproofing within her budget.  
But it was still inadequate.

Better soundproofing, a comfortable and good workspace.  
It was one of Si-yoon’s dreams and goals.

In that moment, Si-yoon’s mind was racing.  
*...Is it possible to hide being Momobin but just reveal that I’m a broadcaster?*

It might be possible, but once the connection was made, it would be instant to get caught.  
This didn’t seem like a good idea.

*Should I just confess outright?* That thought flitted through her mind again.  
But she shook her head, dismissing the option.  
She wasn’t ready yet.

Even though she was anxious every day, she didn’t want to ruin her sister’s happy fantasies.  
No, her sister was just an excuse; it was because she felt embarrassed herself.

*What, what excuse should I make...?*

Although they weren’t moving right away, Si-yoon’s heart was tangled in a complicated mess.

It was spring.

---

**The Next Day, Lunch**

Si-hyun was lounging comfortably on the sofa, as usual.  
There were still a few days left until the academy's lecture day.  
As a part-time instructor, Si-hyun had fewer obligations and, consequently, fewer responsibilities.

If she wasn’t preparing or researching something in particular, there was no reason to go to the academy.

Having worked the entire day the day before, she wanted to take a good rest today.  
That was Si-hyun’s thought.

“This protagonist really is quite similar to me, huh...?”  
Continuing with the manga she had been reading recently, Si-hyun muttered to herself unknowingly.  
Curious about the meaning of a word that had come up in the story, she searched for it online.

**Dry Fish Woman.**

A person who has a job, functioning as a member of society, but usually just lazes around at home.  
It was a neologism used to describe a woman whose romantic cells had dried up like dried fish.

In other words, it meant the female version of a herbivore male.  
The more she read the manga, the more immersed she became in it.

It wasn’t that she was uninterested in dating.  
But she felt she was different from others in many ways.  
Due to her complex circumstances and uniqueness, she had simply given up on deep thoughts.

When she thought of the word ‘dating,’ images of the heroes and their party members came to mind.  
She now understood that they weren’t normal.  
However, it was unavoidable that such associations popped into her mind naturally.

She was still young, so there was no need to rush on such matters!  
Time would resolve things eventually.

Si-hyun refocused on the manga content.  
Thanks to this manga that she had recently fallen in love with, she had also ordered new clothes.

From her younger sister Si-yoon’s recommendation, her wish list on the women’s clothing app was filled.  
She had ordered some items from that list.  
She also received a message this morning saying they would arrive today, so delivery was imminent.

Si-hyun couldn’t help but smile.  
Buying something new was always exciting and thrilling.

Just then, her phone screen changed, and a call came in.  
The caller was Mun Dayeong. Si-hyun answered the phone.

“Hello?”  
- Hello. Si-hyun, regarding the request you made earlier. Are you free to talk now?

“Of course.”  
As Si-hyun agreed, Dayeong continued lightly explaining.

The tools that would be used for Si-hyun’s lecture had been prepared.  
They had also found a cooperating company and secured all the materials.  
All that remained was to start the work and for Si-hyun to make the payment.

- As for the payment, I’ll only take the cost of the raw materials, so I was wondering if I could get some other help instead of labor costs.

“Help? What do you need?”  
- Our kids got a bit hurt in a C-rank dungeon and came back.

“...Did they get hurt badly?”  
- No, no! It’s nothing

 serious, so don’t worry. They’ll heal up quickly.

“...That’s a relief.”  
Si-hyun let out a sigh of relief.

If it was a C-rank from the Wings Guild, it meant either Jihan or Hankyul.  
Since she referred to them as ‘the kids,’ Hankyul would also be included.  
Since it wasn’t a big deal, that was good news.

- I was wondering if you could come along to the dungeon.

“Go to the dungeon together?”  
- Yeah! I want to get the D-rank kids accustomed to the C-rank dungeon. I thought about who to ask, and you seemed the most reliable!

“...Heh.”  
The most reliable...

Si-hyun rubbed her cheek with the hand not holding the phone.  
She felt a slight warmth in her cheeks, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

- It’s okay if you just watch from behind! Just make sure the kids don’t get hurt. How about it?

“Are you asking me to ensure safety while they fight?”  
- Exactly! That’s right! If it doesn’t suit you, you can scold the kids. How does that sound?

“Hmm...”  
After Dayeong finished explaining, Si-hyun fell into thought for a moment.

In the end, the key was not Jihan and Hankyul, but the D-rank kids who would be involved as well.  
Taking responsibility for their safety while tackling a C-rank dungeon.

*Isn’t that easy?*  
From Si-hyun's perspective, it was hardly a difficult task.  
Above all, it was a chance to observe the skills of several active D-rank hunters.

It would also provide good examples for comparison with the students.  
Since the items she had ordered were not cheap, saving on labor costs wasn’t a bad idea.

Si-hyun made her decision.

“Okay. When can I help you?”  
- Good thinking! If you have a busy schedule, can you send me a message? We need to book the dungeon too, so I’ll contact you again once we have a set date.

The two of them briefly adjusted their schedules.  
Once the call ended, and feeling pleased with the conversation, Si-hyun was checking her plans.

A new message arrived on her phone.  
Unconsciously checking the screen, Si-hyun quickly ran to the front door.

She opened the door and looked outside.  
There was a silver poly bag, the delivery package, on the ground.

Quickly grabbing the bag, Si-hyun returned to the living room.  
She plopped down on the floor and ripped open the packaging.

“Oh...”  
She pushed aside a thank-you print resembling handwriting and some candy.  
Si-hyun took out the clothes from the package.

The distinct smell of new clothes lightly tickled her nose.  
Black dolphin pants.

Since she bought several colors at once, she could mix and match!  
Si-hyun giddily changed into the new clothes.

Until now, except when sleeping, she had been wearing the most comfortable pants available among her outdoor clothes.  
She had been wearing T-shirts as usual.  
Now, she could be even more comfortable at home.

After changing into the new pants, Si-hyun immediately stood in front of the mirror.  
She turned her waist and observed her reflection in the mirror.

“Um, doesn’t it look good...? Hehe...”  
She chuckled to herself, getting lost in admiration.

Trying poses she had seen in photos online, she soon shyly blushed and stepped back from the mirror.

*Ahem...!*

Next, it was time to check the fit!

Si-hyun leapt onto the sofa.  
Her bare legs, including her thighs, softly pressed against the sofa.

Even though the pants she had been wearing were comfortable, they were still long pants.  
There was definitely some hindrance while moving around.

But now, there was nothing like that. It was incredibly comfortable.  
With a satisfied smile, Si-hyun picked up her phone.

She planned to continue watching the manga about the Dry Fish Woman.  

Lying face down on the sofa, Si-hyun immersed herself in the manga.

Just then, on the day of her broadcast break, Si-yoon, who had been lounging on her bed, came into the living room.  
Feeling bored, she thought about watching TV with her sister.

Naturally, she glanced at the clothes scattered on the living room floor.  
Then she looked up at her sister.

Dressed in her new pants, Si-hyun seemed to be in a good mood as she swayed her legs and was engrossed in her phone.

The corners of Si-yoon’s mouth curved up in a sly smile.