Since I Became a Woman, I’ll Do Cosplay

The next day.

Hayoon headed to school like any other day.

Though she should be used to it by now, the journey from waking up in the morning to heading to school felt so unbearably tiresome.

With a deep sense of gloom, Hayoon got off at the Yongsan IT High School bus stop and walked through the school gates.

How beautifully blue the autumn sky stretched endlessly without a single cloud in sight, unconcerned with the melancholy within Hayoon’s heart.

“Haaaaa…”

With her head deeply drooped, Hayoon ascended the eastern path she knew so well.

“Now, what kind of drawing should I create this time?”

Tapping the tablet’s screen with the pen tip, she began sketching out the rough draft for an all-ages-friendly illustration to post on Pixiv.

Although her submission frequency had decreased compared to before, Pixiv still remained the foundation of her career as an illustrator.

Especially with the potential threat of AI shock on the horizon, Hayoon had been consistent with embedding watermarks into her work.

Unless she got significantly busier, it seemed her regular posting schedule on Pixiv and Patreon wouldn’t change much.

“There’s no denying that Lamia ranks as a timeless bestseller.”

Soon thereafter, Hayoon’s pen began to move frantically as if possessed.

What she depicted was a Lamia monster: a being with the lower body of a snake and the upper body of a human.

It was her favorite monster species to draw, allowing customization from skin color to scales, and having weaknesses to cold or heat, among many others.

With the freedom to customize her character’s features and create the perfect situations…

What a multifunctional and versatile race this was.

“Hehehe…”

Indeed, she felt most joyful when drawing monster girls.

Soon, Hayoon was smiling cheerfully, all traces of drowsiness gone as she began sketching the rough draft of her Lamia illustration.

This time, she’d create a composition of Lamia lying in bed and invitingly revealing the blanket while claiming it was warm.

Of course, as a cold-blooded creature with her snake-based physiology, Lamia couldn’t properly heat the blanket.

Ultimately, someone else would need to come inside the blanket to warm it up.

To maximize this setup, what if she added a dialogue bubble with a line like “Warm the bed with me”?

“Ah, that sounds delicious.”

While the dialogue still needed refinement…

Just the composition alone promised plenty of visual appeal.

Through it all, as Hayoon devised the rough draft with a smile that never faded…

“First again today?”

“Ahh, Arin.”

Just as Hayoon was finishing her rough draft, Arin Choi arrived.

Incidentally, Jin Ho Do had become even less visible in the mornings as his all-night work sessions had become routine.

Though it was unfortunate, Hayoon remained supportive from afar knowing that in about a week he’d likely be able to register the platform.

“Your facial expressions keep improving. Want to show me?”

“Oh, sure.”

Arin Choi, who had gained what seemed like hundreds more dots for her virtual avatar’s face over the last few days, grinned as she displayed her updated facial states.

And this wasn’t unwarranted, for even to the non-specialist eyes of Hayoon, the virtual quality seemed quite impressive.

“Still, I think it was the right decision that I didn’t expand too much on my illustrations and had you focus on this area instead.”

“Right? Isn’t it great, I’ve become better at one more thing?”

“Yes, well done.”

Hayoon rewarded Arin Choi’s implicit request for praise with both words and a gentle hug from behind.

As a result…

“Woah, look at how soft…”

Arin Choi marveled and marveled at the soft pressure she felt on the back of her head…

Naturally unaware of Arin’s inner turmoil, Hayoon continued checking the facial expressions using her chest as an ad hoc prop.

“What happens if someone tries to interfere with it during a broadcast? Do the expressions break?”

“Ah, w-well… Since if the eyes are covered by hand, they’re basically recognized as closed, I set it that way. For 3D, you could create a ‘covering eyes’ effect, but we can’t do that in 2D, right?”

“Right?”

“That’s why… I thought that when the eyes can’t be recognized, it’s better to have them close. Just to show the viewers that the VTuber isn’t directly looking at the screen.”

“What if the bangs cover the eyes?”

“That’s… something that should be fixed without the hair rollers, anyway. Besides, isn’t it fine that VTubers aren’t judged on their physical appearance?”

“That’s true.”

Throughout this conversation about facial expressions, Hayoon inadvertently pressed against Arin’s head with her chest.

Probably due to increased intimate contact with Seohyun Hong, this effect seemed to transfer to Arin.

Whether Arin should be considered a victim or a beneficiary of this was unclear, but…

“Should I say something about this…?”

Arin Choi was deeply troubled by Hayoon’s current actions, pondering what to do.

Even between women where casual skinship might be more acceptable, pushing someone’s head with your chest was quite rare.

“Hmm…”

It was hard to casually brush this off, but staying silent was slightly uncomfortable…

After a few seconds of thought, she decided to switch the topic of conversation.

“Hey, sister, do you want to see the portfolio that came out?”

“Huh? Portfolio?”

“Yes, the cosplay book. It’s finished.”

Fortunately, Hayoon broke away first, retrieving the portfolio from her bag.

The box that Yoon Soohee had delivered to Hayoon’s room last night contained exactly this – the cosplay portfolio photographed at Studio Yoon.

Though she had taken photos for people who asked here and there, this was the first time Hayoon had helped produce a dedicated portfolio, causing Arin to feel a little awkward as she received the portfolio with a chuckle.

“Wow…”

On the first page of the portfolio was a stunning image of Hayoon dressed as a maid, trimming roses.

Her reputation as a talented model was certainly well-deserved.

Arin Choi knew she was pretty, but she never thought she could compete with Hayoon on camera.

There was something in Hayoon’s presence that naturally drew attention to her, as if she were born to model.

This magnetism was clearly captured in the portfolio’s photos, making Arin wonder how anyone could compete with a model like her.

“That’s unfair. Just how do you expect me to react when you’re the only one who’s beautiful?”

Arin shook her head as she flipped through the pages.

No matter how many times she flipped, it was page after page of Hayoon in her maid outfit.

Each shot was perfect.

They were so good that even complimenting them felt awkward for Arin, who felt increasingly tiny in comparison.

When she finally flipped to a page with her own face, Hayoon was waiting with a smile.

“Isn’t the sister prettier?”

“Huh, whaaaat?”

Hayoon seized the opportunity to start grooming.

She knew Arin was sensitive to compliments and, contrary to their first encounter, was a fairly careful person.

There was a method to Hayoon’s madness – she knew exactly when to boost Arin’s confidence.

“Honestly, the chest area was a bit lacking. To pull off outfits, they should ideally match a chest size like yours, right?”

“My chest isn’t that small! It certainly wouldn’t fit in one hand…”

“Aww, would I say something like that unless it’s true? You really did better in wearing the costumes.”

“Ugh…”

At that, Hayoon embraced Arin from behind, wiggling her fingers to hurry her along.

This time, her chest rested on Arin’s shoulder instead of the back of her head.

Arin could say nothing as she flipped to the next page, which revealed her own image…

“She does look pretty…”

“Right? Doesn’t she?”

Whether it was Hayoon’s assistance or Yoon Soohee’s excellent retouching, Arin did indeed look very beautiful.

After a light cough, Arin flipped the page once more, with Hayoon cooing in delight and complimenting her appearance all the while.

Before they knew it, it was almost time to start class.

“Senior Do’s tardiness I can understand, but why is Hong Seohyun late today?”

“Ah, Senior Hong is also very busy right now.”

“Busy? Why?”

“She needs to study for her broadcast and occasionally tweets on Bluebird while building up her debut presence.”

“Ah, I see.”

Arin nodded understandingly and got up from her seat.

“Well, here. Time to go to class.”

Stretching her arms, Arin casually handed the portfolio to Hayoon with one hand…,

“No, no, it’s fine. Mom got an extra copy made for the seniors, so I brought this one especially for you.”

“R-really?”

“Yes, it’s to commemorate your first shoot.”

“Ahah… what should I do with such a thoughtful gift…”

Instead of refusing, Hayoon waved her hands and gently placed the portfolio in Arin’s bag.

“There’s no need for thanks. I haven’t been able to look through it properly yet, so let’s take another look together during lunch break.”

“S-shall we?”

And with that, they naturally agreed to meet for lunch.

Since they hadn’t had much recent conversation due to her focus on Seohyun Hong, this was Hayoon’s way of subtly ensuring she was still cared for.

“See you later then!”

“Yes, see you later!”

As Hayoon turned to enter her classroom…

[VTuber Scarlet Photo Shoot Successful!]

[Random Box Opening Voucher has been granted!]

The long-awaited popup had finally returned.

---