Chapter 161

“Oh, seriously, how am I supposed to wear this?”

I secretly came up to the secluded bathroom on the second floor of the pension, away from the eyes of the members, holding the swimsuit.

I looked in the mirror, bringing the swimsuit to my body a few times.

Of course, all that came out was a sigh.

“Ha-ah… I have to try it on though.”

Since I would inevitably have to wear it at least once someday, I decided to close my eyes and give it a go.

And while putting it on, I realized something.

I picked the wrong size.

“Damn it… this is way too tight, I should have gone one size up.”

Initially, I planned to try it on in-store, but because of Seo-yoon Unni and Sara Unni chattering away, I ended up buying it just based on my rough estimate and the size chart.

“Seriously, Kim Seo-yoon, you’re no help at all…”

Of course, I wasn’t saying the swimsuit was short.

The design is a skirt-style one-piece, which naturally means the fabric comes up to my thighs.

‘More than anything, I’m tall and have a good figure…’

Anyway, the problem was the constricting fabric.

It was feeling major pressure in certain areas.

“Is this supposed to be like shapewear?”

I usually prioritize comfort and natural looks rather than dressing up, so I always wear politics sizes or a size up, which meant I had never felt this kind of pressure on my chest before.

After all, the reason women wear smaller undergarments or even put in shapewear pads is to create a cleavage and look pretty.

I certainly had no intention of doing that.

“But this…”

Unfortunately, the poorly chosen swimsuit was explicitly emphasizing my lines against my will.

First, the strong wire embedded in the bust area pushed my breasts together to create a cleft line.

The shirring at the waist tightly clung to my waistline.

In other words, this swimsuit was making my waist look slimmer while accentuating my bust.

—Click!

I took out my phone and snapped a selfie.

Because I looked good.

“Wow, I need to save this.”

It’s fine since it’s just for me to see.

While posing and taking various concept shots, a very realistic problem hit my mind again.

First off, this swimsuit is well-designed.

If someone else wore it, with the right shape, it would be a pretty swimsuit with minimal exposure.

However, on me, it was uniquely emphasizing my lines.

To conclude,

“Ha, this is really not it…”

I felt so embarrassed to go outside.

I thought maybe loosening the wire would help, so I fiddled with it, but since it was an embedded band, it quickly tightened up again. Unless I wanted to ruin the outfit, there seemed to be no solution.

And then, I heard a knock.

—Knock, knock, knock.
Knock knock!

“Who is it?!”

‘How did they know I’m here?’

The one knocking was Sara Unni.

“Do-hee, when are you coming out…! Everyone is in the pool except you…!?”

Sara Unni urged me in a tone that was urgent but not at all frantic.

“Ah, just wait a minute!”

“You need to come out now…!?”

“I said I’ll be out soon!”

I really didn’t want to go out, but…

Staying put wouldn’t change anything.

So, I reluctantly stepped outside, of course wrapped in the gown I had hanging in the bathroom.

“……Ehh.”

“What, what are you looking at? Do you have a problem?!”

“……Ugh.”

But in the end, I was back at a crossroads.

To take off the gown or not to reveal my swimsuit.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Do-hee, quickly get in! It’s really nice here!”

“Yeah, our youngest, hurry up and take off that gown! The unnis are here to play with you!”

With everyone’s attention focused on me, I naturally laid down on a beach chair in front of the pool.

“Playing in the water is for kids.”

Then I picked up the wine glass that Chae-rin Unni was holding on the table next to me.

“I just want to relax and enjoy a glass of wine today, you know? Right, Chae-rin Unni?”

If it were Chae-rin Unni, she’d understand my desperate look.

“Uh, no. Go play with the kids.”

And before I knew it, the unnis who jumped out of the pool quickly subdued me.

“Hey, hold onto Do-hee’s arms! Let’s splash her!”

“Yeah, what are you, a drink?!”

In a moment of urgency, I cursed, promising myself I wouldn’t do it again.

“Ah, get lost! I’m not swimming!”

“Whoa, Do-hee just cursed!”

“Wow, I’ve never seen her curse before! Hey, do it again!”

Their reactions only intensified.

“I won’t curse, I won’t curse!!”

“Forget that, help me get this off!”

“Ah, what?! What are you even trying to take off, are you crazy?!”

In the end, my gown was snatched away.

And the members’ mouths dropped open in surprise.

“Holy… it’s bigger than Hana Unni’s…”

“I’ve never seen anything like this in real life. Seriously, Hana Kwon’s hot girl title should be revoked.”

“Hey, I’m not losing either! Look! Look! What are you guys so great at!!”

gulp

“Ugh, seriously, just because my chest is plumped up like this…”

Kim Seo-yoon, you crazy girl.

And whose swallowing sound was that?

“Forget it, just come join us! Let’s play!”

I decided to act nonchalant and entered the hot tub, so I wouldn’t seem embarrassed.

Reacting would just get me mocked.

“Hey, her face is turning into a tomato again.”

“It’s just… it’s hot, okay!?”
In the photos I checked later, there I was, my head poking out of the spa pool.

*

It was already past 3 AM.

The members, tired after playing drinking games and board games, had gone to their rooms one by one, but I was still wide awake, kicking my blanket.

“Ugh!”

With my mind becoming clearer, I decided to get up.

I knew that forcing my eyes shut in this situation would only lead to more kicking.

So, I threw on my long padded coat and headed for the balcony.

Like when I was forcibly serving in the military in my past life, I thought maybe taking in the night sky and stars might help me fall asleep this time too.

‘Winter stars are pretty… It’s probably clearer in the countryside.’

When I reached the balcony, I was slightly surprised and took a step back.

“Whoa, you scared me!”

There was someone else there.

“Oh… it’s Do-hee! Hehe.”

Ye-eun Unni, with a flushed face, was crouched on the balcony floor, grinning at me.

“What are you doing here, Unni?”

“Um, I just got a bit warm… So I was just getting some fresh air…”

“Warm? But…”

Sure, the pension was warm inside, but it wasn’t warm enough to say I was hot.

Then I noticed an empty beer can at her feet.

“Wait, did you drink this, Unni?”

Ye-eun Unni looked flustered.

“Uh…? No?”

I thought her red face was from the cold, but now it was clear it was from the alcohol.

“I, I didn’t drink!”

“Then what’s this?”

I picked up the empty beer can and showed it to her.

“Uh? Caught!”

“Are you really an idiot?”

Only then did Ye-eun Unni sulk and stammer a defense.

“But everyone else drinks… They have fun playing drinking games… and they won’t let me drink… So I was curious…”

Well, it’s understandable; Ye-eun Unni is one to follow whatever the older girls do.

“But you won’t let me drink either.”

“You’re still just a baby! You’re a first-year in high school!”

Do I really have to be treated like a kid by her too?

“Then you’re not a baby?”

“Look, look at this! You’re using informal speech! Like, it’s every day!!”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

I guess I sometimes use it without realizing.

It seems Ye-eun Unni has a bit of a childish personality, so that makes sense.

“But it doesn’t taste good… Why do you drink this?”
“… Why are you drinking this?”

“It’s going to taste good once you drink it. Anyway, it’s late, so let’s just go inside and sleep.”

Kim Ye-eun Unni smiled brightly, her voice laced with cuteness.

“I don’t know! I can’t sleep!”

‘I guess I’ll have to be careful later.’

It’s the kind of drink the boys would love.

But then again, her face is pretty.

“When you usually lie down, you go to sleep right away. Hurry up and let’s sleep, okay?”

“I don’t know… but today was so much fun!”

“Yeah, yeah, it was fun, but let’s go to the living room first. It’s cold here, and you can’t catch a cold. You’re a popular star, right?”

“Mmm… is that so?”

“Of course! You’re the most popular member in Seven, Park Ye-eun.”

“That makes sense…!”

Sigh…

“Okay, okay, let’s just go in.”

I helped Kim Ye-eun Unni to her feet and moved her to the living room.

After sitting on the couch for a while, she became excited and then started to whimper.

“I’m suddenly sad…”

“Why now?”

“I didn’t go see my family today because it’s a break… and with the members all together like this… it hits me that there’s not much time left… And after this, I’m going to be alone again…”

“What do you mean alone? We’ll see each other at award shows, during breaks, and even while broadcasting. We can call and text too.”

That made her chuckle again.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. Now just sleep.”

Even though I told her that, she listed her feelings again.

“But sometimes I think…? If I hadn’t met Do-hee, what would I be doing right now?”

“You would have been doing something.”

With that face of hers.

“I probably would have just been envious… of the Unnis on TV.”

Sigh…

“You’re the emotional drunk type, aren’t you?”

“That’s why I’m thankful to Do-hee… Even when I get tired and worn out… she always lets me know…”

Thank goodness it was dark around us.

My face was probably flushed bright red from embarrassment.

“But anyway, your entertainment career is over now.”

I made a joke to ease the awkwardness.

“… Why?”

“Drinking at your age is illegal, you know. I’m going to report you to the police. Your image will crash because of underage drinking!”

“Oh… really?”

“Yep, so just sleep. Oh, sleep.”

Then she started to cry again.

“Ah, I was just kidding, just kidding!”

“Sniff… Is that true?”

“Yep, so now just sleep already.”

“You… I really hate you!”

“When you want to drink with me later…”

She cried even more.

“Ah Unni, I’m sorry. Let’s stop crying, okay?”

I’m going crazy, really.

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