Chapter 9

EP.9 The Bare Saint Blooms Like a Seductive Flower

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

There are various criteria by which people judge one another.

Personality,

Wealth,

Honor or achievements,

Whether someone is smart or not.

In most cases, these things don't surface immediately, so it's common to gradually learn about them as the relationship progresses.

However, there is one exception, and that is appearance.

Almost everyone primarily receives information through their eyes.

When meeting someone for the first time with no prior information, the only thing you can judge about the person is their visible appearance.

In that sense, I,

more precisely, this body, stood out more than necessary.

Sigh. I let out a deep breath.

I felt like a monkey in a zoo.

Just walking down the street, all kinds of gazes stuck to my body.

It wasn't a bad feeling.

...No, rather, it was good.

It was just a bit embarrassing to show it outwardly, at least for now.

I felt like a bare child.

There was a strange satisfaction in seeing people, who were captivated by the surface, react to my every small action.

Was there such a desire lurking inside me?

A bitter smile, which I couldn't control, spread across my face.

The vibration of the smile that slipped out seeped into my chest, creating a strange resonance.

Beauty is not as natural as one might think.

Rather, it is something that, if not carefully cultivated, will wither quickly, and it is one of the things that requires the most effort.

If a person goes even a day or two without washing, their charm based on appearance will drastically decrease.

This is even more true for women.

It's not for nothing that makeup techniques have developed over history.

But what about me now?

I didn't wash before going out,

I didn't apply any special makeup to my face,

and I wasn't wearing any particularly attention-grabbing clothes.

I was wearing a thick, outdated outfit that was inappropriate for the hot early summer weather, with not a single piece of skin exposed.

Even if I were a show-off, that would be within the internet, and I certainly don't have any exhibitionist tendencies like exposing my nipples.

That was just a mistake at the convenience store where I bought tampons.

So, I ended up wearing two layers of thick tops.

Actually, there was a way.

When I first entered this body, it was naturally wearing the equipment, or rather, the entire outfit of a 'saint.'

A flowing white nun's habit adorned with Celtic patterns.

And... garter belt, white stockings, and a lacy bra and panties with sheer sections, even though no one would see them.

A conversation from the past came to mind.

『 Saint: It's common sense for nuns to wear sexy underwear, right?

Bald is a symbol of virility: This is totally a walking YASU. 』

...

What was I like in the past?

Anyway, wearing such things in real life is embarrassing, even for me.

Even if no one would see, the act of wearing them was a different matter.

It was better to sweat in outdated clothes like now.

Despite this, the attention kept coming.

The physical elements of this incredibly seductive body were so perfect that they could transform even the most indifferent fashion critic's design.

Even if someone called it vanity, there was no real way to refute it.

However, I didn't have the luxury to care about such petty remarks.

Broadly speaking, if you just broaden your perspective a bit, everyone is a person with eyes, nose, and mouth intact.

Whether it's me now,

or me in the past,

or the pimply man in front of me, whose face is as red as a carrot, glancing at my face and chest,

we are all the same humans.

However, just as no one would say that the color of coal and the luster of obsidian are the same,

no one would say that the me who could barely be recognized as black in the past and the me who is now blindingly bright are the same, just because we are of the same species.

No one would say that we have the same value as humans.

There were many such thoughts, but in summary, that was it.

The saint is beautiful.

I became a saint.

Therefore,

I am beautiful.

"Yes, so it's out of stock and can't be found anywhere!"

The pimply man's voice cracked at the "can't be found anywhere" part.

He was holding a box-shaped object that could be carried with both hands.

He must have been incredibly embarrassed, as his carrot-red face had now turned a deep crimson.

He continued speaking.

"Whether it's for gaming, streaming, vocals, instruments, podcasts, or any other job that requires a microphone, it boasts the best sound quality, low power consumption, and a price that's definitely cheap for its performance..."

His passionate speech was a bit tiring.

All I wanted was a cheap microphone.

I asked for confirmation.

"So, that's... 20,000 won?"

The pimply man's face stiffened for a moment.

A slight tension.

In the past, I would have missed such a minor movement,

but the 'saint' sees through everything.

Even without the superhuman reflexes and concentration of the saint's body, I would have noticed that the 20,000 won price for the microphone was a lie.

Even if he exaggerated like a typical computer store employee,

just looking at the label on the box, one could guess it was worth at least 300,000 won.

Or rather, it was written there.

Suggested retail price: 298,000 won.

Noticing my gaze, the man rubbed out one of the zeros with his fingernail.

...Where is the 298,000 won?

"Yes! I'm giving it to you at a discount!"

"Really?"

"Of course!"

He didn't need to stiffen up like a new recruit receiving orders from a senior.

I laughed at his reaction.

He trembled like he had been struck by lightning.

He's like a character from a Disney movie.

What a responsive person.

He's not a corporate spy trying to ruin the store, but there was a reason he was trying so hard to sell me the microphone at a lower price.

I had decided to buy a microphone.

To explain in more detail, after being demoted to Yellow 2...

Thinking about it now, it still makes me angry.

Me, a Yellow 2?

Anyway, after the demotion and various arguments with viewers, I received a 100,000 won donation from 'Sekaiichi Bang.'

I took that as an opportunity. Since I had become this body, and the damn keyboard had its limits in explaining yesterday's game, I decided to at least let my voice be heard on the stream.

However, there was a problem.

The 100,000 won from 'Sekaiichi Bang' wasn't my money yet.

The platform's donation settlement required some time.

So, I wanted to buy a microphone, but I had no money.

The only money I had was 22,000 won left after ordering pizza with money from Upbit—damn Ethereum.

But, there are cheap things in the world as well as expensive ones.

What good would it do for a beginner streamer like me to use expensive equipment?

So, I roughly withdrew some cash, went to a nearby office supply store, and asked if they had a 20,000 won microphone.

The man, who could have been an employee or the owner, had been staring at me since I entered the store, and he returned with the 298,000 (0) won microphone.

"Um..."

"Please! Take it! I can't pay the store rent because I don't have 20,000 won!"

That doesn't make sense.

...

But, I could understand to some extent.

His dazed eyes, flushed skin, and the emotions in his gaze clearly revealed the reason for his actions.

Since ancient times, beauty itself has been an object of exchange and plunder.

It has the power to be traded for various values in the world.

I, as a man, knew very well that men would do anything to win the favor of a woman they desire.

I knew it very well, to the point of feeling it in my bones.

If he wants to be taken advantage of so badly, it's not good to dig too deep into the truth.

...A seductive flower?

Oh, it's fine.

"Then... here you go."

I handed him two crumpled bills.

He placed the box on the counter and extended his hand politely.

Anyone watching would think he was greeting King Sejong twice.

As he reached for the bills, he tried to twist his wrist to touch my fingertips.

However,

this body recognized even the slightest movement.

It must be a pity for him.

I instinctively pulled my hand away, foiling his attempt.

"..."

"..."

A moment of silence.

I froze, and he froze.

The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the space.

...

Sigh.

It's not like it's going to wear out, but it's expensive to be treated like this.

I handed him the bills, shook his hand, and shook it up and down.

Eh, eh? The man's body froze in a different way.

Just for a handshake.

I played with his shaking hand a few times and then let it go, but he didn't snap out of it.

"Thank you. I'll use it well."

I left the store with the box.

***

"So, as you can see here, the mage used Meteor Shower. It's clearly a bad judgment. The tank is already stuck to the healer, so the front line has been broken, and the enemy is already in the back row."

[ ㅇㅇ ]

[ Yes ]

[ Listening well ]

[ Eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die...eye...na...na...die... ]

[ The healer did well ㅇㅇ ]

[ Now I see, the front line is a moron ]

[ Look at what the Red team's warrior is doing ]

[ It's harder to fail a parry in that situation ]

"Using a large-scale spell like that, which takes a few minutes to cast, is clearly impractical. It's too easy to be interrupted. Of course, if it had been cast, it could have turned the tide, but it was impossible for it to be cast. It was actually canceled."

[ Ah, now I understand ]

[ Is that mage a retard? Is that what a mage looks like these days? ]

[ The healer is trying her best, but no one is helping. Am I the only one who feels heartbroken? Sister, my head hurts ㅠ ]

[ It's very cool that she didn't give up even when the game was tilted ]

[ ㅇㅇ That spirit is what creates a comeback. Yesterday was just bad luck ]

[ What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? What's with the voice? ]

[ Didn't this guy run away from the stream yesterday? What's with the re-stream with 200 people watching? ]

[ Manager!!!!!! Kill that influx of viewers ]

[ It's a Red team without Jin, so... ]

[ Kick that non-responsive guy from the stream ]

[ What's the problem? ]

"Um... Well, it's not that I didn't make any mistakes. Especially in this part, I overfilled the healing, which was a failure in managing the healing amount."

[ Isn't overfilling good? ]

[ Explanation point ]

[ I can't understand because there's no healer around ]

[ Eye... ]

[ I get what you're trying to say, but wasn't it too difficult? Especially, if the healer of Gaia's followers focuses on managing the healing amount, they keep planting weeds ]

[ It seems to be about mana distribution ㅇㅇ ]

[ What a moronic trait... How well did the streamer, who was Yellow 1, play? ]

"Yes, that's right. It's about mana distribution. Oh, a familiar nickname. Fireman Lee Hyukjin. I'm sure you called me a prostitute yesterday..."

[ ??????? ]

[ Kill that guy!!!!!!!!!!! ]

[ Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address, Hyukjin, give me your address ]

[ Where do you live??? ]

[ I'll kill that guy and go to hell too ]

[ Are you a kid or what? What's with your mouth? ]

[ Even on the internet, there are limits ㅡㅡ ]

[ No, it's a misunderstanding. How could I dare? Haha, it's all a misunderstanding ㅇㅇ ]

"That's strange, I'm sure you said that. Ah, there's a very good feature to view past chat logs. Let's see..."

『 Fireman Lee Hyukjin donated 10,000 won!

Coldman, close that window 』

"Why?"

『 A mission has been registered.

Mission: Close the window and take it

59 minutes 58 seconds remaining

Reward: 10,000 won 』

My first microphone stream was very successful.

Author's Note (Author's Afterword)

You are watching the live stream of the bare saint, the main character, in a one-tool broadcast.

While it's fun to tease, it's important to maintain the familiar taste, given the TS live stream tag...

Revised on 11/15 (Censored)