NOVEL WEB Chapter 7
Hayoon carefully examined a comment that had been posted under the comment section.
– By any chance, are you into cosplay? I’ve noticed a lot of cosplayers at conventions these days. Even some booth operators occasionally cosplay.
It was a clueless comment left by Yoomisae.
└ Oh, come on, here goes Yoomisae again, full speed ahead without thinking.
└ There’s always one like her, but please don’t mind her, author…
When Hayoon refreshed the page, she saw immediate criticisms of the comment.
After all, it’s rather rude to pressure a booth operator, just because they’re female, to cosplay.
“Hmm, I did shoot an apology video with a somewhat innocent concept, but I didn’t expect such a quick reaction…”
This, in fact, tied into Hayoon’s strategic thinking.
“Hmm, if the pre-order revenue turns out well… perhaps I should cosplay as a token of gratitude?”
She knew that if she reacted this way, some people might even buy two items instead of one due to a hint of curiosity.
With this broader plan to encourage purchasing intent…
By engaging with the thoughtless joke once, a few people who were slightly hesitant, began to go a little too far.
└ ????
└ Is she really going to do it?
└ How much specifically?
“Why is everyone so persistent…?”
Hayoon had initially envisioned a picture where an oblivious Yoomisae pushed for cosplay. Then, when she acted as if she were contemplating, the users of the Girl’s War gallery would kindly say, “Oh, author, you don’t have to go through all that trouble,” and neatly resolve the issue with Yoomisae.
Instead, people were actually siding with Yoomisae and enthusiastically joining the discussion.
It was as if she’d stepped on a landmine.
└ So, how much?
└ Answer.
“Ah, shoot…”
Somehow, the atmosphere had turned into one where she might need to cosplay if she backed down at this point. If she withdrew without committing, her image might become that of an author who backs away after teasing with cosplay promises.
This was shaping into a failed strategy…
“Do I really have to do this…?”
Slurp…
Hayoon stared fixedly at the comment section after swallowing her saliva.
Truthfully, she had always wanted to try cosplay…
When she was male, there was no reason for her to do so.
Her favorite characters were female; why would she cosplay as male characters?
As for cross-dressing cosplay? She had never even considered it.
She hated catching unwanted attention from others, so she merely took photos with cosplayers at events and let it be.
But now, she’s a woman…
And she believed that people wouldn’t think too much of it if she chose to cosplay at a convention, especially because attractive cosplayers were always admired.
“Hmm…”
Still, doing it casually wouldn’t cut it.
There needed to be clear criteria.
After all, Hayoon had to record at least ten million won worth of sales in derivative products featuring her illustrations this year.
It seemed better to use this opportunity effectively.
“150?”
A perfect criterion popped into her mind right then.
150 people, that’s the number.
If 150 people buy the full package for 75,000 won, she’d cosplay.
“Normally, people tend to pick a few individual items rather than the full package.”
If one assumed that 150 people buy the full package, with pre-orders alone, she could surpass 10 million won in sales.
This seemed like a reasonable criterion to her.
“The full package, if 150 people purchase it, ha, then… cosplay… and later tonight at midnight, we’ll conduct a goods lucky draw…”
Clack, clack.
As Hayoon typed her response, the reaction from the Girl’s War users was…
└ We worship you, GOAT.
└ Got it~
They were simply joyful at the prospect that more cosplayers might mean more photos at the convention.
#
That midnight.
Hayoon entered the drawing site, ran the selection fairly, and updated her post to notify everyone of the winners.
“Hmm, if I want to turn them into solid patrons, it would be better to wrap the items nicely.”
Now, the task at hand was the packaging.
Surprisingly, many creators end up getting caught due to trashing their patrons, or hastily assembling the goods packaging or patrons’ exclusive illustrations, which led to breaking the fan base they had worked hard to build.
Something as small as simple courier packaging isn’t as trivial as it seems.
“Proper wrapping can make a patron worth 10,000 won a month—that’s 120,000 a year.”
With 10 patrons, that makes 1,200,000, and with 100, that makes 12,000,000.
Of course, not everyone would subscribe for all 12 months, but given that illustrators often lack steady income, careful attention to such little services was necessary to raise patrons’ loyalty.
“Mom, do you have some wrapping paper?”
“Huh? What wrapping paper?”
“I need some supplies to send something via courier.”
“To where? A friend?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
Upon requesting it, she found and took some cute wrapping paper and a pink ribbon from Yoon Soohee, tying it neatly and placing it inside an appropriately sized box, taping it up carefully.
“I’ll send this off now.”
“At this hour?”
“I’ll get some fresh air too, I’ll be back shortly.”
“But…”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”
Yoo Soo-hee appeared unwilling to send her barely sixteen-year-old daughter out just around midnight.
“Then, should I come with you?”
“Uh?”
“There aren’t any cookies left in the house, so Mom will come with you to the convenience store when you send off the package, okay?”
“A, yes. I understand.”
“Alright, just wait a moment, I’ll get my coat.”
Ultimately, Yoo Soo-hee, after a moment of consideration, fetched an appropriate coat, and Hayoon registered shipping information in the convenience store courier app.
‘No intention to use my real name or phone number, and just using Mom’s studio’s vague address.’
Even though Hayoon looked casual, they were quite sensitive about managing personal information.
Even when she was a man, if she had to send a package, she’d opt for a pen name rather than her real one, the phone number would be the secondary number she rarely used, and for addresses, she’d use Soohee’s studio.
Now, as a woman, she had to be even more cautious about personal information leakage.
‘No harm in being careful. Hmm…’
With this in mind, she filled in the delivery information while taking care not to expose her identity, and then moved on to the recipient’s details.
‘The winner’s nickname was certainly…’
M4 Agabang Security Guard.
Given how this person had not shared their real name in the open talk room, even as they conversed, they probably preferred to avoid showing their true identity.
Nevertheless, since they had to receive the goods, they gave a full address and phone number, while Hayoon entered the rest of the personal details as provided by M4 Agabang Security Guard.
“Mom, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Mom.”
With that, they headed out for the convenience store in their coats.
It was cold for late November, and as they descended in the elevator to the ground floor, Yoo Soo-hee instinctively linked her arm with Hayoon’s.
“Whew, it’s cold, isn’t it? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Honestly speaking…
This Soo-hee was unfamiliar to Hayoon.
The mother she remembered was closer to being a sardonic career woman.
Yet her mother’s warmth and care now felt inexplicably comforting…
‘This is nice.’
It truly was.
Maybe because she was now a daughter, she finally could enjoy these warm moments with a mother whom she felt distanced from before.
‘Even being reincarnated as a woman has its good points.’
Hayoon smiled and leaned her head slightly on Soo-hee’s arm.
Family is the best.
#
November 28th.
Just three days left before December.
“Yes, this package is mine. Yes, sorry. Yes.”
M4 Agabang Security Guard.
He entered his room in a rush after getting into trouble with his parents, logging onto the Girl’s War gallery. He began to type on his keypad.
“Ah, damn… That was stupid not to have given the artist my real name. Come on, what am I doing? Parents involved now…”
An unprecedented situation had occurred where the delivery came under a nickname that his parents discovered.
Though it was a nerve-wracking and embarrassing situation, it was also a newsgroup-worthy event.
So, setting his shame aside, he posted a thread.
– Is this the moment to post to the newsgroup?
– Such a bold lad, a persistent one…
“Still, the quality of the merchandise is definite. Do you see this? The acrylic stand size, the cushion pad fabric quality also…”
To ride the newsgroup’s second wave, he created a new thread with a review of the items.
This too entered the newsgroup smoothly, earning him his second stack.
Finally…
“From now on, I’m a passionate fan who prays for the booth’s success…”
He sealed it with a reverent post.
With that, he achieved a three-in-a-row feat in newsgroup posts.
His joy was intense, considering his monotonous school life and the stagnation of content updates in Girl’s War. Now he lived solely for community interactions. After turning off the room light and hopping into bed, M4 Agabang Security Guard rested.
Because staying awake longer might lead to more questions from his parents like, “What is this M4? And what’s this about ‘agabang guard’?”,
This was yet another act of filial impiety by M4 Agabang Security Guard, fueled by teenage bravado.
Meanwhile…
[Some fool got killed just now.]
[Why didn’t this author come to our booth?]
[Despite all that, the quality of the merchandise is impressive.]
[Isn’t the stand quality outstanding as well?]
[Give me the link for pre-orders!]
[Just bought.]
[After looking around, I also learned there’s a cosplay vow?]
While he drifted off to sleep, the three newsgroup threads spread rapidly across all Girl’s War communities.
The atmosphere initially mocked M4 Agabang Security Guard for their predicament, but soon, the quality of the merchandise crafted by Hayoon was praised. People began to post purchase confirmations, and the number of full-package purchasers skyrocketed.
It felt as if the entire universe was telling Hayoon to cosplay.