Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 58

The musical stadium, where business hours had ended,
stood brightly lit with colorful lights, and a fountain shone as it reflected the city lights.
Jua-Young stared at her reflection in the water, adjusting her bangs and checking for wrinkles in her clothes.
She looked like she was preparing for a date, busy with making sure everything was perfect.
As usual, a man approached her.

"I don’t usually say this to someone I just met, but—"
"I have someone I’m seeing."
"Ah."

The rejected man dropped his shoulders and walked off, disappearing into the night.

‘I’d rather have my sister’s attention than some guy’s.’

Jua-Young pouted, feeling a little frustrated.
Her older sister, always distant and never reaching out first, often left her with no messages for days.
Whenever she started feeling insecure about whether her sister really liked her,
she couldn’t help but feel upset and want to hit something.
At that moment, the fountain caught her eye.
She felt like she could flick her thumb at it, using the pressure from her middle finger, as if letting off steam.

"Eh?"

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and pulled her arm back.

Whoosh
Splashhh

The water, which had calmed for a moment, erupted even more forcefully, soaking the spot where she had just reached out.

"Sis?"

[Be careful, your clothes will get wet.]

"I’m going to do this often from now on. Do you know how excited I was just now?"

Ha Eun-eung, whom Jua-Young hadn’t seen in a while,
still appeared as calm, beautiful, and elegant as ever.

Flip.

Even at her sister’s honest praise,
Ha Eun-eung turned her head, as if telling her not to be foolish.

"I’m serious..."

For a moment, Jua-Young pouted and complained.
Then, naturally, she clung to Ha Eun-eung’s arm, folding her arms tightly around it.

"I came prepared today. I’m not letting you go home until I’ve got you a full outfit."

[Please be patient.]

"What should we do? Should I just watch you? Hehe. If you want to go home early, you’ll have to behave well today. Understand?"

It was a rare opportunity to win over her sister.
Ha Eun-eung didn’t mind Jua-Young’s enthusiasm.

"Tada! How’s the atmosphere of this store?"

Jua-Young, who had enthusiastically picked out clothes, believed that Ha Eun-eung could pull off any outfit from this store, with her impeccable figure.
However, Ha Eun-eung gave her an unexpected response.

[It’s too thin, I don’t like it.]

"What? Can’t you think about it again? You have such a great figure. I’m sure you’d look like a fashion model wearing it, right?"

The clothing store Jua-Young introduced wasn’t bad, even in Ha Eun-eung’s eyes.
Her aesthetic sense, honed through years of experience in Hawo Moon’s courtesan training and the royal palace’s concubine training,
allowed her to evaluate the beauty of clothes, even when it wasn’t something she had initially wanted.

‘Especially, I now know which clothes don’t work with my body.’

Thin clothes, such as those with translucent or revealing material, were the worst.
For a while, she hadn’t thought about it, but after coming to this store,
she remembered the one thing she could never forget.

[Golden Rule]
[Permanently Tattooed (Lower Abdomen)] – A permanent womb tattoo is engraved on your lower abdomen.

When she used her internal energy, the tattoo glowed purple,
a secret she never wanted anyone to know.

‘It wasn’t a secret in the martial world, though.’

The day the Hawo Moon leader, who had been so determined to train her into the world’s greatest beauty,
first saw her naked body to check for stretch marks or any imperfections,
he was so shocked.
As a disciple of the Hae Nam Sect,
it was impossible for her to have a tattoo, yet there it was—prominently etched on her lower abdomen.
The harsh Hawo Moon leader, who had never shown her sympathy before,
showed her a hint of kindness.

"How did this tattoo come to be? You don’t remember? How about before joining Hae Nam Sect? You don’t even remember that?"
When she was taken into the Hae Nam Sect shortly after being abandoned by the Martial World,
there was no way she could remember anything from before that.
But she couldn’t speak of her real-world life either, as it would only result in her being considered crazy.
So, the Hawo Moon leader, who had filled in the gaps of her life with his own imagination,
became her protector, ensuring she was shielded from the unjust oppression in the sect.
He declared that she was a candidate for his successor.

‘At that time, I thought it was a fake kindness, but looking back now, I feel differently.’

The Hawo Moon leader had forced her to join the Hawo Moon Sect,
but despite that, he always watched over her and protected her,
even from the cruel, sinister forces within.
Looking back, she could feel the sincerity in his actions.

‘With time, even the hellish days can start to look different.’

In the real world, she had lost her family,
and in the martial world, she had been torn apart from what she considered another family—Hae Nam Sect—driven by revenge and hatred.
The Ha Eun-eung of the past, the one who had been filled with youthful rage,
was now much more mature, even if her physical age remained the same.
She had grown three times as an adult:
as a man, as a martial artist, and now, as a returnee.

But suddenly, she thought,

‘Perhaps this is the first time I’ve truly become an adult.’

With this grown-up realization,
as Ha Eun-eung emerged from the fitting room, she was greeted by Jua-Young's exuberant praise.

"Wow! I was right, wasn’t I? You look perfect in this! Sis, you look so pretty. I want to try pastels on you next, so please try this on next time!"

Jua-Young’s endless compliments and her already finished outfit sets filled the automated rails with more outfits for her to try on.

[Wasn’t it 7 sets before?]

"How can I not want to put you in more clothes! I paid extra for two more sets, so try them on quickly, sis. Okay?"

If she had to constantly change clothes without paying attention to the clerk’s look,
she could have at least used the excuse that it was because of the store assistant’s gaze.
But, with the automated rails bringing the outfits with just a few button clicks,
even someone as powerful as Ha Eun-eung couldn’t escape.

‘I’m grateful that they recommend longer, thicker clothes according to my preferences.’

But when so many outfits start piling up,
it turns into more of a battle against fatigue than a shopping experience.
She hadn’t been this tired in a fight against Youkai.
Perhaps because she was physically worn out,
Ha Eun-eung kept recalling memories of the past.

"I’m here to assist you, Lady Ha Eun-eung, as part of your inner circle."
"These clothes are sufficient. I don’t expect you to follow palace etiquette, but I will not tolerate such shabby garments."
"I’m glad you like the pink cheongsam, but you should wear something more fitting for a palace, like this proper gown in the red, black, and white colors."
She had once been criticized for not being able to wear the proper palace attire,
with the meticulous court ladies, like Choi Hee, who checked every detail.
Jua-Young’s clothes shopping didn’t feel like much compared to those strict days.

"Sorry, sis. Was I too excited?"

[No, I’m fine.]

"Great! If you’re tired, we can stop and grab some night snacks. I’ll just pick three more outfits for you!"

Is this what it felt like being a personal stylist?
Ha Eun-eung’s steps toward the fitting room became heavier.

When the clothes shopping began,
Jua-Young was a little frustrated.

"Not this one either?"

[Sorry.]

For some reason, Ha Eun-eung kept rejecting all the clothes Jua-Young had carefully picked out,
without even trying them on.
After about ten minutes of not even trying on a single piece,
Jua-Young’s lips puffed out in irritation.

"Sis, which clothes exactly don’t work for you?"

[Anything too thin or short is a no-go.]

"Then what about this sweater? Feel it."

[It’s too revealing, I can’t wear it.]

"So, it has to be thick, covering the whole body, with no skin showing, huh?"

Ha Eun-eung nodded.
Jua-Young’s face fell in disappointment as she hung up the rejected clothes.

"I should’ve noticed when you wore historical drama costumes as everyday wear. Sis, you’re really conservative, you know? No one in the Joseon Dynasty palace would have been as strict as you. You’re a complete Confucian girl."
"..."
"Well, it’s your choice, so I’ll respect that. Today, I’m picking out clothes for you, so I should get it right. How about this one?"

It was a navy blue v-neck sweater,
thick material, with a slightly dark color that made it unappealing.
It wasn’t something she would normally even look at,
but despite everything, Ha Eun-eung ended up trying it on, surprising Jua-Young.

"Will it suit me?"

Ha Eun-eung’s usual warrior clothes were similar in their dull colors and heavy feel,
but her beauty and the atmosphere she exuded turned them into part of her unique fashion sense.

‘But I’m not sure if the historical drama style will work with my look now.’

After a brief pause,
the fitting room display changed from <Changing> to <Done>,
and Ha Eun-eung stepped out, walking out hesitantly, adjusting the new clothes.

"Wow."

She seemed so self-conscious, constantly looking down at her stomach,
unable to get used to the unfamiliar outfit.
Even that awkwardness,
combined with the oversized fit and the v-neck,
gave her the look of a girl who had borrowed an adult’s clothes—
a strange, subtle sense of innocence.

"Sis, try this one too."

Jua-Young handed her beige wide-legged pants to match the navy top.
The historical drama girl image seemed to fade,
as Ha Eun-eung’s charm in the wide-knit top shone through.

Slide

The sliding door opened,
and Ha Eun-eung cautiously stepped out, tugging at the hem of the pants.

"Sis, honestly, you must have worked as a model, right?"

Even with just the sweater and wide pants,
she looked like a fashion model on a shoot,
the outfit coming to life.
Her hesitant movements, as if she wanted to remove the clothes,
only added to the charm—
her looking down at the clothes, fidgeting, pressing her stomach,
and constantly pulling up the waistband.

"Heh. You shouldn’t wear it like that. You’ve pulled it too high. If you think the size is too big, just pull the waistband tighter. Like this."

Jua-Young reached out to lower the pants,
pulling the waistband down to the hips,
adjusting the position to match Ha Eun-eung’s shape.

Whoosh

Ha Eun-eung quickly pulled her hips back to avoid Jua-Young’s hand.

"Ugh. Just stay still."

Again, Jua-Young reached for her,
but Ha Eun-eung stepped back, easily dodging.

"Sis, what are you doing? If you keep running away, I can’t fix it. Are you really this shy about having someone adjust your clothes?"

Jua-Young treated her as though she were scolding a child,
and Ha Eun-eung glared at her, annoyed.
But even in her anger, her embarrassment was so visible
that it became somehow endearing.
Jua-Young didn’t feel annoyed; in fact, she found this side of her sister refreshing and fun.
Her sister, who was always cold and distant,
now showed that she could make this kind of face too.

"Ah, ah!"

Ha Eun-eung twisted her body like a mollusk,
squatted, jumped backward, spun, and dodged.
She finally managed to escape when Jua-Young had wrapped her arms around her,
catching her like a cat avoiding a bath.

"Phew, phew. Why are we going through all this? I’m just trying to adjust your waist!"

In the end, Jua-Young had to hold her tightly,
but Ha Eun-eung still looked displeased, her face pouty.

"Let’s see, your hips..."

Still holding Ha Eun-eung’s arms and waist,
Jua-Young adjusted the pants,
pulling them down to just the right spot on her hips,
until the mirror in the fitting room reflected a much better look.

"How’s this, sis?"

Ha Eun-eung looked at herself in the mirror, still frowning,
and Jua-Young realized something.

‘Wait?’

She hadn’t realized it while playing around with her sister,
but now, as they looked at each other face-to-face,
Jua-Young suddenly took notice.
She had been breathing heavily while chasing after her sister,
and now she was clinging to her from behind,
her hand sneaking into Ha Eun-eung’s sweater
to feel the soft, firm curve of her waist and hips,
not wanting to pull her hand away from the waistband.

‘Is this a little too... intimate?’

Even though they had both been using their bodies,
Ha Eun-eung maintained steady breath,
her gaze steady, as if saying, “Let me go.”
Her calmness only made the situation feel more surreal.

"What... what? Is this enough? This is the right height, isn’t it?"

Jua-Young jumped back, startled by the sudden shift in her feelings,
trying to act nonchalant, but the excitement was clear in her voice.

[Can I take it off now?]

Ha Eun-eung’s note was cheekily playful.
Jua-Young felt irritated, thinking she was the only one who was anxious.

"A~no? We still have a lot to go."

After trying on 20 sets of clothes that day,
Ha Eun-eung was finally freed from the clothes shopping ordeal.