Book 23 Chapter 15

The Dazzling Transformation Technique of Hyoryong and Janghong

―Let's cross-dress Yoon Junho!

"I, I'm not a girl?"

This was the first thing Yoon Junho said, his face blushing shyly, after hearing the whole story. Janghong and Hyoryong gave him a thumbs-up for his exceedingly cute appearance—which had become even more outstanding recently. They figured he'd be perfectly convincing in drag. Hyoryong was desperate because if he failed to persuade Yoon Junho, he'd have to cross-dress himself to participate.

"We all know you're a fine man. So, for the sake of our friendship, please cross-dress! Don't we need to help the young ladies in distress? That too is the duty of a fine man."

"Is, is that so?"

Yoon Junho was weak to the words "duty of a man" and "loyalty." Seeing his chance, Hyoryong nodded vigorously.

"Of course, of course!"

"B-but cross-dressing…"

For Yoon Junho, who was always bothered by his lack of masculine traits, it wasn't something he was keen on. Moreover, the logic that he had to cross-dress as a duty of a man was too strange.

"Didn't Buddha say, 'If I don't enter hell, who will!' Now, all we have is you, Junho!"

Hyoryong persuaded Yoon Junho in an impassioned tone.

"Um… This is the first I'm hearing of Buddha cross-dressing?"

Yoon Junho retorted with a bewildered expression.

"Hmph, don't sweat the small stuff. Come on, trust us! It'll be over in a flash!"

Hearing that, Yoon Junho felt even less inclined to trust them.

"R-really?"

And Yoon Junho would soon regret uttering those words.

"Hehehe, now, stay still. No need to fuss."

"Why, why are you doing this, Hyoryong!"

Yoon Junho backed away with a pale face.

"It's okay, it's okay. Just trust this oppa. This oppa will handle everything."

Janghong, with his sparsely bearded face, interjected from the side. The two men gradually moved forward, and Yoon Junho gradually retreated.

Thump!

His back hit the cold wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.

"Hehehe. Now, now, listen obediently. We won't be rough."

"It, it feels plenty rough already…"

Yoon Junho said in a trembling voice.

"Don't worry. I told you earlier, just trust us!"

Instead of feeling reassured, Yoon Junho felt his purity was threatened.

"Come on, then take it off."

Hyoryong said, moving closer.

"Th-this, why are you doing this!"

Yoon Junho cried out, clutching his chest.

"Here, take that off and change into this. Easy, right? Then it'll all be over. In the blink of an eye."

Hyoryong whispered in a cooing voice.

"D-do we really have to?"

"Yes!"

The two nodded simultaneously. Yoon Junho, completely resigned, slowly closed his eyes. As if he no longer wanted to see what was about to happen.

Flash!

Janghong and Hyoryong, their eyes glinting wickedly as they looked at each other, quickly got to work.

Outside the room where the desperate commotion was unfolding, three people waited anxiously.

It was Yeonbi, Nayerin, and Ijinseol, whose complexion was still pale from not having recovered.

"Is it done yet?"

Ijinseol asked in an anxious voice.

"Let's wait a little longer."

Nayerin calmed Ijinseol, who was restless and fidgeting. Strange sounds kept coming from inside the room. "No," "Stop," "Kyaak," were among them. They were also uncomfortable sounds to hear.

Creeak!

Just then, the door opened, and Janghong and Hyoryong emerged, looking exhausted.

"Is it over?"

Ijinseol, the most impatient, shot up from her seat and asked.

"It's over."

Hyoryong sighed deeply and nodded.

"But why isn't anyone coming out?"

Three people went in, but only two came out.

"Ah, they're just embarrassed. It's nothing special."

Janghong and Hyoryong went to either side of the open door and shouted in unison.

"Now, allow me to introduce! Miss Yoon from the Hwasan Sect!"

As the introduction ended, someone walked out of the room. A girl with a slender figure, wearing a light pink skirt, her black hair tied up with a jade hairpin, and adorned with three plum blossoms. She had a cute rather than beautiful appearance.

"Hahaha! How is it, Jinseol? Isn't it amazing?"

Hyoryong said in a proud tone, then burst into laughter. Ijinseol's eyes widened as she scanned the cute young lady before her from head to toe.

"Wow~ It's certainly surprising. That this cute young lady is the naive young hero Yoon from the Hwasan Sect…"

That's right. This plum blossom girl was indeed the naive young hero Yoon Junho of the Hwasan Sect. Dressed in a skirt like this, her appearance was no less than that of any beautiful young lady.

"Now, you're not young hero Yoon, but Miss Yoon Mi."

Hyoryong said with a playful smile. The name sounded obviously like a pseudonym.

It was an unbelievably astonishing transformation, even for those who were present. Moreover, the makeup was perfect.

"Who did the makeup? Was it you, Hyoryong?"

Ijinseol looked at Hyoryong with suspicious eyes. It was too perfect for a man's work. That was what bothered her. Few women could achieve such perfect makeup skills.

"Ah, that wasn't me. That makeup skill is the work of Brother Jang."

At those words, Ijinseol's eyes widened.

"That dark-looking old man? No way!!"

Ijinseol cried out in shock. She couldn't help but shout to the world that it was unbelievable.

"No, it's true. Brother Jang really did it."

"Where did you get the cosmetics?"

"Ah, Brother Jang brought them, of course."

"He even brought cosmetics?"

With that level of skill, he must have had all the cosmetics currently used by women. But why would such an old man have them? Her suspicious gaze intensified towards Janghong.

Could he be a hidden pervert? Her eyes seemed to say so.

"Ahem, I just learned it because I needed it in the past. It's nothing special. So, please stop looking at me like that."

Janghong protested.

"Is it that amazing?"

Hyoryong, an outsider, asked hesitantly.

"Of course. The key and skill is to make it look like you're not wearing any makeup!"

Ijinseol said, spitting as she spoke. Did she have to explain such things one by one? But she had to.

"Huh? If you're wearing makeup, why do you have to hide it as if you're not wearing any?"

Even with the explanation, Hyoryong didn't understand at all. As expected, he was as oblivious to women's culture as most men. Of course, it wasn't his fault. Knowing too much could be strange, and this was one of those cases. It's difficult for men to understand each other, let alone men and women. Overcoming cultural differences is never easy, regardless of the era.

"Ahem, ahem! Don't look at me like that, it's burdensome. It's just a crude little skill. I just helped because Hyoryong friend here is good at undressing but not dressing."

Janghong made excuses, clearing his throat repeatedly.

"Ho, is that so~"

Ijinseol looked Hyoryong up and down at Janghong's pointed remark about his talent for undressing.

"Hey, Brother Jang! Don't say things that could be misunderstood if overheard!"

"Misunderstood? What misunderstanding? It's all true."

Janghong replied, feigning ignorance. It was a petty revenge.

Then, Yeonbi, who had been quietly watching the two bicker, said something.

"Now that you mention it, I've heard something like that. People who often engage in stealth and special missions have disguise and cross-dressing as a daily routine, so they must be able to perfectly master makeup skills. They say they can transform into any person, anytime, anywhere."

Janghong seemed to flinch for a moment at her words, but then he smiled and said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I just learned it by chance. It's not such a great skill."

Janghong carefully denied it. There was no benefit to being suspected further.

"Hmm, I wonder if it was really learned by chance… With that level of skill, you must have learned it quite seriously? Or did you perhaps learn it from your wife?"

Yeonbi was surprisingly persistent. This also hit Janghong's hidden weakness. Startled by the crucial word, Janghong vehemently denied it.

"W-wife! I'm still single. Ah, wife…"

Janghong's demeanor was noticeably flustered, as if he had something to hide.

"Ho~ We'll have to see about that…"

Yeonbi finished speaking meaningfully.

"Creeak…"

For a moment, Janghong and Yeonbi's gazes locked in mid-air. It felt like a quiet spark ignited.

"Still, with this, she's a lady who won't be out of place anywhere. You did well."

Yeonbi seemed pleased with Yoon Junho's transformation. Yeonbi's thought that this could be put to use was not read by anyone.

"Thank you."

Finally, a satisfied smile appeared on Janghong's face.

"Please take care of me, Miss Yoon!"

Yeonbi approached Yoon Mi and greeted her with a smile.

"Yes, please take care of me too, uh… Miss Yeon."

Her tone and actions were impeccable for a woman.

"Don't be so formal, Miss Yeon. Just call me comfortably."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, of course, 'Unnie' (older sister)."

At those words, not only Yoon Junho but everyone's eyes widened. Strictly speaking, Yoon Junho was a senior to Yeonbi. At least outwardly.

"R-really?"

Yoon Mi stammered, visibly flustered. She hadn't expected to hear such a thing. Seeing her reaction, Yeonbi sighed and said.

"Of course, it's a joke."

It would have been stranger to take something like that seriously.

"Good. This is perfect."

Her voice was still thin, like a boy before his voice changed, so even though it sounded androgynous, it was a voice that would never be mistaken for a man's.

"I really can't recognize you. You could probably live like this forever."

Ijinseol observed Yoon Junho, no, Yoon Mi, who was more feminine and demure than herself, and commented. Then Nayerin nodded in agreement and said.

"She's definitely more feminine than you."

Nayerin also seemed quite surprised. However, she sometimes revealed the truth too directly, and truth often broke through the protective barriers of fantasy and denial, hurting people. Hearing the truthful words, Ijinseol pouted slightly, so Hyoryong had to try hard to appease her.

"Well then, we should have a toast."

Yeonbi said, raising the cup she was holding. The others also raised the cups prepared for them.

"For what?"

"Why, of course, to celebrate the formation of the 'Miss Squad (美小姐戰隊)'! For the prize money!"

"For the prize money!"

Clink!

The cups clinked together. They were all teacups filled with fragrant tea instead of alcohol.

"Well, then, since our problem of how to fill the last spot is solved, and I have some business to attend to, may I step out for a moment, Rin?"

Yeonbi asked Nayerin for permission.

"Where are you going, Yeonbi?"

"Ah, I have a brief errand. I agreed to sell some things. Today is the day the buyers are coming. I should go and wait."

It was a very diligent statement.

"What are you selling?"

"Pears!"

Yeonbi replied with a smile, as if she had nothing to hide.

"Pears?"

Nayerin asked in surprise.

"Yes, pears."

Then, she said goodbye and left through the door, her smile never fading.