A Lewd Sketch Artist in a Gender-Reversed World - Chapter 101

Chapter 101 : Transaction

For now, I started by driving in the nail.

[hala: Just to be clear, that character you mentioned earlier is a no-go.]

The other party’s intentions were obvious.

Since my avatar wasn’t used in the manga, they probably thought they could commission some explicit art to get what they wanted.

Their intentions were as transparent as Eunbyeol’s chewing gum.

But I’m not someone who would just sit back and watch.

I didn’t care about other characters, but I absolutely didn’t want to see my avatar being used in that way, not even if my life depended on it.

“How the hell would I even draw that…”

For starters, I was too overwhelmed by embarrassment and self-loathing to even attempt it.

Even with Eunbyeol, it was slightly less embarrassing because I was the one in control.

But if “qwer1” commissions it?

Judging by my first impression, I’d probably end up being 100% on the receiving end.

Me, Se-won, a real man.

I don’t draw that kind of disgusting stuff.

[qwer1: Why not?;; This wouldn’t even affect the work, and you’d make money. Isn’t it a win-win?]

As expected, the other party immediately started venting their dissatisfaction.

They asked me in a persuasive tone, but the irritation in their words was unmistakable.

Sure, as they said, it wouldn’t affect the work, and my wallet would get a nice boost.

But this wasn’t about practicality it was about my embarrassment.

[hala: Sorry, but I have personal reasons…]

For now, I vaguely mentioned “personal reasons” before explaining further.

“Personal reasons” is practically a cheat code that works anywhere, anytime.

Once you slap “personal” on something, it’s like drawing a line that says, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

[qwer1: Pfft, last time it was “personal beliefs,” and now it’s “personal reasons”?]

But it seemed like the other party had the kind of personality that could ignore even that cheat code.

[qwer1: Come on, be honest.]

[qwer1: How much would it take?]

As expected, they tried to sway me with money, completely disregarding my feelings.

If there’s such a thing as a corrupt bourgeois, this is probably what they’d feel like. The sense of corruption made them seem even more bourgeois.

[qwer1: Would 200,000 won do it? That’s more than enough for a single commission, right?]

Right off the bat, she threw out a hefty sum of 200,000 won.

It’s a bit less than last time, but… 200,000 won for a single commission?

That’s more than double the average commission price.

But.

[hala: I’m sorry.]

My stance didn’t waver.

[qwer1: 300,000 won.]

[hala: I’m sorry.]

As I typed away, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person this was.

Who the hell can just casually throw out prices like that? Within seconds of me saying “sorry,” they raised it by 100,000 won.

That means they have the financial power to casually toss out at least 300,000 won.

[qwer1: What’s the deal that you’re rejecting even this? Be honest. Are you just holding out to get more money? This is starting to annoy me.]

[hala: No, no, it’s not that. I really can’t draw it with that character this time…]

A brief war of nerves unfolded in the chat.

It seemed like they thought I was trying to milk them for more money.

To be fair, anyone would frown if someone kept raising the price like that. Even if that wasn’t my intention.

After a moment of silence, another message came from them.

It seemed to carry a hint of contemplation.

[qwer1: …500,000 won.]

I couldn’t help but be shocked.

They raised it by 200,000 won in one go.

“What the hell?”

This wasn’t even an outsourcing job it was just a single commission for 500,000 won?

That’s way beyond the average price range. Even for outsourcing, it’s on the expensive side.

That’s enough to buy 25 chickens or eat jjajangmyeon 100 times.

To think they could so easily propose such an amount after just a few minutes of thought…

“How serious are they about this explicit stuff?”

I could see not only their wealth but also their passion.

[qwer1: That’s my final offer. 500,000 won for a single commission is more than generous.]

They were right.

This inevitably made me hesitate. If I could just endure the embarrassment and self-loathing once, I’d get a whopping 500,000 won.

Next month’s rent would be a non-issue, and I’d have more financial freedom.

My tablet has been feeling a bit old lately… Maybe I could save up and get a new one.

But.

“No, I can’t.”

I typed a response to the other party.

[hala: I’m sorry. Thank you for the offer, but I can’t fulfill this request.]

In the end, I didn’t need the money that badly. 500,000 won was tempting, but it was just that tempting.

I had enough to cover rent, and I could even indulge in some occasional chicken.

So, rather than taking the 500,000 won, I’d rather protect my mental state.

My mental health was worth more than 500,000 won.

Besides, politely declining like this looked better than greedily accepting it like some money-grubber.

[qwer1: Hmm… Fine. If you’re that firm, I’ll back off.]

Thankfully, they stopped pushing here.

After being rejected so many times, it would be strange to keep raising the price.

In an instant, a 500,000-won deal fell apart. But I didn’t feel any regret.

At least I’d made my stance clear. Maybe they realized I wasn’t just holding out for more money, as they didn’t seem too upset.

[qwer1: But can’t you at least tell me why? It’s just drawing a character, so why not?]

They were still curious, though. After going as far as offering 500,000 won and getting rejected, it’s natural they’d wonder.

I hesitated for a moment after seeing their request.

“Hmm…”

To be honest, I felt a little bad for rejecting them so many times.

Maybe it’s okay to explain a bit.

I typed a response.

[hala: It’s not a big deal… There’s just someone I know who looks like that character. So, it feels a bit uncomfortable, morally speaking…]

Of course, I wasn’t telling the whole truth.

I mixed in a bit of a lie.

I couldn’t exactly admit, “That’s me!” could I?

That would make me sound like some kind of creep.

“…”

Some time passed.

The other party didn’t respond for a while, as if they were thinking about something. It was an awkward silence.

Just when I was about to give up and browse YouTube, they replied.

[qwer1: …So you have someone you know who looks like that, and you still drew *that* kind of picture before?]

Oops.

[hala: Well… I drew it quite differently.]

I answered honestly. The avatar I drew was actually quite different from the real me.

Sure, the vibe and body shape were similar, but I added a lot of distinct details.

[qwer1: lol, sure, let’s say that.]

Thankfully, they let it slide. There was something meaningful in their “let’s say that,” but they didn’t press further.

I let out a sigh of relief internally.

“Phew, that was close.”

I almost got labeled as some shady guy who turns people he knows into explicit art.

Who in the world would do that with someone they know?

“…”

…Now that I think about it, that’s Eunbyeol.

“Suddenly, I’m pissed.”

I’ll make her do push-ups later and spank her. In that fleeting moment of mood change, Eunbyeol’s fate was sealed.

Anyway, with the matter settled, I was finally about to head to YouTube.

The rejection was clear, and we’d talked enough. It was time to part on good terms.

I could finally watch the downfall of those reckless drivers with their hoods up!

Heh, my prostate was already tingling with the thought of relaxing.

But then.

*Ding!*

The message sound rang again.

“Goddamn it.”

Let me rest.

I checked the message, cursing under my breath.

As expected, it was “qwer1” again. It seemed they still had something to say.

[qwer1: Hold on, if that character’s off-limits, I’ll just request a regular commission.]

It looked like their determination to get a commission was still alive. Since my avatar was a no-go, they were opting for regular explicit art.

I was a bit surprised.

“How serious are they about this explicit stuff?”

Their tenacity to get *something* was palpable.

Well, this time I didn’t have any reason to refuse, nor did I want to, so I nodded.

[hala: Sure, that’s fine. But… is this request similar to the one you made last time?]

[qwer1: Yup. Oh, but I’ll pay extra to accommodate your tastes ^^]

The last commission from qwer1 was a picture of Geum Taeyang tied up with ropes and being taken.

With a mix of tears and a resentful expression looking upward… From my perspective, it was a damn tough picture to draw.

It seemed they were planning to request something with the same vibe this time.

“Sigh, that’s a bit much…”

But I was prepared for this. Plus, they were offering extra money, so there was no need to outright refuse.

I asked what kind of picture they wanted.

Thankfully, it was something I could handle.

It was about the male protagonist from the S-Virus, locked up in some kind of prison. Naturally, without any clothes.

“Another restraint theme, huh.”

It seems our friend qwer1 is really into bondage.

It’s a bit sad that a rich person has such strong sadistic tendencies.

It would’ve been nice if they had masochistic tendencies like my main subscribers…

But this was a reasonable request. It was a bit off-putting, but not enough to hurt my mental state.

Living here, I’d gotten used to it to some extent.

Now, it was about the money.

I asked directly.

[hala: How much are you offering?]

I just wanted to watch YouTube. I didn’t want to beat around the bush.

[qwer1: 200,000 won.]

[hala: Hmm…]

It’s a bit less than last time.

[qwer1: Don’t be like that. 200,000 won is already a lot for a commission. Isn’t that practically a steal compared to regular commission prices?]

Fair point.

The average commission price is around 70,000 won, though it varies greatly. 200,000 won is almost three times that.

Last time was an exception.

It was my first time drawing something like that, and I kept pushing back, so they had to negotiate.

So, I decided to accept.

[hala: 220,000 won.]

[qwer1: That works.]

I added enough for a chicken.

That felt like a fair price, and more importantly, I was tired.

I just wanted to dive into YouTube.

So, I quickly wrapped up the deal.

It was a satisfactory transaction, and the price should be reasonable for them too.

Finally, I could gleefully head to YouTube.

The thought of resting made my head feel lighter.

The cozy sensation of the bed enveloped me, and stimulating videos entertained my eyes.

…Which is why I was slow to realize.

[qwer1: ^^ Please do a good job.]

Just how serious someone who’s willing to pay 500,000 won for explicit art is.

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