I slept. I slept like I was in a trance.
I think I slept for more than 15 hours a day. The accumulated fatigue and my weakened body demanded rest from me.
Chris always stuck by my side when I was awake. She looked at me with a tender expression.
It was a bit overwhelming that she kept fiddling with my hands, though.
While living in this world as Lee Seulbi, I barely had any conversations with others. But with Chris, I naturally exchanged a few words. I gradually shared stories of my life in this world with her. She didn’t ask me any deep questions first.
Maybe it was because Chris cherished Rain. Lee Seulbi’s body didn’t show any signs of rejection toward her.
Chris didn’t send me looks of pity or compassion. Instead, she wore expressions of admiration, tenderness, and a tinge of self-reproach.
And every time she touched my hand, her eyes seemed to glaze over, giving off a strange light.
Hmm, I don’t know why that happens.
But one thing is clear: Chris cares for not just Rain of the Continent of Astria, but Lee Seulbi as well.
That tickling sensation in my chest felt nice.
Even in this colorless world, it felt like colors were starting to return, even if just a little.
I went back and forth between being awake while feeling Chris’s touch and dozing off with it.
When the IV treatment ended, I was finally able to have meals. They were soft foods like porridge that were easy to digest and swallow.
Chris asked if she could feed me, but I waved my hands and insisted on eating by myself. Chris looked a little disappointed.
“You have to have three square meals regularly.”
Chris maintained a stern stance on this matter. I had taken a few bites, feeling full, but she insisted that I needed to eat this amount to keep my strength up.
I felt a bit disgruntled, but I knew it was her caring words.
Fine.
I picked up the spoon again and continued eating. It seemed my feeling of fullness was just in my head. The porridge went down smoothly.
“Speaking of which, the kids will be here soon.”
Chris, who had been smiling brightly as she watched me eat, suddenly checked the time.
She said that Bae Merong and Cherni had come looking for me when I collapsed. Chris asked if it was alright for them to visit. I said it was fine.
They were the two people I had been playing the game with while driving the bus together. I didn’t know if Lee Seulbi’s body would react negatively to them, but as a human, I had to show my gratitude.
But how did they know where to find me?
Screech.
A short woman with a shy smile walked in, followed by a man.
I recognized their faces. Though they looked a bit different in hair color and appearance from the game, I definitely knew who was coming.
Cherni and Bae Merong.
“Uh, ahem.”
The man, avoiding my gaze while clearing his throat, must be Cherni.
I gazed at him, feeling like I had seen him somewhere before, and then suddenly realized.
“Oh, the convenience store part-timer.”
One question of mine was answered. I figured out why they were able to come find me.
Chris’s junior, Cherni. He was the young man who worked part-time at the convenience store near where I used to live.
We had known each other for about three months, as customer and part-timer. Of course, I was the only one picking things up, and he just rang up my purchases.
“Sorry!”
Cherni suddenly bowed his head and apologized to me.
I tilted my head in confusion.
Why is he apologizing? I should be the one thanking him!
“Um… It’s just that seeing you again brings back some feelings. If we had never crossed paths before, I wouldn’t have known. But we met again in the game, and, um, I felt really bad about not asking first before visiting! I’m sorry for being a stalker!”
“Ah.”
He was babbling, but basically, he was saying he felt guilty for secretly checking up on me.
It’s a bit awkward for me to say, but my appearance is quite pretty and unique. Plus, I use a wheelchair. It’s hard to forget someone after seeing them just once.
I had used the same appearance in Astria Online. He probably recognized me immediately when he saw Rain since I was a frequent customer at the convenience store. Of course, it would have been difficult for him to act like he knew me, though.
But knowing that his senior cares about me, it must have been tough for him to ignore somebody who was not only disabled but also in a difficult living situation.
Caught in a dilemma. He must have thought about it a lot.
I smiled slightly.
“It’s okay. Thank you so much.”
Cherni, the convenience store part-timer.
This was the first tiny connection that “Lee Seulbi” had in this world.
Thanks to him, Chris was able to come visit me. I’m grateful to him.
I expressed my heartfelt gratitude.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
While I was talking with Cherni, Bae Merong had approached and cleared her throat a few times.
Seeing her cute face up close, I could tell for sure that she was the Bae Merong from Astria Online.
However, the title was a problem.
Since Chris is older than “Lee Seulbi,” she would definitely be an older sister here.
Bae Merong was in a grey area. Rain from the Continent of Astria had called her “sister” without any hesitation, while according to Lee Seulbi’s registration, Bae Merong was the same age as me, having just turned an adult.
It felt like they set that up loosely since being a minor might have limitations in living independently. Well, whether it’s their goddess or our goddess, it all seems to be a little vague.
So by paperwork, I’m a nameless adult, but what about in reality?
Defining my age is quite difficult.
I’m just a soul that died in the modern world, shoved into the body of a newly created little girl. At this point, it’s ambiguous whether I can genuinely refer to myself as ‘me’ including my past life.
Should the subject of ‘me’ follow the memories etched in my soul? Or should it follow the body recognized by my brain? This is clearly a problem that cannot be easily concluded. After all, I’m probably the only one in this world with memories of a past life.
When the body first became that of a young girl, I did experience a strong identity crisis. But now, after some time has passed, I’ve perfectly adapted to this body and brain.
If I had to guess, the previous body’s age was around six or seven? It’s been a little over ten years since then, so I could be around seventeen or eighteen in reality. Though this body hasn’t matured much.
Oh whatever. My head is spinning.
I decided to just go with what Rain called her. Bae Merong liked that too.
“Bae Merong Unni.”
“Wow…!”
Bae Merong’s face turned bright with emotion. Her trembling hands hovered tentatively, unsure of whether to come towards me.
I gently took her lost hand.
I didn’t feel any aversion. Just like Rain, Lee Seulbi’s body was expressing that this person was okay.
Bae Merong held my hand tightly, revealing her name to me.
“I’m Namdayeon.”
“Dayeon Unni.”
“Kyaaa!”
“Hey, hey! Namdayeon! Rain is still a patient!”
I was caught in the grip of Bae Merong’s piercing scream. Chris, whose expression grew displeased, peeled Bae Merong away from me and scolded her.
I chuckled at their ruckus.
*
“Now that your body has recovered somewhat, you should get a thorough examination today. Rain doesn’t want to keep feeling unwell, right?”
“Yes. I’ll get examined.”
After Bae Merong and Cherni left, Chris urged me to undergo a thorough examination.
It seemed best to entrust my body to Chris while I was at the hospital. I could accept her kindness gladly. Since we were playing the game together, I had a way to repay her.
To do that, I needed to get healthy quickly. I had learned the hard way that neglecting my body’s condition could lead to worse outcomes.
“But I’m worried about the hospital fees. I can’t earn money while I’m admitted.”
There is some welfare support, but it won’t cover everything. A single-occupancy room is pretty expensive too.
“Right now, just focus on recovering your health. You can depend on me for a while. I’ve already completed the guardian application procedures.”
“I’ve ended up in debt….”
It seems Chris has been taking care of various costs and procedures. While I have some savings to pay off the money, I’ve acquired a huge emotional debt. How do I repay this?
Chris smirked mischievously.
“I’m going to recover it in various ways, so don’t think that you’re getting this for free? Haha.”
“Uh oh….”
She’s going to recover it in various ways?
That phrase reminded me of a terrible urban legend about someone trapped in a capsule, forced to earn money for years in virtual reality.
Of course, Chris wouldn’t do that to me, but it really is a scary story.
I must never go into debt.
I moved to the examination room. Chris carefully pushed my wheelchair from behind.
My body condition was something that needed to be checked.
What kind of examinations would I undergo? With the medical advancements in this world, how much could they understand about the human body and brain?
They said I had to go through the exam to identify the fundamental causes of my condition to treat it, so I definitely needed to take it. I didn’t want to collapse again.
Arriving at the examination room, my wheelchair was parked in front of a long medical bed. It looks like they would conduct various tests using this cylindrical machine.
As I tried to gather strength in my arms to transfer to the bed, Chris’s hand approached.
Swipe.
“Ah.”
Chris’s hand gently wrapped around my back and supported me beneath my knees.
I ended up being cradled in her arms.
Her touch felt nice.
I closed my eyes and entrusted my body to her.
“Ugh…!”
Chris made a strange sound. I felt a slight tremor from her arms wrapped around me.
My body shouldn’t be that heavy, but I hope she doesn’t overexert herself.
Carefully moved while cradled by Chris, I was laid on the medical bed, and Chris, now with dazed eyes, muttered something as she stepped out of the examination room.
“1% recovery….”
“Huh?”
What could that mean?
I set aside my slight curiosity and laid quietly to begin the examination.
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