The reflection in the mirror showed me with a scrunched-up expression.
Scritch, scritch went my hand as I awkwardly scratched my cheek out of embarrassment.
With my naturally pale skin, it didn’t take long for my face to turn red when I realized it.
“This… doesn’t seem right.”
I was wearing a light monochrome dress.
The fabric was okay, and it didn’t seem too revealing, which was why I picked it.
But maybe because it hugged my body more than expected, I was acutely aware of my figure.
I should have realized when they called it ‘new city style’ that it was going to be noticeable.
A waistline that certainly drew attention below my noticeably present chest.
Yet, the curves of my hips and butt were highlighted, revealing an elegant silhouette.
With my youthful face added on, a sense of guilt bubbled up inside me.
“No way. This just won’t do.”
In the end, the monochrome dress was eliminated from the selection.
With my room filled with clothes, here I was, still stuck in my underwear.
What a cruel irony.
Since we were meeting anyway, I didn’t want to show up looking like a mess.
It was also a celebration for Gawol’s victory at the Arena, and it had been ages since I met anyone.
I didn’t plan to just throw on something like I was popping out to the convenience store in front of my house.
But perhaps it was because I always wore baggy clothes.
Or maybe it was simply that I hadn’t looked in a mirror for so long.
When I actually stood in front of the mirror dressed, the courage in my heart vanished completely.
At times like this, the only place I could lean on was the Internet.
But when I searched, nothing really resonated with me.
[Recent Search History]
……
– Casual outfit ideas
– Neat outfit ideas
– Neat outfit ideas for women
– How to dress well
– Outfit ideas for gatherings
– Women’s gathering outfit ideas
– Boyish outfit ideas
After fighting a war for more than two hours with clothes, all I had left was a horrifically messy room.
And my search algorithm was totally wrecked.
This is dangerous.
Now, everywhere I looked, clothing ads popped up.
Even on the video platform that used to be full of gaming content, channels I’d never seen before started peeking out at me.
In the fashion realm, I understood since I caused it, but why were they pushing cosmetics on me when I’d never even searched for them?
No matter what, I’m not putting on makeup.
That’s my last shred of pride as a man.
As I scrolled down slightly, a suggested video caught my eye: “If you found out the woman you love was your first love…,” what nonsense?
I fumed with a mix of dislike and disinterest, giving a thumbs down, and immediately blocked the channel.
I nearly tossed my phone away, but held back since it was an expensive item.
“I’m so annoyed, I might just go to sleep.”
I had planned to wear the clothes I bought from the shopping mall.
Well, I had bought those outfits because I liked them quite a bit.
I wouldn’t have bought them if I hadn’t planned to wear them.
But now that there were other outfits, greed kicked in.
Since these were gifts, I felt it was only right to at least try them on once.
And if I found something prettier that I liked more, I could wear that instead.
The idea itself didn’t seem wrong.
But from the moment I became self-conscious in front of the mirror, everything fell into a riddle.
The problem was that my body turned out to be more provocative than I expected.
Once, I had checked between my legs alone in the restroom.
Shudder It was eerie, a slick gap without a single petal.
Having opened up to touch the soft, plump mound, I had to acknowledge my transformation.
Wearing even slightly revealing clothes felt as strange as it did back then.
Accepting my body completely was still a challenging task.
[Current Time: 02:43 AM]
Looks like I’ve been deep in thought.
Somehow, it’s gotten really late.
In the end, I narrowed it down to two outfits. One was my original casual suit and the other was a beige knit dress that Luce had gifted me.
I tried on everything I could.
I’d decide once I woke up in the morning.
When the time came, I’d probably wear something anyway.
With a mix of subtle anxiety and hope, I fell asleep.
*
[Chat with Jeong Seok-won]
– Have you set off yet?
– We are heading out for a company dinner.
– Have fun!
– (Map: Nobel-chan Samgyeopsal & Fried Rice)
– We’ll eat here, so contact us if anything happens.
As the bus got closer to the meeting point, I received a message from the teacher.
I tried to write several messages but ended up deleting them.
With my lack of eloquence, trying to express everything I wanted felt so messy.
So, I erased everything and sent a simple thank you.
When the prize money from the tournament comes, I should send him something.
I felt a weight on my heart, as if I was receiving too much.
If I subtly asked the coach’s wife, she might know what would be appropriate to send.
– Thank you.
– I’ll make sure to be safe.
He read my message, but didn’t reply separately.
In such an awkward moment, keeping quiet is the manly way of conversing.
As a born manly man, I didn’t add anything else and let it go.
Fortunately, the promised meat restaurant wasn’t far from the station.
I could stroll there leisurely with my crutch.
The spring weather continued, so I didn’t even break a sweat.
The bustling streets were filled with people.
Loving couples, joyful groups of high schoolers, families enjoying their time together.
Somehow it felt oddly familiar, and I could remember easily.
There’s an aquarium nearby.
So I guessed it must be the right place.
– Did you have fun today, our son?
– Your eyes were sparkling!
– It was great! I didn’t know jellyfish could be that big, and the sharks were super cool!
It must have been my second-grade birthday party.
I think we went to a family restaurant for dinner that day.
There was clearly warmth in the gathering of the whole family.
Would I be able to feel that warmth again?
I didn’t want to feel the disinfectant smell of tap water anymore; I wanted to feel warmth from people.
That’s why I fought through my fears to come here.
[Luxury Hanwoo Special Place, Dream (몽)]
“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”
“Uh… it should be under the name Yuserin.”
“Please follow me. I’ll show you to your seat.”
*
I certainly didn’t arrive late.
But it looks like I was the last person to arrive.
Entering the private room, everyone was already gathered.
“Uh… I was invited by Yuserin, is this the right place?”
Ah, my voice came out too low.
But it seemed like everyone heard me since they turned their attention to me when the door opened.
“Is that Gawol? Is it really you? Wow!”
“You can sit here!”
Two girls and two guys.
It was the same group of fixed party members I knew.
Especially the guys stuck out—Sulbbang and Dol-gwal had quite a noticeable age gap, so I recognized them right away.
In fact, they looked almost as I had imagined.
The Berserker user “Abujidol-gwalroga-yu” had a warm and friendly appearance.
He seemed like he could have a couple of kids; Sulbbang was a jovial young man.
Each of their gazes turned to my left leg at least once.
I felt myself shrinking involuntarily, but thankfully, their stares weren’t too obvious.
My brace looked nearly identical to a half-cast, so that was a relief.
“Oh dear, it must have been tough getting here. Please sit and hand me your crutch.”
“Ah… thank you.”
“Did you hurt your leg?”
“Just a little accident. I’ll be fine if I’m careful.”
I found my seat between the two girls.
Well, it turns out the problem was those two girls: Elderin and San-sae.
I couldn’t distinguish who was who.
One was a short woman, only slightly taller than me. Probably just above 160 cm.
Wearing a frilly outfit added to her youthful vibe.
She seemed to always have a smile, undoubtedly loved by many.
On the other hand, the other one was clearly someone who looked over 170 cm.
With sparkling piercings in her ears, she gave off the impression of someone who was outgoing and strong.
Her bright smile suggested a kind personality.
Thinking about it, one felt like an older sister, and the other a younger sister.
I wagered the taller one was Elderin, right?
While this was quite different from what I imagined, her friendliness made it understandable.
As I was about to thank them for inviting me, the petite one waved her hand.
“I’ve ordered the meat already. Here’s the menu, so see if there’s anything you’d like!”
“Ah, okay. Thank you.”
Being pushed to check the menu.
Is it the result of my prolonged poverty that my first look always goes to the price?
Knowing I didn’t have to pay, I still felt averse to pricey food.
And looking at the menu made my eyes widen immediately.
So expensive. Far more than I expected!
I feared if I looked at the prices any longer, I wouldn’t be able to eat at all.
I figured I’d just eat the food they ordered.
White rice should be enough for the meal, right?
“I’m fine with anything.”
“Then shall I order the beef sirloin?”
“Yea…”
“By the way, you’re so cute.”
“Ah, I’m not cute.”
But wait, nobody is clarifying who is who.
It seemed I’d prefer talking to the younger sister type than the one with a strong presence.
Having lived as a loner for so long, an instinctual fear lingered within me.
Thinking of the characters I raised in the game, the smaller one must be San-sae’s character.
San-sae’s character was a tiny halfling bard.
Much smaller and cuter than me, so I guessed her real-life preferences were similar.
“Um… are you San-sae?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
This feels ominous.
Both girls, along with Dol-gwal and Sulbbang, began giggling.
What’s this? Am I wrong?
Ominous premonitions are often right; the tall girl giggled charmingly.
She patted my shoulder with a smiling face.
“I’m San-sae!”
“Eh?”
“Hehe, you seem really surprised! I know I look different from what you expected, right?”
Only then, the two began to introduce themselves.
“I’m Elderin! Nice to meet you, Yuserin!”
“I’m San-sae. My name is Kim Shin-ah.”
“I’m Han Da-eun. My gaming nickname is Gawol.”
“By the way, Gawol, you’re incredibly pretty! I should show you off in the lounge later.”
“Right! How about we take a picture together later?”
Pictures are a bit much.
Is it rude to refuse after being treated like this?
After a moment’s hesitation, I nodded.
I did have plans to eventually reveal it.
They weren’t the type to leak it anyway, so even if it gets out, it’d just be a matter of early or late.
It’ll be fine.
“It’s okay to take pictures, but… please don’t post them online.”
“Of course! It’ll just be for me to see! No one else will see it! It’ll be my treasure.”
“Can I join in the picture too?”
“Yes…”
Oh no, this is bad.
I feel like I’m already losing energy.
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