Sudden as it is, let’s evaluate my appearance a bit objectively.
Surprisingly, I could proudly say that my face isn’t bad enough to make me doubt myself.
Whenever I accidentally catch a glimpse of myself post-rebirth, I find myself shocked.
Of course, I wasn’t ugly or anything before my previous life…
In any case, people around me tend to treat me much better than average when it comes to looks.
In stark contrast to the compliments I never received in my past life, I’m getting a surplus of flattery in this one.
If there’s a problem, it’s the direction of that flattery.
In my previous life, I was a male with a strong and stable identity biologically and psychologically.
But in this new life, I’ve lost the most fundamental aspect that a man should have.
Not to drag in the nuisances of political correctness or gender identity, simply put, I’ve become a woman.
…Well, no need to elaborate on how I felt about the sudden shock of changing my gender—recounting such things would take way too long and there’s simply not enough space here.
Who would’ve imagined that all that joking about being a military high school girl would actually happen to me?
When I actually went through it, I quickly realized that it wasn’t something I could just laugh off.
The life of a military high school girl is a comedy from afar but a tragedy up close.
Being born with decent looks is certainly something to be thankful for, but honestly, I’m not all that pleased.
If possible, I’d prefer to hear that I look cool or handsome.
Hearing that I’m pretty or cute is something I couldn’t really adapt to no matter how often I hear it.
Thanks to that, like in my previous life, I haven’t had any serious relationships, which is a bit disappointing.
But I did have comrades I could trust with my back and friends I could count on with my life, so interpersonal relationships weren’t a problem; I have no regrets.
What? Is that an excuse for not being able to date?
Hearing that too often makes me a little sad, reminding me of my school days.
Anyway, recently I haven’t heard much about my appearance, and since I honestly don’t want to acknowledge that I look like a military middle school girl,
being told “cute” face-to-face after such a long time really catches me off guard.
“….”
An uncomfortable silence hangs in the air.
The woman before me, who suddenly blurted out I was cute as if she’d known me forever, stared at me with an odd expression, deep in thought.
She then lowered her hand that had been covering her mouth and began walking toward the desk in the center of the room.
Sliding sound as the chair leg scraped across the slick floor.
After pulling out the chair across from me, she placed the stack of papers she was holding on the right side of the desk.
Clears throat a few times, she finally said,
“Nice to meet you, young lady. I’m Sophia.”
With her expression unchanged from when she first entered the room, she looked at me flatly and began introducing herself as if nothing had happened earlier.
“Now, where should we start?”
“Wait, so you really don’t remember anything that happened?”
nod nod
“Do you not even know where you came from or who you are?”
nod nod
“Do you happen to remember your name or anything?”
shake shake
I responded with light head movements instead of verbal replies to Sophia’s questions.
Of course, it’s not because I have a communication disorder or that I’ve suddenly regressed into an introvert, unable to speak before women.
It’s purely a strategy to gather information about her while hiding my own.
Is it really reasonable to pry into the memories of a girl who can’t even remember anything?
If I feign ignorance, no one would be suspicious, but if I pretended I couldn’t talk, that would be the cherry on top.
The thing is, even if she asks me questions, some common sense or basic information about this world would inevitably slip out.
Considering that I was trying to get at least minimal information about this place, I’d say this was a pretty sound strategy.
Admittedly, I do have the catastrophic downside of not being able to ask her anything,
but given that I was kidnapped in the first place, expecting her to kindly answer any questions I might ask is a little too optimistic.
Besides, if I accidentally let slip something about my former life,
or if my friends or family, who I hope are still alive, end up in danger, that would be a catastrophe.
Not to mention, if she somehow unearths any embarrassing past online posts or diaries I’d written…
Ugh, just thinking about it gives me shivers.
Honestly, I might as well bite my tongue and end it right there.
“Is there a reason you’re not speaking?”
Here it comes. The awkward question.
Well, it’s because I was suddenly dragged here, and I have the right to remain silent.
I’m not sure if this legal entity would allow for hiring a lawyer, but either way, you wouldn’t just sit quietly if someone dragged you off to an isolation room after you returned home, right?
“….”
Of course, I can’t actually say that, so I remained silent, just gazing at her like before.
Silence is golden.
Unbeknownst to me, I was cautiously trying not to open my mouth while pretending I didn’t even understand what she was saying.
“Hm, so you can only partially understand…?”
Nope. I understand everything.
It might not be my mother tongue, but I can read and write just fine. I had to learn it rigorously to survive, after all.
When I learned, I thought, “What kind of absurd language is this?” but now, I’m grateful for it since it helps me understand what this woman is saying.
Life really has a way of throwing things at you, huh?
What was that saying? Saengongji-ma, was it?
She scrutinized my reaction, genuinely trying to assess if I understood her.
Before long, she mumbled something I couldn’t easily ignore.
“Seeing you’re so quiet, you really do seem like an ordinary girl. Is the transition through the dimension gate always accompanied by a strong shock or something?
Given the past entities that have come through, it might be a valid hypothesis…”
“…?”
Now, that’s not something to let slide.
To be precise, it’s not just a word I can ignore.
Because she just mentioned “dimension gate,” for crying out loud!
Even if a long time has passed since I left my hometown and my memories of this world are a bit hazy,
I’m certain that “dimension gate” isn’t something you just throw around in casual conversation or while dealing with amnesia patients.
Sophia continued speaking to herself, saying something like, “Hmm, I should prioritize checking past research notes.”
She then turned back to me, who was still chewing on the term “dimension gate,” and spoke again.
“Sorry, but we’ll have to part ways here for today. I’ll be back shortly, so could you quietly wait until then?”
“….”
“So, you’ll stay put until I return tomorrow, right?”
I was just lost in thought, not able to react, but since she assumed I didn’t understand her, she rephrased it, simplifying her statement.
It felt like she’d treat me as if I had the intelligence of a toddler if I just kept quiet, so I decided to at least respond to her.
nod nod
“Good. What a good child.”
At my age, that’s quite an awkward compliment to hear,
but considering I have far more pressing concerns right now, I really can’t afford to dwell on it.
Sliding sound as she pulled her chair back from the desk.
She picked up the stack of papers, smiled while waving goodbye, and headed for the door at the opposite end of the room.
I heard the mechanical sound of the door opening and then closing behind her, the repetitive click.
I stared at the spot she had just vacated for quite a while.
Eventually, I barely stifled a deep sigh blooming from the bottom of my heart, covering my face lightly with my palm,
and exhaled out the suppressed sigh.
…This feels like it’s getting a bit serious.
—
Anomalous Entity Report
Date: ████ September 5
Reported by: Senior Researcher, Sophia Brown
The anomalous entity, hereby designated as 163-19, appears to have undergone amnesia during the process of emerging from the dimension gate.
163-19 exhibits extremely docile behavior, understands language, and is capable of basic communication through gestures.
Further research materials regarding the phenomena related to 163 are necessary, thus requesting access to restricted past research records.
Risk Level Classification: Currently under review
Additional Request: Should the risk level be measured at Level I or below, please remove the invisible physical barrier in the center of the isolation room for a smoother interview.
