Chapter 2: One More Game Won’t Hurt, Right?

Change comes in an instant, regardless of our thoughts or will.

For example, you might have an unexpected accident and become disabled overnight, or your parents’ business might suddenly fail, plunging your family into financial ruin.

You might get fired from your job without warning.

Unforeseen misfortunes can take everything from us.

Of course, gradual change exists as well, and most often these changes are positive and meaningful.

When someone who’s lived a wicked life decides to change their ways and starts helping those around them; when a lifelong slacker, inspired by a motivational video, resolves to live diligently; or when someone who despised physical effort grits their teeth and starts exercising every day—these are examples of slow, steady transformations.

In these cases, the phrase “turning over a new leaf” fits well. Such changes take time.

But when viewed broadly, even those can be seen as quick moments of transformation, because positive change comes from a firm decision. And making up your mind doesn’t take long—it’s the decision itself that’s hard.

I, too, faced a significant change, though whether it was positive or negative, I couldn’t say.

“Hey, look over there.”

“She’s really pretty…”

“Oh…”

I could feel their stares.

Most gazes started at my face, moved down my neck and shoulders, and eventually landed on my chest, thighs, or calves.

It felt like I was being examined, like a beautiful piece of art or merchandise.

It made me uncomfortable.

I shuddered with a vague sense of unease.

Maybe Ji-eun was more sensitive than I thought.

Or maybe she’d been subjected to this kind of attention for a long time.

Otherwise, how could she be so attuned to where people’s gazes were landing on her body?

Walking with my friends, I could hear the chatter of male students, some of whom couldn’t tear their eyes away from me even though their girlfriends were right beside them. I could hear women quietly whispering to one another, trying not to let me overhear.

Other people would glance at me out of the corner of their eyes.

I had never received so much attention before, so I didn’t realize it, but people’s gazes were colder and more inorganic than I had expected.

In this unfamiliar situation, I felt as if every hair on my body was standing on end.

My chest felt tight.

I was dizzy. My breathing was irregular, and I struggled to take in air.

I wasn’t sure why, but I knew I needed to calm down.

I sat on a bench and tried to steady my breathing.

Was I not feeling well?

I felt fine before leaving the house.

I should have noticed when my face looked pale. This body was weaker than I thought.

Was I becoming some sort of frail, sickly beauty?

That thought didn’t seem far off, as even in my weakened state, others still found me attractive.

Even while sitting on the bench, trying to catch my breath, people’s gazes never left me.

I had expected it, but Ji-eun’s appearance was far more striking than I had imagined.

For the first time, I realized that being a celebrity wasn’t something just anyone could do. Some people might enjoy this kind of attention, but I was certainly not one of them.

Even now, I feel this overwhelming sense of discomfort.

I hurried my steps, leaving behind the stares that were weighing me down.

Dragging my hungry body, I headed toward the food court. Checking my phone, I saw that it was already 3 p.m.

It was an awkward, in-between time.

Because of the odd hour, there weren’t many people around.

Feeling relieved that I wouldn’t have to deal with too many stares, I relaxed a little.

“What should I eat?” That question, a dilemma I face at every mealtime, crossed my mind once again.

There are usually a few go-to options.

The first thing that came to mind was soup. I thought there was nothing better to soothe my empty stomach.

Just imagining it made me feel stronger.

Looking at Ji-eun’s state, she likely hadn’t eaten breakfast properly either.

However, for some reason, as I stood in front of the soup restaurant I had found using the map app, I couldn’t bring myself to open the door.

The smell of the soup wafting from inside didn’t stimulate my appetite. Instead, it smelled a bit off, like an unpleasant odor of meat.

Normally, I would have been drooling at the thought.

Standing still outside the soup restaurant, I realized something.

When the body changes, taste buds must change as well.

Ji-eun’s taste buds and stomach were telling me they didn’t want soup.

Was my body more in control than my mind?

I guess it makes sense since changing bodies isn’t something you experience every day.

Having failed at my first destination, I knew I had to be more cautious in choosing my next meal.

What would satisfy a woman’s palate?

After much thought, Ji-eun’s body gave me a simple answer.

“How spicy would you like it?”

The employee, glancing at me repeatedly, asked, and I responded by asking for the mildest option.

It was a *mala tang* restaurant. The name alone sounded unfamiliar, but it was where Ji-eun’s feet led me after smelling the aroma.

Or should I say *my* feet now? It was a strange sensation to feel my body naturally gravitating toward something.

However, there was one problem:

I had never eaten *mala tang* before.

Of course, that was understandable.

I didn’t know if I was too narrow-minded, but how often does a big guy like me end up eating *mala tang*? When guys meet up, we usually say something like, “Hey! Let’s get some soup!” Never would anyone say, “Hey! Let’s grab some *mala tang!*”

Just the sound of “Hey! Let’s grab some *mala tang*” made me chuckle, but anyway…

Even though I had heard it was one of the top foods among women on social media, *mala tang* was an unfamiliar dish to me.

Even the aroma inside the restaurant was foreign to me.

The distinctive spices oddly tickled my nose.

I wondered if I had made the wrong choice, but at the same time, I was curious about how it would taste.

I waited, driven by a mix of curiosity and exploration.

Finally, when I took my first bite of *mala tang*…

“Hm…”

Well, it was a flavor that was hard to put into words—something mysterious.

The texture was unfamiliar, and I had no idea what was inside.

However, despite my surprise, my hands moved on their own, and I found myself eagerly slurping down the *mala tang*.

Ji-eun’s body was quite honest.

Days passed since then.

Through several outings, I was able to dull my sensitivity to the stares of others, at least a little.

My body still trembled every time I went out.

No one could remain calm when all eyes were on them.

Maybe it would be different if I became accustomed to it.

I resolved to get used to it as quickly as possible.

After all, since I had to live in this body, adapting to the change was beneficial for me.

Other than that, I gained little else. I merely familiarized myself with the neighborhood by checking where the convenience stores and restaurants were located. I didn’t find any clues about Ji-Eun.

The only lead I found wasn’t outside but inside the house.

It seemed that Ji-eun had majored in design. More specifically, she was an illustrator. While I didn’t know the official title, it seemed she was involved in drawing.

Her work style appeared to be that of a freelancer who took on jobs as they came. If she were affiliated with a company, she would have received calls on her phone. After all, she hadn’t been to work in several days.

I was speculating about her past by looking at some of the works on her computer and her bank statements.

Yes, the computer. I was rummaging through the computer that occupied the center of Ji-eun’s room.

If you want to know about someone, you should check their phone and computer.

I can’t recall who said that, but it left a strong impression on me.

And it turned out to be true.

Cute and rounded yet intricate drawings greeted me.

It was a unique art style—was this in vogue these days?

No, that wasn’t it.

As I admired each piece of art, I refocused on my search.

What had started as a quest for clues about Ji-eun shifted in purpose.

I scanned through programs like Photoshop and 3D rendering software, moving the mouse here and there.

What mattered now wasn’t those things.

The wandering mouse cursor headed toward a corner of the desktop.

[Xteam]

The global gaming platform Xteam was prominently displayed on the screen.

It seemed Ji-eun had played quite a bit of games. Some of the characters she drew could have been from games she had played beforehand.

Regardless, that wasn’t what was important right now.

What mattered was that I wanted to play a game.

You might wonder why I suddenly felt the urge to play a game, but I was craving it.

You could call it laziness… I won’t deny it.

However, rest is essential for humans.

Just as a machine that runs non-stop will break down, so too will a human without rest.

In a situation where I had transformed into a total stranger—one of a different gender at that—the tension my body had been holding onto in this unfamiliar environment screamed for a break.

Gaming could be a good choice for that rest.

Um… should I play just one game?

One game should be fine, right?