Chapter 55: “I Have an Appointment with Her”

In most cases, game characters are designed with unrealistic appearances that wouldn’t exist in reality.

Especially when the character is exceptionally attractive.

Fans of certain characters often express their affection by cosplaying them, but no matter how well-executed the cosplay is, it’s extremely difficult to perfectly replicate the original.

It’s only natural when you think about it.

How could anyone possibly match the flawless figure crafted from polygons by game developers?

Our Creator made humans imperfect from the very beginning.

It’s simply impossible for imperfect humans to perfectly emulate an idealized creation they’ve painstakingly designed.

But I was different.

For instance…

I stood silently, staring into the mirror.

A flawless girl, devoid of imperfections, gazed back at me.

Her blue eyes, now somewhat familiar, and silver hair that shimmered as though spun directly by a divine hand. Her pale, spotless skin, unblemished without a single touch of makeup.

Her distinct eyes, both devoid of emotion and subtly magnetic, seemed to draw you in the longer you looked. I got the impression that I could easily spend hours staring into this mirror, mesmerized.

I finally began to grasp what it meant to be enchanted.

This was what enchantment felt like. As amusing as it was, I found myself mesmerized by my own reflection.

If this is how I feel about myself, I wonder how others must perceive me.

“Would you like to try on something else?”

Smiling brightly, the store manager, who had been grinning at me almost excessively, asked the question the moment our eyes met.

Her gaze felt… predatory. Like a snake eyeing a frog. Not that I’ve ever seen a real snake do that, but that’s the impression I got.

Instinctively, I nodded again.

It all started when I fell for her pitch and entered this clothing store. The offer of everything being half-price had lured me in before I realized it.

I was at a mall, shopping for clothes before meeting the prospective editors. I didn’t own a single decent women’s outfit at the time.

This was an interview, after all. As the employer, I couldn’t show up in my usual hoodie and sweatpants.

Even from the employees’ perspective, they’d probably lose all respect for a boss who dressed so sloppily.

And so here I was, tirelessly trying on outfit after outfit in the fitting room.

After noticing her eyes gleaming unnaturally, I had asked for some recommendations, and before I knew it, I had become a dress-up doll.

Even when I was a man, I didn’t enjoy shopping.

When dating my girlfriend, I made sure shopping trips were wrapped up within an hour or two at most.

And now, though I wouldn’t say I wasn’t exhausted, I wasn’t exactly unhappy, either.

“Does this one suit you, ma’am?”

Despite all the hassle of trying on clothes, standing before the mirror and seeing the results made me unconsciously think…

Maybe it’s worth the trouble. Maybe this is worth my time.

They say the key to fashion is the face. No matter what I wore, I looked stunning.

I started adorning Camilla’s body with one outfit after another, like I was dressing up my favorite character’s avatar.

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

“Hehe…”

As I gazed at the mirror, a silly laugh escaped my lips.

Ah, this isn’t good. At this rate, I might become addicted to shopping.

But there’s no helping it.

The money I spent to get the limited-edition Camilla skin in Abyss, how could I resist?

I managed to get the full skin set, after all.

Now, Camilla herself has appeared in reality.

In other words, I couldn’t possibly resist the urge to dress her up, my own character avatar.

It made me regret not shopping sooner.

I don’t know, I think I’ll just buy Camilla some clothes and splurge.

Money? I can always earn more.

Spending money on something that brings me this much satisfaction is hardly a foolish thing.

After all, everyone spends money on their hobbies.

From today onward, this is my hobby and entertainment.

“You look so beautiful! Are you planning on wearing that outfit out?”

“Yes.”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll pack everything else for you.”

Humming happily, the store owner put the clothes into a shopping bag as I happily handed over my credit card.

It would be a lie to say the expenditure didn’t hurt, but isn’t this a reasonable purchase?

After all, this is what we work for, right?

Moreover, this was a somewhat professional purchase.

As a boss, I needed to look respectable when hiring employees, so I had to buy these clothes.

Yes, this wasn’t for my personal desires—it was because I didn’t have anything to wear.

I couldn’t meet people dressed in shabby clothes.

Besides, as I live in this body, I’ll need various outfits.

I nodded at my reflection in the mirror once again.

The truth is, deciding to meet with the editor wasn’t an easy decision.

There were many things I struggled with, but the biggest concern was my changed appearance.

How would the prospective editors view someone who looked exactly like a character from a game?

After much hesitation, I finally decided to go through with it.

—The door opens.

The train, which had been clattering, came to a stop, and with a hiss, the doors slid open.

It wasn’t as empty as I expected, probably because it was the weekend afternoon.

As I squeezed past the crowd, I slowly approached the door and stepped off the train.

So many people were staring at me.

As I made my way through the crowd, I noticed a young man bump into me while frowning, then freeze with wide eyes when he saw my face.

I had drawn attention even when wearing just a hoodie and sweatpants, so it would be odd if no one noticed me now that I was properly dressed.

There were other glances as well: a middle-aged man who kept eyeing my chest and hips, a girl staring at my side profile with her mouth hanging open, and a guy who turned bright red, nervously glancing at me.

Camilla’s awareness was such that I could feel all of this without actively trying.

Like a radar, everything around me was automatically perceived.

Without realizing it, I let out a small smile.

At first, this heightened awareness made me hesitant to go outside.

I remember how uncomfortable it was, constantly feeling eyes on me no matter where I went.

But, I couldn’t just hide away in my room forever because I was uncomfortable with people staring.

It’s one thing to avoid going out, and another when that choice is taken away from you entirely.

Still, most things get easier with time.

I purposely started going out more, and I eventually got used to the attention.

Indeed, a miserable life doesn’t suit me.

—Kim Jae-jun: I’m almost there. Is everyone on their way?

—Yucia: I’m halfway there. The bus is slower than I thought ㅠㅠ.

Where are you, Kayak?

I’m almost there too. Near the destination.

I replied to the messages from the potential editors while continuing my walk.

My destination was a cafe located in the middle of our three living areas.

I had been worried that the distance might be too far, but maybe the heavens were on my side because it turned out that everyone lived not too far from my house.

Thanks to that, it seemed like I had arrived first.

According to the map app on my phone, I was just one block away from the destination.

The view of the cafe, our meeting spot, was slowly coming into view.

“Excuse me.”

A voice called out.

I turned around to identify the source.

“Oh. Wow, damn…”

I didn’t expect this.

It was a man I had never seen before.

He looked at my face, then blinked rapidly and muttered something under his breath.

I sighed quietly in my mind.

I had already experienced this many times while getting used to people’s attention.

What the man would do next was predictable.

He’d approach me, probably asking for my number while holding out his phone.

“You’re exactly my type. Could I have your number?”

As expected.

Since I had already simulated this scenario in my mind, my response was also predictable.

“Sorry.”

Without even hesitating for a second, I bowed my head slightly.

I had learned through multiple experiences that it was best to reject firmly in these situations.

However, the man’s next actions were quite different from what I had expected.

“Oh, it’s really because you’re my type. Could you give me your number?”

“Sorry.”

“Just once. Huh? If you give me your number, I’ll contact you. Let’s meet just once. I’ll treat you to a meal. Actually, how about we go get a coffee? I know a great cafe nearby.”

Camilla’s appearance is stunningly beautiful, but when she’s expressionless, she can seem rather cold.

She could be called a “cold beauty,” like a beautiful rose with thorns.

So when I reject firmly, as I was doing now, it’s the first time a man has continued to persist like this.

The man was quite handsome, so it made sense that he was trying so confidently to get my number.

Unfortunately, he had picked the wrong person.

“I have an appointment right now, so sorry, but I can’t give you my number.”

After rejecting him coldly several times, the man’s attitude suddenly changed.

“…You’re really being ridiculously difficult.”

“What did you say?”

“You’re lying about having an appointment.

You just don’t want to give me your number, right?

Is it really that hard to give it to me?”

The man grumbled angrily, his face twisted in irritation.

To be honest, it was more ridiculous for me.

Why was he insisting on bothering someone who clearly didn’t want to give him attention?

“No, I really do have an appointment.

And what does that have to do with giving you my number…”

“Who are you meeting?

You’re just lying!

You don’t have any appointment, you’re just refusing to give me your number!”

He continued to bother me, and I could tell that if I just ignored him and walked away, he might try something worse.

I was thinking about how to get rid of him when I heard a deep voice coming from the side.

“She’s meeting me, actually.”

It was a voice I didn’t recognize.

I turned to look, and my eyes widened in surprise.