Chapter 4: Departure Pass

Hayoon went straight into the Girls’ Frontline gallery.

Now as it was then, and in the future, the scenery of subculture game galleries is obvious.

[Ah, f*ck, the leg hair on the cosplay post below, f*ck.]

[If you’re a d*ck who’s gonna do crossplay, at least shave, you piece of sh*t, you useless f*ck.]

[If a vegetarian gets a hickey, does that break the vegan diet, how many days? Human meat is also meat.]

[I’m going to cosplay at the 11th Seo-pe this time.]

[Currently Listening to? ㅁㅌㅊ?]

[Ah, I drank coffee and I can’t sleep, what’s there to do?]

Unless there’s a period of new content being released, most subculture game galleries repeat collective monologues in a lull.

Sometimes, if a disgusting picture is uploaded, they talk about it for hours, but this time, it seems a friend who bravely challenged crossplay has become the fuel.

Well, it wasn’t something that Hayoon was very interested in…

“Let’s see…”

Hayoon went to the Featured tab and looked for posts related to Seo-pe booth promotions.

There’s still a long way to go before the December event, but the November Seo-pe is coming up soon.

I wanted to check the general market price…

“It’s roughly the same?”

As Hayoon expected, the prices of goods from Seo-pe booths were generally in the 10,000 to 30,000 won range.

This meant that Hayoon’s prices of 15,000 won for the acrylic stand and 30,000 won for the desk mat were not too bad.

So, what should I do now?

Since I’ve made a fixed nickname, should I immediately run a promotional post for the December Seo-pe and show the goods I’m planning to potential customers, and induce pre-orders to prepare the production costs?

No, that’s something only an amateur would do.

The pre-order system, also called ‘pre-order info’ in the doujin industry, shows the best efficiency when there is trust between the seller and the buyer.

Because there are occasionally one or two people who scam people and run away, there is a tendency to avoid pre-ordering booth products from complete rookies who have no participation history.

Even excluding the monetary issues, there is a degree of guaranteed quality in the goods of doujin artists with many years of experience.

In terms of the quality of the goods, people tend to prefer to pre-order from established artists, and prefer to purchase from rookie-looking artists on site…

“I’m a rookie.”

Hayoon’s status in the industry a few years later was by no means insignificant, but in the 2019 doujin scene, Hayoon is just a fledgling taking her first steps.

Therefore, posting a booth promotion post on the Girls’ Frontline gallery will be at the point when production of some of the goods is complete.

“I need to prepare properly.”

A completed art style that rivals established artists, a composition that understands arousing features, and a trusting relationship with Girls’ Frontline users formed by subtly informing them that some of the goods have already been produced.

Hayoon was confident that when all these conditions are met, her booth’s pre-order amount would not be inferior to those of any established artist.

“Let’s see, card transactions…”

After scouting the Girls’ Frontline gallery, Hayoon opened the website of the acrylic stand and desk mat production company and slowly wrote down the delivery and payment information, preparing to order the goods.

The rest is a matter that time will solve.

***

A few more days had passed since the goods were ordered.

The season was already approaching winter, and with only about ten days left in November.

‘Why the hell am I attending something like middle school?’

Hayoon, lost in thought, was looking out the window and contemplating philosophical subjects.

‘According to school rules, our school doesn’t have a separate expulsion review for unexcused absences, and the guidelines provided by the Office of Education say that a student is held back when they are absent for more than 30% of the total class days.’

And now it’s mid-to-late November.

In other words, even if I’m absent from now until graduation, it’s unlikely I’ll be held back.

Of course, my parents will be contacted, but…

‘My child is about to become a furry, and they might say there’s no need to waste time on a middle school that I’ve already finished.’

I briefly thought that it was worth trying, but I immediately shook my head.

The reason is simple.

‘There’s no way to explain it…’

There is no proper way to explain the existence of the status window, and the situation that Hayoon is being threatened by it.

Hayoon’s parents usually followed Hayoon’s wishes, but that was always the result of Hayoon’s ‘persuasion’.

But, because of the status window, which even Hayoon herself could not properly explain, it didn’t seem like they’d let her not go to school until graduation.

‘If that’s the case, then the unexcused absence plan is no good…?’

I was wondering if there was a way to use my time more efficiently, when…

“Have a hard time, I’m going first.”

“Looking at you leaving early, it seems like the schedule is a mess again today…”

“You only leave early on days like these, huh?”

“Ah, whatever. If you don’t like class, you guys should leave too.”

In the classroom, just before the start of the third period, when everyone was getting ready for class.

A girl who looked like a delinquent, and who had pretty makeup on, packed her bag and went outside.

The other kids who seemed to be with the girl saw her off with faces that were familiar, but also a bit envious…

‘Why can she leave early?’

Hayoon’s middle school.

While it didn’t have a separate expulsion review when the number of unexcused absences accumulated, as middle school is compulsory education…

Things like leaving early and excused absences were more strictly managed than in other middle schools.

Even on a day when I caught a cold from sleeping with the window open during the winter, I remember fighting with my homeroom teacher, who was saying that things like leaving early were not allowed, with gritted teeth, and eventually giving up and just sleeping on my desk.

Thanks to that, I remember getting scolded by every teacher who came into the class every period…

‘How did she really do it?’

At this point, I seriously became curious.

As Hayoon had barely had any excused or unexcused absences during her six years of middle and high school life, it was fascinating to see a girl who didn’t even look ill leave early.

I carefully got up from my seat and followed the girl who had left just now.

“Where are you going?”

“Huh?”

The girl was clearly surprised that Hayoon would acknowledge her.

“Where are you going?”

“Um…”

Even though we were in the same class, Hayoon was always a typical loner who was always alone.

She was even taken aback at Hayoon’s calm appearance while asking where she was going…

‘Well, there shouldn’t be any problem with telling her.’

Pretty girls like other girls.

With a smile that made you wonder when she was ever embarrassed, she explained the situation.

“I’m going home?”

“Why? Are you sick?”

Hayoon asked again, trying to find out the reason.

“No, I’m not sick.”

“Then how did you leave early?
Doesn’t the homeroom teacher not let you leave early?”

“It’s a menstrual leave?”

“Menstrual leave…? There is such a thing?”

“I want to ask you instead…
You can use it three times a month, but you’ve never used it?”

01….

I really didn’t know.

There was such a thing?

So, the reason why girls leave school early so frequently is because they had a free ticket that allowed them to leave school three times a month?

“So, is that all you wanted to ask?
You talked to me, so I thought something was up.”

“Well, you didn’t look sick, so I was just wondering why you were leaving early.
I just wanted to ask because I was curious.
Ahaha…”

“Well, I’m going to be sick anyway, so I’m using it in advance.”

“Huh?”

“My period is scheduled for this weekend, but it’s a waste if I can’t use leave if I get my period on the weekend, right?

So I’m using the excuse of my period.

Today is Wednesday.

If I leave early on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and rest on the weekend, that’s awesome.”

“Huh…?”

What the heck is that…

Is it really a free leave ticket..?

‘Why was I getting cursed at back then…??’

Hayoon repeated the unfairness of that day, and confidently headed to the faculty office.

It has been a month since I became a woman.

I haven’t had a period yet, but in any case, menstrual leave is a right given to all female students, right?

That right.

I will use it proudly.

***

It was Friday.

“This is leaving early during the first period…?
This, what is this refreshing feeling…”

On the first day, Hayoon was a little hesitant to enter the faculty office, but by the third day, she showed off her confidence by declaring that she would leave early as soon as the first period ended.

It was only natural.

For Hayoon, menstrual leave was something that female students were using without her knowing, and even then, she had the unspoken thought that it should only be used when you are really sick…

But, the girl that I met on Wednesday broke down the minimum amount of conscience Hayoon had, and Hayoon was also someone who had already graduated middle school once.

Once she started one deviance, it didn’t take long for her to take it for granted.

“Oh, you’re here?”

And Hayoon, who returned home,

Confirmed two large cardboard boxes placed in front of the front door.

It was clearly a box of goods containing 50 acrylic stands and 50 desk mats each…

That night.

A long post was uploaded in the Girls’ Frontline gallery.

And this post was…

It became the starting point that would heat up the Girls’ Frontline gallery, as well as communities that shared stories related to Girls’ Frontline, in the future.