Chapter 28: Encounter

Her sudden request to meet left me reeling. What did she want? My head spun. Seriously, now?

Her negative response to my “are you okay?” message was also concerning. My earlier negative assumptions were coming true, and it pained me, even though it wasn’t my problem.

But… still… meeting her now seemed unreasonable. I checked the time; it was already past 10:00 PM.

It was dark outside. Going out at this hour would worry Mom and my sister.

As a man, I wouldn’t have worried. A man going out late at night wouldn’t be a cause for concern. No one would care.

But as a woman, my family worried about me.

Remembering my past life, I wanted to tell them it was unnecessary worry… but their concerned eyes softened me; I just nodded.

Checking my phone again, I found another message from Hwajuyeon. I’d been too busy reading and thinking to reply. She must have sent another message because of that.

[Hwajuyeon: I’m lonely….]

[Hwajuyeon: I miss you… I don’t want to be alone.]

I’m an adult; I just haven’t moved out. Going out now isn’t so bad, right?

No. I’d planned to politely refuse, but her words kept weakening my resolve. I’d already been worried, and now I was certain.

I replied that I’d go, then started searching for an outfit. I’d only worn my school uniform so far.

My closet was full of strange clothes. What kind of taste did my alternate self have? After searching, I found something simple.

A white sweater with a large “E” on the left breast, and… dark brown dolphin shorts.

What are dolphin shorts? They’re very short shorts with a low waist and rounded hems. Are those even shorts? They’re too short to be called shorts, right?

Questions flooded my mind as I got dressed. I hadn’t worn these dolphin shorts since my transformation—I’d actively avoided them.

It’s only natural. I’d liked dolphin shorts as a man. But that was from a viewer’s perspective; I’d never liked them as a wearer.

Wearing them revealed my thighs, and the low waist was bothersome. As a man, I’d never worn shorts.

You might wonder why I chose them. But if you saw the pink floral skirt, you’d understand.

Sigh… I should go shopping with my sister someday. I slowly got dressed, adjusting my clothes. I stood before the mirror.

“Sh*t…”

The outfit was appalling. The sweater emphasized my chest, and my lower body was barely covered.

Should I change? I opened my phone; Hwajuyeon had messaged, suggesting we meet at the park in 30 minutes. It was 16 minutes past the hour.

I knew where the park was, even as a directionally challenged person. It was very close; I could get there in 14 minutes.

“Close” didn’t mean “easy”… I glanced in the mirror, grabbed a fluffy jumper, and looked at myself again.

Hmm, this should cover most things, right? I didn’t want to undress and find another outfit. I put my faith in the jumper.

I put my phone in my pocket and left the room. Mom asked where I was going; I said I was meeting a friend.

As expected, she worried about me going out at this time. I understood, but I wondered about my sister…

“Unnie…? I need to go…”

“Ji-ah, don’t go.”

“I told you, I’m meeting a friend.”

“How can you trust that… that friend.”

My sister clung to my waist at the door; I was taken aback. Mom pulled her away… but my sister looked distraught, and I felt guilty.

I needed to cheer her up. I ran to her and kissed her cheek. I waved goodbye.

As the door closed, I saw my sister’s expression shift; her distress seemed to have subsided, replaced by other emotions… but I wasn’t sure what.

Once outside, I regretted my choice. The dolphin shorts weren’t embarrassing, and they were actually comfortable, but it was cold.

I ignored the wind against my thighs and walked on. The park… Hwajuyeon must live nearby.

It wasn’t as dark as I expected; there were many streetlights. The only issue was the lack of people.

…Actually, there was no one. No one was around. I felt uneasy.

I felt like I was being watched. Was this paranoia? I was sure no one was there. I quickened my pace.

“Hup… haahk…”

I was practically running; when that unsettling feeling vanished, I slowed down, catching my breath.

Wow, that was tiring. I wiped my mouth with my arm; I hadn’t been this winded as a man.

Or maybe I was always this weak, but I hadn’t noticed while staying home. Whatever, I wouldn’t dwell on it.

I caught my breath and continued. I soon reached the park entrance. Running must’ve shortened the distance significantly.

It’s fine. Thinking positively, I approached; I saw a figure in the distance. It looked like Hwajuyeon, judging by her build and long, flowing hair.

But I still waved cautiously; she waved back. It was her. I closed the distance.

Her features became clearer. Her bright orange hair and delicate features confirmed it was Hwajuyeon.

Getting closer, I noticed her eyes were red. Even I could tell.

She’d been crying.

Even though she was cheerful and familiar with the gallery’s harshness, she must have been hurt. Seeing her like this pained me.

Honestly, I’d initially thought it was karma. Her first impression and management style suggested she deserved to be impeached.

But online and reality are different. Even if she was wrong, seeing her like this softened me. My negative thoughts vanished.

Still, I didn’t know what to say. A greeting? A joke? I’d rarely met people and never comforted someone who was crying.

She seemed exhausted, trying to stop crying. I should speak first… I opened my mouth with difficulty.

“Shall… we walk…?”

Was that right? I wondered even as I spoke. It was too late. I looked at her anxiously.

“…Yes.”

Thankfully, she agreed. That was good. I nodded, starting to walk, when I heard her again.

“Could… could you hold my hand?”