The Perils of a Beautiful Shut-in

As a shut-in, I had always relied on sheer willpower to overcome illness, rarely visiting a hospital unless absolutely necessary for medication.

Today, however, the circumstances were different.

Despite my usual aversion to doctors, I knew I had to take responsibility for my own health and well-being.

Otherwise, who would look after my beloved 2D wives?

As I walked down the street, I felt every passerby’s gaze fixed upon me.

For someone with social anxiety, such direct stares often carried undertones of malice and mockery.

“Why is everyone staring at me?”

Ling Chen, dressed in my old middle school uniform, trailed behind me, his voice a low murmur.

“If I were a random passerby and saw someone dressed head-to-toe in black on the street, my first thought would be that something was wrong with them,” he explained. “Sister, if you walked around like this in some foreign countries, you’d be mistaken for a terrorist.”

“Is it really that serious?”

I glanced at my reflection in a nearby shop window.

Erm…

To be fair, dressed like this, not only was my gender indiscernible, but I looked utterly suspicious!

Fearing an interrogation from the police, I reluctantly removed my mask, pulled off my hood, and brushed the hair that had fallen into my collar.

“Is this better?”

Ling Chen gave me a thumbs-up. “Yes, you look great!”

“I wasn’t asking about that,” I replied, feeling helpless.

Honestly, I felt a distinct lack of confidence. Walking on the street felt like a public execution, akin to being forced to cross-dress as a punishment.

Especially since this ‘cross-dressing’ involved going out without any makeup.

Before we left, Ling Chen had asked if I wanted to use the cosmetics Mother had left behind, but I had refused.

Firstly, I felt a pang of heartache for those seemingly expensive cosmetics. There was one time Father used a bottle of toner as face wash, and Mother nearly fainted from anger when she found out. Father’s wallet was subsequently drained, a truly painful lesson.

Secondly, as a straight man, I held a considerable disdain for makeup, one of East Asia’s ‘Three Evil Arts.’ Wasn’t natural beauty enough? True beauty, after all, came from inner confidence!

However, Ling Chen had vehemently retorted, “Sister, you’re a beautiful girl now, but that doesn’t mean all girls are naturally beautiful. Makeup is a powerful weapon for women to fight against an unfair world; it’s their hope for changing their image!”

Though I had no idea why this kid understood women’s psychology so well, I had to admit he made a valid point.

But I simply couldn’t accept it myself!

Ever since Mother had tricked me into wearing hideous makeup for a performance in elementary school, I had developed a deep-seated phobia of it.

Makeup was a dark chapter in my history. Every year, Mother would pull out photos from that performance to tease me, and ever since, I had kept a respectful distance from all cosmetics.

Now, I began to suspect Mother had done it on purpose, intending to mentally annihilate the little terror I was back then!

Damn it, what’s with this trend of ‘puppy boys’ now, where guys are more refined than girls? Did I miss something again?

Ling Chen continued to mock, “Sister, I’ll say it again: your personality dictates that no matter how beautiful you are, you won’t be popular.”

“Aren’t people often judged by their appearance first before deciding whether to get to know someone?” I countered.

“But your thoughts will veto any opinion they form based on your looks. Besides, can a goofy beautiful girl still be called beautiful? She’d be a comedian!”

Are you some kind of philosopher?

I suddenly felt that if my little brother were to participate in a debate, he would undoubtedly be full of witty remarks, leaving his opponent speechless.

Such was the unfairness of omniscience!

I glanced at the reactions of the passersby who had been staring at me. They seemed surprised by my actions, pretending nothing had happened as they lowered their heads to play on their phones, only secretly sizing me up with their peripheral vision.

One guy, who had been whistling and walking with his head held high, was now practically radiating guilt!

Hey, I clearly saw you not only take a photo but also prepare to dial the emergency number!

The passersby’s reactions were exactly like my own shy response when I was caught secretly looking at a beautiful girl. But the key was, I was the one being stared at now. This feeling was incredibly strange, wasn’t it?

I’m clearly the most embarrassed here.

If you’re going to look, then look openly. I’m not some rare beauty; what’s the need for sneaking glances?

My cheeks burned, and I hurried to the hospital, head down, ignoring the strange looks, until the scent of disinfectant finally brought a sense of relief.

My heart is pounding! Thankfully, I’ve reached my destination.

I clutched my chest, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart.

Indeed, challenging myself to go out before fully adapting to this new body was truly difficult!

The bustling yet quiet atmosphere of the hospital gave me a sense of peace. Here, it seemed nothing would be considered unusual.

For instance, the unsightly uncle in women’s clothing up ahead…

See, I’m perfectly normal!

Next, I needed to thoroughly check if there were any abnormalities in my body. Transforming into a girl was far too unscientific. What if my body developed a rejection reaction, or what if I was just experiencing cognitive issues?

I would tentatively believe that the white-bearded old man was God, but as a new-era youth raised under the red flag, I absolutely could not be defeated by demons and monsters!

To motivate myself, I cycled through positive energy mantras in my mind:

‘No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must not be afraid. Face them with a smile. The best way to overcome fear is to confront it. Persistence is victory. Let’s go!’

‘Even if I know everything is beyond salvaging, I must bravely face my future life!’

Taking Ling Chen with me would be inconvenient, so I told him, “Just wait for me obediently in the lobby. I’m going to register.”

He nodded. “No problem.”

Ling Chen sat obediently in the waiting area of the lobby, his sweet and adorable demeanor pleasing me greatly.

No matter what, he wouldn’t get abducted, right? He was omniscient and omnipotent; even if there were scammers, Ling Chen would probably outwit them.

However, recalling certain ‘shota and onee-san’ tropes, I felt a slight worry.

“Will you get bored sitting for so long? Want to play on my phone?”

“Sister’s phone is filled with things a boy my age shouldn’t see, so no thanks.”

Ling Chen pointed to his head. “The knowledge in here is far more interesting!”

I believed expressing concern was embarrassing, but I still managed to squeeze out a sentence: “It’s just so I can easily contact you.”

He blinked at me, delighted. “Is Sister worried about me? It’s fine, I won’t get lost. I’ll stay right here. In fact, I’m more worried about Sister getting lost! Someone as inexperienced and naive as you, a shut-in, could easily be targeted by strange uncles.”

Are there really ‘strange uncles’ in our country?

Forget it, it’s always better to be cautious. Not seeing them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I’ll listen to Ling Chen for now.

“That’s good then. I’m going to register.”

“Okay. See you later, Sister!”

Ling Chen waved at me gently, but I faintly sensed a strange gaze watching us.

It must just be my imagination.

****

“Your body is extremely healthy.”

The doctor in the white coat smiled at me after reviewing my test results.

“I rarely see young people as healthy as you. Many people your age are in a sub-healthy state due to irregular routines. You must lead a very disciplined life to maintain such health.”

How should I put this…

If it weren’t for the body swap, I would be a typical example of someone in a sub-healthy state.

It seemed this girl’s body was indeed as perfect as my little brother had claimed.

However, I was not at all satisfied!

After all, that sub-healthy body from before was my own!

“Doctor, am I really female?”

After much deliberation, I finally asked the question.

The doctor seemed a little surprised. “Of course! I haven’t seen a cute girl like you in a long time. Be more confident! If you dress yourself up properly, you’d definitely be a campus belle! If I were younger, I wouldn’t be able to resist pursuing you!”

As a middle-aged male doctor, bald and thus appearing highly skilled, his frank declaration surprisingly touched me.

One significant reason for my past low self-esteem was my unattractive appearance. While those handsome scumbags were cycling through countless girlfriends, I was still groveling to my first love, my goddess.

Speaking of campus belles, my goddess seemed to rank second on the campus goddess list and was known as the ‘Ice Queen of the North’ due to her aloof demeanor.

The top-ranked campus belle, however, was an idol who had made a big splash in the entertainment industry. I heard her family held significant influence in military and political circles, making her completely out of reach for a commoner like me, so I had never bothered to learn about her.

But no matter what, my goddess was the most perfect girl in the world!

Not only the doctor’s words, but even my own assessment suggested that my current appearance was somewhat close to my goddess’s. No, from a man’s aesthetic perspective, my image was quite perfect.

If this beautiful girl’s inner self wasn’t a shut-in male like me, but a true maiden, I felt I could… no, I could fall head over heels for her!

As for whether I would eventually appear on the campus goddess list and compete with my goddess for ranking…

Wait? What am I thinking?

Imagining that scenario, I immediately covered my face. It was too embarrassing; have even my thoughts become feminized?

Why am I thinking about competing with other girls?

Why do I feel a surge of excitement upon hearing I’m a campus belle-level beauty?

Does this doctor often use this tactic to flirt?

I’m a man!

I’m not interested in becoming a campus belle!

The doctor thought: Heh, they call me Dr. Wang, the heartbreaker. Little girl, do you think I can’t see through your little act? Ah, teenagers…