Chapter 10

"I'll buy the drinks."

"N-no, it's okay. Let me buy th—"

"You said you didn't have any money, didn't you?"

Yoo Jieun was taking a card out of her wallet with a smile.

At her invitation, which she'd just made, I decided to talk with her at a café.

As you could tell from her name, her Bell nickname was 'Yoo JieunJieunJieunJiyu'.

So I really had crossed the line when I was on my period.

Once again, I found myself resenting the heavens for suddenly turning me into a woman.

I stared at her blankly.

She looked to be in the high 160s.

Even she was a few centimeters taller than me.

That fact made me feel a little intimidated.

There was no one left I could look down on.

"Ah, would an Americano be okay?"

Yoo Jieun had a warm, gentle voice, just like her mild in-game chat.

"Ah, yes."

I nodded repeatedly, trying not to make a bad impression.

...Actually, I don't like bitter things.

That tendency had gotten worse since I became this body.

I couldn't even drink canned coffee for caffeine anymore, so I'd switched to Monster.

But I knew I didn't have any choice.

"That's perfect..."

"All right, I'll order."

"Ah, I can—"

"It's okay."

I was about to decline her offer once more,

but Yoo Jieun's refusal felt stubborn, unlike her gentle appearance, so all I could do was watch her turn and head to the counter.

She finished paying and came back in barely a dozen seconds.

"...Okay, now that I've ordered, let's sit down first."

Yoo Jieun said, pointing to a secluded single table with chairs facing each other.

"Ah, yes!"

I hurried over, pulled out the chair on the inside, and managed a strained smile.

"Please, sit. Hehe..."

I had to somehow get her to like me.

"Oh, thank you. You didn't have to do that."

Yoo Jieun briefly covered her mouth and laughed, then sat down in the chair I'd pulled out with an unhurried step.

Only then did I sit in the chair across from her.

"Um, what was your name again? Ihyeon?"

"Y-yes."

"...Just to confirm, you're the one who did it, right?"

"What do you mean...?"

The one who did it?

At that, Yoo Jieun spoke with a serious expression.

"You weren't forced to come here or anything... right?"

"...No."

"...You can be honest with me. If this is because of bullying or threats between students, I can help you."

Apparently, Yoo Jieun thought I'd come here at someone's request—or under threat.

Well, she probably couldn't imagine the person who'd sent those messages looking like me.

But I'm not a student.

"......No, I did it..."

I said, head bowed.

"Goodness..."

Yoo Jieun stared blankly at my face. Her downturned eyes were fixed on me, and my shoulders drew in a little.

...Even I would be shocked out of my mind if the person who'd sexually harassed me like crazy turned out to be a woman.

Yoo Jieun looked at me like that.

Then, suddenly, she made a sad face.

"I was hurt, you know."

"I'm s-sorry."

"I was just playing with a friend I've known forever,

a threesome

and you said,

you wanted in

and all that."

"Y-yes... I'm sorry. But could you lower your voice a little—"

"And things like

pussy licking

and

you're big down there

and all that."

"Please..."

The sexual words sounded especially loud.

Loud enough that I wondered if everyone in the café could hear.

Wasn't she embarrassed?

I'd been the one to type those things, but hearing them from someone else was incredibly embarrassing.

She ignored my request to keep it down and kept going, and my head sank lower and lower as my ears and cheeks grew hot.

"......"

Yoo Jieun fell silent for a moment, one hand slightly covering her mouth.

A brief silence passed between us.

Then Yoo Jieun spoke to me with a sorrowful expression.

"I was really hurt, and it took courage for me to file the complaint."

"...I'm sorry... I really regret it..."

"Then I'm glad to hear that. But, Moon Ihyeon."

"Yes..."

"You're famous in Bell, aren't you?"

She couldn't know I streamed. She must just mean in Bell.

I had a reputation there for being toxic.

"...Not in a good way..."

"...Yes, I've run into you a lot, too. We're in the same tier, after all."

Yoo Jieun said that and smiled.

Even her laugh was demure.

Her voice did seem familiar somehow.

Now that I thought about it, there was another female Grandmaster.

She smiled, then suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke.

"...But why did you lie?"

"Huh?"

"You said you were blonde and had tattoos and... all that."

"...That's..."

I used to actually be like that, but now I'm a woman.

...As if I could say that.

Unless I planned to plead mental illness to get a reduced sentence, I shouldn't say that.

"Th-that..."

"Yes?"

"I-I wanted to seem tough..."

As I spoke, my shoulders hunched more and more.

Somehow, since becoming this body, I sometimes got intimidated while trying to stand up for myself in real life.

Maybe it was that I couldn't be sure of what I was saying anymore.

Back when I was a man, I could at least have a normal conversation.

Maybe being overpowered by the employee and Song Chaeyeon had planted a deep fear in me that I was weaker than the person in front of me.

Yoo Jieun heard me, then sat stunned for a moment and covered her mouth.

"...What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Yoo Jieun said that, then smiled and fell silent.

Just then, the buzzer rang.

"Wait a moment. I'll go get the drinks."

"Ah, I can..."

But once again, Yoo Jieun smiled and held out her palm at an angle in front of me.

Once again, I had no choice but to sit still.

...But.

Was it okay to just sit here?

Wasn't this a big problem?

A sense of crisis began to creep over me.

So far, I hadn't managed to make a good impression on her or convince her that I regretted it.

I bit hard at my nails, which were worn down from chewing them.

This isn't good...

The time I had to earn points was steadily running out.

32,000 won.

At least 500,000 won.

...My mind went completely blank.

Should I hurry after her and help carry the drinks?

...No. That'd be weird.

She told me to sit, so following her anyway would probably count against me.

How much longer would I have to win her over?

This wasn't a blind date; we weren't going anywhere else. We'd just drink these and be done.

I didn't even know why we'd come here to drink in the first place.

...There was no helping it.

I had to do it.

Somehow, I needed to show her that I regretted what I'd done.

Right now, I was just sitting here taking everything.

I took a deep breath and watched Yoo Jieun come back with the drinks.

I stood up.

I steadied my slightly ragged breathing and stared at her.

Yoo Jieun opened her mouth, seeming puzzled that I'd suddenly stood up.

"Here, your Americano. But why are you standing? Are you going to the bathroo—"

I didn't even wait to hear the rest.

Still standing, I dropped to my knees.

Then I bowed at the waist.

I placed my forehead and both palms on the floor to form a triangle.

Loud enough to make the café echo, I said:

"Ms. Yoo Jieun...! Please show me mercy!"

"Huh? Wh-what are you doing, Ihyeon?"

Yoo Jieun's voice was tinged with bewilderment.

Fuck... this is humiliating.

But this wasn't the time to worry about humiliation.

No settlement, jail! No settlement, jail...!

Please!

"I don't have any money...! I seriously only have a penny in my account... I can't pay a fine...!"

The murmurs and stares of those around us began to pour down on me.

My stomach churned a little, and my face turned bright red.

Maybe from the pressure of bowing, or maybe from embarrassment.

"......"

I stayed silent, hoping to hear a saving answer from above, but there was no response.

So I decided to keep going with the words I'd prepared.

"I won't ever do that again, so please let me off..."

Still, I couldn't hear her voice.

Was the dogeza a bad choice?

As the embarrassment kept swelling, tears began to well up.

You pathetic crybaby...

I tried to continue in a tear-choked voice.

What should I say?

What could I say to sound the most sincere?

Hoping she'd show even the slightest positive response, I carefully chose my words.

"I'm begging you... I'll do anything..."

"Oh?"

Finally!

I'd gotten some kind of reaction.

"Hmm..."

Yoo Jieun repeated one of the things I'd said.

"You'll do anything?"

"Y-yes... Anything except paying money or dying... Please..."

"Hmm..."

She made a thoughtful sound, as if she were considering it.

Is it working? Please.

At least she seemed to be thinking about it, so things must have improved a little.

"For now, get up."

"Please... let me off..."

"I said I understand, so get up and sit down."

At her words, I got up. It was as if her voice held some kind of magic that forced me to obey.

Yoo Jieun looked at my face, then flinched and said:

"Huh? Why are you crying?"

"I don't know..."

I mumbled evasively, embarrassed.

Yoo Jieun watched me, briefly covered her mouth, then took a tissue from her handbag and handed it to me.

"Don't cry. You're breaking my heart."

"Thank you..."

I quickly took the tissue and wiped my face.

Why was she treating me so kindly after I'd said such awful things to her?

I felt a little grateful.

"I've decided what to do."

At those words, my heart began to beat faster.

What she said and did next would decide my life.

I swallowed.

"...Yes."

"For now, I'll put off deciding whether to hand this over to the police."

"Then...!"

My tear-streaked face brightened.

"Ah, I'm not saying I won't go through with it. I'll decide based on how you act, Ihyeon."

"Ah, yes..."

What did Yoo Jieun want?

For me to reform?

Was she really going to spend her time on something like that?

At least, it wasn't something I needed to worry about right now.

I was simply grateful she was giving me a reprieve.

"If you go around hurting people, I'll have to scold you, so call that number now. I need your number, too."

"Ah, yes..."

I nodded as I answered.

Watching me with a smile, Yoo Jieun went, "Oh," raised a finger, and said:

"By the way, if you don't pick up when I call, I'll go ahead with the complaint again, okay?"

"Eek..."

...I just realized why I hadn't been able to speak confidently this whole time.

Of course, the fact that she was taller than me played a part, but the biggest reason was...

This woman is scary.

A classic case of someone with a strong presence despite her appearance.

She smiled warmly, but seemed like the kind of person who'd crush me if I talked back.

"I'm sorry, but I have an appointment now, so I should get going. This meeting was arranged at the last minute, so I hope you understand."

"Ah, yes. That's okay. Take care."

She tossed the drink she'd only taken one sip of and walked outside.

Then I felt Yoo Jieun's gaze sweep over me.

I saw the corners of her slanted eyes curve up even further.

...For a moment, I wondered about the strangeness of that look.

It felt familiar.

That look just now.

And that strange gaze she'd been giving me before, and even now.

It was a gaze that had started to feel familiar lately.

An unpleasant sensation I'd only recently begun to feel.

...The male convenience-store part-timer. Men passing by.

......The middle-aged man next door?

Why did I feel that kind of gaze coming from Yoo Jieun?

...No, that couldn't be.

She was a woman.

It had to be a simple mistake.

You shouldn't blindly trust people's instincts and senses. That's an important lesson.

After a little while, feeling returned to my legs, which had gone weak, and I went outside.

For some reason, I felt like I'd just been released from prison.