“Yawn.”
After stretching with a long, lazy reach, I check my smartphone for about 30 minutes.
Time melts away as I watch pointless YouTube Shorts, and after dawdling for a while, I finally get up and put some water on in the electric kettle.
As I pour the hot water into a cup of instant noodles, steam rises in soft, warm waves.
The spicy aroma tickles my nose.
I’m not sure how good it is for my health to eat something spicy first thing in the morning —But there was no other choice.
Instant noodles were the only food I had left.
“We’re even running out of bottled water.”
As I turn my head, the window reflects like a mirror, showing the face of a bright, sparklingly beautiful girl.
“It’s already been a week.”
It’s been a week since I became Yoo Seoyeon.
At first, I was completely bewildered — but maybe a change in body brings a change in mind.
It didn’t take long before I adjusted.
The awkwardness has almost completely disappeared.
“Thank goodness I have an ID.”
I thought this as I slurped up a mouthful of ramen.
When I first came to my senses after everything changed, my biggest worry was my identity.
My body had suddenly transformed — and if my identity had stayed the same as when I was a guy, that would’ve been a huge problem.
Imagine pulling out my old ID while looking like a beautiful girl…People wouldn’t just think I was weird — they’d probably think I was some kind of lunatic.
“If weird looks were the only issue, that’d be lucky… I’d basically be an undocumented immigrant.”
An unidentified, undocumented immigrant.
This wasn’t some kind of joke I could laugh off with an “Ahaha~”.
Without proper ID, I wouldn’t even be able to open a bank account or get a phone plan.
“It’s a relief that it wasn’t just my body that changed.”
Luckily, that nightmare scenario never happened.
After a few days of looking into things, I realized that it wasn’t just my body that had changed.
Somehow, the world itself had shifted in subtle ways.
This was now a reality where the virtual YouTuber I had created — Yoo Seoyeon — actually existed.
To be more precise, it was like this world had replaced my past self with Yoo Seoyeon.
It sounded completely absurd, but after doing my own investigation, that was the only conclusion I could come to.
A few other things had changed compared to the world I used to live in —But the most important things remained the same.
My parents were still here.
My one and only younger sister was still here.
The only difference was that they knew me as Yoo Seoyeon now.
Even my ID was perfectly valid (aside from the last few digits being different), and I even had a checking account set up.
So all that panic about my identity disappearing?
It turned out to be completely unnecessary.
“The real thing I should be worrying about is something else.”
I muttered to myself, staring at my dwindling food supply.
Three cups of instant noodles,Two packs of instant rice,Four eggs (though I’d already fried one, and the cloudy egg white didn’t look very fresh),And some green onions, barely hanging on to life.
That was everything I had left.
“This is bad… really bad…”
My small feet tapped anxiously against the floor.
The dwindling food supply.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the only thing left in the fridge was dust.
“If I run out of money, I’m doomed…”
As always, money was the problem.
I let out a deep sigh and glanced at my bank balance on my smartphone app.
The good news?
I had enough to get by for a few months.
The bad news?
I only had enough to get by for a few months.
“And it’s not like I’m doing anything right now.”
Unlike my past self, Yoo Seoyeon had just graduated high school.
She wasn’t attending college.
She didn’t even have a part-time job.
There was no income coming in.
It was fine for now, but in a few months, my account would hit zero.
“Maybe I should get a part-time job?”
I turned my head again, lost in thought.
My hair was a mess, and my face was bare without a hint of makeup — but the mirror still reflected a doll-like, beautiful girl.
Even now, I sometimes got startled when I saw myself.
No matter what, Yoo Seoyeon was an extraordinary beauty.
Like a character straight out of a manga, the kind of face that drew attention without even trying.
“Getting a part-time job shouldn’t be too hard.”
My slender arms didn’t look suited for physical labor —But with this face, any service job would probably be a free pass.
An internet café, a convenience store — or even easier jobs, if I wanted.
It was like I had a standing reservation for every cushy part-time gig in the country.
“Hmmmm…”
And yet… for some reason, the idea of getting a part-time job didn’t sit well with me.
It wasn’t like I was trembling in fear or breaking out in a cold sweat or anything — but there was this strange sense of reluctance.
“Well… I never liked working part-time before, either.”
I mean, how many people in the world actually enjoy going to work?
There are definitely workaholics out there — but I was never one of them.
“But still… it’s an easy job, right?”
Even if I didn’t like working, I wouldn’t usually feel this weird sense of reluctance toward a cushy part-time gig.
“Is it because of this shy personality?”
It was a personality I had created myself.
Yoo Seoyeon — in other words, I — was pretty introverted.
The kind of person who rarely left the house, a natural-born homebody and social outsider.
There was no way someone like that could handle a service job.
“Maybe it’s rubbing off on me? I really do feel like my personality’s changed.”
I was still me, without a doubt — but it felt like Yoo Seoyeon’s character traits were influencing me a little.
“Well, when the money runs out, I’ll do whatever I have to.”
I threw myself onto the bed with a soft thud.
When push comes to shove, people will do anything to survive.
This weird aversion to working would probably disappear the moment I ran out of money for food.
But things hadn’t gotten that desperate yet.
I still had a few months of breathing room.
That vague sense of security led me straight into self-justification.
I could afford to take it easy for a little longer…”So, the part-time job can wait.”
With that neat conclusion, I picked up my smartphone.
When you’re feeling anxious, the best remedy is the comforting distraction of your phone.
I opened the video site “E-Tube” — the world’s largest video platform.
As I scrolled, edited videos flashed by one after another.
My body might have been sluggish, but my thumb moved fast.
[Chain Roller Challenge! Going for the 9-hour clear!]
[Three pro gamers take on the Chain Roller Challenge!]
[We have to see the Chain Roller ending!!]
The algorithm flooded my feed with the latest trending videos.
But one video in particular stood out.
“Chain Roller?”
It was a game I’d never heard of before.
But judging by how many streamers were uploading videos of it, it was clearly the latest trend.
“What kind of game is this?”
Curious, I clicked on a few of the most popular videos suggested by the algorithm.
<W-What is this swamp area?! Aaaagh!>
<Guys, isn’t this pattern just way too unfair?! Who even designed this nonsense?!>
<Don’t go that way! Nooo!!>
The videos were filled with streamers screaming in frustration.
Their expressions were twisted with agony, like they were playing a horror game —And the viewers?
They were having the time of their lives, laughing at their suffering.
Just from that, I could already tell what kind of game this was.
“Ah… it’s one of those games.”
One of those “pot-climbing” type games — the kind designed to drive you insane.
The main goal of these games is usually simple — reach a designated finish point.
The difference from ordinary games?
The path to get there is insanely, brutally difficult.
Another defining feature: while most games focus on responsive, smooth controls, these games intentionally make the controls clunky and awkward.
In short, they crank up the difficulty to absurd levels just for the sake of it.
<W-Wait! No! Aaaagh! THERE’S NO SAVE POINT?!>
The lack of save points is what truly defines these “pot-climbing” games.
You could spend hours making progress — only to make one mistake and tumble all the way back to the starting point, or the so-called “beginner’s village.”
That’s the real charm of these games…Not for the player, of course — but for the people watching.
The sheer frustration and pain they caused made them wildly popular among streamers and their audiences.
“I did try a game like this once before.”
The one with the bald guy stuck in a cauldron, swinging a hammer to climb his way to the moon.
The controls were a nightmare, the precision was tough to master, and with no save points, brute-forcing your way through was impossible.
After trying games like this a few times, I completely understood why so many streamers spent entire days playing without ever clearing them.
“Yeah… I just quit and refunded it.”
I wasn’t a streamer, and I definitely wasn’t one of those weirdos who actually enjoyed torturous games like this.
I remembered giving up after about an hour.
This game, “Chain Roller,” seemed to be the same kind of thing.
“Oh, there’s a clear video?”
Most people spent dozens of hours just trying to beat these games —But among the streamers, there were always a few pros who pushed through the frustration and even attempted speedruns.
The so-called “skilled players” — the ones with natural gaming talent.
Curious, I clicked on one of their videos.
The streamer on-screen played with a calm, focused expression.
<Now? Yeah, that’s it. This pattern’s way too obvious.>
Unlike most streamers who screamed and raged, this one handled the game’s challenges with impressive ease and control.
<Ah, what’s this unfair pattern?!>
He was human too, after all — and to be fair, the game was so difficult that he stumbled quite a bit.
<Hah! Solo clear!>
He cleared the game at a speed that no other streamer could even come close to.
<So, what do you guys think? I’ve still got it, right? What’s the clear time for the other streamers? What rank am I?>
As soon as he asked, the chat exploded with reactions.
「You just hit 1st place.」
「This dude’s insane… absolutely cracked…」
「Why’s this guy so good at this trash game?!」
Judging by the chat, it looked like he had taken the top spot among all the streamers.
Noticing the reactions, the streamer grinned and gave a confident thumbs-up to the camera.
<Man, there’s a pretty big gap between me and 2nd place. I don’t think anyone’s gonna beat this record. I mean, c’mon, am I wrong?>
It was a cocky statement — but looking at his time, he wasn’t wrong.
He was dominating the leaderboard by an overwhelming margin.
「Bruh…」
「Fact. Absolute fact.」
「But seriously, how did you pull off a sub-3-hour clear, you monster?!」
「Damn gifted dude…」
The chat was full of people jokingly calling him “disgusting” and throwing around playful insults — but it was clear most of them were just messing around.
In reality, the viewers were mostly in awe of his skills.
<Oh wow! Thank you so much for the 100,000 won donation, Jjangbyeotbbi! You really didn’t have to!>
The streamer, clearly enjoying the chat’s energy, was now having a little “victory donation time” to celebrate his clear.
“Man… if only I had that kind of skill, maybe I’d try streaming too.”
Talent.
There are things you can achieve through hard work — and then there are things that only natural talent can get you.
Even if this game was known for being frustrating, hitting first place with such an overwhelming lead?
That was definitely a matter of talent.
As for me?
Well, I knew my own limits.
My gaming skills were nothing to write home about.
That “pot-climbing” game?
I spent an hour stuck at the bottom and rage-quit before refunding it.
Even in other games, I was — at best — an average player.
I’d watched pro gamers and skilled streamers from time to time…But I also knew I could never reach their level.
“Sigh.”
I let out a deep sigh.
It wasn’t just my lack of gaming skills — with this newly timid personality, even regular streaming would probably be tough.
‘…Wait?’
That’s when it hit me.
My appearance and personality had both changed to match Yoo Seoyeon.
And Yoo Seoyeon… wasn’t just an ordinary shy girl.
[Shy, but with world-class gaming talent.]
The core concept of Yoo Seoyeon — something I’d seen countless times — suddenly flashed through my mind.