“My mornings are usually quick.
Though my appearance has changed, the most fundamental parts of me seem to have stayed the same.
I tried doing push-ups alone in my room, and the number didn’t differ much from what I could do with my previous body.
I even jogged around the neighborhood, and it didn’t leave me overly exhausted.
While I couldn’t test my sword skills due to the lack of a blade, it seemed the goddess had retained all of my original strength in this smaller body.
It didn’t feel particularly firm to the touch, though.
Could this be what people mean by the blessing of the goddess?
…Maybe it’s a reward for what I’ve achieved.
Fighting against the Demon King’s army was my job, but so was building my physique and maintaining my stamina.
So, this body, too, could be considered something I earned through my efforts.
I decided to gratefully accept it.
This body’s potential was, in a way, even greater than my old one’s.
A flexible body means it can be trained further.
Although I haven’t yet decided how I’ll use that training.
“Hoo…”
After waking up in the morning, I changed into workout clothes and jogged around the neighborhood.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what exactly counted as “the neighborhood.”
Around the apartment were shopping districts, a large river, and a walking trail that seemed to stretch all the way to the outskirts of Seoul.
Living in a place like this was something I’d never imagined, so I wasn’t sure how to describe it.
Is “neighborhood” even the right term?
Even in this body, running long distances in the summer heat made me sweat.
Returning to the apartment, I took a refreshing shower and dried my hair.
Long hair was a bit of a hassle.
It was even longer than my sister’s.
At first, I thought of cutting it, but when it came time to do so, I hesitated, feeling it would be a waste.
Since it had been this long from the beginning, I didn’t feel like I had grown it out intentionally, but still, now that it was so long, I thought of trying something with it.
Though I wasn’t sure exactly what.
Well, hair takes time to grow back after being cut, so there was no rush.
The clock read 7 a.m.
It was time to head out soon.
The place I lived as a child was a bit far from here.
It took about 40 minutes by subway.
My sister said I could leave later, but in truth, I was leaving early because I wanted to see her.
Fortunately, she seemed to think it was just because I was diligent.
At this age, I could start learning to drive, and with this body’s physical abilities, I was confident I could get my license quickly.
I even had enough money to buy a car.
To be honest, I could afford a truly expensive car, the kind I could only dream of as a child.
“…Should I really buy one?”
It wouldn’t be ideal for commuting, though.
Looking out the window now, the roads were already packed with cars.
Seeing that, I thought it might be faster to just take the subway, even if it’s crowded.
Plus, there was almost no parking near the bakery.
Sure, I could use a paid parking lot nearby, but then, what’s the point of having a part-time job?
Most of the pay would be eaten up by parking fees.
Still, the idea of buying a car was undeniably appealing.
Maybe I could get closer to my sister and go on outings, just the two of us?
Not that I could expect too much now that I’m in a woman’s body…
But we could at least go on a light camping trip, couldn’t we?
When we were kids, we once lay side by side and talked about camping cars.
“If the house is attached to the car, you can live anywhere,” my sister had said.
She said this while visiting me downstairs, away from her always-fighting parents.
At the time, I just thought it was a cool idea.
Having a house you could move meant being able to travel anywhere.
Of course, I’d had more than enough travel in that other world.
Though sometimes we’d have a spacious carriage to sleep in, most of the time we rode on horseback, carrying tents and supplies ourselves if needed.
Even if we’d had a camping car, it would’ve been useless without paved roads.
I shook my head to dismiss thoughts of a camping car.
Yeah, that was too much.
Even a luxury foreign car might overwhelm my sister.
“…More importantly,”
As I was putting on my shoes, I paused and thought seriously.
Would showing up in an overly expensive car make it seem like I was mocking her?
A part-timer earning minimum wage turning out to be a secretly rich girl with a luxury car that costs a fortune to maintain—wouldn’t she feel betrayed?
“…Hmm, maybe not.”
Thinking about her personality, she wouldn’t likely feel that way.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to remember that the sister I knew back then and the one now might not be exactly the same.
Five years had passed, after all.
She must have faced plenty of challenges in society and likely changed her perspective in the process.
“Let’s hold off on getting a license for now.”
“If I have this much money but get a license and don’t buy a car, that would be odd in its own way.
But if I just say I didn’t get a license in the first place, the problem disappears.
After all, if I don’t have a license, not buying a car becomes a non-issue.
No, more than that—
‘…Would it be a bit troublesome if this house gets discovered…?’
I mumbled absentmindedly as I looked up at the distinctly high ceiling, so different from a typical home.
Would my sister understand if I said I inherited the money but wanted to live sincerely?
Eh, well,
It’s not something to worry about right now.
It’s not like my sister and I are close enough for her to visit my house yet.
That’s something to think about when the time comes.
I finished tying my shoelaces and adjusted my outfit, checking for anything off.
“Alright.”
I nodded once and stepped out the door.
The bakery was bustling with customers.
However, they only came in waves during specific times, particularly in the mornings when people came to buy bread.
As the single-family homes and old villas in the area disappeared, most of the remaining buildings were shops.
I wondered how the neighborhood could function like that, but it seemed there were a few schools nearby.
And even though the villa-heavy area had mostly vanished, the adjacent neighborhood still had a few remaining.
The bakery sat on the route where students caught the bus to school.
So every morning, the place was packed with students.
By the time we frantically handled all the transactions, the display shelves were nearly empty.
Moreover, it was just my sister and me working at the bakery.
To top it off, one of the two nearby schools was an all-boys school, making this bakery particularly popular among male students.
Word had spread about my sister, who was already a beauty, and then about me, who joined later.
Since starting work a week ago, the number of students visiting had skyrocketed.
“Hoo…”
After the storm of customers passed, my sister let out a small sigh and sank into a chair behind the counter.
“Not tired?”
“Oh, no, this much is manageable…”
Having faced far worse foes, this wasn’t particularly exhausting for me.
It was just tiring to deal with the occasional students who lingered too long, trying to act cool.
“Ah, youth is nice~”
My sister teased me with narrowed eyes.
“Oh, come on, we’re not that far apart in age.”
At my words, she chuckled and began massaging her legs.
“By the way, Shihyun—”
She started to speak but paused momentarily.
Shihyun.
That was my name.
My surname was “Cha.”
Yes, the name I use now, “Cha Shihyun,” even shares the same surname as the one I originally had.
“…Shihyun, you live pretty far from here, don’t you?”
She seemed to have paused because something crossed her mind.
Whenever my sister had to call my name, she would hesitate slightly, just like that.
Could it be because she still remembers me?
…Considering the last time, it would actually be strange if she didn’t.
I shouldn’t think this way, but… I was happy that my sister remembered me.
Even though I knew that the last memory of me couldn’t possibly be a good one.
“Yes, it’s about a 40-minute subway ride.”
Thankfully, I had managed to act less awkward around her.
Although my heart still raced when I stood in front of her, and I’d instinctively step back if our hands accidentally brushed.
“Isn’t 40 minutes a bit far to commute for a part-time job?”
“No… but I really wanted to work here.”
Because my sister is here.
“Is that so?”
I wasn’t sure what she thought of my words, but she just smiled.