It’s a strange ceiling. ‘Where is this?’
I lay there staring blankly at the ceiling for about 10 minutes after opening my eyes.
I couldn’t be bothered to remember where I was or what I had been doing before I lost consciousness.
Even if I tried to wrap it up as a form of monotony, the reality was that it was extreme laziness and sluggishness.
“Are you awake?”
“…Uh-huh.”
It was a strange, grotesque sound that could be mistaken for a zombie groan, somewhere between a moan and a response, coming out between my lips.
When I rolled my eyes sideways, the familiar face of a woman appeared.
“Ah…”
Right, I had a drink at my sister’s house yesterday.
I apologized for the incident with Pepe, and we chatted about various things.
And then…
‘I lost track of time.’
I remember having a drink while admiring the night sky from the veranda, but the next part of the night was a blur.
Feeling frustrated by the ungraspable memory, I decided not to think too deeply about it.
Well, I probably just ended up drunkenly stumbling around and then passed out.
It was a baseless confidence, but I didn’t think I was much of a heavy drinker.
Even now, I thought the same.
“Alright, it’s tough, but you have to get up.”
“Are we having porridge again?”
“Yeah. I ordered it.”
I had a sneaking suspicion she liked ordering takeout.
***
Well, after the drinks yesterday, she must be tired.
When I got out of the shower, the meal was already prepared, so I sat down awkwardly, swallowing the porridge and trying to clear my thoughts.
As my consciousness fully returned, I started to recall bits and pieces of my memory.
‘Something must have happened.’
I wasn’t sure whether the thing I was swallowing was just porridge or a garbage dump of forgotten memories.
If I simply couldn’t remember, I wouldn’t be feeling this way.
There was something unclear about it…
‘It can’t be helped.’
If I couldn’t recall it myself, I’d have to ask someone nearby for help.
I turned to Sehee, who was quietly eating her porridge, and stared at her for a while before speaking up.
“Sis.”
“Yeah?”
“By any chance…”
I couldn’t help but admire the beauty in her round eyes, like they had gems in them, as I asked my question.
“Did I make a mistake yesterday?”
I felt a slight tension, my eyes trembling as I waited for her answer, trying to steady my awkward feelings.
“A mistake? I’m not sure…”
She smiled brightly, completely at ease, and said, “I can’t remember either. I think I overdid it a bit.”
“But you’re good with alcohol, right?”
“Well, I am, but we finished four bottles of liquor, Dayoung.”
That was more than enough to knock out even the most seasoned drinker.
Sehee, waving her hands dismissively, didn’t seem to care much about what I said.
With her support, the fragments of the memory that seemed like they were something serious started to fade away.
‘Well, probably nothing happened.’
I wasn’t out drinking with a man or causing any trouble, so I was probably overthinking things.
Maybe I was just being more sensitive than usual since the nuclear controversy.
That might be it.
***
After finishing breakfast, I quickly packed up to leave.
“Sorry, sis. I must’ve been a bother.”
“No worries, just call me anytime if you’re having trouble. Be careful on your way back.”
“Take care, Sehee. I’ll see you on TV later.”
“Yeah, take care.”
Pepe waved his hand as he was about to leave, and I did the same.
Her tone was still a little sharp, but compared to before, it was a huge improvement, so I ignored it.
‘I’m sure Dayoung would correct her behavior.’
After Dayoung and Pepe left, Sehee, once again alone, glanced around.
Ah, the warmth of human presence had faded, and the atmosphere felt cold again.
Just a few hours ago, the warmth of Dayoung and Pepe had filled the space.
“Not bad.”
It wasn’t just Dayoung and Pepe; maybe it wouldn’t be bad to try building new connections as well.
It might be one of the right ways to receive attention.
But then…
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said I didn’t know?”
I had intentionally pretended not to know when Dayoung asked if anything had happened with a man while drinking yesterday.
It was a sensitive topic, and I didn’t want things to get awkward.
In this new body of mine, I wasn’t sure what kind of stance I should take yet.
My mind was still male, but my body was not, and facing such an unprecedented situation, a sudden confession could be incredibly awkward.
I sighed deeply, feeling my shoulder muscles relax.
‘What should I do…?’
I had planned to ask Dayoung for help with editing the video, but at least I should try to handle the first episode myself.
I wasn’t in the mood for virtual reality, so I just turned on the computer.
Maybe it was because of the hangover, but I convinced myself it was that reason…
“Lonely…”
I felt a bitter taste in my mouth from the strange sadness that lingered.
In many ways… it was a morning that made me crave a cigarette.
“Sigh…”
Pepe, who had been spinning in the opposite direction, made a rude sound as if to make me dizzy.
He seemed to be having fun with that mischievous attitude.
Ah, now that I think about it…
“Pepe, you didn’t drink yesterday, did you?”
“I didn’t have a single drink. Why?”
“Then you must know. Did I do anything strange because I was drunk?”
Pepe, who had quietly been filming a cake-eating video, had probably stayed fully conscious throughout the evening.
Looking at Pepe with eyes full of mixed expectations and anxiety, Dayoung pulled out her smartphone.
Turning her body and fiddling with the screen, Pepe responded nonchalantly.
“If you’re talking about strange behavior, well, we just talked a lot while drinking, calling each other attention-seekers and whatnot.”
Despite the response, Pepe tilted his head, sensing something strange in the atmosphere.
He kept tapping the screen, which seemed a bit odd.
‘Is he trying to play a game or something?’
Pepe sometimes played mobile games when bored, and Dayoung allowed it as long as he didn’t overdo it.
But now, something else seemed to be important.
“So, I didn’t say anything weird, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm, really? Nothing happened? I knew I wouldn’t get into trouble even if I blacked out.”
***
At Dayoung’s comment, Pepe burst out laughing, unable to hold it back.
‘What? Even if she blacked out, she wouldn’t cause trouble?’
The words of Sehee came to mind.
Dayoung, this girl must have been the victim of every flirtation once she got to college.
The memory of almost starting a scissors battle with Pepe the night before, without even remembering it, was enough to make Dayoung feel embarrassed.
“Heh, really? I’ve been quiet all this time, and now you’re acting like this?”
A disturbing vibration made Dayoung frown involuntarily.
‘What did she just say?’
“Pepe, didn’t I tell you yesterday? If you speak like that, I won’t talk to you anymore.”
Dayoung coldly reprimanded, her voice sharp and her expression icy, like a manifestation of cold air as she confronted Pepe.
‘But did Pepe understand?’ If she acted arrogantly now, he would be shattered by a final blow, falling into ruin.
“So you’re picking a fight with me, huh?”
“I clearly said it in front of Sehee, didn’t I? I won’t cause any more trouble.”
“Yeah, but…”
Pepe, still engrossed in his smartphone, exuded an ominous vibe.
Something unholy seemed to emanate from him, as though his body had taken shape with a malevolent force.
With a twisted movement, Pepe turned his head, a wicked smile spreading across his face…
“Can you still look down on me after hearing this?”
He triumphantly declared “Checkmate!” and without hesitation, tapped a button on the screen.
It was as if Pandora’s box had been opened, and something emerged from his phone…
[Before you were summoned to this world… you said you were a man, right?]
“What?!”
It was Dayoung’s voice.
‘What did she just say? She didn’t remember saying anything like that…’
[If… if you were still a man right now…]
[As I said earlier… would you still mess with me?]
“Ah…”
“Did I really say that? To Sehee?”
As Dayoung’s world crumbled and collapsed, her consciousness began to dissolve.
The words she thought she’d never hear again were now echoing in her mind.
“Well, nothing happened? Even though I blacked out, I didn’t cause any trouble?”
It was time for her to return as the proud “patriotic conservative Pepe.”
“No such thing, Dayoung-geya.”
The ridiculous laugh made even a clown look innocent by comparison.
“The accident you were worried about, the dark past you wanted to forget!”
With even more amusement than before, she continued.
“No matter what happens!!!”
In an even more bizarre tone, she danced around triumphantly.
“Absolutely!!!!”
With insane laughter filling the air.
***
In the whirlwind of victory, Dayoung stared with hollow eyes, her gaze drenched in despair.
“That’s…”
“Is this something I should say to a hero, you crazy frog?”
“No, that’s not the important part.”
“Did I really say that?”
[If… if you were still a man right now…]
[As I said earlier… would you still mess with me?]
The repeated voice recording echoed in her mind.
Even if she wanted to cover her ears, it slipped through, thoroughly destroying Dayoung’s peace of mind.
“AAAH!”
Finally, unable to hold on any longer, Dayoung’s scream pierced the air.
She had realized too late that even a hero couldn’t withstand this kind of pain.
“Alright! Surrender already…”
Pepe, excited by the imminent victory, began to dance in celebration, when—
-Thud!
“Geulruk?!”
Dayoung’s hand shot out like lightning and grabbed Pepe by the neck.
“What the—Dayoung-geya! Let go!”
Dayoung’s grip tightened on Pepe’s neck, and in the tangled mess of hair, Dayoung’s eyes glowed with a chilling light.
“I told you? I’ve told you so many times… I hate that tone.”
“Cough! It’s not that…”
“So… what? Did you think I would act like a dog, crawling around with my weakness exposed because I didn’t want to show Sehee my dark past?”
Tell me what you have to say.
It wasn’t something that could make their relationship awkward.
To think that their bond as warriors would collapse over something so trivial.
“This isn’t going to work.”
“What, what do you mean?”
“You really need to be taught a lesson.”
With a firm resolve in her eyes, Dayoung clenched her small fist.
Pepe immediately sensed that things were going awry.
“D-death?”