Just One Week After Catching the TS Disease. My Life Changed.
Ten years since the TS Disease first appeared.
At first, people felt fear toward this illness that could rewrite someone's appearance and gender in a single instant. But gradually, they began taking an interest in the radiant looks and alluring bodies of TS patients — and as if it were only natural, a dark greed followed close behind.
The government does take measures after someone contracts the disease, but all they really do is run a simple examination, issue a new identity, and ship out a few support supplies. Naturally, that was nowhere near enough to protect anyone. Cases of people being left exposed to filthy greed were all too common.
Of course, stories like that were someone else's problem — a faraway country, as far as I was concerned.
...Until a week ago.
Ding-dong~
Looks like the support supplies I'd applied for three days ago had finally arrived. Ever since I'd suddenly become TS, I'd been fired from my job and had been lying around listlessly. I awkwardly pushed myself up and went to open the door for the delivery.
Creeeak.
When the door opened, it wasn't an ordinary delivery guy but a man who looked like a government official. He handed over a box and asked a few questions to verify my identity.
"So you are Kim Min-hu. Confirmed. I'll be on my way."
A sideways glance.
"...Yes."
Didn't I just mention greed? If I'd been an ordinary woman, I'd have gone ballistic or threatened to sue over a guy staring straight at my chest. But a TS girl is different. Do that, and all you get back is cold stares — Look at this bastard who used to be a guy, throwing a fit over something like that.
Thud.
The door closed. I grabbed the box and brought it back into the room.
I turned my head for a moment and looked in the mirror. Silky white hair that shimmered with every movement, golden eyes that looked like they'd been painted on with watercolor, and a pair of chest fat deposits so absurdly large they defied reason.
On the internet they call this a "massive rack," right? Fun for the people looking. Not so much for the person stuck with them. Having your chest bounce with every single step is no small inconvenience. And going down stairs? You can't even see your own feet, so the handrail becomes basically mandatory and you have to move carefully.
On the bright side, one of the symptoms of TS Disease means I don't have to worry about sagging breasts or aging. Small mercies. That also makes me a target of jealousy, but let's not go there.
Growl.
I'd gotten so lost in thought that hunger started to set in. I glanced at the clock — past three in the afternoon. TS or not, I was still human. I still needed to eat.
I headed to the kitchen thinking I'd just make some ramen, then remembered I'd eaten the last pack yesterday, and my mood sank all over again.
No rice, no side dishes. Delivery... I need to save money.
That left only one option: go outside and buy some ramen. I considered going somewhere farther away to shop, but shook my head almost immediately.
The rumors have already spread. Everyone around here already knows who I am.
Pathetic. I hadn't committed any crime. I was the victim here. And yet I had to worry about things like this. Cursing myself for it, I threw on a hoodie that wouldn't show off my figure too much and headed for the nearby mart.
Thud, thud.
"Whoa, Mom, that lady's boobs are HUGE!"
"Ack, I'm so sorry! The kid doesn't know any better..."
"No, it's fine."
I'd heard that exact line dozens of times in just one week. Get used to it. I was going to hear that for the rest of my life — might as well start adapting now.
Shopping at the mart went quickly. Living alone, I didn't need much. I grabbed the bare minimum and was about to leave fast, but—
"Eh."
"Ah."
Of course I ran into someone I knew.
"Ah... Min-hu... is that you? How have you been? Nothing too uncomfortable, I hope?"
"Yes, nothing major..."
It felt like sitting on a bed of nails. Even the holiday lectures from relatives weren't this bad.
"You should, uh, use women's shampoo and things like that... A girl needs to take good care of her hair, you know."
"Thank you for the advice. Auntie, I'll be going now."
I walked so fast it was practically a run, and every time I did, those damned chest fat deposits started bouncing in time with my steps. With every step, I could feel another pair of eyes locking onto me.
As fast as possible! Get out of here as fast as possible!
But bad things always come in streaks. There were more than five people ahead of me at the checkout, every single one of them loaded down with a full cart. Just ringing them up was going to take forever.
Beep. Beep.
It was barely ten minutes, but it felt like I'd been waiting an hour. And finally, my turn came. Just as relief washed over me and my expression started to brighten—
A sideways glance.
Beep.
Ah. Not done yet.
Beep.
I looked around for a moment. I'd been wondering why the mart had been so unnaturally quiet. Now I knew why. Everyone was staring at me. It was like being at a zoo — no, like being the freak show at a circus. Some people stared at my hair and eyes with pure curiosity, just because they were different from their own. Others looked at me with open disgust. But most of them weren't even bothering to hide the lust in their eyes.
The second the checkout finished, I fled. I couldn't take it.
Even if I became a woman, I'm still human! Still human!
I ran until I was out of breath. My chest bounced wildly, my form was a complete mess, but I didn't care about any of that. I just ran, and somehow made it home.
Rattle. BANG!
"Hah... hah..."
In my panic I kicked the door open and flung the groceries I'd gone through all that trouble to buy. Going outside looking like this... seemed impossible. Given enough time, people would get used to me and things would get better than they are now. But whether I could actually hold out until then was another question entirely.
I was exhausted. Not my body — my mind was wearing down. I lay down on the bed to rest for a bit.
But then, a noisy commotion started filtering in through the window.
"Pew-shung pah-shung, this is Dumbass TV! Today we're interviewing the TS girl in our neighborhood haha..."
Looks like people had no intention of leaving me alone. I was going to have to steel myself for a while. I pulled the blanket over myself, desperately praying that this hellish moment would just pass.