2. Adaptation Period
First of all, my singing ability had always been solidly average — the kind you'd hear at any noraebang — and that hadn't changed now that I'd become a woman.
But then there's the matter of tone color.
"Wow, unni, did you get a transplant in your throat?"
"I guess so."
There's a reason people say singing is all about the timbre. Really.
I sang through songs of completely different genres one after another, letting my voice flow with the melody, and it suited every single one of them.
And when I sang a man's song an octave lower, it even sounded like a uniquely husky male voice.
So the test-and-play session came to an end while I marveled at my own vocal cords.
I fed Nayeon dinner at my place before sending her home.
My cooking had improved considerably, thanks to twenty-eight years of male experience layered on top, and watching Nayeon's jaw drop was honestly pretty entertaining.
"Off you go."
"Yep."
The next day, I went to a vocal academy for a consultation.
"Uh... Lee Yeonwoo-ssi?"
"Yes."
Yes! There it is! A person this beautiful actually exists?! — that classic reaction!
Sadly, there was no opportunity for the convenience store scene that's basically national law in TS stories.
And the reason was... I looked too terrifying!
Thinking back on my memories... I distinctly remembered a convenience store part-timer who flinched the moment she saw my face at the register, then kept her eyes glued to the floor until I left.
Even passersby would take one look at my face and avert their eyes as they walked by. Honestly, that stung a little.
It might be different when I'm actually the one receiving the looks, though...
If I'm going to TS anyway! And end up this ridiculously gorgeous! How is it fair that I never got a single clichéd moment?!
So this was my first time properly seeing how people reacted to my face.
"Like I mentioned on the phone yesterday, we'll just do a simple test today and wrap up there."
"Okay."
How high could I go, how low, whether there were songs I wanted to learn — after questions like those and a discussion of how lessons would proceed, we called it a day.
"So, every Friday, same time as today?"
"Yes."
"Then, see you later."
"Right, see you next week."
Back home, I pulled up a Japanese VTuber's stream.
Between now and the audition, all I had to do was figure out what to sell myself on and practice singing.
A few days later.
I'd run out of food at home and went out to do some grocery shopping.
I briefly considered just ordering delivery because I couldn't be bothered, but cooking had been surprisingly fun last time, so I decided to make something myself.
"Excuse me..."
At the voice calling out, I turned around to find a man in a suit standing there.
"Yes?"
Oh, wow — he's asking for my number even after seeing my face!
Sorry to this man, but having actually experienced it now, I can confirm it feels worse than I imagined, so I just stared at him expressionlessly.
"Ah... um... I..."
"I'll be going then, if you have nothing to say."
"I—! Please take my business card!"
Hm? A business card?
Not a phone number? Well, now I feel bad for nothing. Then again, any scout should be prepared for this kind of treatment.
I looked over the card the man had handed me.
...Isn't this a second-tier entertainment company?
A place regarded as barely one-and-a-half tier — below the Big Three.
"Anyway, I'll be going."
"Ah... right... if you're interested, please get in touch..."
Well, whatever. I'm going to be a VTuber, so it's none of my concern.
An idol? I haven't even adapted to this body yet.
At minimum, I'd need to be able to look myself in the eye while washing in the shower before I even consider it.
...Which, I realize, is a separate issue from accepting that I've become a woman.
I stopped by the mart to shop.
I felt a little hurt when the cashier couldn't meet my eyes at checkout... but I'm slowly getting used to it now.
That said, maybe because I've regressed to the past, prices feel remarkably cheap?
I ended up buying way more stuff than I needed while browsing.
What should I make for dinner tonight?
When in doubt, ask.
*Rrrring, rrrring*
[Oh, unni. What's up?]
"Jeo-me-chu."
[Two years of! Are you still torturing your high school senior sister?]
"Then go study, why don't you."
[...I'm honestly torn between loving and hating you right now, that's how well you know me.]
"Good things are good things."
So apparently Doyeon's really into her little sister.
"Anyway, what should I have for dinner?"
"Hm... spicy stir-fried pork?"
"Did you TS too?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"...Never mind."
Wouldn't a typical high school girl say tteokbokki or something from a snack bar?
"Thanks anyway. Call me if you're bored."
"Yep, enjoy dinner."
With the menu sorted, I got cooking.
First, I set a pan over low heat and drizzled in a little oil.
Then I tore the plastic wrap off the pork front-leg slices I'd bought and tossed them in.
Using the sizzle of the browning meat as background music, I pulled the pre-chopped green onions from the fridge and threw in a generous handful.
After a quick stir-fry, I opened the fridge again for the minced garlic.
One big spoonful in, followed by soy sauce, chili flakes, corn syrup, and sugar, added more or less by feel.
With a few more steps tacked on, it was done.
I took a bite.
Mm. That's the not-too-sweet stir-fried pork flavor I like.
As a certified sodium addict, salty beats sweet every time for me.
Oh, right. I'd meant to tell Nayeon about the business card and completely forgot.
I remembered showing off my card collection a few times before, and while bragging about this kind of thing is basically flexing — "Look how pretty I am!" — giving it up was not an option.
That girl takes after Dad; her reactions are just too good.
The next day.
Ugh... why does my body feel like this today?
My stomach's all queasy too... did I eat something bad yesterday? Was the pork in the stir-fry off?
Even trying to eat turned my appetite off, so I just stayed in bed.
Then, while scrolling on my phone—
"Argh!"
What was that?
A sharp pain lanced through my abdomen like a knife, then faded.
Oh no... don't tell me...!
I rifled through my memories in a panic and realized.
Well, then...!
The sacred TS trope has arrived: the period event.
Digging a little deeper, I found that my periods were on the severe side.
Dragging my languid body along, I headed to the bathroom, relying on my borrowed memories.
"Ah, goddamn it..."
A curse I rarely use slipped out on its own.
I knew intellectually, through memory-as-information, what it felt like for blood to trickle out down there — but experiencing it firsthand was just so gross.
Hah...
In the end, I declared the day a write-off, lay in bed doing absolutely nothing, and let it be a miserable one.
***
[Hey, how've you been?]
"Fine as always. What's this about?"
A call from an old friend, out of the blue.
[Figured I hadn't seen you in forever, so I called.]
"Oh yeah? Then I'll come over to your place."
[Sure.]
His name was Han Gyeongmin — my best friend since elementary school.
Fortunately, the bond had survived even my TS.
Speaking of which, it really has been a while.
The last time I'd seen him, before I regressed, was at my college graduation celebration.
Almost three years, then.
And with that in mind, the thought of seeing a face from my younger days again put me in a good mood.
So I headed out in what had become my standard outdoor uniform — black hoodie, track pants, and a cap.
Heading toward Gyeongmin's studio apartment, not far from my building, I spotted him waiting outside for me.
"Hey! What's with the welcome party, I didn't need a— ...huh?"
Huh? Where's the usual stubble-covered mess of a guy?
"Well, it's been ages — figured I couldn't take the chance I'd forgotten where I live."
Okay, no. Don't do this to me. Please.
"You been well, Yeonwoo?"
The look in his eyes as he stared at me was... not normal.
Feeling a deep sense of wrongness about Gyeongmin's whole demeanor, I quickly dredged up my memories as a woman.
No! No way! My memories don't have any of this! Was he seriously a two-year dating virgin? So oblivious he couldn't pick up on THIS vibe?! God! No wonder he was single!
Honestly, thank god he was single! But I never dreamed he'd be THIS dense!
"Yeonwoo?"
"Ah, yeah... like I said, I've been fine..."
First, calm down. I looked Gyeongmin up and down.
Clothes that couldn't decide whether they'd been put together with care, hair lightly styled, the way he was looking at me...
No, no! The eye thing could just be my personal bias — let's stick to objective evidence.
...Which, even without it, yeah.
My male instincts are telling me everything I need to know.
"Then let's go in."
This bastard likes me.
I entered Gyeongmin's place on high alert, and the familiar scenery I hadn't seen in ages greeted me.
I decided to confirm my suspicion first.
"Hey, air the place out once in a while. What's with the smell of night flowers? The smell alone is a sin. You plan on taking responsibility for me?"
"Hey! You're— you're a girl now, watch your mouth! Seriously!"
Please! Stop doing this! So what if your gender changed — this is too much! Normally when I talked like this you'd just call it bullshit!
Watching his face flush bright red as he stammered, my suspicion hardened into certainty.
"I'll grab us some drinks."
"Sure. I'll take a coke."
"I know."
Hah... TS really is a nightmare.
There's no explaining how awful it feels to learn that my closest friend has a crush on me. Actually — no, it can't be explained, it's just that awful!
Even the Amta-dan wouldn't oppose me in this situation.
No wait — those freaks would probably be *delighted*, calling it a childhood-friends pure-love romance?! Garbage, the lot of them! You'd have to live this to understand! This isn't pure love — this is BL territory!
I'm in such a bad state that I'm having absurd fantasies about whether Gyeongmin liked me even back when I was a man.
"Phew..."
I took a deep breath and steadied myself.
This was the most nerve-wracking moment I'd faced since regressing.
Was I not, at this very moment, forced to choose between my best friend and my own sanity?
But obviously, sanity wins!
Sorry, Gyeongmin — for the sake of my mental health, I have to draw the line.
"Here, eat up."
The timing worked out perfectly, so I decided to get straight to the point.
Any longer and my own heart would start taking damage. Not that I hadn't already hit my limit!
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Stop liking me."
"Wha—?!"
Phew... saying it out loud is calming, actually.
"N-no... wh-when did you find out?"
Gyeongmin was trembling, clearly having expected none of this, and I felt a twinge of pity — no, wait, thinking about it, I'm just pissed?! I'm a victim here too!
"I could tell the moment I saw you today. Something about you felt different."
But I didn't want to hurt him any more than necessary, so I answered as flatly as a brick wall, hoping he'd take the hint and fold.
"I... I see..."
I considered comforting him, but I knew that kind of gesture would only leave him with lingering hope, so I held back.
"...Let's just eat."
I couldn't exactly tell a guy I'd just rejected to cook for himself, so I did it myself.
I threw together a simple pasta from whatever was in his kitchen and set it down in front of him.
"...Thanks."
"Don't mention it. It's nothing."
After that, only the clink of utensils and the sound of noodles being slurped filled the room.
Ugh, this is so awkward. Maybe I should've just become a comedian after all?
The thought crossed my mind for a second, but I decided that giving a close friend time to sort out his feelings was the right call.
The moment he finished eating and I was about to head home—
"Yeonwoo."
Oh, please.
"Yeah."
"Can we at least stay friends?"
"Obviously."
Ha! Phew! That genuinely scared me. Thank god his next move was that question and not a confession.
"Then sort your feelings out, and next time, explain to me why you even liked me in the first place."
"Two years of?! Is that really what you say to someone who just got dumped?!"
Looks like he'd finished processing, because he was back to the Gyeongmin I knew and tolerated.
I left his place and looked up at the sky on the walk home.
"Hah..."
This is exhausting...