Chapter 4 - Change (3)
Change (3)
Translator : Elizabeth
01.
"Wow..."
A vividness and clarity of sensation even greater than what I had felt in virtual reality swept up from the tips of my toes through my entire spine.
Reflected in a cracked full-length mirror carelessly discarded at a trash collection point, a silver-haired girl in a hoodie was grinning brightly, hopping up and down on the asphalt.
"So this is what asphalt feels like..."
I never knew because I was always stepping on the dirt floors of the Jungle in Legend Frontier, but the sensation of stepping on asphalt was distinct. It felt somewhat similar to modeling clay that had halfway hardened.
"Hehe."
Inane giggles kept escaping my lips.
What would the floor tiles of a department store feel like?
If I stepped on snow, would it really make a crunching sound?
How would it feel to crunch fallen leaves underfoot?
The thought that I could finally experience the things I hadn't been able to do for the past twenty years made it impossible to pull my smile down.
"Mmm-hmm-hmm."
Humming a tune of unknown origin, I skipped toward the convenience store in front of my house like an elementary schooler who had just gotten a perfect score on a test.
Normally, it was a distance that wouldn't take even five minutes, but because I was busy personally stepping on and jumping over every bit of asphalt, sidewalk block, dirt patch, and even the manhole covers of the sewers, it took me over thirty minutes just to reach the store.
"……."
The convenience store door, which I used to struggle to enter in my wheelchair because of the threshold, I now opened lightly with a vigorous step.
Ding-ring—
"Welcome."
The bell chimed, and a deep-voiced part-timer greeted me. Savouring the heightened perspective and the sensation of the smooth convenience store floor, I headed toward the refrigerators to buy a drink.
"Where is the Coke..."
Since I was someone who had lost everything to drunk driving, I naturally couldn't drink alcohol, nor could I even stand to look at it. My way of soothing stress was none other than drinking carbonated sodas.
I placed a large 1.5L plastic bottle of Coke and a bag of potato chips into a basket and took them to the counter. Perhaps because this was the body of a character whose speed was faster than anyone else's but whose physical strength was frail, even the bottle of Coke in the basket felt considerably heavy.
"That will be 5,600 won..."
Beep— The part-timer muttered as he scanned the barcodes. Leaving behind his oddly trembling voice, I beamed and looked directly into his eyes.
The emotion was fresh.
The fact that my line of sight was level with someone else's, and that I could stand on two legs and meet someone's eyes, felt truly like a dream.
"D-Do you need a bag...?"
"Ah, yes."
Was he uncomfortable because I was staring? To the part-timer who asked hesitantly with a reddened face, I answered with a hurried nod.
"Here you go."
"...Thank you."
My precious Coke and potato chips were handed over in a bag. I took them carefully and hurriedly left the convenience store.
I had ended up staring at the part-timer too intently because I was so happy to stand at the same eye level as someone else. Since he was on the receiving end of a complete stranger's gaze, it must have been unpleasant for him.
Yes, yes, that must be it.
"Ahem."
With a deep breath, I calmed my overexcited heart for a moment. After that, I moved with slow steps, tasting the city scenery and the cool breeze.
Thump, thump.
I kicked the bag containing the Coke with my knee, as if kicking a school indoor-shoe bag. I felt a dull pain at the tip of my knee, but even that was good.
It was a vivid reminder that I had sensation in my two legs.
"This is great..."
The gentle breeze tickled my cheeks.
I didn't know the cause or the reason why I had become my character from Legend Frontier, but the present moment of walking personally on my own two legs was so precious.
So much so that if this was a dream, I hoped I would never wake up.
"Huh...?"
After walking around the neighbourhood for a while, I suddenly noticed a large sign hanging across the crosswalk that read 'VR Room.'
"A VR Room..."
A VR Room. A facility that had emerged following the era of PC Rooms, characterized by being equipped with VR headgear for virtual reality access instead of computers.
Since the price of VR headgear was not cheap, many people who lacked spare funds would go to those VR Rooms to enjoy virtual reality games like Legend Frontier.
"Should I go...?"
A sudden desire to visit a VR Room began to swell within me.
Because I had spent my school days in a wheelchair as well, I hadn't been able to enjoy a normal daily life and entertainment like others. I simply went back and forth between home and school. To me, PC Rooms, VR Rooms, and movie theaters were places that were like "pie in the sky."
Therefore, the thought that I wanted to play at a PC Room or VR Room naturally on my own two feet like everyone else had always remained as a wish in a corner of my heart.
"……."
I carefully examined my pale-skinned legs—Gale's two legs that were moving perfectly.
"Hmm..."
Yes, perhaps now was the perfect time to fulfill those wishes piled up in the corner of my heart.
"Alright."
I had two legs that could go anywhere, so what was there to worry about? Without hesitation, I took light steps toward the VR Room.
02.
It is the way of the world to be drawn to something seen for the first time. To observe something curious more closely is a natural human behavior and instinct.
"Wow..."
So, let's not be embarrassed about my head constantly turning toward that woman, thought Park Young-woo, the VR Room part-timer.
She's damn pretty...
Five minutes ago, the door bell announcing a customer rang vigorously, and a silver-haired woman stepped cautiously into the VR Room.
Had he ever seen someone that beautiful before? As a former idol fanatic during his school days who had obsessed over many celebrities, Park Young-woo felt that the woman who just entered the VR Room had the kind of looks that made idols look like "nothing."
It was as if a character from a game or a princess from a movie had manifested in reality and was walking around.
It looks like she’s not even wearing makeup...
Furthermore, she wasn't even dressed up. She didn't seem to have applied any special makeup, and her outfit wasn't particularly striking. All she wore was a simple black hoodie and a pair of three-striped slippers that looked like she’d just thrown them on. Even amidst that cheap-looking coordination, she was radiant.
"Hey, did you see?"
"Crazy..."
Other customers in the VR Room also began to whisper as they watched the woman who had just entered. She commanded everyone's attention to the point where people cast aside their VR headgear and even paused the ranked matches they were playing.
It had been three months since Young-woo started working part-time at this VR Room. It was truly the first time he had seen the strange phenomenon of every customer's attention being focused on a single person like this.
...A nice scent.
The woman, who seemed to have decided on a seat, brushed past the counter where Young-woo stood. Perhaps she was wearing perfume; a refreshing scent she left behind tickled the tip of Young-woo's nose.
Her proportions are amazing...
She wasn't very tall as she strode toward her seat. However, because her head was so small and her legs were so long, she created a strange optical illusion that made her look taller than the average person.
Behind those overwhelming proportions, her long silver hair, flowing down to her waist, also clearly made its presence known. Her hair looked so soft that he wanted to ask if he could touch it once, despite the rudeness, and the silver color was so natural that it didn't even feel like a dye job.
"I wonder which hair salon she went to?"
"Dammit, should I just ask her?"
The troubled murmurs of a few female customers who were already seated also reached Young-woo's ears.
Color lenses? Or is she a foreigner?
Finally, her sparkling green eyes captured Young-woo's gaze. Her eyes, shining brightly against her pale skin, emitted a mysterious atmosphere. Yes, if you were to make eyes out of emeralds, they would likely have that kind of vibe.
Seat 21, Park Si-on...
Young-woo caught a glimpse of the information for the seat the woman occupied through the monitor at the counter. The woman's name was 'Park Si-on,' and even her name gave off a mysterious and attractive aura. The monitor showed that she was a newly registered member; it seemed this was indeed her first time visiting this VR Room.
I hope she comes often in the future...
The chance to encounter someone with the looks of an idol is truly rare. Young-woo prayed fervently in his heart that the woman would visit this VR Room frequently. It was the moment he found a reason to continue working here despite the meager minimum wage.
"Seriously, this is insane..."
"Is she from our neighborhood? I've never seen her before."
...Every person in the VR Room was still paying attention to the woman's every move, though they tried not to make it obvious. Dozens of gazes carried all sorts of emotions: admiration, respect, attraction, jealousy, and so on. Young-woo also became one of them, staring intently at the woman's seat with feelings of curiosity.
He was curious. Why had a woman with those looks come to a VR Room? If it was to play a game, what game would she play?
An FPS? Or a healing game?
Huh...?
However, contrary to Young-woo's expectations, the choice of the woman fiddling with the VR headgear was none other than the virtual reality AOS, 'Legend Frontier.'
Legend Frontier...?
It was unexpected. How many times had he seen a female user playing Legend Frontier while working at the VR Room? Legend Frontier currently boasted the number one market share in VR Rooms, but there weren't many female users because of the characteristic harsh chatting and savage atmosphere.
How interesting.
The more he looked, the more interesting and intriguing she became. Her exceptional looks were one thing, but a woman who came all the way to a VR Room to play Legend Frontier—it felt as if he had encountered a legendary unicorn.
I wonder what her tier is...
Curiosity surged. As Young-woo himself was an avid gamer who had invested a considerable amount of time in Legend Frontier, it was a natural progression to become curious about the skills of a female user he hadn't seen in a long time.
Is she a newbie?
Perhaps she was a newbie just starting out. However, if that were the case, there was a high probability the woman would run out of the VR Room in tears after just a few minutes. Legend Frontier was a cruel game famous for having no blood or tears even for newbies.
Should I... teach her a little?
If that happened, Young-woo thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to give her a little advice. Approaching naturally while pretending to clean, starting a conversation under the guise of advice, playing the game together, and gradually getting closer—that kind of scenario. Wouldn't that be the privilege of a VR Room part-timer who can approach anyone naturally?
Let's see...
As the monitor linked to the woman's VR headgear began to move busily, Young-woo snapped out of it and fixed his gaze on Seat 21.
"Hey, she's starting."
"I wonder if she's good?"
"At best, she's probably just a Goldie..."
As if Young-woo wasn't the only one curious about the woman's skill, everyone inside the VR Room also peeked their heads out from beside their seats. A woman with idol-like looks playing Legend Frontier. It was a more than sufficient reason to temporarily pause the games they were playing.
[Match Found!]
And a short while later, her ranked match finally began.