Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: To Color
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"......?"
Silence had fallen over the hall where all the guild members were gathered.
Just before I entered, they had been chatting quite boisterously.
I'm not particularly sensitive to others' emotions, but a glance at their eyes usually tells me what they're thinking.
On their faces was an expression of unconcealable surprise.
Hmm. What could it be?
My appearance? They've all seen me from time to time. Lately, you can even see me in commercials and on YouTube.
Is it my legs, then?
I reined in the feeling that threatened to dampen my spirits.
Iseulbi, you can't ruin this good atmosphere with your personal feelings.
Today, I am Rain of the Astria Continent.
Didn't everyone come here to meet Rain?
How does Rain act around people she's close to?
She might flash a bright smile, whimper with a teary face, puff out her cheeks to show she's upset, or walk with a light, bouncy step. Ah, maybe not that last one.
For now, a smile should do.
I put on a small, playful smile.
"Why is everyone so quiet? Hee. I'm here."
*Fwoosh-!*
The suffocating silence and atmosphere broke, as if everyone had been holding their breath.
The hall quickly filled with noise again.
"Wow, is it really you? The real Rain?"
"What, you think it's a fake Rain?"
"Rain! Wow...! You're so beautiful!"
"Heh, you've seen me a lot in videos."
Today, I am strong.
I decided to use only Rain's strength of showing her emotions to those she's close to, and Iseulbi's strength of dealing with people in a relatively mature way.
I lifted the corners of my mouth a little higher and crinkled my eyes into a smile.
"Aah...! You look exactly the same but different...! You're moving! You're wiggling in person! The whole vibe is different!"
"Hah...! She smiled at me! What do I do?"
Red Hot Chicken and Full Moon, the two women in front of me, let out shrill screams, their eyes glazing over.
Chris and Beimerung cleared their throats and came to stand on either side of me.
"A-ahem! You see? Our Rain is for viewing only!"
"Ahem, ahem! Ladies, you need to control yourselves!"
"Chris, Beimerung. It's okay today."
*Whirr.*
I moved my wheelchair forward a little.
I approached Red Hot Chicken and Full Moon, reached out, and took each of their hands.
"Huk...!"
"Keuk!"
The two women clutched their chests with their free hands.
"Ah, ahh! Rain!"
"Oh my, oh my! Look at her!"
Chris and Beimerung, startled, grabbed my arms from both sides, seemingly wanting to assert their closeness to me.
I smiled brightly, surrounded by the four squealing women.
It's nice having so many older sisters around.
I was fair and shook hands with each of the male guild members as well.
Though they didn't react as intensely as the female members, they all shared a handshake with me, either awkwardly or with a fatherly smile.
I looked up at the two hulks before me and let out a sound of admiration.
"Oh, Hopkins and Gandal, you're both in great shape in real life too."
"Hahaha, to be a reliable warrior in Astria Online, I have to work out hard here too!"
The two giants laughing heartily were clearly the reliable warrior duo of the Red and White guild. Their faces were a little different, probably due to character customization.
And then there were two young men with slightly mischievous faces, grinning—the ranger Seopseobi and Go Seung-woo. Behind them, I could see Yeon Min-ah and Top Fisher.
"I'm really surprised. With your exotic features and rare hair color, it was like looking at the pinnacle of what's possible with current customization technology. I just can't believe the Rain in front of me is real."
"Right? Hah, Rain could totally be a celebrity."
"Uh, umm."
I scratched my face.
Compliments about my looks always make me feel strange.
If I hadn't lived as a shut-in who had lost the will to live, I might have been able to make a living with this face.
In a way, could this also be considered a gift?
The female users gathered together and began to chat animatedly. From the few times I heard the name "Rain," it seemed I was the main topic of their conversation.
The male users sat around me and began to listen to my "Introduction to Resistance" lecture.
"...So, your usual combat stance is very important. The form of invincibility skills differs slightly for each class, but there's one common to all: 'Backward Dodge,' right? It's said to be instant, but there's a subtle difference in activation speed depending on your leg spacing and posture."
"Ooh...!"
"I see, so it's the difference between a skill flowing smoothly and one that's executed after taking that stance!"
"Yes. This applies not just to invincibility skills, but to all damage-dealing skills. Accuracy, critical damage, activation speed—you can gain an advantage in every aspect. It will be a great help if you train your body to naturally assume the skill activation stance."
"Hmm, for Backward Dodge, would I get into a stance like this? And keep my legs about this far apart when dealing damage normally?"
I giggled, looking at Seopseobi, who had struck a ridiculous pose.
"Not like that. Here, look. ...Eh."
*Wobble.*
"Uh... uh oh!"
"Gasp!"
*Clatter!*
I hastily grabbed the wheelchair as it tilted slightly forward.
Oh, right.
My legs don't move here.
I felt like I had completely become Rain today.
"......?"
Everyone's gone quiet?
Sensing the awkward silence, I lifted my head slightly.
The guild members gathered around me were now on their feet.
They stood in awkward, half-crouched positions, their arms hovering as if unsure whether to reach out.
"......."
A strange feeling began to bubble up inside my chest.
A ticklish feeling.
What is this?
"...Heave."
*Thunk.*
I lowered the rear wheels of the wheelchair, returning it to its original position.
Then, I tilted the wheelchair again, just slightly.
To the left this time.
*Wobble.*
*Clatter!*
"Ah, ahh!"
"Whoa, whoa!"
Everyone shot up from their seats again, terrified.
Consumed by the strange emotion battering my heart, I suddenly snapped back to my senses.
"Hah!"
Startled by the feeling that I hadn't been myself for a moment, I wore a slightly sheepish expression. I apologized to everyone around me.
"S-sorry."
"N-no! What are you sorry for, Rain!"
"It's okay! J-just be careful!"
Iseulbi, what did you just do?
What is this contradictory feeling?
Did my mind just go haywire for a second?
Whatever it is, this is a dangerous emotion.
"Phew."
I took a deep breath, placing a hand on my chest.
Cherni approached me while I was briefly alone.
"The guild members seem like a fun bunch. That's a relief."
"Right? I'm having fun too."
I never knew meeting and talking with people could be this enjoyable.
All the guild members, now starting their meal in earnest, had bright faces.
I stared intently at Cherni, who had come closer.
He scratched his head and spoke with some difficulty.
"Um, well. You were great today."
"What was?"
"Others might not know, but I do, right? The way you used to be."
"Ah."
A shell named Iseulbi, who used to walk around emanating a gloomy aura.
It was safe to say that Cherni was now the only one who knew that version of me.
"A-ahem. I mean, I hope you'll always stay bright. The atmosphere today turned out this way... because you smiled. ...Aargh! Is this the right way to say it!"
I tilted my head, watching Cherni scratch his head furiously, as if he'd just said something incredibly embarrassing.
And then, I understood.
"......."
When I smiled and acted friendly, Chris was happy too.
When I stared blankly, lost in fragments of the past, Chris would grow anxious.
It wasn't just Chris; all the few people around me were the same.
They were also strongly influenced by my emotions.
So that's how it was.
The guild members I met today all treated me with smiling faces.
In the past, because I was dead inside, they had all looked at me with eyes that saw something gloomy and pitiful.
It didn't matter what my body was like.
The cheap pity and sympathy in their eyes, which I had hated so much... I had created it myself.
"A-anyway, have fun today! Ahem, I should go take care of Senior Death of Death. Look at him, leave him alone for a minute and he's already by the window, setting a mood."
"Hehe."
As Cherni's retreating figure moved away, I bowed my head.
Thank you, Cherni.
Then, I lightly covered my face.
Calling him "oppa" even in my thoughts is still a little embarrassing.
It's all because of the ghost of my past life. I can call the women "unni" just fine.
Soon, as if taking the place of the departed Cherni, I heard footsteps.
*Click, clack.*
The person who brought the dead Iseulbi back to life.
The person who created new connections around Iseulbi.
The person who is coloring this familiar yet foreign gray world together with me.
The sound of that kind person's footsteps.
It's always like this.
When she approaches, my body reacts on its own.
Just as she is affected by my emotions, my emotions are affected by hers.
When she smiles, my heart becomes as fluffy as cotton candy.
When she hugs me, it feels like I'm wrapped in the warmest blanket in the world.
Hearing her voice tickles my heart like a pleasant song, and every time she strokes my hair, my heart flutters like a small bird.
If my legs could move, I might have jumped up and down.
The red-haired woman came to my side and smiled brightly.
"Rain, are you having fun? We should eat too, right?"
"Yes, I can't wait to eat something delicious."