Crossdressing Con...test (3)
Crossdressing Con...test (3)
There comes a moment when you realize your Unique Ability has stopped growing.
It's only natural. Unlike physical ability, mana, or technique, a Unique Ability is stubborn about improving.
Expecting the explosive growth of the initial awakening phase would be greedy.
Besides, what I considered "slow" was a pace so fast that, from anyone else's perspective, they'd want to beat me to death out of sheer envy.
'What is this?'
As I came down from the stage and headed to the individual dressing room, I was too preoccupied trying to make sense of the vibration resonating inside me.
'This is... All-Rounder.'
Its growth had slowed, but the innate talent steadily expanding within me was All-Rounder. When I placed an awkward hand over my solar plexus, I could feel the innate talents scattered through my body.
'Why did it grow?'
The somewhat stagnant innate talent showed signs of significant growth. The only odd thing was the situation that triggered those signs.
All-Rounder (八方美人).
The name of the innate talent as I understood it. The word carried both good and bad connotations. Among the positive meanings, there were two in particular.
A person proficient in many fields. And a person beautiful from every angle.
The function of All-Rounder that I usually focused on was the former—becoming proficient in multiple areas.
The latter function, though I had dismissed it, might actually exist.
Whenever people around me buttered me up, I'd always chalk it up to politeness, but lately, I have my own thoughts about my appearance.
'...Come to think of it, it happened at the Calamity Flame Family too.'
Following the procedures the staff gave me, putting on the Calamity Flame Family's traditional attire, and attending the banquet—I'd felt my Unique Ability grow then. I hadn't registered it clearly at the time, but looking back now, that was All-Rounder.
'I don't know the reason.'
What mattered was that my Unique Ability showed signs of growth.
My Unique Ability is a pillar of my combat strength, an element too important to ignore. If an opportunity to develop it appears, then obviously I should seize it.
Kicking away that opportunity because of a little embarrassment would be the mindset of someone so full of themselves they're about to burst.
I'm not in such a leisurely situation. I need as much power as I can get.
- Hah, haah...
A trembling sigh escaped me.
There was only one option.
"It doesn't seem like Ha-yul needs much preparation, does it...?"
[Tch...]
Ellia's wholly innocent remark stabbed deep into my chest.
* * *
Preparation time wasn't long, and the contest began quickly.
"...Cross-dressing Contest, contestant number 39... third-year Baek Sang-hyeon."
"Boo, Baek Sang-hyeon, ugly~"
"Shut up!"
The thirty-ninth condemned man climbed onto the stage. The moment the jeers erupted from the audience, the cadet shrieked back.
Ahahahaha! Laughter flooded the venue. Face scarlet with humiliation, the cadet on stage tore at his wig.
"Hey, hey! That's Siyoram property! Don't break it!"
"So the Siyoram cadet's self-esteem hitting rock bottom is fine?"
"Participation wasn't mandatory, you know?"
"Ugh."
The audience members were thoroughly amused.
The cadet on stage was a sight of pure absurdity. He'd draped flouncy clothes over a frame thick with muscle and rugged bone structure, then topped his short-cropped hair with a long wig. Over amateurishly applied, pale makeup, his humiliation rose unmistakably.
"Baek Sang-hyeon! Confidence!"
"Baengno Class's pride! Baek! Sang! Hyeon!"
"I said shut up!"
Even spectators who'd come just out of curiosity snickered, and the cadet's close friends were clutching their stomachs with tears in their eyes, giggling helplessly.
"Let's settle this later, all of you..."
A third-year Siyoram cadet. At their current level, they'd be treated as a key combatant or nobility anywhere else, but right now, he was nothing more than a condemned man on the execution block.
"Male-dressing Contest, contestant number 19, Hong Yeon-hwa."
"Ooh..."
Not everyone became a laughingstock. Some shone even under poor conditions with scarce supplies.
Gasps rippled through the crowd as Hong Yeon-hwa stepped onto the illuminated stage. She wore no obvious adornment or elaborate costume. She'd simply bound her chest—likely wrapping it—flattening her torso, and donned suitably baggy shirt and trousers that hid the curves of her body.
That alone was enough to carry a certain flair. The base model shines even wearing rags, after all.
"Boo! You call that male dressing? That's just swapping clothes!"
"Yun-ha, I can tell who's saying that."
"Ghk!"
The reactions weren't bad either. Hong Yeon-hwa, who was confident in her looks, had expected as much. That was why she'd felt no humiliation when submitting her application or even when stepping onto the stage.
"Male-dressing Contest, contestant number 20, Baek A-rin~"
"Waaaa!"
Baek A-rin was in a similar outfit. Her hair was still tied back, and she wore a loose suit. She waved a hand clad in a pure white glove and beamed.
Even more enthusiastic cheers followed. Putting appearance aside, Baek A-rin's public reputation and likability far exceeded Hong Yeon-hwa's. Naturally, more people cheered for her.
The corner of Hong Yeon-hwa's mouth twitched as she watched from the side of the stage, her turn finished. That Yang Yoon-ha, who'd heckled her, was now sending cheers to Baek A-rin...
"Hmph. Do you see now? This is the difference borne of your everyday conduct."
"Bullshit."
Baek A-rin sauntered over, joking. She had just finished her introduction on stage, shown a simple talent, and come down. Contestants could present their disguised appearance, introduce themselves, and optionally show a short personal skill.
Hong Yeon-hwa snorted and folded her arms, then let out a small sigh when she noticed the missing weight there.
"Ha-yul would hate it, you know."
"...I suppose."
Baek A-rin giggled at the sight. Hong Yeon-hwa couldn't refute it either and just wore an odd expression. It was just some cloth wrapped around her chest, but the absurd thought crossed her mind—would Lee Ha-yul be shocked by even this much?
"Still, your reputation's gotten quite good. Maybe because you've been well-behaved lately."
"What's wrong with my reputation?"
"You're not actually asking that."
"......"
Turning her gaze from the silent Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin swept her eyes over the darkened audience seats. The cheers for Hong Yeon-hwa had been stronger than Baek A-rin expected.
"The crowd reactions are pretty mild. Did your personality actually improve?"
"Even if it was an order to kill the hostage... well, that's inside the Tower, I suppose."
"That Hong Yeon-hwa, brought to heel... I never imagined it."
"...Ah."
Listening closely to the murmuring, Baek A-rin nodded to herself. It seemed the rumors about the tamed Hong Yeon-hwa had spread even to outsiders. Well, it had been nearly a year; it was bound to spread.
"Is he coming up soon?"
"Yeah, he's in the fifties, so it should be any moment now."
In fact, a significant portion of the audience was waiting for the subject of the rumors that had made Hong Yeon-hwa docile. Even if they weren't the subject of those particular rumors, many had been drawn in by all sorts of news.
'...It's going well.'
Baek A-rin scanned the audience seats again with expressionless eyes. The scene fit the event's purpose. A place to laugh together, make noise, and create memories to look back on.
It also suited the secondary, uninvited intention.
No matter what anyone said, this world was centered on superhumans. Superhumans were essentially the nobles and power-holders, the ones with strength. Even low-ranked superhumans were treated as superior to ordinary people and received benefits. In most regional laws, superhumans were judged by separate standards.
It was a natural phenomenon that the strong held power, but it was also a phenomenon that thickened the boundary between ordinary people and superhumans.
An overly thick boundary breeds envy, with a high likelihood of twisting into hostility.
That was why the ongoing policy was the Superhuman Idolization Policy, and why events like this lighthearted one existed.
"Yeon-hwa, I understand you're excited, but could you maybe hold still a little?"
Baek A-rin, who had been momentarily lost in thought with a blank expression, shot a sidelong glance at Hong Yeon-hwa's fidgeting vibration beside her. As the next contestant's turn drew closer, Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes sparkled and she grew increasingly restless.
"Good grief."
Baek A-rin shook her head as Hong Yeon-hwa continued to fuss despite the scolding. They had been friends since before Baek A-rin acquired her curse, but denying that she had some peculiar traits was impossible.
- Thud
Just then, the stage lights went out after the previous cadet had exited. It was the next cadet's turn.
"Now, the next contestant."
The emcee's words had been repeated dozens of times already. But that single line cut through the restless chatter like a blade. Even Hong Yeon-hwa, who'd been distractedly glancing around, came to a halt. They had all been informed whose turn was next.
Everyone's attention swiveled to the stage entrance connected to the waiting room.
Those who had come knowing in advance. Those who hadn't known but now took late interest. Cadets who'd grown accustomed from frequent contact, and even the lenses of the quietly hovering broadcast drones in the sky—all aimed toward the entrance.
- Step
Footsteps echoed from the corridor, lit only by a faint glow.
A faint vibration rippled through the once-noisy venue; someone even audibly swallowed with tension.
Lee Ha-yul's appearance—even ordinary people had heard the praises sung ad nauseam these days. Show anyone his photo and ask if he's a man or a woman, they'd say they couldn't quite tell. But ask if he's beautiful, and a hundred out of a hundred would nod dumbly.
On top of that, just the day before, he'd demonstrated a growth rate that bordered on freakish and skill that many suspected had already passed the highest ranks. Given that this was the first event he'd appear at right after his Tower entry, the dense crowd and intense attention were a matter of course.
- Step... Step...
The footsteps drew closer.
At last, someone emerged from the entrance and set foot on the stage.
The dim stage bloomed with light.
The stage lights were off, yet everyone could perceive him with startling clarity.
Pure white. That thought came to everyone, universally.
From head to toe, so much of him was white.
The hair, white like spun silk, cascaded down his back and glittered like stars, while the garment that concealed even his legs was a pristine, white ceremonial gown. Even the skin left uncovered by the robe was white. It was so flawless and luminously pale that a sheet of white paper laid over it might look dark by comparison.
As with a few of the preceding cadets, there had been no special adornment. His hair had simply grown longer, and he wore a ceremonial gown. And his eyes were open.
"......"
Some people's mouths fell open.
Many had already seen photos and been impressed, but seeing him in person changed the impression entirely.
The eyes Lee Ha-yul had open were a muted gray. An overcast hue, as if wrapped in dark clouds. But rather than gloom, there was an air of mystery. His eyes were clearly open, clearly facing this way, yet he was not actually perceiving anyone.
As though they were unworthy of entering his sight. But that felt strangely acceptable; those eyes were that enigmatic. Gazing at them too long felt like you might flounder and drown in those dark clouds.
Once that sense took hold, the fact that you didn't register in his vision began to feel less like arrogance and more like consideration.
- ...Thoom!
The stage lights came on belatedly. Bright light poured down onto the stage, yet it seemed terribly dim compared to the white radiance rising from below.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Not even the usual playful cheers were heard. Everyone had shut their mouths or let them hang open, staring at Lee Ha-yul.
Lee Ha-yul—who had "intentionally" "adorned his appearance" himself—was being assisted by his Unique Ability, All-Rounder, with extraordinary enthusiasm.
[......]
Standing on stage, Lee Ha-yul observed the emcee, who was just standing there blankly instead of introducing him, and his lips twitched. His stomach felt heavy. Part of it was psychological, and part of it was the sensation of his innate talent swelling inside him.
'Shit, why is this actually working?'
Lee Ha-yul cursed inwardly.
- Bzzzt...
The broadcast drones were operating. Lee Ha-yul felt a powerful urge to shoot them down...
* * *
[Unique Ability 「All-Rounder」 is growing.]
...
[Unique Ability 「All-Rounder」 is growing.]