Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: First Time Being Hospitalized
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I meekly followed every instruction at the police station, intimidated by all those grandiose terms I'd never heard before.
They transferred me to headquarters, then drove me somewhere else, and before I knew it, I was dressed in patient scrubs.
Once custody shifted from the police headquarters to the hospital, the atmosphere changed noticeably.
I could definitely feel the difference in treatment.
Maybe because it was a different department's jurisdiction.
Half of my imaginings about being locked in a room were spot on, and half were way off.
They doused my entire body in disinfectant the moment I arrived.
Staff came in wearing hazmat suits like I was some kind of germ carrier.
They kept putting me through unknown machines, drawing blood, taking photos.
They even stuck weird things on my head and suddenly flashed images of naked men and women alternating on a screen.
That was it.
No tissue samples taken, no injections—nothing like being treated as a lab rat.
The funny part? They only switched from hazmat suits to regular clothes after confirming I wasn't contagious.
By then, I'd already been to the event hall with this body and interacted with tons of people at the station.
What was the point now?
They told me to wait for the results and moved me to a hospital room.
Just let me go home already.
Mom was supposedly in the same hospital, but I hadn't seen her face.
Since she wasn't the subject, she was probably in a less restricted area.
This was my first time being hospitalized.
I'd never even had surgery or been sick enough to need it.
The biggest operation I'd had was wisdom teeth removal?
And they were impacted, so it hurt like hell.
Closing my eyes and recalling it made my cheek throb.
The empty feeling in my gums—I couldn't even drink water on that side.
Ah—don't tell me my wisdom teeth grew back.
As I started spiraling into weird thoughts, someone who looked like hospital staff entered.
He held a chart in one hand, his face etched with exhaustion.
The doctor greeted me casually, like it was just another day at work.
"Hello."
"Ah, hi..."
"I know this must be confusing, but we need info that tests alone can't provide. Mind if I ask some questions? Feel free to ask yours too."
His matter-of-fact attitude actually put me at ease.
"Sure, sure..."
"You said you changed from male to female—when did that happen?"
"A-about a month ago..."
"Pardon?"
The doctor's gaze locked onto me.
"A month ago."
"A month? A whole month?"
His eyes shook as he stared blankly at me.
"Yes..."
"Why didn't you come in sooner?"
"......Yeah, why didn't I...?"
At my response, he poked his forehead with the end of his pen.
Seeing that reaction made my past self feel a tiny bit—really just a tiny bit—ashamed.
"Ah, okay... Let's move on. Any pain, fever, or unusual symptoms during the change?"
"No, I just woke up one day and..."
"Anything unusual after?"
Standing to pee didn't count as unusual, right?
I answered nonchalantly.
"Nope."
"Anything special you did the day before it happened?"
I racked my brain, but nothing stood out.
"Um... I played games, watched some internet streams, and fell asleep, I think..."
".........That's it?"
Embarrassing, but yeah. Nothing special.
Yep. Nothing came to mind no matter how hard I thought.
"Yes..."
The doctor fell silent for a moment, then cleared his throat.
"...Understood. Next question: Besides your parents, anyone you've been in close contact with long-term?"
"My one friend. Seong Si-woo."
"Okay... okay... Phone number, please."
"It's—010-xxxx-xxxx."
The doctor muttered something while scribbling notes.
Sorry, Si-woo. They'll probably contact you.
Seemed like they wanted to investigate contacts.
"No other close acquaintances?"
"No..."
"Really? No lying."
"There really aren't any..."
His pitying look must've been my imagination.
"...Got it."
"Are the questions done...?"
"Ah, yes. More people will visit later to talk. Any questions from you?"
"I-I want to know the test results..."
"Ah, sure. One moment."
He flipped through the chart and handed me a sheet.
"We can show more detailed data later, but this is the only definitive answer I can give right now."
I took the chart and read it carefully.
White paper filled with black text—unintelligible medical jargon.
The only part I could understand was at the top.
Even an elementary school kid could grasp it instantly.
142cm, 37kg, female.
My current body specs.
I'd roughly gauged my small size and light weight, but seeing official numbers made it real.
142cm.
"I'm... short..."
"Ah, what was your original height?"
"163 in the morning, 162 in the evening..."
"162cm, got it."
He jotted down -20 on the chart with his pen.
"Ah, and your age?"
"Born in 01... 25 years old."
"...Good news or bad news first?"
"Suddenly? Why ask my age...?"
"It's relevant. Which first?"
"B-bad news."
"Your body's a bit unstable right now. We'll need regular check-ups to monitor, but..."
His finger pointed to an X-ray, circling the abdomen.
"The process of organs disappearing and new ones forming put a huge strain on your body. We recommend rest for the time being."
"...And the good news?"
"Tests estimate your physical age at about 20."
"That's the good news?"
"Your body's effectively younger. If word got out, billionaires worldwide might come knocking."
"So it's not good news then..."
The doctor continued without pause.
"Ah, one more thing. Better to tell you upfront rather than drag it out."
"What is it...?"
"Depending on how you take it, it could be good or bad."
I already knew what was coming.
At a moment like this, it was painfully obvious.
"Modern medicine can't turn you back into a male. No possibility in sight."
Even expecting it, hearing it aloud hit hard.
"......Okay."
"You've lived as female for a month already, so you're probably adjusted, but this is permanent."
Did he emphasize "permanent" that much, or was it my imagination?
Permanent. Permanent.
But the doctor continued indifferently.
"Unless a miracle happens."
It felt like a sudden death sentence, my head spinning a bit.
It basically was a death sentence.
My old self had been sentenced and vanished.
"Come in once a week from now on. It's just simple checks—no need to stress. Got it?"
I was finally released from the hospital.
I stared blankly at my palm.
'From now on... this body forever.'
I'd half-hoped otherwise.
My head spun a little, but it wasn't a huge shock.
Even hearing outright that I'd live as a woman forever, my heart stayed surprisingly calm.
Despair? That emotion didn't surface as much as I'd thought.
The peaceful month probably helped.
Deep down, I'd never really believed I could go back to male anyway.
Maybe because resistance was futile.
Maybe because there was nothing I could do.
All I could do was accept this body and live on.
Still, Mom would be a little sad.
That thought made my chest ache.
I went home. The hospital was farther from home than I'd realized.
Shoes were scattered messily inside the door, not neatly arranged.
Passing the living room to my room, piles of unidentified documents towered on the desk.
"Son, you're back?"
Turning toward the voice, there was Mom—after so long.
Dark circles under her eyes, but her gaze on me brimmed with more life than ever.
"What's all this...?"
"Administrative paperwork. Updating your gender and name in the system is a hassle. I got it all ready ahead— just need your signature."
Looking at the stacks twisted something in me.
Once I finished them all, everything...
Would vanish.
As I stared silently, Mom broached the topic carefully.
"Ah, right... Eun-hae."
"Yeah...?"
"About your name... I heard while getting the forms that you can change it at the same time. They said now's the easiest period. What do you think?"
My name.
I stood thinking for a long while. Mom watched quietly.
"Keep the name. I like Eun-hae. It's easier for you too, Mom."
Mom smiled at me.