Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: What Were You Seriously Worrying About?
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Originally, I had planned to head home and browse for housewarming gifts.
Slightly modifying my plans, I decided to search for any news about TS disease.
Ah, the name Acute Gender Morphosis Syndrome was way too dull and pretentious, so I settled on calling it TS disease.
It wasn't showing up at all during my ego searches earlier, but the moment I stopped, related news popped up.
Not knowing what it might say, I found myself biting my nails without realizing it.
The second I typed in the related search terms, articles from various media outlets were already there.
I opened the one with the highest click count.
First Case Reported in Korea of Unidentified Syndrome Causing 'Gender Transformation'
A medical official has announced the first reported case in Korea of an unidentified syndrome believed to biologically change a person's gender. The syndrome has been officially named Acute Gender Morphosis Syndrome (AGMS).
Information released so far is extremely limited. Key details like the cause, transmission method, and any additional cases are still under investigation, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has withheld an official statement.
As this is the first case reported in South Korea, it is expected to draw intense attention from medical communities at home and abroad. Further coverage will follow once an official announcement is made.
"Hmm..."
Fortunately—or unfortunately?—the other articles were all identical, just with slight variations in wording or phrasing.
The core message boiled down to two lines.
A disease that changes your gender exists.
It started in South Korea.
It wouldn't have been out of place to slap a "Breaking News" prefix on the headlines—they were that sparse on details.
The reporters probably threw them up without fully grasping the situation themselves.
Still, it hadn't been long since the news dropped, and already the clickbait sites were latching on.
Clickbait sites don't bite just any issue.
They snatch up the hottest view-bait faster than anyone.
From that angle, TS disease seemed to be generating more interest than I'd expected.
Well, it is an absurd disease, after all.
If I weren't the one affected, I'd have dismissed it as nonsense.
Seeing it phrased in such stiff, formal news-speak after just a few tests made it hit home all over again.
But it was a relief, at least.
No matter how thoroughly I scoured, none of my personal info turned up.
With my nerves a bit calmer, I skimmed the news comments too.
Most were reactions of disbelief, but mixed in were ones saying it'd be gross to have someone like that nearby.
Nothing different from the Outstagram comments I'd seen earlier.
"......"
Then it hit me—TS Channel.
It was probably blowing up there.
The raw, unfiltered reactions would be a far cry from the news comments, and just thinking about it made my lips curl into a grin I couldn't suppress.
Sure enough.
I couldn't stop my ego searching for a good while.
Dopamine I'd never felt before in my life.
I hadn't expected the communities to react this hard.
Dozens of comments per post, hundreds on the popular ones.
New posts poured in with every refresh.
The reactions from the communities were kinda cute.
Like, if it were contagious, I'd want to spread it around that badly.
...Contagious.
The doctor's words came back to me.
No way it's contagious like that, right?
I shook my head vigorously.
Snapping out of it, I scrolled down and spotted an intriguing title.
This was totally my situation.
I clicked the post title.
"If she asked me to do it, I'd give it to her easy as cake ㅇㅇ;;;"
"Eww, gross..."
I thought I'd gotten used to this channel, but the abyss was still the abyss.
Reading that made my stomach turn, and I quickly hit back.
'Thank God that guy's not my friend...'
No surprise it was a hot topic—the posts were flying in at a crazy rate.
I couldn't stop refreshing.
Most of the flood were empty content or reposts of news links.
Some argued if TS disease was real or not, but most were like "What would you do if you got it?"
Then, amid the chaos, a post title slammed into my head like a hammer.
Gulp.
My mouse cursor froze over the title.
Cold sweat started beading on the hand gripping it.
I hesitated to click this one.
...Had my info really been leaked?
Then the clickbait sites would snatch it up and spread me everywhere.
Would everyone around me find out?
With trembling fingers, I cautiously clicked.
Praying it wasn't true.
[Saved you once. Don't click posts with titles like this from now on.]
"Haaaa..."
Falling for trash bait like that.
Normally, I'd never bite on such obvious clickbait, but I'd been too naive.
Of course.
My personal info couldn't leak that easily.
The only ways it'd get out were if hospital staff leaked it or one of the few people close to me blabbed.
No reason for them to, and no one who would.
Only my family, Si-woo, and Sia knew so far.
Probably no one else.
Oh, right—Sia had posted my photo online.
'Should be fine, whatever...'
I'd have to be extra careful with everything I do so no one recognizes me.
Today's chat with Do-ha too—maybe mix in some casual talk?
I let out another long sigh and closed the browser tabs.
Ego searching left me feeling like my brain was melting, so I quit.
Or rather, there was nothing left to suck dry.
It had been buzzing for a while, but with so little info, the bait went stale, and post rates slowed compared to the start.
Interest fades without concrete details.
I hadn't opened the browser for ego searching anyway.
I started searching for Si-woo's housewarming gift as originally planned.
A parade of weird recommendations popped up.
Diffusers, candles, wine...?
Kitchenware, towels...
Si-woo probably already had diffusers or whatever.
He'd complained about me stinking before.
Candles? For a guy who's not even a girl?
Couldn't picture him keeping that stuff around the house.
Wine seemed pricey, and I didn't even know good kinds.
Maybe plates?
But does he even cook? Not sure.
I never cook even living alone.
Delivery's better.
So, skip the gift entirely?
First housewarming invite, so I had no clue.
...Or just grab fruit or drinks?
Something I'd seen in dramas.
Too old-fashioned?
No, fruit's more for hospital visits than housewarmings.
Hmm.
Any other ideas?
My browser tabs kept multiplying.
[Housewarming Gift Recommendations]
[Practical Housewarming Gifts]
[Housewarming Gifts for 20s]
I bounced between tabs, agonizing over housewarming gifts for ages without landing on anything.
No sense of what to pick.
I stared blankly at the monitor.
Glancing up, I had over ten tabs open.
'...Hold up.'
What am I even doing?
It's just a friend's housewarming—grab anything decent and go.
'Just wing it...'
Feeling stupid endlessly browsing gifts online, I decided to buy a bundle of toilet paper on the day of.
Housewarming day.
Sticking with the part-time job had helped me adapt, at least.
Areum had given up trying to chat after seeing how much I fumbled, so she only talked work-related stuff now.
Do-ha still bugged me during breaks annoyingly often, but once classes started, even that'd stop.
The housewarming was in the evening.
Around lunchtime, before heading out, I was already deep in massive dilemma.
I'd flung open my closet and plopped down cross-legged in front of it.
'What to wear...'
It wasn't even worth agonizing over, but here I was.
I figured I'd just wear my usual old clothes, but then Si-woo's words came back.
Sia was coming too, apparently.
That nagged at me.
Of all people, Sia.
If it were just Si-woo, I'd throw on my usual guy outfit without hesitation.
But if Sia saw me.
Showing up in my old clothes instead of the ones we picked together.
Wouldn't she feel hurt?
But meeting Si-woo in this outfit felt off.
I recalled how I looked in the changing room.
If he saw that, he'd tease me for sure.
Not just that day—for life.
"Hmm......"
Or not.
Did I even need to feel embarrassed in front of Si-woo?
He's the only one treating me like my old self anyway.
Maybe he wouldn't think much of it.
No.
That's exactly why I don't wanna show him.
I asked him to see me as my old self, then show up like this?
Wearing this is basically going full girl mode.
No.
Si-woo would get it, right?
It's what Sia picked, so I had no choice.
Tell him, and he'd be like "Oh, gotcha" and move on.
...Just wear it.
Yeah. It's just clothes.
Not a skirt—pants.
What the hell was I seriously agonizing over?