The Stalker's Shadow
I sense a stalker in the shadows.
Though I can't be sure who snapped the photo and uploaded it, one thing is certain: the intent behind it is clear as day. They want to expose my and Hyeji's images to others, hoping to provoke insults.
And if I look at the comments alone, it seems their intention has been a resounding success.
The comments were filled with insults directed at Hyeji. Seeing people hide behind the anonymity of the internet to spout off whatever they want made my face scrunch up in displeasure.
But Hyeji, sitting right next to me, looked guilty, glancing at me anxiously.
It seemed like she thought that because of her, I was getting insulted too.
But I didn't think that at all.
"Sorry, Hyeji."
"W-what? Why is the senior apologizing... It's because of me that the senior is getting insulted..."
I shook my head at Hyeji's words and pointed at the title of the post with my finger.
"No. If I hadn't been there, this photo wouldn't have been taken. Look at the title. This person has an agenda. It's like they're telling you to insult you."
The post's title was 'Handsome Man and Beast Pig'.
If someone first saw the title and came to the post, they probably thought it was about the handsome man and the beast pig, and were curious.
From this title, the handsome man (me) would get positive thoughts, and the beast pig (Hyeji) negative ones, so naturally, the comments would be full of mockery toward Hyeji.
It seemed like the person who wrote this post wanted Hyeji to be the focus of everyone's insults.
But what if I hadn't been around Hyeji?
Perhaps this wouldn't have happened at all.
"Normally, people who call you names wouldn't post on the internet to mock you like this. Right?"
"Y-yes... Probably..."
"But because you're with a guy like me, someone who saw you two together didn't like it and took a photo to post, saying you should get insulted. That's why they said it's because of me."
Hyeji nodded weakly, as if she understood my words. But she still didn't seem convinced.
"So, you don't have to worry about me too much. You didn't do anything wrong."
I lightly tapped Hyeji's shoulder and smiled. I didn't want her to be too hurt.
Then, Minho and Hyeji entered the lecture hall. As soon as people saw us entering together, some of them started whispering to each other.
It could be that they were surprised to see me with Hyeji, or perhaps they had seen the post on Everytime and were reacting to it.
I sat down in my seat as much as possible without paying attention, but Hyeji sat in a seat far away from me, just like yesterday. Probably because she thought sitting with me would be a nuisance.
I wonder how many times Hyeji has endured humiliation because of her large breasts throughout her life.
I have no idea how many wounds she has in her heart.
But why would someone upload a post like this just because I was with her.
Our time together has only been a day at most, and in actual time, even less.
But thinking that because of me, someone else is getting insulted made me feel incredibly dirty.
So, I wanted to catch the person who posted this. I wanted to make them kneel in front of everyone and publicly apologize to Hyeji.
But how could I catch them?
The only clue I could get from the post was that the person was from our university.
Another thing I could tell was that the person who took the photo was probably a woman?
And one more thing that puzzled me: why take and upload a photo like this.
It didn't seem like it was just to insult Hyeji, because there's nothing wrong with her. Hyeji can be hated for her appearance in this world, but I don't think she would have enough hatred to make her get publicly insulted like this.
If it was that bad, Hyeji would have developed social anxiety and not come out of the house. From what I saw, it wasn't that severe.
Suddenly, the hatred was enough to publicly humiliate her?
Is there a reason for that?
Then, out of nowhere, a completely different possibility flashed in my mind like lightning.
The reason why the person who took this photo hated Hyeji.
Was it because I was with her? I don't know if it's self-awareness or something, but I thought maybe someone saw me and hated the sight of Hyeji being with me for a moment, so they did this.
There was a reason for thinking of this possibility.
When I first came to this world, I didn't realize what was going on and looked around the room, and there were a bunch of photos of my appearance.
At that time, I didn't know it was a gender-reversed world, so I wondered why there were so many photos like that, but now connecting it to this incident, it makes sense.
The photos in my room gave the impression that someone was taking photos of my appearance from a distance, and one common thing was that there was not a single photo where I was looking at the camera that was taking the photo.
In other words, it was taken without me knowing that someone was photographing me. It could be that in this world's me, I took photos in that concept, but in this gender-reversed world, I don't think the me would prefer to be photographed like that.
Moreover, while wandering around the school for the second day, I felt that the photos in the room were of the school interior, so in this world's me, while attending university as a freshman, someone was taking photos of me.
In other words... I was being stalked.
As someone who has memories from the original world, I don't understand a woman secretly taking photos of a man and stalking him, but I have to accept it thinking it's a gender-reversed world.
Anyway, if in this world's me, I was being stalked while attending university, the stalker would have found the sight of me with Hyeji unpleasant.
So, perhaps they took photos like before and posted them on the internet to make Hyeji distance herself from me.
Perhaps they transferred to the military to avoid the stalker.
What kind of life was this world's me living?
Anyway, since it's not certain that I was being stalked, I need to look into the situation.
And this might be difficult for me to solve alone. If the stalker is real, the best way is to use myself as bait to lure the stalker, then have someone else pounce on them to catch them. But this is something I can't do alone.
I would need help from someone, but the problem is that there are almost no people I know in this world.
Even if I try with Hyeji, since the stalker already has Hyeji's face and the rumor is already spread on Everytime, it would be hard for Hyeji to hide and catch the stalker.
So, is there anyone else I can ask for help...
Ah!
@ Kang Seoyeon
"Hwaaah... It's tough..."
I woke up rubbing my eyes in the late morning and turned on my computer to organize the video from yesterday. I had to edit the video I shot with Gosu unnie and upload it to YouTube.
I was thinking of uploading it quickly because I thought the video would be fun, so I was reducing my sleep to do it.
— Wiing~
The phone next to me vibrated, and I knew someone was calling.
Who would it be at this time?
I thought it might be fellow streamers, but since it's late morning, they should all be sleeping...
I picked up the vibrating phone and checked who was calling.
Lee Minho...?
Eh?
For a moment, the name Lee Minho made me think of someone, and then a person flashed in my mind.
The man I met in the subway after saving him from the groper, and the next day met him again by chance in the subway.
A man who had a fairy-tale-like encounter with me, same age, attending the same university.
But why is he calling me suddenly?
Because a man is contacting me, my heart is beating fast and my face is getting hot. It's a bit like being thrilled, I guess?
Since I've never properly interacted with a man in my life, and the only male phone number saved on my phone is Minho's, I couldn't imagine him calling first.
I had planned to contact him later after spending time, but what is this?
I cautiously pressed the call button.
"H-hello...?"
"Hi? It's me, Lee Minho. Remember me?"
The man's voice flowed from the phone, making me feel a bit odd. A strange feeling of unfamiliar yet pleasant.
"Eh, eh!"
"Good, I'm glad. I was worried you might have forgotten."
How could I forget. The only alpha female who lives carrying a man is the one who forgets exchanging numbers with a man!
"By the way, is your schedule free tonight? There's something I want to talk about around 7 o'clock."
"Eh, eh?? Talk about? My schedule tonight is..."
Normally, I had to broadcast today too. My broadcasting creed is that no matter what, I have to broadcast even if it breaks my body, so I won't be free tonight.
When Minho suggested an evening appointment, I had to refuse because I had to broadcast.
Rejecting such a golden opportunity...
"Okay."
"Really? Then let's meet around 7 at school... No, I'll pick a place and send it via KakaoTalk, so see you then! I have to go into class now, so I'll hang up!"
"Eh, eh?"
What? I answered as if it's natural that I had time, contrary to my thoughts. Minho, hearing my answer, hung up with a pleasant voice.
I definitely meant to refuse...
I ended up making an appointment without realizing it.
What kind of thing did I do to myself!!!