The First Leisure
His body shattered. Then it was pieced back together. Torn apart. Then sealed once more.
He woke from the pain countless times, only to faint again.
There wasn't a single part of him that didn't burn.
There wasn't a single part of him that wasn't freezing.
It was hot. It was cold. It tingled, itched, and drove him mad with the urge to scratch.
How much longer? He didn't know.
The pain in his body was vivid.
His mind had stepped back, drifting in a strange, anesthetic haze between sleep and wakefulness that left his thoughts sluggish.
There was pain. He wanted to deny it, yet because of it, he knew he was alive.
Something felt off. There was a light over there—
> [Result. Total time elapsed: 8 hours. All procedures complete.]
The gentle voice whispering in his ear felt kind.
"Now, please wake up, Kim Shin."
A cozy warmth wrapped around him, tempting him to ignore it and sleep a little longer.
He felt languid, yet strangely refreshed. How many times in his life had he woken up feeling this invigorated?
Thoughts began to connect. The more they did, the more his mind sharpened, urging his lazy self to stop lying around.
His eyes opened naturally, revealing the familiar ceiling.
> [Confirmed. Player Kim Shin's awakening verified.]
Listening to the helper's words, he slowly sat up.
Thud.
The moment he rose, the towel he'd been biting fell away. It was shredded in places, soaked with drool and tears, the tape that had once held it together now completely useless—clear proof of the agony he'd endured.
Just moments ago, he'd been trapped in what felt like an eternity of torment. Now his body was perfect. He raised both hands and clenched his fists, then opened them.
He got up quickly and headed for the bathroom. His steps grew faster. He wanted to see the reward for enduring that pain right away.
A ticklish sensation starting from his heart spread through his entire body as excitement and anticipation. The short distance from the bed to the bathroom felt agonizingly long, but he suppressed his impatience.
He walked steadily, flipped on the bathroom light, and looked into the mirror.
His eyes widened. A handsome man with a slightly parted mouth in surprise stared back, raising his hand in perfect sync.
"This... is me?"
It didn't feel real.
Yet the sensation of his own hand on his cheek—smooth, flawless skin—and the reflection mirroring his every movement convinced his brain that this was the truth.
A bright, charming smile spread across the face of the man reflected in the mirror, a smile even he, as a man, found appealing. The colors seemed to grow richer.
"Ha. Hahaha!"
As he laughed in delight, his stomach let out a thunderous protest.
Grumble, grumble!
".... Pfft!"
Even that ridiculous growling sounded handsome somehow.
Chuckling in disbelief, he stripped to shower. Under the water, he examined his body. Sculpted muscles, perfectly defined with no trace of fat.
He'd never been dissatisfied with the size before, but seeing the impressive sight between his legs made his satisfaction soar even higher.
After the shower, he dried off and glanced at the mirror again. With a towel draped around his neck, water still clinging to his skin, the handsome face staring back made him hum unconsciously.
"Damn, that guy's good-looking."
Humming a tune, he dried his hair, got dressed, grabbed his wallet, and stepped outside.
Click. Thud. Beep!
The door locked automatically behind him. Still humming, he headed downstairs. It was still chilly in February, his breath visible in the air, yet the morning felt refreshingly cool despite wearing only workout clothes.
He walked along, then suddenly stopped as a thought struck him.
"Now that I think about it..."
He'd never once had to steel himself to leave the house before.
The usual reluctance that used to grip his ankles at the door was gone.
While rubbing his chin in thought, he felt an unfamiliar sensation—someone staring at him. Turning his head, his eyes met a group of schoolgirls on their way to class.
They flinched in surprise, covered their faces with their hands, and scurried away at top speed. He scratched his cheek and smiled at the novel reaction.
Feeling good again, he continued walking and arrived at the convenience store. Assuming the part-timer wouldn't be there at this hour, he stepped inside.
"Welcome~"
The woman's voice pierced his ears, and his brows furrowed automatically.
Memories of their previous unpleasant encounter flashed through his mind. He clicked his tongue inwardly, grabbed some food and drinks, and placed them on the counter.
"...."
"...."
An awkward silence hung in the air. The heavy atmosphere pressed down like lead as only the beeping of the barcode scanner cut through the stillness, dutifully doing its job.
"That... comes to 13,500 won."
"...Three packs of Lucky Blast 6mL, please."
"Ah... Ah! Yes."
The woman jolted as if buffering, her reaction so absurd he nearly frowned but managed to hold it back.
It made sense, given his changed appearance. But still—
'She reacted like this back then too. The nerve, acting ungrateful after I helped her.'
A different feeling rose in him compared to the schoolgirls' reactions. He snorted inwardly, inserted his card the moment the cigarettes were scanned, and waited.
"....Payment complete. Would you like a bag?"
"Yes. Please pack it."
Despite the irritation bubbling inside, he wore the polite mask of an adult and gave a businesslike reply. Her shoulders visibly flinched, which he found utterly ridiculous.
'How shameless... Tch. Whatever. It's not like she knows who I am. Getting worked up alone won't change anything.'
Once everything was packed, he took the bag and headed out. The chime rang as he left the store.
Then an urgent voice called from behind.
"E-Excuse me!"
Emotions surged from his chest, urging him to ignore her, but adult courtesy held him back.
"...Yes?"
He turned with a puzzled look. She seemed surprised he'd stopped, or perhaps unsettled by his flat tone. She shrank in on herself, her face filled with guilt and nervousness as she opened and closed her mouth. He was the one confused now.
'Why does she look like that?'
After a moment, the part-timer took a deep breath and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, her voice trembling as she shouted.
"B-Back then! I-I'm truly sorry!"
"....?"
He tilted his head in confusion and looked around. There weren't many people nearby, and judging by the direction of her bow and her body, she was definitely apologizing to him.
"Me?"
"..Huh? Ah, yes. You helped me back then, but I was so out of it..."
Her voice grew smaller as she said "I'm sorry," and he was the one left flustered. His face and body had completely changed—how could she recognize him? The moment that question formed—
> [Answer. I will explain once you return home... You really weren't listening properly...]
The helper's voice carried a hint of exasperation. He was about to retort but held back, focusing instead on resolving the situation in front of him.
"If that's what this is about, it's fine. These things happen."
"Yes.."
Honestly, he still felt uncomfortable. But unlike before, her apology seemed genuine. Receiving it with his new face left a bitter taste, yet he accepted it as inevitable and offered a faint smile.
Seeing her relieved expression, he sighed and walked away again.
Back home, he put water on to boil, heated a rice ball in the microwave, and asked the helper.
"What happened?"
> [Answer. I told you that the high-grade ticket, unlike the low- and mid-grade ones, interferes with causality. Therefore—]
His eyes widened at the explanation that followed.
"So you're saying... my face and body were always meant to grow up like this?"
> [Yes. The low- and mid-grade tickets only alter the external appearance, so people perceive it as plastic surgery. But the high-grade ticket used no cost to reduce pain, allowing causality to shift more completely.]
He let out a deep sigh at the helper's words, poured water into his ramen, took the rice ball from the microwave, and ate as he spoke.
"Well... good is good. There's no downside, right?"
> [Correct.]
While eating his ramen and rice ball, a thought occurred to him.
"By the way, my intelligence and stamina stats are still low, right? If I raise them all at once, will there be pain or anything?"
> [Answer. Intelligence can be raised all 4 points without issue, but starting from 5 points, pain will accompany the change. For stamina, I recommend raising 4 points now and the remaining 3 points after one hour.]
"Ah~ That kind of feeling? Got it."
Trusting the helper's assurance, he invested 4 points each into intelligence and stamina without hesitation. Rubbing his now-full stomach, he noticed it no longer felt soft and round like before.
Instead, firm muscles pressed against his palm and fingers. He paused, then chuckled and patted his stomach a few times before his eyes gleamed.
"Then shall we try the most important thing?"
> [Confirmed. Will you enter Leisure Life?]
"Of course."
The corners of his mouth lifted into a bright smile.
* * *
Contrary to his initial eagerness, he'd already been staring at the screen for thirty minutes.
"Hmm..."
Only one world was available to enter right now, but there were five options. None of them appealed to him.
"Of all things, why these..."
> [Leisure List]
> - Death Space
> - Warhammer 4K
> - DOOM
> - Berserk
> - How to Steal a Wild Japanese Wife 2
They were all games he'd enjoyed and manga he'd liked.
"But those are just games and manga... Ha..."
He hadn't felt this hollow even when his skills and inner arts were locked, or when raising his stats the wrong way brought pain.
Overcome by emptiness, he lay spread-eagled on the floor and stared at the ceiling.
"Helper."
> [...Yes.]
He frowned at the helper's cautious reply.
"Isn't messing with me on the first try a bit much...?"
> [Answer. There is "How to Steal a Wild Japanese Wife."]
"No... You're right, but... still... Ha, aren't there usually things like Konosuba, One Piece, or Naruto for the first one?"
The helper, having listened to all his complaints, finally answered.
> [Answer. Luck is also a skill. Please accept it. At least you have one option available.]
"That... is true. But..."
After thinking it over, he decided it wasn't so bad after all and selected it. Options for how to enter appeared.
[1. Bob Wild
Two months before the original story.
24-year-old male
One of the protagonists of this world.
A Black man transferred to Japan. Lives next door to Takanashi Sumire.
Harbors feelings for Sumire, who helped him during an unwarranted police search.
Currently one-sided love.]
[2. Takanashi Sumire
One month before the original story.
26-year-old female
A part-time worker living next door to Bob Wild.
Despite her tough appearance, she is thoughtful and devoted.
Recently feels disillusioned with her husband Takanashi Suzuki, who refuses to work and chases dreams.
Considering accepting Bob Wild's invitation for drinks and an affair.]
[3. Kim Shin
22 years old
Three months before the original story.
Lives next door to Bob Wild. Works as a UFC fighter.
Despite his skills, he struggles with lack of work.
Buying Bitcoin on a whim turned out to be a stroke of genius.
Now lives as a wealthy NEET rather than a fighter.
Has feelings for Sumire and refuses to leave the rundown apartment.]
"Aha, so that's how it works. But why is there a female option?"
Bob Wild made sense. But Takanashi Sumire...?
"Why would I have to gender-bend?"
> [Answer. This app, Leisure Life, respects any preference you may have.]
"...."
He narrowed his eyes at the helper's response, stared silently for a moment, then sighed and chose option 3.
"Well, it's a manga I've borrowed a few times before. And personally, I like Sumire too."
> [Confirmed. Will you start with option 3?]
"Yeah."
With this appearance. This body. And from the options, he wasn't short on money either. It was an optimal starting condition. Thinking that, he closed his eyes.
The first Leisure had begun.