Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: A Pretty Face
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Lee Si-eun froze, her face saying, *‘What did I just see?’*
It took her a while to calm down.
A moment later, Lee Shin handed her a glass of cold water and asked.
“So?”
He was asking for her honest opinion.
Lee Si-eun scanned Lee Shin's face carefully before replying with a reluctant expression.
She had no idea why he'd done this, but…
“…Well. You do look like a girl.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you did a really good job.”
Maybe it was because he was good with his hands, but he'd done an excellent job for his first time.
Plus, Lee Shin's face shape—a slim jaw and deep-set eyebrows—made the makeup look natural.
His naturally sharp, handsome features made it look plausible!
Lee Si-eun, staring at him as if he were a curiosity, gently lifted his chin with her fingertips.
Then she let out a dry laugh and said.
“But your deep voice makes it super creepy.”
“What if I make my voice higher?”
“Then I'd probably think you were a real girl. …Wait a minute. Why are you asking?”
Lee Si-eun stopped mid-reply, a sudden question dawning on her.
Instead of answering in detail, Lee Shin vaguely brushed it off.
“Just because.”
“…???”
“It's nothing.”
Lee Si-eun narrowed her eyes.
*What's up with him?*
He usually answers whatever I ask…
“It's not anything weird, is it?”
“No.”
“…Then fine.”
Lee Si-eun couldn't understand it, but she let it go.
Whenever Lee Shin acted like this, trying to dig deeper usually only ended up being a loss for her.
And by now, she had a certain degree of trust in her brother.
*‘He'll handle it.’*
Lee Shin sometimes did bizarre things that made you wonder, ‘Why on earth is he doing that?’ but he always knew where to draw the line.
He never did anything that would harm himself or get him in legal trouble.
No matter what, he always abided by that rule.
He had his own boundaries.
Since that was the kind of person he was, Lee Si-eun just stopped worrying about it.
“Are you going to use my makeup again?”
“No. I'm good now.”
His practice was over, so he didn't need it anymore.
Lee Shin was about to log into the game… but first, he approached Lee Si-eun.
Come to think of it, there was something he needed to buy before logging in.
“Sis.”
“What now, you punk.”
“I need some money.”
“…Suddenly???”
Lee Si-eun whipped her head around and asked with a tense expression.
*What is he trying to buy this time…?*
“Uh, how much do you need?”
“About 100,000 won? I'll pay you back later.”
“…Oh, that much is fine. Don't worry about it.”
Thankfully, it was a reasonable amount this time.
…Though, in reality, it's rare to give a younger sibling that much for an allowance.
But the shock of the 10 million won was so great that she didn't realize it.
Thanks to that, a request for 100,000 won felt relatively reasonable!
The confident way Lee Shin asked also played a part.
It created an atmosphere where giving him the money felt like the natural thing to do.
“I'll send it.”
In any case, Lee Si-eun willingly transferred the money.
With that money, Lee Shin bought a hair, voice modulation, and makeup item from the auction house.
Only then did he log back into the game.
* * *
“Hmm.”
A black-haired beauty was reflected in the pond.
The corners of her eyes were thin and swept upwards, giving off a slightly dangerous yet strangely alluring vibe.
She turned her head this way and that, examining every angle of her face.
“Ah, ah.”
She tested her voice a few times.
She adjusted her clothes and hair several times.
After a long while of doing these strange things by herself, she lifted her head.
“Perfect.”
Her, no, *his* identity was the disguised Lee Shin.
Lee Shin smiled in satisfaction at his perfect disguise.
This level of quality… would do!
Lee Shin confidently headed to the village to find a party.
And he headed straight for the plaza… or not. He loitered around the outskirts first.
‘…….’
Since it was his first time doing this, even Lee Shin was a little nervous.
Of course, he'd confirmed that his appearance and voice were perfect, but he couldn't hide his subtle mannerisms and gestures.
Now that he was actually about to do it, he couldn't quite remember how he was supposed to act.
This was especially true because he usually paid little attention to others.
In the end, there was only one person he could use as a reference.
*‘How did Sis act?’*
Lee Shin recalled Lee Si-eun's behavior.
Fortunately, this gave him a considerable boost of confidence.
*‘…Good.’*
With renewed determination, Lee Shin stood up to head to the plaza.
But before he could, someone poked him on the shoulder.
“!”
His senses snapping to attention, Lee Shin instinctively subdued the person.
He grabbed their hand and slammed them against a wall.
*Thwack!!*
“E-Excuse me… Hkkyaak!?!”
“?”
But the scream was unexpected.
A high soprano voice.
Only then did Lee Shin realize the person was a female player.
“Ow, ow! Hey, can you please…!”
The player winced, her wrist tightly gripped.
She was wearing typical beginner's clothes.
Seeing no one else around, Lee Shin slowly loosened his grip.
Then he casually dusted off his gear and replied.
“My apologies. You startled me.”
“S-Startled?”
“Yes.”
“Even if you were startled, to do that…”
“I was in an accident when I was young, so I get extremely anxious when someone comes up behind me. Now, if you'll excuse me…”
“What? What kind of accident… Ah, no, that's not it!”
*Grab!*
The player, who had been sporting a series of question marks above her head, snapped back to her senses and grabbed the departing Lee Shin's wrist.
“……”
Lee Shin instinctively frowned, but the other player didn't notice and spoke up.
“Um, are you alone right now?”
“……?”
A question that could easily be misunderstood!
But Lee Shin understood.
*‘Is she asking if I have a party?’*
“No.”
He was planning to find one, but since he didn't have one at the moment, that was his answer.
At that, the female player's face lit up with joy.
“Th-That's a relief!”
“Why?”
“Because I'm alone too! Would you like to party up?”
*‘…Is she trying to scam me?’*
That was Lee Shin's first thought at her offer.
Offering a party invitation so cheerfully to a complete stranger?
This kind of approach was usually a scam.
He'd seen it many times.
If he naively followed her, her gang would probably pop out from behind that alley.
*‘…No, wait. I'm a woman right now, aren't I?’*
Lee Shin belatedly came to his senses and shook his head.
Realizing his own gender identity (?), he saw the situation in a new light.
First, why this player was so happy to invite him to a party.
*‘She probably wants to find a party, but she's a solo female player.’*
It was a common occurrence.
Online games generally had more male players.
It could be intimidating to join a party full of men by herself.
And just then, another female player appeared!
If she was looking for a party, it was only natural for her to be happy.
And she would naturally assume he'd be happy to see her too.
Of course, Lee Shin was a man, but visually, he was a perfect woman.
‘…….’
Lee Shin paused in thought.
If they partied up, they'd have to join another party together.
Would bringing this person along be helpful?
The deliberation was short.
“Alright.”
“!”
Of course, it wasn't for a pure reason like wanting to help her.
It was because Jeong Yu-ra's appearance was, objectively speaking, quite striking.
He figured that if they were together, the attention would be divided, relatively reducing the chances of his cross-dressing being discovered.
The only problem was that since he had his own agenda, she would have to go along with it.
This didn't seem to be a problem.
“…Ah! What a relief. It's actually my first time playing a game, so I didn't know what to do. Thank you so much!”
A strong sense of camaraderie had already maxed out her trust level to 100%!
On top of that, she was a complete newbie.
An opponent Lee Shin could easily deceive if he put his mind to it.
She extended her hand and introduced herself.
“I'm Jeong Yu-ra.”
“Yes, I'm Lee Si…”
*Flinch!*
“…eun. Lee Si-eun.”
“Aha. Si-eun, I'll send the party invite first!”
“Okay.”
[Party invitation accepted.]
[Current Party Members: 2]
After the party was formed, Jeong Yu-ra asked what they should do now.
“Do you have a quest you were working on?”
“Yes, the class change quest. It says to hunt 10 Mutated Beasts… but I can't possibly do it alone.”
“Then let's start with that. I need to clear it too.”
As he spoke, Lee Shin started walking towards the plaza. It was time to find other party members.
At that, Jeong Yu-ra's eyes wavered.
“Uh… other party members?”
“Yes, two beginners can't hunt those. You said you've encountered them, right?”
“W-Well, yes, but.”
She seemed to understand but was clearly reluctant as she hesitated.
“Still… I'd rather we do it just the two of us…”
“Then I guess we'll have to split up…”
“I-I'll do it!”
“……”
Jeong Yu-ra, apparently lacking much emotional leeway, immediately folded!
Her desperation to not be left alone was palpable.
Thanks to that, Lee Shin could be sure of one thing.
*‘She won't backstab me.’*
Someone that desperate would never have ulterior motives.
With his last remaining anxiety resolved, Lee Shin headed for the plaza where various parties were gathered.
And among them, he spotted a familiar-looking party and approached it.
Just a few hours ago,
*‘Your level?’*
*‘…….’*
*‘Hey, it's that guy again. I told you to leave, didn't I? Come back when you've leveled up.’*
…the very players who had said that!
Lee Shin didn't forget a grudge easily.
If he had a score to settle, he wouldn't be satisfied until he'd paid it back several times over.
That was why he had specifically chosen this party to leech off of.
To thoroughly repay them for the previous humiliation and grudge!
“…Ahem.”
Devising such a plan internally,
Lee Shin approached them and spoke with a picturesque smile.
“Excuse me.”
The noisy party suddenly fell silent.
“Haha. So… huh?”
“……Huh?”
“……”
“……”
“…Gasp.”
The players stared at Lee Shin, their faces seeming to ask, ‘Us?’
Seeing their reaction, Lee Shin felt a strange sense of pleasure welling up from within.
*‘…So this is what it feels like?’*
This is… so much fun!
Lee Shin barely suppressed the urge to smile as he asked.
“By any chance…”
The same question as a few hours ago.
“Could you let us join your party?”
* * *
The exact same question, down to the last syllable.
But the result was completely different.
‘Party? Of course, you can!’
‘But our levels are low…’
‘We can just raise them together!’
‘We don't have classes yet…’
‘You can get them after leveling up!’
‘Then we need to clear our quests…’
‘We can help you with that!’
The players who said yes to everything!
‘I need a liver and a gallbladder…’
‘Haha! We can give them to you!’
‘……?’
At first, Lee Shin found it amusing, but eventually, it became absurd.
Lee Shin thought to himself while maintaining a smile on the outside.
*‘These crazy bastards.’*
…It was a rather shameless thought for a cross-dressing man, but in any case, Lee Shin's plan was a success.
Now, all that was left was to make good use of them.
In a dense forest.
A party was diligently hunting Mutated Beasts.
This was a common sight in the Ibara Forest.
But one thing was different now.
*Thud-thud-thud-thud!*
“Si-eun!”
A party member who had lured a nearly dead wolf shouted towards Lee Shin.
“And Yu-ra! Over here!”
“Hurry and get the last hit!”
They were even giving up the last hit!
Considering what the last hit means to a gamer, their promise to give him their liver and gallbladder wasn't that far off.
Lee Shin did not refuse their kindness.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, after all.
*‘They're doing it because they want to, anyway.’*
[You have gained experience.]
[You have gained experience.]
[You have gained…]
Thanks to them, experience points started pouring in!
For Lee Shin, who had always been a solo player, this was a first-class power-leveling bus he had never experienced since starting the game.
[Level Up!]
*‘Wow….’*
Even Lee Shin, a master of acting, found it hard to stop the corners of his mouth from twitching!
Eventually, feeling elated, Lee Shin cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.
“You can do it~!”
“……!”
“……!”
“……!”