Restoring Self-Esteem and a Devastating Username
Filled with confidence—
"Wait, what? You kept calling yourself 'GirlJyunding,' but you're a literal baby?"
"......"
I couldn't say a single word in response. I didn't know whether I should confirm or deny it.
"Jyunding, why are you so quiet~?"
Hearing my own username out loud from someone else's mouth was far more devastating than I could have ever imagined.
Seriously, how on earth did I post on the gallery with a username like this all this time?
"Ah, um, yes... Well..."
"Awakening as a healer at your age? Your life is seriously set from here on out. You must be thrilled, right?"
"Yes. I'm... thrilled."
"Of course you are, which is why you bragged about it so much on the gallery. Even looking down on melee DPS."
"I'm sorry..."
"Hehe, no need to apologize. Anyway, I'm putting a party together to enter a gate in a few days. Why don't we run it together then?"
The gate they were entering was a D-Rank Gate. Since SaveMeleeDPS was a B-Rank hunter, it was a level where they could basically stroll through it like a walk in the park.
Since she was only going in to earn a bit of pocket money in the first place, she had only gathered three people, including herself. If I joined, we would be a party of four.
"We could clear a D-Rank Gate without a healer, but having one makes it way more comfortable and faster. I'll protect you perfectly, so you just have to stand in the back and heal. How about it?"
"Ah... That doesn't sound too bad."
"Okay! Then do you want to meet up at a cafe tomorrow or the day after? Even if it's a low-rank gate, we're going into battle together, so we should at least know what each other looks like. We can talk about your skills and class, and I can teach you a few things."
And just like that, my first gate raid was smoothly decided.
Though I would have to see SaveMeleeDPS in person before that.
I had already added SaveMeleeDPS as a friend on the Hunters App. Looking closely at her profile, there was a separate 'Career' tab, and her track record was absolutely mind-blowing.
She had entered gates over a hundred times. She had also participated in large-scale raids of ten or more people twelve times.
I thought B-Rank sounded a bit middling, but she was actually an ultra-veteran hunter.
Coincidentally, we lived relatively close to each other, so we agreed to meet up the very next day.
I closed the chat and stared blankly into space.
So many things had happened in just a single day.
......
...I have to meet a gallery user in real life? With this body?
Suddenly, reality slapped me right in the face.
I was originally a shut-in who lived in the corner of my room without a single friend. Now I have to meet someone with this middle-school girl's body?
If there was any saving grace, it was that SaveMeleeDPS was a woman.
On top of that, I'm going into a gate?
I was a civilian just yesterday. The kind who would huddle inside the house and tremble whenever the gate alarm went off.
Even if I awakened as Healer Royalty, is it really okay to just dive into a gate overnight?
Shouldn't I get some kind of education or training first?
......My head hurts.
Putting that aside, what do I do about these elf ears?
I raised my hand and stroked my long, pointed ears.
If I tell people they became like this because I awakened, they'll probably just accept it, but it still feels a bit weird.
Like, it's a bit embarrassing to show others? I can't really hide them since I have to reveal my class anyway, but I feel like I'm going to be the absolute center of attention.
It's going to be so uncomfortable if everyone stares at me.
"Status window."
I opened my status window once more.
Elf. An elf, huh...
I walked back into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
A strange young girl stared back at me.
If this were someone else and not me, I would've been like, "Oh my god, she's so pretty and cute, I want to open a bag of chips, tuck her into bed, and put on Netflix for her."
But since it's me, it feels incredibly bizarre.
Honestly, at this rate, I might become a narcissist before long.
Even the elf ears are distinctively cute.
"Ahem."
Well, being pretty is definitely better than being ugly. Yes.
And so, I spent the rest of the day just staring into the mirror.
It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I never got tired of looking, no matter how much I stared.
After staring at something so pretty for a long time, my thoughts shifted in a much more positive direction.
Putting all other issues aside, the fact that I am Healer Royalty remains unchanged.
The absolute best, most effortless job of this era, where you can easily rake in a hundred million won a month while basically slacking off.
I'll be making bank. That's all that matters.
"Mmmgh..."
The next day.
It was an incredibly refreshing early morning wake-up (9:42 AM).
Thinking about how my future was filled with nothing but happiness made my outlook on life naturally turn positive.
I left some warm, well-wishing words on the Hunter Gallery hoping everyone would have a happier day, but all I got in return was raw, unfiltered criticism and rage.
Well, it can't be helped. As the greatest product of the Hunter Gallery and the future number-one healer in the world, I suppose I must be the bigger person and understand them.
However, my cheerful mood quickly evaporated as the time to meet SaveMeleeDPS drew near.
What do I do? I really have to meet her?
Me, who has set a legendary record of having zero friends over a lifespan of more than twenty years?
Me, who has to consciously monitor every single stupid word that comes out of my mouth whenever I meet people?
Me, a shut-in, idiotic, loser Huntard, is going to meet a veteran hunter with an estimated monthly income of tens of millions of won, SaveMeleeDPS (a 23-year-old female)?
My self-esteem is plummeting. Fear is creeping in.
In times like this...!!
I ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
"Hmm... Yes, yes."
I nodded.
"Alright. Self-esteem fully restored."
With a face like this, even if the inside is a socially awkward, brain-dead Huntard, everything is forgiven.
Objectively speaking, the destructive power of this face is no joke. The moment SaveMeleeDPS sees my face, her mouth will probably hang open so wide her jaw will hit the floor.
I stepped out of the bathroom and began to get dressed.
I put on a hoodie and sweatpants that were twice my size. I had to tie the drawstring of the pants extra tight so they wouldn't slip down.
I had no choice. I didn't have any clothes that actually fit me.
Well then, time for a grand departure toward my Healer Royalty life!
Yoo Sumi arrived at the meeting place about twenty minutes early.
It wasn't because she was particularly diligent, but rather because she was incredibly curious about what kind of person SuperGeniusTalentedGirlJyunding was.
SuperGeniusTalentedGirlJyunding, real name Lee Jiyun.
"...Did she really awaken as a healer?"
Given the circumstances, it didn't seem like she would lie about something like this, but it was still hard to believe.
She regretted not saying much yesterday, having felt too awkward to press for more proof after realizing the other person was just a kid.
Among the awakened, healers were the most coveted class.
Needless to say, they were essential for clearing high-difficulty dungeons. And if they were too scared to enter a dungeon, they could just hang around the gate entrance and treat the injured as they came out.
Or, they could register as a private healing business and open a small clinic in the neighborhood, allowing them to experience what a truly luxurious work-life balance felt like.
Even Yoo Sumi couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
While some people fought to the death covered in monster guts, others could rake in millions of won with a single click of a healing spell.
And to think that such luck had befallen a jobless loser who had spent years posting garbage on the gallery.
Well, maybe not a jobless loser.
Since she was actually a young kid, just like her 'GirlJyunding' persona suggested.
Thinking about it, that part was also absurd.
SuperGeniusTalentedGirlJyunding. That crazy roleplayer was actually a young girl.
Yesterday, Yoo Sumi had searched SuperGeniusTalentedGirlJyunding's username on the Hunter Gallery.
That bizarre post title was the first thing that caught her eye.
Claire Moreau was a famous French female S-Rank hunter.
...A young girl wrote this kind of crap?
"What a hilarious kid," Sumi muttered with a chuckle.
Since she was so young yet spent her time posting garbage on the gallery, Sumi figured she should tease her a bit when they met.
Sumi spent about ten minutes tapping the toe of her shoe against the pavement and looking around.
A moment later, Yoo Sumi spotted something.
A tiny silhouette was crossing the crosswalk in the distance.
She had her hoodie pulled down low as if trying to hide something. Her head was bowed so low that Sumi doubted she could even see where she was going.
Just in case, Yoo Sumi narrowed her eyes.
Beneath the hoodie, vibrant green hair was swaying.
This was a hundred percent match. Unless they were awakened, there was no way a kid like that would have green hair.
The green-haired child looked left and right, then slowly approached Yoo Sumi...
"Excuse me... Are you, by any chance, SaveMeleeDPS...?"
She asked hesitantly, her voice barely a whisper.
Yoo Sumi stared blankly at the girl in front of her.
Vibrant green hair. Vivid pink eyes. Flawless white skin. A face so harmless and cute that it made Sumi's heart skip a beat.
Her? This girl is actually SuperGeniusTalentedGirlJyunding?
It was indeed Lee Jiyun, who had completely captivated Yoo Sumi with the sheer destructive power of her face.
However, Lee Jiyun herself was in no position to care about that.
The moment she had confidently stepped out of her house, stares and whispers had rained down on her from all directions.
Look at her hair color. She's so cute. Mommy, that big sister's ears are weird. Shh, don't say things like that.
In the end, Lee Jiyun, her face burning red, had chosen to pull her hood down as far as it would go. The self-esteem she had so carefully built up with self-love had completely evaporated.
Of course, Yoo Sumi had no way of knowing this.
"Are... Are you really GirlJyunding... I mean, Lee Jiyun? Jiyun?"
Yoo Sumi quickly approached with a slightly flushed face. Startled, Lee Jiyun reflexively took a step back.
"Yes... That's right. I'm SuperGeniusTalented..."
"R-Right! Let's head inside quickly! It must have been a tough trip getting here, huh?"
"Ah... What? It wasn't really that tough..."
Lee Jiyun's shyness didn't even register in Yoo Sumi's eyes.
To Yoo Sumi right now, Lee Jiyun was like an unbearably cute little rabbit.
After seating Lee Jiyun at a table in the cafe, Yoo Sumi immediately ordered the most delicious treats she knew of.
A mountain of luxuries that Lee Jiyun had never experienced in her life was laid out right before her eyes.