A Growing Dream

Sticky sweat thoroughly soaked my workout clothes.

I was sure I had been wiping it off with a towel every now and then.

But by the time I snapped out of it, my collar was clinging tightly to my skin.

Normally, I would have found it quite unpleasant... but right now, I didn't have the luxury to care about that.

My breath came in ragged gasps.

My heart pounded as if it were about to burst. Hot blood surged through my veins.

Heated breaths kept escaping my lips.

"Haa. Hoo. Haaa..."

Still, had my stamina improved compared to before?

It had been a long time since I ran until I was this exhausted.

In the beginning, I would start panting after running just a little bit, but now, as long as I paced myself, I could run for quite a while.

But sprinting is still too hard. I did something pointless trying to clear my head. Instead of clearing it, I can't think of anything at all.

First, let's wash up. If I work out any more than this, it'll definitely backfire.

The next match was tomorrow.

Yu Nabi falling ill from overtraining after moping around? Just hearing that sentence sounded absurd.

Though if it actually happened, it wouldn't be a laughing matter.

I returned to the locker room and shed my damp clothes.

I didn't know if I should call it a blessing, but my body odor was extremely faint.

They say people can't usually smell themselves, but in my case, it felt like my body odor was genuinely almost nonexistent.

Anyway, I neatly folded the discarded workout clothes and put them in the locker.

I stripped off my underwear layer by layer, put it away, and grabbed my shower bag.

As I walked into the shower room, my reflection caught in the mirror.

'Have I gotten too used to this by now?'

Several months had already passed since I ended up in this body.

At first, just having a female body brought a sense of guilt and nervousness.

There was a time when I couldn't even bring myself to look down.

But in the end, this was my body.

I couldn't get flustered every single time by something I could see whenever I wanted and control as I pleased.

Familiarity ultimately makes a person indifferent.

Objectively speaking, my naked body was extremely beautiful, but it didn't really move me.

Becoming a narcissist who admired themselves every time required a natural talent I didn't possess.

Was it growth that my face no longer turned red at the sight of my own breasts?

Even if it was growth, it didn't seem like a very boastworthy achievement.

But well, it was also true that I had changed a lot.

Had I spent too long lost in these idle thoughts?

I heard a presence behind me.

"Oh? You were working out. Are you on your way to take a shower?"

"Y-Yes!"

"It's not like it's the first time we've seen each other, so why are you trembling so much? Have more confidence. If I had breasts like yours, I'd have confidence even if I started with none."

"..."

"Was that sexual harassment just now? Give me a pass this time. A married woman sexually harassing her female disciple... If that makes the news, I won't be able to live in Korea anymore."

Or not? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Was my so-called growth actually just an illusion?

It wasn't once or twice that I had run into the coach in the company gym.

Yet, I could never get used to those bombshell remarks.

Just a few words were enough to knock the soul right out of me.

"Your reactions are always so cute. Good work. Go wash up and get some rest. You need to manage your condition in advance."

"Yes... Good luck with your workout too, Coach."

Fortunately, it seemed the coach didn't intend to tease me any further.

I scurried into the shower room and turned on the hot water.

Only when the warm water hit me did my mind finally begin to settle.

I started by letting the water hit my face.

Sweeping my hair back, I fell into thought.

The rushing sound of the pouring water was pleasant to hear.

The predecessor of Infinity Realm was a full-dive MMORPG.

Back then, there was PvE content where players fought monsters, and in addition to the current PvP format, there was PK in the open fields.

It seemed they had initially tried to resolve everything within the RPG framework.

However, as the game became more sophisticated, it split off entirely into a new ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠game, which became the current Infinity Realm.

A virtual reality game that perfectly replicated one's intended movements.

A realistic, fast-paced, and flashy action game was the ultimate dream of every gamer.

Anyone who had enjoyed previous generations of PC or console games had probably imagined a virtual reality game at least once.

The moment that imagination became reality, the explosive popularity Infinity Realm garnered was beyond words.

Moreover, hadn't games long been a source of vitality for people?

The joy of playing a game after school or work was incomparable to anything else.

In the game, some built their own worlds.

Others enjoyed making new connections.

Within the game, we could be anything and do anything.

Because it was that kind of game, it became a beacon of hope for some.

Why did I, lying in a hospital bed, want to become a pro gamer?

Because it was the closest and most plausible dream for me.

There was something about it that struck a chord in my heart.

A full-dive virtual reality game.

A world where you could move perfectly even if you couldn't use a part of your body, even if one of your legs was crippled.

How could my heart not flutter seeing people bloom in such ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a world?

Although I was never able to enter the game until the day I died, it was true that the existence of Infinity Realm brought me great comfort.

Even if it was an unattainable dream, having a desire in one's heart made all the difference.

A reason to live.

The dream was definitely what kept me going through the agonizing life-prolonging treatments.

And yet... the current me had achieved that dream.

Much faster than I had expected.

I had the talent, and luck was on my side.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I walked a smooth path.

Once I achieved that dream, I began to dream of another.

'Now, I want to win the championship.'

They say human greed knows no bounds, and I was the perfect example.

I want to move freely in that game too. I want to become a pro gamer and go crazy for victory. Since I became a pro gamer, I want to win.

The dream that grew bit by bit had finally brought me here.

I, who couldn't even stand up on my own, was now on a winning streak in the playoffs.

Lately, whenever I spaced out, I would find myself imagining the moment of victory.

But... honestly, I had the right to dream, didn't I?

Experiencing a bad ending once in life was more than enough.

I was confident that my desperation was second to none.

Eighteen hours before the start of Round 3 of the playoffs, my body and mind were more fired up than ever.