Chapter 22: Sunlit Surrender

4: These Aren’t My Clothes

“Haa… Why’d it have to rain out of nowhere?”

I toss my soaked clothes into the laundry basket and head to the bathroom. My body’s drenched, so I have to shower again.

Showering itself isn’t a big deal—it’s not like it’s hard. The problem is my wings. After a shower, I have to dry them.

Those wings that are already such a pain to dry—I have to dry them again!

“Ugh, just thinking about it makes me miserable.”

It’s exhausting to even imagine.

But what choice do I have? Grumbling, I start the shower.

…

Whoosh. Warm water pours over me.

Some droplets hit my halo and scatter, while others slide down my hair.

“Haaa…”

Standing under the slightly warmer-than-body-temperature water, my muscles relax, and the day’s fatigue melts away.

Showering is undeniably pleasant. The issue is what comes after—drying my wings.

The fatigue washed away by the shower comes right back when I start drying them. All that effort for nothing.

A zero-sum game. Showering’s basically a plus-minus-zero act for me. Sure, I need to stay clean, but still…

“Sigh.”

Just thinking about drying my wings makes me sigh.

My hair stays clean with minimal care, so why don’t I have some built-in body-cleaning feature? Then I wouldn’t need to shower or dry my wings.

Whine.

After an eternity of drying my wings for the second time, I collapse onto my bed, completely spent.

“Ughhh…”

The soft blanket feels vivid against my bare skin. The cool air brushes my warmed body, lifting my mood slightly.

Being naked feels different from usual.

It’s like I’m a pigeon escaping a cage, soaring into the sky. Free from the constraints of clothes, flying high…

… Stop with the weird thoughts and put on some clothes.

I get up and head to the closet. It’s trembling, ready to burst. Worried it might actually explode, I carefully remove the hanger blocking the handle.

“… The hanger’s bent.”

It wasn’t strong enough for this. Sorry, hanger. I hope you find a better life after recycling.

I toss the warped plastic hanger into the recycling bag.

Taking a deep breath, I count down.

One, two—

I fling open the closet door.

“Whoa!”

Clothes avalanche out, a tsunami of fabric sweeping me off my feet. The room Junseo cleaned this morning is instantly a mess again.

“Ow… My butt…”

Rubbing my sore backside, I rummage through the closet.

It’s chaos, stuffed with women’s clothes, but my usual T-shirts are in one spot, so they’re easy to find.

This is the power of organization. If I’d stuffed them randomly, it’d be impossible. Heh.

Feeling smug, I look where I keep my T-shirts…

“… They’re gone?”

Empty.

…

My eyes slowly shift.

I glance at the laundry basket, piled high with clothes—mostly my T-shirts.

Why does Junseo’s advice to do laundry on time echo in my head?

When was the last time I ran the washing machine? How many T-shirts do I even own?

“….”

Heh.

I’m screwed.

And I’m supposed to go to the PC café.

I’m facing the dilemma of a lifetime.

Surrounded by frilly clothes, I’ve picked out the least flashy, least fluttery one and placed it in front of me. Sitting cross-legged, I agonize.

Do I wear it? Or not?

Am I really going to wear this and face my friends? Maybe I should just say I couldn’t go because I have no clothes.

But that feels like losing. Why should clothes make me cancel on my friends?

My body’s starting to shiver, so I have to wear something. The question is whether I can face my friends in this.

I stare at the simple sky-blue dress in front of me. I imagine myself wearing it.

A silver-haired girl in a blue dress.

…

It’d look good, wouldn’t it?

“No, no, what am I thinking?”

I shake my head to clear the thought.

I’m not some girl who thinks these clothes are pretty… Well, they are pretty, objectively. And they’d suit me. Plus, technically, I am a girl now, right? Or…

My head’s spinning. I’m dizzy.

This is all Jimin’s fault. Trying on those clothes left such a strong impression that my thoughts keep veering weird.

As I waver, holding the dress, my nose itches, and I sneeze.

“Achoo!”

…

Sniffle.

Fine, I’ll wear it.

I’m cold.

“….”

The sky-blue dress harmonizes with my silver hair, giving off a cool, refreshing vibe.

I spin in place, and the hem flares gently before settling.

So pretty.

Hehe.

I mean, I’m a girl now. What’s wrong with wearing girl clothes? Especially when they look this good on me.

The clouds clear, and sunlight streams down, lifting my spirits.

Maybe because it’s post-rain sunlight, it feels twice as bright and radiant. My mood soars in sync.

A sky-blue dress like a clear sky, silver hair like fluffy clouds, and a halo glowing yellow like the blazing sun.

This is the Garam Lee Sky Edition.

Only 49,900 won (Garam sold separately).

I feel like I could fly right now. The sunlight’s cheering me on.

Hehe.

My wings flutter involuntarily, and my halo shines brightly in response.

It’s like I’m floating on clouds, rising endlessly. I can’t stop giggling.

Yup.

So cute.

I spin again, the sky-colored fabric lifting softly. My silver hair sparkles as it rises and falls.

Adorable.

Hehe.

I’m going out like this.

…

Click!*

I open the door and head out. Destination: the usual spot where I meet my friends. I’ll surprise them there.

I walk lightly down the street. The post-rain sunlight is stronger, boosting my mood.

Sunlight after rain is so sweet.

As they say, life’s full of ups and downs—blessings in disguise. Don’t let rain get you down. When the clouds part, the brightest sky awaits.

The stress of drying my wings twice melts away. The warm sunlight recharges me.

People stare. Feels good.

In a blissful, almost drunken haze, I walk on. One step, two steps—maybe two hundred? Who cares.

Hehe.

I feel great. So great. My giggles won’t stop, and I don’t want them to.

A breeze makes the dress flutter lightly. With buoyant steps, I prance down the street.

The sunlight bathes me, and I smile at the sky, feeling like it’s greeting me. I wave back.

The overwhelming joy makes me feel like I’m losing it. Or maybe I already have.

But why snap out of it? It feels too good. Yup.

So good.

The sunlight shines brilliantly. I skip along the pavement, and soon, three friends stand before me.

One chubby guy, one skeleton, one handsome guy.

All three are staring at me, eyes wide.

Why?

“….”

Wait.

…

My reality-warped mind snaps back. My foggy head clears in a flash.

The high fades. Reason returns.

“….”

“This isn’t my dress!!!!”

The price of losing myself to the sunlight is brutal. I scream at my friends in desperation.

It’s not my dress.

Really.

For real.

Seriously!!