Chapter 69: Mother of the double-breasted fish (1)

Part 1

A day that felt like a dream had passed, but the inevitable weekday morning crept in as always. I came to my senses, but just as Hyunji had warned, my arms, thighs, and calves ached horribly.

“Ughhh…” I groaned.

Letting out weird noises, I somehow dragged myself out of bed. Stumbling toward the door, I thought moving my stiff body might ease the pain. Checking the time on my phone reflexively, I scolded myself not to complain and shuffled to the kitchen.

Toast. Just two slices since I wasn’t hungry. Watching Junseok-hyung emerge from his room like a zombie, refusing breakfast as usual, I practically shoved milk and bread into his mouth and sent him to shower. He’ll be fine after that, I thought.

I had work today. It’s a paid job, after all. With the new semester looming, who knows what’ll happen, but I’d committed to this short-term gig, so I’d give it my all. With that in mind, I showered early to avoid clashing with my parents’ morning routine. The hot water loosened my knotted muscles, somewhat.

My parents weren’t thrilled that I’d only eaten bread for breakfast. I was tired, sorry, please let it slide this once. Smiling through my excuses, I barely escaped my mom’s attempt to force-feed me. Sipping coffee I’d prepped, I watched them eat.

Time to head out. Feeling better, I tied my hair up, threw on a cap, and headed to the bus stop. Maybe because I left early, the bus was pleasantly empty.

Youngjin’s parents were as kind as ever. Feeling better? Want something to eat? I politely declined multiple times. Youngjin’s quiet gesture of handing me a canned ion drink was appreciated. Standing in the sun’s warmth felt cozy, and the chilled drink was perfectly refreshing.

“You seem to have had a good day,” an elderly gentleman remarked softly.

“Not really. I just thought living happily might show on my face,” I replied.

Cash, not a card. Handing over change, I offered a short explanation and a smile. No need for complicated reasons. Happiness doesn’t need to be picky.

Bowing slightly to the smiling gentleman, I cleaned the shop during a quiet moment. I’d gotten used to this job—during slow times, I didn’t need help.

An ordinary day. Time passed slowly, uneventfully. Through the transparent glass, soft clouds drifted by. No cumulonimbus today.

“I might be pretty unique,” I mumbled, giggling to myself.

Part 2

Youngjin’s parents closed the shop early due to low stock, so I got off work sooner than expected. Maybe two hours early. They asked me to keep serving customers with a smile, and though I wondered if it made a difference, I nodded.

Home was quiet—neither my parents nor hyung were back yet. Is Sanghyeon still asleep? Deciding to shower first, I hurried to my room. The bakery was cool, but the streets and bus still held the day’s heat, leaving me sticky.

The room was cool, but outside was warm—a subtle spring day. Even without sweating much, I felt grimy. Isn’t early spring supposed to be cold? Grumbling, I grabbed fresh clothes and headed to the bathroom.

Refreshed after changing, I rummaged through the kitchen for a drink. A loud yawn and heavy footsteps announced Sanghyeon’s arrival. Just waking up? I needed to ask about his stream setup. As I mulled this over, his steps halted at the kitchen entrance.

A brief silence. His wide-eyed stare felt heavy, almost uncomfortable.

“…What?” I asked, breaking the quiet.

“No, uh… just. You look…” he mumbled.

His gaze, fixed on me as if he’d seen something shocking, got under my skin. Unable to hold back, I spoke first. He stood there, dazed, before stammering.

“You changed overnight… or something?” he said.

“What? The kitchen?” I asked.

Following his pointing finger, I scanned for changes. Not the sink. Table’s the same.

“No, not the kitchen,” he said.

“Then what?” I pressed.

“You,” he said.

Silence lingered. Me? Confusion swirled briefly. Watching his slow-moving arm, I tilted my head, inspecting myself. Not my face. It’s getting warmer, so my hair’s tied back, but that’s not ‘changed’ enough.

“Hm…” I muttered.

I’d been wearing these striped short-sleeve shirts a lot lately—color’s the only difference. Not that. He can’t see through clothes, so not the underwear I’d started wearing after advice. Shorts… similar, but—

“Oh,” I realized.

“Right?! You never wore those! Yesterday you were normal, and now—bam!” Sanghyeon burst out.

Noticing where my gaze landed, he shouted, startled by his own volume. He clamped his mouth shut, then opened it again hesitantly. Okay, I get why he’d react like that.

“…You bought them for me, so I should wear them,” I said.

“Yeah, but…” he trailed off.

“Dolphin shorts are comfy,” I added.

Hearing his uneasy tone, I reached down, brushing the boundary between the shorts and my skin. Why the side slits? They do feel cooler, though—

“Why are you touching them?!” he exclaimed.

“Huh?” I blinked.

“No!” he shouted.

He’s extra hyped today. Glaring at him with narrowed eyes, he clutched his head, letting out a dramatic groan—a high-level small scream.

“You bought them for me!” I pointed out.

“I know, but!” he protested.

“Then what’s the problem?” I asked, amused.

His agony was almost funny. Is breaking yourself for laughs a streamer’s basic skill?

“…You hated wearing women’s clothes,” he said.

“I’ve been wearing them all along,” I replied.

“Those are way more intense!” he argued.

“I did cosplay. This is nothing,” I said.

“…You’re really okay with it?” he asked.

His point was obvious, but he was circling around it. Cute. His hesitant addition made me smile. Buying me these clothes and then saying this? So innocent.

“The doctor said there’s no chance I’ll go back to being a guy,” I said.

Sanghyeon froze. He knew, but hearing it from me hit differently. Still.

“I mean, it took a roundabout way, but if it’s unavoidable, it’s unavoidable, right?” I said.

“Ugh—” he groaned.

“I’m done thinking, I used to be a guy. I’ll act as I please, not overthink, and aim for happiness,” I declared.

“…Ha,” he sighed.

Still uneasy? His conflicted expression—unsure whether to laugh or not—prompted me to pat his shoulder. I considered his head, but he was taller than expected.

“It’s fine. I’m not losing it—I’m just getting used to it. Yesterday was a big experience boost,” I said.

“Why’d you start with clothes?” he asked.

“They look good. My chest’s a bit empty, but my lower half’s solid. Guy’s perspective, maybe, but it looks nice,” I said.

“Narcissism?” he teased.

“Maybe,” I laughed.

His incredulous chuckle mirrored mine.

I almost suggested showing my look to viewers, but Sanghyeon scolded me, insisting his stream stay true to gaming principles.