A set career path
I think I lived a pretty good life.
Well, it's not like I lived that well, but… from the time I entered elementary school, I was good at both studying and sports.
Because of that, I always had plenty of friends around me, and that didn't change in middle or high school.
Once my grades started going up, I clenched my teeth and studied even harder, and I hit the jackpot on the college entrance exam, getting into one of the top universities in Seoul as an engineering major.
The university was harder than I thought because of the tough assignments and classes, but I still think I enjoyed it in my own way.
Going to MTs, hanging out with classmates, pulling all-nighters with friends to finish projects… I'd bet that alone puts me in the top 1%.
But then, why?
I looked into the mirror.
Long black hair, dark eyes, a small face with cherry-like lips.
My height was about 10cm shorter than before. Strangely enough, the clothes I was wearing fit this body perfectly.
"Ah."
A sweet—no, an unbelievably sweet—voice flowed out of my mouth.
"Oh."
A voice so good I blurted out an exclamation without meaning to.
"Mmm…"
I crossed my arms and made noises on purpose, just to keep hearing it.
"Is this a dream?"
I went to sleep and woke up as a woman.
A very beautiful one, with a lovely voice at that.
Embarrassing as it is, I once got into lucid dreaming.
As a foolish adolescent, I tried to use it to play out my shady fantasies inside my dreams.
Thanks to that, I knew a few ways to check if I was dreaming or not, and I tried every method I knew. But the more I tried, the clearer the conclusion: this was reality.
"This is insane, what the hell?"
The weirdest thing was that while this room was definitely mine, it also felt strangely different.
The closet was filled with women's clothes, not men's. Even the underwear I had on was female.
It was so ridiculous that I wondered if someone was messing with my brain. I immediately unlocked my phone and checked a few things.
"Ha… shit, this is real?"
All of my bro friends were gone, replaced by messages from girls I'd never met but who didn't feel completely unfamiliar either.
Worse, the group chat that should've been [S University, Class of '22, Computer Science] was now [G University, Class of '22, Design].
"Argh! Fuck!"
The curse slipped out the moment I saw it.
The computer science department at S University I had bled for during senior year of high school—gone, just like that?
No way, this had to be a dream.
My KakaoTalk profile, which had been a picture of me with friends, was now some girl in a black cap and pajama pants holding a can of beer in front of a convenience store.
…And damn, she looked gorgeous.
Kind of a cold, tough "bad girl" vibe.
When I realized that was my face, the fury boiling inside me cooled down.
Then it hit me.
"Ugh…"
A splitting headache, followed by a flood of unfamiliar memories pouring into my head.
"A—ahhh!"
The pain was so intense I staggered to my bed and collapsed. By the time I opened my eyes again, I was left with an ocean of new memories.
"Fuck, was I a guy? Or a girl?"
Utterly confused.
I don't know which is the original, but I was a man.
Now, I'm a woman.
It's impossible to dismiss either set of memories as delusion—they're both vivid. No, the male memories feel more vivid. But since my body is female, I guess that balances things out.
The name was the same: Kim Soo-hyun.
Elementary, middle, high school—all the same schools as before.
The difference was the path.
This world's female Kim Soo-hyun was what you'd call… an otaku. A hardcore nerd.
Her looks suggested she might've smoked or had a tattoo, but her school life was actually pretty normal. More precisely, she was a kind of social butterfly who mingled with both the average girls and the otaku crowd.
Girls usually like the "tough older sister" type, don't they? As much as I hate to say it, to the guys she was an untouchable existence—someone you'd never even think of confessing to. But to the girls, she wasn't a rival, just a pretty girl they wanted to befriend.
So, no dating experience. I guess that's a relief.
If she had dated a guy, my male self would probably be puking.
…Does that mean I can never date anyone for the rest of my life?
Anyway, aside from becoming female, I had two big problems.
First: design.
Sure, the memories were there, but I was never close to that world. It was like mixing black paint with white paint—you end up with gray, not the original. I tried sketching once, but compared to the female Soo-hyun's ability, it was terrible.
I could probably improve with practice, but I had no passion for design. I didn't want to do it.
Second: my circle of friends.
Thankfully, my parents were the same, but my friends were completely different.
The guys I knew were gone, replaced by girls I only vaguely remembered from school—people I might've only known by name—yet now they were my closest friends.
[Hye-jung: What are you doing!]
See, like this—she just texted me.
Hye-jung… in my male memories, she was just some girl in class.
But in the female Soo-hyun's memories, she was a fun, loyal, genuinely good friend.
I postponed replying and searched for a cigarette to clear my chaotic head.
"…What the hell."
Nothing in my coat, nothing on my desk. Then I remembered—the female Soo-hyun didn't smoke.
Male Soo-hyun had picked it up as a freshman, but female Soo-hyun never did.
"Sorry, but this is my body now. Doesn't matter, right?"
Well, I'd just have to go buy some.
People say addiction is a matter of the brain? Nope. It's the heart.
I threw on a coat, pulled down a black cap, and stepped outside.
Luckily, my apartment was in the same place, so the neighborhood was familiar. Though shorter now—about 170 cm—I walked with a fresh perspective until I spotted the convenience store.
'Wait, isn't this a cliché?'
The female Soo-hyun's memories stirred—something about a story where the protagonist becomes a woman and goes to a convenience store, shocking the clerk with her looks.
…Why the hell had she read stuff like that?
TS novels? The kind where men turn into women? Even that was in her memory.
'She was worse than I thought.'
She was into everything—anime, manga, Japanese Vtubers. Hardcore nerd.
Even her path to design came from watching anime and drawing fanart in middle school.
Like some dark, alternate evolution of me.
If I compare our lives objectively, I'd vote for the male Soo-hyun's life…
But honestly, the female Soo-hyun probably had more fun.
After all, with looks like this, how could life not be fun?
Lost in thought, I reached the convenience store. I half-expected the clerk to react dramatically.
In my memories, the clerk was just some ordinary guy.
'Oh…'
"Welcome!"
Contrary to my expectations, it was a girl.
A young, beautiful clerk.
"Uh, hi. One pack of Mild Seven, please."
She was a little shorter than me, with a soft, puppy-like beauty, the opposite of female Soo-hyun's sharp, cat-like vibe.
"Sure~ Can I see your ID?"
"Here you go. Oh, and a lighter too."
Her bright smile was stunning. If I were still male Soo-hyun, my heart would've been racing, maybe even thinking about her long after leaving.
But now? I was a woman.
I took my things, thanked her, and walked out.
"Phew—cough! Hrk!"
I lit the cigarette right away, but my body reacted like it was the first time. My throat seized, eyes watered.
"Gah! Cough cough! Damn…"
The taste collapsed instantly. I tossed the butt and shoved the pack roughly into my pocket.
"Shit… cough damn…"
'Guess I'll have to smoke slower.'
Or maybe just quit. Grumbling, I went back home.
The moment I stepped inside, the warm air greeted me.
[Hye-jung]
Just as I flopped onto the bed, my phone buzzed.
"…."
Lee Hye-jung.
One of female Soo-hyun's closest friends—a glamorous dance major at the same university, a total social butterfly.
I searched her memories quickly, making sure I knew how to act before answering.
"Hello?"
[Soo-hyun~]
Her high-energy voice blasted through the phone, but it didn't feel unnatural.
"What's up?"
[Geez, do I need a reason to call?]
"…Not really."
Male Soo-hyun's logic said yes, but female Soo-hyun's memories said no.
[Anyway, why didn't you check your KakaoTalk yesterday?]
Yesterday?
I looked at the date and realized the numbers were off. Time must've passed differently after I fainted.
"Ah, I was tired. Think I slept all day."
Apparently I'd been out for a while. My stomach growled as the realization hit.
[Slept all day?? What were you even doing yesterday?]
"Yesterday? Uh… couldn't sleep, so I stayed up late doing stuff."
[Watching anime and reading novels again, huh? Seriously, you find that fun?]
…The female Soo-hyun's life was cursed enough already.
Honestly, it was a wonder she had any friends left, being such a homebody.
[Did you eat yet?]
"No, not yet."
[Then let's eat together. Want to come out?]
"Sure. What are we eating?"
I only said it to get closer to her, but she gasped in surprise.
[What? Really? No take-backs!]
"Uh, yeah. Where?"
No wonder she reacted that way. Female Soo-hyun hardly ever went out to eat, always finding excuses.
[I'm at home. I'll get ready. Meet me in 30 minutes!]
So she lived nearby. We could've hung out more often.
Anyway, I had 30 minutes. What should I do?
I opened her phone and skimmed her habits.
Anime, novels…
Interestingly, she didn't stick to just male-oriented or female-oriented stuff. She consumed everything.
She also browsed communities, though mostly as a lurker, and used social media too. Not Instagram so much, but Twitter—"the blue bird."
She really had tried everything out of boredom.
'…Then why not just go outside?'
She had no trauma about it. In fact, when she did go out, she had fun. She was just a natural-born homebody.
Not that I couldn't relate.
'I read plenty of manga too.'
In middle school I devoured manga at the bookshop with a senior. Even as an adult I sometimes went to manga cafés.
The male me liked old black-and-white manga from the 90s and 2000s. The female me preferred the latest anime. Same age, different generations.
'Though we're the same age.'
Anyway, I scrolled through her Twitter.
Most posts were her art, and she was objectively good. Tons of likes, comments, retweets.
She clearly enjoyed the attention.
Then I saw something else…
"…Huh."
A flame war with some Sailor Moon profile user.
"Isn't this just objectifying women who are too young?"
ㄴ Your mom, lol.
ㄴ Did you grow up without manners or what; why the mom jokes?
ㄴ Your mom, lol.
ㄴ Sigh, this is why men get so much hate.
ㄴ I'm a woman though? Just like your mom, haha.
ㄴ stfu.
…Was this really a debate? More like a string of mom insults.
It seemed like female Soo-hyun took a lot of pride in her art. Normally she only posted drawings, and the only time she ever wrote anything was when she dropped mom jokes at people who insulted her work.
So much so that…
[The artist who throws mom jokes whenever someone insults her drawings.jpg]
This meme had spread around Twitter. Female Soo-hyun had even saved a screenshot of it proudly.
I was still mulling over this bizarre version of myself when I realized it was nearly time for the meet-up. I quickly did some light makeup and headed out.
…At least, that's what I intended, but female Soo-hyun's memories tugged at my steps.
I ended up in a simple gray hoodie and black slacks. After walking a little, I spotted Hye-jung approaching from afar.
She wore just a plain white t-shirt and jeans with a beige cardigan, waving wildly when she saw me.
"Soo-hyun!"
If I'd heard that nickname as a guy, my fist would've flown first. But now? It didn't feel weird at all.
"Hey, Hye-jung."
I waved back casually. Her face immediately crumpled.
Oops, too stiff? Different genders, different dynamics.
"You're doing it again, huh? Talking like some internet nerd."
Ah, so female Soo-hyun was more laid-back than I thought.
Digging through her memories, she liked staying home, but it wasn't because she was shy. More like—bold, blunt, Coca-Cola energy.
And on top of that, a stunning beauty who knew how to style herself, with a great voice.
No wonder she kept her friends even without going out often.
As we walked side by side, I caught my reflection in a shop window.
Just a hoodie and slacks, yet I looked like a celeb caught in an airport photo shoot.
So the stats and personality didn't match, huh?
If she'd actually liked going out, she probably would've been the ultimate socialite by now.
"So, what should we eat?"
"How about that one?"
When she asked, I absentmindedly pointed toward my old haunt from my guy days—a place that sold sundae gukbap.
The moment I did, I froze. But Hye-jung nodded.
"Sure, it's been a while since I had gukbap. Sounds good."
Thankfully, she liked it too.
Ding~
We stepped inside to the familiar sound of the bell. The place was clean, with wooden interiors.
"Welcome! How many?"
"Two, please."
We sat down, and I ordered what I always used to.
"One special sundae gukbap, please."
"Alright~"
"You think you can finish that?"
Her remark made me frown for a second before it clicked. Of course. I wasn't a big, sturdy guy anymore. Now I was a slender woman—obviously my portions would shrink.
"I'm just hungry."
I'd skipped nearly a whole day's worth of meals. I could manage.
"I'll just get the regular, then."
We ordered, and while we waited, Hye-jung started chatting. Since I couldn't talk about my guy life, and female Soo-hyun was a homebody with not much to share, I just listened.
"And then, guess what Yoon-jae said? He actually…"
Yoon-jae—her boyfriend. They'd been dating since high school cram school, about five years now. She rambled about school events, assignments, team projects ruined by trolls, nightmare customers at her part-time job… and I found myself entertained listening.
Buzz~ Buzz~
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number flashed. I hesitated, then picked up. A young man's voice came through.
[Is this Kim Soo-hyun's phone?]
"Who's this?"
[Oh, I'm Kim Chae-hoon, the class rep. Why didn't you come today?]
Kim Chae-hoon? Since G University wasn't where male Soo-hyun went, I had to dig into female Soo-hyun's memories.
And… yeah. Blond, loud, kind of annoying. That's how she remembered him.
"Ah, I was too tired to go."
[Tired? From what? What'd you do yesterday?]
I wanted to brush him off and worry about school later, but this guy was persistent.
Were we really this close? From the memories, not at all. He'd even asked if this was really Soo-hyun's number—like this was the first time he'd called.
"Who's that?"
Hye-jung, watching me closely, asked.
"The class rep."
"From your department?"
"Yeah."
I hung up, and Hye-jung's eyes widened like I'd just committed a crime.
"What?"
"Just surprised. Didn't expect you to be talking to a guy. But you just… hung up like that?"
"Oh, I'm planning to drop out anyway."
"What??"
That thought had hit me the second I saw "design."
The school wasn't as good as my old one, the major didn't suit me, and I had zero interest.
Strangely enough, I felt a strong certainty—I'd be living in this body permanently.
If that was true, then I had to reset my life plan, and fast.
I was only twenty-one. No military service to worry about. Honestly, it felt like I could do anything.
"So what are you going to do instead?"
"Dunno… maybe retake the college entrance exam?"
"You?? But you hated studying."
…True. Just thinking about studying for that exam again made me want to puke.
"Yeah, you're right. That'd be hell."
"Exactly. So why drop out of a perfectly fine school?"
"…Hmm."
"And what about your streaming? Weren't you doing that?"
"…What?"
Streaming?
I tilted my head—first I'd heard of it. But then the memories surfaced.
One night, she'd been watching Vtubers as usual, saw the donation money rolling in, and thought: I could do that.
She wasn't shy, just a homebody. With a bit of drive, she'd already bought a mic, a facial capture camera, even an avatar model…
Wait. Bought?
I quickly opened Coupang. Sure enough—"In Transit. Scheduled for delivery this evening."
So much for being up to date on recent memories.
"What are you talking about? You even applied for an audition. Said you'd go pro."
"I did??"
"What, were you drunk when you applied or something?"
"Oh… right, yeah. I guess I did apply…"
…Where the hell was this headed? My head throbbed from the absurdity, but then—an idea struck.
Because truthfully, female Soo-hyun's voice was good. So good even I kept being impressed whenever I spoke.
And me? I'd been a guy. I knew the mindset of the nerds who lived for this kind of thing.
In other words, I was perfectly positioned to milk the otaku crowd.
My hands shook as I set my spoon down.
Come to think of it, in all those gender-bender stories female Soo-hyun read, the protagonist always ended up streaming.
"…Hye-jung."
"What now? Why that look?"
"I think I've just decided on a career."
"What?? What is it?"
"An idol."
Not a 3D idol.
A 2D one.