After finishing a cozy dinner with my family, I returned to my room.
When the door closed and I was left in my own space, only then did my tension release and I buried myself deep into the backrest.
Squeak—
The chair screamed. I stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
'How did this sh*t happen...'
First of all, I am a rational and objective person. I need to analyze the current situation cool-headedly without being swayed by emotions.
Hypothesis. I am actually a mental patient.
The possibility that I am the 'Crazy Fake Jin-hyuk' who thinks he is 'Seol Jin-hyuk'. In other words, all the memories of the world with a 1:1 gender ratio where I originally lived might be hallucinations created by my brain.
Seol Jin-hyuk of this world was a hikikomori. The excessive attention and pressure experienced as a male in a deformed social structure with a 1:9 gender ratio, and the fear of potential sexual crimes.
Unable to withstand this extreme stress, perhaps his fragile ego collapsed, and as an escape, he created a second personality, a 'confident me from a world where men and women are equal'?
The so-called defense mechanism. Escapism.
From the perspective of modern medicine or science, the most rational explanation would be that I went crazy and became a delusional patient.
But... my conclusion is 'No'.
I am certain my head is fine. No matter how much I rack my brain, it's correct that I crossed over from my original world to this reverse world.
This world is full of mysteries that cannot be explained by science, and I might have just become the unlucky protagonist of one.
There is a clear basis for my certainty that this world is a parallel universe.
That is knowledge.
Of course, knowledge like studying or exercise is out of the question. Even if I suddenly solve calculus problems or bench press 500 (combined weight), they could just gloss over it saying "Actually, our son was secretly studying and lifting weights in his room!".
However, there are concepts in my head that the native of this world, 'Fake Jin-hyuk', could absolutely never know, concepts he couldn't even imagine.
Knowledge that no one in this world knows, existing only in 'that world'.
That is exactly the history of that f*cked up and deformed hatred birthed by my homeland, 21st century South Korea, where the gender ratio was balanced near 1:1.
Gun-mu-sae (Military-parrot), Gun-cance (Military-vacance), Neu-gae-bi (Your dad), Jae-gi-hae (Jump off a bridge), Ja-reung-nae (Male genital smell)...
No matter how much I Googoled and searched communities, such concepts did not exist in this world. Gun-cance in a world where women go to the army? Han-nam (Korean male insect) in a world where men are precious? These are words that cannot be established.
Concepts that could only naturally occur in my proud homeland, that savage world where men and women were anxious to tear each other apart.
F*ck, if a hikikomori stuck in his room in this peaceful(?) female-dominated society created those words on his own without interaction with the outside world?
The title of mental patient is a waste on that bastard. He is just the Evil of Humanity. His creativity is so outstanding it's gross. Such a guy should be recommended immediate suicide before going to a mental hospital.
Therefore, the conclusion is one. It is correct that I came from a parallel world.
I nodded looking at my face reflected in the monitor.
"Right... I'm not crazy."
Knowing such terrible words is, paradoxically, proof that I am a normal person.
Verification is over. I am Seol Jin-hyuk.
Now, verification is done... so what do I do now? Whether I am Seol Jin-hyuk or not, real or fake, I have fallen into this reverse world for now.
Method to return? Don't know. But I can't die here, so I have to live.
I am acting as usual right now. Literally like my usual self.
If this place is really a parallel world, my family will think I suddenly went crazy or changed tremendously. Looking at Mom and Ji-hye's reactions earlier, it's certain.
But does that mean I should act like the original Seol Jin-hyuk of this world? That is impossible.
First, I don't know the details of how that guy lived. If I imitate him, I'll be caught immediately. Second, acting like a loser trembling and hiding in the corner of the room doesn't fit my nature. I might die of stress.
What if, by a very small chance, there is a third party close to the 'me' of this world? Poor acting is perfect for getting caught at once and hearing "Who are you?".
So, rather than walking on eggshells doing verse 1 and verse 2 of that crap, it's better to just go full send (verse 4).
Whether someone thinks it's strange or not, I am just me. I will act as myself. If they think I got a mental illness, what are they going to do? Lock me in a hospital? This precious male?
And come to think of it, I'm the one who's f*cking aggrieved. I was staying still but the world suddenly flipped. I am the victim. The ones feeling dizzy shouldn't be my family, but me even more.
They say humans are animals of adaptation. I am also on the verge of adapting to this changed world, so my family will adapt to me soon enough.
Time is medicine. Or not.
I coolly concluded and grabbed the mouse.
"That aside... let's see how fast the Ranked Queue pops for LEL in this world."
Summoner's Rift in a world where men are precious. I became severely curious about who would ask about 'parents' well-being' here.
One thought led to another and a question arose. But why are games and cultural contents exactly the same?
I should look through some history books later... Searching roughly, the Japanese Occupation existed, World War II existed, nukes went off, and went off again... major history was similar. Although there is a difference that the 'Great Decline' where men started decreasing happened in modern history...
"Ah, f*ck. I don't know."
Head hurts. My immediate future is bleak right now, let's think about history study later during general education classes when I enter university.
I double-clicked the Legacy Era Legend icon with familiar hand movements.
Clack, clack.
I entered my ID and password. Enter.
[Login information cannot be verified.]
"...?"
Did I make a typo? I entered it again.
[Login information cannot be verified.]
"Huh..."
Surely not. With trembling hands, I pressed [Find Account]. Resident registration number verification, mobile phone verification... the procedures were the same.
And the result window that popped up on the monitor.
[There are no registered accounts.]
"..."
Ah... f*ck.
Fake Jin-hyuk son of a b*tch... What did this crazy bastard do with his life while being a shut-in without even playing LEL? Did he just breathe?
Seeing that my Googol account and other social accounts log in just fine, my personal information is identical, but only the game accounts are missing. In other words, Seol Jin-hyuk of this world is a pure water (virgin) who hasn't even stepped foot in the Rift.
"Ha..."
A deep sigh burst out as if to sink the ground.
No account means all the champions, skins, and rune pages I gathered with my blood and sweat are all gone.
For a moment, the nightmare of when levels and skins were all overturned during the Vortex 2.0 update came to mind. The emptiness I felt then... no, this is worse.
You want me to raise this from Level 1 again? Do the tutorial, gather blue essence and buy champions one by one?
"F*ck, I'm not doing it. Ptui."
I simply can't dare to start. LEL is a pass.
I closed the client without lingering attachment. But the instinct of a gamer hasn't died yet.
"Stem... Right, Stem must exist."
Surely even the Stem library wouldn't be completely empty. If he was a shut-in, it's normal to stay up all night playing Civilization, or at least have a few unspeakable adult games installed. That is the refinement of a hikikomori.
I installed the Stem client feeling like grasping at straws. The short time the update bar filled up felt like an eternity.
Please... Please...
[Installation Complete]
I pressed Find ID with trembling hands.
And, naturally, the account itself didn't exist.
"..."
F*ck.
Curses burst out vocally.
"Hey you son of a b*tch...!"
I pointed my finger at the empty air, no, at Fake Jin-hyuk who must have ceased to exist somewhere.
"Just what did you do living in your room? Did you count the number of patterns on the wallpaper? Or did you do photosynthesis?"
Doesn't play LEL, doesn't play Stem. It's not like he exercised, nor did he study.
This bastard is just... a true hikikomori. Did nothing, no productive activity, didn't even play unproductive games, just breathed and went.
"Wow... Truly respectable. In a sense, he's an amazing bastard."
I let out a hollow laugh and turned off the computer power. My face reflected in the black screen looked incredibly aggrieved.
In this world, I have nothing. Level, Tier, Skins, Library. I have to start everything from 0.
"...I'm tired."
Is it already dawn... Including the time my memory was deleted from drinking, is this the 5th day since I came to this world? Or should I call it Day 1 based on when I opened my eyes? I don't know. Let's just count it as the former. That way I feel like the day I go to the army is reduced by at least 5 days. Better to get the beating over with...
As the tension released, sudden fatigue rushed in. I got up from the chair and trudged to the bed like a zombie.
As I threw my body onto the fluffy mattress, the familiar smell of fabric softener hit me. This smell alone was exactly the same as the original world. It was the only comfort.
I closed my eyes. Today passed by like a panorama.
A world where men are precious. A world where I got accepted to a ridiculous prestigious university. And... a world where women go to the army.
'...Wait.'
My eyes that were about to close snapped open.
Women go to the army? Then men?
Why did I naturally think it would be conscription for both genders? In the original world, men went to the army and women didn't. Then conversely, isn't it... common sense that here women go and men don't?
Moreover, the gender ratio is 1:9. Would they drive men, who are natural monument-level resources that need to be protected at the national level, into a battlefield where bullets rain down?
"Surely?"
My heart started pumping insanely. I have to check this. Right now.
I kicked the blanket and sprang out of bed. It didn't even take 1 second to sit back on the computer chair.
My heart is pounding. A primal excitement close to survival instinct, far more intense than checking university acceptance results, wrapped around my entire body.
I placed my trembling fingers on the keyboard.
Clack, clack-clack.
I accessed the familiar community and sh*tposted a question.
[Title: Guys, men really don't go to the army?]
Author: TinkyWinky
Do they really not go?
The 1 minute waiting for comments felt like 1 year. And finally, the moment I checked the comments on the screen and the Military Service Act clauses.
"...Wow."
My mouth wouldn't close.
"I'm really not going."
I covered my mouth with both hands, barely swallowing the cheer that was about to burst out. If I scream now, the whole family will wake up and deliver a back-smash.
But my body reacted. A thrilling sensation, intense enough to twist my internal organs, shot up my spine and pierced right into my brain.
Hnggg—!
I'm not joking, feeling like this right now, I think I could even ejaculate without an erection!
Lost LEL skins? Stem library? Tell them to take it all. Because I have obtained the Absolute Ring called exemption from military duty that cannot be bought even with money!
I raised a toast in my heart toward the monitor, no, toward the women bearing all the duties of national defense in this world.
'Girls! Congratulations on your military duty! Sincerely congratulations!'
Finally, you guys are becoming cool women too. You'll get your act together! Try eating some army food, do some snow removal! Don't worry. This older brother will visit you often. I'll buy you Mon Cher cakes with culture gift certificates at the PX.
Ah, so good. So happy! Oh how happy!
Why?
'Because I'm not going!'
"Kyakakak.. Kyakakakak..! Uheheheheheheheheh...!!"
Laughter like a crazy person rang out filling the room.
Day 5 since I drank myself stupid and broke my head.
The dream of military exemption has come true.
It was dawn.