A long-standing tradition permeated the D-Battle Pro gallery whenever a tournament was underway.
This tradition involved real-time commentary, offering reactions far swifter and rawer than any television broadcast could provide.
Today, as the grand finals of the D-Battle Pro World Championship — the most significant event in the circuit — commenced, the gallery was ablaze with unprecedented fervor.
[Title: D-Battle Pro World Championship Finals: Kaiser vs. Ryosuke]
[Author: Anonymous]
[Content]
If Ryosuke triumphs, I’m giving away hamburgers.
[Comments]
-Count me in.
-Ryosuke winning? Unlikely. Kaiser will just dominate him.
-Ryosuke’s form is absolutely on fire right now.
-But honestly, if Unnamed had competed, would she have been able to beat Kaiser?
-No way. She might have defeated MadHorse, who crashed out in the qualifiers, but Kaiser? They’re on completely different levels, lol.
-Hahahahaha, Set 1 begins!
[Title: Woah, Ryosuke’s form is absolutely wild!]
[Author: Anonymous]
[Content]
He actually took the first set against Kaiser! This year’s outcome is truly unpredictable.
[Comments]
-Aha! He clearly studied Kaiser’s weaknesses thoroughly.
-Now *that’s* the kind of performance that puts you in Unnamed’s league, wouldn’t you agree?
-This guy is suspiciously obsessed with Unnamed; he’s practically her superfan.
[Title: It truly strikes me again how incredible it was that Unnamed defeated MadHorse]
[Author: Anonymous]
[Content]
Just look at Ryosuke struggling so intensely against Kaiser right now.
That’s the formidable barrier separating the top-tier pros from the rest.
And yet, MadHorse, a professional who goes toe-to-toe with Kaiser, was perfectly defeated by a complete rookie who hadn’t even made their debut?
Wouldn’t that truly be an event for the history books?
[Comments]
-MadHorse’s broadcast that day was genuinely legendary…
-Stop overpraising Unnamed.
MadHorse wasn’t even playing his main character, and he’d barely had any practice with Tsubaki.
-But she lost, didn’t she? She crashed out in the qualifiers, right?
-Shut up, you idiot.
-MadHorse fanboy crying, lollll.
[Title: Kanghyuk, our bro, will have to prove himself next year, for sure.]
[Author: GrappleLover]
[Content]
His body ache and cold couldn’t be helped.
After all, even the player who defeated MadHorse in the qualifiers was immediately eliminated in the Round of 64.
[Comments]
-A cool-headed assessment, as always, from our bro GrappleLover.
-GrappleLover used to be disliked, but became popular after Unnamed’s Round 1 victory.
[Title: (Real-time) Kaiser is insane!!!!!!!!!]
[Author: Anonymous]
[Content]
In the final round, with only 5% health remaining, he guarded through Ryosuke’s full-health combo and then countered for the win! Unbelievable!
He’s simply a god.
[Comments]
-Wow…
-I genuinely held my breath the entire time.
-That final mind game was truly a work of art.
-Is that… the Emperor’s true caliber?
[Title: D-Battle Pro World Championship Winner Kaiser!! (2nd consecutive win)]
[Author: ZenBungie]
[Content]
[Attached Image: Photo of Kaiser raising the championship trophy]
Ultimately, an Emperor remains an Emperor.
[Comments]
-KAISER! KAISER! KAISER!
-He’s incredibly awesome…
-Kanghyuk should have been standing in that spot ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-Ryosuke truly fought valiantly as well…
-Will Unnamed be in that spot next year?
-Counting your chickens before they hatch (TL Note: A Korean idiom, ‘kimchitguk masida,’ meaning to anticipate success or celebrate prematurely).
-Let’s keep this momentum going!
[Title: My personal conjecture: Kaiser’s current state of mind.]
[Author: GrappleLover]
[Content]
[Attached Image: Close-up of Kaiser’s face with a subtle expression on the podium]
His expression is clearly sour.
Internally, he’s undoubtedly thinking, ‘Ah… this would have been so much more exciting if Kanghyuk were here… Ryosuke just isn’t cutting it.’
It’s painfully obvious.
He won, but he’s experiencing Sage Time (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘hyeonja taim,’ referring to a moment of post-clarity or disillusionment after an intense experience), lacking a true rival.
[Comments]
-Hahaha, this guy practically lives in the gallery.
-He did genuinely seem a bit bored, though.
-What do *you* know?
-(Author) As an Asura user, I can read people’s expressions like an open book.
-What does that even have to do with anything?
-The analytical prowess of an Asura player, as expected, lol.
[Title: Frankly, without Kanghyuk, this World Championship is utterly dull.]
[Author: MadHorse Fan]
[Content]
Kaiser, Ryosuke, whoever — it doesn’t matter.
Without our bro Kanghyuk, it’s just so bland I can’t even watch it.
Last year, he truly lived up to his name (TL Note: ‘nikgap,’ meaning to live up to one’s nickname or reputation), his trash talk expertly needling his opponents, which was incredibly entertaining to witness.
And watching him wipe away tears after losing in the finals was, admittedly, a bit… stimulating, too.
Anyway, I miss MadHorse.
Come back, Kanghyuk.
[Comments]
-? I was reading fine, but what was that last part? ‘Stimulating’? Bro…
-Typical MadHorse fan.
-Last year’s finals was truly the GOAT.
-Conclusion: This year’s World Championship was an all-time ‘water rocket’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘mulroket,’ referring to something weak or easily defeated) and ’empty house’ (TL Note: ‘binjip,’ implying an easy victory due to the absence of strong competitors) event.
-That’s not it, lol.
[Title: What was Kaiser’s victory speech, lollll?]
[Author: Anonymous]
[Content]
When the interviewer asked, ‘Are you confident you can defend your champion title next year?’
Kaiser simply chuckled and replied, ‘I don’t know.
I’ve already encountered someone stronger than myself.’ Hahahaha.
[Comments]
-??
-Just lip service, obviously.
-Who is he talking about? Ryosuke?
-No, he just defeated Ryosuke.
So who, then?
-It has to be Kanghyuk.
Honestly, the rivalry between those two is incredibly compelling.
The tournament organizers must be utterly disappointed too, I bet.
-For real.
I was so looking forward to a rematch of last year’s finals this time.
****
A soft, chirping hum—
Sunlight streamed through the narrow gap of her semi-basement window, causing Lee Jihyeon to slowly, groggily open her eyes, her face still creased with sleep.
Having stayed up late playing games the previous night, she had clearly risen later than her usual hour.
“…Mmm.”
Lee Jihyeon wriggled beneath her duvet for a considerable time before slowly pushing herself upright.
Outside her window, the day was already bright.
‘Today was Sunday, wasn’t it?’
The cafe where she worked was always closed on Sundays, its regular day off.
It was the one day she didn’t need an alarm, nor any reason to hurry out the door.
Perched on the edge of her bed, Lee Jihyeon gazed idly out the window, her mind wandering.
-Ding!
When Lee Jihyeon picked up her phone from the bedside table, a familiar name glowed on the screen.
[Han Juyeon: It’s your day off today, what are you doing?]
[Han Juyeon: Let’s hang out!!]
[Han Juyeon: How about we eat something delicious and go shopping?]
The messages, brimming with exclamation points, were enough to make her head spin just by reading them.
Lee Jihyeon found herself chuckling involuntarily.
‘A kind and energetic person.’
Lee Jihyeon pictured Han Juyeon in her mind.
Although Juyeon had treated her rudely, condescending to her like a child during their initial encounter, as they worked together and conversed more, Lee Jihyeon gradually came to understand the true nature of the woman.
She was playful and boisterous, yet utterly transparent, without a single shadow of malice.
Her unblemished demeanor and unreserved displays of affection were striking.
It was palpable, even without a single word, that Juyeon had grown up showered with abundant love.
She existed in a world diametrically opposed to the one Lee Jihyeon had known in her previous life.
While initially, this had made Lee Jihyeon feel awkward and uncomfortable, she no longer disliked these facets of Juyeon’s personality.
In fact, she found herself feeling a touch of envy.
[Yes, that sounds good.]
****
[Department Store 1st Floor, Cosmetics Section]
“Wow, this is a new product! Isn’t the color absolutely beautiful?”
Han Juyeon exclaimed, her gaze fixed on a shimmering lipstick.
Lee Jihyeon harbored no interest in cosmetics herself, yet observing Juyeon’s animated excitement as she browsed various items was not unpleasant.
It was at that moment.
A sales associate from the very counter they were perusing approached them, her brow furrowed as she looked at Lee Jihyeon.
“Student, if you’ve brought your younger sibling, you really ought to keep a firm hold of their hand.
There are many products here that could be dangerous if children were to touch them.”
The associate, mistakenly assuming Juyeon was an older student and Lee Jihyeon her young sister, spoke in a chiding tone.
At her words, Juyeon’s cheerful expression instantly solidified.
“Excuse me.”
Juyeon’s voice, now devoid of the vivacity she’d shown moments before, was chillingly cold.
“Firstly, this is my friend, not my younger sibling.
Secondly, my friend is a twenty-year-old adult, not a child.
And lastly, were you taught to arbitrarily judge customers by their appearance and behave so rudely?”
Under her icy glare, the associate faltered, looking utterly flustered.
Juyeon took Lee Jihyeon’s wrist and led her directly out of the store.
Only after they had found a quieter spot did Juyeon turn to Lee Jihyeon, her face etched with concern.
“Jihyeon, are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Lee Jihyeon, surprisingly, remained composed.
“Well, Juyeon, you treated me the same way when we first met, didn’t you?”
It was an innocent, yet pointed, statement of fact.
At her words, Juyeon’s face flushed a deep, ripe tomato red.
“Ugh, I’m so sorry!”
She squeezed Lee Jihyeon’s hand tightly, her apology sincere.
“Seeing it from an outsider’s perspective… I finally understand how rude and unpleasant that behavior was.
I’m truly sorry, Jihyeon.
I was thoughtless.”
It was an apology brimming with genuine remorse.
Lee Jihyeon simply gazed at Juyeon in silence.
Not once in her previous life had anyone ever grown so genuinely angry on her behalf.
Her family had always compared her to others, shaming her, while strangers remained indifferent.
Yet now, this person, whom she had known for mere days, was genuinely enraged for her and deeply apologetic.
It was an unfamiliar sensation.
It felt as though warm water was seeping into a corner of her frozen heart, stirring something ticklish and deeply moving within her.
“It’s fine,” Lee Jihyeon said brusquely, attempting to pull her hand free.
However, Juyeon refused to let go.
“No, it’s not fine!
I’m going to buy you lots of pretty clothes and delicious food today!”
With that, Juyeon led Lee Jihyeon by the hand towards a nearby women’s clothing store.
“There probably won’t be any clothes that fit me anyway,” Lee Jihyeon remarked, a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“There’s no way they’d have clothes suitable for someone with my build.”
At her words, Juyeon abruptly stopped and scrutinized Lee Jihyeon from head to toe.
As usual, she was dressed in a drab, oversized hoodie and wide-leg pants.
“Hey,” Juyeon said, a note of exasperation in her tone.
“That’s because you dress so drably!
What’s with the constant hoodies?
Your face and body are completely childlike, but your style of dress is like some old man’s!”
“…Eh.”
Struck by the undeniable truth, Lee Jihyeon found herself speechless.
Juyeon then led Lee Jihyeon directly into the store and, without a moment’s hesitation, picked up a pure white dress.
It was a light, flowing garment with a small ribbon at the waist—the kind of dress Lee Jihyeon would likely never have worn in her entire life.
“Here, this one!
It’ll be perfect for you!
Hurry up and go try it on!”
Juyeon pressed the dress into Lee Jihyeon’s hands and practically pushed her into the changing room.
A moment later, Lee Jihyeon’s flustered voice emerged from inside the changing room.
“Um… Juyeon.
How do you put this on?”
Never having worn a dress before, Lee Jihyeon was utterly bewildered by the zipper and lining.
After several minutes of Lee Jihyeon’s frustrated grunts, Juyeon, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up.
“Ugh, this is frustrating!
Hey, I’m coming in, okay?”
“What? Oh, no, you can’t!”
Despite Lee Jihyeon’s urgent protest, Juyeon nonchalantly pulled back the changing room curtain and slipped inside.
“What’s the big deal, we’re both girls.
Are you embarrassed?”
As Juyeon chuckled, Lee Jihyeon’s face turned a furious red as she exclaimed, “…Of course I’m embarrassed!
I’m the only one in my underwear!”
“Ah, so that’s it?”
Juyeon nodded, as if understanding.
And then, without hesitation, Juyeon swiftly pulled off her own T-shirt.
In an instant, she too was dressed in nothing but her underwear, just like Lee Jihyeon.
At the sight before her, Lee Jihyeon’s mind literally went blank.
Soft curves, dazzlingly white skin, and a voluptuousness that simply couldn’t compare to her own.
Even after living in a woman’s body for several months, this was a *real* woman’s body, something she had never directly encountered in her entire life, even counting her memories from her previous existence.
The air in the cramped changing room seemed to grow hot and heavy.
