I carefully closed the door behind me.
Normally, slamming it on my way out would have suited my anger much better, but the first quest the system had given me was still active.
I wasn’t allowed to break anything for twenty-four hours.
And technically, a door counted as something.
When the elevator doors opened, I stepped inside while ignoring the large mirror in front of me. I kept my eyes fixed on the buttons.
I didn’t want to face my reflection again right now.
Once I reached the ground floor, I left the building.
Despite it being evening, the air was warmer than I’d expected.
The clock in the corner of my phone screen read 8:17 p.m.
Since I hadn’t opened the curtains and looked outside when I woke up, I’d assumed it was morning. It turned out that annoying alarm had been set for the evening.
I had no idea why anyone would set an alarm for eight at night.
After searching through Noctis’s memories, I found the answer.
His livestream.
"Of course."
I shook my head.
I was already beginning to sweat inside the black tracksuit. The long hair sticking to the back of my neck made the heat even more unbearable.
But honestly, I didn’t care much.
When I raised my head, the sky looked peaceful, as though it were mocking everything I’d been through today.
The moon hung brightly overhead. The stars around it were clear enough to see despite the city lights.
An evening walk was more relaxing than I’d expected.
The streets were almost completely empty. Every now and then, I heard a car passing in the distance before the neighborhood sank back into silence.
The leaves of the trees lining the sidewalks rustled in the light breeze. Most of the shops along the road had closed, but the lights inside a few cafés and convenience stores were still on.
I walked with my head and shoulders hunched forward, my injured hand tucked into the pocket of my tracksuit. I held the phone in my other hand.
At first, I’d thought Noctis’s memories would be enough to guide me to the pharmacy. But when even my own memories felt foreign right now, I didn’t want to rely on someone else’s.
So I’d opened the GPS on the phone.
Just in case, I followed the blue line on the screen step by step.
[Your destination is 350 meters away.]
"At least this world has GPS."
I lowered the phone slightly and looked around.
The buildings, the cars, the streetlights...
Everything looked similar enough to my old world. If I hadn’t known about the powers called Nexus, I might not even have realized I was in another world.
That thought made me feel a little better.
At least I hadn’t been reincarnated into the Stone Age.
Nor had I woken up in the middle of an enchanted forest, only to be eaten by a giant monster within the first five minutes.
I was merely trapped inside the body of a femboy VTuber.
My headache intensified again.
"Just..."
I took a deep breath.
"Tell yourself this is better."
The moment I heard my own voice, my face twisted.
"No. Don’t think about that either."
I continued walking.
My right foot still ached slightly from kicking the nightstand. On top of that, the white strip of cloth wrapped around my hand was slowly turning red.
To anyone watching, I probably looked like someone who had gotten into a fight and lost.
Then again, with this face, I probably looked more like a girl who had been bullied at school and was walking home in tears.
"Damn it."
When I turned the final corner marked by the GPS, I saw a green sign.
I had finally reached the pharmacy.
As I approached the entrance, the sensor detected me and the glass doors slid open.
The moment I stepped inside, the cool air hitting my face made my entire body relax.
"Oh..."
The air conditioner was running.
After the heat outside, this place felt like heaven. I stood by the entrance for a few seconds, enjoying the cool air.
The pharmacy was small but tidy. Boxes of medicine, vitamins, and personal-care products lined the white shelves along the walls. A young woman in a white coat stood behind the glass counter in the middle.
Her short black hair ended just above her chin.
She hadn’t taken her eyes off me since I entered.
Her stare made me uncomfortable.
She definitely thought I was a girl.
Damn it.
Frowning, I walked toward the counter. I tried to make my steps heavier so I would look tougher, but the ache in my foot ruined the effect.
I stopped in front of her.
"Hey, lady. Give me something for a headache. And..."
I raised my cloth-wrapped hand and showed it to her.
"Something to wrap this with. I also need some Band-Aids and antiseptic."
The woman looked at my face first, then at my hand.
The corner of her mouth curved upward slightly.
Then she giggled.
"I’ll get them right away."
She turned around and began searching through the shelves.
I was about to ask what she found so funny, but she spoke before I could.
"Rough day?"
"Yea."
I answered without hesitation.
"A really rough one."
The woman took a small box from the shelf.
"It shows."
"I got reincarnated into a femboy’s body."
Her shoulders shook.
At first, she seemed to be trying not to laugh. Then she failed and burst out laughing.
"Okay," she said between laughs. "That really does sound like a rough day."
She thought I was joking.
There was no way she would believe me if I tried to explain the truth. Besides, I had no idea what kind of trouble talking about the system and reincarnation might cause me in this world.
So I didn’t correct her.
The woman placed the items I’d requested onto the counter one by one. As she handed me the final box, she tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear.
"Did you break up with your boyfriend or something?"
My eye twitched.
What the hell does that have to do with anything, lady?!
I wanted to shout it in her face.
"I’m a guy," I said through clenched teeth.
The woman paused.
Her gaze moved from my face to my body, then back to my face.
For some reason, I felt the need to explain myself further.
"And I’m attracted to women."
One of her eyebrows rose.
"Is that so?"
"Yes! Sexy women with big breasts and long legs!"
Silence fell over the pharmacy.
I could hear the faint hum of the small refrigerator beside the counter.
The woman pressed her lips together, struggling not to laugh again.
Meanwhile, I had just realized that I’d gotten a little carried away.
I brought my fist to my mouth and coughed.
"uhmm."
I looked away.
"Anyway... How much for all this?"
The woman checked the register.
"That’ll be 16.97."
I took out my wallet and examined the money inside for a moment. Thankfully, Noctis’s memories helped me understand how much each bill was worth.
I handed her the money.
She accepted the payment, gave me my change, and placed the items inside a small white bag.
"Hope you feel better."
"Thanks."
I took the bag with my uninjured hand.
I wanted to leave without dragging the conversation out any longer. I had taken a few steps toward the exit when the woman’s voice came from behind me again.
"Wait."
I stopped.
Slowly, I turned toward her.
"What?"
She pointed at my cloth-wrapped hand.
"Would you like me to help?"
I stared at her, unsure what she meant.
She continued.
"You’ll have trouble wrapping your hand on your own. Besides, that cloth isn’t sterile." She tilted her head slightly. "I can already tell this is going to end badly if you leave it like that."
I looked at my hand, then at the woman.
The bloodstains on the cloth were steadily growing. I would also have to untie the knot using nothing but my teeth.
She was probably right.
I scratched my cheek.
"Fine... If you’re going to insist, you can help."
The woman giggled again.
"I’m the one insisting?"
"Do it before I change my mind."
"Okay, okay."
She came out from behind the glass counter and walked toward me.
Once she was standing, I realized she was slightly taller than I’d thought. As she pulled a packet of disposable gloves from the pocket of her white coat, she pointed toward an empty chair beside the counter.
"Sit over there."
I walked toward the green chair.
After placing the bag on the small table beside it, I sat down.
At that exact moment, a familiar bluish light flickered before my eyes.
"No..."
A translucent window appeared in the middle of my vision.
[Side Quest Issued.]
[Playboy Femboy]
[Objective: Earn a kiss from the woman in front of you.]
[Reward: 3 Eclipsie Points]
[Failure Penalty: Shout "I’m gay!" in the middle of the street.]
[Time Limit: 15:00]
[14:59]
"..."
I couldn’t say a single word.
The system really was screwing with me.
If it had possessed a physical form, I would have thrown myself at it and torn it apart with my bare hands.
But the truth was cruel.
The system didn’t have a body.
Besides, if I broke anything, I would fail the other quest too.
[14:57]
"Damn it..."
I raised my head.
The woman had put on her gloves and was approaching me, completely unaware of what was happening.
She knelt in front of me and reached for my injured hand.
Then she looked up at my face and smiled.