Chapter 343

“Honestly, if you think about it, I might have two birthdays, right?”

“Really?”

“March 15th and April 9th. So, next year, make sure to double the gifts!”

“Are you out of your mind? Give me that gift back.”

“Taking back something you gave is cheating!”

Adella hugged the gift box tightly and turned her body away.

With her body becoming younger, I wonder if her mental age has also regressed, or if she was always like this; it just makes me sigh.

She scratched at the wrapping paper with her nails and finally opened the lid of the box.

“Wow, is this real?”

I hesitated to answer for a moment because I wasn’t sure what Adella meant.

“It’s not a knockoff or anything.”

“No, I mean, is it really for me?”

“Yeah, I thought I’d need it soon. Use it as a bag for school.”

What Adella held in her hand was a very simple black messenger bag.

“This must be limited edition, so it’s probably expensive… Wow, older sister, look! It’s so cute!”

Under the light, Adella’s cheeks were practically soaring to the sky as she directed the bag this way and that.

On the place where Adella pointed with her finger, there was a drawing.

A black mouse wearing red pants and yellow shoes was lying on a fluffy cloud, looking down at the Earth.

“Kyaa! Now if I drift to a deserted island, I won’t have to worry. If I draw what Mickey Mouse looks like using this, he’ll come looking for me!”

This was the Prada Disney collaboration edition that was trending among high school students these days.

It had successfully infiltrated the line-up of pride for South Korea, known for breaking the bank.

Adults often looked down on such cultures of luxury, but they also needed to understand the perspective of youth.

Just as parents discriminate against people based on wealth, education, jobs, salaries, and where they live, children create a class system based on makeup, clothes, bags, and IT devices.

Because that’s all they see right now.

This custom isn’t something that happens only in modern times; it’s a very natural aspect of human nature that transcends eras and locations.

In fact, it was even worse in medieval times.

While I might get ostracized in Korea, it was common for a family to ruin a business in medieval high society just for not matching the dress code.

There’s no doubt that’s extremely wrongful behavior.

But still, I hoped that Adella wouldn’t become a victim of such discriminatory looks with the gift I gave her.

“Hehe, thank you. I’ll cherish it well.”

“I’m saying this just in case.”

“Yeah?”

“If I hear that you’re bullying other friends at school, I’ll lock you in a capsule forever.”

“Geh…!”

“If you don’t want to lose the body you worked hard for, act properly. Got it?”

“Yes, yes! I’ll remember!”

Adella saluted with a posture as sharp as a knife.

Okay, well, I guess Adella isn’t that kind of kid, so I’m not too worried.

In fact, she might be much more socially adept than I am.

“Brush your hair and come, Adella. I’ll help you dye it.”

“With my ID, name, birthday gift, and dyeing, today is totally a whirlwind, huh? At this rate, we’re going to have a baby or something!”

“… That joke isn’t even funny.”

“Kyahaha! Don’t be embarrassed. Wait for me, NaeMe, I’m going to wash up!”

Adella shrugged off her white T-shirt.

To be precise, before she threw it off, I used both hands to stop her head from popping out.

“Wait, aren’t we supposed to wash your hair before dyeing?”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know.”

Adella scratched her cheek shyly and put her clothes back on.

* * *

[So please give me some name suggestions. I seriously can’t think of anything.]

[Cheon-Ji-won.]

[Not something too common.]

[Cheon-I-seul.]

[Ambiguous, and doesn’t it sound too weak?]

[Cheon-Jin-Ban?]

[That’s way too intense!]

[Cheon-Yeop, Cheon-Ja-Mun, Cheon-Won-Man, Cheon-Chanhi, Cheon-Bang-Ji-Chuk, Cheon-Ri-Gil-do-Han-Geol-Bun.]

[It feels like I’m getting further away from being human…]

It wasn’t surprising, but NaeMe really had no sense for naming.

‘Come to think of it, her own name… How can a person’s name be NoName? Huh!’

Of course, saying something like that to NaeMe’s face would be courting death, so Adella kept those thoughts to herself.

In the end, she got kicked out of the house as retribution for annoying NaeMe.

[Here, I’ll give you a card, so go to the bakery in front and buy whatever you want for your birthday cake. By the way, I don’t like sweet potato cake, but I like chocolate or strawberry cakes.]

[Why do I have to… it’s my birthday…]

[If I tell you to, you have to.]

The sun was still high in the western sky.

What should have been an emotional first outing had turned into nothing but a chore.

“Phew.”

Adella spread her arms wide and took a deep breath.

Looking at the clear sky without a cloud, it felt refreshing.

People who had come out to enjoy the spring weather, which would last only a few days, were filling the streets.

As she exited the apartment complex, the number of people rapidly increased.

High school students who had just gotten out of school, couples walking happily while poking at tteokbokki with toothpicks, families walking to the supermarket to grocery shop.

Adella stood still among the crowd, taking in the real scenery before her.

Now she would become a part of this scenery too.

Passersby stole glances at Adella with sidelong looks, but they didn’t seem overly interested beyond that.

In the shade, her hair, which was nearly black, shimmered in the sunlight, taking on a subtle orange-brown hue.

Her eyes, complemented by circle lenses, swirled with a brown color.

‘I better go before it gets any later. I don’t want to hear the nagging.’

The bakery was located just to the left on the main road as soon as you exited the apartment complex.

The hologram emerging from the ground showcased the newly released breads.

As the subtle smell of baking bread wafted through the air, Adella’s mouth watered.

Clearing her throat, she entered the store.

“Welcome!”

Adella jolted at the enthusiastic greeting from the female part-timer.

“Ah, yes, thank you…!”

Where did all the confidence she had when she first left the house vanish?

‘Wait, why am I saying welcome? Shouldn’t I say hello instead? They’ll think I look strange!’

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Adella’s expression crumpled.

Pretending to look around at the bread, she steeled herself and walked briskly to the register where the part-timer stood.

“How much is the Happy Birthday Frejya cream cake?”

At that moment, Adella’s vision darkened.

[One tuna baguette sandwich and, um, could I also get a sparkling wine? How much?]

And then, the intense nightmare she had forgotten hit her.

[How much do you say?]

The owner, with a face as expressionless as a wooden mannequin, and customers stiffly spinning around the store.

In a world filled with fakeness, she was trapped in an infinite loop.

That dreadful nightmare lasted every single day until Adella managed to escape virtual reality.

“Haah… haah…”

“Excuse me, customer?”

The bright light returned to her eyes.

‘Ah, so that’s what anemia feels like.’

Slightly startled by the sudden symptoms of anemia, Adella brushed her chest.

“Yes? What did you just say?”

“36,000 won. Would you like it packaged?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Do you have any discounts or membership cards?”

“Huh? I’m trying to pay with this…”

With her brain having short-circuited, Adella brandished the card that NaeMe had given her.

“You have 2,000 points. Would you like to use them?”

“Oh… yes.”

Now she was just nodding her head up and down mechanically, not knowing what was what.

“How many candles do you need?”

“Candles? Um, how many do I need…?”

Adella still didn’t have a proper ID yet.

From what she heard, it seemed she was entering her first year of high school, but she couldn’t be sure of her exact age.

Fearing she would keep the part-timer waiting, Adella made a request.

“Just give me one for now.”

“Sorry?”

“No, no, go ahead and give me enough for under twenty years old.”

“In that case, I’ll give you two big ones and nine small ones.”

After some back and forth, she finally managed to get the birthday cake.

‘Eh? What’s the big deal?’

Everything is tough at first.

“Hmm?”

[Risking my life for salmon – Salmon special sushi (24pcs) 35,000]

Gaining some confidence, Adella found herself irresistibly drawn into a sushi place that wasn’t on her itinerary, swiping NaeMe’s card wildly.

“Boss! Please give me lots and lots of salmon sushi! For takeout!”

* * *

The next dawn, Adella woke up clutching her stomach.

“Ugh, my stomach hurts…”

Adella’s birthday party had been extravagant.

However, perhaps due to overeating, her stomach felt heavy, and her lower abdomen was throbbing sharply.

‘Maybe I should just put up with it and go back to sleep.’

After rolling around in bed with groans for about thirty minutes, the sun was just about to rise.

Finally bursting out of the living room, Adella quietly opened NaeMe’s door and went in.

She approached the sleeping girl and whispered softly in her ear.

“Sister…”

“…”

“Sister.”

“Mmm…”

“I’m really sorry for waking you while you’re sleeping, but do you have any medicine for stomachaches at home? My stomach hurts so much.”

NaeMe shifted her body, still half-asleep, and asked.

Her small mouth opened and yawned.

“Yawn… Where does it hurt?”

“My lower abdomen.”

“Come up and lie down.”

“Okay.”

Adella burrowed into the blanket.

Due to the typical warmth of a young child, the inside of the blanket felt steaming.

NaeMe spread her daffodil-colored aura thinly on her palm and gently rubbed Adella’s stomach.

“How is it? Is it better now?”

“Huff, I feel like I can breathe now. I should’ve asked you sooner.”

Like magic, the pain disappeared.

‘If I ever learn to use aura, I need to make sure to learn this type first.’

Since I can’t keep asking NaeMe for help forever.

“Alright, that’s enough. You can go now.”

“It’s only six in the morning. Can’t I lie here a bit longer? You’re going to shower in a bit anyway.”

“Go ahead…”

“Hehe. Thank you!”

Adella neatly adjusted NaeMe’s bangs and smiled.

At that moment, NaeMe’s eyes suddenly opened wide.

“Don’t mess with my hair.”

“Oops, sorry, sorry! I just—”

“Cool…”

“What? Are you sleep talking? Or maybe not?”

Waking up at such an ambiguous hour made it impossible to fall back asleep.

Eventually, fully awakened, NaeMe and Adella stared at each other for a long time.

“Adella, did you open the bag I gave you yesterday?”

Shaking her head, Adella gave a negative response.

“No. What was inside?”

“Since I figured you’d be needing it soon, I got you one large one and put it in. I thought you were too carefree and thoughtless.”

“A large one? What kind of large one?”

NaeMe tilted her head as if affirming that Adella truly didn’t know.

“You don’t think I thought you wouldn’t do it, do you?”

“Do it? What do you mean… Wh-what…? Oh…”

Adella had a sudden epiphany and couldn’t finish her sentence, stuttering.

“Oh… no, right? No way! I’ve never done it in my entire life…”

“If you need more sanitary pads, just order them online or go buy them at the convenience store in front. But you know the types, right?”

The next day, Adella truly experienced what it meant to be a woman.