Chapter 2

### Chapter 2: Who is it?

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I didn't believe in the afterlife.

Humans return to nothingness when they die.

This was my worldview of death, and this belief continued until the moment of my death.

"Hey!"

It was only after I realized that a familiar voice was shaking me awake that I understood I hadn't died.

"Kiyoshi!"

I finally regained my senses, and the first thing I felt was the unpleasant dampness all over my body.

Oh, what is this?

It seemed that I had soiled myself during the seizure.

While it wasn't a frequent occurrence, it had happened before, so I quickly accepted it.

...But a sense of self-loathing still rose within me.

"Hey!"

Only then did I notice the person who had been trying to wake me up.

It was my mother.

'Huh?'

But... something seemed off about my mother's condition.

From her pale face to her trembling fingertips.

'What's going on?'

Something was definitely wrong.

And that strange feeling reached its peak when my mother's words burst out.

"Yujin, where is Yujin?"

It was a strange question.

Why was she looking for me from me?

It was like wearing glasses and looking for them.

"What are you talking about?"

"Where is Yujin?"

My mother's voice rose.

I couldn't help but flinch at a sight I never imagined from my usual mother.

"Mom... why are you doing this? I'm right here."

"…What?"

My mother's expression became incredibly strange.

It was an incomprehensible reaction.

"Why, why are you doing this?"

"…Stop joking and tell me where Yujin is! Who are you? That's Yujin's clothes!"

"Who, who are you saying I am? Of course, I'm Yujin—"

I was speechless.

At first, I thought the strangeness was just a feeling.

But seeing my mother's bizarre reaction, I couldn't dismiss it so easily.

"Of course, you know where Yujin is, right? Tell me. Hurry up!"

It felt like she was treating me as if I were someone else.

"Uh, uh…?"

My gaze slowly dropped.

The liquid I thought was urine was an unknown, murky black substance.

'What's that smell…'

The strangeness didn't end there.

'…Breasts?'

The reflection on the stained T-shirt was clearly that of a woman.

Not too big, not too small, a beautiful shape.

Something that should never have been on my emaciated body.

My hand moved involuntarily.

My lower body was empty.

There were things that shouldn't be there,

and things that should be there were missing.

"Uh, uh?"

I quickly checked my face in the smartphone screen on the floor.

Long, silver hair.

A face that exuded a mysterious, exotic, yet distinctly Eastern charm.

I couldn't describe the indescribable aura it gave off, but if I had to...

Beautiful.

A face I could only describe as beautiful with my limited vocabulary.

And, that face belonged to me.

"…This can't be."

Now everything was clear.

I had become a woman.

"Are you going to speak now? Where is Yujin?"

My mother's voice brought me back to reality.

"Uh, well…"

"Tell me where Yujin is now."

My mother's voice was softer than before, as if she had decided that anger wouldn't solve anything.

What should I say?

Even if I told her I was Yujin, I didn't know if she would believe me.

I couldn't believe what had happened to me, so how could she, even as my parent?

My hesitation didn't last long.

Regardless of whether my mother would believe me, I had no reason to lie.

"…I'm Yujin."

"What did you just say?"

The softened tone turned sharp again.

It was a completely unfamiliar sight for me, who had always seen my mother as gentle and devoted.

"I'm... your son, Yujin."

*

They say blood is thicker than water.

But the change that had occurred in me was so significant that even my devoted mother doubted my identity.

'Hmm.'

Indeed, if I couldn't believe what had happened to me, how could my parents?

And... a series of questions and answers followed.

"……"

"……"

It was a long conversation, or a short one.

At first, my mother glared at me as if she wanted to kill me, but as I continued my story, her expression gradually turned to shock.

"Really... Yujin?"

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's really me."

My mother, a former famous announcer and a well-educated woman, was a highly rational person.

Of course, she wouldn't believe such an unbelievable story, but she still seemed uncertain.

"…Wait a moment."

My mother said this and opened a security app on her smartphone.

She was checking the security camera footage at the front door.

"……"

My mother, who had been trying to maintain a calm demeanor, had her eyes shaking violently.

The recorded footage showed no signs of anyone entering or leaving.

Given that the 'Yujin' who couldn't walk couldn't have left through the window, my claim gained more credibility.

"Yujin...?"

My mother dropped her smartphone, looking as if she was about to cry.

"Is it really you...?"

Her trembling hand brushed my face.

Her hand was still warm.

"How did this happen...?"

Whether she was starting to believe me or had resigned herself to an incomprehensible reality, I couldn't tell.

But it was clear that my mother was at least listening to me.

"I don't know either. I had a seizure... and when I woke up, I was like this."

"Are you okay? Do you feel any pain?"

"…I think I'm fine."

Now that I thought about it, it was strange.

The changes in my body were far from ordinary.

Not only had my gender changed, but my entire body had transformed into that of a completely different person.

Despite such a significant change, I was surprisingly fine.

'…Wait a moment.'

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

If my body had truly changed completely, perhaps the illness that had plagued me had also disappeared.

'No, that's impossible.'

I tried to dismiss the hypothesis that had arisen.

'The change in my body was due to the seizure. The illness couldn't have disappeared.'

I had become afraid of hoping.

It was a kind of defense mechanism that had developed because everything I had ever wanted had been blocked by the harsh reality.

'But... there's no harm in trying.'

Despite my efforts to avoid hope, my heart was racing.

'Don't get your hopes up. Don't get your hopes up. Don't get your hopes up.'

I repeated this to myself as I slowly placed my palm on the floor.

"Phew."

I took a deep breath and slowly pushed myself up with my palm.

My mother's expression became very strange as she watched.

"Yujin...?"

Regardless of my mother's reaction, I focused as much as I could.

How do you use your legs?

Like this?

I slowly raised my body, as if following an instinct.

Little by little, step by step.

Like a baby taking its first steps.

I took my first steps in my life.

Thud!

Perhaps because the concept of walking was still unfamiliar, I fell after a few steps.

But I had definitely walked.

"Ah! Are you okay?"

My mother screamed, but I couldn't hide my smile.

"I... walked."

"…What?"

Only then did my mother realize what I had done, and her expression slowly hardened.

"How... how did you...?"

For a healthy person, even feeling the strangeness would be unusual.

But for me, it was a wish I had wanted to fulfill at any cost.

"I... walked!"

The significant fact that I had become a woman had faded from my mind.

What mattered was that I could walk now.

I had become a woman.

No, I had gained a new life.

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