Chapter 4 : Surprise and Satisfaction

Time passed much faster than I expected.

Perhaps because the bed was so comfortable, when I opened my eyes again, it seemed like bright morning already.

The sunlight streaming through the curtains felt pleasant, a sign I had slept well.

‘I slept for about ten hours.’

It was probably the first time I had slept so much.

I quickly went to the bathroom, washed up, and then opened the closet.

“Hmm.”

Rummaging for something to wear was a different feeling from searching for clues.

The owner of the house seemed to have rather girly taste, as there were many frilly skirts.

It wasn’t that I disliked skirts now, but…

‘Frills are a bit much…’

Fortunately, there were plenty of comfortable clothes too.

Or rather, just a lot of clothes in general.

I laid a few outfits on the bed to compare them. A large bed was useful for this.

“I’ll go with this.”

An oversized black t-shirt, a hoodie, and short shorts.

Putting them on, I briefly wondered if the shorts were too short, but the t-shirt was practically dress-length, so it seemed fine.

Or was it risky that the shirt and shorts were almost the same length?

I wasn’t sure of the exact standards, but compared to the models in the women’s clothing pictures I had looked up online, I didn’t look out of place. So it should be fine.

“Well… it suits me.”

Turning around, I saw the left bra strap peeking out. Black underwear under a black t-shirt, it wasn’t too noticeable, but…

Instead of using my hands, I just shrugged my shoulders, and the shirt settled back into place.

“Good.”

After putting on a black baseball cap, I left the house.

“Student?”
“…Ah. That’s enough. Thank you.”

I suppressed the urge to laugh out loud.

The civil servant lady was kind.

After visiting several government offices, my last stop was the bank.

Peaceful.

And a little exciting.

Those were the most appropriate words to describe my current mood.

I had toiled away in that other world for over twenty years.

And my reward was a measly 10 million won.

Or so I thought.

This house, worth over 10 billion won, was mine.

“Hmm. Well. Not bad treatment for a Hero.”

That changed my perspective quickly.

Perhaps it was divine power, or maybe the me in this world had won the lottery.

I had mostly tuned out the complicated explanations, but I understood that my current situation was quite positive.

Arriving at the bank, I leisurely took a number ticket.

‘What should I do?’

The house was a bit big.

Not that it was a bad thing, but considering the money, maybe I should sell it and get a smaller place.

That thought didn’t last long.

[Customer number 47, please proceed to window number 2.]

As I sat down after hearing the mechanical voice…

“Customer Seol Hayun?!”

The bank teller exclaimed in surprise.

From the explanation that followed, it seemed I had quite a few bank products.

“Oh, miss! If you had any business, you should have called me.”

While I was talking to the bank teller, the bank manager, who looked to be in his 50s, appeared.

He called me “miss” and greeted me respectfully.

I wondered what was going on.

“Is there anything else you need? I’ll escort you to the VIP room.”
“It’s okay.”

In short, this was the situation:

If your bank account has a lot of zeros, and you’ve invested billions of won in bank products, you get treated respectfully by the bank manager.

The account I had initially checked was just an allowance account.

The monthly interest alone…

‘Wow…’

I wouldn’t have to worry about making a living.

“Puha—”

The cola I bought from the convenience store tasted so good.

This world was great.

So great that I didn’t even care that the convenience store clerk was staring at me.

Now that I had peace of mind, I started noticing various things.

I had already expected it, to be honest.

This world, twenty years more advanced than the one I knew, was different from what I remembered.

For example…

[Beep, please dispose of your trash. Beep, please dispose of your trash.]

The silver can-shaped robot moving around in front of me, making cute noises.

I had been wondering where to throw away my empty can.

When I moved my hand to the right, the robot followed. When I moved my hand to the left, it followed again.

It seemed to be detecting the empty can.

“Heh.”

It was like watching a puppy follow me around.

Even though it looked like a can.

Clatter.

[Thank you for your cooperation.]

After storing the can inside its body, it moved around before stopping in a corner.

They say that when humans encounter something new, they usually feel fear or excitement.

If the emotion I felt in that other world was fear…

The emotion I felt now was excitement.

The cityscape, not drastically different from what I remembered, probably contributed to that feeling.

In the past, PC rooms lined the streets. Now, they were replaced by “Capsule Rooms,” virtual reality playrooms.

Just yesterday, I was worried about finding a job.

And the first thing that came to mind after securing my livelihood was gaming.

Well, I wouldn’t be punished for doing what I wanted now.

‘I prefer a clean place.’

I strolled through the streets, my heart filled with anticipation.

“That oppa is late again.”

Joo Seoyeon, the Capsule Room part-timer, tapped her fingers on the counter while checking the time.

It was past her shift change, but the next part-timer hadn’t arrived.

“Sigh. Patience…”

Since she was stuck here, she might as well check her phone.

Ding-a-ling.

The bell chimed, and a male customer entered.

“Welcome.”
“A booth for six hours, please.”

The customer spoke familiarly, placing bills on the counter.
Three 10,000 won bills.

It was 5,000 won per hour, but there was a discount for six hours or more, making it 25,000 won.

She handed him the change and a card.

“Here, booth number 14.”
“Thanks.”

It seemed like a simple job, but the fact that she had to work even though her shift was over was annoying.

She wondered how many more customers would come before her replacement arrived. She’d make a mental note to give them a hard time.

Ding-a-ling.

The second customer.

“Welco…me.”

Seoyeon, counting inwardly, turned with a smile.

And froze.

‘Wow… I never thought the day would come when I understood how men felt…’

A beauty.

An overwhelming beauty.

Long, slender legs, blue hot pants, and a black hoodie. Nothing particularly flashy, yet it felt like the air itself had changed.

‘How can someone be this beautiful?’

Pale, almost translucent skin, a small, delicate face, and silver hair cascading down to her waist, shimmering even under the dim lighting.

Small, dainty lips that looked moist, and curious red eyes that made it clear she wasn’t an albino.

She didn’t know what to say. She had never imagined she would feel this way about a woman.

“Excuse me.”

The woman, after looking around for a while, approached the counter.

Even her voice was beautiful.

“…Yes, how can I help you?”
“This is my first time at a Capsule Room.”

The woman explained it was her first time with VR games and asked about the basic controls and how to use the capsule.

‘Are there still people like that these days…?’

1. The advent of virtual reality had completely revolutionized the gaming industry. Companies that relied solely on computer games faltered, while new companies that embraced the new technology quickly rose to the ranks of major corporations.

The influx of people into the streaming market also increased.

Even ordinary people who never watched online broadcasts began to enjoy watching their favorite games or relaxing broadcasts.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that over 50% of the world’s population had experienced virtual reality.

It contributed not only to gaming but to various other industries.

She had heard that the tourism industry had taken a hit due to the negative effects of VR, but she didn’t know the details.

She vaguely recalled hearing that famous museums overseas were partnering with VR companies and selling virtual reality tickets. And their sales had actually increased… perhaps this was how society adapted and found new opportunities.

And yet, here was someone who didn’t know about VR, two years later.

‘…Did she live in a mountain or something?’

If someone hadn’t tried VR in this day and age, they were either a technophobe or someone from another world. Even rural areas had Capsule Rooms.

‘Is she some kind of living fossil?’

Looking at her appearance, the term “living fossil” felt inadequate…

‘…Should I try hitting on her?’

When she first started working here, she received a lot of these kinds of advances.

“Excuse me?”

The customer’s face suddenly came close, her arms resting on the counter.

It wasn’t that close. Still, her exceptionally pretty face had an overwhelming impact.

“Y-Yes?!”

And it wasn’t just her face. The oversized hoodie slipped down, revealing her shoulder and collarbone, a sight so alluring it made even Seoyeon, a woman, gasp.

“Could you… show me?”

The customer lowered her head, her dejected voice filling Seoyeon with guilt.