TRANSMIGRATOR.
It's someone who transmigrates into another body.
The original Yool was a failed K-pop idol and was known in the industry as a pushover.
But when Wonhee met Yool a few years ago, he was different from the rumors.
Yool was anything but a pushover.
"I'm sad right now, Yool-ah," Wonhee complained, pouting a little. "Stop nagging me, okay?"
Yool just sighed and shook his head before he properly greeted them. "Welcome, Wony-ah and Ahyeon-ah."
'Wony' was Wonhee's pet name and, yes, she didn't come alone to Yool's apartment.
She brought Do Ahyeon with her.
Wonhee's bodyguard, Ahyeon, was a C-Class Hunter who specialized in defense.
"I'm sorry for not having a filter," Yool said unapologetically. "So, is your break-up final?"
"Of course not. Seodam Oppa and I are just on a break for now," Wonhee said while sitting on the floor. Yool's house was a safe place, so she went there wearing comfortable clothes. "Seodam Oppa entered a Crack with his party yesterday. We'll talk again once he's out of the dungeon." She looked up at Ahyeon and patted the space next to her. "Sit here, Ahyeon-ah."
Ahyeon nodded shyly before he sat next to her, putting the two boxes of pizza that they bought earlier on the center table.
"You should have worn comfortable clothes, Ahyeon-ah," Yool scolded Ahyeon lightly. "Why did you come here wearing a suit?"
"I'm still on duty,
Aww.
Both Wonhee and Yool looked at Ahyeon with warm eyes.
Ahyeon was four years younger than Wonhee and Yool, so the two of them saw Ahyeon as their younger brother.
"Anyway, it's nice that we can hang out like this again and talk about Yool's secret in the open," Wonhee said while opening the box of pizza. "Yool-ah, do you remember how wasted you were when you revealed your secret to us? You're lucky it was just me and Ahyeon who heard you back then."
Ahyeon kept silent, but he nodded in agreement.
Yool remained stoic, but his eyes sparkled as if he remembered a fond memory. "I'm grateful that you believed me and didn't treat me like a lunatic, Wony-ah and Ahyeon-ah."
Pfft.
"Yool-ah, we live in a world where Cracks, monsters, and Awakened People with Systems exist," she said, laughing softly. "Of course, your story is believable. And, as an actress, I know when a person is acting or not– and you weren't."
Other than that, Yool's story wasn't really that far-fetched.
"Most Awakened People like me vaguely remember living in a different world while we were in a comatose state," Ahyeon added shyly. "We don't remember it clearly, but our experience in that world allowed us to be familiar with the System as soon as we woke up."
That was how the Awakened People, who were bedridden for weeks, woke up fine and managed to fight the monsters during the Outbreak right away.
"Experts suspect that the Awakened People, while in their comatose state, had fallen into a world that could be compared to a simulation video game similar to our reality," Wonhee said while enjoying her slice of pizza. "They believe that the consciousness of the Awakened People lived in that simulation world to prepare for the real world. So, when they woke up, they were already familiar with the System. Thus, further proving the experts' hypothesis."
Yool nodded slowly. "Is that why you think the System made a mistake and grabbed my soul instead of the soul of the original Gong Yool, Wony-ah?"
"The original Gong Yool also fell into a comatose state, but he didn't awaken as a Hunter," she argued. "Instead, you woke up in his place. Plus, isn't your original name also 'Yool?' My theory makes sense."
"Well, my original name was Ong Yool, so there's a chance you might be right."
"See? The System must have made a mistake because your names and backgrounds were pretty similar to each other."
"It's just hard to believe that the System would make that kind of mistake."
"You'll never know," she said, shrugging. "Anyway, who are the main characters in that BL novel again?"
It had been a long time since they talked about the BL novel, so she had to ask in order to remember correctly.
"The main character is Ahn Kisoo and the male lead is Graham."
Graham was currently the number one S-Class Hunter, the master of the Summer Guild, and one of the Big 4.
On the other hand, Ahn Kisoo was an A-Class Guide exclusive to the Summer Guild.
"Lee Seodam and Park Ruda are the second couple," Yool added awkwardly. "Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish their story since I transmigrated here before the last volume was released."
Wonhee just nodded. "Here's what I think, Yool-ah. The person who wrote that BL novel was from this world, and they transmigrated to your world. Then they wrote that story because they were a fan of Graham and Ahn Kisoo."
"Because Graham and Ahn Kisoo are the number one most shipped Hunter x Guide pair in the country?"
"Yep," she said, then her shoulders slouched. "Unfortunately for me, Seodam Oppa and Ruda Oppa are the second most shipped Hunter x Guide pair in the country. The author of that BL novel must also be my hater if she made a villainess in the story."
Since Seodam and Ruda were a famous ship, Wonhee had been receiving hate and death threats from their fans ever since it was revealed that she was Seodam's girlfriend.
After people realized the importance of a strong bond between a Hunter and a Guide, they began to accept gay relationships. To be fair, it's more like gays are being tolerated instead of being accepted properly. But it's an improvement since gay relationships are finally considered normal by the majority.
"Well, most BL authors don't know how to write a female character properly," Yool said, shrugging. "In the BL novels that I've read in my past life, the female characters connected to the main characters are either a supportive friend/family or a lesbian. If not, then a dumb villainess who does stupid things to get in the way of the main ship."
"So, I was the dumb villainess in Seodam Oppa and Ruda Oppa's love story," Wonhee said, smiling sadly. "Yool-ah, how did Seodam Oppa and I break up in that book?"
"You refused to hear how your "character" ended up in that story before. Are you sure you're ready to hear it now?"
She just nodded weakly.
"You threatened Lee Seodam that you'd kill yourself if he broke up with you," Yool said hesitantly. "But, in the end, Lee Seodam still broke up with you."
"W-What happened to me, then? Did I really u-unalive myself?"
"You were never mentioned in that volume again, so I don't know what happened to you after your break-up with Lee Seodam."
Oh.
So, even in fiction, Lee Seodam would choose Park Ruda over Wonhee.
"Yool-ah, do you think I'm really just an obstacle between Seodam Oppa and Ruda Oppa?"
"Of course not," Yool said firmly. "Wony-ah, I may have arrived in this world thinking that this was only a world inside a BL novel that I've read. But after living here for quite some time now, I no longer see you as a mere book character."
"Yool-ah…"
"I only use the plot that I remember as a guide to help me avoid the dangerous situations depicted in the story, but I no longer think that I should strictly follow what was written there," he said in a serious tone. "That's why you shouldn't follow the storyline, too. Like you said, the BL novel might just be a fanfic written by a person who got transmigrated to my previous world. So, don't worry about the plot anymore."
Ahyeon nodded eagerly in agreement with what Yool said.
Aww.
She was touched by the support of her two best friends.
However…
"Yool-ah, Ahyeon-ah, a Hunter and a Guide are inseparable in this world," Wonhee said worriedly. "Even if this isn't a world within a BL novel, I still feel like a mere plot device meant to be used for the progress of Seodam Oppa and Ruda Oppa's relationship."
"Wony
"Ahyeon is right, Wony-ah," Yool said softly. "Remember: you're the main character of your own life."
Aww.
Wonhee lucked out when she met good friends like Yool and Ahyeon, huh?
***
"YOOL-AH, Ahyeonnie, this may sound like I'm fishing for compliments. But let me ask you one thing," Wonhee, who was already a bit tipsy after her second can of beer, said to her friends. "Am I not pretty enough for someone like Seodam Oppa?"
She knew she was beautiful enough to be a top actress before the pandemic, but she was also aware that the Awakened People had received a 'visual upgrade' when they awakened.
So, she suddenly felt conscious of her looks.
"It's true that Awakened People got a visual upgrade when they awakened. So, when our country stabilized and the entertainment industry began thriving again, producers and filmmakers started casting Awakened People instead of Civilian celebrities. Even big brands prefer Awakened People over Civilians to endorse their products these days," Yool said while nodding. "It won't be an exaggeration to say that the Awakened People "stole" jobs from normal celebrities who lost their popularity after the Outbreak."
That was true.
After all, Awakened People were now more popular than ordinary celebrities.
"But you didn't lose your job, Wony-ah," Yool continued. "It's true that you're not active as an actress anymore, but it's your choice and you still receive casting offers anyway. Plus, you remain the global ambassador for one of the biggest luxury brands in the world. Do you know why?"
Wonhee knew the answer, but she couldn't open her mouth because she was too shy to say it herself.
"It's because brands are still obsessed with Wony Noona's natural beauty," Ahyeon said proudly. "Noona, people call you the 'Nation's Face Card' for a reason."
Wonhee covered her face with her hands, shy. "I'm grateful, but that title is too much."
"It's not," Yool denied firmly. "The general public also calls you the pride of the Civilians because your face is top-tier even among the Awakened People, Wony-ah. So, don't ever think about that you're not pretty enough for Lee Seodam."
"But even without considering the looks department, Wony Noona is actually the one who's too good for Lee Seodam and his family."
"Right?" Yool agreed with Ahyeon's slight "shade" against Seodam and Seodam's family. "Wony-ah, I know why you asked that question." He then turned to Ahyeon. "
Ahyeon, like the good child that he was, covered his ears obediently.
"Wony-ah, just because your boyfriend doesn't seem to be interested in sleeping with you doesn't mean you're not attractive."
Ahem.
She accidentally shared the sad status of her non-existent sex life with Yool while they were having a drink a few weeks ago.
It's okay since Yool is trustworthy, but I won't make the same mistake again.
"Although it's not right to assume one's sexual orientation, it won't hurt to consider the possibility that Lee Seodam might be asexual," Yool reminded her gently. "So, don't blame yourself for the lack of progress in that certain aspect of your relationship."
Wonhee smiled and nodded. "At times like this, you really feel like an older brother instead of a same-aged friend, Yool-ah."
Yool said smugly. "I'm older than you before I transmigrated to this world, kiddo."
She just laughed, and then she grabbed the remote control for the giant flat-screen TV in the living room.
"Let's just watch our favorite singer's online concert," Wonhee said, reminding Yool and Ahyeon why they decided to hang out together that day. "I'm sure Maru the Man will make us forget our woes~"
***
WONHEE woke up with a terrible hangover, but she still had to force herself to go out that day because of an important schedule. She didn't even have the energy to move while slumped in the backseat of the car.
I'll never drink again.
"Noona, are you alright?" Ahyeon, who just returned to the driver's seat, asked while handing her a cup of iced coffee since she couldn't start her day without it. "Why don't you just rest for today?"
"I can't, Ahyeon-ah," Wonhee said, sipping her iced coffee. "I'm scheduled to accompany Seorin Unnie to the bridal boutique I booked for her."
Lee Seorin was Seodam's older sister, and a bride-to-be.
Wonhee was helping Seorin organize her wedding because Seorin didn't want to "waste money" on hiring a proper wedding organizer.
"I know I'm crossing the line, Noona, but I really don't like Lee Seodam's family," Ahyeon said carefully while driving. "They're so mean to you."
Wonhee smiled awkwardly. "They're just showing me tough love, Ahyeon-ah."
***
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