Chapter 2: Check the appearance

“…Angel… Sir… Angel…?”

I felt someone gently shaking me awake. Forcing my eyes open, I saw it was Lee Hyejin.

…Oh, it’s nothing… Should I go back to sleep…?

As I naturally started to close my eyes again, Lee Hyejin’s urgent voice reached my ears.

“Ah…! Angel! I’m so sorry, but could you please wake up…?”

Ugh… I’m tired….

At her earnest plea, I couldn’t help but wriggle, trying to shake off my sleepiness. I could definitely feel a bit more strength in my body compared to yesterday.

However, it was only a slight improvement. I propped myself up on the bed with one arm, but due to lack of strength, I collapsed back onto the bed with a thud.

“Cheer, Angel!”

Startled, Lee Hyejin quickly scooped me up, her hands under my armpits like I was a teddy bear.

Hmm… She lifted me so easily.

I felt a strange mix of emotions. The dress fitting perfectly, the ease with which she lifted me… it seemed my body had undergone some bizarre transformation.

Anyway, she sat me down on the edge of the bed, and I stared blankly at her, wondering what she wanted.

She spoke with an awkward smile.

“Ah, it’s already 3 p.m.…. You have a few simple engagements scheduled for today.”

Her tone was gentle, but her message was clear: stop sleeping.

Schedule…? schedule….

I, who didn’t even know where I was, had scheduled engagements? What could they possibly be?

Were they going to run some strange experiments on me?

I started to feel uneasy. I had a feeling these people weren’t bad, but there was no guarantee they wouldn’t conduct weird experiments.

So, just in case, I tried to ask what kind of experiments I would be subjected to.

“Ah y…”

But my voice still wouldn’t cooperate. Instead, only a sound like air escaping came out.

…Hey, you said my voice would be back today. Mr. Park Gyutae… you spoke so confidently, I’m disappointed.

Feeling betrayed, as if I’d been tricked, I mentally deducted five points from him. A meaningless score, of course.

However, the disappointment and betrayal I felt were real, so I slumped back onto the bed, deflated. Lee Hyejin’s eyes widened in surprise, and she frantically made a phone call.

“Uh… H, hello!? Senior Gyutae!? No! The Angel’s voice still isn’t working…? Yes…? Yes, oh? Aha, yes, yes. Yes, I understand.”

Ending the call abruptly, she turned to me.

“Angel! The doctor will be here right away, so don’t worry too much! But honestly, I’m not sure if it’ll help.”

……Huh? What was she talking about? Make up your mind… either tell me to worry or not.

Dumbfounded, I stared at her blankly. As if realizing her mistake, she waved her hands and quickly corrected herself.

“Ah! Ah! Don’t misunderstand! I said that because not a single Angel has ever been examined by a doctor before!”

Huh…? Not a single one?

What? There were other Angels besides me? I thought it was just a nickname they used for me…?

I felt a bit confused by this unexpected information.

What exactly was an Angel?

If only I could speak, I would have asked right away. It was quite frustrating.

Knock, knock.

A knock echoed.

“Ah! They must be here!”

I had only been lost in thought for a moment, and the doctors had already arrived. I saw doctors in white coats confidently striding through the door.

Huh? Already? Oh… and, and there’s more than one…?

The doctors quickly surrounded me, staring down with curious murmurs. Their presence was rather intimidating.

It wasn’t because I was a coward. It was simply the overwhelming pressure of their formation.

All of them surrounding me, looking down with wide smiles. Honestly, it wasn’t much different from a scene in a horror movie.

H, hey! This is scary…!

I now understand why newborns cry…!

I looked at Lee Hyejin and frantically flapped one arm. It was a plea to get me out of this intimidating situation.

As if understanding perfectly, Lee Hyejin rushed over and helped me sit up. She seemed to have a blissful smile on her face, but that had to be my imagination.

Anyway, this was my first experience with a house call from a medical team. It felt strange, like I was receiving VIP treatment that I didn’t deserve.

“Hmm… There seems to be no problem.”

Well, in the end, it was all for nothing.

“Ah… Thank you. You’ve all worked hard!”

Lee Hyejin bowed, and the doctors waved at me before leaving the room. The gesture, something usually directed at children, made me feel a bit odd.

“Ugh… This is a big problem.”

Lee Hyejin muttered with a darkened expression and made another phone call.

“Hello? Senior! No, they said there’s no problem!? Um… Oh, yes, yes. Postpone the schedule? Ah~ Yes, I understand.”

This time, her face brightened in real-time during the call. She seemed like a very simple person.

In a good way, it was like her personality was transparent.

In any case, the schedule seemed to be postponed, so I naturally glanced at the clock. It was 5 p.m. Still plenty of time left in the day.

‘What will they do with the remaining time?’

I flopped back onto the bed. Then, my small, white hands caught my eye.

Come to think of it, despite questioning my condition, I hadn’t properly examined myself yet.

‘Is there a mirror in this room?’

Once I became aware of it, I grew curious about my current state. Of course, seeing myself in the dress would likely be quite depressing.

But I couldn’t ignore it forever.

I scanned the room with my eyes and spotted a mirror in the corner. I stared intently at it. Lee Hyejin, having finished her call, noticed my gaze and asked.

“Hmm? The mirror? Do you want to look in the mirror, Angel?”

I nodded slightly. Lee Hyejin and Park Gyutae, whatever else they might be, were definitely quick-witted.

“But that mirror is attached to the table. Um… Would it be okay if I carried you, Angel?”

Lee Hyejin’s expression was filled with anticipation as she spoke. Her lips twitched slightly, giving me a bad feeling. But honestly, how bad could it get in this situation?

So, without much thought, I nodded, and…

…Huh? W, wait. This position…!

Held like a treasure in her arms, I immediately regretted my decision. Lee Hyejin was carrying me in a “princess carry.”

‘…….’

An indescribable wave of shame and misery washed over me. It was too late for regrets, but I wished I hadn’t trusted her. Seeing her flushed face and hearing her heavy breathing only intensified my regret.

In exchange for my… dignity, I was placed in front of the mirror, and…

‘Huh…?’

As soon as I sat down, I tilted my head. Because reflected in the mirror was a cute little girl, about eight years old. It definitely wasn’t the me I knew.

Huh…. No way….

I doubted it, but I really became a girl…?

And a child, at that…?

I had a slight suspicion when they put the dress on me. But actually seeing it for myself brought on a strange mix of emotions. A complex feeling I couldn’t quite put into words.

‘And what is that…?’

Besides the change in gender and appearance, something else caught my attention.

It was the ring floating above my head, shaped like a donut with a large bite taken out of it. And then, there was a pair of small, white wings on my back.

What was this?

Could it be that “Angel” literally meant an angel…? Really?

I naturally assumed it was a metaphorical expression, like angelically cute or pure. Of course, I never thought of myself that way.

I shook my head from side to side. The ring smoothly followed, returning to its original position.

How was I supposed to react to this?

It was so far removed from common sense that my mind went blank.

Then, Lee Hyejin spoke from behind me.

“Ah! The ring on your head will probably become a perfect oval in a few days! It’s already closer to its original shape than yesterday! So, we’re guessing~ that when the ring is fully restored, the Angel’s condition will also return~? That’s what we’re thinking, anyway.”

“…….”

Intriguing information that I wasn’t sure was useful or not. Unable to contain my curiosity, I laboriously reached up towards the ring above my head.

As my hand finally reached the ring…

Swish-

My hand passed right through it, as if through thin air. I felt nothing.

‘Oh….’

I was a little disappointed. Just in case, I reached for the wings as well, but they were equally intangible. My disappointment quickly doubled.

But then again, while I wasn’t sure about the ring, if the wings were physically solid, I wouldn’t be able to lie on my back. It was probably for the best that I couldn’t touch the wings.

Anyway, I stared at my unreal reflection in the mirror for a while.

‘What am I?’

The question naturally came to mind.