Surviving Among the Letters

“At least we’ve managed to catch our breath,” Messier said as we descended in the elevator to the first floor.

“Hey, Messier. You said we’re staying the night, right?” Luca asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then how are you planning to leave tomorrow?”

“With you, of course. I figured we’d take the Cortes family’s private jet. Blanco deserves to experience the best, don’t you think?”

“Ugh… Fine. Be at Pyongyang International Airport by 9 a.m. tomorrow. If you’re late, we’re leaving without you.”

Ding!

The elevator finally reached the first floor, and Luca followed us out to the main entrance to see us off.

A limousine was already waiting for us at the door.

“Jamie?” Luca called out to the chauffeur, who was seated in the car with the passenger-side window open.

“Yes, Miss Luca?”

“Please escort these two to their hotel. They have a ton of luggage. Everything in the backseat belongs to that child over there.”

“Understood. Doctor Messier, which hotel should I take you to?”

“Hmm… Good question.”

“…Seriously?”

“I was planning to just find something nearby—ow! Don’t hit me! Ow!”

The price of coming to Pyongyang without a plan was a sharp smack on the back. Luca couldn’t hold herself back and started whacking Messier.

“This won’t do. Blanco, listen to your big sister for a moment,” she said, turning to me.

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you just become my little sister instead? I’ll add you to my parents’ family registry. I can’t trust you to Messier.”

“Ha… haha…”

It was sad how I couldn’t even argue against that point.

“No matter how mature you are, it’s going to be tough if your dad is like that, right?”

“That’s why I’ll take care of him. And besides, Ms. Han always looks out for me at the lab.”

“Han? Oh, that’s Messier’s assistant. Well, make sure to listen to her, okay?”

“Yes, I will.”

Luca pulled a card out of her wallet and handed it to me.

“This is my mileage card. There should be a five-star hotel nearby. There’s some leftover mileage on it, so use it to enjoy a few perks.”

A five-star hotel… I’d never even been to one in the real world.

“Thank you, Luca!”

I expressed my gratitude, and Luca accepted it with a nod. Messier and I got into the limousine.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

As the limousine departed, I waved goodbye to Luca, while Messier merely gestured lazily in response.

At the Hotel

“Yawn… I’m exhausted,” Messier grumbled, collapsing onto the bed as soon as we entered the hotel room.

I sat down on the bed next to his and sank into its soft, luxurious surface.

Luca said there was only a little mileage left on her card, but it felt like an absurd amount. The complimentary benefits alone were overwhelming.

“So, what now? It’s a bit early for dinner, isn’t it?” Messier asked, his voice muffled by the pillow.

“I thought I’d go through the clothes we bought,” I replied.

“No matter how mature you act, you’re still a girl, huh? The first thing you care about is clothes.”

“Haha…”

Of course, that wasn’t the real reason.

Physically, I might be a 12-year-old girl, but mentally, I’m still a man in my twenties.

I’d insisted to Luca that my taste leaned toward mature clothing, but mature doesn’t mean “masculine.”

If I’d been spending my own money, I’d have gone for casual, unisex options. But with Luca footing the bill, I couldn’t object too strongly.

In short, there were plenty of clothes I wasn’t sure I could handle wearing.

I rummaged through the shopping bags and pulled out a skirt.

“Oh, planning to try that on? It looks nice. Go ahead,” Messier encouraged.

“No. I’m sorting out the clothes I’m not going to wear.”

“Why not? It looks like it’d suit you. See?”

He snatched the skirt from my hands and held it against my waist.

“It looks great. The black contrasts beautifully with your white hair.”

“Put it away. I’m wearing pants.”

“Why? When else are you going to get a chance to wear a skirt this pretty—oh, wait. You used to come from a wealthy family, didn’t you? Maybe you’ve worn skirts like this before.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. It’s fine.”

“What… Oh.”

I remembered.

Someone had said something similar before.

It was Remi.

She’d remarked that my indifference to the fancy facilities suggested I’d come from wealth before being sold.

Today, it was Messier’s turn to reach the same conclusion.

After all, I’d wandered through Pyongyang, the largest city in the Paradise, as if it were second nature.

Letting Messier hold onto that misconception might actually work in my favor.

**”Yeah, it’s too late to deny it, huh?” Messier said. “By the way, who was your teacher?”

“What?”

“Your teacher. Did they tell you to keep it a secret? If so, I won’t press. I respect that.”

“Well…”

“It’d be nice to know their age. There aren’t many older Korean speakers, you know. The Paradise has only been around for 15 years.”

I wasn’t sure where this was going, but the mention of Korean speakers gave me a hint. He must’ve been curious about where I’d learned the language.

“Sometimes I wonder if the Star Cluster is a little too good at obtaining confidential information. The downside is that it leaves us wondering what level of access someone like you might have.”

Another convenient misunderstanding.

This way, any knowledge I reveal about the original story could be attributed to my “teacher.”

“My teacher told me not to reveal too much,” I replied.

“Shame. But are you really not going to try the skirt?”

I shot him a glare, and Messier quickly raised his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright. I won’t push it.”

Satisfied, I returned to sorting through the shopping bags.

A white shirt paired with black trousers seemed like the best option—practical and versatile.

I could even throw a white lab coat over it, and it’d still look good.

With my outfit decided, I grabbed the clothes and headed to the bathroom to change.

“It does look good,” Messier admitted when I emerged. “Simple and classic.”

I glanced at the mirror, nodding in agreement.

A crisp white shirt paired with black trousers.

Clothing that almost resembled a formal suit.

Shoulder-length white hair and a decent face.

Yes, a decent face.

The epitome of a pretty 12-year-old child.

So it’s true—when someone goes through a TS (gender switch), they often get a “beautiful girl” buff. I didn’t think it applied to transmigration stories as well.

I went back to the shopping bags and picked up the white lab coat.

A lab coat tailored perfectly to my height.

After putting it on, I checked myself in the mirror. It suited me well—too well.

“It looks good on you, but… want me to tell you what it reminds me of?”

“Sure.”

“You look like a daughter cosplaying as a researcher to help her dad at work.”

“Well, it’s not far from the truth, is it?”

“Haha! True.”

Messier glanced at his watch and got up from the bed.

“It’s already dinner time. Let’s go to the buffet.”

“Already?”

It didn’t feel like much time had passed, but I must’ve spent longer than expected sorting through the clothes.

Messier grabbed his coat from the hanger and slipped it on. I took off the lab coat and put on a windbreaker instead, following him out into the hallway.

“Hey, Messier.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“When can I get a phone? It’s really inconvenient not having one.”

Life without a phone—the modern person’s symbol of convenience—was unbearable.

In the lab’s controlled environment, I didn’t feel the lack of it, but now that I was in the city, the absence felt glaring.

“You’ll need an ID to get one. It’ll take about a week for the adoption paperwork to finalize.”

“Ugh…”

A whole week without a phone. Maybe heading back to the lab sooner would be better.

After dinner, we killed some time, and before I knew it, bedtime rolled around.

Bedtime for a 12-year-old child.

It was 11 p.m.

“I haven’t gone to bed this early in years. Thanks to you, I get to try it out,” Messier said.

“I’m not even sleepy.”

“Kids need to sleep before midnight for proper growth. That means you should already be lying down by 11.”

“I’m fine not growing any taller.”

It wasn’t like I had anyone to impress. At this point, self-satisfaction was all that mattered, and back in reality, I wasn’t exactly short anyway.

“Then how about this? Sleeping early will help your chest grow. Growth hormone is growth hormone, after all.”

“I don’t need a bigger chest either.”

Sure, a big chest might have its aesthetic appeal, but otherwise, it’s just impractical.

Besides, my mind was still male. Smaller was definitely better for me.

What would I do with a bigger chest? It’s not for me to have; it’s for others.

Even in the original story, there were heroines who lamented their chest size, considering it a burden.

In this world, smaller is undoubtedly more advantageous for survival.

“You’re… unique,” Messier said, shaking his head.

“Isn’t that why you scouted me for the Star Cluster?”

“Fair enough. Just go to bed. No arguing.”

“Alright.”

Messier certainly knew how to counter arguments—by ignoring logic entirely.

Resigned, I pulled the blanket over myself and tried to sleep.

I thought I wouldn’t fall asleep easily, but my 12-year-old body had other ideas.

Fatigue swept over me, and before I knew it, my eyes closed.

When I woke up naturally, I felt refreshed—the bed was just that comfortable.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already past 8:30.

Luca had told us to be at the airport by 9.

Looking over at the other bed, I saw Messier still sound asleep.

“Hah… She wasn’t exaggerating about not being late.”

Apparently, he hadn’t even set an alarm.

I picked up his charging phone and walked over to him.

Gently grabbing his thumb, I used it to unlock the device.

“Let’s see… Luca… Luca Cortes. Found her.”

After a few rings, Luca’s voice answered.

[Hello? Messier? Are you on your way?]

“It’s me, Blanco.”

[Oh, Blanco. What’s up?]

“I just woke up.”

[…Excuse me?]

“And Messier is still sleeping.”

[Haaah…]

I heard a long sigh on the other end of the line.

[Fine. I’ll give you 30 more minutes. Tell that idiot brother of mine to get to the airport ASAP, understood?]

“Yes, sorry about this.”

[What are you apologizing for? It’s all his fault. If only he could channel half the charisma and mad scientist energy he puts into experiments into everyday life…]

“I’ll let you go now.”

[Alright.]

After ending the call, I turned to look at Messier, who was still blissfully asleep.

How should I wake him?

Flipping the blanket off him was something I only did for Remi, so I didn’t want to use that here.

“Wake up~”

No response.

“Wake up!”

“Gah!”

Finally, my shout did the trick. Messier bolted upright.

“What the—oh, it’s you, Blanco… Uh… What time is it?”

“8:30.”

“Haha… And when were we supposed to be at the airport?”

“9.”

“…”

“Luca said she’d give us 30 more minutes. Got it?”

“Yeah…”

Why did I feel more like the adult in this situation?