READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 15
There’s a term called the Dunning-Kruger effect.
It refers to a cognitive bias where the less someone knows about a certain field, the more they overestimate their abilities, and inversely, the more they know, the more they underestimate themselves.
The reason I’m rambling about this now is that I was feeling exactly that way.
In the past, I had rummaged through online shopping sites and fashion websites thanks to my mother and younger sister’s enthusiasm.
Because of that, I thought I knew women’s clothing well enough, even if I wasn’t an expert.
How arrogant of me.
What on earth is that scrap of fabric for, and what’s with all the unnecessary padding on the shoulders?
I have no idea.
I don’t understand a thing.
“Wow, look at this.”
“Wow…”
My mother and sister marveled as they dressed me in various outfits, alternating between admiration, emotion, and joy.
It truly was wonderful to share such positive feelings over a mere outfit change, but sadly, the enthusiasm was quite one-sided.
“Your daughter is so beautiful. She looks just like a doll.”
“Hehe, I hear that pretty often.”
I was hearing it for the first time today.
Ignoring the strange rumors that even the principal party wasn’t aware of, I felt like a doll in every sense.
Whether it was the salespeople’s flattery or genuine excitement, my mother’s hands didn’t stop.
“Try this on too.”
“This one as well.”
“How about this dress? This length should work, right?”
It wasn’t just my mother who was fervently shoving clothes at me.
“Unnie! Try this one, too! This one!”
While my mother recommended very feminine clothes like dresses, my sister mostly suggested casual outfits suitable for my age.
“What about tying your hair up?”
“Wow… should I dye it too?”
At first, my sister hesitated over what to call me, but as she got into dressing me up, “Unnie” rolled off her tongue effortlessly.
I had thought this day would eventually come, but I never imagined it would take this form.
“How can everything look so good on you?”
My mother exclaimed, and my sister chimed in.
“Right? I’m starting to feel a bit jealous.”
“Look at you? You’re pretty enough. Who’s daughter are you?”
“Right?”
They were having such fun.
“Hey, those clothes over there are pretty.”
“Shall we go check them out?”
“Yeah!”
Of course, my opinion wasn’t even asked from the start.
“Ugh…”
This too shall pass.
Thinking that, we ended up visiting every clothing store in the department store, and soon enough, my mother and sister had their hands overflowing with shopping bags.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
“Take it. It’s your clothes.”
“Uh… oh, okay.”
It wasn’t exactly wrong, so I accepted the shopping bag without a fuss.
I guess it was my first time holding a bag like this since I was born, as the weight felt quite unusual in my hand.
Noticing something off in my expression, my mother’s face tensed slightly.
“Is it heavy?”
“No… it’s fine.”
The reason I felt strange.
Until now, someone—be it my mother or someone else—had done everything for me.
I had never even opened a car door on my own.
I never thought this was strange until now.
I had lived a life constrained to the point of being unable to move freely, and for me, relying on others had never been a choice.
Maybe my mother was going through all this trouble to help me experience these very basic things.
Hoping to let me experience what a normal life is like.
Just like everyone else.
Just like ordinary people.
Now, I’m slowly learning the everyday routines that most people take for granted.
*
After that, following my mother and sister to a shoe store and an accessories store, this long shopping journey began to come to an end.
“I think we’ve bought enough, right? Including your clothes.”
“Shall we head home then?”
Are we really going home?
Well, we’ve been wandering around the department store for three hours now.
No matter how energetic you are, it’s about time you get tired lugging around a bunch of shopping bags.
‘At least it’s a relief that they’re not saying we’ll leave the bags in the car and go shopping again.’
As I was preparing to go home joyfully, my mother asked.
“Isn’t there something you really want to buy?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Don’t say that, take a look around a bit?”
“There’s no need.”
I had already bought everything I wanted through online shopping.
I didn’t want to waste time coming to the department store just for that.
“Really?”
“Well, I mean, I just don’t have anything to buy─”
Just as I was about to refuse again, I couldn’t finish my sentence.
Whether it was coincidence or fate, my eyes were suddenly drawn to a store right in front of me.
[Electronics]
Of course, I wasn’t interested in TVs, washing machines, or refrigerators.
What caught my interest was much deeper inside.
[Computers and Accessories]
There were computer components like graphics cards and motherboards, as well as input devices like keyboards and mice—basically everything you can think of in the computer domain.
It instinctively felt right.
Here.
This place is where I’d like to plant my roots.
“Mom.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m just gonna check that out for a bit.”
“Really? Where?”
Seeing that I finally had something I wanted after only showing a desire to go home, my mother showed interest.
Of course, it didn’t last long.
“Over there.”
“…It’s an electronics store?”
My mother looked confused.
Well, the reason we came to the department store was to buy all the clothes and accessories in those shopping bags.
So seeing me head toward electronics out of the blue, it’s no wonder she looked like that.
“I’ll just take a quick look.”
“Let’s go together. Yuri!”
My sister, who had been struggling with bags in her arms, came over at my mother’s call.
“What? Weren’t we going home?”
“Your sister wants to check something out.”
“Really?”
While I wanted to say something sharp about the fact she now called me “sister”, I held back.
I felt like if I expressed any annoyance, that title would never return.
“Welcome.”
As we entered the electronics store, a salesperson greeted us.
“Are you looking for something specific?”
“Not really. Just browsing slowly.”
“Understood.”
What caught my eye were undoubtedly the keyboards and mice.
I usually set up my computer specs to be top-notch, but keyboards and mice are purely a matter of personal preference.
“Wow…”
The keyboards and mice organized by brand had a dedicated space to test each one.
-Realforce R7LL.
-Kiwi K2 Wireless Keyboard Brown Switch.
-Apco Optical Switch Keyboard A880.
.
.
.
-Logitech L PRO X Gaming Mechanical Keyboard.
In truth, I wasn’t particularly picky about equipment.
This wasn’t so much a display of confidence as it was that, using most reasonable equipment, I could perform well without issues.
But that’s not how it is now.
Since becoming a woman, I’ve gained a freedom of movement that is incomparable to before.
I’m talking about significant differences in reaction speed and various other aspects.
So I’ve started to carefully look at reviews online and make actual purchases of various equipment.
However, all of that relied on others’ opinions; I still didn’t know if a keyboard and mouse really suited me.
“How interesting.”
Trying them out directly, I felt each keyboard and mouse was completely different.
If it were up to me, I’d want to stock several types and switch them up depending on my mood.
“Hm.”
Carefully inspecting the various devices, I added a few keyboards and mice to my shopping cart.
Finally, I understood why my mother and sister were so passionate about shopping.
Shopping can be this enjoyable.
“Mom was right. You really should see items in person before buying.”
“…What?”
My mother shook her head in disbelief, then exchanged light smiles with my sister.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Our sister is still the same.”
“Right? I never thought she’d choose that in a department store.”
Although there were some minor glances thrown my way, it was an extremely satisfying shopping experience.