.  Ham Donnie answered with a calm voice, “I read it in my past life.”


  “Oh, I see. Very impressive. What do you find so attractive about web novels?”


  The chubby guy asked, handing out the microphone. Ham Donnie pulled her tie up and responded. Her voice was still full of confidence.

  “First, I can find the charm from many gorgeous guys appearing in the novel. I’d say it’s the definition of women’s delusion?”


  “Oh, yeah? But aren’t most of the handsome guys snobbish?”


  “No way! Just by going up on the wall and falling down to a handsome guy or cussing them without a reason and slapping their face could turn these guys into a captive of love! They are very easygoing people unlike their looks.”


  “Oh! Amazing. Just by doing those things can captivate them. It makes me wonder about the female protagonists in the web novel. Ma’am, what type of female protagonists are there? Please, enlighten us.”


  “Yes, my pleasure. I already prepared some information beforehand.”


  The master of web novel, Ham Donnie, then lifted something one by one on the dark stage.

  On a meter square panel, there was Ban Yeo Ryung’s pretty, I mean, not just pretty, but the face engraved in it was breathtaking.

  Ham Donnie then said decidedly, “Look. A typical female protagonist inside a web novel that features the Four Heavenly Kings.”


  “Wow, she is remarkably beautiful.”


  “So, to speak about this girl…”


  Ham Donnie flipped over the panel. Behind it was wherewith Ban Yeo Ryung’s personal details were.

  In it, the information said that she never lost the 1st place in school. She also didn’t think she was pretty. Not to mention, also had a handsome, loyal brother. It seemed as if there was nothing she couldn’t do except using machines.

  The chubby host who was looking at it emitted a whoop.

  He then asked Ham Donnie, “Are these all true? If they are, why are they wasting these capabilities on their romance? They should conquer the world instead.”


  “I agree, so this is what the female protagonist in a web novel usually is. Other types also exist though. That is the female cross-dresser.”


  “A female cross-dresser?”


  “Please take a look.”


  The web novel master, Ham Donnie, who was walking inside this dream-like realm, held up another panel.

  What’s on it this time was the glittering image of Yi Ruda’s blonde hair, playful blue eyes, and red lips. She had her unique bright smile as usual. On her shiny forehead, the words ‘I’m so cheerful’ seemed to have been written.

  The male host who was looking at Yi Ruda’s bright smile then yelled out.

  “Wow, how gorgeous she is! Her hair is almost as short as a boy though.”


  “The reason for that short hair is because she is a female cross-dresser.”


  “What? I can’t see anything but a girl wearing a boy’s uniform though?!”


  “Sigh, that’s the typical look of female cross-dressers. Oh, don’t worry about people knowing the truth behind her boyish facade. Everyone turns blind whenever she wears a wig and a boy’s uniform. That would be enough for them to see her as a boy.”


  It was surely a response that a veteran who read only web novels for over 20 years would make.

  The male host also seemed to be admiring Ham Donnie as he stared at her with respect.

  Ham Donnie dropped the panels and shrugged, feeling proud of herself. Then she opened her mouth while looking at the audience.

  “Ladies and gentlemen. This time, let’s learn about a web novel with a female cross-dresser as the leading role. As always, we will categorize the characters first. There are two types of female cross-dressers.”


  Ham Donnie then lifted two fingers with keen eyes.

  “First, the always-energetic type. A bright baby smile, a beaming face, and sparkling eyes are how authors usually illustrate this type. In this case, the person is extremely sociable.”


  Donnie gazed at the audience for a moment and folded one of her fingers.

  She then said, “Second, by having such a painful and dark past, I do declare the always-cold-hearted type. Sharp eyes, twisted bloody lips ready to make poignant remarks, and stony expressions; these are how authors of these sorts of characters would often portray these people. In this case, the character in question is a born-to-be fighter. Let this type grab a pipe as a weapon. It is no problem for this person to fight with his lonesome against a hundred troops. Now, hold on here!”


  The imaginary Ham Donnie in the dream-like world raised her hands to draw the audience’s attention. The crowd then looked at her in wonder.

  Donnie rubbed her raised palms together to indicate her nervousness, then she finally continued her words after a moment of hesitation.

  “My body, my physical form who was out there, is in danger of getting close with this female cross-dresser character. From my line of expertise, there will be many troubles that would arise when one gets closer with a female cross-dresser character. Three years ago, my persona in the physical world went through the same thing! The physical me has been together with the previously mentioned female protagonist, who never lost the 1st place in school and one who doesn’t know she’s beautiful, over the last 3 years!”


  “Oh, my god!”


  “Yes, that’s right. The physical me went through that fearful experience for three years. The very fact that the Four Heavenly Kings and the female protagonist were breathing has taken away my existence, so the physical me almost has little presence in this world! I’m just like a talking ant, but if I get closer with the female cross-dresser, the trace of my last presence would vanish away! A human turned into air, how tragic it is!”


  The desperate cries stirred the audience up, and they all expressed their sympathy. They were also feeling the sorrow of Ham Donnie’s pitiable condition. Master Donnie soon tapped the board to draw their attention. Then she questioned them with a serious face.

  “Your honor… I mean, dear audience. Please think about it. Leaving the physical Ham Donnie within the circle of these surreal characters as it is and allowing her presence disappear… Is this only my problem? Isn’t this the tragedy that we have let our brains to believe by accepting the surreal set-up of the Four Heavenly Kings with no hesitation?”


  “True! True!”


  Then the light illuminated above the darkened seats.

  This then revealed that the audience members sitting there was none other than two thousand more Ham Donnies!

  Soon the Ham Donnies began to create resolutions that will break through the crisis of losing the final ounce of the existence.

  Audience #67 Ham Donnie yelled out, “But isn’t the female cross-dresser not a big deal compared to the Four Heavenly Kings? We have to deal with four of those boys but the cross-dresser is only one girl. I don’t think being friends with her is a big deal.”


  Audience #85 Ham Donnie agreed as she expressed her own two-cents.

  “Correct. And you said there are two types of a female cross-dresser. Isn’t Yi Ruda the always-energetic type instead of the dark-past type? Then there wouldn’t be such a reason for her to cross-dress. I guess, getting close with Yi Ruda won’t cause you in trouble…”


  “No! Never let the guard down!”


  Audience #321 from far away yelled with vigor. The numberless Ham Donnies sitting in the audience turned their heads to look at her. #321 Ham Donnie soon presented her opinion.

  “Look at Yi Ruda so far. She has never lost that smile on her face. Except for when she asked, ‘My eyes… do they look so monstrous?’ with a bitter face; she always had a smile!”


  “So what?”


  #321 Ham Donnie heaved a long sigh. Then she looked around with a troubled expression saying, “Don’t you still get it, obtuse creatures?” She then continued her words, “Don’t you get it?! It takes a lot of work to always have a smile on your face! Besides, the bitter grin she had before was not something you see every day. The characters who lost their facial expression because of their dark painful past are better. At least we can grasp what they are thinking. Not for Yi Ruda though! Don’t you get it?!”


  “…!”


  “A person who always smiles no matter what happens has a hundred times more troubling past than a cold-hearted person! You’ve read so many web novels, but how come none of you gets this?”


  #321 Ham Donnie’s heroic remark made the whole space fall into a whirlpool of uncontrollable silence.

  Soon, all the Ham Donnies lowered their heads with a grievous look on their faces as they shook their heads. Then they spoke to the master Ham Donnie on the stage in unison.

  “The enemy is legendary. We have no way to get through this.”


  “W… hat?”


  “Tell this to our physical me. Please be well and safe.”


  “No, this can’t be happening!”


  Regardless of her desperate struggles, all the lights went out. Master Ham Donnie who was alone within the darkness of her surroundings soon descended from the stage, slouching her shoulders.

  And that was the end of the conference inside my head.