Chapter 11

To my surprise, Si-hyun and I had almost identical schedules, even for non-compulsory classes.

At most, if two of my major courses were removed from my timetable and two general courses added, it would be exactly Si-hyun’s timetable.

By the way, there’s definitely something unusual about this kid. Did she take a stab at all the major courses already?

“Wait, why are you taking third-year courses?”

“Ah, well… Since all the courses in Korean Literature aren’t necessarily stage-by-stage, I just wanted to get my major requirements out of the way early so I can relax a little more in my higher years.”

“But if you’re a freshman, you should be taking required general education courses too… So you filled your schedule entirely with general studies and major courses?”

“Yes. I figured it’s better to suffer now if I have to suffer anyway.”

“Wow, that’s not easy for a lowerclassman… Always getting pulled around for various things.”

“That’s true, but there’s the class syllabus so…”

“The syllabus won’t help if, in the end, most of the exams are essay-based. Many professors in our department set traps, especially since they advise against relying on the syllabus.”

“Well, that…”

“Yes.”

“I’ll have to study hard.”

“Thinking about it, did you take all the introductory courses in your first year? Even though humanities classes are less intense than sciences, you won’t be able to follow without a basic foundation. So you should review as you go…”

“Understood, Senior.”

“Ah, it looks like we’ve reached the classroom.”

“You said you’d announce the mutant situation during orientation, right?”

“Yes. Although… Since the professor will probably call the attendance anyway, I thought about just mentioning it at that time.”

“Ah, okay?”

“Yes. Shall we sit here?”

“Senior, could I call one of my classmates? They also have the same timetable as me…”

“Sure, you can call them. Wasn’t it Nam Su-yeon? Is that right? I seem to remember meeting her during the freshman retreat.”

“Yes! I’ll call her right away!”

“Alright. I have to make a quick call to some of my classmates.”

I glanced at the group chat. Sure enough, my classmates had been messaging me nonstop.

[Han Tae-hoon: Yo. Where’s Yoon Seo-hyun?]

[Yoon Seo-hyun: I’m heading to another lecture after finishing Introduction to Modern Literature.]

[Han Tae-hoon: What lecture is that?]

[Yoon Seo-hyun: Classical Poetry and Culture.]

[Han Tae-hoon: Oh, that one I took before. That’s right, wasn’t it a retake for you…?]

[Yoon Seo-hyun: That might be true for others, but I don’t think we share any classes, Tae-hoon. We had completely overlapping schedules last semester.]

[Han Tae-hoon: Ah, that’s right…]

[Yoo Han-gyeol: Whoa? I’m taking that class, but will I finally be seeing the mysterious mutant Yoon Seo-hyun?]

[Yoon Seo-hyun: Haha, you probably won’t recognize me immediately.]

[Yoo Han-gyeol: You can change all you want, but your rugged face isn’t going anywhere, is it?]

[Yoon Seo-hyun: Don’t be too shocked when you see me, haha.]

[Yoo Han-gyeol: How much have you changed? Also, is it okay to reveal you’re a mutant? Everyone already seems to have strong opinions.]

[Yoon Seo-hyun: I’m going to reveal it anyway. It’s not something I can keep hiding forever. Initially, I planned to mention it at orientation, but I think it’s better to face it sooner.]

[Yoo Han-gyeol: Oh.]

[Heo Ji-hwan: I’m playing around though.]

[Yoo Han-gyeol: Are you on hiatus, Ji-hwan?]

[Heo Ji-hwan: Nah, I just had an intense first semester, so I’ve got a bit more breathing room this semester, taking only four classes.]

[Cho Min-hyeok: He was really pushing it last semester like Seo-hyun, yeah.]

[Han Tae-hoon: Hey Han-gyeol, let us know your thoughts once you see Yoon Seo-hyun.]

[Yoo Han-gyeol: This guy seems oddly confident, like maybe he gained some unexpected good looks during the mutation.]

[Yoon Seo-hyun: It’s not like that, don’t worry.]

[Yoo Han-gyeol: Okay.]

“Si-hyun, did you need me? Oh, hello! I’m Nam Su-yeon from the Korean Literature Class of ’18!”

“Hello, I’m Yoon Seo-hyun from the Korean Literature Class of ’14.”

“Wait… Yoon Seo-hyun, the senior from Korean Literature? As far as I know, there’s only one Yoon Seo-hyun senior…”

Nam Su-yeon looked perplexed, as if she’d heard something about me.

“Didn’t you mention it yet?”

Apparently, Si-hyun hadn’t gone into great detail about me.

She’s quite reserved, isn’t she, Miss Si-hyun?

This one is more intriguing than I thought. Usually, close friends would divulge things…

“Right. Is it okay if I tell her?”

“I was planning to reveal it anyway.”

“What are you guys talking about exactly?”

Su-yeon’s expression became confused.

“I am that Yoon Seo-hyun… I mutated last semester.”

“Mutated?”

“I’m sorry for deceiving you, Su-yeon. I didn’t expect Senior Seo-hyun to open up so quickly.”

“Si-hyun, it’s really hard for me to keep up with what you’re saying. Can you give me a quick summary?”

“Anyway… it goes like this…”

Si-hyun recounted the story about me to Su-yeon.

Judging from what she said, it seemed that Si-hyun had omitted parts related to the mutant aspect and tailored the explanation.

“Really sorry!”

“Ah, no, no. I understand, so please lift your head, alright? Other people might see.”

And Su-yeon didn’t seem too fazed by Si-hyun’s lie, treating it more like a harmless one.

She clearly understood that it was a well-intentioned omission.

“But I’m surprised you don’t look like a mutant at all.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Usually, there’s some kind of feature like horns…”

“I actually do have horns, they’re just hidden under my hat for now. And my eyes are naturally gold.”

“Ah… so you’re wearing contacts?”

“That’s correct.”

“I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say this, but it is kind of fascinating.”

“I believe that’s understandable.”

“But do other seniors know?”

“No, neither do my classmates. I wanted to keep it as a slight surprise.”

“You actually have quite a mischievous side, don’t you?”

“You might, unexpectedly, too, Su-yeon.”

“Yes! But you’re so different from the image I’ve heard about you.”

“Often, the rumors circulating around a department are not positive. I also looked quite stern. To truly understand a person, you must meet them directly. Someone others dislike might also resonate with you.”

“That’s true.”

“In any case, I look forward to working with you. This semester won’t be boring. Most of my classmates aren’t taking the same classes as me anyway.”

“Oh, really?”

“Among them, I guess only Yoo Han-gyeol is taking this class with me. Do you know him?”

“Yes! Han-gyeol Oppa. I’ve had quite a few free meals from him.”

“Well, I think I’ll be around with him for now. Since the timing of this lecture is just followed by lunch.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but could I join you guys regularly, if that’s okay?”

“Certainly not a problem. Though, hanging out with your classmates might be more fun… Oh, there he is, Han-gyeol.”

“Hey, why’s that?”

Su-yeon said that and then briskly approached Han-gyeol.

“Oppa Han-gyeol, hello! How have you been? I see you’re taking this class.”

“Ah, Su-yeon, hello. Good to see you too. I heard you’re taking this class?”

“Yes! And Si-hyun’s here too!”

“Good to see familiar faces. I was worried I would be alone and bored during this class. Nice to have folks I can ask if I miss an announcement in my sleep. But… something seems odd?”

“What’s that?”

“My classmates aren’t here. Normally, they’d arrive around 10 minutes early because of their punctual nature…”

“Is that about Seo-hyun Senior?”

“Exactly. He’s always here in time, keeping an assertive atmosphere with his stern demeanor… this is weird?”

When Han-gyeol said that, Su-yeon glanced at me and smiled. She’s much more playful than Si-hyun, clearly.

“Oppa Han-gyeol might already know, but I don’t have much interaction with Seo-hyun Senior.”

“Got it, got it. It just feels strange. We should text or something later. Don’t worry and keep making us anxious. Let’s sit down. Looks like the professor is about to arrive.”

“Understood.”

“I guess I’ll speak with Si-hyun after the class.”

“Would you like to join us for lunch?”

“That’d be great.”

Right on cue, the professor walked in. Professor Hong Jeong-tae.

He’s always very calm during lectures, making the sessions easy to follow, but his notoriety stems from piling on assignments.

And to be honest, this might be impolite to say, but his classes are so monotonous that many students fall asleep.

“Ah, this semester’s also packed with students. Nice to meet you all. I teach Classical Poetry and Culture. My name is Hong Jeong-tae.”

The professor’s quick introduction was followed by applause. He then continued chatting a bit before calling the roll.

“Yoon Seo-hyun.”

“Here.”

Hearing my name called, I was sure that Professor Hong Jeong-tae hadn’t received the memo from Professor Kim Yeon-hwa.

“Hmm? A new face, but the name is familiar… Could you perhaps remove your hat?”

“Ah, yes.”

This unexpected outing was a surprise to me. I took off my hat and placed it aside.

And then the surrounding students let out startled gasps.

“Ugh!?”

It wasn’t just any student—it was Yoo Han-gyeol. Other students also started whispering among themselves. This reaction was exactly what I expected.

“Uh… Is that you, Yoon Seo-hyun?”

“Yes, I’m Yoon Seo-hyun from the Class of ’14, professor. I apologize for disappearing without a word last semester. I became a mutant.”

“Ahh, that’s fine, that’s fine. Such things can happen.”

The students around me were looking at me uneasily.

Of course, having a mutant suddenly pop into the classroom like this was disquieting.

Their reactions were understandable given the number of incidents caused by mutants.

So, slowly, we’ll need to work on changing that perception.

The commotion quieted down after the professor paused, collecting his thoughts.

“Calm down, calm down. There’s been a bit of a commotion here. Ha… this is a bit bewildering. So, Seo-hyun, or rather… should I call you Seo-hyun Ma’am now? Can you tell us what kind of mutant you are?”

“I’m a Dragon-type Mutant.”

“Dragon? The ones from mythology or legends?”

“Yeah, close to the Western dragon type, usually referred to as ‘Dragon’ in media…”

At that moment, I saw it. The professor’s eyes burning with curiosity.

Oh, dear department head. What if you hadn’t informed the first person I had to disclose this information to?

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