Chapter 13

“Are you going to open it?”

“Open it. Hey, Han-gyeol, why are you so tense just for opening the door to the study room?”

“Hey, this isn’t something ordinary, so that’s why. Also, I’m looking forward to seeing the juniors get surprised.”

“What’s so surprising about this… just open it already.”

Click. The sound of the door opening rang out, and the students inside the study room began to watch us.

Judging by the lack of familiar faces, it seemed there were many freshmen from the Class of ’18.

“Huh…?”

And there was my classmate Han Tae-hoon. He was casually sitting in the study room, seemingly making jokes with the juniors, but even he widened his eyes when he saw me and Han-gyeol walk in.

“Hey, Han-gyeol. Who’s the female with you?”

“Hey, Yoon Seo-hyun, you tell them.”

“…Yoon Seo-hyun? Wait a second. You’re telling me that rough-looking guy next to you is Yoon Seo-hyun?”

“Sorry to change into someone so rough, Mr. Han Tae-hoon. I woke up one day, and this is what I looked like, so I was startled too.”

Among my classmates in the study room was Han Tae-hoon. Jo Min-hyeok and Heo Ji-hoon had just entered the classroom a moment ago.

“Whoa… seriously surprised. What are those horns?”

“Dragon horns.”

“Then are you the Dragon-type Mutant floating around the internet?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Can you summon lightning too?”

“I can use fire as well. Would you like to see it?”

“Ooh… show us. That’s amazing.”

I raised the tip of my finger slightly. The firepower shouldn’t be too strong, so I’ll just produce a level akin to a candle flame.

Whoosh.

Seeing the small flame flickering at the tip of my finger, the freshmen, including Han Tae-hoon, all widened their eyes.

“Whoa…”

“Hey, is this the maximum amount of firepower you can produce?”

“No way. If I maxed it out, the whole building would burn down. I’m controlling it to the minimum level.”

“Senior. Could you use fire?”

“Yes. Although using lightning is also an option, this feels more like my main ability? Summoning lightning requires preparation, but for fire, I can just adjust the firepower roughly and use it right away.”

“Shouldn’t using fire have been better when you subdued the Minotaur-type Mutant?”

“It wouldn’t cause them to faint from burning alone. The doctor mentioned that tasers work on mutants, meaning they conduct electricity… So, roughly that idea?”

“A-ha.”

“Still, Seo-hyun, how do you know Si-hyun and Su-yeon?”

“Junior Si-hyun was present during the scene where we captured the Minotaur-type Mutant, and Junior Su-yeon became acquainted through Junior Si-hyun.”

“Si-hyun?”

Hearing about something connected to Si-hyun, one of the juniors seemed curious and asked me.

At that, Si-hyun nodded and said to their classmate,

“Uh-huh. I almost died, but Seo-hyun Senior saved me at that moment. She suddenly appeared, hurled the Minotaur away, dropped a bolt of lightning, and then disappeared—just like a hero from a movie.”

Si-hyun briefly summarized the story from that time. Han Tae-hoon, hearing that, looked at me and asked with an incredulous tone,

“Why haven’t you loosened up with this guy yet?”

“Have you not realized this after watching me for so many years?”

“Ah, right. This guy was a self-proclaimed loner. I just forgot for a moment because of his looks. Still, it’s good that he’s opened up to his juniors somewhat. Listen up, juniors. This is my classmate Yoon Seo-hyun. You probably met briefly during orientation, right? Isn’t the power of mutation amazing? To think that someone who used to look so fearsome could become so beautiful they could slap an entertainer twice across the face.”

“Ah, haha…”

The juniors were clearly showing signs of discomfort at Han Tae-hoon’s words.

Nonetheless, their eyes were all sparkling, clearly unable to hide their curiosity.

Part of that could also be attributed to my changed appearance.

My previous look… was indeed very fierce.

A face that seemed to reject human interaction altogether.

It was truly a dramatic transformation.

“Everyone looks curious, so if you have questions, feel free to ask.”

“Does the dragon have wings?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Wow… Can we see them?”

“Not possible. Though I can show other things, that’s something I can’t… for now.”

“Is there a specific reason?”

“The clothes would tear. Any outfit that isn’t specifically designed for the wings would get shredded. Plus, the wings are about four meters long, so if I unfurled them here, we’d destroy the space and cause chaos.”

“Woah… that big?”

“Uh-huh. I accidentally opened the wings at home once, and I got scolded by my younger sister.”

“How do you feel about transitioning from a man to a woman?”

“It’s inconvenient. Also… I feel wronged. If this had happened two years ago, I wouldn’t have had to go to the military.”

“Ah…”

“Come to think of it, do you have to join the reserve forces?”

“No, they exempt reserve duties.”

“That’s quite enviable…”

“Be annoyed then, why don’t you mutate too?”

“Nah, I prefer being normal. By the way, aren’t science universities throwing you love calls?”

“Why, for experimentation?”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s a no. I don’t want to be treated like a guinea pig.”

“Senior, will you be attending the orientation?”

“Yes. Although late, I thought I should try getting involved in departmental activities.”

“Should you? Ever since you became a mutant, it feels like you’ve undergone a dramatic transformation?”

“Well… just that the public perception of mutants has completely collapsed. And I feel if I don’t play a role somehow, it might lead to further complications in the future.”

“Why?”

“If I don’t establish myself as a safe mutant, people might grow increasingly uneasy about mutants studying in schools. Eventually, we might have to hide completely. Up until now, I wore colored black contact lenses and a hat, even though it was inconvenient.”

“…You must’ve been uncomfortable. Oh, that’s right. Do you get drunk from alcohol?”

“No, it automatically breaks down when alcohol enters my body.”

“Whoa… I won’t be challenging you to drinking games. The guy who used to have the weakest alcohol tolerance in the 3rd year now has the strongest.”

“That’s true, but you know I quit drinking a while ago?”

“Still, when you join the orientation, the juniors might offer you drinks. You won’t keep rejecting them all, right?”

“Well, that’s true… But I’d rather stick to beer if possible. Soju doesn’t taste good to me.”

“Understood!”

“Ah, and if you’re ever threatened because you’re a mutant, feel free to message me or something, and I’ll help. Despite this form, I do have considerable strength.”

“Come to think of it, they say that the later a mutant changes, the stronger they become. How strong are you?”

“Uh… Shall I show you? Han-gyeol, do you have a coin?”

“Here.”

I took a hundred-won coin and crushed it with my finger. It didn’t just fold in half; the center portion of the coin was completely punctured, creating a wide hole.

“Wow… seriously, you don’t want to make this person mad.”

“Han-gyeol said that too just now, but even this is without using much strength…”

“What do you think you’d be capable of if you used your full strength?”

“Hmm… I can’t judge my limit. I don’t know where the upper edge is.”

“Scary stuff.”

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of using my strength on people. Unless it’s a mutant who crosses the line.”

“At least that’s a relief. By the way, don’t you have media reporters coming while you’re still at university?”

“Hmm…”

“Recently, it seems that safe mutants are being interviewed for various programs… If you keep this profile going, media might soon approach you for interviews?”

“If they do… well, I do intend to accept interviews to promote the safety aspect. I want to emphasize that there are plenty of mutants who fit seamlessly into everyday life. It’s not fair for all of us to get a bad reputation due to the actions of a few troublemakers.”

“That’s a good idea. Hey, if I appear alongside you on TV, would that be alright?”

“Why would you want that?”

“Because it’d be fun to have my face on television.”

“…You’re impossible to predict, really.”

“That’s my charm. Ah, everyone, I’m sorry. I got carried away talking with an old classmate. Go ahead and get this person’s number once orientation starts, and tell them they owe you a meal.”

“Hey, Tae-hoon. Yoon Seo-hyun seriously lacks common sense. When I heard she bought meals for Su-yeon and Si-hyun, I thought she’d taken them somewhere fancy, but turns out they went to the cafeteria?”

“Seriously?”

“No, we had class next. So she said she’d treat them later.”

“Wow, when will this person ever act human?”

Han Tae-hoon looked at me while clicking his tongue repeatedly. Seriously… Han-gyeol, how could you divulge that?

What will the juniors think of me?

“That person’s already beyond hope. Now they’re a dragon.”

“Aha, right. Still, you all should try getting close and dragging them around a bit. This person may be good-hearted, but lacks a bit of social skills.”

“Hey, who are you to lecture me on social skills? Back when we were freshmen at the orientation, the seniors got ticked off because of your nonsense, and you made all of us gather for it.”

“Well, I eventually grew up, didn’t I?”

“Ugh. Anyway, everyone, this person is as crazy as I am, so don’t just look at me with weird eyes. And don’t mistake this person as someone who’ll just buy you cafeteria meals because they’re giving out their number during orientation. Understood?”

“Ah-ha! Got it!”

“Hey, Seo-hyun. Don’t you have a lecture soon?”

“Oh, time flies. Han-gyeol, do you take the dialects course?”

“I do. Anyone else taking it? Nobody, it seems?”

“Then let’s go. We should reserve a seat at the back.”

“Hey, your horns are already going to make you stand out.”

“I just like sitting at the back. That’s all.”

*

“Whoa… seriously got a shock there. Didn’t expect that kind of surprise.”

“We were shocked too.”

“Not just me, right? Anyway, how’s Seo-hyun doing?”

“They seem like a good person?”

“Isn’t that right? Get closer to them. They’re a great person. Whenever something difficult happens, they always prioritize helping others. Didn’t they say earlier how they saved me in my first year when I got into trouble with the seniors?”

“Yeah.”

“Anyone here knows the full story?”

“We just heard the rough details. Something about turning the department upside down back then.”

“They used to look so fierce that the seniors avoided Seo-hyun unless absolutely necessary. They were pretty built without even needing to work out. People with a naturally solid frame? They fit right in that category. Seemed like someone who should’ve been in Sports Education but ended up in Korean Literature. Meanwhile, I was struggling back then.”

“Wait, you?”

“Uh-huh. Anyway, there were a few rotten apples back then — people that have already graduated. I didn’t understand why university still had that military-style discipline, given it’s not actual military training. But it seems Seo-hyun also found that really unsettling. When I got picked on for no reason and was about to get hit, Seo-hyun blocked them and stared down the senior like they’d be killed. Here, I’ll show you Seo-hyun’s picture from before they mutated. Here, check this out. This guy had a frightening look in their eyes, didn’t they?”

“Wow… I’d definitely fold in half if they wanted to.”

“That’s exactly it. There was one particularly toxic senior back then, and Seo-hyun directly told them, ‘You son of a bitch.'”

“Really!?”

“Yeah. I really heard that phrase for the first time in my life with so much energy. Then, Seo-hyun bluntly criticized the seniors, making them look pathetic. ‘Did you come to this prestigious university in Korea just to play army games?’ So, that senior hit Seo-hyun. Their pride was injured.”

“Yeah.”

“Then Seo-hyun, after getting a couple of hits, went berserk and beat the senior like crazy. Even when other seniors tried to stop them, Seo-hyun’s eyes were totally crazed, and it was seriously violent. I think that senior got around eight weeks of medical leave, right? Seo-hyun really knew how to fight.”

“Holy…”

“After that, the military discipline in our department completely disappeared. The teaching assistants were heavily protective of Seo-hyun, especially Teacher Shin Jeong-min. That’s why our year respected Teacher Shin Jeong-min so much. They took care of us the most when we felt isolated.”

“Aha….”

“In short, they’re a genuinely good person. They might put up strong walls between them and others, but once you cross that barrier, they treat people inside their circle incredibly leniently. So during this orientation, mingle around them and interact. It’s kinda fun to provoke reactions from them.”

“Still, don’t the senior students look at all surprised that Senior Seo-hyun turned into a woman? With a face this pretty, wouldn’t men be taken aback?”

“Listen, we spent years with her before her mutation. Do you really think we’d start to feel anything new after that? Seo-hyun is still Seo-hyun regardless of the appearance change. Our attitude towards them hasn’t changed just because of the looks.”

“Kind of admirable, that relationship.”

“It’s the kind of bond fostered naturally in such an environment. Anyway, make sure you drag Seo-hyun around various places. She doesn’t listen to anything we say, but maybe she’ll heed you. Besides, Seo-hyun used to be so isolated from the world; she needs to have some fun too.”

“Got it!”

Upon hearing Tae-hoon’s words, Si-hyun replied.

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