episode_0010

I think I handled it pretty smoothly… I did handle it well, right?

Huh?

Lee Sihyeon was gazing at me with sparkling eyes, like a fan who’d just met a celebrity.

Just then, someone approached us.

I think I saw that person during orientation… Was her name Nam Suyeon?

“Hey, Sihyeon. Do you know this person?”

“Ah, yes. This is the person who saved me before…”

“Saved? From what?”

“Later. I’ll explain in detail later. Excuse me. Oh, by any chance, would you have time after class?”

“Of course. I have some time before my next class, so I was thinking of stopping by the café.”

“Th-then, would it be okay if we go together after this class?”

“Sure. Since it’s just orientation, it’ll end quickly anyway… Let’s go together then.”

“Yes!”

Honestly, I wanted to scream “NO,” but considering what Jungmin-nim had said and how her eyes were shining like that, it would feel a bit wrong to push her away.

“You knew her? What’s this about her saving you?”

Sihyeon was grinning from ear to ear.

Today must be a pretty lucky day. Ah, does this mean my luck will turn bad eventually?

But at the very least, it probably won’t be as bad as Kim Chunji’s. Unlike his life, which was full of tragedies, her life didn’t end two months ago in that incident.

Sihyeon hesitated over where to begin before finally speaking.

“You know how two months ago, that Minotaur-type mutant went on a rampage at the café where I was working part-time, right?”

“Of course I know.”

“I was there at the scene.”

“What?!”

“And when the Minotaur destroyed the café and charged inside, I was still working there.”

“Wait, hold on. Are you joking?”

“I’m not joking. I really… almost died that day. That mutant tried to kill me.”

“But how did you survive…?”

“The person we just met saved me.”

“What? How?”

Sihyeon debated how much she should say.

She decided not to mention that Seohyun was a mutant.

Since Seohyun hadn’t revealed it herself, Sihyeon thought it would be improper to out her.

Revealing someone’s mutant status was something only they should do.

Class of ’14.

And the same name.

That was when Sihyeon realized that the intimidating-looking senior she’d seen during orientation was the same kind mutant who had saved her.

Already misunderstood and labeled as a scary senior, Sihyeon didn’t want to add to the rumors about her.

Instead, Sihyeon slightly embellished the story.

She wasn’t entirely comfortable lying to Suyeon, but she figured she’d apologize and come clean once Seohyun revealed her identity as a mutant.

“They rescued me when I was sprawled on the ground, unable to do anything. They grabbed my hand and pulled me up, then distracted the Minotaur-type mutant long enough for me to escape.”

“Now that you mention it, didn’t they say a dragon-type mutant showed up back then? So was it… her?”

“No, no. That happened later, after we’d already gotten away. The lightning strike came after we’d left.”

“Ah… Wow. So she’s your lifesaver?”

“Yeah. I never thought I’d run into her here.”

“What department is she in?”

“I’m not sure either.”

“This is like something out of a movie. Taking the same class as the person who saved you? What kind of novel-like world is this?”

“Haha, what are you talking about? Anyway, I was thinking of treating her to coffee after class today. Would that be okay?”

“I’d love to tag along, but crashing an awkward meetup would make things uncomfortable for me too… Got it. Just introduce me later, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I will. She’s really warm-hearted. I think you’ll get along quickly.”

“Oh? That’s surprising. I’ve never seen you give such high praise to anyone before.”

“Someone who looks out for others in a situation where they could’ve been in danger too—how could they be a bad person?”

“Well… that makes sense.”

“Then let’s meet up during the second lecture after orientation ends.”

“Okay.”

Fortunately, the department head deliberately skipped my name during roll call.

It wasn’t just random since we made eye contact… She must have been considerate of my situation.

She probably intended to give me the freedom to decide. I should thank her later.

“Anyway, Understanding Modern Literature will start by covering modern poetry and fiction…”

The orientation began, explaining how the course would be conducted over the semester. Of course, I already knew since I’d taken it earlier this year.

As expected of an orientation, it didn’t last long, and the department head wrapped it up with a smile.

“It’s just orientation, so I won’t keep you too long. Starting next class, I’ll upload the materials online, so just print them out and bring them. Let’s all do our best this semester, alright?”

“Thank you!”

Additionally, the merciful department head didn’t force us to buy textbooks.

In STEM and other departments, professors pushing expensive textbooks is a common complaint… but at least in ours, that wasn’t an issue.

Unless it was an intro course, most materials were uploaded online, so unnecessary expenses were rare.

As soon as class ended, students split into groups and streamed out of the lecture hall.

I had plans too, but I needed to thank the department head first.

“Professor.”

“Ah, Seohyun. I skipped your name during roll call just in case—was that alright?”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“So, when do you plan to reveal that you’re a mutant?”

“I actually came to talk to you about that. It’s not something I can hide forever, so I’ll tell my classmates today and announce it officially during the upcoming department meeting.”

“…That must’ve been a tough decision. Let me know if you need any help.”

“Haha. I doubt it’ll come to that.”

I didn’t think I’d need the professor’s help. It’d be strange for a professor to intervene in student conflicts anyway.

Even if issues arose, I doubted they’d escalate into serious trouble.

“Alright. Study hard.”

“Ah, professor?”

“Yes?”

“Are there any group projects this semester?”

“No. Last semester, too many teams slacked off. I figured individual assignments would work better.”

“Haha…”

Once my chat with the professor ended, I went to find Sihyeon.

I spotted her waiting for me near the back of the lecture hall shortly after.

Casually, I walked over.

“Did you wait long?”

“N-no, not at all.”

“Sorry. I had to talk to the professor about mutant-related matters.”

“Oh.”

“Do you know where your friend from earlier went?”

“We arranged to meet later. Considering your situation, I figured bringing her along might make things awkward.”

Her response immediately clarified why she was so well-liked and respected in the department.

It wasn’t just “because we made plans”—she’d considered my identity as a mutant and acted accordingly.

Most people would’ve dragged their friend along without a second thought.

The fact that she’d made that consideration on the spot meant she was genuinely thoughtful.

Exactly the kind of person I liked.

“You didn’t need to go that far. I was already planning to come out as a mutant soon.”

“Ah-ha. Speaking of, you can drop the formal speech with me. I’m way younger than you.”

“Let’s save that for when we’re closer. Once I drop formalities, I tend to get a bit too blunt, so I’d rather be careful.”

As I smiled while saying it, Sihyeon nodded in understanding.

“Ah-ha. Then… are you the famous Senior Seohyun I’ve heard about?”

“Probably. I’m the only Yun Seohyun in the Korean Literature Department from the class of ’11 to ’18.”

“So… you were originally male, then?”

“Yes. I used to look pretty rough. Got into trouble a lot. Anyway, no point standing around here—shall we head to the café?”

“Ah, yes!”

When we arrived, we ordered two coffees and sat down.

“If you’re curious about anything, ask away. I’m not usually like this, but your thoughtfulness impressed me, so I’ll make an exception.”

“You… fought seniors when you were a fourth-year, right?”

“Ah, haha. That’s your first question? I thought you’d ask about mutant stuff.”

“I’m curious about that too.”

“Alright, let’s take it slow. Like most departments, Korean Literature had a toxic seniority culture. Even though it wasn’t a sports team, seniors would constantly gather underclassmen… I hated seeing that. Then there was this one senior—a total bully—who messed with my classmate, so I snapped.”

“Ah.”

“Well, after that, I became an outcast. Since the current fourth-years were the influential clique back when they were third-years. And I wasn’t the type to approach people first anyway.”

“My classmate told me some second-years wanted to get closer to you…”

“It wasn’t like I refused everyone, but… I wasn’t interested. I hated being dragged to drinking gatherings. I’m weak with alcohol and didn’t want to cause trouble. Feels like forever ago. It’s been a while since I treated an underclassman like this.”

“Haha. Should I call it an honor?”

“No need for that.”

“So the fact that you brought me here means I passed your standards, right?”

“Yep. I was just going to buy you coffee and leave it at that, but you not bringing your friend earned you bonus points. That showed you considered my mutant status.”

“You’re really picky.”

“I get that a lot. My philosophy is that relationships should be few but deep.”

“Same here.”

“Doesn’t seem like it—you’re pretty popular. My classmates went crazy when you enrolled. Said a great underclassman had arrived. Same during orientation.”

“That’s just because third-year seniors treated me well… People just tend to think positively of me. Deep down, my personality’s similar to yours.”

“Oh? So you’re already acquainted with them? Usually, people think well of someone because they genuinely deserve it.”

“Thank you for the kind words.”

“Good for you. My classmates are all decent people. I’m pretty abrasive, but thanks to them, I managed to survive department life. Ah, but none of them were creepy, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Figured. They’re not the type to pull that crap. Well, most of them had girlfriends, anyway. Sadly, I was the only one who didn’t. Not that it matters now, since dating’s out of the question.”

“Ahaha… S-so, you were originally male—does that ever feel confusing?”

“No. My species traits take care of that. Plus, I wasn’t really into dating anyway.”

“Ah-ha. By the way, the news called you a dragon-type mutant… is that true?”

“Yep. Full dragon. Wings and all.”

“Wings?!”

Instantly, Sihyeon’s eyes sparkled.

“I can’t bring them out now. The sleeves tear off around my wing joints, leaving embarrassing gaps. Unless I’m wearing backless or open-shoulder clothes, I avoid summoning them.”

“Ah… Are they big?”

“Huge. One wing alone spans roughly two meters when fully extended. Both together, about four meters.”

“Wow.”

“Well, if we get closer, I’ll show you sometime. Any other questions?”

“That lightning strike last time—can you do more stuff?”

“Plenty. I can control fire and summon rain.”

“…Kinda feels like a mix of Eastern and Western dragons?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it. Controlling rain, lightning, and weather aligns with Eastern dragons, while fire and wings are Western traits.”

“That’s fascinating.”

“Hear that a lot. Anything else? Normally, I wouldn’t bond like this with a freshman until later, but since we skipped that, lunch is my treat too. You can invite your friend if you want.”

“That’s generous, but… shouldn’t I be the one treating you? You saved my life, after all.”

“I’ve got money to spare. And seniors shouldn’t freeload off underclassmen. If you insist, buy me coffee another time. Not today.”

“Deal.”

“Ah, what’s your next class?”

“Uh… Classic Poetry and Culture.”

“Same as me. Oh, want some good news?”

“What is it?”

“That Understanding Modern Literature class we just had? No group projects this semester.”

At that, Sihyeon’s face lit up. As expected—no college student enjoys group projects, no matter what.