episode_0002

“This is truly astonishing.”

“Huh? What is?”

“You’re the first person I’ve seen who’s this emotionally stable.”

“The doctor said the same thing……”

“Haha. That’s understandable. They’ve probably seen more Variants in Korea than anyone else.”

“Is that so?”

Now that I think about it, that doctor did seem like they’d been through quite a few similar situations themselves.

“Yes.”

“Um, so why exactly did you come to see me……?”

“Ah, it’s to handle various administrative matters for Variants. You don’t need to be so guarded.”

“Administrative matters?”

“Well, most Variants don’t experience a change in gender…… but in your case, Seohyun-ssi, your gender has also shifted. So you’ll need a new citizen registration card.”

“Ah.”

Right. The ID card. Since my entire appearance has changed, all my previous identification documents must be useless scraps of paper now.

“Ah, I also saw that you’ve completed military service. There may be reserve force-related matters to handle too……”

“Don’t tell me I gotta go to reserve training like this?”

“Haha. Normally, yes, but since Variants often cause unnecessary accidents, they’re usually exempted. But wow, you really are calm—just like the doctor said. Most people are completely disoriented when their gender changes.”

“Hell yeah.”

“Hmm?”

At the news of being exempted, I unconsciously muttered, Hell yeah, under my breath.

“Ah, never mind. Anyway, it’s just… even though this is all happening, it somehow feels… familiar?”

“Well, better safe than sorry, right? If your mind hadn’t been stable and you’d lashed out uncontrollably…… things could’ve gotten disastrous.”

The NIS agent’s expression bloomed with unmistakable relief—like they’d aged ten years in an instant. Honestly, seeing them react like that made me suspect something really bad must’ve happened.

“I heard I was unconscious for three months…… was there some kind of incident during that time?”

The agent silently nodded.

“A lot happened. Many Variants were thrown into chaos by the racial traits they manifested, leading to accidents left and right. Injuries weren’t uncommon, and in the worst cases, there were fatalities.”

“……That’s serious.”

“It was a sudden storm of change. Thank god modern weaponry still works on Variants—if it didn’t, the casualties would’ve been catastrophic.”

“I guess public perception of Variants isn’t great, huh.”

“Unfortunately… no, it isn’t. Not all Variants are like that, and many live peacefully among people, but…… crimes have been committed by Variants. Public perception inevitably gets shaped by the extreme minority.”

I rubbed my temples. So much for just being some plain college kid—now I might get treated like a borderline terrorist wherever I go.

“Anyway, Seohyun-ssi, you’ll be staying at this hospital for the time being to undergo training on controlling yourself. It’s unavoidable if you want to live among others normally…… I appreciate your cooperation. Ah, here are the documents.”

With that, the agent handed me some paperwork.

“What’s all this?”

“Like I mentioned earlier, documents related to your new citizen registration and ID. You’ll also need to take a photo later.”

“Okay.”

I carefully reviewed the documents, signed where needed, and returned them.

I’d worried I might accidentally snap the pen, but…… strangely, once I consciously stopped thinking about applying force, my grip loosened effortlessly.

Huh. Unlike my earlier concerns, I seemed to naturally regulate my strength now.

Maybe I don’t even need this training?

“Oh. At this rate, you might not need that much training.”

The agent seemed impressed when they saw me handling everything so smoothly. Apparently, most people break around ten pens before getting the hang of it…… whereas I nailed it instantly.

……Once I finished reviewing the documents, taking the photo, and completing the procedures, the agent neatly packed everything away and spoke up again.

“Alright. That covers everything on my end, so I’ll take my leave now. You’ve been through a lot—if you need anything, just let the doctor know. Here’s my contact info, just in case. Feel free to reach out if anything comes up, or if your condition becomes unstable.”

“Ah, got it.”

As soon as the agent left, I returned to my hospital room. The doctor cheerfully asked if all the formalities were done, and I confirmed they were.

Soon, I’d receive my new citizen registration card, and all my personal records would be updated accordingly.

My name though…… I decided to keep it—Seohyun.

It’s a unisex name anyway.

No point changing it just because my gender did.

I’ve been Seohyun my whole life, and I’ll stay Seohyun.

Lying back on the bed, I wished I could at least check my phone to catch up on everything I’d missed—but no luck.

My family had taken it, apparently.

So all I could do was blankly stare at the ceiling.

As I zoned out, my thoughts drifted.

They say Variants inherit traits of whatever they’ve transformed into.

And what I’d become was—most likely—a dragon, or dragonkin.

In fantasy novels or any media, dragons are always depicted as beings of immense physical and mental strength.

Though…… they’re also portrayed as violent tyrants pretty often, but whatever.

Thinking about the stereotypical dragon image……

Maybe the reason I’m so mentally stable compared to other Variants is because of dragon-related racial traits.

Honestly, it made sense.

Most Variants lose their damn minds upon transforming, unable to accept reality—so really, I’m the weird one here for being so calm.

Sure, I’m confused, but that’s it. I don’t feel even a shred of the overwhelming despair that’d drive someone insane.

……That’s a relief.

Considering how fragile my mental state used to be, it seems I’ve somehow evolved into a mental fortress post-transformation.

If I’d stayed my old self, I might’ve ended up on some wanted list by now.

My family’s coming.

Makes sense—they’d want to see me now that I’m awake.

They should’ve been informed sooner, but apparently, it’s dangerous contacting families before a Variant passes medical checks—so they delayed it on purpose.

The timing weirdly coincided with when my family couldn’t visit, so I didn’t actually see them until three days later.

Their faces were brimming with joy.

“……Seohyun?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank god. Really.”

Honestly, I was just bewildered.

From my perspective, I’d just taken a nap—so their reaction was kinda surreal.

Even my usually bratty little sister looked visibly relieved…… Guess they’d all been worried sick.

“Wait, how’d you even recognize me?”

“We watched your entire transformation—who wouldn’t recognize you? How’re you feeling? Did you just wake up today?”

“No. It’s been about three days.”

“What?”

Mom instantly looked ready to storm off and confront the doctor for not notifying them sooner, but I stopped her.

“Relax, relax. They were running tests—that’s why it took a while.”

“What kinda damn tests take—”

“You know how dangerous Variants can be. Trust me, it wasn’t pretty.”

“Wait, what do you mean?”

Just then, my sister butted in. Yoon Seo-ah. My little sister.

She’s got a cute face, but don’t let that fool you—she’s mom’s daughter through and through.

Back in the day, we’d fight literally every day without fail.

Things did mellow out a bit after I got back from military service, but she still feels more like a loud friend than a sister.

Anyway, she shot me a blunt look and asked:

“So, what’s your deal now? Even if you’re an ass, you’re family—so I’m kinda curious, y’know?”

“If I throw a punch wrong now, I could kill someone.”

“……What?”

“When they first checked me, I barely swung my fist—and it dented an alloy-reinforced wall.”

“Seriously!?”

“It’s true. The only reason we called you in now is because Seohyun-ssi is so emotionally stable. If they’d shown even the slightest instability, things could’ve gone very badly.”

Seo-ah gawked at the doctor, who just chuckled casually—even though the implications of that chuckle would terrify most people.

“Jesus……”

Mom and Dad seemed pretty shaken too.

Well, who wouldn’t be?

Horns or animal ears might be common enough among Variants, but one strong enough to crumple alloy walls bare-handed? That’s rare.

Their son… no, daughter now, I guess.

Either way, their kid had turned into something crazy—no wonder they were stunned.

But the doctor quickly reassured them.

Unlike most Variants, Seohyun was remarkably emotionally stable—no signs of distress.

No aggression either, that usual post-transformation hostility Variants tend to have.

So transitioning into daily life shouldn’t be too hard.

That seemed to put them at ease.

“Mom. Gimme my phone.”

“Hm? Oh—Seo-ah, give your brother his phone.”

“Isn’t it sister now? Whatever. Hey, here.”

“Thanks.”

Setting aside gender identity debates for now, I immediately started scrolling through my phone.

……Yep. The notifications were a disaster.

First off, the six group project chats—where my teammates had been venting furiously about their leader suddenly ghosting them. Then they all left the chats.

Well…… I’m sure they talked plenty of crap about me offline too.

I smirked. Serves you idiots right.

I mean, seriously. How did those slackers expect to pull everything together last-minute? Half of ’em probably never even opened PowerPoint before.

Felt good.

But apart from the petty satisfaction, a wave of dread hit me.

I failed six courses—does that mean…… I can’t retake them?

Well, if I’d dropped out early semester, I could’ve just retaken them later—but still.

“Mom. We’ve got a serious problem here.”

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Did I get an official leave of absence?”

“Yeah. After you collapsed, we requested it—just in case. Said it was for a major medical condition, so they approved it.”

At Mom’s thoroughness, I sighed in relief.