Gender-Reversed University
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-Screeech!
The bus heading to Yongin in Gyeonggi Province came to a stop, and a crowd of people waiting nearby piled on.
There were more people heading to Yongin than I'd expected.
The mostly empty seats started filling up one by one.
It would take about an hour to get to Yongin from here.
If I didn't grab a seat, I'd have to stand the whole way.
Standing on a bus for an hour in the morning sounded pretty miserable.
As I boarded, I spotted an empty seat just in time.
I hurried toward it.
But a cute short-haired girl beat me to it by a step.
She glanced at me, started to sit down, then stood back up with a sly smile.
"Go ahead and sit. I'm fine standing. I'll be getting off soon anyway."
A cute short-haired girl's kindness.
Not something I was used to.
"Nah, I'm good. A guy can stand no problem. Might as well get some morning exercise."
It was bullshit, but how could I embarrass myself by taking a cute girl's seat?
The short-haired girl wasn't backing down, though.
"What? I'm a girl, so I'm sturdy enough to stand for an hour. Sit down quick before someone else takes it."
Right next to me stood a grandfather who looked like he was struggling.
I shot the cute short-haired girl a meaningful look.
She nodded, getting it immediately.
"Grandpa, have a seat."
"Oh? Aigoo, thank you, young lady. My joints aren't what they used to be... Thanks a ton."
The old man thanked her profusely as he sat down.
Now the short-haired girl and I were stuck standing side by side for the hour-long ride.
I stole a glance at her, and damn, she was pretty.
Neat, cute eyebrows.
Big, sparkling eyes.
Straight, high nose.
Red lips, perfect size, pouty in a cute way.
She reminded me of Psyduck from Pokémon, that little duck vibe.
Sensing my glance, the cute duck-like girl beamed and struck up a conversation.
"Hey, do you go to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Yongin Campus by any chance?"
"Huh? Oh... yeah. How'd you know?"
"I think I've seen you at the school cafeteria a few times."
"The cafeteria?"
"Yeah. I go there too."
"Oh... right."
We stood there awkwardly, staring out the window again.
But the cute duck-like girl mustered her courage and tried again.
"I'm Choi Ye-ra. What's your name?"
"Oh, Yu Siwon."
"Nice! What a coincidence running into you like this. Let's be friends."
It was just the same bus, not that big a coincidence.
But she was cute, so yeah, I wouldn't mind.
"Sure, Ye-ra. Sounds good."
"Hey, you're a freshman this year, right? Me too. Let's drop the formalities?"
She had a refreshingly straightforward personality.
"Why not?"
"Cool. Nice to meet you, Siwon."
"You too, Ye-ra."
In my original world, even talking to girls, let alone getting close, was a hassle.
But in this reversed world, girls approached me first just for standing there.
Making girlfriends was way too easy.
"What department are you in, Siwon? I'm majoring in Russian."
"Whoa, Russian? Isn't that super hard? I'm in Journalism and Broadcasting."
"Russian? Yeah, kinda tough. I'm still learning, so half the time I have no clue. Journalism, huh? Dreaming of being an announcer?"
"Announcer? Not really. Just went with my entrance exam scores. I've got some interest in broadcasting."
"Oh yeah? Like advertising model or idol singer stuff?"
"Nah, not that. Me, a model or idol? No way. More into drama scriptwriting or directing."
Choi Ye-ra's big eyes sparkled as she looked at me.
"No way. You could totally do model or actor with your looks. Tall, handsome face. You should audition for SN or YJ sometime."
She said the ridiculous stuff with such sincerity.
Sure, coming to this reversed world had made me look better than most guys here, but entertainer level? Nah.
In my old world's terms, I'd be like a cute girl with a great body who'd make people do a double-take on the street.
Choi Ye-ra, this cute duck-like girl, had insane social skills.
We'd just met, but it already felt like we were buddies.
"I've actually been taking broadcast dance classes lately. Interested? We could go together next time. I can introduce you to my urban dance teacher. She does broadcast dance too, and knows tons of celebs and managers. Come on, you could totally be an idol."
I waved her off.
"Cut it out. Don't hype me up. Me, an entertainer?"
"Tch, I mean it. Oh, but hey, Siwon—got Katon? Mind if I add you?"
True to her social butterfly vibe, she flowed right into asking for my Katon like it was nothing.
"Yeah, I'll add you. Give me your ID."
"Here."
Choi Ye-ra punched her Katon ID into my phone.
But even while she did, my phone kept buzzing nonstop.
-Bzzz! Brrrrzz!
"Whoa, Siwon, you must be popular 'cause you're hot. Katon's blowing up."
"Nah, just bros and friends."
Of course, sharp-eyed cute duck Choi Ye-ra wasn't buying it.
"Pfft, yeah right, I know better. So, got a girlfriend?"
Damn, she went straight for it.
We'd barely met, and boom—girlfriend question.
Honestly, even I wasn't sure if I had one.
In my old world...
Hyungjun's mom couldn't really be a girlfriend.
One-night stand fit better.
The blonde tanned PC bang girl was fun for drinks and casual hookups, but too wild for a girlfriend.
Yuri noona had a boyfriend and was a total bitch.
But man, she was the hottest for sex somehow. Smart and wicked, maybe.
Convenience store girl Yu-bi—we hadn't even proper dated yet.
Fitness manager Se-kyung was probably closest to girlfriend material.
Purely on looks and body, Hong Yuna topped the list...
Looks only, of course.
Hong Yuna was Hyungjun.
Mind control reset.
"Siwon, what're you thinking so hard about?"
"Huh? Oh... nothing."
"So, girlfriend? It's okay if it's awkward to answer."
Not awkward at all.
"Nah, no girlfriend. Just a few shooters I'm dating."
"For real? No girlfriend? Wow, insane. I figured a handsome guy like you had one for sure. Does that mean I can be your shooter starting today?"
Choi Ye-ra came in hot with the straight ball. Staggering.
"I'll teach you Russian and buy you tasty food. Come on, let me be your shooter."
As I flustered, she covered her mouth giggling.
"Haha, don't look so shocked. Just kidding. Kidding. But let's grab food soon. I know a great spot near school. Cool?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure."
"Hehe, your blushing face is adorable. Makes me wanna tease you more."
Choi Ye-ra was totally different from the other girls I'd met.
Playful, bright, cheerful.
And super approachable.
The announcement hit as we reached Bundang, and a ton of people got off.
Seats opened up for the ride to school—me and Choi Ye-ra included.
-Plop!
I sat and gazed out the window.
Familiar scenery rolled by.
Bundang was a new city—streets clean, everything neat.
Just 30 more minutes to campus.
Lots of office workers got off in Bundang, but even more students hopped on, filling the bus again.
Mostly our university students and high schoolers from HUFS Affiliated High School.
HUFS High had only about 360 kids per grade, but 20-30% made it into S University—top 3 most elite high school in Korea.
They wore uniforms blending navy and yellow, white blouses inside, unique ribbon ties.
All looked like straight-A model students.
But I overheard the HUFS High girls whispering as they eyed me.
"Hey, that oppa—isn't that him? The famous guy from HUFS Yongin."
"Yeah, that's him. Way better in person than photos. So cute. And tall."
"Quick, snap a pic. Show the girls."
Eh? Talking about me?
The HUFS High girls sneakily covered their mouths and snapped pics with their phones.
"Got it?"
"Yup!"
"Look! Came out good, but still not as hot as IRL. Gotta brag at school I saw the HUFS campus heartthrob oppa. Hehe."
HUFS campus heartthrob?
Me?
Back in my old world, I was decently good-looking in Journalism, but not school-famous.
But now...
Not just college—not even high schoolers from HUFS Affiliated knew me.
Being famous for looks felt great, but...
Finally, the announcement for campus blared.
In my old world, the commute sucked, but today excitement bubbled—what would happen at school?
I stood slowly, filing off the bus with the crowd.