Chapter 18 - God???
"Alright, let's start with the basics. How old are you?"
Nom nom—
"Twenty."
The eyes of the student affairs staffer, who had introduced herself as Suhyun, widened. She looked utterly incredulous.
But I've got my ID on me. That should settle it, right?
"Twenty? For real?"
"Yep."
I always carried my ID with me. You never knew when something might come up—whether picking up delivery food or hitting the convenience store. So I wasn't too worried.
Slurp—
Nom nom nom...
I savored my udon, watching Suhyun scribble notes across from me.
"...What year were you born?"
"Uh... 2016...? No, wait, '26...?"
"...?"
Yeah. Okay. It sounded off no matter who heard it.
But I genuinely didn't know. If you got technical, this body of mine had only existed for a few months, so maybe I should just call this year my birthday? I couldn't even remember my previous life's birthdate.
"...I've got my ID right here. Want to see it?"
"ID? Oh, uh, yeah. Show me."
Suhyun's face was a mask of confusion, like she hadn't even considered an ID would be in play.
Rustle—
I pulled out my ID with confidence and handed it over.
Slurp—
"...Whoa."
I kept eating my udon without a second thought, but then I felt a weird stare and glanced up...
"..."
Suhyun was looking at me with these heartbreakingly pitying eyes.
...What's that about?
She handed the ID back wordlessly, so I took it with both hands. Something felt off, so I checked it out...
Resident Registration Card - Lea (LEA)
012345 - 1234567
"????"
What the hell? Why's my resident registration number like that? What is this??
"It's okay, Lea."
Okay my ass. She's totally misunderstanding this in the worst way!
No, this is a mistake!!
"No, that's not... ugh,"
Cough—cough—
"Hack!! Hack—!"
I tried to explain in a rush, but of course I choked and started coughing.
Suhyun was suddenly at my side, patting my back and gazing at me with those same pitying eyes.
No, no... this is seriously messed up, what the—???
I'd definitely checked the ID properly back home at first...
...
Wait, had I actually looked at it properly...?
No, but come on, logically speaking.
Logically, having an ID number like that was just too much. For real. God, is this right???
"...Fine, I'll believe you're twenty."
It's not about believing—it's true! I really am twenty...
But is this vessel's body actually twenty years old?
Short stature, petite and cute build, oozing girl hormones—compared to my pre-reincarnation self, I was unmistakably more feminine now...
"...Yeah."
I had no choice but to nod along. Damn it.
Fine, whatever. Let it be. I'd come this far anyway—might as well use this incident to force myself into being more outgoing, hitting the outside world more often.
As I stewed on that, Suhyun, sitting beside me, asked cautiously,
"Lea. Have you ever taken the awakener exam?"
"...Huh?"
"The basic test at the Awakener Management Bureau. Mana measurement and registration."
I blinked blankly. First I'd heard of it.
"...There's something like that?"
Well, sure, in a world with awakeners, it made sense. But I'd never heard of it??
...I never even thought to look it up, huh.
Thinking back, I realized I was even lazier than I'd admitted.
Suhyun's expression hardened.
She's definitely thinking, 'She really knows nothing.'
It didn't feel bad exactly... just kinda weird.
"So you're not registered with the Bureau either, then."
"...Registered?"
"Awakeners usually register their identity with the Bureau. For safety reasons, and for protection."
I took a sip of udon broth and asked carefully,
"...Is it mandatory?"
Sounded like a hassle. Honestly, I just wanted to ditch Suhyun and that scary uncle behind us and head home.
"Not strictly, but..."
Suhyun trailed off, then said firmly,
"No. Not in your case."
"...Why?"
"Too dangerous."
I froze at that. What? Is it illegal to use powers without the test? Am I going to jail?
Jail wouldn't be a big deal—I could probably just warp home anyway...
Whether she sensed my thoughts or not, Suhyun continued calmly, trying not to agitate me.
"It doesn't mean you're dangerous. The opposite, actually."
"..."
What was that supposed to mean? That I make things dangerous around me?
"Being alone with that kind of power and no preparation—it puts you at risk."
"???"
I sat there with a totally lost look, and pity flashed across Suhyun's face again.
For real, why does she keep doing that????
After a bit of back-and-forth, realizing I had no real counterarguments, I just meekly followed Suhyun and the scary uncle.
On the way, I learned the uncle was the university president.
The president of the very school whose dorm I'd been sneaking in and out of for deliveries.
"...Wait, why are student affairs and the president coming along personally?"
"We deemed your case special."
"Even the president?"
"Trust me, I'm wondering the same thing."
I shut my mouth at the gruff reply from the driver's seat. Whoa, that voice was husky—like something out of a movie.
Anyway, the three of us ended up at a massive building towering in central Seoul.
The emblem and lettering on the front made me stop dead without thinking.
"...Whoa."
Hunter Management Bureau HQ.
I'd imagined some brutal, fortress-like monstrosity from the name alone, but it was more like a government office crossed with a huge hospital. Kinda sleek.
Tons of people everywhere. Suits. Training gear. White coats. And folks who screamed "awakener" at first glance.
So many coming and going, it made my head spin for a second.
"...Can't I just skip this?"
I muttered super quietly, but Suhyun cut in immediately.
"No."
"Just once?"
"No."
"...Even after I finished my udon?"
"That has nothing to do with it."
Suhyun was rock-solid. Damn. The world was too harsh on me.
As soon as we stepped inside, cool AC air hit us.
And at the same time...
"..."
"...Huh?"
"...What?"
People's gazes started turning our way.
I flinched. Was something wrong with me? I quickly checked my outfit—no issues.
Then why? It'd been like this at school too. Why did everyone keep staring?
This was getting annoying for real.
We bypassed the first-floor info desk, scanned badges for the dedicated elevator, passed security doors once, then again. It was a way more sealed-off area than I'd expected.
Suhyun, who'd dragged me here, approached what looked like a reception counter, and the woman there waved cheerfully. They knew each other.
"Professor? What brings you here?"
"Requesting registration for a new awakener."
The receptionist took the papers, then blinked at me.
"This kid?"
"Yes."
"And the guardian..."
Her eyes flicked to the president, then back to Suhyun.
Suhyun paused briefly. A short silence. Her gaze brushed my face. Tense expression. And those uneasy eyes she'd had since earlier.
Why's she looking at me like that...?
"...No legal guardian at present."
As I puzzled over it, Suhyun spoke in a low, clear voice.
"However, until registration and identity verification are complete, I'll act as temporary guardian."
"...You'll do it personally, Professor?"
The receptionist's eyes widened a bit. Suhyun nodded calmly.
"Yes. I'm with student affairs, and the first from the university to discover her. It would be even more irresponsible to back out now."
The president behind us cleared his throat shortly.
"The president agrees. We've secured the student first, and Professor Kim Suhyun has handled it most stably."
"...Understood."
The receptionist started typing something right away.
"Then I'll enter Professor Kim Suhyun's name in the temporary guardian field first."
"Yes."
I watched the scene in a daze.
...What?
Temporary guardian? Who? Suhyun? Wait, hold up. This feels off.
Just moments ago, I'd been treated like some shady suspect. Why was guardianship coming up now?
"Um..."
I opened my mouth hesitantly, and Suhyun turned to me right away.
"What is it?"
"That... temporary guardian thing..."
I trailed off, and her expression softened just a touch.
"It's a required procedure. No need to be scared."
No, I get that it's procedure. But why's it blowing up like this?
"I-I can handle it alone..."
I muttered softly, but Suhyun drew a firm line.
"Your identity isn't verified in the system right now. No birth records, no resident registration, no Bureau registration—everything's blank."
"...Eep."
"Like you said earlier, I searched everything on the drive over."
Wait, when did she have time for that? No wonder she was so quiet.
"Birth year, name, address from your ID. I checked every similar spot in case of typos, but nothing."
"Speaking of which, this ID."
Suhyun held up the ID I'd given her earlier, asking seriously.
"Who gave it to you?"
She bent down to meet my eyes, and the pressure hit me.
"..."
How do I say God gave it to me, right here? I didn't know it'd be in such a sorry state!!
"...Anyway. We can't just leave you alone in that situation."
Misreading my silence, she nodded slightly and straightened up.
Somehow, I had nothing to say to that. It wasn't wrong. Hell, it was the most rational call right now.
...The problem was that I was the subject of that rational judgment??
The receptionist glanced at me again.
"Student name: Lea, correct?"
"Yes."
"No family name?"
"No..."
"Got it. We'll start with temporary guardian registration."
Tap tap...
The keyboard clacks echoed loudly. Beside her, Suhyun flipped through papers like she really was my guardian.
I muttered internally as I watched.
...How did it come to this?
Staring blankly out the window at the blue sky for a moment, I hallucinated God in his gaming chair, grinning and thumbs-upping me.
"..."
Who's messing with who right now...?