Blessed Pheromone Bath Agent

Seo Joo-hwan had been greeting each morning these past few days with a refreshingly clear mood.

'Is it because that annoying bastard is finally gone?'

It definitely played a part. Not having to lay eyes on someone who grated on his nerves the moment he saw them meant zero stress. Of course, there was a more decisive reason.

"If you're coming along, you better get ready quick."

Ever since he started dating Jeong Ha-yeon, the two of them had been going to and from school together. They hadn't explicitly promised to do so, but since they lived in the same direction, it had naturally become routine. Today was a day with morning classes, so they needed to hurry. His place ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was closer to school, so she always came by his house on the way.

Shwaaa—

After a quick shower, Seo Joo-hwan dried his hair and began his morning routine.

"Item gacha."

Drawing an item first thing upon waking had become part of his daily ritual. You never knew what might pop up, so skipping a day was a straight loss. Especially with the Mongma's Blessing period winding down, he had to squeeze every last drop out of it while it lasted.

"Skin regeneration, huh. Not bad at all."

Seo Joo-hwan checked his face in the mirror after eyeing the item effects. Compared to his severely obese days, his face had become much more handsome. But setting aside his pheromones, objectively speaking, he wasn't quite at the "hot guy" level yet. A notch above average, maybe.

"They say even just improving your skin changes your whole impression."

He'd had explosive acne during puberty, turning his face a uniform red that drove him nuts. It had mostly cleared up now, but the damage had been so bad that pockmarks and scars lingered in quite a few spots.

"Saved some cash. No, saved time."

Money wasn't an issue anymore. But skin regeneration treatments took forever. If he used this item right, he could fix it in no time. Grinning in satisfaction, Seo Joo-hwan slung his bag over his shoulder. Orientation week was over, and proper lectures had kicked off this week. He couldn't head out empty-handed like he had last week. Hopefully, lockers would get assigned soon.

Stepping out front, he spotted Jeong Ha-yeon walking over from not far away.

"Ha-yeon, over here."

"Hey."

She waved back. He couldn't help but grin goofily as he stood beside her, only to hear a grumble.

"Hey, punk, don't we exist?"

"Hyung-nim..."

Lee Seok-chan and Jang Deok-hoon.

Seo Joo-hwan blinked. "You guys were here?"

Lee Seok-chan's face crumpled at the response.

"...Hey, Deok-hoon. Should we just go separately?"

"Yes. Women outside 2D are truly harmful."

"Ugh, you damn otaku shut-in! I'll go alone then!"

"Seok-chan ham, you should watch some manga or anime. It's so fun."

"No way, dude!"

Seo Joo-hwan gave the pair a pitiful look and tossed in a line.

"Jealous? Go date someone then."

"Argh!"

Lee Seok-chan let out a short scream and stormed ahead. Seo Joo-hwan clicked his tongue at the guy's back. Single life really narrowed your perspective. This was why people needed to date. Poor bastards.

The Publishing Content department's freshman curriculum was notoriously packed compared to other majors. With a heavy focus on employability, there was a ton to learn. Subjects like Photoshop and InDesign were especially brutal—you had to master the basics ASAP to survive the second semester, leaving zero free periods in the first.

And today was their first design lecture.

"This is hard!"

"I don't get any of it."

"Why is design even a major subject...?"

Seo Joo-hwan chuckled at the predictable reactions.

'I struggled like hell with this pre-regression too.'

Few people researched the curriculum in detail before enrolling. Sure, some did, but more than half got in based on grades or vague guesses from the department name. They figured graduating here meant landing a job at a publisher or ad agency, easy peasy. So no one expected design to be a core major subject. Freshmen encountering it for the first time wailed at the unfamiliar tools.

But that didn't last. Most students quickly picked up Photoshop tools by helping each other. Pre-regression, he had no one to ask, so he'd studied alone after class.

'Things are different now.'

The first class was super basic anyway. Following the prof's instructions, Seo Joo-hwan effortlessly created a cube shape with the tools, added colors, and threw in some variations. He lacked aesthetic sense, but his tool proficiency was top-notch.

Kim Sun-hye, who was wandering around checking progress, spotted him. She was a young professor in her mid-to-late thirties.

She peered at his work with interest. "Have you studied Photoshop on your own by any chance?"

"Yeah, but I'm not great—just know the basics, Prof."

"That's plenty for now. You're from Class A, right?"

"Yes. Seo Joo-hwan."

"Nice work. Joo-hwan here can help out with this group."

She patted his shoulder. He nodded, but it felt weird.

'Back then, she ripped me to shreds.'

Kim Sun-hye spoke softly but had a fiery temper underneath. He remembered her vividly from ten years ago. She'd cursed him out plenty, and she was rife with rumors too.

'Baby-faced old maid. Period witch.'

Nicknames from women, not men. The big one was that she favored young guys. Rumors she gave good grades to the few male students in the department. The girls gossiped viciously behind her back. And since some guys joined in, it wasn't entirely baseless. But without confirmation, rumors stayed rumors. Pre-regression, he'd only caught hell from her, so he'd never noticed any vibes.

As he pondered, nearby students called out.

"Oppa, can you show me how to do this?"

"Hwan unnie~ I don't get this either."

"Hyung-nim... save me. I got nothin'."

"Yo, Joo-hwan. How do you even do this?"

Flooded with pleas, Seo Joo-hwan was swamped. Even his mediocre Photoshop skills stood out here.

"Got it. I'll help one by one, so wait your turn. Oh, the one who called me unnie, step back."

"Aww, oppa!"

"Aegyo blocked! What tricks you pulling?"

"Tch. Only Ha-yeon unnie gets the good stuff."

Yoo So-jeong narrowed her eyes and tsked. Jeong Ha-yeon flinched beside her. Spotting it, Yoo So-jeong smirked.

"Ha-yeon unnie's embarrassed!"

"Unnie's felt different since dating Joo-hwan oppa~."

Before long, the two had become the department's official first CC couple. They hadn't flaunted it, but rumors spread like wildfire.

"Ha-yeon unnie's gotten cuter, right?"

"Yeah, more than when ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she wears makeup!"

The girls kept giggling and teasing nonstop until Jeong Ha-yeon scowled and turned away. Her already sharp eyes turned downright scary.

"Can we cut it out?"

Her tone was soft despite the glare, but it was enough. The teasing stopped cold.

"Y-yeah. Won't do it anymore."

"Sorry, unnie. We went too far..."

Even Yoo So-jeong, no slouch in mischief, looked down meekly. Jeong Ha-yeon panicked instead.

"W-wait, guys, I'm not mad."

"...Really?"

"Of course. I know it's just teasing. Class is on, so let's not get too loud."

She totally was mad. Seo Joo-hwan smirked through gritted teeth beside her. He got the girls' reactions now. Jeong Ha-yeon had this subtle knack for reining people in. Even with that weird droopy-eye makeup, she had quiet followers among the girls.

'Same pre-regression.'

Students ignored him, but once she took charge, things got handled fast. Recalling her talents, he pulled up her status window.

'No wonder.'

Six A-rank or higher talents. Charisma and Leadership created her unique aura. Paired with her sharp, cool looks, it amplified the effect.

His gaze lingered while scanning her talents.

'Prose and Learning are seriously tempting.'

Two straight A+ grades! Prose would boost his writing for sure, elevating his mere B+ Writing talent. Learning was universally appealing, unrelated to writing. Per Lucy, it specialized in acquiring skills, and at A+, it made breaking other talent limits easier. Insanely versatile.

Closing the window, he called over the girls fawning on Jeong Ha-yeon.

"Guys, stop teasing Ha-yeon and let's get to it. I'll help one by one. Oh, So-jeong, figure it out yourself."

"So mean!"

"The audacity, you wench. Ha-yeon, anything you don't get?"

Gotta take care of the girlfriend first. Jeong Ha-yeon, who'd been pretending not to notice, nodded without turning.

"Yeah. Don't know how to flip this."

"That's like..."

Seo Joo-hwan patiently explained. Then it hit him.

'Doesn't Ha-yeon already know Photoshop?'

Pre-regression, she did. She'd researched the whole curriculum. No wonder she topped the department effortlessly. Suppressing a chuckle, he played dumb and helped anyway.

Lee Seok-chan, watching with rotten eyes, tsked.

"What losers."

"Ughhh, full schedule's killing me~!"

"How many assignments this week?"

"Three."

"What? Three?"

"Deadline's two weeks, so still some breathing room."

Classes ended, and students groaned. Starting Friday with morning lectures straight through seventh period was brutal. It was already evening. Seo Joo-hwan was wiped too, but inwardly, he cheered.

'Today's the chance.'

Lee Seok-chan bailed for an appointment, Jang Deok-hoon bolted home for a figure delivery. Naturally, just him and Jeong Ha-yeon left. Seo Joo-hwan was convinced the blessing had marked today.

'We're doing it today!'

Sex, obviously. Shockingly, nearly a week into dating, he hadn't slept with her yet. Hell, even their occasional kisses were chaste. Blame her subtle iron wall. She never said no outright, but communication wasn't just words. Her vibe screamed it. Every time he pushed deeper, she'd change the subject or slip away. Kisses okay, but no further—that vibe made bold moves tough.

'Not like she hates me.'

He'd wondered at first. But she'd confessed first—no way she'd hate him. So why dodge? Shyness? Seemed plausible on reflection. Her attitude had shifted post-dating.

Pre-dating, she was more buddy than girl. Fun, straightforward personality before looks. Casual trash talk and playful shoves felt platonic. Post-dating, same dumb jokes, but her demeanor changed subtly. Cursing dropped sharply, shoves turned to light pinches. Not bad—she clearly saw him as a boyfriend now. Problem: caution made casual skinship harder. Distance after dating? Something was seriously off.

So today, with the guys gone, he'd make his move. Three days ago was too soon!

'Yeah, sex on day two was rushing it.'

He'd forgotten dating differed from hookups. Past girls were quick bangs, so he'd assumed the same with her. But day five now! She'd be ready. If she was too shy, he'd step up. On the way home, he dangled bait.

"Ha-yeon, wanna do homework together today?"

"Homework? Which one?"

"You said design's tough. Let's do it at my place. I'll help."

"Hmm..."

She pondered, then nodded.

"I'll go home and wash up first."

"Nah, shower at mine?"

"Huh?"

She blinked in surprise. He added quickly.

"Y-your place is a studio, no tub, right? Mine has one."

"Oh, right! Your place has a bathtub."

"Yeah. And I got these bath bombs as a gift—they're amazing. Try one."

"Bath bombs too?"

Seo Joo-hwan stifled a laugh at her reaction. Her eyes sparkled at "bathtub" and "bath bombs." She'd bitten.

'No wonder the bath bombs dropped this morning.'

Blessing for the win.