Reporters at the Gate
Up until the moment I saw the swarm of reporters loitering around the school gate.
“Ugh.”
I’d been watching the situation from a distance when the sudden commotion broke out. Even the students passing through the gate seemed curious about what was happening. A few of them stopped to ask the reporters questions… but with my cap pulled low and the distance too great, I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
They’re probably here for me, right?
Yesterday they’d been hanging around at dismissal, and today they’d shown up right on time for the morning rush. There were even more of them now. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to approach the gate and just hovered nearby, hesitating.
I’d been pacing like that for about ten minutes when a hand suddenly clapped me on the shoulder. Startled, I whipped around.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Ah…”
The one who’d greeted me was none other than Seokjun. He must have been on his way to school too. My racing heart settled a little, and I pointed toward the gate, giving him a quick explanation.
“That news story about me came out yesterday. Looks like they’ve tracked me all the way to school.”
“So you’ve just been standing here, too scared to go in?”
Seokjun stared at me like I was ridiculous.
“It’s obvious they’re here for me.”
“Just ignore them. They’re not gonna follow you inside the school.”
He spoke so casually, as if wondering why I was even bothering to worry about it. They wouldn’t dare chase you into the building, he said, telling me to brush it off.
By then the teachers had finally come out and were facing off against the reporters. That gave me the courage to start walking toward the gate.
As soon as I entered their line of sight, the reporters surged toward me in a wave.
“Are you the student who caught the Beastman Disease?”
“Could we please take just one photo?”
“Why are you still attending an all-boys high school even after becoming a girl?”
They shoved cameras and microphones right in my face. The invasive closeness and rude questions were exactly like what I’d seen on the news. My head was starting to spin from the aggressive barrage when someone suddenly pushed through the crowd.
“Hey!”
“What do you think you’re doing to a student!”
It was the PE Teacher, the same one who’d been confronting the reporters moments earlier. He bulldozed through the throng with his massive frame, using his broad shoulders to shove the journalists aside and pull me free.
“If any of you take one more step past this gate, I’ll personally turn you into half-cripples. Got it?”
He escorted me all the way inside the gate, then roared at the reporters who were still trying to sneak in.
“Is it true you used to be a male student?!”
One persistent reporter kept shouting questions from outside. The teacher noticed me hesitating even after we were safely inside and waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t answer them. Just go to class.”
“Yes, sir…”
I bowed quickly and headed for the classroom, but the reporters’ voices followed me clearly from behind.
“Isn’t it inappropriate for a female student to attend an all-boys school?”
“How is the school handling this situation?”
“That’s none of your damn business.”
It seemed they’d given up on me and switched targets to the teachers. Once I reached the classroom, I looked out the window and stared down at the reporters who still hadn’t left the gate.
Of course, in a small school like this, rumors spread like wildfire. Everyone knew the reporters were there because of me. Still, no one gave me any weird looks over it. According to what I’d heard from Hyunseo, girls lived in a world where you could get ostracized just for hanging out with someone you didn’t like. The guys at an all-boys school, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about that kind of thing.
“We’ve got exams next week, so make sure you review properly.”
“Yesss—”
Even with all the reporters swarming outside, school went on as usual. During morning assembly there wasn’t a single word about the journalists—just the normal announcements delivered in the usual low monotone.
“Hyunwoo, could you come to the staff room for a moment?”
The moment morning assembly ended, the Homeroom Teacher called me over.
“Okay.”
I stood up from my desk. As soon as I stepped into the hallway, she was already waiting. She started walking ahead and asked,
“Were you okay this morning?”
“Yes. The PE Teacher blocked them for me.”
“Oh, thank goodness…”
She let out a deep sigh of relief. It was obvious she was genuinely worried about me. I guess I was under special protection at school now.
“I have no idea how they all found out.”
“Rumors were bound to spread eventually.”
I answered her complaint rather indifferently. Even though I sounded calm, my stomach had been in knots earlier. I never realized how oppressive blatant attention could feel. My mind had gone completely blank, like I couldn’t think straight. I found myself in awe of celebrities and CEOs who could stand in front of dozens of reporters and speak normally. That kind of respect hit me hard right then.
“Anything bothering you lately?”
“No, I’m fine.”
After a short pause, the Homeroom Teacher asked if I was having any difficulties. I gave her the standard answer to her standard question.
“Aww, come on.”
She leaned back with a teasing ‘tsk’ as if she didn’t believe me for a second.
“Still, your body’s different from a boy’s now. Isn’t it uncomfortable?”
“Well… yeah, a bit.”
She asked me honestly, from a woman’s perspective, whether it felt different from a male body. I admitted it was somewhat inconvenient. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was definitely awkward—especially the way certain parts stuck out in front. When my gaze drifted to my chest, she noticed immediately and nodded in understanding.
“Yeah… that must be tough.”
She caught on right away and offered sympathy about the chest situation.
“Oh, by the way, how do you sleep on your stomach?”
Her kind tone made me drop my guard, and I asked without thinking. Maybe she’d know a solution. Her eyes widened with excitement at the chance to help, and she launched into an enthusiastic explanation.
“Well, I have one of those at home. It’s called a chest support pillow. The chest area is completely hollowed out, you see?”
“Ooh…”
Chest support pillow. I let out an impressed sound at her useful tip. I never knew such a thing existed. I made a mental note to remember those six letters clearly.
Just as I was thinking I’d learned something valuable, the teacher spoke again.
“I’d guess you’re around a C or D cup. What are you actually?”
“…Um, I’m not really sure.”
Out of nowhere she was asking about my breast size. I hesitated, unsure how to answer. The staff member who bought my clothes had just eyeballed it and gotten them a little loose, so I didn’t know the exact size. I didn’t even understand the whole alphabet sizing system in the first place. And honestly, was this really something you should be hearing in an all-boys high school?
“Hmm, even by eye I can tell it’s at least a C. That must be really uncomfortable.”
“Ugh…”
I groaned at her confident guess. Talking about breasts with a teacher was mortifying. She probably thought it was just girl talk, but for me it was still an awkward topic.
She must have noticed my discomfort because she covered her mouth and said,
“Oh dear, does this kind of talk embarrass you?”
“Mmm…”
Instead of answering, I let out a short sigh, and she laughed.
After all, I’d been a male student until recently. Talking about breasts with a teacher felt… a little much. When I made my discomfort obvious, she made a sound like she was watching an adorable child and continued.
“Aigoo~ You remind me of my nieces. How cute.”
“…Do you have anything else to say?”
The conversation was turning into pure teasing, so I snapped back grumpily, implying I’d leave if she was done. But she still had something left to say. She gently grabbed my wrist to stop me from walking away.
“If you don’t mind a used one, I can bring that pillow from home for you. Would that be okay?”
She was offering to give me one of her own chest support pillows. Of course I had no reason to refuse, but since it was someone else’s belongings, I answered carefully.
“Ah… if you’re offering, I’d really appreciate it.”
“Great. I’ll bring it tomorrow then?”
What started as a simple conversation had turned into an unexpected gift. Starting tomorrow, I’d be able to lie face-down comfortably at home. The teacher glanced at the clock, sensing our talk was wrapping up. It was almost time for first period, so she jumped up in surprise, grabbing her teacher’s textbook and folder.
“Oh no, first period is about to start. Hurry back to class.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I gave a quick bow and left the staff room. Even as I walked down the hallway, countless eyes followed me. Still, no one actually picked a fight. I continued walking through that strange mix of indifference and intense curiosity.
A little later, I opened the back door of the classroom and stepped inside.
“They’re still out there.”
“You think they’ll stay until school ends?”
The classroom without a teacher was filled with the voices of the boys. They were all glued to the windows, watching the huge crowd of reporters at the gate. Since phones had been collected, this was currently the best entertainment available.
Some time passed like that. One of the kids who’d been fidgeting in the crowd suddenly spoke up.
“Hey, what do we have first period?”
“PE.”
Someone answered the puzzled question. Then the class president, who was closest to the window, said,
“Uh, the PE Teacher is still over there?”
A few words from the class president while pointing toward the gate. There were five minutes left until the bell. A strange tension rippled through the boys.
It was exam season, so moving around was rare. But some of them had clearly been waiting for a moment like this.
“Then it’ll probably be self-study.”
“Aw man, I wanted to play soccer…”
A few students sat down expecting self-study, but the more active ones started getting restless and impatient.
“Hey, should we go out and chase them off?”
It started as nothing more than one guy’s suggestion. What began as a proposal from one of the slackers quickly turned into an operation. And so, with a few of the craziest kids taking the lead, the insane plan of Class 3 in Year 2 to reclaim their first-period PE class began.