An Uncomfortable School Life
The two days with Han Seyeon passed without incident.
She'd gone to work already exhausted, and the moment she finished dinner she collapsed into sleep.
I'd asked if she wanted to share the bed, but the way she'd shaken her head with everything she had still stuck with me.
And then the long-awaited second of March arrived.
I was technically an adult, and the orientation text had given me the schedule. Early that morning, I left the house for the academy. It was later than Seyeon's departure, so no one saw me off — but I didn't feel lonely.
The weather was a bit cold, but I hadn't put on that old padded jacket. My nose stung a little, yet the uniform's insulation was excellent enough that it didn't matter. A pure white dress shirt, a knit sweater with red trim, and a clean black jacket on top. Plenty of schools had weird uniforms, but a prestigious academy was a prestigious academy.
The distance from home was farther than I'd expected — being a wealthy neighborhood, it took about fifty minutes on foot. Considering I could attend the academy free for three years, and the career advantages that would follow, it was still a good deal.
"Hoo…"
Still, hard was hard. This world's Han Sein had a body far weaker than I'd imagined. It went beyond simple gender reversal — it was severe. Good thing I'd left with time to spare. I nearly would have been late from not being able to run.
The scenery was similar to my past life. But the gazes directed at me felt a little different.
After about thirty minutes of walking, I could feel a shallow desire in the women's stares. It varied from person to person, but among those who were women, not a single one looked at me with indifference. A middle-aged woman who looked about fifty even struck up a conversation, asking if I was from Hweorang High. She smiled and said I must be working hard, but desire seeped into her eyes.
I wasn't just any guy — I fell into the handsome category — so I resigned myself to it. Still, I didn't understand why she tried to put a hand on my shoulder saying I looked like her son.
Lost in these thoughts, I eventually arrived at school.
The most expensive neighborhood in Seoul. The best academy in Seoul. True to its reputation, the campus boasted enormous grounds — a wide athletic field and club facilities, five separate buildings each fulfilling its own purpose. Getting into an academy like this for free. That was genuinely lucky.
Though it occupied a university-level position, the classes themselves mixed in a lot of high school elements. I'd think through the details later. I took a deep breath.
Time to go in.
There were plenty of students. As an adult, I should take it easy and live a moderate life. This was my second life, after all. So maybe I could afford a little peace of mind?
"Wow, even his name is pretty."
"Insane. Insane."
"…"
Where am I…?
Who am I?
Only after the squealing of the guys around me drilled into my eardrums did I finally come to my senses.
Ah. This was Hweorang Academy. My school. My name was Han Sein. In this life I was a friendless loser, but in my past life I could at least claim to be an ordinary person with a few close friends.
But I'd never experienced a situation like this.
"What's with your eyes? Contacts?"
"I got hurt when I was little…"
"Whoa, whoa. How many is this?"
"Two…?"
"Insane. Nailed it right away."
I wasn't even wearing glasses, you idiots. Whether that mattered or not, they were too busy squealing among themselves. I couldn't adapt. I was going crazy.
Four guys surrounded me. Assigned to Class 1-3, the moment break time arrived I was subjected to their barrage of questions.
This was a reversed world, but it was still South Korea. The low birthrate was still a hot topic, and the internet was still busy fighting itself. Anyway — setting politics aside — the point I wanted to make was this.
Handsome was better than ugly. Before gender even entered into it, beauty had always been generously rewarded. Even among academy students who were a bit young to call adults, it was a universal truth. My delicate frame and slender facial lines, the red eyes and appearance — they seemed to look pretty good. Thanks to that, nearly half the guys had crowded around me.
Still, I could count myself lucky. Borrowing the original Han Sein's memories, he'd had a pretty painful past in elementary school because of his eyes. I just offered the guys an awkward smile. So much attention on the first day of school. It wasn't entirely comfortable.
"Let's be friends."
"Yeah, let's eat lunch together too."
"Yeah…"
Right. Guys who did makeup like girls and squealed were awkward, but same-sex friends were still essential.
As I kept the conversation going at a moderate pace, a message only I could see appeared.
An Important Soul is nearby.
What?
To the right. Turn your head slightly.
Following the hologram's words, I turned my gaze — and the classroom door was opening.
Creak.
"Jeong Ayeong. I said get out here. You got no fucking sense."
"S-sorry…"
Rough voices continued. More accurately, one-sided bullying. A girl who looked every bit the delinquent smacked the back of the head of a girl who'd been slumped over her desk.
"Ah…!"
"You got cocky over break? Jeong Ayeong, get out here."
"O-okay…"
Something felt off. The delinquent's voice was louder, and the other students were looking at her too. But what caught my eye was the girl who'd been hit on the back of the head.
"Didn't bother dressing up" was the phrase that fit. Her long, messy hair fell all the way to her waist. She looked a bit taller than me, so maybe around 160cm. The bangs covering her eyes made her look a little gloomy.
And the most eye-catching thing of all… the massive flesh that swayed with every step. Even though it was winter and she was wearing layers, her chest flaunted its presence.
Name: Jeong Ayeong.
A woman who possesses an Important Soul.
Yeah, she looks it at a glance.
At first I'd been anxious about whether I'd be able to tell them apart. Not anymore. She had a presence that stood out from the ordinary women of this world. Like being drawn by a magnet? It was hard to look away, and I knew instinctively. She was special.
"Hurry up, get out here!"
"U-uh…"
Even if she looked a little pitiful right now, she was a key talent the hologram had guaranteed.
The classroom quieted again. The topic of conversation naturally shifted to what had just happened. Wherever people gather, a gossip naturally appears. One male student who suspiciously seemed to know a lot opened his mouth.
"It's pitiful, but…"
You might think school violence doesn't exist in this day and age. But it definitely existed here too. Why? The answer lay in this place's identity.
"She's Kim Hyeongmin's friend, right?"
"Ah…"
It had been a famous rumor since the entrance ceremony. The son of a National Assembly member. Outwardly a model student, but he used the students around him to bully his peers. Something out of a comic was actually happening.
And the pitiful victim being bullied was none other than a woman with an Important Soul. The situation was complicated. I nodded along unconsciously to the guys' gossip as I thought.
How to approach her.
"Ugh…"
"What, you got a problem?"
"No…"
Jeong Ayeong, hit once in the stomach, sank to the floor. She answered even while coughing. If she didn't answer, she'd definitely get hit again. A learned response.
"Take it easy. Easy."
A hallway people rarely used. More precisely, a blind spot of Hweorang Academy. In a place empty due to construction schedules, Jeong Ayeong carefully raised her head.
The voice telling them to take it easy. Not the girl who'd hit her, but a female student with her eyes on her smartphone. She hated all of them, but if she had to rank them, the one she hated least — Kang Hyeona.
Looking at the situation, Kang Hyeona was here because she had no choice. She didn't want to be involved, but she had no choice but to be. It was only natural. Kang Hyeona's mother followed Kim Hyeongmin's mother — the right hand of a National Assembly member, a solid closest aide in the tangled world of politics.
So Kang Hyeona spoke in a tone that made clear she wasn't happy about this. Because she could feel the gazes eyeing her position.
"You're doing all this over one favor?"
"Why the fuck are you bitching."
Fierce looks were exchanged. From Jeong Ayeong's perspective, it was a situation that could make her piss herself. Two delinquents suddenly arguing — she had no choice but to watch carefully.
"Stop it. Stop."
"…"
The one who broke them up was none other than Kim Hyeongmin. He'd orchestrated this in the first place. Kang Hyeona acted as if nothing was wrong. Of course — Park Hyorin, who coveted her position, had been the one unilaterally getting angry.
What irritated Park Hyorin even more was Kim Hyeongmin's behavior. She was the one who'd worked hard to complete the task he'd assigned — so why was he taking Kang Hyeona's side?
Kim Hyeongmin stroked Kang Hyeona's shoulder. She didn't seem to care much. Her gaze was still on her smartphone. Rather, as if fed up with the current situation, she let out a short sigh.
"I'm going first. Play nice."
"That fucking bitch…"
"Hey, cool it."
Kim Hyeongmin looked amused instead. The hierarchy was clear. Same age, they'd known each other since childhood — a hierarchy handed down from their parents in the first place. But Kang Hyeona did as she pleased. You could call it arrogant, in a way. But if Kim Hyeongmin didn't care, who was going to say anything?
Meanwhile, Park Hyorin's lips curled up. The rival she'd been growling at and keeping in check had walked out on her own two feet. The seat beside Kim Hyeongmin was hers.
"Ugh…"
Once Kang Hyeona's figure disappeared down the stairs, Park Hyorin kicked Jeong Ayeong with her foot.
To get Kim Hyeongmin's attention.