First Steps Into a New World
I arrived at the Association! The address came by text message—Gangnam-gu, Seoul. It was only two subway stops away. Haneul checked her reflection in the mirror one last time. She was wearing an XL t-shirt like it was a dress, and the halo still floated gently above her head.
I can’t believe I actually have to ride the subway like this.
Just thinking about it made her dizzy. The one silver lining was that it was still early morning, the time when fewer people were out. If she moved quickly, this nightmare would be over sooner. She took a deep breath. Yeah. I got an EX-class skill. I can handle this much.
Steeling herself, she strode toward the front door. Of course, her new tiny steps meant she didn’t get very far. Then she ran into another problem.
Oh no…
There were only men’s shoes by the door. This is actually worse than the clothes. But she couldn’t exactly run out and buy new ones right now. With no other choice, she picked up a pair of sneakers—size 270. There was no way they would fit her current feet, but she forced them on anyway, tightening the laces with all the drama of someone defusing a bomb. Even then, her toes barely reached the front.
“……This is ridiculous.”
She couldn’t even laugh. She simply decided to close her eyes and push through. Click. She opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The apartment building was eerily quiet—probably because it was so early.
At least that part’s cleared.
Her relief lasted only a moment. Ding—the elevator doors opened. Someone was inside. It was the auntie from the same floor she often ran into, holding a shopping basket in one hand. The woman’s gaze immediately locked onto Haneul. Golden hair. A floating halo. An oversized t-shirt. Sneakers that were clearly several sizes too big.
“……Oh my.”
The auntie’s mouth fell open. Sigh. I knew this would happen. Haneul awkwardly stepped into the elevator.
“Excuse me, which unit do you live in?”
“……Unit 304.”
“Someone like you lives in 304? I’ve been in this building for ten years.”
“I’ve been here ten years too.”
“……Pardon?”
Ding. The elevator reached the first floor. Haneul felt like she was suffocating. It had been an unbearably long ride. The moment the doors opened, she bolted out like her life depended on it. But the auntie’s voice followed her from behind.
“Are you an Awakener, by any chance?”
……Ugh. She didn’t bother answering.
She crossed the lobby, pushed through the main entrance, and kept walking. Hoo—. The morning air was chilly. With every breath, condensation formed in the cold. The subway was only a five-minute walk. She had probably gone about a minute when—
“Excuse me!”
A voice called from behind. It can’t be for me, right? No, that was just self-consciousness talking. She ignored it. Though her body movements had become strangely stiff.
“Hey, Angel!”
Angel…? Haneul’s footsteps halted. I’m not an angel. She decided not to get involved and kept walking without looking back.
“Is that a cosplay? You’re so cute! Can I take a picture?”
“Me too!”
She had tried to hurry past, but her tiny legs made that impossible. The crowd following her grew to two people. A picture? What the… Embarrassed, she broke into a little run.
“Huh?”
The two men kept calling after her, but she ignored them. Ask someone else for photos. I’m not a cosplayer!
The subway entrance came into view. She dashed down the stairs. Thankfully, she made it to the platform. But another problem immediately arose.
“……Is that real?”
“A Hunter? Probably just cosplay, right?”
“Come on, what Hunter walks around with a useless decoration on their head? Definitely cosplay.”
All eyes turned toward her. The attention was incredibly uncomfortable. No—downright overwhelming!
Ughhhhh…
She buried her face in her smartphone. So much for fewer people in the morning. Fewer people just meant she stood out even more. At least it’s only two stops. Just two stops. She could endure that.
Cha Haneul! She squeezed her eyes shut, praying more desperately than ever for time to pass quickly.
Gangnam-gu Office Station. The moment she got off the subway, she moved as quickly as her short little legs would allow. After that grueling journey, she finally arrived.
Korea Hunter Association
I-I made it…
The large letters embedded in the glass exterior. She had finally reached the Association building. Just as she was about to boldly enter the lobby—
“Wait a moment!”
Someone blocked her path. An Association employee in a neat suit. He looked to be in his late twenties. His face was full of obvious panic.
“Little girl, you can’t just wander in here. Did you come alone?”
“……Excuse me?”
What? Little girl? Is he talking to me? Caught off guard, she stared at him blankly. No matter how she looked now, wasn’t it obvious she was in her twenties?
“Are you here with your parents? Where are they?”
This was bad. His eyes were completely serious. He was convinced she was a lost child. This guy thinks I’m a missing kid?
The employee’s gaze swept over her from head to toe. The decorative prop on her head, the comically oversized t-shirt, and the equally ill-fitting shoes.
“For now, just wait nearby and I’ll make an announcement for—”
“I’m twenty-three.”
The words flew out reflexively. Whatever. It was the truth. No matter how childish she looked on the outside, she was Cha Haneul, a twenty-three-year-old man. The employee, who had no way of knowing that, broke into a cold sweat.
“What do you…”
“I completed my military service. 32nd Division. Discharged as a sergeant.”
What on earth was she saying? The employee’s eyes shook violently, but Haneul paid it no mind. Maybe she was getting used to these reactions. She continued calmly.
“I have an appointment with Assistant Manager Kim Jaewon. Awakener Management Team.”
“……Ah, Assistant Manager Jaewon from the Awakener Management Team?”
The employee glanced at her halo. A look of realization crossed his face.
“Ah, I-I’m so sorry. I made a terrible mistake…”
“It’s fine.”
I probably would’ve thought the same. Anyone would see her as a little girl. Haneul waved her hand lightly and smiled. It was an automatic social mask. The people around them in the lobby seemed to find it incredibly cute, because they all broke into soft smiles.
Because of that, the entire lobby grew strangely quiet. The Hunters waiting around, the passing staff—everyone was staring at her. The reaction at the information desk was the same.
“Um, how can I help you?”
“I’m Cha Haneul. I have an appointment with Assistant Manager Kim Jaewon.”
He looked at his monitor. Then back at her. Then the monitor again. Finally, he picked up his phone.
“……One moment, please, Miss Cha Haneul.”
He lowered his voice and spoke into the phone. It sounded incredibly important. Hmm. The process is more complicated than I thought. She had assumed they would just verify her as an Awakener and register her as a Hunter right away. It was surprisingly annoying and time-consuming.
While the employee was on the phone, Haneul plopped down on a nearby lobby sofa. The burly Hunter sitting next to her immediately scooted away.
Why?
For some reason, she felt a little hurt. Not long after, a man practically sprinted out of the elevator. Early thirties, wearing a suit and neat glasses. He didn’t look bad. He caught his breath and stopped in front of her.
“Ah, you must be Miss Cha Haneul…?”
“Yes.”
His gaze traveled up and down her body, just like the others. Her appearance was truly exotic. Anyone would assume she was mixed-race.
“Ah, I’m late with my greeting. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m Kim Jaewon, Assistant Manager of the Awakener Management Team.”
“So you’re the one who called me!”
This was Kim Jaewon. He looked neater in person than she had expected. However, unlike during their phone call, he was visibly flustered as he looked at her. He couldn’t even hide it.
“Um……. So, Miss Haneul, you are currently male, correct?”
“Yes, well. I was.”
I was. Kim Jaewon flipped a page on the document he was holding.
“But both yesterday on the phone and right now… you’ve suddenly become a woman…?”
“I know, right? I was surprised too. Suddenly turning into a woman.”
“You’re saying you became a woman after Awakening?”
“Yes. I’m not transgender or anything. Not bi-whatever either.”
Kim Jaewon’s eyes widened. Was this his first time dealing with something like this? Right. The Association had said they had no records of this either. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and barely managed to speak.
“……F-for now, let’s head upstairs. Thank you for coming to the Association.”
“Sure.”
The moment Haneul stood up, every eye in the lobby snapped toward her. Murmurs. Whispering sounds filled the air.
Why are Koreans so obsessed with other people’s business?
She had gotten somewhat used to it, but the constant reactions were starting to get annoying. Of course, she understood where they were coming from. But from other people’s perspectives—
It’s an angel.
She’s an angel.
An angel-class Awakener…? That’s insane!
Everyone couldn’t help but stare at her as if she were an angel—a mysterious, ethereal being.
Miss Haneul is an angel class… I wonder what her skill is? Is this the first S-class in a while?
Even her assigned coordinator, Assistant Manager Kim Jaewon, was thinking the same thing. Eventually, Haneul and Kim Jaewon boarded the elevator. In the cramped space, Kim Jaewon stared straight ahead. So did Haneul. About ten seconds passed.
“By the way, how long will this take today?”
“Pardon?”
“I need to let someone know if it’ll be long.”
“Ah, it shouldn’t take too long. Usually it’s done within an hour.”
“I see.”
The conversation was brief. As the elevator climbed for what felt like forever, Kim Jaewon glanced down at her. The halo cast a soft glow inside the elevator.
She really is tiny.
That was the thought that crossed his mind.