Chapter 52: Entrance Ceremony (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52: Entrance Ceremony (1)
A sudden change is bound to arouse suspicion.
You can make up all sorts of excuses for a change in personality, but a physical transformation is harder to explain away.
There’s certainly no good reason for a chubby person to become slim overnight, let alone handsome.
And so, I chose…
“Hey! Are you going to open this door or not?!”
Bang, bang, bang!
…to lie low.
“You think I can’t get in if you don’t open up? I’ll just smash this damn door down!”
What is the most rational and believable reason for a person to change?
Time, I believe.
It’s a common story, isn’t it?
A friend you haven’t seen in years has lost so much weight you barely recognize them, or that one friend who was always broke and mooching off you suddenly becomes rich.
When you see people like that, you naturally wonder.
How on earth did they change so much?
But you soon come to accept it.
Ah, a lot of time has passed. They must have worked really hard.
“I’m counting to three! If you don’t open this door, I’m really breaking it down. One, two…!”
That’s why I chose to lie low.
I had to meet the ajumma one way or another, but she’s such an understanding and considerate person that I figured if I just pushed forward, she wouldn’t pry.
And I was right. A head-on approach and some intense sex were enough to smooth things over.
But this one is different.
“Two and a half!”
My body right now has undergone a complete metamorphosis.
It’s not just that I’ve lost weight; my entire skeletal and muscular structure has changed.
Excluding the sexual parts, the person who knows my body best after me is, without a doubt, Shin Yu-jeong.
She was there watching me the entire time I was dieting.
So what would happen if I just popped up in front of her like this and said, “Ta-da!”?
Wouldn’t she, already desperate to get a hold on me, jump at the chance to dig into my secrets and find some weakness to exploit?
“Two and a half and a half!”
In a situation like this, it’s best not to give her anything to be suspicious about in the first place.
So, I sent Shin Yu-jeong and Yoon Ji-an a message saying it would be hard to see them for a while, and then I went dark.
Completely avoiding them forever is impossible, but I had to do everything in my power to stay away for the three weeks before the entrance ceremony, just to create a slightly more plausible scenario for my change.
“Two and a half and a half and a half!”
Two weeks have already passed since I made that decision.
And Shin Yu-jeong has been showing up almost every day, just like this.
She comes by daily, threatening to break down the door, but she never has.
Why?
“It’s her own building. Breaking it would just be her loss.”
This building belongs to the ajumma.
Even if someone else is living here, to Shin Yu-jeong, it’s practically her own house.
Meaning, if she breaks it, she’s the only one who loses.
That’s not the only reason.
Let’s say, by some chance, she does break down this door.
Then her back is going to get broken, too.
The ajumma would never let her get away with it.
“Aargh!”
See?
The countdown that had reached “two and a half and a half and a half” finally stopped.
“Is he really not here? No… I’m sure I heard something from upstairs.”
So that’s why she came this time. She must have heard me from downstairs.
Damn girl’s got bionic ears.
I was already moving around as carefully as possible, keeping that in mind. How did she even hear that?
Finally, her silhouette moved away.
It could be a fake-out, so I stayed on the mattress, holding my breath.
Vzzzt—
The smartphone in my pocket vibrated loudly.
From the repeated buzzing, it was a call.
I knew who it was without even checking.
“Must be Yoon Ji-an.”
After about a minute, my pocket fell silent.
I took out my phone to check, and sure enough, there was a missed call from Yoon Ji-an.
As I said, for the past two weeks, I’ve cut off contact with everyone except the ajumma.
Though, when it comes to important people, “everyone” is really just Shin Yu-jeong and Yoon Ji-an.
“She’s so methodical.”
Ever since I sent that message, Yoon Ji-an has called me three times a day, every single day, without fail.
Morning, noon, and night.
If I don’t answer, a message arrives via text.
Vzzt.
“Ah, there it is.”
《Yoon Ji-an: Mr. Kim Do-jin, this is Yoon Ji-an. Did you have a good lunch? If not, please make sure to eat. I am growing concerned, wondering what could be preventing you from being in contact for so long. As I have stated several times, the Association and I promise our unconditional support to you. So please, contact us at any time…》
Such a long-winded message.
It wasn’t my intention, but it feels like my importance to them has skyrocketed.
Unconditional support? At this rate, if I told them I was three billion won in debt, they’d probably offer to pay it all off.
No, they actually would.
“But I’d become their slave in return.”
I know what kind of people run the Association.
They’re not the type to give anything away for free.
“Phew.”
Shin Yu-jeong seems to be gone, and Yoon Ji-an’s call is over.
“Status Window.”
[Status Window]
Name: Kim Do-jin
Sex: Male
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 174cm / 72.0kg
[Strength: 25] [Stamina: 30] [Agility: 20] [Mana: 15]
Traits:
[Time remaining until Trait discovery: 153:47:18]
[Mutual Non-aggression (2022.06.09.~2025.12.31)]
[Disclosure Prohibition (2022.06.09.~2025.12.31.)]
“Mm-hmm.”
The status window, now a satisfying sight to behold, greeted me.
While avoiding those two, I’ve been consistently working out and training my mana.
Thanks to my improved bone and muscle structure, my growth rate has become ridiculously fast.
Even faster than I had anticipated.
I had a feeling things were going better than expected when I used the Secret Art, but I never imagined the effects would be this good.
“The trait is coming soon, too.”
The countdown was now filling the once-empty trait slot.
One more week.
Every time I see the steadily decreasing time, I can’t help but wonder.
What kind of trait will I get?
“If I get something weird after all this buildup…”
I’d be pretty pissed off.
Until a few days ago, I kept wishing for something good, but now I’m trying to empty my mind.
With the talent of this body alone, I’ll have more than enough to reach S-rank.
“My mana growth rate has gotten much faster, too…”
As the old saying goes, a healthy mind in a healthy body.
These days, it’s used a little differently.
A healthy mana in a healthy body.
It became a common phrase after it was discovered that without a strong body, mana growth is also slow.
A sturdy body has a significant effect on the speed of mana growth and recovery.
Perhaps because of that, if you look at high-ranking mages on TV or in academic journals, they are all incredibly fit.
Even Han Ju-hee, despite her busy schedule, never skipped her workouts.
If she had spent that time having sex with me instead, wouldn’t the calorie burn have been higher?
“Haa…”
A bitter taste lingered on my tongue.
At the same time, I was curious.
About the day I would meet Han Ju-hee in this body.
Right now, we have zero connection, but the future will be different.
If I consistently make a name for myself as a talented mage, word will eventually reach her ears.
The fact that this body possesses the optimal talent for a mage has already sealed our fate.
She and I will meet again.
What kind of emotions will I feel then?
My curiosity simmered.
* * *
The school break, which always feels like a fleeting moment no matter how long it is, came to an end, and the first day of the semester arrived.
Shin Yu-jeong had spent the entire night with her eyes wide open.
For one reason only.
“Kim Do-jin…”
Because of him.
She chewed on the edge of the thin blanket covering her, suppressing her anger.
“I should have reeled him in more during the break…!”
The moment she saw his magic during Kallashu’s trial, she realized it.
His talent far surpassed her wildest expectations.
Talent like his was a spike in a bag; it couldn’t be hidden.
He used his abilities so casually, but anyone who saw it would be left with their eyes wide in astonishment.
Yes, that was the problem.
Even someone with a terrible eye for talent could tell that his was anything but ordinary.
‘Once he starts school, all sorts of people are going to be all over him.’
That’s why she had planned to increase her contact with him before the semester began.
She was going to stick to him, one way or another, and deepen their bond, whether it was emotional or physical.
“Ugh…!”
Unable to contain a sudden surge of anger, she started punching her pillow.
“Why! The hell! Is it! So hard! To see your face!”
It had been three weeks since she’d last seen him.
She was sure he was in his room, but when she went to check, he was gone. He wasn’t at the gym either.
After so many failed attempts, the first day of the semester was finally here.
“I’ll definitely see him today.”
For her, today was the start of the semester. For Kim Do-jin, it was the day of the entrance ceremony for specially admitted students.
He had been good at dodging her until now, but today, they had no choice but to meet.
“You’re so dead.”
Grinding her teeth, Shin Yu-jeong got out of bed before her alarm even went off.
She immediately showered and opened her closet.
From among her simple clothes, she picked out an outfit her friends had once called pretty.
Skinny jeans that clung tightly to her legs and a white crop top.
Over that, she threw on a thin, khaki-colored bomber jacket.
As always, she was about to pull a cap over her neat hair but stopped herself just in time.
“No, not this.”
She knew.
She knew her looks were a powerful weapon for capturing a man’s heart.
Normally, she wore a hat because she hated the attention, but not today.
Wasn’t this the time to show it all off and capture Kim Do-jin’s eyes?
“So, no hat.”
Putting the cap back, she stood in front of the mirror to check her appearance.
“Well… it’s fine.”
A clean style, with no flaws.
She stared at the mirror for a moment before leaving the room with a satisfied expression.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
The sound of a knife hitting a cutting board came from the kitchen.
She strode over to Seo Jeong-hee, who was busy preparing breakfast.
“Mom!”
“You scared me!”
Seo Jeong-hee clutched her chest, startled by the sudden appearance.
Shin Yu-jeong spoke again.
“Let’s eat with Kim Do-jin today.”
“…Do-jin?”
A look of shock spread across Seo Jeong-hee’s face.
This was the same girl who would throw a fit whenever she occasionally suggested they eat together. Why the sudden change?
She suddenly remembered talking about Kim Do-jin as potential son-in-law material.
‘Don’t tell me she…?’
She had laughed it off back then, but now she felt a slight sense of crisis.
Because…
‘With how Do-jin looks now, it’s entirely possible…’
Freed from his excess weight, Kim Do-jin was now incredibly handsome.
However, she quickly regained her composure.
‘…It’ll be fine.’
She recalled the expression on Kim Do-jin’s face when they spent their passionate nights together.
His gaze and touch were so hot they felt like they could melt her.
Those were things that would be impossible without genuine affection.
“I’m going to go get Kim Do-jin, okay?”
“Sure, it’ll be nice to eat together after so long.”
And so, she readily agreed.
Whether she knew her mother’s inner thoughts or not…
“I’ll be right back!”
Shin Yu-jeong simply beamed as she headed out the front door.
Climbing the stairs to the rooftop, she thought to herself.
“Since it’s come to this, I’ll have to conquer his stomach first.”
They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
Of course, it wasn’t food she was making herself, but she didn’t think it was a big deal.
“I can just learn later, anyway.”
She figured that all she had to do was learn from her mom someday.
She bounded up the stairs and immediately knocked on the rooftop apartment door.
Bang, bang, bang!
“Hey, Kim Do-jin! Mom says to come down and eat with us!”
As soon as she said it, Shin Yu-jeong pressed her ear to the door.
“He’s not gone, is he…?”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
She could hear a slight noise from beyond the door.
Hearing the pitter-patter of footsteps approaching, she quickly pulled her face back to its normal position.
Soon, his silhouette appeared through the glass.
Click!
The door opened, and the face of Kim Do-jin, which she hadn’t seen for three weeks, finally appeared.
She immediately rushed through the open door and yelled at him.
“Hey! What the hell have you been doing for the past three…!”
But her words were cut short.
“…Who are you?”
Did Mom kick Kim Do-jin out and get a new tenant?