First Day Jitters
The alarm blared at 6:20 a.m., but I stayed buried under the covers for a long time, refusing to move. “…Fuck, I still can’t get used to this.” Only after letting out a small sigh did I force myself upright. The moment my 162cm frame slid off the bed, the awkwardness and discomfort hit me all over again.
I stood in front of the mirror, pulling on my school uniform shirt, and naturally frowned. My name is Kang Siwoo. Starting today, I’m a first-year student at Seoul High School. …But until a month ago, I was thirty years old.
I had lived like a dog until thirty. My mother died the moment I was born, and my father only sent living expenses, rarely showing his face. I had been alone since childhood. After school I worked part-time jobs, studied at night, and spent weekends earning certifications without rest, desperately saving every penny. Dating? That was a luxury. I didn’t have the time or energy. By the time I was almost thirty, I had finally scraped together a decent amount of money. I thought life was finally about to get easier.
Then, on the way home from work, a car hit me at a crosswalk. The impact knocked me out instantly. When I opened my eyes again—I had been dropped into this world in a seventeen-year-old body.
My height had shrunk to 162cm, and my face was completely different. Soft, round features, big clear eyes, slightly chubby cheeks. It wasn’t my original face. In this world, apparently, this kind of face and small stature were considered the popular “delicate” type. The moment I learned that, a string of curses flew out of my mouth.
What I discovered afterward was even more shocking. A gender-reversed world. A place where women openly check out men on the street, approach first, confess first, and pay for dates as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Men here strive to look pretty and pure. Sports arenas are packed with female athletes, and male idols win fans with cuteness and refreshing charm. They even toss around terms like men’s rights in public without batting an eye.
It took me a whole month to adjust to this insane world. I learned how to live alone in a studio apartment, did light workouts every day to get used to moving in this smaller body, and observed how people spoke and behaved so I could stay as quiet as possible. But no matter how hard I tried, this world’s common sense still felt deeply uncomfortable.
So I made a decision. In this life, I would live quietly. I would never draw unnecessary attention, and especially avoid getting deeply involved with any girls. Just focus on studying, get into a good university, blend into society, and live peacefully. Dating? I wanted even less to do with that here. It looked like nothing but hassle, boredom, and eventually just exhausting me. I was better off alone.
I walked into the tiny kitchen of my studio apartment—the place I barely kept with the monthly allowance my father sent. I toasted two slices of bread, spread butter on them, fried an egg in the pan, and poured a glass of milk. After finishing the meal and washing the dishes, I slung my bag over my shoulder and checked my new uniform one last time.
The early spring morning air was still quite cold. The sky outside the window was a hazy gray. Entrance ceremony… It’s going to be packed with people.
I had spent the past month living as quietly as possible in this world, but today my real high school life would begin. New school, new class, new people. Just thinking about it made my head throb. I worried especially about how I would survive three years without standing out among all those tall, aggressive girls.
I adjusted my uniform tie and looked in the mirror again, trying to scowl as fiercely as possible to look sharp. “…Annoying.” Before stepping out the front door, I slowly repeated my resolution in my mind.
I had endured well for a month. Entering high school wouldn’t change anything. I just had to stay out of sight and avoid forming deep connections with anyone.
The walk to school took about twelve minutes. Even as I strolled slowly through the morning breeze, I kept repeating the same thought. Quietly. I just had to live quietly.
“…I’m Kang Siwoo. I don’t have any special hobbies… I just want to live quietly. Nice to meet you.”
After finishing my self-introduction, I returned to my seat as quickly as possible. Standing in front of the class while dozens of eyes bored into me had been incredibly uncomfortable. Especially the way a few of the girls stared openly—it put me in an even worse mood.
…Why the hell is everyone looking at me like that?
Since reincarnating from thirty into this seventeen-year-old body a month ago, the hardest thing to adapt to was exactly this. The small, cute face and 162cm height. In this world it made me a “popular type,” but to me it was nothing but a source of irritation.
The moment I sat down, I felt someone’s gaze from the window seat right in front of me. I turned my head slightly and saw a tall female student staring straight at me. Long straight hair, easily over 170cm, pretty but with a sharp, fierce impression.
Han Seoa…
I had heard the name when the homeroom teacher called roll. She had been watching me the entire time I gave my introduction. That outgoing type was exactly who I wanted to avoid the most…
I crossed my arms and stared out the window. I could feel my ears growing hot. It annoyed me that I already had someone on my mind on the very first day of school.
In this life, I’m really going to live quietly. I won’t get dragged into anything unnecessary. I’ll keep as much distance from people as possible.
It was the short break before first period began.
“Kang Siwoo.”
A bright, confident voice came from behind. When I turned, Han Seoa was smiling brilliantly at me.
“Hey, I’m Han Seoa. We’re seatmates, right? Let’s get along. If you haven’t checked the timetable yet, want to organize it together later?”
I frowned and answered curtly. “…Don’t need to. I’ll do it alone.”
Even so, she didn’t back off at all. Instead, her smile grew even brighter. That smile somehow grated on my nerves, yet my eyes kept drifting back to it.
…Crazy.
I turned forward again and let out a mental sigh. I instinctively knew that my plan to live quietly in this world was already starting to crack on the very first day of school.
Oh my god, he’s seriously so cute…
As I watched Kang Siwoo finish his self-introduction and return to his seat, I kept gasping in admiration inside my head. Small stature, soft round face, big clear eyes, slightly chubby cheeks, and even that deliberately frowning expression—everything was exactly my type.
I had barely taken my eyes off him the whole time he was introducing himself. The slightly oversized uniform on his small frame looked adorable, and his blunt tone didn’t bother me at all. If anything, it pulled me in more.
And the moment Kang Siwoo sat down right next to me, I cheered silently.
I’m losing it…
I had been single for all seventeen years of my life. My friends were already dating, going out, celebrating anniversaries, and having fun, but I had stayed alone the whole time. So for high school, I had wanted a sweet, innocent romance. Something quiet, not flashy, where we focused only on each other and slowly grew closer in a warm, fluffy way.
Yet on the very first day, the perfect guy had ended up in the seat right beside mine.
I really wanted to date in high school… and right from the start, someone who hits every single one of my preferences appears.
I couldn’t hide my smile as I kept stealing glances at his profile. Kang Siwoo sat with his arms crossed, staring out the window with a slight frown, and even that looked so cute my heart kept tingling. I noticed his ears were a little red too. He must have felt burdened by everyone’s stares.
Small and extra cute, blunt expression but those chubby cheeks… Ah, I’m seriously going crazy.
I rested my chin on my hand, staring at him openly while imagining the future. Quietly going to the library together, secretly sharing snacks at lunch, walking home side by side after school. Even the image of Siwoo grumbling but eventually taking my hand.
This is the first time a guy has made me want to be this aggressive.
I had always been the type to approach directly once I got interested in someone. This time was no different. I would stick to my goal of having a quiet relationship, but I planned to slowly make my way closer to Kang Siwoo.
Just then, Siwoo turned his head slightly and our eyes met. I immediately smiled brightly and spoke.
“Hey, I’m Han Seoa. We’re seatmates, right? Let’s get along well from now on. If you haven’t checked the timetable yet, want to organize it together later?”
He frowned and gave a short reply. “…Don’t need to. I’ll do it alone.”
Along with that curt answer, I saw his ears turn even redder. I burst out laughing inside.
Ah, he’s so cute I could die.
From the very first day of school, my heart had already completely fallen for Kang Siwoo. My plan for a quiet romance had begun flowing in a much faster, much more exciting direction than I had expected.