The Price of a Polite Comment
There is a novel called Dawn Swordsman. A typical academy web novel. It wasn't anything spectacular. The writing was decent enough, but it often suffered from sudden, random plot spikes and developments that completely threw plausibility out the window, so it never received stellar reviews.
Still, there weren't any egregious lore contradictions or character assassinations, and the cast was charming enough that it didn't get terrible reviews either. Clichés you've seen a thousand times. Character tropes pulled straight from a template. A dime-a-dozen academy story. Yes, no matter how generously you put it, it was a mediocre work. Dawn Swordsman was exactly that kind of novel.
But regardless of its literary merit, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. How should I put it? It felt almost malicious. I will break the protagonist, no matter what. I will cram frustrating setbacks down your throat, regardless of the cost. The author's sheer, unyielding spite practically bled through the screen. That subtle flavor of angst and desperate misery was right up my alley.
And watching the protagonist overcome those grueling hardships always provided a cathartic release for my congested chest. Because of that, Dawn Swordsman remained in my memory as a highly entertaining read.
"But still, this is just wrong... This isn't right."
What on earth did I do wrong? Did I send the author a 5,700-character manifesto of complaints? Not that I recall. Did I leave malicious comments because I hated the story? I don't remember doing that either. If anything, the only thing I ever did was leave polite comments saying how much I enjoyed it—
"Ah!"
Was that it?! Oh, come on, what a ridiculous blind spot! "As a reward for enjoying my story, I shall let you experience its world firsthand"—was that the logic?! I like watching other characters suffer, I don't want to be the one suffering!
"And of all people, why Lucia...?"
It's not that I dislike Lucia. In fact, she was one of my favorite heroines. But Lucia's... well, her tastes aren't exactly normal, are they? A masochist. A sadomasochist. A pervert who derives intense pleasure from being harmed—
"Wait!"
Is that why?! Because I hate suffering, you transmigrated me into a character who loves it?! I don't want this kind of consideration!
I was staring blankly into the mirror, completely at a loss for what to do, when the bell rang to signal the end of class. The noisy chatter of students spilling out into the hallway reached all the way into the restroom. I rubbed my face with both hands and let out a long, heavy sigh.
Okay. Let's calm down first. Think rationally. I know I'm Lucia now. And I've already confirmed through a little experiment that her ability works perfectly.
I wiggled my pinky finger, which was now perfectly intact. At first, I only intended to make a tiny cut to see if the regeneration worked... but then, on a whim, I went ahead and severed the entire finger. It was completely impulsive.
No, but seriously, it felt so good. That sensation when the skin splits open and beads of blood start to well up. It was so tantalizingly brief that I just couldn't get enough. Just a little deeper. Just one more slice. I kept expanding the wound until, eventually...
"...Ah."
Just now, a shiver ran down my spine. I swallowed hard and forced my thoughts in a different direction. I couldn't hide in this restroom forever. First, I needed to get out of here. Then, I had to assess the situation. Right now, the only things I knew for sure were that I was Lucia and that my ability worked. I needed to find out more.
Steeling my resolve, I turned around. After washing away the blood splattered on the floor to tidy up, I stepped out of the restroom. Lucia. I am Lucia. So, let's act like Lucia. Repeating that mantra to myself, I made my way toward the classroom.
Fortunately, the current timeline was not long after the start of the 'original work.' Today was the day after the academy's entrance ceremony. Considering that the very first line of Dawn Swordsman began with the protagonist's entrance ceremony, the story had only just begun.
If my memory served me right, the first major incident wouldn't occur until about a month after the entrance ceremony. That meant I had at least a month to pull myself together.
Time flew by like an arrow. I had been so focused on scanning my surroundings and gathering any scrap of information I could that by the time I snapped out of it, I was the only one left in the classroom.
I had been worried someone might try to strike up a conversation, but nobody even looked my way. Should I call that... a relief? Lucia. You really don't have any friends, do you?
Well, thinking about it, Lucia wasn't exactly a social butterfly. At least, not right now. Fully aware of her own abnormal tendencies, she deliberately kept others at a distance. If her secret ever got out, things would get incredibly ugly.
Lucia only truly began to mingle with her classmates after the protagonist discovered her true nature. So, as of right now, she was completely friendless.
Speaking of the 'protagonist,' that guy sitting diagonally in front of me came to mind. Yujin. The main character of this world. How should I establish a relationship with him? Should we become friends? Should I approach him first?
But I really didn't want to. What if I hung out with him and ended up getting feminized and falling for him? Back when I was just a reader, I used to complain about how the heroines fell for him for no apparent reason, calling it a lack of plausibility. But now that I've seen him in person, I get it. That face is the plausibility. He's so pretty it's practically a crime, using that face as a weapon to charm women left and right. How shameless.
Still, I couldn't just avoid him forever. Being the protagonist of this world was by no means an easy path. Lucia was one of the heroines. That meant, for better or worse, she was bound to influence Yujin. If one of the heroines suddenly vanished from the equation, what would happen to him?
Would he still be able to grow physically and mentally like he did in the 'original work'? Almost certainly not. Even if Lucia wasn't the main heroine, she wasn't some disposable extra whose absence wouldn't be felt. She was a crucial character who absolutely had to play her part.
"Sigh..."
A sigh escaped my lips of its own accord. The weight on my shoulders felt immense. The fate of this entire world could change based on my actions. I hate this. I really, really hate this. If you're going to transmigrate someone into a novel, do it to someone who actually wants to be here.
I shook my head, lamenting my fate. Enough wallowing. I should get moving too. I couldn't stay in this empty classroom forever. Lucia lived in the dorms, right? Then I should head back to the dormitory first and figure out what to do next—
"...Wait, where actually is the dormitory?"
Naturally, no answer came to my self-addressed question.
Creeeak. The door swung open, revealing the interior of the room. The academy spared no expense in supporting its students. And for good reason—every single student here was a Supernatural Ability User. They were the only hope to protect the world from the monsters of the rifts. Investing heavily in them was only natural; in fact, it would be strange not to.
Perhaps because of that, the room was far cozier than I had anticipated. It wasn't exceptionally spacious, but it was perfectly comfortable, with high-quality wallpaper and polished, gleaming furniture.
Finding the dormitory itself hadn't been too difficult. The academy grounds were massive, so I had wandered around aimlessly at first, but simply following the flow of other students eventually led me to the dorms. Once I arrived, however, I faced another hurdle: I had no idea which room belonged to Lucia. But that problem was easily solved too. The room number was written right on the key tucked inside my bag. Thanks to that, I was able to safely step into my new quarters.
It was a single room, so there was no roommate. It was a private sanctuary meant solely for Lucia.
"Eu-he..."
I tossed my bag onto the desk and collapsed onto the bed. I was exhausted. Mentally drained to the limit. Suddenly waking up as Lucia had thrown me into an absolute panic. I had somehow managed to navigate my way here, but the psychological toll was immense.
Seeing as how she didn't find pleasure in this kind of mental stress—even if she craved physical pain—it seemed Lucia wasn't a total, absolute degenerate. Or was it just because the one currently inside her body was me?
Lying on the soft bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling. An unfamiliar ceiling. Well, of course it was. Even if Lucia knew it, this was the very first time 'I' was seeing it.
As drowsiness began to creep in, I forced myself to sit up. Now was not the time to sleep peacefully. I had to plan for the future.
Sitting at the desk, I pulled out a notebook. First, let's write down everything I know. Just in case, I'll write it in Korean so only I can read it... Wait. How am I reading the script of this world so easily? The language here isn't Korean, yet I can understand it without any trouble.
I had suddenly realized a crucial detail. The fact that it took me this long to notice showed just how out of my mind I had been. But cut me some slack. Anyone thrust into a situation like this would find it hard to keep their wits about them.
I scribbled down various notes, documenting the most important facts. Even if time passed and my memory grew hazy, looking at this would bring it all back.
I closed the notebook and stretched thoroughly. I raised both arms high and extended my legs. As I did, something below my neck made its presence known with undeniable force. Realizing once again the reality I had been desperately trying to ignore, a low groan escaped my lips.
Slowly rising from the chair, I stood before the full-length mirror in the corner. Reflected in the glass was a beautiful, blonde girl. The man from my memories was nowhere to be found.
"..."
To be completely honest, she was gorgeous. Lucia possessed a stunning beauty that naturally elicited the exclamation, "As expected of a heroine!"
To think that this elegant, lovely girl would later go on a night walk with Yujin wearing nothing but a coat over her bare skin and a leash around her neck... And that was only because Yujin had adamantly refused, forcing her to at least put on a coat. Otherwise, she would have gone completely naked...
Wow, just imagining it conjures up an incredible picture... Delete! Delete! Wait, is there really a need to delete it? It's my body now, so surely fantasizing about my own body is safe, right? No? What a shame.
I looked around. This was Lucia's room. I was completely alone. The door was shut, and the curtains were drawn, making it impossible for anyone to peek inside. Which meant... no matter what I did in here... nobody would ever know, right?
Gulp. I swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth, my fingers tracing the buttons of my school uniform. Then, with trembling hands, I began to undo them.