011. I Am Always Normal
By the time you hit university, everyone has their own little communities. The Seoul Superhuman Ability Academy was no different. It had an on-campus forum mainly used by staff and students, nicknamed "Chonengnet" for short from the school's name.
True to any internet community, it was packed with all sorts of posts: questions about awakenings, hunter industry info, a marketplace board for buying and selling stuff, pointless chit-chat, humor posts... even hobby boards for workout groups, movies, cafes—you name it, it was there. But like most places online, it was filled more with useless nonsense than anything forward-thinking.
-Oops, while you hesitated, the new super handsome guy snatched both~
As time passed, more related posts popped up, and by noon, there were already five or six on the popular board. This trend, or whatever you call it—some hopped on for fun, others threw shade like "go study instead." Plenty must've wondered just how hot this guy was to cause such a commotion.
"What the hell is this?"
I checked the community late and suddenly felt dizzy. The popular posts were dominated by this "super handsome guy." His whereabouts matched mine suspiciously. Level test #1, hallways erupting every time he passed... now he was MIA again, sparking another frenzy.
How hot was he to cause all this bullshit?
"Fuck, that's me?"
"Wait, I'm a super handsome guy in this world?"
Late identity crisis hit like puberty all over again.
"Okay, got it."
The Goddess frowns, asking if you really understood that properly. (￢_￢)
"Even I think it's kinda opportunistic, but if the world calls me a super handsome guy, I gotta own it."
The Goddess is shocked at the Hero calling himself a super handsome guy. (ﾉﾟ0ﾟ)ﾉ~
My divine power tank ran dry from the lame goddess's outbursts during my brief identity meltdown, but as a Hero who'd saved an entire world, I calmly sorted my thoughts.
Yeah, I figured there'd be some demand. But I didn't expect the world—the internet—to go this nuts over my arrival...
"Ahh, is this the responsibility of a top-tier isekai pretty boy?"
The Goddess tells you to cut the bullshit. (¬_¬)
"Kidding. Getting called handsome is definitely a win."
Means I'm popular, right? But that's exactly why I thought I should tone down my presence.
The Goddess looks disappointed, asking if you're running away again. [(-_-) ]
She says to stand and fight. (✧ω✧)
"Fight what? Our school's girls aren't monsters."
I'd been walking around without stealth so people would talk to me, worried no one would if I hid my presence. But if my value was this high...
"Just stick to my schedule... and I can handle friends and dating no problem."
The Goddess tilts her head in doubt. (?_?)
"Ugly guys can't do shit no matter what, but handsome ones get by without trying. They have high job satisfaction too—forgiven just for their face."
A total cheat species.
[……??!!?!]
See? Even the goddess is shocked. Handsome jerks acing romance too? This filthy world!
But now that I'm in the club, time to change my mindset.
"World's filthy? As long as I'm happy."
The Goddess asks if you've lost your mind. (ﾟДﾟ；)
"I am always normal."
Anyway, final action plan set as of today. Seems I'm rated super handsome guy, so I'll enjoy all the perks—
Sounds like a light novel title, but that's my attitude here.
"First up, stealth mode."
I dialed my presence down to normal-person levels. It was still fun drawing eyes across campus—not lecture halls yet—but I figured more annoyances ahead.
Later, someone'll get sick of it, and I've had crowds mobbing me plenty in that other world.
No need to relive it here. Unless it's a talent show or sports day, random attention invades privacy.
So my goal: ace grades, pursue natural meet-cutes with pretty, nice girls.
"Man, realizing I'm a super handsome guy makes it feel like romance is right around the corner. Is this the leisure of the blessed?"
The Goddess mutters seriously that the Hero's gone insane. (´• ω •`)ﾉ
"Feels good knowing I just gotta focus on studies now."
Even toned down, lecture halls might still freak, but that's fine. Dozens at most, and I can bail anytime if it gets annoying.
Break ended; second lecture time. I snuck through halls to a different room. Hiding presence and mana completely? No one recognized me.
Hmm, yeah, this is comfier.
Two lectures a day, though.
School's fun after so long, but already craving free periods or vacation. Silver lining: low enrollment this class.
Like stepping into an antique shop, the dark brown wooden lecture hall had barely ten including me. Just eight.
Compared to Professor Shin Arin's required major with fifty, this was unpopular.
I picked liberal arts electives like this. Worth the empty room for the interesting topic.
"Okay, everyone. Add/drop period ends this week, no escaping after. Perfect number—not too many, not too few. Four teams of four, no one's left out, and you all love this, so participate hard!"
The female prof who entered a bit after me dressed like a veteran programmer—casual mess—but her eyes sparkled. Total "nerd lost in their passion" vibe.
Jackpot. Folks obsessed like that always have turtle necks and glasses.
"Alright, let's all enjoy magic games and make some together!"
Yep, spot on. Loves games, probably killer at making them.
Maybe superficial, but in creation fields, that's the type. Even my old party's dwarf muscle dad lit up forging weapons...
Not into hammering metal myself, but games? My expertise. Pre-isekai, I grinded hard.
Plenty of cash now—why not try making one? Not just any game: mystical board game with raw mana and illusion magic.
"First, let's try the sample."
The "Experiencing and Creating Magic Games" prof placed boards on each desk and gestured.
Roll...
1! You're a pathetic goblin.
Life throws curveballs sometimes.
"Mr. Goblin?"
"...Yes?"
"Goblin's turn to roll."
"Ah, right..."
Sepine Alavad, cloaked in a goblin illusion from the magic, stared blankly at her die. She'd picked this easy-looking class to skip tough ones.
Of course it turns out like this.
Sepine glanced sideways at the guy now her teammate.
Roll, rattle...
6! Your first companion: the Hero.
"Oh, jackpot."
Shin Yuseong, the MIA(?) super handsome guy, was right there.