Becoming a Wizard (3)
On my way to the hospital, I passed by many people.
Many of them stared at me.
The reason was obvious. Setting aside my beauty, my hair color alone was incredibly eye-catching.
On top of that, I had a blood-soaked bandage wrapped tightly around my hand.
"Hey, look over there. Is she an elf or something?"
"Whoa, is that natural white hair? Can you even get that color from bleaching?"
"Even her eyebrows are white, so maybe it's platinum blonde? Has anyone ever seen someone like that before?"
"She must be an idol trainee. With a face like that, there's no way she isn't."
"She's so damn gorgeous. Wow."
Some people seemed to completely forget that I was injured and openly evaluated my looks.
And this was inside a hospital, not even out on the street.
"Hey, her arm is covered in blood."
"Yeah. I wonder how she got hurt. Was she attacked by a monster?"
"Should I go ask for her number anyway?"
And then, there were those who tried to put that outdated proverb—"fortune favors the bold"—into practice, blocking my path.
"Excuse me... would you like to follow each other on Instagram?"
"You're exactly my type... Could I get your number...?"
"I-I've never done this before, but seriously, d-do you have a moment...?"
Several men threw flirtatious advances my way.
Some of their pickup lines were so pathetic they were almost laughable.
There were plenty of low-class remarks that would have made me drive them away in disgust even if I had been born a woman.
Swish.
I raised my arm to show them the state of my hand. My right arm was wrapped tightly in bandages.
And that wasn't all—the bandages were thoroughly stained a deep, crimson red.
Most of them, realizing they had hit on an injured person, backed off. I didn't hold any ill will toward them. After all, I was the one who had just stabbed my own hand because I decided that if there was a reason to do it, and no absolute reason not to, then it had to be done.
However, social intelligence is also a form of intellect. In this world, there are always non-wizards who don't know how to draw the line.
A few guys refused to give up and kept hitting on me even after seeing my hand.
"I know a really good hospital nearby. Shall I show you the way?"
"Um... you look like you're in bad shape. It's dangerous to walk. Let me hail a taxi for you."
"I know a healing-class Hunter. I can ask them to treat you for free, so... would you like to grab a meal with me?"
They might have spoken out of genuine goodwill, but it was utterly absurd.
Offering help when no one asked for it can be seen as kindness and consideration, but it can also easily come across as meddlesome nosiness.
In my case, it was definitely the latter.
"No, thank you."
I rejected them all flatly. It wasn't that I couldn't understand them.
It was just a bit annoying and physically taxing since I was the target. I could empathize with their actions, though.
Even I had never seen a woman who looked like this outside of television. It made sense to gather some courage and take a shot.
Let's look at this with a wizard's mindset. I am no longer an aspiring wizard, but a true wizard.
I must think with reason, logic, and rationality.
I've arrived.
And not long after, I arrived at the university hospital. I went straight to the reception desk, reported my condition, and waited.
Although it was less intense than outside, I still drew a lot of attention in the hospital.
If I want to avoid this next time, I should wear a mask and a hood. This is getting quite annoying.
"Look at her arm. How did she end up like that?"
"Oh dear, such a pretty girl. What a shame."
"With that hair color, isn't she a Hunter? I've seen Hunters walking around in all sorts of strange outfits."
"Nah, if she were a Hunter, she would've been treated by a healer on-site. Besides, there haven't been any mass casualties among Hunters lately."
They probably thought they were whispering quietly, but even though this body lacked muscle mass, it was still an Awakened body.
Even their hushed whispers reached my ears clearly.
I had no intention of complaining. I would likely encounter many such situations throughout my life.
It was an inescapable trait of being human.
At least it seems there haven't been any major incidents lately. I should be able to get proper treatment.
The power of Awakeners was not limited to combat. Their miracles extended to the medical field as well.
A power that healed others, much like the holy magic of a fantasy world.
It was one of the reasons humanity had managed to maintain civilization despite the uncontrollable disaster known as Gates.
When casualties mounted, healing-class Awakeners were inevitably conscripted. Maintaining the front lines was more critical, so prioritizing Hunter support took precedence.
But the absence of such emergencies meant I was highly likely to receive treatment from a proper healer—at least an A-rank.
That was a relief.
📢 "Baek Sowol, please step inside."
As I waited, my turn finally came.
I walked straight into the examination room.
"Hello. I am An Sujin, an A-rank healing assistant officer. Are you Ms. Baek Sowol?"
"Yes, that's me. I came because a knife went through my palm. A paring knife completely pierced my right hand."
"A knife? Wait, let me see."
The woman who introduced herself as An Sujin hurriedly examined my right hand.
She unwrapped the bandages, wiped away the blood, disinfected the wound, and checked its condition.
"Ah, it's completely pierced through. How on earth did this happen...? Fortunately, at this level, we should be able to heal it without leaving a scar. That's a silver lining."
She assured me she could heal it without any scarring.
Pleased by the news, I kept still as she handled my hand.
"But... excuse me, patient?"
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"How did the paring knife end up so deep? To pierce all the way through like this, it usually requires a tremendous amount of force..."
"Well... it's a bit hard to explain... How should I put it? I sneezed and accidentally slammed my palm onto the floor, and there just happened to be a paring knife lying there..."
The injury I sustained was highly improbable under normal circumstances.
A knife completely impaling a hand, rather than just cutting it, rarely happened by accident.
But I pulled out the excuse I had prepared on the way. Of course, it was an incredibly unlikely scenario.
But what of it? What could she do about it?
It still sounded more plausible than me voluntarily driving a knife through my own palm instead of my wrist, didn't it?
"I'll begin the treatment now. It might tickle a bit, but please don't move. Otherwise, the wound might open up again."
Soon, the distinct white light of healing magic enveloped my palm.
The warm light touched my skin, bringing a slightly ticklish sensation.
The pain gradually receded, replaced by a soothing warmth.
An injury that normally might have left me with a permanent disability, or at least weeks of agony even with a full recovery...
...was completely healed in less than five minutes.
Afterward, she typed something into her computer.
Then, she suddenly spoke up.
"Ah, by the way, are you an Awakener?"
"Huh? What?"
Why ask that out of nowhere?
"Yes. If you're an Awakener, there are additional tax exemption benefits. I'm just asking just in case."
Awakeners indeed enjoyed tax exemptions.
An Awakener held immense value just by existing. Brain drain to other countries was a severe issue, and unless they turned into villains, there was no downside to having them.
However, the government's tax revenue was far too insufficient to support them properly. They hadn't fully recovered from the era of chaos.
Thus, the government granted them near-total tax exemptions.
Even for S-ranks, their income tax rate was 0%. They were only taxed 5% on inheritance.
And even that was completely waived for ranks beyond S-rank.
Still, I couldn't understand why this woman was asking me this.
We weren't close, nor did we have any prior connection.
In fact, if we did have a connection, she wouldn't have asked. She would have already known I wasn't an Awakener before.
"No, I'm not."
"Ah, is that so? I thought I recognized you from somewhere. My apologies."
I felt no guilt, as it wasn't technically a lie. Even if I had awakened, I hadn't registered yet, so my official status was still that of an ordinary citizen.
Besides, my Awakener status would have popped up on the government database if I were registered. Why on earth did she ask?
Baek Sowol had definitely not been registered as an Awakener.
There was something slightly suspicious about it, but since she didn't press further, I had no reason to dig deeper either.
She stared at my hand for a moment longer before returning to her keyboard.
My hand is completely fine now.
Suspicion aside, it was undeniably fascinating.
And it was also something worth studying. Healing might be possible through magic, even if the efficiency would be poor.
While I was analyzing the mechanics of that healing light, the assistant officer spoke up again, as if she had one last thing to say.
"Um... patient?"
"...Yes? What is it?"
"It seems... you left in a real hurry? You aren't wearing a bra..."
"Excuse me...?"
The moment the meaning of her words registered, I looked down.
Ah. Dammit.
I hurriedly pulled my shirt forward to create some space between the fabric and my chest.
"Ah, well... I was just relaxing at home, and when I got stabbed, I panicked and rushed over so quickly..."
"Ah... that's completely understandable. You did the right thing. Embarrassment is temporary, but a life-threatening injury is permanent."
Fortunately, she seemed to buy it. Anyone would be in a panic after getting stabbed.
The excuse was logical. The only problem was that the embarrassment didn't fade even after the explanation.
I made a mistake because I've never experienced living in a woman's body before.
Ah. I never expected to experience the reality of my gender change in this particular way.
It was entirely unexpected.
Back when I was a man, I wouldn't have felt embarrassed at all. But just because I had become a woman, with a different face, a different build, and a different body shape, I was actually feeling embarrassed over this...
...Well, it is a massive change. I suppose feeling embarrassed is only natural.
"T-Then... I'll be going now... T-Thank you..."
Since a normal woman would be highly self-conscious about this, I decided to act the part.
I quickly paid the bill and practically fled the hospital.
Wait... so what cup size am I?
After escaping the hospital, I immediately headed to a lingerie shop to buy a bra.
Up until now, few people would have looked at me strangely. A woman rushing to the hospital with a bandaged arm?
Who cared if she wasn't wearing a bra? Most people wouldn't think twice about it even if they noticed, given how urgent the situation looked.
But walking around braless after being treated was a different story.
I reasoned that a normal woman wouldn't walk around braless once the emergency had passed.
Since Baek Sowol was a normal girl, she must have bras at home, but any woman in this situation would probably buy one immediately.
As long as I decided to live in this body, I had to play the role of Baek Sowol.
I couldn't show behavior that deviated too much from her past self.
"Oh my, you're so beautiful! What can I help you find today?"
I had walked straight into a women's clothing store.
"Um... I'm looking to buy a bra..."
"Of course. What is your size?"
This was the predicament I now faced.
Naturally, I had no way of knowing Baek Sowol's bra size.
If I calculate based on common sense... Ah, dammit, what is it?
Since I had no way of knowing, I just took a wild guess.
"A 75B, please."
I am a wizard. A wizard must know how to deduce the correct answer even when none is given.
Let's make the most rational choice possible.
My chest was by no means small.
So it wasn't an A-cup. It had to be at least a B.
As for the band size of 75? I had no idea. I just pulled a number from the depths of my memory.
Fortunately, the clerk didn't find it odd and went to fetch one.
"I'll take it."
"Oh, aren't you going to try it on?"
Ah, you could try them on? Even though it was underwear, not outerwear?
I quickly replied that I would try it on first.
Ah, dammit. It's too small.
But another problem arose.
I had estimated a B-cup, which was on the larger side for an average Korean woman, and threw in a random band size...
...but it was still too small.
I should have anticipated this given her exotic features. Tsk.
But if I ask to change it now, it might look suspicious.
I could have claimed my chest had gotten bigger and asked for a different size, but it would be even more awkward if even a C-cup didn't fit. A person's chest doesn't suddenly grow by two cup sizes overnight.
Besides, there would be her original underwear at home anyway. I just needed to endure it for a little bit.
"Please come again!"
After quickly paying, I headed straight home.
I felt people staring at me again along the way, but I managed to ward them off by scowling fiercely.
When I practically growled at anyone who got too close, they quickly steered clear.
After all those twists and turns, I finally arrived in front of my apartment door.
Why am I so exhausted when I barely did anything...?
It felt like I had gone through an eternity of events, but in reality, it hadn't even been four hours since I reincarnated into this body.
Granted, the events had been quite shocking.
But the truth remained unchanged.
I decided to open the door and go inside.
What did it matter? According to wizardly logic, when fatigue is extreme, working yields no efficiency, so resting is the most rational course of action.
Let's get inside quickly and get some proper rest.
Just as I was about to open the door and step inside, I realized a crucial fact.
Something I had completely overlooked.
Ah, dammit. The passcode.
The passcode to the digital door lock firmly shutting me out.
I didn't know it.
I was screwed.
How was I supposed to get in?
Whatever. I'll just break it.
Clang!
There was no way to find out the passcode anyway.
I simply shattered it with mana and walked in.
Thud.
If I forgot it, what were they going to do about it?
I was the owner of this house, so who cared?