More Dangerous Than a Top Star!
The next morning, I got ready to head to school for the first time in ages to apply for reinstatement.
“Oppa, got your mask? Hat?”
Ha-rin followed me all the way to the entrance, nagging like a mom worried about leaving her kid by the water.
“I got it, okay? You'd think I was some top star or something.”
“Because you're more dangerous than a top star! You have to wear it. Don't take it off!”
I couldn't withstand her fussing and put on a black mask, pulling my cap low over my eyes. A glance in the mirror showed a dead ringer for a shady character.
“I'll be back. No schedule today, right? Get some good rest.”
I stepped out and headed to the subway station. It was around 10 a.m., past rush hour, but the train was still pretty crowded. I stood in a corner, gripping the handrail.
Phew... this is stuffy.
After breathing Nepal's fresh air, the tight mask made it hard to breathe. Sweat beaded on my forehead from the discomfort.
Just take it off for a sec. No one's really paying attention.
I glanced around furtively, then pulled the mask down under my chin and lifted my cap slightly to cool off.
That was the moment.
“Huh...?”
A female college student sitting in the seat in front of me looked up from her smartphone and locked eyes with me. Her eyes widened into saucers, her mouth slowly dropping open. Then she urgently tapped her friend's arm.
“Hey, hey, look over there. No way!”
“What? You're so annoying... holy crap?!”
Her friend's gaze snapped to me too. And that was the start.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the subway car shifted. People who had been glued to their phones started lifting their heads one by one, staring at me.
“Who's that guy? An idol?”
“Model, right? Check out those proportions. Face is tiny.”
“Total handsome guy... trainee maybe.”
Murmurs rippled here and there about me.
What's going on? Why are they like this?
I panicked and looked around. The stares were so blatant it was overwhelming.
What's wrong? Something on my face?
Did I put on too much lotion this morning? Or was my size blocking everyone's view?
“Ahem.”
Clueless, I cleared my throat awkwardly and pulled my mask back up. But the eyes on me didn't let up. Some were even sneakily snapping photos with their phones.
Ah... coming back to Korea is suddenly exhausting.
I missed the quiet mountain village in Nepal.
Yeonhui University main gate. The familiar campus scenery came into view.
“Still the same. Totally unchanged.”
It had been two months since I'd been back, but nothing had changed—except the stares from the students.
“Who's that guy? He's insanely hot.”
“Whoa? Was there someone like that at our school?”
Stares pierced me the whole way across campus. I kept my head down as much as possible and headed to the humanities building admin office.
Reinstating period meant the office was quiet.
“Excuse me, here for reinstatement application.”
I handed my papers to the teaching assistant at the counter. She glanced up from her monitor with a perfunctory reply.
“Yes. ID and student card, please.”
I pulled out my student ID from my wallet and handed it over. She scanned the student number into her computer, then looked up at me.
“The face doesn't match...?”
Her eyes darted between my face and the photo on the ID. The photo was me from freshman year—chubby Bear Doll Seo Eun-seong at over 100kg. And now, standing before her was sharp-jawed, icy-handsome Seo Eun-seong.
“Um, student.”
She furrowed her brow.
“No pranks. Bring your own ID. No proxies.”
“Yes? It is me.”
“Lies have limits. How does this photo look anything like you?”
She waved the ID incredulously. Fair enough—even I had to admit it was extreme.
“I... lost a lot of weight. Over break.”
“Lost weight? You call this 'a bit'? You'd need to shave your bones for this.”
She clearly wasn't buying it. Other staff nearby started murmuring and gathering.
“Even surgery couldn't fix it that much.”
“And no surgery gives you that physique.”
In the end, I pulled out my resident registration card. I had to rattle off my student number, social security digits, advisor's name, and even the department office password.
“Whoa... it really is Seo Eun-seong...”
She processed it while stealing glances at me.
“All done. Wow... like winning the lottery without scratching it.”
Leaving her admiration behind, I escaped the office. Cold sweat trickled down my back. Who knew reinstatement would be this tough?
“Hungry.”
Growl. True to my ex-Bear Doll roots, my stomach clock rang the moment tension eased. Right on cue for lunch.
Student union cafeteria for some food.
I headed to the cafeteria. Yeonhui's campus food was legendary—especially today's menu: my favorites, pork cutlet and spicy pork stir-fry. Menus I'd dreamed of while grazing on grass in Nepal.
“Missed you... campus grub...”
The place buzzed with students. I bought my meal ticket and got in line.
“Gasp...?”
The girls in front turned, spotted me, and froze. Then they grabbed each other's clothes and whispered.
“Hey, look behind. Behind us.”
“Insane... he's drop-dead gorgeous.”
The buzz spread like wildfire. The noisy cafeteria went eerily quiet as I loaded my tray.
“Double pork stir-fry, right?”
Whatever. I piled rice high, stacking two pork cutlets and a mountain of stir-fry.
“Eat up, kid. Extra 'cause you're so handsome.”
The lunch lady, charmed by my face, ladled an extra scoop of sausage side.
“Thank you!”
I flashed a big smile. Nearby girls went “Gasp!” inhaling sharply.
Looks delicious. Gotta eat hearty.
With my tray, I scanned for a seat. The union was packed. But as I walked, a miracle happened: students blocking the aisle parted like the Red Sea. The “Moses miracle.”
What? Do I stink?
I sniffed—nothing but fabric softener.
Where to sit?
Then I spotted familiar faces at a corner table: Korean Lit third-years, my bestie Kim Min-su, classmates, some seniors and juniors.
Oh ho? They're all there.
Happy, I strode over. They were chattering noisily over lunch.
“Heard a bunch of guys reinstating this time?”
“Seo Eun-seong? You hear from him? Went to Nepal, right?”
“Nah. That bear dude ghosted. Hope he's alive.”
Perfect timing—they were talking about me. I smirked, pulled out an empty chair, and sat naturally.
“.....?”
Conversation halted dead.
“Who...?”
Kim Min-su froze mid-bite, staring. The girls and juniors across gawked, dumbfounded.
“Um...?”
Min-su eyed me warily, like “Who's this pretty boy invading our table?”
“This is our department's spot. Who are you, just joining us?”
His prickly tone. As usual, my prankster side kicked in. Instead of answering, I grabbed chopsticks.
And poke.
I snatched the prized Vienna sausage he'd saved from his tray—the plumpest one.
“H-hey! What the hell?!”
Min-su yelped in horror. A stranger swiping sides? Total psycho.
“....!”
Classmates gaped in shock.
“Mmm. So good. Delicious.”
But I munched away carefree. Big corp taste was different.
“Sausages are best stolen, right?”
I wiped sauce from my mouth and grinned.
That brazen attitude. That familiar sausage-theft skill.
“No way...? Nah...”
Min-su's pupils quaked like an earthquake. No way this face and build...
“You... you wouldn't be...”
He pointed a shaky finger. The girls held their breath, eyes on my mouth.
“Ahem.”
I set down my chopsticks, propped my chin, and eyed them lazily.
Then, in my signature drawl:
“It's me, dude.”
Grin. The crinkle at both corners of my mouth.
“Polar Bear Seo Eun-seong.”
1 second. 2 seconds. 3 seconds.
“Whaaat?!”
Clang! Min-su dropped his spoon on his tray.
“Kyaa! No way!”
“S-Seo Eun-seong?!”
The girls screamed, hands over mouths. One junior spit out her water.
“Liar! Oppa Eun-seong? Him?”
“Hey! Seo Eun-seong! Full-body surgery? Reborn or what?”
All eyes locked on me, centered on Min-su. Shock, chaos, disbelief.
Amid the pandemonium, I calmly sliced my pork cutlet.
“Let's eat. I'm hungry. So hungry.”
“This psycho is really Seo Eun-seong!”
Min-su clutched his head. The guy who only ever whined “hungry, hungry” was unmistakably Seo Eun-seong to him.
The Polar Bear had become human and returned. A legendary comeback. End of chapter 7.