Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Sex Education
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"...Did Jin Si-won really say that?"
"Well, that's what she said. Still, it's a relief that not everyone in the dorm is hostile toward you."
"Everyone? Take out you and me, and there are only seven left—what kind of 'everyone' is that?"
Ha Yoon made a dumbfounded face as she crunched into the apple, chewing slowly.
Maybe it was because she'd emptied out everything inside first, but it tasted especially exquisite.
But knowing who had given it to her made it hard to just enjoy it without a twinge of discomfort.
Jin Si-won. Though they'd only known each other for less than a day, summing her up in one word wasn't difficult at all.
Hedonist. No matter what she did or what was done to her, she chased nothing but pleasure. Her very constitution seemed wired for it, allowing her to live at her own pace even in the academy—a rare breed.
She was bisexual too, indiscriminate between men and women.
The problem with someone like that suddenly showing kindness was that she didn't bother hiding her intentions. Getting close to Ha Yoon. And once close, she was bound to make some sleazy move.
"If it were something I was doing, fine... but being on the receiving end? Nah..."
"Pardon?"
"No, nothing."
Ha Yoon tossed the apple core out the window and roughly wiped the juice from her hands on her clothes.
Kim Seon-ah watched her do this despite the bathroom being right there and thought it was so typical of Ha Yoon, chuckling awkwardly.
"By the way, do you know what the afternoon session is?"
"Afternoon session? Probably Teacher Choi's sex ed class."
"S-sex ed?"
Ha Yoon clicked her tongue softly at Kim Seon-ah's startled stutter.
"Now that I think about it, this isn't the time to be so relaxed."
"What do they do in sex ed?"
"No idea. I've never seen Teacher Choi teach a class myself."
Trainers at the academy generally didn't interfere in each other's business. The closest they got was filling out duty logs or assigning trainer duty for evening roll call. Otherwise, they stayed out of it completely.
Part of it was because this was a small provincial academy, and there was no national curriculum mandated either.
The Special Law on Gender Transformation Syndrome had been rushed through by the higher-ups thirty years ago just to sweep it under the rug amid all the controversy, leaving plenty of loopholes.
Yet it had successfully stripped victims of all rights. Because of that, even fellow trainers might not know what the others were up to if they didn't care to.
Unless it was something obvious like Teacher Park making them run laps on the parade ground.
'But it's Teacher Choi of all people leading it, so it's bound to be some bullshit.'
Ha Yoon flushed as she recalled what Teacher Choi had done to her in the admin office last night. Damn, just thinking about it briefly made her lower abdomen tingle—her body remembered.
"You okay? Your face just turned red..."
"...Just remembered something annoying. Don't worry about it."
"Really?"
Kim Seon-ah thought it looked less like annoyance and more like something else, but she instinctively knew voicing it would just earn Ha Yoon's wrath. Better to keep it to herself.
"Haa..."
Ha Yoon leaned against the window, gazing at the sky. It was the same academy sky she'd stared at relentlessly for four years, yet with just one gender swap, the view felt entirely different.
She'd thought it would remain a comfortable paradise forever, but now it felt like the prison it truly was.
"I could go for a smoke and some booze..."
A chuckle slipped out as the thought hit her amid her daze. Victims were legally banned from tobacco and alcohol.
Tobacco for its harmful smoke and unpleasantness to others, alcohol lest an blackout-drunk victim harm someone.
Not because victims' bodies mattered, but to prevent harm to normal people.
Drugs, on the other hand, were fair game. Their resilient, human-like bodies made perfect test subjects for new pharmaceuticals.
Even now, some unlucky victims were probably being experimented on in pharma company basements like lab rats.
"Seriously craving a cigarette..."
Ha Yoon murmured, exhaling a long breath as if blowing out smoke.
Time flew by relentlessly, no matter the bitching. Before the bell for afternoon sessions even rang, the trainees had gathered in some room.
It looked just like a classroom. Rows of desks and chairs, a lectern and blackboard up front.
But the board was spotless, as if never used, with no chalk or eraser in sight.
Like mere decorations. And it probably was. Ha Yoon plopped down toward the back and scanned the room.
The bookshelf held no books—instead, small rotors, vibes, dildos, and mystery rods proudly displayed. Next to them loomed larger contraptions.
The only one she recognized was the wooden pony. The rest? No clue on names or uses.
She tilted her head at a flat contraption shaped like a 大, then turned at the sound of the door opening.
A stern-faced man in square glasses—Teacher Choi. He scanned the trainees through his lenses, shut the door, and stood at the lectern.
His title, neat attire, and the classroom vibe made it feel like arriving at actual school.
And standing there so naturally, he almost seemed like a real teacher at a glance.
Not that it was weird—he'd been here longer than her. Maybe he even used to teach for real.
As idle thoughts wandered, Teacher Choi spoke.
"Before we start the afternoon session, I have something to say."
Something to say? Question marks popped up in the trainees' minds as he pulled out an object.
A shriveled, browned apple core. Holding it up, he said,
"On my way here, I found this lying around."
Shit. Ha Yoon instantly recognized it as the one she'd tossed.
Littering on academy grounds was, of course, forbidden for trainees.
Normally, apple cores got collected post-meal and sent to disposal. Or buried if not.
She'd slipped into old trainer habits. Kim Seon-ah beside her paled upon recognizing it too, glancing her way.
Ha Yoon pressed a finger to her lips—keep quiet. Kim Seon-ah nodded anxiously.
"You all know this, right? Apples are provided solely for trainees like you."
Trainers' meals never overlapped with trainees'. Human food and livestock feed were separate, naturally.
Teacher Choi swept his gaze over the uneasy trainees.
"I'll count to three."
No further words. He intoned "three" with a blank face. Ryu Jin-ah up front twisted back, glaring at the group.
"Hey, who was it? Fess up!"
Of course, softly, with Teacher Choi right there.
No one stepped forward. With the culprit Ha Yoon staying mum, why would they?
"Fuck, who the hell..."
Yoon Se-rin muttered irritably at "two." Han Su-ah beside her scowled too.
Ryu Jin-ah eyed them, then slowly scanned the room again.
She caught Kim Seon-ah flinching and averting her gaze.
But Kim Seon-ah wouldn't cover for someone like that without confessing—too goody-goody, especially for Ha Yoon.
One. Only one answer left. Ryu Jin-ah narrowed her eyes at brazenly staring Ha Yoon.
"Hey, Ha Yoon, you little—"
"Enough."
Teacher Choi's word shut her up; she turned forward.
He loomed at the lectern, staring coldly down.
"Good. Excellent. Never dreamed a trainee here would cling to her ego like that."
"..."
"All stand."
No scraping chairs. Ha Yoon and Kim Seon-ah caught on quick, rising smoothly to stand by their desks like the rest.
"Hong Ryeon."
"Yes."
Hong Ryeon stepped forward briskly. He yanked her hem up to bare her chest, gripped her jaw to force her mouth open.
"Bite down hard. Don't let go, no matter what."
Hong Ryeon glanced uncertainly, nodded, and stuffed the hem in her mouth.
Then a fist slammed into her gut, doubling her over.
"Guh, guhgh...!"
Pain stabbed her brain like a hot poker. She nearly spat it out but held on.
"Next."
Ryu Jin-ah bit her lip, stepped up. Same deal—hem in mouth, gut punch. She crumpled before the shock even hit her brain.
At least she didn't drop the hem, figuring it'd lessen the punishment.
"Next."
Trainees took turns. Most bit hem, took punch, collapsed.
Only Hong Ryeon and Jin Si-won stayed upright. Jin Si-won even squirted fluids, face in ecstasy. Creepy bitch.
Still, no one dropped their hem—academy training paying off.
"Next."
Ha Yoon's turn. She swallowed hard, approached.
Normally she'd mouth off, but seeing the groaning trainees scattered around killed the urge.
'Fuck...'
Over one apple core? She'd forgotten all her old memories. She bit the hem.
'But his fist is aimed different from the others...?'
He'd used right before, right? The thought hit as his left smashed her right side.
Ha Yoon's vision blacked out.