Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Dragon Buzz on Campus
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“Ughhh……”
The moment I got home, I collapsed flat on the floor.
I’d attended Dialectology with Han-gyeol, then the next class too.
After that, Jo Min-hyuk and Heo Ji-hoon showed up looking for me once the news broke.
Word had already spread throughout the entire department. No surprise there.
It had probably reached the whole university by now.
Journalists from Korea Daily might drop by soon to interview me.
Everything about my past as a guy had come out too, but I didn’t care. The mutation itself was the real headline—gender was small potatoes.
“Why do you look like a zombie?”
My younger sister, who’d beaten me home, asked.
“I thought I was gonna die pretending to be a social butterfly.”
“Oh, sis, you came out? We heard rumors in our department too.”
“It’s already hit Business Admin?”
“Yeah. Something like ‘A dragon-type mutant appeared in Korean Lit!’ Word spread from the Humanities side, and now it’s all over the uni community boards. Check this out.”
“Ugh…… yeah, it has.”
“But social butterfly? Don’t you barely have any friends in your department?”
“To see those few friends, I went to the department lounge for the first time in a million years.”
“That’s earth-shattering.”
“And remember how I said I saved someone from a minotaur-type mutant before?”
“Yeah.”
“It was my junior.”
“What?”
“So we met up today and got friendly.”
“Guy or girl?”
“Girl. Korean Lit’s a sausage-fest—er, girl-heavy department. Maybe five or six guys total.”
“Oh, right.”
“Anyway, we got chatting, ended up in the same elective as some classmates, went to the lounge together, and I blabbed that I’d mutated…… then other juniors started sneaking over.”
“You’re a full-on social butterfly now.”
“Tell me about it. The reaction was night and day from when I walked in as a guy.”
“Well, your face was scary as hell back then, fact. Who’d approach a stone-faced brute like that? That’s the weird part.”
“Don’t hit me where it hurts. Anyway…… today confirmed it. I’m not cut out to be a social butterfly.”
“Why? You talked fine.”
“It’s mentally exhausting. I don’t know what to say, and I’m constantly gauging reactions. I thought I’d die of fatigue. Being around people drains my energy—especially if we’re not super close.”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
“And if I go to that department drinking party, the juniors’ll grill me with questions…… I’m screwed. Should’ve kept my walls up?”
“Why not just get drunk and breathe fire or something?”
“Are you nuts? You think I’d do that?”
“Who knows, alcohol might loosen you up. I bet you’ll be the Korean Lit star.”
“I don’t wanna be.”
“Dragon body’s a blessing, but that loner vibe? No fix for it.”
“Yep. I feel more confident in my moves lately, but deep down, I haven’t changed. Room corner’s my happy place.”
“Whatever. Oh, sis.”
“What.”
“Come hang in Business Admin sometime.”
“No way in hell.”
“Heh, figured.”
“Ugh, whatever. No lounge for me anytime soon.”
“Good luck with that. They’ll poke their heads in just to gawk.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“You chose to come out, so suck it up.”
“Aigoo.”
It hit me extra hard today.
How are people who gain energy from others built, body and mind?
Mine just gets sucked away—no motivation left for anything.
Whatever. Sleep first, think later.
* * *
My coming out started from a simple thought.
As a dragon-type mutant, I’d draw eyes anyway. If I approached people friendly-like, maybe it’d soften views on mutants.
Not a bad approach.
Problem is, I get wiped out mingling with folks.
I woke to my sister fiddling with her smartphone.
“Oh, you’re up?”
She spoke without looking up, sensing me.
“Yeah.”
“Fatigue any better?”
“A bit? Still wiped. Ugh, mental torture.”
“But sis, why bother graduating college?”
“Tuition’s too pricey to waste.”
“No, I mean…… you could rake in cash doing anything now, right?”
“……True.”
Hell, I could shovel money if I wanted.
Control weather? Contract with the government to stop wildfires, disasters for pay.
Seoul alone floods every summer rain.
Offer me fair comp, I prevent billions in damage—win-win.
Desperate for cash? Hunt wanted mutants, claim all bounties.
But I don’t…… for a trivial reason.
Korea University student? That’s from my normie days, grinding my ass off.
Proud I worked twice as hard as anyone.
From high school, stubborn brain and all—no parents pushing, just me.
Others might call it lame.
Degree’s for jobs and money, but as a mutant, I print cash easy.
That’s why it’s precious—what plain old me fought tooth and nail for.
Even casual lounge banter with classmates.
Those irreplaceable moments, earned by scary-faced guy Yoon Seo-hyun.
That’s why they matter, why I treasure them now.
“Just…… it’s proof of my pre-mutation grind. That’s why I can’t waste it. Sure, money’s no issue like you said. But everyone chases different values. I’m not broke.”
“Hmm, gotcha.”
“Anyway, there’s reason I obsess over tuition and uni. I don’t live thoughtless like you.”
“Hey! Why drag me? I think plenty.”
“Sure, sure. Dinner?”
“Not yet. Waiting for you. What?”
“Hmm…… something light, not heavy. Udon?”
“Delivery?”
“Yeah. Done with outside today.”
* * *
“Ha……”
“What?”
Slurping udon, I couldn’t help a hollow laugh.
“Rumors spread fast. Uni board post? Already full articles.”
“What’s it say?”
“‘Dragon-type mutant at Korea U…… the one who beat the minotaur……’ Stuff like that, everywhere. Even that I’m a current Korean Lit student……”
“Reporters’ll camp Korean Lit tomorrow. Mutants are hot news, and you’re the latest—a dragon to boot.”
“……Yeah.”
Vision blurred. Should’ve been stealthier.
No. Too late—frontal assault it is.
“Might as well grab a legit reporter, not tabloid trash, for an interview.”
“Going pro?”
“Came out so safe mutants live easier. Fatigue’s fine.”
“Won’t they exploit you? Twist words for clickbait? That’s reporter playbook.”
“Please. If they try using me, I’ll flip the table. Don’t touch me. Or call that National Intelligence agent I mentioned. I’m no fool.”
“Fine, handle it. Just…… no violence if possible.”
“Duh. Threats? Sure.”
“You threatening…… drop a thunderbolt?”
“Nah? Conjure a house-sized fireball, show ’em. They’ll scatter. Or dragon-form.”
“What’s that?”
“Not ‘dragon-type’ for nothing. Full dragon mode available.”
“……News to me.”
“Popped up yesterday.”
“Ha…… how big in dragon form?”
“Dunno. Wings alone four meters now—way bigger. Hope I never need it.”
“Pray reporters don’t piss you off. You snap, shit hits fan. Still remember that settlement you paid out?”
“Haha…… I’ll try. But if they provoke that much, their fault, right?”
“Yeah, right.”