Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Shadows of the Past
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The next day, my prediction that reporters might camp out in front of the Korea University Humanities building turned out to be just a prediction.
What I mean is, only a few students who had come to see me were visible, and not a single reporter showed their face.
“Hey, isn’t that obvious?”
“What is?”
Yoo Han-gyeol, standing next to me, spoke up. She reacted as if she couldn’t believe what ridiculous thing she was hearing.
“Why would they mess with a mutant and risk what might happen? Especially since you’re the mutant who smashed that terrifying Minotaur-type Mutant to pieces.”
“……Is that so?”
“Yeah. They might snipe at you from the shadows behind your back, but they won’t shove a camera in your face openly.”
“But when did Korean reporters become such gentlemen? Just three months ago, they didn’t care about that stuff at all, as far as I know.”
“A yellow journalism outlet messed with a mutant once, and three reporters? Died right there on the spot. For reference, that mutant was the Minotaur you smashed into the ground.”
“……No way, really?”
“It didn’t end up on the wanted list for nothing. Reporters are people who felt that Minotaur’s terror on their skin, so of course they’d be cautious about approaching you. You turned it into mincemeat.”
“That must’ve caused a huge uproar.”
“Yeah. So…… there might be some articles floating around like ‘Korea University Mutant’ or whatever through back channels, but no one bold enough will try to interview you.”
“That’s a relief at least. Ugh, my little sister told me yesterday that the rumors have spread to the business school too.”
“Really? Wait, your sister goes to Korea University?”
“Yeah. Korea University Business. Didn’t I mention it?”
“Nope. Is she pretty?”
“What kind of answer are you expecting from her brother? And you’ve got a girlfriend.”
“We broke up a while ago.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. Don’t ask more; it hurts.”
“Got it. Anyway, the university community boards are all buzzing about me, so I thought reporters might be staking out in front of the humanities building. I figured I’d be swarmed with handshake requests.”
“Oh, please.”
“What’re you up to after this?”
“Dunno. I’ve got a free period now.”
“Damn, I’m jealous.”
“You?”
“Me?…… Just spinning through major classes. I was supposed to finish them last semester.”
“Not taking any liberal arts this semester?”
“I’ve pretty much filled my liberal arts already. I pushed back my major classes to mess around in first and second year…… Shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re a perfect cautionary tale for the underclassmen.”
“Why?”
“So I can tell them to take some major classes even in first and second year. Hey, aren’t you curious about the female classmates? They were asking about you too.”
“Why would I care about them? They were either on the side of those bullies trying to dunk on me back then, or the ones who kept their mouths shut.”
“Fair enough…….”
“They’re probably seniors now anyway, so tell them to graduate quick. If I run into them at school, I might actually kill them.”
“You sound so serious right now, it’s scary.”
“I’m just saying. You know what I went through, and you’re still like that?”
“……Yeah, true.”
“Especially An Ye-in. If you see that bitch, tell her to never let me catch sight of her. She should be grateful I’m holding back out of consideration for mutant perceptions. I won’t kill her, but I can give her enough trauma to make living hell. I might tolerate the others, but if I meet her, I’ll roast her alive.”
An Ye-in. It had been a while since I last thought of that name.
She was my senior’s girlfriend, the one I beat the crap out of, and after that hazing incident, she spread all sorts of curses and rumors about me.
If that was all, I wouldn’t be this pissed…… but it wasn’t.
The real problem was that she conspired with that senior to frame me as a rapist.
Thanks to Teaching Assistant Shin Jeong-min knowing I’d never hung out with her, nothing came of it…….
Thinking back on it still makes my blood boil.
My freshman department life was completely ruined because of her. Hell, it was lucky it ended there—if things had gone wrong, my whole life could’ve gone down the drain.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Does it sound like a joke?”
Whoosh.
In an instant, the tips of my hair burst into flames.
I clicked my tongue. My emotions had gotten the better of me.
“Whoa! What the hell!”
“Sorry. I got worked up for a second…….”
“It’s fine. If I run into her, I’ll definitely tell her. To stay out of your sight no matter what. But we don’t cross paths much anyway.”
“Tell the others too.”
“……Okay.”
This was an issue even before considering mutant perceptions.
That bitch nearly destroyed my life. She should count herself lucky I’m holding back.
If she ever shows up in front of me…… who knows if my rationality will hold.
* * *
Yoo Han-gyeol left after her morning classes, so I took the chance to contact Sihyun.
Asked if she had time today.
Offered to buy her a nice lunch.
Sihyun flooded me with joyful emojis.
Then asked if it was okay if she picked the place.
I readily said sure.
I usually made do with cafeteria food or fast food, so I didn’t know the good spots in detail.
Besides, for this kind of thing, it’s better to let the junior pick what they want.
Usually, seniors introduce food spots to juniors…… but Sihyun had finished a semester already, so she’d know what’s good and what’s not.
Relying on my disastrous taste would just disappoint us both.
Waiting near the main gate, I spotted Sihyun.
“Hello, sunbae!”
“Hello, hubae. You’re full of energy today too.”
“Hehe. How could I not be? Free food.”
“True. No one in Korea can resist free food.”
“It’s a place I found by chance before, but it’s so good I take my friends there a lot.”
“What kind of place?”
“Do you like Indian curry by any chance? Not the kind you mix with rice, but with chicken or something.”
“Oh, yeah, I do.”
“Their chicken curry is amazing. Tandoori chicken too. The prices are a bit steep, though…… hehe.”
“Don’t worry about the price. I’ve got more money than your average college student right now.”
“Th-then, shamelessly…….”
“But that money? All from catching that Minotaur. Got a reward for it.”
“Really?”
“That Minotaur was pretty infamous. I just found out today, but it had even killed people.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I wasn’t that interested, so I didn’t know, but I looked it up that day.”
“Anyway, no need to worry about my wallet.”
“Yes!”
* * *
It really was a spot Sihyun hadn’t recommended lightly. I hadn’t expected the food to be this good.
Especially dipping the naan in chicken curry—the flavor was no joke.
Worth every penny, I guess?
For dessert, plain yogurt. It was refreshingly nutty and perfect.
A thoroughly satisfying meal.
“It was so good.”
“Glad you liked it, sunbae. Thank you so much. I’ll get the coffee.”
“Sure. Wanna come again next time? We have the same classes after Tuesday lunch anyway.”
“I’d love that.”
As we chatted amiably walking back to the humanities building, I felt eyes on us. Actually, I’d felt plenty of stares at the curry place too…… but whatever, it was bearable.
Mutants weren’t that common, and interest in a Dragon-type Mutant had already turned the Korea University community upside down.
If someone actually approached, it’d be awkward…… but no one did.
They just whispered among themselves. Eh, whatever. It happens.
How many people wouldn’t feel uneasy seeing me now?
With society’s perception of mutants being such a mess.
“So, you should be careful with that professor’s class. Not sure if there’ll be group assignments this time…… but probably. He enjoys watching students suffer.”
“That’s bad…….”
“If we can get in the same group, let’s do it. Before I mutated, I was a group project carrier. My PPTs were a bit sloppy, but none of the ones from second year got less than an A+. My classmates will vouch for it.”
“Wow. Still, freeloading…….”
“I’ll leave the research to you, so that’s plenty. You’re a freshman. Or wanna practice making PPTs at my place later?”
“Yes! I’d be grateful!”
Sihyun was a good person in her own right, so hanging out wasn’t burdensome.
And I tend to get chattier than usual with easygoing people, which Sihyun seemed to welcome.
Maybe we actually clicked pretty well.
After classes ended, I sent Sihyun home and started heading back myself.
Up to this point, it had been a decent, pretty satisfying day.
Why “had been”?
Because…….
I ran into someone I never wanted to see again during my college life.
An Ye-in.
The woman who’d tried to drag my life into the abyss.