After wrapping up the magazine model shoot without any issues, I didn’t really have much else to do.
I just attended classes as usual, did assignments as usual… it was that kind of day-to-day life.
I kept the whole magazine shoot a secret for now.
I didn’t feel like making a big deal out of it.
A few underclassmen were subtly trying to get closer to me, but aside from the ones I had some genuine rapport with, I didn’t get particularly close to anyone.
Just like Professor Jeong-min said—it’s not easy.
But hey, what can you do?
When it comes to making friends, some people click with you, and others just don’t.
And lately, I’ve started to have people asking me for my number.
…Yeah.
“Um, could I maybe get your number…”
“I’m not looking to date, sorry.”
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to date or anything. I just wanted to get to know you better.”
“Sorry~”
Yeah… situations like that.
Not trying to date, huh…?
No matter how you look at it, their eyes were glinting with the kind of desire that screamed ‘I wanna hook up with a mutant.’
I guess after that interview, the word got around campus that I’m not exactly a dangerous mutant.
There were ups and downs to that.
The upside was that people weren’t afraid of me or wary around me anymore.
The downside… well, it was stuff like just now.
People trying to sneak their way into my life, using the fact that I’m not harmful.
Like, seriousl.
I used to be a guy, okay?
What are you expecting from someone who hasn’t been a girl for that long?
Ugh, gross.
“Wow, ever since you became a mutant, your college life’s gotten wild, huh?”
“You’re only saying that because it’s not happening to you.”
“No, I mean… I kinda feel bad for you.”
As I was heading to my next class, Han-gyeol said that to me.
Look at this guy grinning like a kid.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am. I mean, come on. I never thought I’d see Yoon Seo-hyun getting hit on by guys. If those dudes knew what you used to look like before the mutation, do you think they’d still be trying to get your number?”
“Absolutely not. Just like you guys.”
“Right. Anyway… how’s department life? Kinda fun?”
“It is fun, but also exhausting.”
“Well, yeah. You’ve always been the type to hole up in your room.”
“If you think about it, dragons as a species are known for staying curled up in nests sleeping all day, right? Maybe it’s just that I’ve inherited that part of the species now.”
“For someone like that, you sure get around a lot.”
“…Do I?”
Yu Han-gyeol looked at me like I was spouting complete nonsense.
And thinking about it… he kind of had a point.
Ever since my transformation, my range of activity had gotten ridiculously wide.
That was just a fact.
“Well, hey, you’re living how you want, right?”
“Yeah, true. In the end, I’m basically just doing whatever I feel like these days…”
“By the way, have you met any other mutants?”
Just then, Han-gyeol asked if I’d met any other mutants.
Other mutants…?
I had, but… should I really be talking about it?
…Eh, it’s fine.
I didn’t have any better topics to bring up anyway, so I decided to spill a little about the mutants I met last time.
“Recently, just for a bit.”
“Oh, you did? Who?”
“A High Elf and an Arachne.”
“A High Elf…? Wait, you mean that dark-haired elf who moved to California? Well, I guess she’s not dark-haired anymore, huh?”
“How do you even know that?”
“They post updates in the mutant community from time to time.”
“…You check that stuff too?”
“Way more people check it than you’d think. A lot of folks are curious about mutants…
I’m one of them.”
“Huh, really?”
“Told you. Anyway, you met that High Elf? What was she like?”
He asked how things went when I met the High Elf.
For Si-ah’s pride, I considered not saying anything…
But it’s not like Han-gyeol’s the type to go around gossiping.
So I decided to tell him.
“She was shaking in front of me.”
“Why?”
“Dunno. Something about a fear engraved into her whole species. You know how in fantasy settings, dragons used to exploit elves or dwarves and stuff like that?
Felt like it was that kind of inherited fear.”
“Isn’t that just a fantasy trope? But it was real?”
“I don’t know the details either, but yeah, seemed legit. And… she was super cute.”
“Cute? Really? From what I’ve seen of her online, she gave off this chaotic, disaster-prone vibe.”
“Well… obviously people act differently online and in real life. Surprisingly calm, actually. And she had those cheeks that made you wanna reach out and pat them.”
“How old is she?”
“She’s a year younger than me.”
“Oh ho… Then what about the Arachne? Don’t tell me it was Seo Jin-ha?”
“How is it that you, a non-mutant, know more about mutants than I do?”
“Dude, if you have even a little interest in mutants, it’s impossible not to know about Seo Jin-ha. She’s a world-class designer, daughter of a National Assembly member, and a super influential one at that. A lot of the more moderate mutant-related laws came about thanks to her.”
…Then what’s up with my sister?
What rock was she living under that she didn’t know who Jin-ha was?
“Really? I mean, even my sister didn’t know her, so I figured it was just a niche thing.”
“You’re kidding. Was she living under a rock or something? Even just turning on your phone and scrolling through the news, she pops up all the time.”
“I don’t know, maybe she was just focused on school after entering university.
I heard business-related courses are insanely hard to keep up with. Plus, she was probably too busy looking after me after I mutated to even think about that kind of stuff.”
“Ah… yeah, that makes sense. Still, kinda unexpected. She gave off the vibe of someone who’d have all that info down pat. So, why’d you meet Seo Jin-ha?”
“She offered to make clothes for me, so I said yes on the spot. For free, too.”
“Wait, seriously? You do realize some of her clothes go for hundreds of millions of won, right?”
“…Hundreds of millions?”
“Yeah, for real. I think one of her suits sold for like a billion won at an auction. It had every premium possible slapped on it—handmade by the world’s only Arachne-type mutant, with her full attention to detail. Pretty sure it closed at around 1 billion.”
For a second, I couldn’t believe my ears.
What?
How much?
1 billion won?!
“Is that for real?”
“What would I even gain from lying about that? Anyway, you’re telling me you got a piece like that for free? Wow, this guy’s life just took off after becoming a mutant.”
“I seriously didn’t know it was that kind of clothing. No wonder… the quality was insane.
I heard she gives them to mutants for free sometimes. Said it was her way of paying back for the inspiration they give her or something.”
Hearing that, Han-gyeol looked at me with pure envy in his eyes.
So I asked him playfully on purpose.
“Jealous?”
“Of course I’m jealous… Who wouldn’t be, when you basically got a billion won handed to you just sitting there?”
“But like… doesn’t she ask you to buy her food or anything?”
“Would you buy her food if she did?”
“Well, now that I know the true value, I could definitely cover at least that much.”
“Ooh… Should we call the others and go out for dinner tonight?”
“Let’s do it. But don’t invite the underclassmen—just us. I’ve been so drained from dealing with them lately.”
“Well well, aren’t you the popular one. Alright, alright.”
We were just walking down the street, chatting about random stuff…when suddenly, my phone rang.
I checked the caller ID.
It was Agent Choi Jeong-ho.
…Huh?
What’s he calling me for at this hour?
“I need to take this real quick.”
“Okay. I’ll head to the classroom first?”
“Save me a seat.”
“Gotcha.”
As soon as I parted ways with Han-gyeol, I pressed the call button.
After just a short ring, Agent Choi’s urgent voice came through.
—“Seo-hyun? Are you near the university right now?”
“Yes, I’m at school right now… Why? What’s going on?”
The urgency in Agent Choi’s voice made it clear, something serious was going down.
“I… haah… honestly, I really didn’t want to ask for your help with something like this again, but this is an emergency. A dangerous, wanted mutant is currently headed toward Hanguk University!”
“What? Why would a mutant come to Hanguk University?”
—“We don’t know the exact reason either. This one doesn’t operate on any logical pattern, and he’s an expert at escaping. We’ve only ever been able to track faint traces of him. He’s been quiet the past couple of months, so we let our guard down a bit… But it seems he’s suddenly active again.”
“How dangerous is he?”
—“If we’re talking charges, he’s a serial killer. Far worse than the Minotaur last time—he’s killed a lot of people and just vanished without a trace.”
“What type of mutant is he?”
—“A demon. He’s a demon-type mutant. Until recently, we couldn’t even detect his presence. But now, he’s deliberately leaving traces everywhere. It’s like he’s announcing his arrival—headed straight for Hanguk University.”
This was serious.
A demon?
—“Normally, I would never want to ask you for help with something this dangerous, Seo-hyun… But this time, we really don’t have a choice. Would you be able to help?”
“I’m guessing the bounty’s pretty high this time, huh?”
—“…Yeah. The reward for this guy is the highest we’ve ever issued.”
“I swear, this is starting to make me feel like a bounty hunter.”
—“I’m really sorry. If things get too dangerous, you’re free to retreat. From that point on, it’s our duty to handle the consequences. We shouldn’t be putting you in this kind of danger to begin with… But our agents might not be able to handle him, and we had no choice but to reach out to you.”
“You’ve helped me a lot too, so let me return the favor this time. And… it’s fine. That guy… it feels like he’s coming after me. This probably started because of me, so I’ll try to handle it myself.”
—“Thank you so much.”
My instincts whispered to me.
That thing—it’s after me.
I activated my clairvoyance to scan the area.
And there it was, a dark, shadowy figure rapidly closing in on my location.
Found you.
Demon bastard.
It was flying toward me at an alarming speed.
If I stayed here, there was a real chance others would get caught in the crossfire.
But at the same time, I couldn’t just run away now.
At this rate, it would reach me before I could escape.
And if it took someone hostage…
If I was sure it was targeting me, it was better to stay put and control the situation from here.
And the moment I made that decision.
KWA-A-A-AANG!
“Kyaaah!!”
The ground exploded, and flames shot up all around me.
In an instant, chaos erupted.
Students who had been walking peacefully around campus screamed and scattered in all directions.
“…Found you.”
At the same time, a harsh, metallic-sounding voice—like iron scraping against iron—rose from the inferno, as if it came straight from the depths of hell.
I turned to face him.
A male figure stood there, bearing black, goat-like horns that resembled mine, dark wings, and a pitch-black tail.
Anyone would immediately think “Demon.”
And he was staring straight at me with clear hostility, like he absolutely loathed me.
In that moment, I was sure of it.
That demon was here for me.