Since my sister was still a freshman, she couldn’t transfer departments right away.
Apparently, she needed to complete 65 credits or something like that.
Still, it wasn’t impossible, so she started her school life with the goal of transferring to the Department of Clothing and Textiles.
Our parents, after seeing her in the magazine spread, were surprisingly supportive, saying she could go ahead and transfer if she wanted.
I told them that these days, even with a business degree it’s insanely hard to get a job, but the modeling path seemed a lot more promising—and they welcomed it with open arms.
When I mentioned that she might become Jin-ha’s exclusive model, their eyes went wide with surprise.
Seriously, just how disconnected from the world has Yoon Seo-ah been that she didn’t even know who Jin-ha is, even after the rise of mutants?
Even our parents—who normally don’t care about that kind of stuff—knew who she was.
Well…
Thinking about it, our parents are always glued to the TV, so maybe it’s just that they watch the news often.
In any case, things regarding my sister seemed to have settled down, more or less.
Since I was usually by her side, even when attention did gather, it focused on me instead of her.
Yeah, like right now.
“Um………… would it be okay to take a picture with you?”
I nodded without hesitation at the student who asked so politely.
“Of course. Oh, but could you not include my sister in the photo? She’s a bit sensitive about that…”
“Of course! Thank you so much!”
Maybe it was because I saved those people who were paragliding in Danyang last time, but lately, the people asking me for photos felt… oddly polite.
“Isn’t that uncomfortable?”
My sister asked, watching the whole thing. Like she was just now realizing.
“I’m used to it now. And it’s not particularly exhausting either. But what about you—are you okay with it?”
“Well, since you handle everything, it’s not really a bother.”
“What about them?”
When I said that, Seo-ah immediately understood.
You know, those so-called classmates tangled up in that whole love-triangle mess.
“I told them yesterday.”
“What did you say?”
“That I’m going to transfer departments, so they should stop bothering me.
Also told them not to try playing politics behind my back.
I said it’s not worth wasting energy on people I won’t even see again.”
“Nice. And the others?”
“Some seemed disappointed, others looked like they were relieved…….. People always react the same way.”
“Anyway, stay away from people for the time being.”
“I know.”
“You got Jin-ha’s contact info last time, right? Ask her. Tell her you want to go all in as a model, and ask what you should do.”
“Okay.”
“She’ll probably want to train you professionally. If you’re really serious about that path, then go for it all the way. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Anyway, with that, the situation with my sister was wrapped up.
She only had one morning class today, so I saw her off and then headed to my own lecture.
Han-gyeol was already sitting in the classroom, and I naturally sat down next to him.
“Ugh, I’m so tired.”
“Oh, look who it is—the celebrity.”
“What, you want an autograph too?”
“No thanks. Pass. Who cares about autographs. Hey, are you free later today?”
“Hmm………… probably not? The Deputy Director said there’s something scheduled for this afternoon.”
“……………You know, the more I think about it, the weirder it sounds. Deputy Director, Director—those titles still don’t feel real.”
Honestly, even I thought so.
Me?
A Director at this age?
Even if it’s an agency under the NIS, still—this kind of thing usually doesn’t happen.
Well, I guess that’s because I’m… unique.
“Anyway, what’s going on today?”
“Today’s the launch ceremony rehearsal.”
“Launch ceremony?”
“Yeah. For the Mutant Crime Eradication Agency.”
“……Wait, are you doing some kind of speech or something?”
“Looks like it.”
“Whoa.”
“The government gave me a fancy title, so I’ve gotta do this much.
It’s not like giving a speech is that hard…”
“What about the script?”
“Not sure. I think the Deputy Director will hand it over later…
I’m thinking of throwing in a few ad-libs.”
“Oh. Is it going to be broadcast or something?”
“Probably live-streamed tomorrow.
So, I’m skipping class tomorrow~”
“You submitted your absence notice, right?”
“I already told the professors. They said I don’t even need one.”
“Man, I’m jealous.”
“Hey, it’s not all fun and games. I have to mingle with high-ranking officials tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah, that sucks.”
“Right?”
In a lot of ways, the school was also making things easier for me.
If it was something official like this, I could skip class without even needing an absence notice.
“So, about that… could you jot down the lecture notes and assignments for tomorrow? I’ll buy you a meal.”
“Sure, that’s no big deal. If you’re buying, I’ll happily accept.”
“Cafeteria food okay?”
“You crazy woman?”
“Joking, joking. Anyway, thanks.”
Whenever a new public agency is established, the government usually holds a launch ceremony.
Even in the military, they’ll throw some kind of event for just about any occasion.
And it was no different for the Mutant Crime Eradication Agency.
After class ended, I smiled at the agency officer who came to pick me up.
This officer was someone I had met the last time I visited the agency.
If I remember correctly, his name was Lee Jang-hyeok.
“Thank you.”
“Haha, of course. I’ll escort you right away, Director. Also, please feel free to speak casually.”
“This is more comfortable for me.”
“Then go with whatever feels right to you.”
We arrived at the NIS quicker than I expected, and I was able to meet with the Deputy Director right away.
“You’ve arrived, Director.”
“Hello.”
“There’s a lot going on today, so I’ve written a brief summary of what you need to do during the launch ceremony rehearsal.
Please read it over, and let me know if anything seems unclear.”
“Got it. Oh, is there anything that needs my approval?”
“I’ve actually prepared all the necessary documents.”
“Oh, then I’ll read this and check everything.”
“Yes.”
Even though I was a Director mostly in name, I still needed to understand how the agency operated,
So I asked the Deputy Director about various things.
Thankfully, the gracious wisdom of the dragon helped me again this time.
Even though it was my first time doing this kind of work, I was able to understand how the agency functioned right away.
The old me couldn’t have even imagined this, but……..
I remember the Deputy Director visibly relaxing when he saw how quickly I was grasping things.
That’s why, these days, I’ve started taking on bits of agency work in the evenings.
Even if I’m just a figurehead, it doesn’t feel right to do absolutely nothing and just burn through taxpayers’ money.
Sure, people say that thanks to me, there are more benefits and fewer expenses overall…………
But still, once you wear the title, you’ve got to take responsibility.
Anyway, there wasn’t much I had to do for the launch ceremony.
Just shake hands with some high-ranking government officials, and give a speech to the attendees……….
But then—what’s this?
They want me to transform into a dragon and fly around in the sky?
“Uh, Deputy Director?”
“Yes, Director.”
“What is this? There’s something strange at the end of the speech script.”
“Ah, that… It’s a kind of show of force.
Since this is the Mutant Crime Eradication Agency, and the ceremony’s being broadcast nationwide,
It’s meant to send a warning to criminals watching.”
“Didn’t you say flying over Seoul’s airspace was prohibited?”
“Haha. There are exceptions to everything, aren’t there?
You’re now authorized to fly over Seoul, Director.”
“Really? Okay, then.
But you’ll need to secure a lot of open space for that.”
“That’s why we decided to hold the ceremony at a larger venue.”
“Aha…………. Alright then.”
“If it feels like too much pressure, you can refuse.”
“It’s not that overwhelming, so it’s fine.
I’ve got the title now—might as well do the job.
It’s not like I’m wasting tax money for nothing.
Oh, by the way, the Director of the NIS asked to see me briefly after the rehearsal.
What’s that about?”
“Oh, nothing serious.
He just has a few things he’d like to discuss with you. Probably more of a casual chat than anything else.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Feel free to meet him without any pressure.
Among the high-ranking officials, he’s one of the more reasonable ones.
There’s a reason I work under him, after all.”
The Deputy Director spoke with a look of genuine trust in his eyes.
If someone like him trusts the Director that much, then I guess there won’t be any weird, old-school nonsense.
The rehearsal wrapped up more smoothly than I expected.
Mostly because I glanced over the script once and memorized the whole thing, so I gave the speech flawlessly.
And honestly, there wasn’t all that much to do at the launch ceremony after all.
All I had to do was explain what kind of work the Mutant Crime Eradication Agency would be doing from now on.
It was just… a bit exaggerated, that’s all.
Also, since all mutants affiliated with the agency would be attending, I figured I’d get to meet some of the agents I hadn’t seen yet.
That fairy-type mutant… Ha-rin, she said she’d be there too.
Si-ah said she’d come, and Yeon-hwa as well.
Since tomorrow will be my first time meeting Ha-rin, I was kind of looking forward to it.
By the way, I wonder if Si-ah’s finished what she was doing over in California.
This would be my first time talking to the Director of the NIS one-on-one.
Before, the Deputy Director was always there too—but this time, it was just the two of us.
From what I’d heard, the NIS Director had played a major role in me being appointed as the head of the agency.
“Oh, you’re here. Director.”
“It’s good to see you again.”
“That press conference last time was very impressive. So, how are you settling into your new position? Getting used to the title?”
“It still feels a little strange to have such a title at my age…………….But I can’t say it’s been hard to adjust.”
“Haha! That’s good to hear. Honestly, when I first heard about you from Jeong-ho, I wasn’t entirely convinced…………But now I think creating this position was definitely the right move.”
“Is that so?”
“Thanks to the Director’s presence, the mutant crime rate—which had been a major headache—has dropped significantly. You’ve seen the reports, right?”
“Ah, yes. I checked just yesterday, and it’s clearly gone down.”
“That’s all because of you. Korea has always lacked proper deterrence when it comes to mutants. Since firearms aren’t allowed here, individuals had no real way to defend themselves against mutants.”
“But now… your presence has become a form of deterrence in itself. Honestly, I—and many others in higher positions—feel a huge sense of relief because of your character. Let me express my gratitude once more.”
With that, the Director of the NIS bowed his head.
That caught me off guard—kind of hard to know how to respond to that…
Did something bad happen to him involving mutants?
“I don’t think I’ve done anything that deserves this much thanks.”
“Oh, you have.
If your personality had even a hint of cruelty… Korea might have collapsed.
That alone is worth being thankful for.
And on top of that, you even took down a demon-type mutant…….”
“That demon-type mutant… What exactly did he do?”
“She was caught in an explosion caused by that bastard and lost her leg.”
“……Excuse me?”
“My granddaughter. She was caught in the blast he caused and lost her leg. Of course, that’s not the only reason I’m grateful.”
“After the press conference, public anxiety has significantly dropped. You probably haven’t seen these stats yet, have you?”
The NIS Director handed me a report measuring public anxiety about mutant crimes since the press conference.
Sure enough, the data showed a clear decrease, starting right after my speech.
“Yes.”
“That’s all thanks to you taking down the demon-type mutant. So of course I’m grateful. Tomorrow, starting with you, that anxiety will shrink even more. It was me who requested the transformation into your dragon form during the launch ceremony.”
“Oh, really?”
“Once people see that, other mutants won’t dare go wild so easily.
In many ways………… you’ve become the guardian dragon of Korea.”
“That sounds… pretty grand.”
“It’s not grand. Since the world changed, Korea has lived under a quiet, lingering fear. But your presence is gradually lifting that fear.”
“Since becoming Director of the NIS, I think the best decision I’ve made was appointing you as the head of the Mutant Crime Eradication Agency.”
“You flatter me.”
“Well, today I just wanted to chat a bit. You suddenly got handed a heavy title, so if there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Yes, sir!”
The NIS Director smiled as he said that.
He looked like someone who had just set down a heavy burden.