“Before I knew it, March had swiftly passed, and April approached as if in the blink of an eye. The first chapter of April was titled ‘Hanul Youth Art Contest.”
On the day of the contest, I transformed into a pure girl straight out of a children’s literature illustration.
New clothes I hadn’t worn in a long time.
As expected, wearing something that fit perfectly instead of my usual loose shirts felt awkward.
Moreover, it was the first time since my regression that I wore something that truly felt like ‘girly’ fashion.
‘…This skirt makes the thighs feel cool.’
I finally understood why true Scottish lads and brave Roman warriors wore skirts.
The coolness brought a feeling of increased battle power.
It felt like it boosted mobility, and in an emergency, it could even be ripped apart to use as a bandage.
To be fair, saying it was ‘cool’ was a bit of an exaggeration.
The skirt length reached almost to my calves—a length intended for a ‘modest girl’ look.
Alright, I admit it.
Honestly, it was embarrassing.
Given that my ‘male parts’ had already been sacrificed as part of the regression price two years ago, wearing feminine attire didn’t suddenly make me feel shy.
I wasn’t at an age where I’d struggle with my identity.
What felt more awkward was seeing a decently well-dressed version of myself in the mirror.
“…Hmm.”
My neatly dressed appearance.
The usual shabby image was gone.
I almost looked like a child from a well-off family.
At this stage of rapid teenage growth, wearing clothes that fit perfectly meant they’d be useless after just one year.
‘This cardigan fits so well, I probably won’t be able to wear it if I grow even a little in a year.’
It felt like I was overreaching.
‘Wearing baggy shirts or work clothes is more my speed.’
It reminded me of when I got my first tailored suit for interviews.
I felt a disconnect, like I didn’t fully belong in this polished version of myself.
As I was lost in thought, my uncle’s face popped out from the bathroom door.
“Are you all dressed?”
“Yeah.”
Uncle, standing at the bathroom entrance with shaving cream smeared around his mouth like Santa Claus, glanced at me, now fully dressed.
Then, like Santa himself, he delivered a heartfelt compliment.
“…Why not try becoming a celebrity?”
“What?”
“Honestly, I think you’d find success as a child actor faster than as an artist.”
Huh.
‘So it’s like that, huh?’
“I mean, really?”
“You look better than that kid from that sitcom… What’s it called? Outrageous Big Family?”
“Uncle, maybe I just look cute to you because I’m your niece. You know how even porcupines think their babies are cute.”
“Is that so…?”
“If you’re going to doubt yourself, why compliment me in the first place?”
“Now that I think about it, maybe ‘Juri’ from Outrageous Big Family is cuter after all. Hmm, you really are just my niece.”
“That’s an insult, isn’t it?”
Uncle made a wounded Santa face.
“Are you embarrassed, Uncle?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re hopeless. Anyway, thanks for the compliment. But don’t worry about me attracting guys or whatever. And I’ll keep wearing this name tag, okay?”
“Right, right…”
Uncle’s concerns seemed sincere rather than a joke.
“Ah, seriously. The more I think about it, the more anxious I get… Ko Hana, you do come straight home after school, right? You’re not sneaking off to arcades or anything, right?”
“…I don’t. I have to come home and draw.”
“If something happens to you, I’ll get killed by your mom in my dreams. I’ll be cursed to death for sure. No, I’ll just kill the guy responsible and go down with him.”
“Who are you even talking about killing? I won’t go, so calm down.”
Honestly, I had considered visiting a PC café for nostalgia’s sake, but I gave up on the idea.
‘Were smoking and non-smoking sections still not a thing back then? If my clothes smelled, it’d be unpleasant, so I decided against it.’
Forget it.
Seeing Uncle’s reaction made me completely abandon the thought.
With this face, they’d probably just tell me, ‘Kids aren’t allowed,’ and kick me out anyway.
It’s fine.
I’ll just keep living quietly like this.
“Hmm.”
I looked at the mirror closely.
Honestly, since it’s a face I see every day, I couldn’t objectively evaluate it.
‘Kids all kind of look the same anyway…’
Having no further thoughts, I spoke bluntly.
“This outfit… It’s not expensive, right?”
While shaving, Uncle replied.
As the scruffy beard disappeared, a strong, manly face emerged.
“Just something I picked up alone at the market.”
“I don’t think you have the sense to pick out something that suits me this well. Did you really go ‘alone’?”
Fashion apps? Fashion magazines? Those were relics of 2004’s end-of-the-century vibes.
For someone with no interest in clothes, this was too good a find to be random.
‘Casual yet intentional.’
The result was undeniably cute.
It was clear—this was the work of a professional.
“Come to think of it, isn’t there a rumor that Park Taeoh is close with the young owner of ‘Suni’s Boutique’?”
“…If you’re dressed, fold the blankets already.”
Uncle avoided answering.
As I folded the blanket, I thought to myself.
‘So Uncle probably asked the lady next door, Miss Suni, to help pick out clothes, huh?’
Since I’d become calmer in this life, Uncle seemed to be finding his own life again, visiting Miss Suni in the villa next door under the pretense of exchanging side dishes more frequently.
Maybe, in this life, he’d develop a lasting relationship with her rather than just a one-night encounter.
As I grew up, Uncle was reclaiming his life.
“…I’ll have to keep supporting him.”
Uncle, the factory worker flirting with Miss Suni from the clothing store, appeared wearing a navy jacket.
-Clink.
In his hand was the key to a truck that would dominate the Korean pickup market for the next 20 years.
Probably borrowed from the factory.
With short, waxed hair slicked back slightly, Uncle smiled brightly.
“Ready to go?”
“Yeah.”
“Nervous?”
“Not at all.”
“Wow, impressive. I used to break into a cold sweat just on dictation test days.”
“That’s because you were bad at studying, Uncle.”
“You’re always drawing, but you get perfect scores on tests. You’ve been acing dictation since second grade, haven’t you?”
“Wow, what kind of middle and high school splurges this much money? Is this a European university? If medieval Europeans saw this, they’d think it was their own castle and walk right in. Is that big thing a church?”
“This place is full of girls. Is this an all-girls school? Oh, wait, no, there are some boys too. Look at their pale faces—must be sons of noble families.”
“Wow… everywhere you go, it’s parks and grass. Damn, Ronaldo would think this is a soccer field. You could invite a European football team here to play and have fun.”
‘Why is Ronaldo being brought up now…?’
Anyway, as crude as Uncle’s commentary was, it perfectly captured the essence of this school.
Is the campus vast and luxurious?
Is it built in a European architectural style?
Is there a massive church in the middle of the campus?
Is the student population predominantly girls, with many of them from wealthy families?
Surprisingly, all of it was true.
A sprawling green campus, tall and steep stone buildings illuminated by the morning sunlight, and European-style garden fences.
Amidst it all, numerous girls strolled around, chatting and laughing, with the occasional handsome boy passing by.
‘It’s probably because they have theater, dance, and music departments that the female ratio is overwhelming.’
I couldn’t even think of stopping Uncle’s crude remarks; I simply stared blankly at the grandeur of Hanul Comprehensive Arts School.
Finally.
After 20 years.
I was here.
This prestigious boarding school, filled with children from noble families and mostly girls, rarely allowed outsiders except during major events like competitions or festivals.
That’s why I had only ever observed ‘Hanul’ from a distance.
But now, I had finally set foot here.
…Even if it’s only as an external guest.
Beyond the parking lot, I could hear a distant announcement for visitors.
“Attention visitors of Hanul Comprehensive Arts School. Students participating in the <Hanul Youth Art Contest>, please gather in A Building, Room 102, ‘Garam Hall.’ Accompanying guardians, please proceed to the cafeteria…”
Hearing this, the eyes of the external participants, the contest attendees, lit up as if flames were ignited in them.
With determined expressions, everyone began walking purposefully.
‘It’s really starting now.’
As I felt the excitement of exploring a new place and was about to take a step forward, an annoying sound ruined my mood.
-Phhrrrt
“…Sigh.”
I glared at my uncle after hearing the fart sound from beside me.
“Uncle!”
“What? I’ve been driving for a long time; I couldn’t hold it in.”
“Ugh, seriously…!”
I delivered several justice-infused kicks, but they were nothing against the navy giant.
In a corner of the parking lot, Han Mari giggled as she watched the bickering duo through the open window in the back seat.
“Ahaha…”
The natural slapstick comedy between the two was amusing.
Like a Charlie Chaplin silent film, the father-daughter banter was brimming with raw, human warmth.
Unpretentious.
Laughter that came without a second thought.
It was beautiful.
And thus, it was delightful.
“Ahahaha…”
“Miss, are you looking forward to today’s contest?”
“Me? Hmm, not really. Looking at everyone so scared, it’s not that exciting.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Everyone’s just here to draw. They should be having fun. Why are they so tense?”
“Well, when you’re stiff like that, you can’t even draw properly…”
‘They’re probably nervous because of you, Miss.’
Mr. Kang swallowed his thoughts and wiped the sweat trickling down with a handkerchief.
Han Mari often made remarks so out of context that they were hard to grasp.
Seeing his flustered expression, Han Mari smiled gently.
“Shall we get going, then?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Oh, by the way, when I said ‘we,’ I only meant as far as the school entrance. You can rest at the cafeteria, Mr. Kang.”
“Ah… understood.”
Mr. Kang pursed his lips.
‘That much was obvious from the context, Miss.’
And so, Han Mari casually walked toward Garam Hall, where all the participants were gathering.
However, her presence alone started to weigh on everyone there.