Chapter 7 : Are You Living Very Happily?

The Goblin is a Low-Level Monster.

If you rank it, it’s somewhere between E and D.

For an active hunter, it’s a monster they can easily hunt.

Even a newly enrolled academy student could take one down without much difficulty.

However, the brilliance of exceptional swordsmanship and physical prowess can shine even against a mere log.

“What did I just witness?”

Professor Shin Arin of the Combat Studies department replayed the scene in her head, her thoughts hazy as if she were intoxicated.

The movement she had just seen—this was something no close-combat hunter could take lightly.

If it were simply a matter of physical strength and speed, then she, an S-rank hunter, would undoubtedly be faster.

But his technique was unbelievably smooth.

It wasn’t just about him being a relatively weaker man.

It wasn’t about him being a newly enrolled academy student.

His judgment and movements were simply outstanding.

As Shin Arin stared at the man on the screen, a sudden desire flickered in her eyes.

But it was by no means lust.

“I want to take him as my disciple.”

It was the look of a professor discovering a brilliant graduate student.

Though she currently worked as an educator, she was much closer to being a hunter at heart.

After graduating from the academy, she was immediately deployed to the field and had reigned at the top for nearly a decade.

With her natural talent shining brightest in the field rather than research or back-end work, and with a temperament inclined toward battle, she had only ever seen teaching as a way to pass on her knowledge and contribute.

“Holy shit.”

Well, she knew she should be cautious when dealing with a male freshman, but to be honest, she was captivated.

She wanted to take him under her wing after class, to pass on all her skills and knowledge.

The only problem was—

“What the hell was that?”

“Maybe it’s just because I’m a magic specialist, but that looked impressive to me…”

“Impressive? That was insane.”

“Hah, he’s a bit unsettling, don’t you think?”

“Professor Choi, this isn’t about gender. That guy is just crazy.”

Everyone around her had more or less the same reaction.

Even a magic studies professor—who had been quietly watching—stood up and approached out of curiosity.

Realizing that the competition for this student was growing, Shin Arin anxiously checked the date.

And then, she realized something.

“Ah.”

It was still mid-February.

There were about fifteen days left until the semester officially began.

Feeling antsy, she shifted in her seat.

“Ah.”

Even as someone who had reached the pinnacle of heroism, there were moments when her body moved before her mind.

Moments when emotion took the lead over logic.

Moments when her body trembled involuntarily, or an exclamation escaped her lips.

Just like now.

“T-Then I’ll give you half of mine, so give me half of yours! Edward!”

“Enri, you idiot. You don’t have to say that—I’d give you everything.”

Watching one of the greatest classics of the anime industry, she suddenly realized—

The protagonist, an alchemist, and his engineer companion had swapped genders.

She enjoyed female-led fantasy stories and appreciated their unique appeal.

But seeing a famous quote altered so strangely…

“This is just… messed up.”

Damn it, give me back my little Edward.

“Give me back my Enri—the cool yet oddly carefree tomboy I love.”

Well, even as I said that, I had to admit that the swapped scenes and developments were refreshing and fun to watch.

“If I just think of it as a masterpiece from a parallel world, it’s fine.”

Some people might say they want to erase this from their memory, but for those who want to experience a classic again in a new way, this might actually be a good thing.

Of course, with the reversed character genders and the strange sense of imbalance, some viewers might end up coughing blood.

“Still, it’s a well-made work.”

A masterpiece remains a masterpiece, even with a gender swap.

Interestingly, there were some characters who remained exactly the same, despite the changed world.

And then there were those whose very existence had been entirely rewritten, making me wonder, Who the hell is this supposed to be?

But despite that, the worldbuilding, story, and character development were all incredibly well done.

Maybe a great story truly remains great, no matter how much the world around it changes.

—Girl Avengers, assemble.

But… why the hell was this a thing?

There was no way something like this could exist in reality.

Was I hallucinating?

“Ugh, my head.”

Pressing my fingers against my temples to erase the horrifying memory, I stuffed more potato chips into my mouth and started searching for a new anime or drama to watch.

Negative memories and emotions should always be overwritten with positive ones.

This was a strategic decision.

Even if some people weren’t happy with my happy-go-lucky lifestyle.

[‘The Balance of Order and Causality’ frowns deeply and condemns the hero’s laziness.]

[(ಠ_ಠ)]

[Asking why you’re acting like some shut-in hero.]

“Well, at least I’m not a Demon King. Isn’t just being a hero good enough?”

[…No! A hero turning into a Demon King is absolutely unacceptable!]

“Goddess, I thought speaking directly to another world drains your divine power. Please, calm down.”

[It’s fine once in a while! More importantly, you haven’t stepped outside since you got back from school! You’re in the modern world now, so go out and enjoy your youth! What’s so fun about staying in your room all day?!]

“Goddess, you really have no respect for introverts, huh?”

A few days ago, the entrance ceremony and level test had concluded.

Although I had been admitted, there was still some time before the semester officially started.

Out of curiosity, the goddess and I had taken an MBTI test for fun.

My result? INFJ—your typical introvert.

If I went outside, the natural order of things dictated that I should retreat back home to recharge my introvert energy.

So, this was my well-deserved rest period.

[…No way. Is this really the standard of living for my hero?]

I thought I heard the goddess’s exasperated sigh, but it was probably just my imagination.

For the record, when she took the test, she turned out to be an even bigger introvert—an INFP.

A goddess who spends all her time secretly observing a hero has no right to lecture me about going outside.

This was pure hypocrisy.

“Heh. This is kinda hot.”

Shoving another potato chip into my mouth, I picked a newly released anime on Netflicks.

It was a high school romance comedy—pretty standard.

But for someone from another world, as long as the production quality was high, I actually found these kinds of stories quite relaxing and enjoyable.

[‘The Balance of Order and Causality’ is furious over the hero’s laziness.]

Checking my messages again, it seemed the goddess had completely drained her divine power reserve.

How pathetic.

[The goddess is shocked by the hero’s words.]

[With wide eyes, she condemns the hero’s outrageous statement…]

…

I ignored the flood of messages and focused on my anime.

“S-So… our classmates think we’re d-dating.”

“So what? We’re close, aren’t we?”

“W-Well, yeah, but…”

Hmm, a timid yet strong-willed female protagonist and a friendly, playboy-ish male protagonist?

It’s a setup that feels both cliché and fresh.

I just hope the male lead isn’t too overbearing, and the female lead isn’t frustratingly passive.

• “Kenichi, let’s date.”
• “What?”
• “I love you. I’ve fallen for you so much.”

“Oh, so the confession is made by the female lead instead?”

This rom-com knows what it’s doing.

[The goddess nags at you to start dating too.]

[(-^-)]

Ah, please refrain from hitting me with harsh truths.

The goddess probably thinks I’m incapable of dating, but honestly, it’s more like I’m just choosing not to.

In the fantasy world? If I wanted, I could’ve had priestesses and concubines—more than a hundred of them.

And yet, I ended up here like this.

“After all the hardships I’ve been through, I can’t just get married without even experiencing love.”

Yeah, that’s right. It’s not that I can’t date—I’m just not doing it.

Of course, I do acknowledge that it’s about time I consider it.

College, the jungle of love, a safari of romance.

The weather is still chilly, but March, the so-called season of chaos, has arrived.

Other than right before Christmas, isn’t this the time when the most couples are formed?

“There are plenty of college-set rom-coms out there too.”

[The goddess advises you to live in reality.]

“I am living in reality, seeing as I’m outside right now?”

[She complains that staying cooped up at home until the day before classes start isn’t right.]

She doesn’t seem to understand that vacations are usually spent in two extremes—either staying at home all month, working nonstop, or going on an overseas trip.

“I’ve traveled across worlds and even to the stars in my fantasy days, so I’m taking it easy here.”

Balance is important, after all.

I spent 20 years roaming foreign lands—can’t I at least rest for a few months?

That goes for romance, too.

In the other world, I was practically worshipped like a god, so here, I’d rather aim for a normal, simple relationship.

[The goddess covers her mouth and looks heartbroken.]

[(ᅲ_ᅲ)]

Is she sad because I talked about my past struggles? Or because I still haven’t dated anyone?

Either way, the goddess started sniffling.

No, but really, I’m perfectly happy right now?

…Well, I had been thinking that experiencing love wouldn’t be so bad.

My hero’s party was full of middle-aged men, so I never even had a proper crush.

But now that I’m in college, maybe I’ll meet someone.

[The goddess wails even louder.]

[(ᅲ^ᅲ)]

‘No, seriously, stop crying.’

If she keeps reacting like this, it feels like I’ll never get into a relationship.

Feeling a bit troubled by this intense flag being raised, I calmed the weepy voyeur goddess and headed to the convenience store inside my apartment complex.

I just needed to grab a quick breakfast, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face working at the register.

“Good morning… Oh,”

“Ah, good morning.”

They seemed shy, their face turning slightly red—kind of cute.

I guess since I run into them often, I feel a sense of internal closeness.

A long time ago, when I was doing part-time jobs, I probably looked just like that.

[The goddess widens her eyes in anticipation.]

“Th-That’ll be 4,200 won.”

“Okay, thank you.”

I quickly paid and left the store.

As much as I wanted to chat, I knew better than to disturb someone while they were working.

I understand that feeling all too well.

[The goddess yells at you to just confess already.]