Chapter 3

EP.2 Chapter 2

"Status window..."

I muttered a word that people usually say when their life hits rock bottom or when they give up on everything. But nothing happened.

Was it too greedy to hope for a status window or a points shop?

After all, if I had suddenly undergone a gender change, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect to gain a few abilities?

For heaven's sake, I never thought I'd be a fire-breathing one-trick pony...

Feeling at a loss, I instinctively checked my phone, following the modern human instinct to grab it when there's nothing else to do. I hoped to find something, but the contact list was eerily clean, and the only call log was a single text message.

The message congratulated me on being admitted to Aegis Academy and instructed me to report to Class 1-A by 8:00 AM on March 1st.

And the current time was 7:40 AM on March 1st.

...Could I possibly not be late?

*

I stepped outside and realized an important fact.

I didn't know the way.

Where am I, and who am I?

Where do we come from, and where are we going?

I was deep in philosophical contemplation when a bicycle screeched to a halt beside me.

I turned my head slightly and saw the protagonist of "The Holy Sword of the Academy," Yun Siwoo, looking at me from his bicycle.

No wonder people say his appearance is plausible.

Goodness, the description said he was handsome enough to slap a celebrity's face ten times, but in reality, he looked even better.

White hair and heterochromia, yet it didn't look unnatural at all.

If you had a face like that, wouldn't you look good with rainbow hair too?

I naturally understood why heroines swarm around the protagonist like flies.

His appearance isn't just a carpet-bombing level; it's a tactical nuclear strike. How could you not fall for him if he's kind to you?

While I was admiring his looks, Yun Siwoo gestured to the back of his bike.

"You seem to be a student at our school. If you stay there, you'll be late. Want a ride?"

At that moment, I quickly shook my head to refuse.

My intuition was screaming a loud warning.

If I got close to him, I'd turn into a girl not just physically but mentally too!

As the saying goes, the heart follows the body. If I stuck with a guy like him, I might start to grow a bit of a girl inside me.

I absolutely refused to have my heart race while riding on a guy's bicycle.

"Then I'll go ahead. You should hurry up and not be late."

Fortunately, Yun Siwoo disappeared on his bike with those words.

My masculinity was safe, but I was still in danger of being late.

But thanks to Yun Siwoo, I had a rough idea of the direction of the school. I figured I'd arrive if I just kept running.

But it was already past 8:00.

Why is the school so far away...

Even though I have superhuman abilities and ran without stopping, I still couldn't see the school. I guess I'll have to wake up earlier from tomorrow.

Just then, an auntie passing by looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Student, aren't you going to school? It's already past 8:00."

"Ah, I, the way..."

"You need to go in the opposite direction."

"......!"

That's when I remembered the line about Yun Siwoo being late on his first day.

How could I only remember this now? Am I an idiot?

I thanked the auntie for her directions and, since I was already late, decided to walk a bit more slowly. Eventually, I saw a building with "AEGIS" written in large letters on a big shield.

It wasn't far from my house, but I had wandered around, all because of Yun Siwoo.

It was 8:55 when I checked the time, and I found the classroom for Class 1-A and opened the door.

The students, who had been chatting in groups, suddenly focused their colorful eyes on me. When I stood there silently, they went back to their conversations.

In Class 1-A, the protagonist, Yun Siwoo, is also in this class, but he hasn't arrived yet.

If he had been here, I wouldn't have been the center of attention.

I glanced around the class and found an empty seat.

Since this is the protagonist's class, the students here are not ordinary.

Among them, a particularly striking presence sat diagonally to my left—a beautiful girl.

She seemed to be in her own world, even in the noisy classroom. She must be the main heroine, Sylvia Astra, of high elf descent.

Her ability must be to turn people around her into cephalopods.

Already, many people had fallen victim to her ability and turned into squids.

A few students were already enchanted by her noble presence and stared at her blankly, including me.

Did I stare too intently?

Sylvia turned her head, feeling my gaze, and our eyes met.

Startled, I bowed my head and greeted her, and she gave me a slight smile in return.

Thank you... overwhelming gratitude...

That moment, 90% of my anger at being thrown into this world was gone.

I was so excited that my face turned red, and without realizing it, my hair started to burn.

Sylvia, surprised, opened her eyes wide and then chuckled, turning her head away.

At that moment, the classroom door creaked open, and the noisy classroom fell silent.

Because of Sylvia, part of the classroom had already turned into squids, and the rest of the people, who were still talking, turned into clams at the sight of Yun Siwoo.

It was like a scene from a myth.

A god and a goddess met in a Noryangjin fish market filled with squids and clams.

The god walked naturally to the seat next to the goddess, and everyone watched their first meeting with bated breath.

"Ahaha, you got here before me. I'm terrible with directions."

The god turned 180 degrees and spoke to a clam.

That clam was me.

Something... something was happening.

I glanced around the room.

'Why is this clam butting in without knowing anything?'

'What, do they know each other? That's a bit annoying.'

'Two people and a clam. Really, it's a sight I can't stand.'

I could hear these voices in my head.

The scolding gazes.

The mocking laughter from somewhere.

And the goddess, looking at me with a slightly uncomfortable smile.

'Oh dear...'

Right diagonal behind the academy heroine.

And right behind the academy protagonist.

I could hear the sound of my school life unraveling.

Author's Note

I was about to go to bed when I saw that the prequel had over 100 views, so I was startled and wrote this all night.

I'm flattered that you're interested in this kind of written work...