Seoul Dragon

“Sis, you don’t have anything else to do?”
“How could I? You know better than me about the social perception of mutants.”
“Then you’re completely unemployed.”
“That’s true, but honestly, there’s nothing I can do right now.”
“Heh. So you don’t have anything else to do, right?”
“For now. What about you?”
“I think I’m going to tutor later?”
“Somehow you’ve always found amazing ways to make money.”
“I made a promise with Mom and Dad. In exchange for living here, I have to make my own spending money. So I don’t get an allowance.”
“You say that, but in the end, aren’t you still using Mom’s credit card?”
“Not for that, I mean for things I need to use personally. Living expenses are a major item. Now that you’re here too, the food expenses are doubled.”
“…That’s true. Then I should find some kind of job too. Oh, by the way, I wonder when the reward money will come in.”
“Reward money?”
My sister looked at me with curiosity.
“They said there’s a reward for catching the mutant yesterday.”
“Who did?”
“The NIS agent.”
“…Why would someone who catches spies suddenly appear?”
“Oh, you really are my sister. Your thought process is exactly the same.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“I guess they assigned him because problems arise when mutants cause trouble…”
“Aren’t there too many incidents for that?”
“Maybe there would be even more incidents without people like them?”
“That’s true. By the way, how much are you getting?”
“I’m not sure? Let’s go eat something when it hits my account.”
“Oh.”
“Think about what you want to eat.”
She nodded in admiration and roughly stuffed the breakfast I had prepared into her mouth.
Not long after, I heard rattling sounds as she cleared the dishes.
“Just leave the dishes, I’ll do them. Didn’t you say you had to go tutoring?”
“The tutoring is at 7 PM. There’s still plenty of time.”
“Then you do it.”
“I was going to even if you didn’t say anything.”
After finishing the dishes, I could feel her staring at me.
“What are you looking at?”
“Do you have eyes on the back of your head?”
“I told you. I have clairvoyance. I can notice all gazes directed at me. So why?”
“You didn’t dry your hair properly after washing, did you? Why does your hair look like that? Come here. I’ll dry your hair for you.”
“What’s gotten into you? You’ve always been so ungrateful.”
“I just can’t stand seeing such a blessed appearance being neglected, that’s all. If you don’t like it, fine.”
“Who said I don’t like it? It’s just unexpected. They say when someone does something they don’t normally do, they’re terminally ill…”
“You crazy. There’s nothing you won’t say to your sister.”
“You always speak rudely to me, and now what?”
“Anyway, come quickly. Your hair will be damaged.”
“It won’t be damaged. A dragon’s gracious body does not accept any kind of damage.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s true.”
“How do you know such things?”
“I just naturally came to know.”
“Naturally?”
“Yes. It’s like an instinct. When I’m just spacing out, what I can do just naturally comes to mind. Like recalling something I had forgotten.”
“That’s fascinating…”
She muttered while bringing the hair dryer and slowly combing through my hair.
With a whirring sound, the warm air removes the moisture remaining in my hair.
“Your hair is really long.”
“Should I cut it?”
“Leave it. You said a dragon’s gracious body doesn’t get damaged anyway. And long hair looks pretty.”
“What’s the use of being pretty?”
“Sis, you always put a lot of effort into customizing female characters when you play games. Why not live like that?”
“Hey. Am I the same as a game character?”
“I’m not saying you’re the same, but at least think that way and try to dress up. Isn’t it a waste? You’ve become someone with looks that even celebrities can’t compare to. It feels good to look in the mirror and see someone pretty or handsome. It unconsciously raises your self-esteem.”
“I’ve never been handsome, so I don’t know that feeling. Because someone hogged all the genes. Hey. While you’re saying that, don’t subtly touch my horns.”
“Why, are they sensitive?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I don’t feel anything. It’s just a bit unpleasant.”
“Really?”
“Would you like it if someone touched your body without permission?”
“Of course not.”
“It’s like that.”
“I see. So do you have any thoughts?”
“What thoughts?”
“About dressing up.”
“Hey, I haven’t been a woman for long. The psychological hurdle is too high for that right now.”
“Well, think about it slowly~ It’s not like it’s urgent. I’m just personally disappointed. All done. Your hair texture is really cheating. It’s like silk, to use a cliché expression.”
“As I always say…”
“It must be thanks to the dragon’s gracious body. By the way, what are you going to do until school starts?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll do a livestream?”
“Why suddenly a livestream?”
“You don’t know the rule yet. It’s a rule to do a livestream when your gender changes.”
“What country’s rule is that, you weeb? Anyway, do it if you want.”
“Forget it. I was just joking. You know, sometimes you just say things without filtering them through your brain. How can you not know this after all these years?”
My younger sister sighed at my words.
Why, what, why.

Around evening, as my sister was about to leave for tutoring.
I looked at my smartphone.
And checked the group chats.
While there wasn’t any problem looking at the group project chat rooms since they were already dead, the issue was with the chat rooms that were still active.
Especially, my only communication channel, the university male classmates’ chat room.
The four members there had been asking about my whereabouts from the time I disappeared due to mutation until now.
[Han Taehoon: Where did Yoon Seohyun go? lol He suddenly disappeared from the group project and that group all failed]
[Yoo Hangyeol: If a group project fails because one person is missing, it deserves to fail for real]
[Jo Minhyuk: It is infuriating though~ Our group was also a complete mess;; These idiots just scraped together stuff from here and there when I asked for papers]
[Heo Jihwan: Makes me want to punch them in the face lol]
[Yoo Hangyeol: Seohyun messed up his course registration last year, so this semester he had 6 major courses and was the leader for all 6 group projects… With six logs like that, knowing his personality, maybe he ran away trying to shoulder it all?]
[Han Taehoon: I know right lol Hey Seohyun, did something really happen to you?]
[Yoo Hangyeol: He doesn’t even look at the chat room?]
[Han Taehoon: Did something really happen? Has anyone been to his apartment?]
[Yoo Hangyeol: He wasn’t in his apartment]
[Jo Minhyuk: Did he really disappear suddenly? It’s strange;; He’s not the type to do that?]
The scroll continued after that. Up to relatively recently.
[Heo Jihwan: By the way, is Yoon Seohyun really dead?]
[Han Taehoon: But if so, wouldn’t there be some news of his death?]
[Yoo Hangyeol: I’m worried for nothing;; None of us knows his family’s phone numbers, and when we ask the department office, they just say he’s on medical leave]
[Jo Minhyuk: Maybe some chronic illness flared up and he’s fighting it?]
[Han Taehoon: Or maybe he mutated? Isn’t that the most reasonable suspicion? The timing of his disappearance coincides exactly with when mutants appeared]
[Yoo Hangyeol: Come to think of it, that’s possible? Did he mutate and is in a serious situation? Like he can’t control himself?]
[Heo Jihwan: That might be it……]
It was somewhat touching to see them still caring about me, as peers.
It would have been understandable if they had lost interest after I disappeared for 3 months, but seeing that they still remembered me… I should at least let them know I’m alive.
[Yoon Seohyun: Hi]
As soon as I appeared in the chat room, question marks came up collectively.
[Han Taehoon: You were alive?]
[Yoon Seohyun: Yeah;; Thanks for worrying]
[Yoo Hangyeol: What happened? Did you really mutate?]
[Yoon Seohyun: Yeah]
[Heo Jihwan: How come?]
[Jo Minhyuk: When did you wake up?]
[Yoon Seohyun: Um… four days ago?]
[Han Taehoon: Then you woke up really late, didn’t you? What did you turn into?]
[Yoon Seohyun: I’ll show you when school starts lol; It’s a bit uncomfortable to go out right now;; I can go out, but it’s inconvenient]
[Yoo Hangyeol: OK OK As long as you’re alive]
[Yoon Seohyun: Anyway, see you all when school starts]

Time passed extremely quickly.
And surprisingly, nothing happened.
No mutants went on a rampage, and although I continued to receive checkup results, there were no particular abnormalities.
Moreover, the reward money for catching the minotaur last time was quite substantial, so there was no one who could complain about me lounging around—it was truly a shut-in life.
My sister tried to drag me out several times, but I only went out once or twice.
I was the type of person who was happiest becoming one with the house.
And so, when I came to my senses…
It was already one month before the semester started.
Others might move only after the semester begins, but my situation was a bit different.
I had to submit a semester retake application to the department office first.
I pulled my hat down low.
The perception of mutants was only getting worse.
Of course, the problem was the few who caused trouble, but perception is always derived from such a minority.
Since it’s better not to give any reason for trouble, wearing a hat when going out had become a part of my daily routine.
Also, since golden eyes stand out, I wore black contact lenses. To think I have to go through all this trouble just to go out once.
After carefully putting the prepared documents in my bag, I set off for the department office. Departing right at 9 AM when the office opens, there were no people on the street.
At this rate, I could just run.
One convenience after mutating is that I no longer needed to spend money on public transportation to get from my apartment to school.
I could just run as if jogging.
That alone gets me to school in about 10 minutes.
Also, the sense of speed is incredible and I don’t particularly feel fatigue, so running is quite enjoyable.
However, I had to be careful when there were passersby.
If I accidentally bumped into someone, they wouldn’t escape with just serious injuries. Of course, there wouldn’t be any such accident at all… but the possibility always exists.
I wanted to bring out my wings, but if I did, it would attract an enormous amount of attention, so I didn’t bother.
I still can’t forget my sister’s shocked expression when I first brought out my wings.
Over the past two months, I’ve awakened all the various abilities I can use. As naturally as breathing.
I could fly in the sky, control lightning and fire, and make it rain. In other words, I could control weather phenomena.
Anyway, when I came to my senses, I could see the Humanities College.
Without hesitation, I headed towards the Korean Literature Department office.
As I was about to enter, I felt a bit nervous.
After all, I knew the teaching assistants inside.
This was the first time since my mutation that I would meet someone I knew outside of my family.
Carefully, I knocked on the door of the department office.