Chapter 7: Facing the Unfamiliar

2. Hello, I’m an Angel

The scene of three guys staring down at a little girl could seem dangerously misconstrued if described poorly, but I just stood there, smiling awkwardly.

“… So, uh, long time no see?”

The three of them froze, as if time had stopped.

… Say something, please. I feel like I’m sitting on pins and needles.

In the tense silence, I fiddled with my glowing halo for no reason. It’s warm.

Junseo was the first to speak.

“So, uh… your body…”

“It’s because of the transformation phenomenon. That thing on the news.”

“For real, you’re… Garam?” kang-hyeok, aka Chubby, asked in a terrible fake accent. You don’t even speak like that, dude.

“Yeah. I’ve got proof.”

I pulled out the government-issued transformation certificate from my pocket.

Unfolding the crumpled document, it showed my old photo next to my current one, confirming I’m Garam Lee. It detailed who I used to be, with an official government seal at the bottom certifying me as a transformed individual.

The three read it, glanced at me, opened their mouths a few times, but said nothing. They seemed to struggle with the situation.

Silence.

The only sound in the studio was the TV droning on.

Then Min-jae, the scrawny one, pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and spoke.

“… You okay?”

A question with no clear subject, probably loaded with meaning. All I could say was that I was fine.

“Of course. I’ve been like this for a week already. I’m pretty used to it.”

“Good, then…”

The atmosphere froze again.

…

Click, fizz.

A sudden sound broke the tension. Looking over, kang-hyeok was cracking open a beer with a stiff face, holding two pieces of chicken in one hand.

Gulp, gulp, munch, munch.

In a room where everyone else was still, kang-hyeok’s mouth and hands kept moving.

“Ugh, Chubby, you’re ruining the vibe!” Min-jae chimed in, and Junseo let out a chuckle, starting to eat chicken too. The stagnant studio came back to life.

I took a bite of chicken.

Nom nom.

I thought about grabbing a beer but decided against it.

Once the mood loosened, I slipped back into the group naturally.

Was this their unspoken kindness, or were they just clueless? Who knows.

While munching on chicken and chatting, Junseo asked, “Garam, have you seen your family?”

“Of course. I was with them all evening, that’s why I’m here so late.”

“They okay with it?”

“They were shocked at first, but they accepted it quickly. Mom, Dad, my brother too.”

I’ll never forget Dad, usually so stoic, wide-eyed and jaw-dropped. Mom, once she knew it was me, checked if I was hurt. My brother was kind of dumb about it, though—his first words were, “So, will you call me big brother now?” Really?

Anyway.

Nom nom.

After a few more pieces of chicken, my stomach started to feel full. Glancing at the window, I saw the sky had darkened.

I moved to a corner of the room.

“Guys, I’m gonna sleep.”

“What? This early?”

“I pass out when night hits. Can’t help it.”

“Huh…?”

Ehe.

With their puzzled looks as my last sight, I blacked out.

*

Ugh.

Sunlight’s nice… More, please…

I stirred, basking in the faint sunlight filtering through the window, and opened my eyes.

A messy room, three guys sprawled on the floor.

Why did my perspective feel high? Then I realized I was on the bed.

I distinctly remembered the floor being my last view before passing out. Why am I on the bed?

Shaking my sleepy head, clarity slowly returned.

Guess my friends moved me to the bed after I passed out.

This bed’s usually kang-hyeok’s, the room’s owner. I stole his spot.

… If I were still a guy, they’d have left me on the floor. Is this their way of being considerate?

Feeling a bit down, I headed to the bathroom to wash up.

The sink felt slightly high—not too high, but just enough to feel awkward. My smaller body’s to blame.

Splash, splash.

I doused my face to shake off the lingering sleepiness.

Looking up, I saw the mirror, and in it…

A tiny, silver-haired angel.

I lied when I told my friends I was used to this.

The mirror still brings a wave of unease, like I’m being forced to face issues I’d rather ignore. It’s profoundly uncomfortable.

That’s why I hate being alone. Talking with people lets me forget, but alone, these thoughts creep in.

My family’s and friends’ kindness feels like they’re keeping me at a distance, and it hurts. I know that’s not true, but I’m scared our bonds might break.

Maybe because my body changed, I’m overreacting to every little thing.

The blue eyes in the mirror felt cruel.

*

After washing up, I came out to find Junseo awake.

Even disheveled from sleep, his face was annoyingly radiant.

Ugh, that freeloader. Some of us turned into girls overnight…

“You up?”

“Yeah… So, what was with passing out last night? You just collapsed, freaked us out.”

I sat on the bed, scratching my head, and answered.

“No big deal. I just pass out at night. Like, poof.”

“… You sure you’re not sick? How does that even…”

“No, it’s not that. They say the transformation brings out species traits. Like, elves love veggies or something.”

“Passing out at night is a trait?”

“Guess so.”

“What?”

“All of it. Feels… like a dream. Like this can’t be real.”

“Same here.”

Especially since I’m at the center of it.

Having seen my friends, I figured it was time to head home. I grabbed my stuff—just the certificate and wallet.

“I’m off.”

“See ya.”

“Yep.”

With light goodbyes, I headed home.

The weather was slightly hazy with fine dust.

Not bad, but I might need a mask in a few days. Random thoughts crossed my mind as I walked.

Basking in the warm sunlight, I zoned out, then felt eyes on me and looked around.

People walking—kids to adults, all different in dress and demeanor, but with one thing in common.

Their gazes were all on me.

Curious stares, like they were looking at a zoo animal…

I tried to walk nonchalantly, but I couldn’t ignore all the eyes. There were too many to brush off.

My pace quickened. My lips twitched.

The smile I had in the sunlight turned into a grimace.

Even if I wanted to blend in, my glowing halo drew attention relentlessly–

Click!

I froze at a crosswalk, unable to keep going.

The sound of a camera shutter in that brief wait wasn’t something I could ignore.

Turning, I saw a phone. People around seemed to know taking a stranger’s photo was wrong but didn’t act.

I was the same.

Just hoping the light would turn green so I could escape—

“Hey, you just took a picture, didn’t you?”

“Huh? Uh?”

A familiar voice cut through. One I’d known for years.

“Junseo…?”

“Delete it. You know it’s wrong to take someone’s photo without permission.”

“Oh, uh… sorry.”

The crowd’s attention faded. They turned away, pretending to be uninvolved, waiting for the crosswalk.

The photo-taker melted into the crowd, and Junseo came to my side.

“When did you follow me…?”

“Right after you left.”

His slight panting suggested otherwise. He’d clearly rushed to catch up.

“Why’d you follow?”

“In case something like this happened.”

“I’m not a kid. I can handle this.”

“What? You were shaking like a leaf.”

Ugh.

He hit the nail on the head, and I couldn’t argue. The light changed, and with a sigh, I crossed.

“Why follow me?”

“I was worried. What if something like that happened again?”

“…”

Knowing Junseo, his worry was genuine. I didn’t like the coddling, but…

I didn’t have the heart to refuse.