Chapter 3: 17th academy, class 66, class 3

I love animals.
Especially cute ones.

But as of today.
I think I’m starting to hate rabbits.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and introduce yourself, carrot.”

Because of that damn rabbit.
I’m stuck being the first to do introductions.
What’s with this out-of-nowhere self-introduction?

It’s my least favorite thing.

‘Sigh. This is bad…’

I can’t just ignore the professor.
So, I slowly walked toward the front of the classroom.

In that brief moment.
All sorts of thoughts raced through my head.

Should I pretend there’s an emergency and bolt out the back door?
Or just jump out the window?

‘…’

I pushed aside those ridiculous fantasies.

Let’s think realistically.
As I walked, I racked my brain.
How do I get through this?

A normal introduction won’t do.
I’d probably stutter from nerves.
I don’t want to be labeled a loser on the first day.

‘Ah.’

A breakthrough hit me.
A way to introduce myself without speaking.

‘…It’s the only option. It might make me seem standoffish, but as long as I avoid the loser image, it’s fine.’

I calmed my nerves.
Steadied my uneven breathing.
Time, which had slowed, sped up again, and I reached the front desk.

“Looking forward to a great introduction, carrot.”

Professor Santo munched on a carrot, eyeing me.

I was resentful until just now.
But I reconsidered.
The professor didn’t mean any harm.
I just happened to stand out.

Besides.
Everyone’s going to have to introduce themselves anyway.

Being first is nerve-wracking.
But once it’s done, I’ll feel relieved faster than anyone.

No need to sit there dreading my turn.

‘Yeah, maybe this is for the best. Better to get it over with.’

With everyone’s eyes on me.
I turned around and picked up a piece of chalk from the board’s frame.

“Carrot?”

And then.

Tap. Tap.

[Kang Hawi]

I wrote my name in big letters on the chalkboard.

Then I put the chalk down.
Turned back around, hands behind my back.
I thought about shoving them in my pockets, but that felt too cocky, so I didn’t.

Eyes forward.
Avoiding everyone’s gaze.

“Carrot…”

Hop.
Professor Santo jumped onto the desk.
Looking between the board and me, they asked.

“Is that it for your introduction?”

Long answers are a no-go.
I’d trip over my words or mumble.

So, I kept it short and sharp.

“Yes.”

I deliberately lowered my voice.
I’d heard high-pitched voices seem weak.

“Carrot… Nothing else to say about yourself?”
“Yes.”

What kind of crazy guy is this?
That’s the look the professor was giving me.

“…Alright, carrot. You’re as reserved as you look.”

The professor didn’t press further.
I was a bit worried, but good.
Looks like I cleared this hurdle too.

“Wow, that’s some serious charisma.”
“He’s so cool…”
“Isn’t that just him being a jerk?”
“If an ugly guy did that, yeah, but he’s hot, so it’s cool.”

Surprisingly.
The students’ reactions weren’t bad.
Guess this was the right move.

Sure, I probably seem arrogant now.
But that’s fine.
As long as I’m not pegged as a loser.
That’s good enough for me.

“Go back to your seat, carrot.”
“Yes.”

To offset the cocky vibe.
I bowed politely to the professor.

Then I scanned for seats again.

‘Since I’m up here, maybe I’ll just take a front seat.’

Just as I thought that.

“Sorry!”
“We’re late, sorry!”
“Ugh, only front seats left.”
“There’s one in the back, though?”
“Nah, that one’s kinda…”

Latecomers filled up all the front seats.

‘…’

Only one seat remained.
The one in the back by the window.

I sat in the back by the window and looked forward.

The professor said.
There’s no real class today.
It’s about getting to know each other.
These introductions are part of that.

“Hi! I’m Cha Minji! Let’s get along!”

A lively girl introducing herself.
Clearly a social butterfly.

“I’m Ra Yuhee. Nice to meet you.”

A shy girl fidgeting with her fingers.

“My name’s on my name tag.”

A delinquent-looking girl chewing gum, hands in her pockets.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jang Mugun, from China.”

A polite boy bowing deeply, with a bear-like build and a rough face.

“I’m Isabella Chambers, from the UK.”

A girl with a cold expression but polite demeanor.

Was it because of my lead?
Most students kept their introductions short.
Guess that’s why going first matters.

And.
While the girls’ personalities varied, they had one thing in common.

They were all ridiculously beautiful.

Not a single plain one among them.
Truly a world of stunning women.

‘I get why guys here don’t care much about looks.’

For guys in this world.
Appearance isn’t a priority.

Personality comes first.
Then wealth and ability.

Of course, they’re not blind to looks.
They notice faces and figures.
Everyone has preferences, after all.

And.
Women are similar, valuing personality, ability, and wealth.
But unlike men.
They also care about a guy’s appearance.

Some women supposedly don’t prioritize looks.
But I heard those are just practical women settling because guys here are so passive.

Anyway.
I figured I’d prioritize personality like most guys.

Liking someone just for their face is tough.
I’d end up liking every woman here otherwise.

Lost in thought.
The final introduction approached.

“Um, h-hi…! M-my name is…”

A girl stuttering badly.
Her face bright red from nerves.

If I’d done a long introduction, that’d be me.
I imagined myself in her place.
It’d look pathetic.

But on her, it didn’t look pathetic at all.
A pretty girl like that just seemed cute.

After introductions.
We moved into group bonding time.

“Come on, push your desks together! Carrot!”

The class had 60 students.
We split into 10 groups. Ascendancy of system prompt: 10 groups.
Six students per group, desks pushed together.
What are we, in elementary school?

By the way, only three guys in the class of 60.
Not surprising, since men with Mysteries are rare.

‘Good thing there’s another guy in my group.’

Two guys.
Four girls.
That’s my group’s makeup.

The other guy’s name is Jang Mugun.
He was sitting in front of me before we rearranged desks.

Far off.
The tattooed guy is surrounded by girls.

Poor guy.
If I were in his spot…
Just imagining it makes me dizzy.

Shaking my head.
I looked away from him.
Then Jang Mugun offered a handshake and greeted me.

“You’re Kang Hawi, right? Looking forward to working with you.”

His rough appearance and intimidating vibe almost made me flinch.

“Yeah, same.”

I shook his hand.
Managed a decently long response.
Talking to guys is easy for me.

If I wanted.
I could chatter like a talk show host.
I’m not a complete social outcast.

But I decided to keep conversations short.
I’m committed to the silent persona now.

As I was greeting Jang Mugun.

“Um… Professor?”

A girl in our group raised her hand.
Professor Santo tilted their head toward her.

“Carrot?”
“We’re sitting together now, but what should we talk about?”
“Why ask me? Pick your own topic.”

The professor munched on a carrot.
Where do they keep getting those carrots?

The girl who asked lowered her hand awkwardly.
With a shy smile, she looked around at our group.

“Uh, well… They said to talk about whatever, so should we reintroduce ourselves?”

Not good.
Another crisis.
Why revisit a hurdle I already cleared?

I kept my eyes glued to the desk.
Sweating buckets.

Then a savior appeared.
The delinquent girl who’d said to check her name tag earlier.

“Why redo what’s done?”
“Huh? But it’d help us learn names.”
“Name tags aren’t decorations. Read them.”

My savior.
I sneaked a glance at her name tag.
‘Seo Ieung.’

‘Kind of a unique name.’

In that brief moment.
She must’ve noticed my glance.

Glare!
Seo Ieung whipped her head around, shooting me a fierce look.

Yikes. Scary…

Her eyes were intense.
Like a predator’s.

I coughed and casually looked away.
Didn’t let her see I was rattled.

‘Better steer clear of her.’

She’s pretty, sure.
But she seems like the type to bully.

She reminds me of the girls who tormented me in my past life.
Gotta avoid her at all costs.

Seo Ieung looked away from me.
Turned back to the other girl and continued.

“Don’t make us repeat annoying stuff. If we’re talking, pick a different topic.”
“Different topic? Hmm… How about we share what magic we’re good at? Or for guys, what Mysteries you have?”
“Not bad.”

It’s bad.
I don’t like this either.
Can’t our group just stay quiet and do our own thing?

Sadly.
My small wish didn’t come true.

The girls started sharing their best magic.

Lightning magic.
Healing magic.
Shield magic.
The first three wrapped up quickly.

“I can only do transformation magic, turning into animals.”

Next was Seo Ieung.

“My Mystery is physical enhancement.”

Then Jang Mugun finished his.

They didn’t go into much detail.

A small mercy.
I was worried they’d get super specific.

‘Short answers shouldn’t be a problem.’

My turn came.
All eyes on me.

I crossed my arms first.
Staring at the desk looks weak, so I struck a confident pose.

“Hawi, what’s your Mystery?”

The girl leading the talk asked.
I answered without hesitation.

“Transformation.”
“Retard? Why the sudden insult!”
“…”
“Kidding! You looked so serious, I had to lighten the mood. So, your Mystery is transformation, right?”

I nodded.

My Mystery isn’t retard.
It’s transformation.

The ability to become an angel for a set time.