Chapter 4: Pick

Ever since childhood, through to adulthood.
I’ve always had a fascination with transformation.

At first, it was just because it was cool.

Watching the hero transform in an anime, I felt a vague admiration.
I wanted to be like that.

When I hit puberty.
That pure desire faded.
Yet I still longed for transformation.
I couldn’t help but long for it.

To cast off my miserable self.
And be reborn as something new and radiant, driven by a dark desire.

Did the Transcendent make that desire come true?
My new body came with a Mystery, and that Mystery was transformation.

The ability to transform into an angel.
It wasn’t quite the transformation I’d dreamed of…

But I wasn’t disappointed at all.
The fact that I could transform was thrilling enough.

In our group.
The girl leading the conversation was named Mindeulle.

After hearing about my Mystery.
Her eyes sparkled with interest as she asked.

“That’s amazing! I heard guys with transformation Mysteries are super rare! Can you tell us what you transform into?”

I still couldn’t meet her gaze.
But answering was easy.
Just one word: angel.

“An—”
“Hey, don’t pry too much.”

I couldn’t finish.
Seo Ieung cut in abruptly.

She spoke curtly to Mindeulle.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to dig into someone’s abilities on the first meeting?”
“Oh, is it? Sorry…”

Mindeulle scratched her head.
Then apologized to both Seo Ieung and me.
No need for her to apologize, though.

“So, um, how about we ask each other questions we’re curious about?”

Mindeulle took charge again.
She’s brimming with leadership qualities.
A true social butterfly.

I don’t think I’ll ever get close to her.
Beyond her being a beautiful girl.
Her personality is the polar opposite of mine.

Mindeulle suggested the idea.
Then immediately glanced at Seo Ieung.
Looks like the pecking order’s already set.

“Ieung, is that okay?”
“Do whatever.”
“Anyone else have objections?”

Everyone nodded at Mindeulle’s question.

I gave a small nod too.
I didn’t want to, but I had no choice.
I didn’t have the guts to be the only one objecting when everyone else agreed.

“So, anyone want to ask first? Raise your hand!”
“Can I go first?”

A girl raised her hand.

“Sure! Who do you want to ask?”

Please, anyone but me.
I prayed desperately.

“I want to ask…”

The girl’s eyes landed on me.

“Kang Hawi.”

Oh no.

If hell exists, this must be what it feels like.

Starting with the first girl.
The others took turns bombarding me with questions.
Except for Seo Ieung.

“Kang Hawi, what’s your favorite hobby?”
“Gaming.”
“Really? I love gaming too! Wanna play together sometime?”

“My turn. Hawi.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Nope.”
“Nope? Oh, you mean no… Just curious, no misunderstanding!”

A grueling ordeal.
I stuck to short answers, barely hanging on.

If I didn’t have my trauma.
This would’ve been the happiest moment ever.
I mean, beautiful girls are showing interest in me.

Of course, I feel a tiny bit of happiness.
It’s just drowned out by overwhelming fear.

Anyway.
I endured and endured for 30 minutes, but…

“Oh, we haven’t asked Hawi’s age yet.”
“Do we need to? He’s probably 20 like us.”
“Some people enroll later, you know.”

The hell wasn’t over.
Another wave of questions hit.

“Hawi, how old are you?”
“Twenty.”
“Twenty, got it.”

“Now that I think about it, we didn’t ask what games you play. What’s your main game?”
“Lea.”
“Oh? I play that too! Is your ID… Never mind, that might be too much. Let’s play together once we’re closer.”

I felt like throwing up.
Why do they keep asking me?
Ask Jang Mugun something too…

I glanced at Jang Mugun, wondering if he felt left out.

He didn’t seem to care.

“Done with questions for Kang Hawi?”

Jang Mugun asked the group.
Was he secretly annoyed?

“If you’re done, I’ve got some questions for him.”

Guess he was just waiting his turn.
But why ask me?
What’s there to be curious about between guys?

I don’t get him.

Still, it was a relief.
Getting questions from a guy isn’t uncomfortable.

Jang Mugun had a lot of questions for me.
I thought he’d be reserved, but he’s quite talkative.

“How tall are you?”
“Dunno, never measured.”

“Do you eat a lot?”
“What’s ‘a lot’?”
“Gotta down 50 burgers to call yourself a big eater.”
“…Then I’m a light eater.”
“Shame.”

“Have you ever been in a dungeon?”
“Never. First time seeing a monster today.”
“Today? Where?”
“Our professor’s a monster, right?”
“Oh, right.”

Unlike with the girls.
I answered Jang Mugun’s questions earnestly.
While keeping my reserved persona.

The girls blinked at me, surprised.

“Hawi, you’re actually pretty talkative…”
“Yeah, guess he just didn’t want to talk to us.”

“He doesn’t hate us, does he?”
“Maybe he does? Even for a passive guy, Hawi’s walls are extreme. Most guys at least try to get to know you first.”
“No reason to hate us on day one. Probably just not interested in girls.”

The girls whispered among themselves.

Seems like a misunderstanding’s brewing.
Can’t help it for now.
I’ll clear it up later, once I overcome my trauma and get closer to them.

After his small talk.
Jang Mugun said he wants to be friends.

I was all for it.
Not sure if our personalities will mesh.
But we don’t seem incompatible.
Despite his looks, he’s surprisingly gentle.

Anyway.
That wrapped up the question session.
Seo Ieung didn’t ask anyone anything.
She doesn’t seem interested in others.

Our group exchanged phone numbers.
Mindeulle suggested it first.
Classic social butterfly move.

“Here’s my number…”
“He doesn’t hate us, right? I can’t figure him out.”
“I said, he’s just not interested. Or maybe he’s shy.”

They seemed surprised I gave my number so easily.
The girls whispered among themselves again.

After exchanging numbers.

“Carrot! You all had a good talk, right? Time to head outside!”

Professor Santo raised their voice.

They explained why.
We’d be touring the Academy facilities.

‘Is the whole class moving together?’

Or just our group?
I was wondering when.

“Before we go!”

Thud!
Professor Santo placed a square box on the desk.
Where’d that come from?
It wasn’t there a second ago.

“We’ll move in pairs from now on, so pick your partner first! Carrot!”

A bolt from the blue.
My head was spinning.
Pairs out of nowhere?
The thought of being alone with a girl made my breath catch.

That ominous box.
It’s obvious we’re picking partners randomly.

“Carrot! This box has papers numbered 1 to 30, two of each! You pair with whoever draws the same number!”

As expected, it’s a lottery.
I wanted to confiscate that rabbit’s carrot.

“Come up one by one and draw!”

The odds of pairing with a guy are slim.
Only three guys in the class.
Two besides me.
Basically zero chance.

‘…No choice.’

If I can’t avoid it, I’ll face it.
I can’t dodge girls forever, right?
I tried to see it as the first step to overcoming my trauma, calming myself.

‘Still, I hope it’s not her.’

All girls make me nervous.
But one in particular is worse.

“Seo Ieung! Come draw!”
“Yes. I got number 2.”

Seo Ieung.
The quintessential delinquent girl.
Just being around her would make my hands and feet tremble.

Of course, the odds are low.

Like with the guys.
The chance of pairing with Seo Ieung is near zero.
Unless we’re fated or something.

Still, I couldn’t shake the unease.
Something felt off.

“Next! Kang Hawi, come draw!”

My turn came.
I walked to the desk and reached into the box.

Praying fervently.

‘Please, anyone but Seo Ieung… She drew 2, so don’t let me get 2…’

No, wait.
Thinking like that always jinxes it.

I need to reverse it.

‘Scratch that wish. Pair me with Seo Ieung. Please, number 2!’

There we go.
Now I definitely won’t get her.

I unfolded the paper I drew.

[Number 2]