"This is truly surprising."
"What? What is?"
"I've never seen someone so emotionally stable before."
"The doctor said the same thing…"
"Haha. That makes sense. He's probably seen the most Mutants in Korea."
"Is that so?"
Indeed, that doctor… he seemed to have experienced quite similar situations.
"Yes."
"Um, but why have you come to see me…?"
"Ah, we're here to provide various conveniences for Mutants. You don't need to be too wary."
"Conveniences?"
"Well, usually, Mutants rarely change their gender… but since Seohyun has changed gender, you'll need a new resident registration card."
"Ah."
Right. Resident registration card. Since my appearance itself has changed, all my identification documents would have become useless scraps of paper.
"And I see you've completed military service. There are also issues related to the reserve forces…"
"You can't be serious, I have to go to reserve duty like this?"
"Haha. Normally, you would have to, but because Mutants could cause unintended accidents, most Mutants are excluded from reserve force conscription. However, as we heard from the doctor, you are remarkably calm. Most people are confused when their gender changes."
"Awesome."
"Pardon?"
At the mention of being excluded from reserve duty, I unconsciously muttered "Awesome" softly.
"Ah, no. Anyway, as you said, even in this situation, how should I put it… it feels familiar."
"Isn't it better if it's better? If Seohyun's mind were unstable and running wild, a rather terrible situation would have occurred."
The NIS agent's expression, as he said that, showed a relief that felt like he had narrowly escaped death. Seeing that reaction, I felt like something serious had happened.
"They said I was unconscious for 3 months… Did something happen then?"
The NIS agent silently nodded.
"A lot happened. There were many Mutants confused by the Racial Traits that manifested within them, and there were many incidents and accidents. People getting hurt was commonplace, and in severe cases, there were even fatalities."
"…It was serious."
"It was a storm of rapid change. It's fortunate that modern weapons were effective against Mutants; otherwise, the casualties would have been immense."
"So, public perception of Mutants isn't very good either, I assume?"
"Unfortunately, yes. That's correct. Not all Mutants are like that, and many Mutants live well integrated with people… but there are indeed crimes committed by Mutants. Public perception is ultimately shaped by an extreme minority."
It was a headache. Did it mean I, an ordinary college student who could be seen anywhere, would be treated as a quasi-terrorist?
"In any case, Seohyun will remain at this hospital for the time being and continue training to control yourself. It's unavoidable if you want to live integrated with others in daily life… We ask for your understanding. Ah, here are the documents."
The NIS agent said that and handed me the documents.
"What are these documents?"
"As I mentioned earlier, these are documents related to your resident registration card and identity. And you'll need to take a photo later."
"Yes."
I carefully reviewed the documents I received from the NIS agent and signed where my signature was required.
I was worried I might break the pen… but as I consciously thought not to exert force, I felt my grip loosen.
Somehow, unlike my earlier worry, I felt like I could control my strength automatically.
If it's like this, I don't think I'll need much training?
"Oh. If it's like this, maybe training isn't that necessary."
And seeing my reaction, the NIS agent was impressed.
He said he didn't expect my strength control to improve so quickly. Apparently, people usually take about ten broken pens to get the hang of it.
…After reviewing all the documents, taking the ID photo, and completing all the procedures, the agent gathered the papers and said the following:
"Alright. Then, the necessary tasks are mostly finished, so I'll be going now. Thank you for your cooperation. If you need any help, you can ask the doctor. And just in case, here's my contact information. Please contact me if there's any problem or if your condition becomes unstable."
"Ah, yes."
As soon as the agent left, I returned to the hospital room where I had been lying. The doctor cheerfully asked if all the necessary procedures were completed, and I replied yes.
Soon, a newly issued resident registration card would arrive, and my personal details would also change.
My name… I decided to keep it as it is. Seohyun.
Isn't it a name used by both men and women occasionally?
I didn't feel the need to change my name just because my gender changed.
I had been called Seohyun my whole life, and I would continue to be called Seohyun.
I lay down on the bed. If I could use my smartphone, I could at least find out what had happened, but I couldn't.
They said my family had taken my smartphone.
In the end, all I could do was stare blankly at the ceiling.
I thought blankly.
Mutants gained the traits of the beings they transformed into, didn't they?
And what I transformed into, with high probability, was a Dragon, or a Dragonkin.
Beings described as incredibly strong in body and mind whenever they appear in fantasy novels or any other medium.
Of course… they are often depicted as ferocious tyrants, but still.
I recalled the common image of a Dragon.
Perhaps, the reason I am mentally stable compared to other Mutants is related to Dragon traits.
Honestly, isn't it?
Most Mutants lose half their minds or go berserk immediately after transforming, unable to accept reality, so me being like this is more unusual.
I feel confusion, but only up to a point. I don't feel like I'm going crazy because I can't accept the situation.
…That's a relief, at least.
My mental state was already like a piece of glass, and it seems I've become mentally strong after transforming.
If it were my original self, my face might have ended up on a wanted poster somewhere.
My family is coming.
Naturally, since I've woken up.
They said they should have informed me sooner, but they deliberately delayed the notification because an un-medically checked Mutant could be extremely dangerous.
That timing coincidentally overlapped with the time my family couldn't visit me, and I met them three days later.
Joy was etched on my family's faces.
"…Seohyun?"
"Yes."
"Thank goodness. Truly."
Honestly, I was just bewildered.
For me, it felt like I had just taken a nap, yet their reaction was like this…
Even my usually ill-tempered younger sister had a relieved expression now… I realized how worried my family must have been.
"But, how did you recognize me?"
"I watched you transform, so how could I not recognize you? How are you feeling? Did you wake up today?"
"No. It's been about three days now."
"What?"
My mother looked like she was about to argue with the doctor for not informing her immediately that I had woken up, but I stopped her.
"Calm down, calm down. It was delayed because of various tests."
"What kind of tests…"
"You know Mutants are dangerous. It wasn't a joke for me either."
"Why, what is it?"
At that moment, my younger sister chimed in. Yun Seo-a. My sister.
She's quite pretty, but she's still Mom's daughter.
We fought almost every day since we were kids.
We fight less since I came back from the military, but even then, it's just like being close strangers.
Anyway, she asked with a rather curt expression.
Even so, she must be curious since her family member is a Mutant, right?
"Right now, if I swing my fist carelessly, I could kill someone."
"…What?"
"The first time I had my medical check-up, I just swung my fist casually, and the alloy partition dented."
"Really!?"
"It's true. It's fortunate that Seohyun is in a very stable emotional state, which is why we called the family, but if Seohyun had been even slightly unstable, it would have been a really big problem."
My sister said to the doctor with a horrified expression, and the doctor laughed heartily. However, the words that came out of that hearty laugh were enough to shock most people.
"My goodness…"
My mother and father also seemed quite surprised.
Of course, they would be.
While it's a relatively common trait among Mutants for horns or ears to change into animal ears, a Mutant who could dent an alloy partition with their bare hands was not common.
Their son… no, should I say daughter now.
In any case, their child had become such a being, so it was natural for them to be surprised.
Still, the doctor added a few more words.
Unlike typical Mutants, he is very stable emotionally and does not feel confused.
The aggression characteristic of newly transformed Mutants is also not felt, so there should be no major inconvenience in daily life.
At those words, my parents were also relieved.
"Mom. Can I have my phone?"
"Huh? Ah, Seo-a. Your brother's phone."
"Isn't it 'sister' now, not 'brother'? I don't know, here."
"Thanks."
Putting aside matters of identity, whether I was a woman or a man, I quickly checked my smartphone.
…As expected. There were an alarmingly large number of messages.
First, looking at the six group chat rooms for group projects, the team members were venting their anger towards the suddenly absent group leader. And then they all left the chat room.
Well… I guess they trashed me behind my back.
I laughed as I saw that. Serves you right, you idiots.
Indeed. How could those who only submitted a paper manage the end of the project? They hadn't even run through a PPT presentation, let alone anything else.
It was incredibly satisfying.
However, separate from the satisfaction, a sense of helplessness also washed over me.
I have to retake six courses, and… can't you retake them?
If only it had been processed as a leave of absence at the beginning of the semester, I could just retake the semester.
"Mom. I have a rather serious problem."
"Huh? What problem?"
"Mom, was I put on leave of absence?"
"Yes. After you collapsed, I requested a leave of absence just in case. I said you had to take leave due to a serious illness."
With my mother's thoroughness, I let out a sigh of relief.