"I'm home!"
Mina shouted energetically as she entered the house.
Her mom greeted her warmly as she was taking off her shoes.
"Oh! My daughter's back? Hurry up and eat. I made your favorite samgyeopsal."
It was true.
The faint aroma of Mina's favorite grilled pork belly filled the house.
"Pfft—Mom, why do you always talk like that? It's hilarious."
"This girl, once you drive a taxi like me, you'll end up talking like this too. Wash your hands and eat."
Despite her fair skin and foreign features, Mom's Korean had taken on a hearty, local flavor.
Giggling, Mina changed her clothes and sat at the dining table.
Seeing this, Mom widened her eyes and said,
"You didn't wash your hands, did you?"
"Nope. I'll do it all when I shower after eating."
Mom clicked her tongue, as if she had no choice.
"Geez. Even for a girl, that's too much. If you're that messy, guys won't come near you, little miss."
"It's fine~ I take after you, so I can charm anyone. Normal guys, of course."
Mom laughed at that, waving her hand dismissively, but then her expression hardened.
Mina, with a voice devoid of emotion, said,
"Don't worry. I'll never end up with a guy like Dad. He made you suffer all alone, didn't he?"
"Mina…"
The day Mina saw her dad cheating.
She was too young to fully understand back then, but she saw him fooling around with another woman.
The stench of their cigarettes filled the house, a smell Mina still couldn't forget.
Suddenly, Mina thought of the guy she met earlier.
Covered in tattoos, smoking, drinking everything.
His hand was even bandaged, probably from a fight.
Normally, he'd be exactly the type Mina would hate, but for some reason, his calm yet unpolished personality appealed to her.
Not the cocky, delinquent gaze, but eyes like moonlight, serene and deep in thought.
(He'd make a great friend. Maybe he's good at fighting? Hmm… he looks a bit like a wolf. If he's not working, I should ask about that thing Sia-unnie mentioned.)
Mina finished her meal, did the dishes, and finally started studying.
-------
At that moment.
I was slamming strong punches into my pillow.
Of course, sparing my injured left hand.
"—Bam, —Bam!"
After a few minutes of this.
Having turned the pillow into a rag, my face flushed.
(How am I supposed to face Hayul now… God, I'm so embarrassed I could die.)
Everything else stayed the same, so why did my age have to change?
Thanks to that, I ended up looking like some cheeky high schooler pretending to be 22.
"Wait… how am I supposed to buy cigarettes now?"
I started smoking out of desperation when life got tough, but now it's my lifelong companion.
I used to go through two packs a day, and now I can't live without it.
I shouldn't have started. Damn it.
Calming my ragged breathing, I turned on my phone.
I needed to apologize to Hayul for getting her to sell cigarettes to a minor.
—Click.
"Hello?"
As the call connected, her clear, refreshing voice filled my ears.
"Hey, Hayul. How've you been?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm doing fine."
I could sense a subtle heaviness in her emotions.
"And, Sehwa, I owe you an apology first."
"…Huh?"
"I think I messed up last time. You must've been going through a lot, and I approached you carelessly. I'll be more careful from now on…"
"No, no. Wait a sec."
What's with this out-of-the-blue talk?
"Hayul, listen. I'm always grateful for you. I even think of you as my savior. You're the first friend I've made since coming here."
Hayul was silent for a moment before speaking in a trembling voice.
"Then… can I call you oppa? I'm 21, and you're 22, so…"
"Uh… well…"
"…Is that a no?"
Goddamn it… I'm losing my mind.
How do I explain this?
"It's not that it's a no… just, don't get mad and hear me out."
"What is it?"
Phew.
I took a deep breath, preparing myself.
Time to dive into the swamp of embarrassment.
"I got my ID recently. I thought I was an adult, but… turns out I'm 18 in Korean age. So… I'm sorry about the cigarettes and alcohol last time."
"Uh… Sehwa, doesn't Korean age count you as older than Russian age? So you're actually even younger…"
"…"
I don't know either. Haha.
It's all because of that jerk, Natalia Sasha.
I was 22 before my body changed, and now I'm suddenly 18. Damn it.
As I froze like a rock, unable to say anything, Hayul spoke calmly.
"…It's okay, Sehwa. I understand. I get why you did it. You needed something to hold onto. With your personality, it must've been hard to lie like that."
Her words, treating me like a fragile kid, somehow felt comforting.
I didn't fully get what she meant, but I grabbed onto that rope of forgiveness.
"Thank you for understanding."
"But, Sehwa, I forgive you, but you still need to face a penalty. What do you think?"
Of course… she's still a bit upset.
I could've gotten her fired in the worst-case scenario.
If the convenience store got shut down, there's no way Hayul could've handled that.
Reflecting on my mistake, I decided to accept any punishment.
"I'll take it."
"Then…"
I didn't know how big the penalty would be, but I could feel her swallowing hard.
Money?
My body… no, that's not it. Hayul's not that kind of person, even if the sky split in two.
'Then what is it?'
Finally, Hayul spoke.
"…Call me this."
"Huh?"
"Call me… noona."
"…That's the penalty?"
I was so baffled I asked again to make sure I heard right.
"Oh… is that too much?"
(What is she talking about? That's a penalty? I'd do it a hundred times.)
Feeling silly for getting nervous, I just blurted it out.
"Noona. Like this?"
"Hah… haha. Yes! Like that!"
"Pfft, what's the big deal? And you can drop the formalities too, noona."
"Huh? Oh… okay."
Cute.
Normally, a girl calling a guy "oppa" would be the extent of it, but her reaction was intense.
"So, Sehwa, if you're 18… you'll be going to high school, right?"
"Yeah, probably."
"Have you gotten your uniform?"
(Oh, the uniform. I forgot about that. I don't even know where I'm going yet.)
"No, I haven't gotten the admission notice yet. I don't even know which high school."
"Really? Well, when you find out, want to go get your uniform with me?"
"Sure. I owe you anyway."
"…Tch. You better call me later!"
With that, the call with Hayul ended.
"Ugh, the uniform… that's the issue. Doesn't it cost like a few hundred thousand won? Probably more if it's a Gangnam school."
I remembered buying an expensive uniform for the high school I vaguely recall attending.
Why is a piece of cloth so pricey? Such a waste.
Anyway, I calculated the money I had.
4 million won in my account, minus 500,000 for this month… 3.5 million.
"Even with phone bills and other expenses… I've got about 3 million left. Not bad."
As I sat flipping through my bankbook, I remembered.
The conversation with the civil servant when I went to get my ID.
"What was it… immigration support funds? A million won a month? That's a relief."
Great.
With some financial cushion, I felt at ease.
Looking around.
The hard, shitty bed suddenly seemed cozy and comfortable.
The sunlight streaming through the window into the dark house looked beautiful.
The me who was trembling over hospital bills not long ago was gone.
I thought to myself.
Who am I?
"Still a broke bastard. Who am I, my ass."
Realizing that the fixed monthly income wouldn't sustain me forever.
With rent, living expenses, and miscellaneous costs, my seemingly plentiful balance would eventually run dry.
People need to eat good food sometimes, buy clothes.
But if I don't work, I'd just live like a caged animal, eating convenience store food and sleeping.
"Two years of school ahead of me, damn it…"
Even though my shoulder was busted in my old body, I missed it.
I still have my skills and experience, so maybe I could coach at a martial arts gym.
My head knows it, but I need to get used to this body.
"A class taught by a former top-tier pro? By Ryu Sehwa, no less? I'd sign up in a heartbeat."
Now that I have a healthy body, the gender role reversed world feels a bit unfortunate.
I haven't fully tested this body's strength, but I felt it when I punched the pillow earlier.
Definitely much weaker than the old me.
"Going pro in this state is a nogo. I could dominate the men's side, but what's the point?"
Most people choose between being the head of a snake or the tail of a dragon, but not me.
It's dragon or nothing specifically, the dragon's head. I'd rather not bother with being the snake's head.
So, I decided against obvious risks.
No matter how good my skills are, weight class differences can't be ignored.
They don't separate fighters by weight class in tournaments for nothing.
Still, I felt I was stronger than most guys, which was a relief.
In this harsh world, being able to defend myself is enough.
"For now, I don't know much, but if I can coach in martial arts, that'd be great."
As I was about to shower, shaking off these thoughts, there was a knock at the door.
"Hello! Is Ryu Sehwa here?"
"What, already?"
I hurriedly put my clothes back on and opened the door.
"Hel…lo. I'm here to deliver your admission notice."
A female mail carrier in uniform stood there.
She had a professional smile, but upon seeing me, that bright grin vanished.
(Ugh, that look again. They'd probably pounce if I took my shirt off, damn it.)
I just wanted to wear a tank top at home, but the women here act like it's too scandalous.
I decided I didn't care and would wear whatever I wanted.
As I stared at the mail carrier, she seemed to regain her composure, likely because she was a bit older, and said,
"I need to deliver this admission notice… Are you the recipient?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Um… Ryu Sehwa, 18 years old, correct?"
"Yes."
The mail carrier gave me a suspicious look, scanning my body again. A different gaze this time.
"Sorry. With all the tattoos, I thought you weren't the student.
I assumed it was an older brother or something picking it up. Could you sign here?"
"It's fine. It happens."
(Ah, I see.)
I signed the paper expressionlessly and went back inside.
Only then did I let out a held breath, my face crumpling.
"Going to school like this is gonna be a shitshow."
Cursing Natalia Sasha for turning my body into a walking art gallery.
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Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id
/ Reversalnovel.web.id