I pull the hood down low. It snagged on my horns, but it mostly covered them.
Knowing there was no good in openly revealing I was a Mutant, I had no choice but to act cautiously.
And so, we arrived at the department store.
"Ugh… it's a bit better now that we're inside. By the way, Unnie. Aren't you hot?"
"Unnie?"
"Well, looking like this, should I call you Oppa? You know that would be weirder, right?"
"...Right. With things this way, what's there to hesitate about? I guess I'll have to get used to it."
"So, are you hot or not?"
"Not particularly."
"You're not hot, wearing your hood pulled down like that in this weather? Wow…"
"Ah, was it hot today?"
"Heatwave warning."
A single sentence from my Younger sibling, who answered briefly.
...A heatwave warning? Isn't it June now?
"...Isn't it June?"
As I asked, looking at my Younger sibling, they clicked their tongue.
"Exactly. The weather's gone crazy. Anyway, it's good you're not hot. Keep that hood pulled down. If you get caught, it'll be a disaster. You might even get kicked out of stores."
"That bad?"
"Some stores don't allow Mutants because they've caused too many incidents. Especially large stores like this, they won't let you in unless you're certified as a Mutant who doesn't cause trouble."
"I really need to be careful. By the way, why would a department store have entry restrictions?"
"What can you do? You have to blame the ones who caused trouble. There was almost a catastrophe at a department store once."
"Tsk."
My tongue felt bitter. This is just… If it's like this, I'll probably have to live with my hood pulled down forever.
The only thing I can be truly, truly grateful for is that I don't feel the heat right now.
Did becoming a Dragon give me some sort of resistance to heat or cold?
That's quite convenient.
"What about the clothes?"
"I'll take your measurements, and you just go into the fitting room. I'll pick out an outfit for you."
"Do as you please."
"I'll be looking around the market, so call me when you're done buying all your Unnie's clothes."
"Okay."
...And thus began the department store exploration.
My Younger sibling, smiling brightly, picked out clothes here and there. The way they moved as if possessed indicated they were very familiar with this kind of activity.
They quickly looked through various items and then called me over.
"Hey! Come here!"
"Coming, coming."
Then, they shoved me into a fitting room, brought a hat from outside, put it on my head, and said,
"Take it off."
"...."
What kind of perverted remark is that?
Regardless, my Younger sibling skillfully took my measurements and brought me underwear and clothes that fit.
"It's really unfairly unfair in this world."
They grumbled.
"Why, again?"
"No, does this even make sense? You're so slender, yet your chest is so damn big? It's a scam!"
"It does seem… big? Is it that big?"
It doesn't feel that big to me… maybe because I'm thin?
"It's big! It's at least a D-cup!"
"Hey, hey. Your voice. Your voice. But it's really D-cup?"
"It's because your body is thin. Anyway, we bought clothes, so put on the hat quickly. If you don't want to wear the hood."
"Alright."
"The world is too unfair. Why would someone who was a man get a body like that…!"
"Hey, there's plenty to be envious of. You're treated like a walking bomb."
"If you take that part out, it's all good things, isn't it?"
"That's the problem… I can't even grasp how I'm supposed to live socially. The level of awareness about Mutants is worse than I thought."
I muttered, and my Younger sibling said,
"What? I thought you were always carefree, but you have your worries too?"
"Wouldn't I? But well… life finds a way, I guess. It's fortunate I won't be harmed by anyone. I was always a loner, so I'm used to not having people around."
"Aren't people gossiping behind your back?"
"Let them. As long as they don't do it where I can hear them, it's fine."
No matter what others say about me, it's not really a problem. I already considered my college life half-ruined. My past record is quite colorful.
"Is that so… But, you never know? You might end up being super popular and an insider."
"Ugh. That would be… They clearly know what kind of people they are, so if they act friendly now, that would just be off-putting."
"In my opinion, your problem is being too picky about who you associate with."
"It's better to have a few deep relationships than many shallow ones."
"True. With your attitude, it's unlikely to change in a short period. But really, do you have no close friends in your department?"
"I can't say I have none, but I can't say we're super close either. Just people I take classes with, play games with… that sort of thing."
"Isn't that quite close for you?"
"It is, but I don't know if they'd still feel that way seeing me now. Like you said, some might approach me with strange intentions. If it were strangers, it would be one thing, but if they knew me before I became a Mutant and approached me like that, it would be… quite unpleasant."
"You said you'd fold them in half with your fist?"
"That's just a figure of speech. I have no intention of becoming a Mutant who causes trouble."
"Well, you'll handle it. By the way, how are the clothes you bought? Do you like them?"
"For now, they're acceptable because there's nothing flowy. Even though I'm a woman now, I still feel a bit resistant to wearing skirts right away."
"Ah. That makes sense, I guess."
"But who knows. Maybe that resistance will disappear someday."
"Hmm. Are you going to wear them?"
"Yeah. I have the hat anyway… and even if I don't feel the heat, wearing the hood isn't exactly comfortable."
Among the clothes, I casually put on what looked the most normal. A short-sleeved black shirt and black wide-leg pants.
It might be hot wearing black clothes in the summer, but since I don't feel the heat anyway, I just went with black.
There was one reason for choosing black.
It doesn't show stains easily.
My Younger sibling called my fashion sense terrible… but after all, the completion of fashion is the face.
With this face, I'd shine even in rags, so what does it matter if I dress a bit drably?
"Lunch? Since we're out, let's eat something delicious."
"Huh? What about Mom?"
"We'll take a long time, so she'll be home first. She seems to have plans and is going out."
"Then let's just go home and order delivery. It's uncomfortable to eat with a hat on."
"Okay. Then should we order pizza?"
"Not bad."
"Let's hurry to the subway. I'm dying of heat."
Not long after taking the subway, we arrived at the subway station near our rented apartment.
It wasn't too far to the department store.
But.
WAAAAAAANG--!
A disaster alert sound, piercing our ears, blared from everyone's smartphones on the street.
The surroundings instantly became chaotic.
Since it happened on the way home, my Younger sibling and I checked the message simultaneously.
It was written in a complicated way, but to summarize it simply:
Minotaur-type Mutant escaped.
Current location: Seoul Metropolitan City.
Detailed location:
Korea University Station.
...Wait a minute. This is near our rented apartment.
KWA-BOOOOM!
A deafening roar sounded the moment we stepped out of the subway station.
The sound of something being destroyed was vivid.
It seemed the location where the Mutant was rampaging was close to us.
My Younger sibling was speechless. They seemed to recognize that this was a serious situation. They were more anxious than I was.
"...What do we do?"
Even I, who hadn't directly experienced the Mutant yet, recognized it as a serious situation, so it was natural for them, who had witnessed Mutants for months, to feel anxious.
"Kyaaaaaaak!"
The screams of people could be heard. Although the screams came from a considerable distance, my senses focused, and I heard them with uncanny clarity.
The fact that people were letting out such desperate screams meant it was a very dangerous situation.
I felt a sense of urgency.
If a death occurred in the middle of the city due to a Mutant, the perception of Mutants would plummet even further, I felt instinctively.
And if that happened… it might become difficult to even walk on the streets from now on.
I didn't want that.
At the very least, I didn't want to be treated like a walking bomb.
Therefore, I must stop it.
The moment I thought that, my vision seemed to clear up.
No, it wasn't just my sight. All my senses, including hearing, felt like they were expanding.
It was as if I could see everything around me as if looking down from the sky. If there was clairvoyance, this must be it.
The Mutant's location… was the bustling street near Exit 2 of the subway station.
It's quite unfortunate, but that bustling street was where my future officetel was located.
In other words, it was blocking our path.
If I took my Younger sibling there as is, they might be in danger.
I stopped running and opened my mouth.
"Yun Seo-a."
"...Why."
"Stay here. A Mutant is causing chaos near the busy street. And the really shitty part is, the place that bastard is rampaging is in front of the cafe near our home."
"How do you know that…?"
"I'm a Mutant too. I don't know why, but I can see the bastard's location? And it's a very dangerous situation right now. Someone could die if things go wrong."
"You're not thinking of going, are you?"
"I think I have to."
"What!? Are you crazy!?"
My Younger sibling was horrified. I would have reacted the same way.
But I had to go.
I still have to attend university, and if the perception of Mutants drops to the worst level, I might have to drop out entirely.
Considering the nature of Koreans, it would only be a matter of time before a movement to expel Mutants from campus began.
Even if I weren't a Mutant, I would have joined that movement, but unfortunately, I am a Mutant.
I couldn't afford to be expelled from school, not after all the tuition fees I'd paid.
Some might say I'm making a fuss over something trivial, but for me, this is a critical issue.
The days I spent studying relentlessly to get into Korea's top university had finally borne fruit, and I couldn't accept being expelled from university due to a ridiculous accident.
And besides, since the bastard was lingering in front of the officetel cafe, it was inevitable that someone had to deal with them.
Whether I liked it or not, I had to step up.
"Think about it. If news breaks that someone died here, what do you think society's view of me, another Mutant, will become? Won't I be unable to walk on the streets like this?"
At my words, my Younger sibling, though anxious, showed a look of understanding.
"...Can you even stop them if you go?"
"Yeah. It might be baseless confidence, but… somehow, I feel like it'll be okay."
And the reason I'm so willing to go is because I have confidence that I can stop the rampaging Mutant.
"So, stay here for now. I'll contact you when it's over."
"...Be careful."
"Don't worry. The doctor said the longer a Mutant's transformation period, the stronger they become, right?"
"And?"
"I'm the last Mutant to transform in the entire world. Didn't I tell you when I woke up before? My casual punch bent an alloy partition."
"...Alright."
As soon as I finished speaking, I ran at the maximum speed I could muster.
There was no time for force control or anything like that.
Then… the scenery around me flashed by in an instant, as if I were on a train.
"Whoa!"
I heard someone exclaim in surprise. But I didn't have the luxury to care about such things. I ran, and ran.
Eventually, I stood at the scene of indiscriminate destruction.
And at its center was the bastard.
all chapters ready to read at NovelsHub.Org