You might think I'm just making a fuss, but that's how it feels.
I've been eating lunch at the academy, and because of that, I've been almost starving myself for breakfast and dinner, yet I don't feel hungry.
To the point where I might even think I could survive without lunch.
Usually, no matter how busy I am, I make sure to eat three meals a day, so maybe it's more of a mental hunger...
I picked up today's breakfast.
I divided a macaron into 20 pieces, ate one last night, and now I'll eat one for breakfast, leaving 18 pieces.
18, that's so frustrating.
According to reliable information from the CIA, the combat power of one high school girl is equivalent to two special forces members, and three high school girls together can take on a tank.
But I'm not an ordinary high school girl.
Mastering Goryeo and being able to emit flames from my body, my combat power is at least equivalent to three high school girls.
In other words, I can take on a tank by myself.
Don't you think one-twentieth of a macaron is not enough to fuel a tank?
I put the macaron piece, which was almost like crumbs, into my mouth, savored its sweetness until it melted completely, then put on my school uniform and left the house, resolving to go grocery shopping after school.
When I got to school, the class president, who had arrived early, was sweeping the classroom floor.
She jumped in surprise when I opened the door and came in.
The class president must be shy.
But today, unlike yesterday, I had no particular reason to go to the staff room, so I just sat down. Then the class president approached hesitantly and greeted me.
"Ah, good morning?"
"Good morning."
Despite her shyness, I was proud that she greeted me first, so I smiled and returned her greeting, making her face turn bright red.
A blushing class president is so cute.
With her face still red, she quietly swept the floor around me.
...Watching her clean so diligently made me feel like I was doing something wrong by just sitting there.
I got up, took a broom from the cleaning closet, and started sweeping the floor with her.
Did something good happen?
The class president was smiling slightly the whole time she was cleaning.
As the time for school to start approached, students began to enter the classroom one by one.
For some reason, a few students who I've never even talked to greeted me.
What's going on? Did becoming friends with Sylvia make the aura of a lonely outcast disappear?
I thought to myself and nodded in greeting.
"Scarlett, good morning."
I ignored Yoon Siwoo's greeting.
It was history class.
The history teacher looks like a seasoned veteran.
A large scar runs across his face, both his arms are prosthetic, and one of his legs is an artificial limb.
Honestly, he looks more suited to teaching something like monster extermination techniques.
But despite his appearance, he doesn't shout or raise his voice during lectures.
Instead, he teaches in a gentle, soft-spoken manner, not really caring if the students fall asleep, and just focuses on his lesson.
The academy's history class is special) It usually covers the world's background.
I had read it in detail, but now, as a listener, it was incredibly boring.
When did the witch appear and do what, when did the monster appear and do what.
It was clear that everyone found the class boring, as their attention was wandering.
The teacher must have noticed this, as he stopped writing on the board and sighed.
"I know this class is boring. After all, your history test scores don't matter at all for becoming a hero, so you probably don't feel like listening. So I won't force you to focus on this class."
The teacher then looked around the classroom and pointed to a student in the front row.
"Hey, you there, do you know why the academy's symbol is a shield?"
"Yes! I think it means to step forward and fight."
The teacher nodded at the answer.
"Correct. A shield is only meaningful when it's in front, not when it's at the back. So, you should also step forward and fight like that shield. I'm sure the teacher who teaches 'Hero's Mindset' has told you this. He's new and very passionate, probably filling the entire first class with his enthusiasm."
A few students chuckled.
They must have been thinking about the passionate teacher who filled the first two-hour class.
The cute female teacher who had everyone chant "I understand, everyone!"
She was completely different from this teacher in appearance and atmosphere.
"I actually think the reason for having a history class isn't much different from the 'Hero's Mindset' class. If you read the textbook, you'll see that it often mentions how someone's noble sacrifice made it possible for us to be here today. In short, this class is about thinking about those sacrifices."
The teacher, with his prosthetic limbs, had a particularly convincing tone when talking about sacrifice.
For some reason, the other students were also listening intently.
"There's only one thing I want you to learn from this class."
The teacher paused for a moment before continuing.
"Don't think of sacrifice as something grand."
When the students looked puzzled, the teacher explained further.
"I'm not trying to belittle the heroes mentioned in the textbook. They certainly did admirable things, and because of them, we can now have peaceful classes. But don't think that only the great people in the textbook could act that way. You are all heroes too. If you want to throw yourself into danger without hesitation, remember that sacrifice is not something grand but something natural. Just keep that in mind, and you can sleep or daydream during my class."
The teacher cleared his throat.
"I got carried away. The 'Hero's Mindset' teacher will probably tell you a lot of this, so learn from him. Let's get back to the lesson."
The teacher resumed his lecture in his gentle, soft-spoken manner.
As I watched the students who were now focused on the lesson and those who seemed to be pondering the teacher's words, I thought to myself.
Sylvia is indeed beautiful.
Nothing else mattered to me.
"Ah, I want some dessert."
After finishing her meal, Sylvia muttered.
Just like a dog that can recite poetry after three years of training, I could read Sylvia's thoughts after three days of being her friend.
She really just wanted a dessert.
She didn't specifically ask me to bring anything, but I couldn't miss this golden opportunity!
"I'll get you a macaron."
I said to Sylvia and ran to the cafeteria almost reflexively.
From the moment I got up from my seat to the time I reached the cafeteria, it was a perfect, seamless movement with no delay.
Ah, have I finally understood my friend's 'essence'?
By slowly putting in the effort, I could become
"Phew, I can't be bothered to walk to the cafeteria. Now I can't live without Scarlett!"
a friend that Sylvia can't do without.
I thought it was a truly devilish idea!
It was the terrifying Sylvia Friend Corruption Plan.
While I was having such sinister thoughts and smiling to myself, Yoon Siwoo and the class president were looking at me.
Hot! Did they notice?
I quickly hid my expression, fearing they might have caught my sinister desire.
Their expressions became subtle.
After school, it was time for the decisive battle.
I stopped by the discount store near my house on the way back.
I had to find something that could be called a meal with the remaining 7,000 gold.
Meat section.
I didn't even need to look.
With my current funds, buying meat was out of the question.
I might feel good if I bought and ate it, but it would probably be my last meal.
Seafood? Of course, I skipped it.
These are more expensive than meat and in smaller quantities.
I quickly passed by other food sections and arrived at the flour products section.
If I think about it normally, buying ramen or snacks, which are called human feed, would be high in calories...
But for some reason, I don't feel like I'm lacking in calories.
What I wanted was the mental satisfaction of feeling like I was eating something.
Just as I was about to look elsewhere, a phrase caught my eye at the vegetable section.
[Lowest price! 300 grams of bean sprouts for only 1,000 gold!]
At that moment, I felt something like fate.
This is it.
I couldn't think of anything else but these bean sprouts.
The storage period for bean sprouts is about 4 days, during which they won't get too soft.
That means if I only eat bean sprouts until the next allowance comes in?
Surprisingly, it perfectly matched the 7,000 gold!
The number seemed like it was planned from the beginning, making me think that perhaps these bean sprouts were left for me by someone.
I picked up the bean sprouts as if I had received a divine revelation and went home.
Once home, I stood in front of the gas stove.
I filled a pot with water and placed it on the stove.
I turned on the stove and waited for the water to boil.
When the water boils, I'll blanch the bean sprouts.
I'd like to stir-fry them, but surprisingly, I don't have any cooking ingredients.
There's no cooking oil, and not even basic seasonings like salt or sugar.
Naturally, the refrigerator was empty.
It seems like no one has lived here.
To live like this, one would have to be a VVIP on a food delivery app or eat out for every meal, but it doesn't feel like that, so I probably moved into this body right after moving into this room.
The water boiled while I was thinking.
I rinsed the bean sprouts and put them in the pot.
Normally, I should remove the root parts for better texture, but I can't afford to waste any part now, so I just put them in.
I didn't blanch them for too long.
Just enough to slightly wilt the bean sprouts.
300 grams of bean sprouts, still crunchy.
This would be my precious sustenance for the next 4 days.
I put a small amount, less than a tenth, on a plate and put the rest in the refrigerator.
I had to eat only a little today.
Since I don't go to school on weekends, I have to eat all three meals at home.
I put a handful of bean sprouts in my mouth, trying to enjoy the texture while resisting the urge to chew loudly, and ate just one strand.
I felt the fibers breaking apart as I chewed.
Chewing slowly, I could taste a faint sweetness.
I wish I could chew on this forever, but bean sprouts are not gum.
With a sense of regret, I swallowed the broken pieces and put another strand in my mouth.
Repeating this, I soon finished the portion I had taken out.
The slow chewing made me feel full.
I put a piece of the macaron I had divided into 20 parts in my mouth as a dessert.
A wave of happiness came over me from the satisfying meal.
This is Yasuji.
Author's Note (Author's Afterword)
While writing all night, I suddenly had this thought.
The niche genre.
The relentless resistance of the spirit to adapt to the new body.
In other words, isn't TS (Transgender) the true hip-hop...
The lack of sleep must be driving me crazy, as such thoughts keep popping up.
When I read the comments, inevitably, because it's a TS genre,
the discussion about whether this work is yuri or not comes up, but unfortunately, the protagonist's first Yasuji was the bean sprouts.