Having Become a Woman, I Now Live as a Complete Outcast

It was ten days ago that Park Seoyeon first met the transfer student, Seo Harin.

Back then, it wasn’t yet June, so the air wasn’t as stiflingly humid as it is now—it was still pleasantly cool.

Her classmates were still wearing vests and long-sleeved shirts, not yet switched to short sleeves.

“My name is Seo Harin. Nice to meet you all.”

Seo Harin, introduced as the new transfer student, was no exception to the standard spring uniform.

At Cheongseol Girls’ High School, everyone wore the same outfit in spring, with only the tie color varying by grade. Yet, for some reason, Park Seoyeon couldn’t shake the feeling that Seo Harin carried a certain something that set her apart from the rest.

“Wow, she’s gorgeous…”

At that moment, as Seo Harin bowed her head, the entire class erupted into murmurs.

A single comment sparked a wildfire, spreading instantly as shock painted the faces of the girls.

“No way, is she a trainee? Or maybe a model wannabe?”

“She’s a bit short for that, no? But her visuals are insane.”

The girls gawking at Seo Harin all seemed convinced she wasn’t just an ordinary student.

They whispered among themselves, digging for clues about her identity, until the commotion was finally quelled by a clap from their homeroom teacher, Choi Sooyoung.

‘Good thing this is a girls’ school.’

Park Seoyeon scanned the now-silent classroom, clicking her tongue inwardly.

If this were a co-ed school, she was dead certain the guys would’ve leapt from their seats and started tap-dancing.

Even among girls, the atmosphere was electric with admiration—imagine how drooling, wolfish boys would’ve reacted.

Park Seoyeon wasn’t the type to fawn over another girl’s looks or rate their appearance, but even she couldn’t deny that Seo Harin was strikingly beautiful, almost otherworldly.

It was enough to dent the confidence she had in her own looks. No makeup, and still that stunning? Honestly, it felt like cheating.

“Seo Harin, you can take… that empty seat by the window.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As Seo Harin made her way to the designated spot and sat down, the morning announcements wrapped up. The second she stepped out of the classroom, her classmates sprang from their seats.

Their destination? Seo Harin’s desk, naturally.

Like worker ants swarming a queen, the girls crowded around her, bombarding her with questions.

“Seo Harin, where’d you transfer from?”

“Your hair’s so silky! What shampoo and conditioner do you use?”

“Do you play games? You don’t seem like the type, but I’m curious!”

Even from a distance, Park Seoyeon was floored by the endless barrage of questions.

Somehow, Seo Harin managed to stay calm, answering each one softly and politely.

From that first day, rumors of a “goddess” in Class 1 spread like wildfire across the school.

At first, some students scoffed, saying, “What’s the point of a goddess in a girls’ school?” But soon, even they were popping by Class 1 to catch a glimpse of Seo Harin.

If Seo Harin were just a pretty face, the hype might not have reached such heights.

But an incident cemented her fame, making her the talk of the school.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Crazy freak, don’t come near me!”

“Someone, please, grab that thing!”

“Like anyone’s gonna try!”

One day, chaos erupted when an uninvited guest—a massive cockroach—invaded the classroom.

The beast, with its hulking body and ability to fly, terrorized the girls, turning the room into a warzone.

No one dared step up. The cockroach’s presence was that terrifying.

Even Park Seoyeon kept her distance, lingering outside the classroom, praying for the bug’s demise.

It was a catastrophe, plain and simple.

Finally, one girl ran to fetch a teacher, and the rest huddled in place, trembling, desperately hoping for rescue.

Step. Step.

Then, a lone figure strode confidently through the classroom’s center, clutching a rolled-up newspaper from who-knows-where.

It was none other than Seo Harin, the transfer student who’d been at the school for just three days and had barely spoken to anyone.

She marched to the back of the room, locking eyes with the cockroach as it spun mockingly in midair.

Unfurling the newspaper, she…

“Hiyah!”

…let out an adorably tiny battle cry, far from her earlier commanding presence, and successfully trapped the beast.

The girls, who’d been watching in hushed awe, erupted in joy.

Oblivious to their cheers, Seo Harin tightly wrapped the newspaper and left the classroom, likely to ensure the cockroach couldn’t escape and wreak havoc again.

The moment she stepped out, the classroom exploded with cheers—and fervent praise for Seo Harin.

“No way…! She’s got major girl-crush vibes.”

“Did you see that? She took out a cockroach in one shot!”

“She’s so cute but has this crazy badass side.”

Sure, plenty of women could catch a cockroach without batting an eye, but seeing such a petite, delicate-looking girl pull it off sparked waves of admiration.

From that day, rumors spread: “There’s a new transfer in Class 1 who’s super cute but oozes girl-crush energy.” Seo Harin became an instant celebrity.

She, of course, had no idea.

Amidst all this, Park Seoyeon found herself growing curious about Seo Harin.

Not in a weird way—just that the quiet, meek girl she’d assumed Seo Harin to be had this unexpected side, and Park Seoyeon wanted to figure out who she really was.

But there was a major hitch.

One Park Seoyeon hadn’t seen coming.

‘She barely talks.’

Seo Harin was bizarrely silent.

She’d answer questions occasionally, but her responses were curt or delivered with a nervous, almost scared expression, making conversation awkward.

Park Seoyeon tried striking up chats multiple times, but Seo Harin always slipped away, sometimes with blatant excuses to dodge talking.

That’s when it hit her—Park Seoyeon’s competitive streak flared to life.

“Hey, loser.”

If Seo Harin wouldn’t talk, Park Seoyeon would push her buttons. That’s when she started calling her “loser.”

Park Seoyeon wasn’t a bully by nature, despite her rough edges. Openly dissing someone who hadn’t even provoked her was a first.

“L-Loser…? You mean me?”

The first time she heard it, Seo Harin glanced around, pointing at herself with trembling eyes, as if she couldn’t believe the label.

Her teary, pleading gaze begged Park Seoyeon to stop, and guilt surged within her. Still, Park Seoyeon clenched her fists, steeling herself.

It was working, after all.

She didn’t care if Seo Harin yelled, cursed, or flipped out—she just wanted to see her show some raw emotion.

So, playing the part, she doubled down, spitting out sharp words in a biting tone.

“What, you think there’s another loser here? Can’t even talk properly, always shaking like a scared squirrel.”

“I-I’m not a squirrel, I’m a person…”

Seo Harin couldn’t meet her eyes, her gaze darting everywhere, her hands fidgeting nervously.

Unbeknownst to her, her slightly puffed cheeks, sulky from the jab, caught Park Seoyeon’s attention.

‘Kinda cute.’

The sight made Park Seoyeon—a perfectly straight high school girl who liked guys—blush for the first time at another girl.

She couldn’t let that show, though, so she forced a cold glare, watching Seo Harin closely.

What would Seo Harin do next? Park Seoyeon waited, anticipation building.

“F-Fine. Call me that if you want.”

“…Huh?”

The response was jaw-dropping.

In just a week since transferring, Seo Harin had accepted the “loser” label with her own mouth.

Park Seoyeon thought she’d misheard and asked again, but the answer stayed the same.

And just like that, Park Seoyeon found herself in the absurd position of a fourth-grade boy picking on a friend he secretly wants to get close to.

She tried to fix the dynamic, but it wasn’t easy.

Whenever she faced Seo Harin, she’d mean to call her by name, but “loser” slipped out instead. Seeing Seo Harin’s scared-squirrel act sparked a strange urge to tease her more.

To put it bluntly, she wanted to mess with her.

“P-Park Seoyeon!”

“H-Huh?”

But today, that dynamic might finally break.

Hearing Seo Harin shout her full name with unprecedented volume, Park Seoyeon felt a spark of hope.

Sure, the trigger—making Seo Harin choke—was ridiculous, but the fact that Seo Harin was finally showing anger thrilled her.

‘Yes! People should get mad!’

Unaware of Park Seoyeon’s internal cheering, Seo Harin sat there, her tiny fists trembling, glaring up with teary eyes.

Traces of tears from choking still lingered, her whites tinged red.

Rather than looking furious, she resembled a cute, sulky girlfriend from a drama, making Park Seoyeon’s cheeks flush.

Park Seoyeon wasn’t into girls, but something about Seo Harin kept stirring weird thoughts.

“U-Uh…!”

Seo Harin’s initial bravado seemed to fade, her intimidating aura weakening, but Park Seoyeon kept rooting for her silently.

‘You’ve got this! Keep going!’

As Seo Harin’s small hand reached for Park Seoyeon’s sleeve, Park Seoyeon’s eyes lit up, thinking the moment had arrived.

Seo Harin’s lips parted, and out came…

“…I hate you.”

A petulant line, straight out of a lovers’ spat, spilled forth.

Her teary eyes, the gentle grip on Park Seoyeon’s sleeve, and her slightly pouting lips amplified the cuteness.

Exactly three seconds later—

Whoosh.

Park Seoyeon’s face burned bright red, and she stood frozen, staring down at Seo Harin.

Their eyes locked in midair, and as Seo Harin’s glistening gaze stirred something in Park Seoyeon’s chest, she…

Scrrrt—Thud!

…yanked her sleeve free and bolted out of the classroom.

‘That… that sly fox!’

Racing down the hallway, Park Seoyeon struggled to cool her overheated face.

She’d thought Seo Harin was just a meek puppy, but clearly, she was a cunning, seasoned player.

How else could you explain that look, that gesture, that shift in expression?

Even a drama actress couldn’t pull off such a perfectly sulky, seductive pout.

‘It was all an act!’

Convinced she’d misjudged Seo Harin, Park Seoyeon hurried her steps.

Sadly, the muggy June air, even as a breeze, did nothing to cool her racing mind.

(End of Chapter)