NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2.1
Since lunch was a disaster, dinner followed the same script. Well, to be more accurate, I didn’t even eat. I just wasted money. I got my cafeteria meal, but the overwhelming attention drove me out before I could take a single bite.
“Mom, I’m so sorry!”
This wasn’t how she intended me to spend my allowance. I’m sorry!
The only silver lining is that this is a beastman university, and their legendary appetites mean there’s a massive, 24-hour convenience store on campus.
The downside? That store is constantly packed with beastmen.
“Is this a convenience store or a zoo?!”
From the employees to the customers, everyone in there is a beastman. I couldn’t even muster the courage to step inside. I thought I only hated furries, but now… I think I’m starting to hate beastmen too.
“Strategic retreat!”
I abandoned the on-campus convenience store idea and pulled up my map app to search for an off-campus one.
“An hour away… on foot?”
“You’re telling me that in the middle of Seoul, the closest off-campus convenience store is an hour away from the university? Seriously?!”
But there was no way I was giving up. Not a chance. If I didn’t go, I’d starve to death.
I bundled up against the early spring chill and set out on the long trek. The crisp dawn air stung my face, so I quickened my pace. By the time I reached the store, I was completely out of breath.
“Haa…”
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary convenience store—small, unremarkable. But what made it a beacon of hope was the utter lack of furballs anywhere in sight. Better yet, the people I saw inside were all humans.
“Yes, this is what a proper convenience store should look like!”
Sure, it was an hour away, but I was already considering making it my go-to spot.
Smiling with relief, I stepped inside.
“Uh, w-welcome…”
“?”
I froze mid-step, then quickly backed out of the store.
What? Did I just see that wrong?
Rubbing my eyes, I went back in.
“Uh, w-welcome…!”
The employee behind the counter greeted me again, her tone nervous and halting. She looked like any other part-timer you’d see at a Korean convenience store.
Except for the long, white, fluffy ears standing tall on her head, nearly brushing the ceiling.
“Rabbit ears?”
I couldn’t help but stare at the soft, white ears perched atop her head.
“Is this some kind of trendy MZ-generation accessory?”
Before I could finish the thought, her ears twitched. They moved.
“Oh no. She’s a rabbit beastman.”
I had walked for an entire hour to avoid a beastman-filled convenience store, only to end up in one run by a beastman.
“No. No, wait. This isn’t so bad. This is fine. This is totally fine. Yeah… totally fine.”
The campus convenience store had been swarming with beastmen, but this one only had a single beastman employee. No matter how I looked at it, this was a significant upgrade.
Feeling calmer, I leisurely picked out some ramen, added snacks to my basket, and grabbed a hot bar to eat on the hour-long walk back.
Finally, it was time to check out.
I approached the counter, but something about the part-timer seemed… off.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Uh… could you ring this up, please?”
“Ah…!”
Even after I placed my items on the counter, the part-timer just stood there, staring blankly into space. Only after I spoke did she snap out of it and start scanning my items, her movements slow and absent-minded. Her unfocused eyes gave the impression that she wasn’t entirely present.
“D-do you… need a bag?”
I nodded silently and inserted my debit card into the reader.
While waiting for the payment to process, I noticed the part-timer sneaking glances at me, tilting her head curiously.
Now that I got a better look at her, she was an albino rabbit beastman. I’d heard albino furries were common, but beastmen hybrids with albinism? Those were incredibly rare.
While I found her unusual, she seemed equally fascinated by me. Her white hair, pink eyes, and increasingly flushed cheeks betrayed her interest, as if I were the rare one in this situation.
Why is she so curious? Has she never seen a human before?
“U-um…”
The part-timer broke the silence hesitantly.
“A-are you a student at Beastman University?”
“…I’m not a beastman, though.”
“N-no, I mean… not a beastman student. I’m asking if you’re a student at Beastman University.”
“Oh. Yeah, I am.”
Smooth, Joo Ji-hyuk. Real smooth.
[Please remove your card.]
I pulled my card from the reader, and the part-timer’s mood visibly brightened. Her rabbit ears perked up excitedly.
“I knew it!”
Her ears twitched enthusiastically.
“I-I go to Beastman University too!”
“Yeah, I figured.”
“T-then you must be a freshman, right? All the human upperclassmen dropped out, so…”
“?”
What’s that supposed to mean? Is she hinting I should drop out too?
Before I could dwell on it, the part-timer suddenly exclaimed, “Ah-cha!” and quickly apologized.
“I-I was too friendly just now. S-sorry about that.”
That’s what you’re apologizing for?
“I just got excited because you smelled like one of us… with the beastman scent and all…”
“Wait, what? Scent?”
“You smell like fur!” she replied cheerfully, without a hint of shame.
Her innocent response hit me like a brick. I’d gone out of my way to avoid beastmen all day—how did their scent manage to stick to me? Does this mean I’ll smell like fur for the next three years of college?
Noticing my visible discomfort, the part-timer panicked and quickly tried to reassure me, her small frame trembling slightly.
“N-not that bad! I promise! Only beastmen can pick up on it!”
“…Uh, okay…”
Feeling awkward, I let my gaze drift to her nametag.
The motion was innocent, though her disproportionately large chest caught my attention for a moment before I managed to read her nametag.
“Wait… is her name Choi Eum-ah?”
What kind of name is that? It sounded so strange, almost like it came out of an old novel—or like an aphrodisiac.