“Ha-neul summoned an elephant?”
“I heard some weird noise and thought something was up, then found out it was an elephant. When I heard that, I was so shocked… Luckily, no one got hurt.”
That evening, the dinner table buzzed with talk of Ha-neul summoning an elephant.
Dad burst into laughter mid-bite, while Mom, still shaken, shook her head in disbelief.
As expected, Eun-ah chimed in:
“You always do fun stuff when I’m not around… I wanna summon an animal too!”
I looked at my wide-eyed sister and gave a wry smile.
“Next time the Witch of Five Colors comes, I’ll ask her.”
“No way. What if you summon something dangerous like an elephant? The Witch said the animal from the hat reflects the person’s personality.”
“Personality has some influence, but not a huge impact…”
“I’m sure I’ll summon something kind and gentle like me!”
“Mom hopes our daughter isn’t lying.”
“I’m really kind…”
“Kind kids don’t fuss over food.”
“Ugh, it’s all because I take after Mom!”
“Why’re you blaming Mom all of a sudden? What’d Mom do?”
“Mom’s gotten worse since she cut her hair! She never used to be like this!”
“Mom’s not worse—she’s stronger. And she’s always been like this.”
“Ha-ha…”
This squabbling proved our family’s harmony, I guess.
Today, as always, Mom and Eun-ah’s bickering stayed light.
In such moments, it’s best to stay out of it.
I focused on eating quietly, not wanting to interrupt.
Dad seemed to agree.
When our eyes met over the table, I felt a bond.
“Son, I actually prefer long hair.”
“Me too, uh… yeah?”
“But sometimes, sacrifices are needed for family peace.”
“…”
“Understand my sacrifice for you all.”
“Ah, sure…”
Why did Dad’s gaze hold another meaning?
Seems our father-son connection was still shaky.
I gave up on silent communication and spoke up.
“Dad, about Ha-neul becoming the Witch of Five Colors’ apprentice…”
“I didn’t see it myself, but… Ha-neul must be truly talented. When I called, the Witch, who was so picky, not only offered to teach Ha-neul for free but also to take her as an official disciple…”
“That means Ha-neul’s future is promising, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then could the family sponsor her?”
Truth was, I’d been waiting to bring this up.
Previously, Ha-neul hadn’t shown enough talent for family support, so I’d held back.
But now, as the Witch’s disciple, she’d proven her worth.
With a valid reason to sponsor her, there was no need to wait.
“Sponsor… You sly fox, you’ve been waiting for this.”
Dad’s reaction wasn’t bad.
After a moment’s thought, he seemed open to it.
“Since Ha-neul’s the Witch’s disciple, and with my recommendation, the Shin-Gum Do foundation could sponsor her. Even if not, I’ve heard the orphanage she lives in is in poor financial shape. I’ve been thinking of ways to help, so this is good. By promoting Ha-neul, both she and the orphanage can receive foundation support.”
“Really?”
“I’ll try, but it’ll probably work.”
Not only Ha-neul but also her orphanage could receive support.
Ha-neul would be thrilled.
I felt uplifted hearing Dad’s plan.
Then Dad added,
“But we need to hear the Witch’s side too.”
“The Witch? Why?”
“A Hunter taking an official disciple means becoming their guardian, fully supporting them. So before the family sponsors Ha-neul, we should ask the Witch how far she’ll support her.”
“Ah…”
“Given her personality, she might not want ties with our family and offer full support herself. If that’s the case… we’d only sponsor the orphanage.”
“If possible, make sure Ha-neul isn’t financially strained.”
“Got it. Don’t worry. Whether it’s me or the Witch, we both want the best for that child.”
Hong Ye-na, the Witch of Five Colors.
I hadn’t considered her sponsoring Ha-neul.
But her support wouldn’t be bad either.
Either way, I hoped Ha-neul could become a magician in a comfortable environment.
That way, my strength would grow too.
“Ha-neul won’t turn dark then.”
I couldn’t let Ha-neul despair in life.
The ending where she exponentially splits and devours the world was off the table.
I reaffirmed my vow to prevent her from becoming a mid-boss.
“By the way, you’re learning magic too, right?”
“Yes, focusing on magic to supplement swordsmanship…”
“So you showed talent too… I only heard about Ha-neul’s elephant, not what you summoned.”
“…”
“Now that you mention it, what did you get, Kwon-woo?”
“A white lion.”
“Oh, not just a lion but a white one? Did you summon an albino? I don’t know much about magic, but summoning an albino must mean something big. Maybe you’re more talented than Ha-neul? Could the Shin-Gum Do family have a Grand Magician later?!”
“I did well raising my son, didn’t I?”
“Teach me when you learn magic!”
“Ha-ha…”
I kept my words brief.
As Ha-neul began learning magic from the Witch, time flew by.
On the cusp of turning thirteen, Dad gathered the family for a shocking announcement.
“The official announcement is in a week, but it’s confirmed—I’m becoming the Sub-Lord of the Regulus Clan. I just met the head of the family and got the nod.”
“Congratulations. You’re finally Sub-Lord.”
“Thanks to your support all this time. Without you, I’d have given up midway. Really grateful, you’re irreplaceable.”
“Huh? Sub-Lord? What’s that, Dad?”
“No idea, but congrats, Dad!”
No wonder Dad had been coming home late since visiting the family for Family Day.
Turns out he’d been busy earning achievements to become Sub-Lord.
I was stunned.
This wasn’t in the game.
In the game, Dad was portrayed as uninterested in competing with siblings for the head position, sticking to being a branch leader to devote himself to family.
That Dad becoming Sub-Lord was hard to believe.
“Is this because of me?”
Seems my rebirth had affected Dad’s mindset.
I worried.
Becoming Sub-Lord meant Dad would compete with siblings for the head position without hesitation.
But Dad seemed carefree.
“I’ve held the family back for too long, right? From now on, I’ll walk with more confidence. You can act out like Kwon-woo too! I’ll cover for you.”
“I’ve never caused trouble.”
“That’s your take.”
It was frustrating to be seen as a troublemaker by Dad.
But if this was Dad’s well-thought-out decision, I had no intention of stopping him.
In a way, it was good for me.
“With Dad as Sub-Lord, I’ll reap the benefits. Both in the family and Academy City.”
So I congratulated Dad.
If Dad aimed for the head position, I was ready to help.
(The Finale of My Twelfth Year)
The grand finale of my twelfth year was none other than the whale hunt.
In medical terms, it’s called circumcision surgery—a procedure to remove the foreskin covering the penis to expose the glans.
“Is it really necessary?”
Just picturing the process gives me the chills.
Being born a boy feels like a curse, and I’m filled with regret.
Having already experienced it in my past life, the reality of having to go through it again makes my head spin.
“Maybe I should comfort myself by thinking that as a Hunter, I won’t have to enlist twice…”
Of course, the whale hunt is optional, not mandatory.
You can choose to do it or not.
In reality, my father didn’t force me when I complained about it.
“Circumcision surgery? Well, it’s better to do it than not.”
As a fellow man, he seemed to empathize with my feelings.
But my mother had a different opinion.
“No, you must do it. You absolutely must.”
“Mom, most kids in my class haven’t done it yet…”
“Just because your classmates haven’t doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Since when do you follow the crowd?”
“…”
“I understand how you feel. You’re scared and don’t want to do it now, but someday when you’re grown up, you’ll thank me. So let’s go to the hospital, okay?”
“But Mom, you’re a woman—how can you understand?”
“I’ve endured the pain of childbirth twice to bring you and Eun-ah into this world. Can’t I understand that much?”
“…”
“Kwon-woo, trust me. Later on, um… it might get uncomfortable. They say hygiene isn’t an issue these days… but it’ll still be a hassle to keep clean if you don’t.”
“Yeah…”
“And… if you want to be popular with girls, it’s better to do it.”
“Mom, that’s a lie…”
“You be quiet.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“At least I have a preference. You might think you’re clean, but girls might not see it that way.”
“…Okay, I’ll do it.”
My mother’s resolve was unwavering.
Hesitating over the choice, I ultimately decided to go through with the circumcision.
It wasn’t because I wanted to be popular.
Having experienced the whale hunt in my past life, I wasn’t fooled by my mother’s sweet talk.
But there were definite perks to easier management, and…
Yeon Ha-neul had her say too.
[Me]: What do you think?
[Yeon Ha-neul]: Boys do that kind of thing… I just found out (@ㅡ@;)
[Yeon Ha-neul]: Wait! I’ll ask Principal Kim!
(A moment later)…
[Yeon Ha-neul]: It’s not required, but it’s better to do it!
[Yeon Ha-neul]: It’ll hurt and be scary, but hang in there…
[Me]: Phew… Alright…
So, that day, I rode in the car driven by my mother to the urology clinic.
“It’s okay, Kwon-woo. You won’t feel a thing with anesthesia, and it’ll be over in 30 minutes. Afterward, let’s go eat something delicious.”
“Yeah…”
Despite the advanced magic and science of this world,
strangely, circumcision surgery remained on par with the standards of my past life.
It felt a bit illogical.
The only difference was that in this world, circumcision had near-0% complications.
Thus, the perception of circumcision was quite positive…
Having researched online beforehand, I couldn’t help but sigh.
“Patient Do Kwon-woo, please come in.”
But it was too late to back out now.
I entered the operating room with my mother’s encouragement.
Then, I took off my pants, lay on the bed, and waited for the surgery.
Soon, it began.
“There you go, young man.”
…Sir, that’s sexual harassment.
Embarrassed to expose my lower regions to strange men, I endured the surgery.
“Today, we’ll make you a man.”
“Boy, become a legend.”
“When you leave this operating room, you’ll feel reborn.”
“…”
With anesthesia numbing the lower area,
I stared blankly at the ceiling, wishing the time would pass quickly.
And so.
Snip-snip-snip…
After 12 years of reincarnation in this world,
my little guy finally saw the light of day.
“The sound is truly terrifying…”
“I heard Do Kwon-woo went to hunt a whale.”
According to Principal Kim, he went to become a man.
Yeon Ha-neul, who still didn’t grasp the meaning, only became more aware of the differences between boys and girls.
“So that’s what gets removed…”
Having lived in the orphanage,
Yeon Ha-neul often helped the caretakers bathe younger children, naturally encountering “it.”
Sometimes, the protruding shape looked cute.
It was fascinating too.
But the idea of “it” being “cut off” was shockingly unsettling.
“Goodness, they’re cutting it…”
Even imagining it made her shudder.
How much worse must it be for Do Kwon-woo, the one undergoing the surgery?
Yeon Ha-neul couldn’t help but worry deeply for him.
Though complications were unlikely, anxiety lingered.
So she placed a glass of holy water and prayed.
“Please…”
Let Kwon-woo’s little guy be safe.
Let him become a man.
Thankfully, the surgery was a success.
The little guy, once hidden under a hood, now poked its head out into the world.
I… felt fearless now.
Hmm…
“It’ll hurt once the anesthesia wears off…”
Just thinking about it was scary.
It’d be best to avoid intense activities until I fully recovered.
I decided to halt training for a while and focus entirely on rest.
I gently touched my pants, checked the paper cup protecting my penis, and slowly walked.
Walking was incredibly uncomfortable.
My mother, seeing my awkward gait, giggled as if it were amusing.
“My son, you endured without crying. Good job. Let’s go eat a nice lunch with Mom now.”
“Yeah…”
Today, my mother felt annoying.
I followed her, mindful of my steps, to eat lunch.
Afterward, we spent some time at a café sipping drinks.
When we returned home, Eun-ah and Yeon Ha-neul were waiting for us.
“Oppa! Did the neutering go well?”
“Kwon-woo, are you okay?”
“It’s not neutering, it’s circumcision. But why are you here, Ha-neul?”
“I wanted to see how you were. So, how was the surgery? How did it go?”
“As you can see.”
To satisfy Eun-ah’s curiosity and let Yeon Ha-neul see easily,
I pushed forward the bulging part of my pants, swollen from the paper cup.
Eun-ah was fascinated, while Yeon Ha-neul looked at me with pity.
“Oppa, that’s cool! It looks like a lion’s living in your pants! Like it’s shooting laser beams from there!”
“Yeah, I’m raising a lion. I’m the Lion King, Gao Gai.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, that reference might not exist here…”
“What nonsense are you spouting? How long do you have to keep that on?”
“Until the wound heals. Probably about two weeks. They said to wear it that whole time.”
“That must be tough and uncomfortable… Does it hurt? Are you okay? Did you take any medicine?”
“I took some earlier because it was a bit painful. It’s bearable now.”
“Still, don’t push yourself too hard. Make sure to take your medicine on time. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Well… could you help me walk?”
“Sure.”
Yeon Ha-neul readily offered her shoulder.
I draped my arm over her shoulder and we wobbled toward home.
Meanwhile, Eun-ah declared she’d help too, clinging to my waist.
Though our height difference meant her help wasn’t much, her thoughtfulness was appreciated.
“You’re such a… Anyone seeing this would think you survived a war.”
Hearing my mother mutter behind us in exasperation,
I entered the house, leaning on the two of them.
And so.
“Heh.”
I became a man.
Leave a Reply