episode_0009

It was during the summer vacation.

While Ma Yeon-seo had gone to the United States to spend time with her family, I found myself using the phone she had given me to communicate with her constantly.

Naturally, my mother asked about the phone…

“Did your girlfriend buy you a phone?!”

Upon learning the truth, my mother reacted as expected.

“No… why?”

“Just because I mentioned that my phone was lagging…”

“Wait, are you saying it’s because she finds you attractive?!”

“…Is that something you should say to your son?”

Though my mother seemed quite surprised, thankfully she didn’t press further.

“I see… our son is already…”

She gazed at me with an indescribable expression, then posed one question.

“So… do you really like that girl?”

Do I love Ma Yeon-seo?

Without hesitation, I sincerely replied,

“I don’t think I can live without her now.”

Looking slightly surprised, my mother quietly nodded, leaving me with just one last piece of advice.

“Love her without regrets.”

There was a hint of unspoken emotion in her words.

*

I had already suspected from the phone gift, but Ma Yeon-seo turned out to be the kind of person who generously showers her love on the one she loves.

Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming.

“What’s this?”

“It’s for you.”

“Huh?”

Just before the end of the vacation, when she returned from the United States, we met at a café.

She casually handed me a small shopping bag as a gift.

It was a striking bright orange shopping bag from a well-known brand.

“All of a sudden?”

“I thought of you while I was out shopping, so I bought it.”

“You gave me a birthday present before.”

“Do you not want it?”

A faint madness flickered in Ma Yeon-seo’s eyes as she glanced at me.

Instinctively sensing a threat, I quickly accepted the gift with a nod.

“No, it’s not that I don’t want it… Anyway, thank you.”

“Open it.”

I took out a small box adorned with an elegant ribbon from the shopping bag.

“Looks like a jewelry box.”

I marveled at the exceptional quality of the unassuming case and carefully opened it, revealing the long-awaited gift inside.

The gift turned out to be none other than a leather wallet.

“Wow. Looks really expensive…?”

The wallet I had been using was decent enough. It was a handmade luxury item crafted from leather obtained directly from Italy, a gift from ‘the man,’ my mother’s boyfriend from a long time ago, meant for me to use when I grew older.

But the one Ma Yeon-seo had given me looked several times more expensive than that.

“This… seems extremely expensive, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know.”

She evaded the question with a subtle murmur.

‘Her… Would it show up if I searched?’

Not knowing much about the brand, I decided to just scratch my head and pretend to understand.

Isn’t ignorance sometimes bliss?

I didn’t want to feel burdened by looking it up for no reason.

“…So, how is it?”

In the midst of this, Ma Yeon-seo, pretending to casually stir her drink with a straw, subtly inquired about my impression.

After all, since I received the gift, I should show a corresponding reaction.

“I really love it! The design is so clean and it looks incredibly luxurious. Honestly, I wonder if I’m allowed to receive something like this.”

“…That’s fortunate. It’s made from leather from Italy, so you can use it for a long time.”

Thankfully, she seemed satisfied too, wearing a faint smile.

“Wow. If it’s from Italy… then carrying this around, I won’t get stabbed by a knife, right? Right?”

“You shouldn’t get into situations where you’d get stabbed.”

“Hehe. That’s true.”

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, I clung to her and earnestly acted cute.

“What if I keep receiving things like this all the time? What will I do?”

“It’s okay. I gave it to you because I wanted to.”

“Haha. You keep saying such nice things. Be moderately virtuous.”

Ma Yeon-seo seemed quite pleased with my cuteness, wearing a content expression.

It felt rewarding to have put in the effort to act cute.

‘Someday, I’ll definitely have to repay her.’

And so, with that determination, a new semester began.

It was the final semester, but not much had changed from the first semester.

During the day, I attended classes as usual, and after school, I went to Ma Yeon-seo’s house.

“Ah, have I used up everything I bought before?”

“I didn’t order today because I don’t need to.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“I still have some medicine from before. I’m fine today.”

“Hey, last time you said that, it turned into a big mess.”

“So you’re not going to do it then?”

“…Oh, no, that’s not… ”

“Then quietly take off your clothes.”

“Yeah…”

And when evening comes, I return home after doing laundry and collapse into bed as if I’ve fainted.

“…I haven’t done anything, but I feel incredibly tired….”

Occasionally, I also go on dates with Ma Yeon-seo.

“(Hey, isn’t this place too expensive? One menu item costs so much…)”

“But it tastes good.”

“(Well, of course it tastes good…!)”

“Ugh, you don’t like it? Should we call the manager? Why is it so expensive?”

“Let’s just eat. Yeah, that’s right. There must be a reason for it.”

I also receive presents from her from time to time.

“You got matching couple rings? Not ‘let’s match’ but ‘we already matched’?”

“Yeah.”

“No… When did you measure our finger sizes?”

“When you were asleep.”

“What?”

We’ve also chosen a school to attend based on each other’s academic levels.

“Oh! I saw that the school uniform here is pretty.”

“We can’t go to a place known for pretty uniforms.”

“Why? I want to see you in this school’s uniform.”

“But other girls wear pretty uniforms here too.”

“Wow… That’s an unexpected jealousy point.”

“That’s why we can’t go here.”

“Um, then…”

As days passed, having Ma Yeon-seo in my life became more and more natural.

December. The winter air felt brisk.

I was waiting for Ma Yeon-seo’s rare absence to be explained.

“No contact.”

Ma Yeon-seo and I were fortunate enough to be admitted to the same school we both applied to.

It was a place known for not having pretty uniforms, but there were rumors that they would change next year, and the facilities were quite good, so I was looking forward to it in my own way.

“…High school….”

With the upcoming entrance into high school, I found myself caught up in a few concerns.

Recently, worries about my future career path had unexpectedly come to me.

Three years until I become an adult and step out into society.

Now was the time to start thinking about my future career path.

“University seems like the safest option.”

At the present moment, when there’s no clear dream, consistently managing my grades to get into college seems like the most plausible option.

The issue is that it costs quite a bit of money.

“Maybe starting work right away wouldn’t be so bad.”

It’s not a bad idea to jump into the workforce right after graduation.

Frankly, I can handle studying and working at the same time just fine.

Of course, it’s entirely up to me to make that happen.

“Neither option seems easy.”

Lost in such thoughts for a while,

Ring—. A short vibration sounded from my phone.

“?”

Glancing at the screen, there was the name I had been eagerly waiting for, Ma Yeon-seo.

“What could she want that she’s only contacting me now?”

I swiftly unlocked my phone and checked her message.

And then…

“Huh…?”

For a moment, I doubted my eyes as I peered closely at the screen.

Yeon-seo♥ [I’ve awakened.]

Her message stated that she had awakened.

*

What does “awakening” mean?

Since the appearance of the Tower, suddenly gaining extraordinary abilities one day is called “awakening.”

Those who achieve awakening are referred to as “awakened individuals,” and lately, they have been making outstanding contributions in various industries beyond conquering the Tower.

So much so that achieving awakening is said to be similar to winning the lottery…

And an awakened individual was sitting right in front of me at this moment.

“So, what do you think? Isn’t it cute?”

A café near my frequently visited home.

Yeon-seo spoke as she gently stroked the small flame sitting on the palm of her hand.

Flicker, flicker.

In accordance with her gestures, it moved hesitantly, exuding vitality like a real living being.

It was a fire elemental summoned simultaneously with her awakening.

“Life really isn’t fair.”

Having come face to face with the news of her awakening, I could finally understand the conflicting emotions she must be experiencing.

Awakening is an incredibly special event, comparable to winning the lottery.

While I was naturally happy since there were no downsides, upon later contemplation, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

Yeon-seo is smart, beautiful, and comes from an impressive family, and now she’s also awakened.

Even among awakened individuals worldwide, she possesses a summoning ability that’s considered one of the best.

And what about me?

My appearance is ordinary, my household is nothing to speak of.

Thanks to that, I keenly felt the “class divide” in various aspects, and that gap only grew wider.

“I actually have another name, but it’s hard to pronounce, so I decided to go by Nabi.”

“…Well chosen. Yeah…”

“Right?”

Mayeonseo continued happily, talking about awakening and spirits.

I had been quite troubled until I came to meet her, but seeing her brighter than usual, my thoughts shifted slightly.

“Yeah… That’s not important between us.”

From the start, Mayeonseo and I met because we genuinely liked each other.

Whether she’s an awakened individual or not, it doesn’t change anything.

Mayeonseo likes me, and I like Mayeonseo.

That’s all there is to it.

That’s what I thought.

…Until that moment arrived.

“W-What? Did I hear wrong?”

“….”

“I have to go to a different school! What does that even mean?”

Minors with awakening abilities are legally required to receive compulsory education at specific designated facilities.

However, the school Mayeonseo and I planned to attend was not included.

In other words, it meant being forced to attend a different school.

“This is ridiculous…!”

It was outrageous, but there was no way out.

What could a mere student like me do when the law dictated so?

Out of curiosity, I looked into transferring, but the school in question, a sports-focused high school, wasn’t easy to transfer into.

In the end, there was no choice but to accept reality and adapt.

“…What am I going to do…?”

But Mayeonseo couldn’t just accept it.

As she faced the prospect of parting ways with me, she became noticeably anxious.

She, who had always been composed, suddenly began to show signs of distress, even shedding tears.

“I don’t want to be separated from you… Without me… Hnng…”

She was especially worried about the possibility of losing me to another girl.

“Shouldn’t I be the one worrying about this instead…?”

Honestly, it was hard to empathize, but I couldn’t just ignore my girlfriend’s sadness.

I desperately tried to console her.

“Yeonsoo, it’s just school. I’m not going anywhere strange, right?”

“Other girls will definitely talk behind your back… Yoochan, can’t you just drop out?”

“What? Drop out?”

“Drop out and live with me at our place…!”

“Drop…out…”

As if she wasn’t just talking, she even looked up the withdrawal process herself, trying to persuade me.

“I’ll talk to my mom about it. Okay?”

Not only that, she even tried to convince my family directly.

‘Is she out of her mind?’

Feeling greatly flustered, I reluctantly attempted to persuade her with trust.

“Yeonsoo, can’t you just trust me a little? Do I seem like the kind of guy who casually dates any girl who comes along?”

“No.”

“Exactly. I’m not that kind of guy. You know, ever since I’ve been with you, I’ve quit my club and don’t even contact other girls.”

“That’s because I’m with you…”

Even with you by my side, I could do whatever I wanted. There are so many ways, right?

Silent, sharp eyes from Yeonsoo.

‘Did I say too much?’

Gulp. Inadvertently swallowing, I sent out all sorts of reassurances to put her at ease.

“If you can trust me from now on, I’ll really do anything.”

“Anything?”

“Anything. I’ll install a location tracking app, or I’ll check your phone regularly, whatever you want.”

Silently, Yeonsoo suddenly closed her mouth and turned her gaze away.

It seemed like my persuasion was getting through.

“So, don’t worry too much. I only have Yeonsoo for life.”

“Really?”

“Really. If it’s not you, I can’t meet anyone else. Where can I find such a pretty and lovely girl? Even if I did, I’d never be satisfied, right?”

Seemingly uplifted by my praise, she slowly relaxed her expression.

Now, we’re almost there.

“While you’re not around, I’ll study hard and propose to you with a diamond ring.”

“…If it’s a proposal…”

“We should get married. I’ve set my standards high, so you have to do it, right?”

“Uh… Yes, we should. Marriage.”

She swallowed hard at the mention of marriage, and unusually stumbled through her words, showing an eager response.

Having confirmed that she was completely okay, I smiled lightly and gently kissed her on the lips.

“I love you.”

“…Me too. I love you.”

And just like that, it seemed like we would stick together for life, but for the first time, we drifted apart.