episode_0016

I never really liked school.

It was the same in my past life with friends. Sure, in terms of numbers, I had more friends in my previous life than I do now, but ultimately, I still couldn’t win over the kids at school.

I had to wake up early in the morning and sit through classes I wasn’t particularly interested in.

When human relationships get a little twisted, those annoying individuals you always have to deal with periodically bother you as well.

The teachers didn’t seem to have much enthusiasm. Well, honestly, I understand it too, having been an adult myself. Whether it’s teaching students or working part-time at a convenience store, “work” is just something you have to do even if you don’t want to.

But then, should we not have understood a little why we, who are forced to sit together in the same space with people who openly dislike working, couldn’t move for at least 50 minutes?

Tock.

Something flew from behind and hit my head.

It wasn’t a hard hit. It was probably a small piece of a torn-up chewed gum or something like that.

The person who threw it wouldn’t be someone I’m close to. In the first place, apart from Hwayoon, there isn’t anyone I would call “close” in this class. How did the class placement end up so messed up? Everyone in the same class were all kids living across the street.

It’s been almost five years since the Milky Way Empire took root in this world. It might not be a long period yet, but during that short time, the Milky Way Empire has changed a lot of Earth.

So, naturally, there are humans who try to take advantage of that.

And most of these humans are the “well-off” ones. After all, they’re the ones who have a long enough rope to reach there in the first place.

If you’re a high school student, you’re not yet at an age where you fully understand everything. However, you are influenced by such parents.

Get along with this person. Don’t get along with that person. Under the influence of parents who say such things, children classify their peers around them and make friends accordingly.

Hwayoon, a child from a well-off family under the jurisdiction of the Milky Way Empire, is a child who “should get along well.”

As for me, there’s nothing behind me, I’m a child who “doesn’t need to get along.”

Thinking about it a bit, it’s not a very good idea to bother a friend like Hwayoon who gets along well with me. But those who live off their own importance usually don’t think that far.

Tuck.

“…….”

My silence played a role.

I’ve thought about why this happens without any reason, and I think it’s probably not because I get along too well with Hwayoon, who has nothing in her hands. Hwayoon maintains a strange distance even when her friends try to get close and treats everyone fairly, yet she is friendly to me. It’s not certain whether I envy that or feel disturbed by it, but one thing was for sure, it was the “cause of negative emotions.”

I can’t openly torment her, but I can subtly cause her inconvenience like this.

It’s not like I won’t be bothered by being separated from Hayoon.

I made eye contact with the teacher who was teaching in front.

The teacher seemed to have noticed the situation, but then averted their gaze.

Well, I guess so. Rather than giving support to someone without parents, it’s better to just turn a blind eye. After all, kids with parents might even have their parents come directly to the school. And if those parents are the kind who live for their own satisfaction, who knows what they might say to the teacher.

So, well.

It’s just how it is.

Tsk.

I didn’t even brush off the eraser dust with my hand. If I react like that, the torment will only get worse.

I didn’t say anything to Hayoon either.

It wasn’t a logical story, but I didn’t want help even with things like this. I can’t really explain the reason myself. Maybe it’s because of that damn jealousy.

……

Still, since I didn’t show any reaction, the eraser dust stopped flying at me as if she had quickly grown tired of it.

I didn’t even look back and focused solely on taking notes.

I made eye contact with the teacher again.

The teacher avoided my gaze. Or maybe it’s just my imagination? I don’t really know.

After that, there was no more eye contact until the end of class.

*

I have lunch with Hayoon.

Even in my past life, I didn’t have many friends, but still, there were people I knew well enough to eat with, even if the members changed from time to time. But after coming to this school, apart from Hayoon, there was no one else to eat with.

Kids from beyond the boundaries don’t come to me, and those who aren’t, don’t bother approaching Hayoon. There was a strange standoff between these two groups, and unfortunately, I was stuck with Hayoon.

And quite ironically, I seem to be seen as someone who “clings to Hayoon” by both sides.

Hayoon usually buys me things, but I’ve never asked her to do so first.

But still, if needed, I also buy her things. Of course, in terms of the absolute amount of money, I receive overwhelmingly more.

The two of us took our meals and found a suitable spot in the corner of the restaurant.

Normally, we only eat together. There’s no need to call anyone else.

But today was a bit different.

“Hi, Hayoon.”

“……”

A stranger’s voice spoke to Hayoon.

In the early grades, there were always these kinds of people. They try to become friends with Hayoon just because they’re in the same class.

Ironically, they talk only to Hayoon, without bothering to speak to me, who is looking at them. Frankly, it’s admirable. Anyone ignoring their friend wouldn’t leave a good impression.

Or perhaps, do these kinds of people have their own unique rules?

“Ah, hello.”

Ha-yoon responded hesitantly as she casually placed her tray on the adjacent seat. Her voice was barely above a murmur.

This indicates her displeasure. Ha-yoon is reserved and tends to hide her emotions in front of unfamiliar people. The fact that her voice lowered suggests she’s concealing her feelings.

I leisurely finished my meal, regardless of whether others were eating or not.

Glancing at me, Ha-yoon looked uncomfortable. While she doesn’t speak about those who bother her, she’s at least aware. Although others may not notice, Ha-yoon feels uneasy because she can see that I’ve noticed.

Perhaps sensing Ha-yoon looking at me, the girl sitting next to her directed her gaze towards me too.

It felt as though her eyes were tapping on a calculator. She doesn’t like me. In the long run, she’ll probably want to distance herself from me. It’s because I’m not helpful. However, it seemed she realized that blatantly ignoring me would have the opposite effect.

Shouldn’t she have noticed if we were having a private meal together? There are always other girls (and occasionally boys) trying to strike up a conversation around Ha-yoon, yet we came to eat together alone.

“Hello.”

Seemingly done with her calculations, she greeted me with a composed voice.

I gazed back at her. I probably know where she sits in the classroom. She’s behind me. I can’t be sure if she directly threw eraser dust at me, but at the very least, it would have been in a visible position.

I also remember hearing a faint laughter from behind.

“Hello.”

I replied and focused back on my meal.

Seeing me do so, Ha-yoon cautiously resumed moving her chopsticks.

“We’re in the same class now. It’d be nice if we could get along.”

“Oh, yeah… I guess so.”

I carefully observed Ha-yoon’s plate, which had more greens than meat. Fortunately, she hadn’t stopped eating entirely, so her food was steadily decreasing.

On the other hand, the others weren’t. It’s natural since they seem more engrossed in conversation than in eating.

I slowed down my chopstick movements to match Ha-yoon’s pace, aligning our eating speeds.

“Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to say this, but I did look into it a bit. Ha-yoon, we used to live in the same neighborhood.”

“Oh, really?”

After hearing what she said, I almost burst out laughing. I barely managed to hold it in, preventing the food in my mouth from coming out through my nose.

“Actually, I’ve been a fan for a long time.”

That kind of tone was counterproductive with Hayoon. She seemed like the kind of person who could easily become friends with anyone at first glance due to her kindness, but in reality, her standards were quite strict and demanding. Of course, she didn’t seem to realize that about herself. For Hayoon, a friend was someone who could treat her normally, regardless of whether she was a magical girl or not. Naturally, after becoming a magical girl, there weren’t many people who met that standard. Friends don’t ask each other for permission. After all, since they’re friends, there’s no reason to seek permission. They might consider another person’s request, but that’s about it. And when introducing herself as a magical girl to others, she shouldn’t shrug her shoulders, nor should she bring up her parents unless Hayoon brings it up first. The moment she mentioned “fan” from the very beginning, a thick, transparent wall was erected between Amy and me.

“Yeah… I see.”

It feels like the highlight is fading from Hayoon’s eyes. Since the ambient light remains the same, there probably isn’t any actual change. Maybe that’s why. It seems this oblivious girl hasn’t realized that her words didn’t sit well with Hayoon.

“I wanted to be in the same class with you ever since I heard we go to the same school.”

She keeps stepping on landmines. It seems she’s used to receiving similar treatment from others around her. Her approach is somewhat like a comic. No, given that it’s a webtoon world to begin with, it’s only natural.

“Yeah…”

I’m done for. Hayoon was extremely uncomfortable. I quickly stuffed the food in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed. Then I got up from my seat.

“Hayoon, are you finished with your meal?”

“Huh?”

Hayoon, who was startled by my sudden rise, looked up and then immediately got up with a big smile.

“Yeah!”

Of course, Hayoon hadn’t finished her meal because she kept hesitating throughout the conversation.

“Huh? Huh?”

The suddenly risen Hayoon and I, and that girl—what was her name, anyway, it’s not worth remembering—looked at each other in turns, bewildered.

“Hello. It was nice talking to you. I’m glad we’re in the same class. Let’s take care of each other from now on.”

I quickly said those words and turned away. The three kids sitting at the table had no idea what was going on. They probably don’t know why the girl who seemed to be following Hayoon suddenly got up, nor do they understand why she’s smiling so widely even though she hasn’t finished her meal.

I put the tray on the table and grabbed Hayoon’s wrist. “Let’s go to the snack bar, Hayoon.”

Since I couldn’t finish my meal, I had to fill my stomach at least a little. Although I felt it was a waste, I quickly swallowed the food, but Hayoon didn’t. “Are you hungry?” It was Hayoon who asked me that.

“I’m at an age where I can eat a lot.” I replied and bought two sausage buns at the snack bar, stuffing one into Hayoon’s mouth.

*

People who approached Hayoon based on her background were always present in every grade. And these people had one thing in common: they were more persistent than one might think. Moreover, this persistence wasn’t just manifested in the way they talked to Hayoon. They couldn’t directly ask why she couldn’t respond properly. Regardless of their backgrounds, they would feel too embarrassed if they said such things. Therefore, they usually directed their arrows at someone like me, who seemed relatively easy to deal with, near Hayoon.

After lunch, I felt sticky emotions at the back of my head throughout the class hours. I wondered if it was because of my mood, but whenever I tried to forget, eraser dust would fly around, making it clear that the emotions had leaked out.

Moreover—

Thud.

I slightly lowered my head in response to the pain at the back of my head. I couldn’t help but turn around. “Oh, sorry.”

The person sitting diagonally behind me, who had spoken to me during lunch, asked while raising an eraser slightly. “Can you pick up the eraser?”

Looking down, I saw the eraser lying there. It was a torn eraser here and there. What a waste. I picked up the eraser and put it in my pencil case.

It’s a new eraser, but being torn here and there is pitiful. It would be happier to live as a proper eraser inside my pencil case.

“Hey.”

The voice became a bit quieter. But not so quiet as to avoid drawing attention. It seems that the teacher is somewhat concerned, no matter what.

Moreover, Hayoon was nearby. Because she was already paying attention to this side, the person didn’t speak until the end of the class.

I thought he might come and pick a fight before going home, but since Hayoon was next to me, he couldn’t even do that.

Yeah, he’s easy to handle.

I pondered how to deal with those kids for a moment.

*

“Today… Are you going straight home?”

Perhaps because it was the day after school started, Hayoon asked as if it was regrettable to part ways at the bus stop.

“Next time,” I replied. “I have something to do today.”

“I see.”

Still, Hayoon believed my words well. Anyway, we would see each other again tomorrow morning, so Hayoon didn’t seem too disappointed.

We parted ways, waving hands. Ha-yoon briefly glanced in the direction of her home before I turned towards mine.

Not directly towards it. I walked in a slightly different direction from the one leading to our house.

“….”

There were others following behind. Judging by their personalities, they didn’t seem like the type to take the bus, but they did. I was worried, and as expected, they were following me.

Was Jee-woo that concerned? Actually, it’s probably me who is concerned. It seems like she wants to resolve that discomfort right away.

Ha-yoon is a bit oblivious to these things. She can’t even imagine that I might be suffering. Although she’s good at noticing others’ malice, she can’t imagine that there could be a completely different, much more sinister form of suffering than what she experiences.

“Hey.”

Perhaps realizing that I was constantly looking around, I heard a voice calling out to me calmly.

“Why?”

I turned back and said.

“Jee-woo.”

“You seem pretty well-off, just give me one.”

When I said that, the girl laughed. Hmm, is she someone who likes to pick fights? I smirked slightly. Well, she doesn’t look like it. Sometimes, there are people with extremely thin legs, aren’t there? If they hit something wrong, they might really break. That’s how the girl in front of me seemed. Frankly, I don’t think there’s any need to fight. Just running away might make her collapse in the middle. Then I could step on her carefully when that happens. Yeah. Maybe because they have a lot of their own numbers now, they don’t seem to think they’ll lose. They probably thought that way until now. Not only me, but quite a few other kids must have been targets. Who did they harass last year?

But here’s the thing. I wasn’t going to take it lightly. At school, I’ll just act like I don’t know. I didn’t want help from Ha-yoon with this kind of thing. It’s not like telling the teacher would help much, and there’s no one else who would help me much either. So, naturally, the conclusion is that I have to solve the problem myself.

I carefully examined the physical specs of the three and made up my mind.

“Hey.”

“Why?”

“Do I look easy to you?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded lightly in response. I do look easy. Very. I’m so scared that I might break if I hit somewhere wrong. Perhaps because I answered so confidently, a slightly perplexed expression appeared on her face. There probably hasn’t been anyone who has spoken to this extent until now. In fact, it’s a common story unless the person being harassed periodically engages in battles with magical girls.

“So, what are you going to do? Are you going to hit first? I don’t plan on letting them make the first move without getting a hit in.”

Of course, I have no intention of being hit first. As I took a step forward, the kids flinched.

“Or should I go first?”

“Are you in your right mind?”

“I’m in my right mind.”

Of course, I’m in my right mind. From middle school until now, I wonder how many of those who disliked me walking around with Hayoon I’ve encountered. Every time, I never just let it slide. The other party always tried to bother me in some way, and each time, I exploded. The classmates from the same middle school no longer bother me. The fact that not many people cut in while Hayoon and I are eating at the restaurant is also because of that. I’ve been in ‘battles’ long before Hayoon. No matter what, I don’t have the confidence to fight against ordinary people.