episode_0018

“Did I hear wrong?”

My breath catches in my throat.

“The Purifier Association is looking for her. Since her identity is hard to pin down, everyone’s just calling her a Magical Girl for now, but if contact is made later, an official title will be decided.”

“Ah, I see.”

“There’s a bit of a time difference, but you were there at the scene back then. I was wondering if you might know anything about her.”

That’s me.

The Magical Girl you’re looking for—it’s me.

Why are you asking the person involved?

“Hmm… Unfortunately, I don’t have any useful information. At the time, I was rescued by Yonghee-nim and ran away right after.”

I grit my teeth and forced a smile as I answered.

I can’t let them find out.

If they do, I’ll be killed.

Probably socially.

“I figured as much. Just thought I’d ask. Thanks for answering.”

Fortunately, Eirin didn’t seem to pick up on anything suspicious and left without another word.

Watching Eirin’s retreating figure, I let out a small, deep sigh.

Why does my heart keep racing like this today?

“…I’m exhausted, so exhausted.”

Even though I’ve only been at the training hall for less than 30 minutes, the urge to go back is already bubbling up uncontrollably.

Sigh.

Should I just leave?

In the end, I pushed myself for another hour before finally stretching and stepping out of the shower.

The sensation of my sweat-drenched body now feeling fresh and clean is always exhilarating.

‘Time… I’ve got about 30 minutes left.’

The distance between the training hall and Class A’s room is barely five minutes, so I can take my time.

With my body slightly relaxed, I started walking toward Class A.

“…Still, I’m a little worried.”

Unlike the refreshing sensation enveloping my body, my mind feels a bit gloomy.

The protagonist of In the End, Karen, is in Class D.

So, the future I know is based on events in Class D from Karen’s perspective.

‘Who was in Class A again…?’

On the other hand, Class A wasn’t explored much in the story, so I don’t know what kind of chaos happens here or who’s good or bad.

Class A mostly consisted of extras used as confidence-boosting benchmarks for Class D’s combat abilities.

And even that was only in the early parts—later on, their relevance practically evaporated.

At best, I remember Serena and Eirin?

The only notable supporting characters from Class A that come to mind are those two.

Well, I might remember more once I see their faces, but nothing’s coming to me right now.

Lost in thought, I eventually reached the door to Class A.

Just as I was about to open it, my heart started pounding slightly.

Is it because I’m looking forward to my first proper school life?

In my past life, I dropped out of middle school early to work as a hunter, so it’s not unreasonable to be excited about a normal school life.

Hah.

After a short exhale, I opened the door.

The classroom was spacious and pleasantly arranged.

“……..”

“……..”

“……..”

In an instant, the gazes of the already-seated students focused on me.

Some eyes seemed wary of me, while others brightened in welcome.

Some seemed put off by the fact that I’m human, while others seemed pleased that I’m a celebrity.

Feeling like I’d dipped one foot in a hot spring and the other in an ice bath, I walked toward the large screen at the front of the classroom.

Displayed on it was a seating chart with each student’s name and rank.

Me… Ah, here.

678th place, Park Jeonghyeon.

My seat was slightly to the left of the center.

Curious, I checked the name of the student next to me.

213th place, Tsuno Ume.

Unfortunately, I don’t remember them.

Turning my head, I located my seat and walked over.

I settled into the chair.

It was far more comfortable than the ones I used in middle school.

What’s the point of making chairs this plush?

At this point, it feels like they’re pressuring students to take naps.

…Yawn.

Maybe it’s because I just finished training and showered?

Fatigue was slowly creeping in.

There were still 25 minutes until class started.

A short nap wouldn’t hurt.

I rested my arms on the desk and leaned forward—

“Hi! So you’re Park Jeonghyeon!”

A sharp, lively voice made me straighten back up.

Ah, right.

Probably another fan asking for a photo or autograph.

A pretty common occurrence.

“I saw your acting on MTube!”

A cat beastkin with jade-green hair was staring at me, eyes sparkling.

One notable feature was how short she was.

At a glance, she seemed even smaller than Karen, who was just under 160 cm.

Since I don’t remember her, she must not be a major character in In the End.

“Oh? Thanks for watching. Want an autograph or something?”

“No? That’s okay! I’m not really into holograms.”

Okay?

Wait, is she not a fan?

If she didn’t come for a photo or autograph, why’d she approach me?

“Then why…?”

“Huh? I just wanted to be friends! I’ve never had a celebrity friend before!”

Ah.

Maybe I’ve just gotten too used to fans’ aggressive requests.

I misjudged a peer who just wanted to be friends.

Well, mentally, I’m way past being a peer, but physically, we’re about the same age.

“Sorry. I misunderstood.”

“No worries! It happens!”

The cat beastkin vigorously shook her head in response to my short apology.

At this rate, I’m worried she’ll hurt her neck.

Her lively energy kept poking at me like tiny needles.

“I forgot to ask your name. What is it?”

“Xiaolin! I’m a cat beastkin from Kirinus!”

Beastkin—the term used for anthropomorphic beings in In the End.

Most beastkin don’t like being called “anthropomorphs.”

The main reason is that the term includes the character for “human,” which rubs them the wrong way.

This trend started spreading when Legacium, the human nation, began its decline.

Of course, the cat beastkin Xiaolin in front of me seems like the type who wouldn’t care if I called her an anthropomorph, but out of courtesy, I’ll stick to “beastkin.”

“Judging by your name, you must be from the Cheongun region of Kirinus? It’s famous for its magnolias, right?”

“Yeah! Oh, I have some pictures—wanna see? Last spring, they were in full bloom, so I took one with my dad!”

Xiaolin fiddled with her smartphone and showed me a photo.

A street lined with towering trees in full bloom.

The trees were covered in purple magnolias, and beneath them stood Xiaolin, grinning brightly, and a man smiling at her.

But… the face of the man I assume is Xiaolin’s dad… feels oddly familiar?

I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere…

Or am I just imagining it?

“It’s breathtaking. You and your father look great.”

“Right? If you ever want to visit, just let me know! I’ll give you the full tour!”

With a little praise, Xiaolin puffed out her chest proudly, eyes sparkling.

Though, given her small frame, it didn’t make much of a difference.

“Sure. I’ll take you up on that sometime.”

“Okay! Oh, right! What’s your major? Mine’s magic.”

“Major?”

She’s probably asking about my combat role.

Despite looking like a normal school, Providence is a place that trains warriors to resist the Corrosion.

But… do I even have a fixed role?

My position changes depending on the personality I’ve borrowed.

Just looking at the ones I currently have: the Artist and Actor excel in close combat, while the Fisherman operates in a mid-range hybrid style.

Eventually, I’ll probably acquire a long-range specialist too.

“Hmm, I haven’t really decided yet.”

“You haven’t? Huh…?”

Xiaolin tilted her head, confused.

I wanted to explain why, but that’d mean detailing my personality-borrowing skill.

I just scratched my cheek with a wry smile.

Then—

Creak…

The front door of the classroom slowly opened.

“…..”

A wolf beastkin male student with an absolutely terrifying face walked in.

Even after 28 years of life and encountering all sorts of oddballs, his appearance made me gulp.

“…..”

Silently scanning the screen, he trudged toward the center of the classroom.

(Wow, he looks seriously scary… Is he really in our grade?)

Xiaolin whispered to me in a slightly trembling voice.

I nodded silently in agreement.

His face was covered in scars, and a bloodstained bandage was wrapped around his jaw.

Did he get into a lot of fights as a kid?

And most of all—his eyes were intense.

He looks like he could kill someone with a glare.

As he approached the seat next to mine, I couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of life he’d lived.

Wow, up close, he’s even scarier.

Even a back-alley mobster would probably avoid eye contact and walk past him quietly.

Thud.

He slowly sat down, then turned his head toward me.

And then, he opened his mouth.

Was he about to threaten me?

Tell me not to mess with him?

Warn me not to talk to him?

I bet his voice is super deep—

“Wow~ Are you Park Jeonghyeon? This is my first time seeing a human my age in person.”

An incredibly bright, gentle voice tickled my ears.

Xiaolin and I both floated question marks above our heads and blurted out in unison:

“Huh?”

“Wait, what?”

What?

Why is he so nice?