Friends
“Huh? So you’re actually our unnie?”
The next day, we all gathered at Cheon Ma-ru’s house for our group project. Since we were only planning to sort out the schedule and divide up roles today, it wrapped up quickly. I’d expected Kim Chae-eun to slack off, but she actually worked harder than I thought.
“Um… I’m twenty-two…”
“Oh my, I’m sorry. You still have that high-school vibe, so I assumed we were the same age.”
“It’s fine… Just talk comfortably…”
With the work out of the way, we decided to just hang out and chat for the rest of the time, munching on the snacks that had been sitting in Ma-ru’s house.
“What can a C-rank curse specialist actually do? Like, can you tear space apart or generate virtual mass to push things away…?”
“Chae-eun. That stuff doesn’t exist.”
“This doesn’t exist either?”
“Now that you mention it, I am curious. Curse specialists aren’t exactly a common position.”
The conversation mostly flowed between me and Kim Chae-eun, but whenever Heo Yeon-hwa spoke up, she answered politely. Cheon Ma-ru chimed in from time to time as well.
“So what’s your ideal type, Ma-ru?”
“Me? Haha… well…”
“Why are you getting so flustered over a simple question about your ideal type? What about you, A-rang?”
“Someone stronger than me.”
“Stronger than an A-rank hunter… So you’re open to dating?”
“Not really.”
The mood was getting nicely lively. But one person gradually grew quieter.
“Oh my god. An H-cup?! No wonder. I could tell just by looking that they had insane mass. Can’t you share just a little?”
“Uh… well…”
“Chae-eun. A B-cup is perfect on you. It looks the best.”
“Why!! I want to experience the struggle of going to a lingerie store and not finding anything that fits!”
“It’s really uncomfortable, you know? And bigger isn’t automatically better. In your case, wouldn’t your chest get in the way when you draw your bow?”
“Still, I want it! I want to seduce guys with my huge rack too!”
“H-huge rack…”
“Now that I think about it, A-rang, what cup are you?”
“Me? Probably F. They’ve grown again recently, so it’s getting borderline.”
“Whaaaaat!!”
“Still… I think Chae-eun’s figure is really pretty too…”
“Right?! I’m not lacking in the body department at all!”
“Ugh, seriously.”
That’s how the conversation started drifting. But hadn’t she said before that she felt awkward going to a guy’s house? Was she talking about how he would feel awkward, not herself? The girls’ talk kept escalating, and it was painfully obvious that Cheon Ma-ru was getting uncomfortable.
“Then let’s ask him. Hey, do you only like girls with big chests no matter what?”
Of course, that wasn’t any of my business. But seeing him look so troubled made me want to tease him even more. Let’s see how you get out of this one!
“……”
Oh? Ignoring me? You think that’ll let you escape?
“Then how about this question? Out of the three of us, who’s more your type?”
It was the kind of question that would’ve annoyed me if I were on the receiving end, but the atmosphere had swept everyone up and the questions kept coming.
“Huh? It doesn’t mean anything. I’m just curious. I won’t get mad.”
“Ooooh.”
“Uhh…”
The mood had turned strangely tense. Kim Chae-eun watched with sparkling eyes, while Heo Yeon-hwa fidgeted nervously. Then Cheon Ma-ru, who had been staring at the floor in silence, suddenly lifted his head as if he’d made up his mind. He looked straight into my eyes and said,
“You.”
“Huh?”
“You’re my type.”
“…”
Uh… how am I supposed to react to that? I never expected him to actually answer.
“Th-thanks…”
“Yeah.”
Now I was the one hanging my head while Cheon Ma-ru sat with his chin up. I was so busy trying to figure out how to handle this completely flipped situation that I completely missed what was happening behind me.
“That was totally…”
“Um… this is…”
Kim Chae-eun and Heo Yeon-hwa were whispering to each other. And…
“…”
Cheon Ma-ru, cheeks slightly flushed, sipping on his cola.
“Sorry about earlier…”
“Hm? About what?”
“Asking such a weird question…”
The only one left to fix this strange atmosphere was me. Kim Chae-eun and Heo Yeon-hwa had fled the scene in record time. I’d created this mess, so it was my responsibility to clean it up.
“I got too caught up in the mood and went overboard. I’m sorry.”
Once I calmed down, I realized I’d basically harassed him under the guise of asking questions. No matter who he picked in that situation, it would’ve been awkward. Ever since he helped me clean last time, my sense of distance toward Cheon Ma-ru had gotten strangely off. I wasn’t usually like this.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. When you hang out, stuff like that happens sometimes.”
“…”
He said it was fine and didn’t look angry at all, but I couldn’t help watching his expression. While I was busy staring at the floor and walls,
“Oh?”
I spotted something interesting. A red hourglass filled with red sand. Anyone who didn’t know better would think it was just a decoration, but I recognized it immediately. I had one at home too. It was merchandise from Hell Company, one of Korea’s popular subculture games—and my absolute favorite.
“Hell Company?”
“?!”
The moment I said the game’s name, I saw Cheon Ma-ru’s face openly panic. What? Did he do something wrong?
“What’s wrong?”
“Eh? Ah, no, it’s just… this is… um.”
He was panicking hard. It was almost the same level as when I’d pulled a knife on him and threatened him. Maybe…
“Are you embarrassed because I caught you playing a subculture game?”
When I asked, he swept a hand down his face and gave a tiny nod. Well, it’s true that subculture games don’t exactly have the best reputation—especially in Korea.
“Why would you care about something like that? I play it too, you know. That’s how I recognized the merch.”
He looked at me with genuine surprise.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I love that game. I even collect the merch. Why, does your mom hate that kind of stuff?”
“No, Mom doesn’t say anything about it.”
Cheon Ma-ru sat down on the sofa and spoke slowly. Come to think of it, he lives alone but still has a sofa.
“My ex-girlfriend hated it. So I reacted on reflex.”
“Ah…”
The mood, which had finally been improving, sank again. Damn clock-face bastard. Giving me this kind of ordeal. I’ll knock your head clean out of the park.
“Sorry…”
“It’s okay. It’s been a while since we broke up.”
If I tried to change the subject now, it would only backfire. So what should I do in a situation like this…?
“Hey, if it’s okay… could you tell me about it?”
“Huh?”
The answer was a head-on charge. Time to use up all the luck I’d stacked from hitting the ceiling three times in a row.
I once had a close female friend. We met in third grade, so calling her a childhood friend felt a bit off, but we’d been close since we were little.
We got along normally, went to the same middle school and grew even closer… and eventually, on the day of our middle school graduation, she confessed and we started dating. We went to the same high school and everything was going well. But then something happened that slowly drove a wedge between us.
She awakened. As a B-rank awakened with healing abilities. The moment she learned she was a rare healer, she turned authoritarian and neurotic.
Every time we went on a date, she’d snap at me, asking why I’d drag her to a place like this. She acted like she was doing me a favor by dating someone like me. In front of our friends, she’d call me pathetic and laugh at me while I was right there.
Maybe it was because of all the affection we’d built up over the years. Or maybe it was just pride. Even while being looked down on, I kept smiling and tried to stay by her side. But then I saw something I couldn’t laugh off.
While I was in university, I saw her leaving a hotel with a man I’d never seen before.
I got angry and confronted her, but she hurled curses at me instead. She looked at me with pure disgust, calling me incompetent and pathetic. The guy next to her mocked me. She agreed with him.
That failed love left a deep scar on me. I dropped out of university, went back home, and shut myself in my room. Even if I wanted revenge, the guy had too much backing. If I caused trouble, my family would suffer the backlash. So I ran away from reality.
Then an opportunity came. I awakened. Of course, I later found out I was only D-rank and felt disappointed.
“…I’m really sorry… I shouldn’t have brought it up…”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve genuinely gotten over it. Thanks to you.”
“…Me?”
Baek A-rang looked puzzled. She wouldn’t have known. She hadn’t meant to.
“You asked me back then, remember? Why I was so set on being a combat class. That’s why. I hated how pathetic I was, just sitting there doing nothing. I wanted to at least become someone who could fight back.”
I hated my helpless self. I wanted the power to take revenge on the people who betrayed and hurt me. I wanted to become strong enough to prove their choice had been wrong.
“But after hearing your story, my thoughts changed a little.”
What would getting stronger accomplish? Was I going to win her back? A relationship where trust had been completely shattered couldn’t continue. Did I still want revenge? I used to. But now… honestly, I didn’t care anymore. How she lived her life had nothing to do with me. Because something—someone—else had caught my interest.
“You told me to think seriously about what I really wanted to do. You know what? I’ve always liked making things. Sure, all I’ve made so far were simple things like stamps back in elementary school.”
I wanted to immerse myself purely again, like when I was a kid. I wanted to look toward future possibilities instead of past wounds. I didn’t want to keep thinking about someone like that.
“…So that’s why you’ve been taking only production-related elective classes lately.”
“Yeah. It feels like it suits me. I think I have a bit of talent for it too.”
“A bit? Have you already forgotten how shocked the instructors were?”
I looked at her. At some point she had taken off her glasses. Her white hair, wolf ears, and tail had appeared. Her eyes were slightly watery, and her hand gently stroked my hair.
“…Are that bitch and that bastard attending the academy too?”
“I don’t know about the guy, but she’s probably… a second-year now.”
“It’s your business, so I won’t butt in. But remember this.”
Her white hand brushed my bangs as she spoke. She smiled.
“If you ever ask me for help, I will never turn you down.”
My reflection shimmered in her golden eyes. Was I crying? Or smiling? I couldn’t tell. What I could tell was that those eyes would never lie.
“Because you’re my friend.”
Those unwavering, upright eyes were etched deeply into my mind.
