Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: 07. Fight
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I was left alone in an instant. My outstretched hand trembled in loneliness. Only after her figure vanished did I grasp the gravity of the situation, clutching my head.
Wait, how did things end up like this? I need to apologize first. What did Inha just say?
The gathered stares made me flush with embarrassment. But more than that...
‘You never tell me anything!!’
I bit my lip with an anxious expression. Did I... really do that...?
“Wow, Inha really went off, huh? Tsk, she finally snapped.”
“Wow... I never thought Inha would do that.”
“...Hey, you know.”
I stared blankly for a moment at Hansu and Minhee, who nodded as if it was totally understandable, then cautiously asked Minhee.
“Did I... really not say anything?”
“Yeah. To the point of frustration.”
Minhee cut me off with a firm answer, as if underscoring my words. Hansu sighed and nodded too. The shock hit me, hardening my expression.
Me? Really? That much? Minhee continued with a serious face she rarely showed.
“Eunha really doesn’t tell us anything. Not what she likes, not even on birthdays, and especially not what she hates. Unless we ask, she says absolutely nothing. We know you care about us, but it still hurts. Even Inha, your childhood friend, gets treated like that, so I get why she’s upset. We feel the same.”
“Want me to list out all the gripes I’ve built up against you?”
Hansu said that and started counting on his fingers.
“You train without telling us, only showing off your magic after you’ve succeeded, never saying if you’re hurt or why, handling everything alone without a word, not sharing what you like or hate, even eating food you dislike without complaining if we offer it. We only found out about that one because Inha said something. Do we have to pry it out of you one by one?”
“Exactly!”
Hyunho clapped and nodded. I blankly reviewed my past memories. Did I... really...?
Thinking back, it didn’t sound wrong. But saying I was hurt felt like... showing weakness... And announcing every practice session seemed like bragging... Birthdays too.
I bit my lip.
“I wish Eunha would share more with us. Listening to us is nice, but...”
Honestly, I knew very little about relationships. Extremely little.
I was timid, even in my past life. I barely made friends. If I said I’d even been almost bullied into isolation, you’d get the idea. Being with friends like this, as if it were natural, was honestly my first time.
So I didn’t know. Even with friends I liked and wanted to be with always. I didn’t know how much to share, what to hold back, how close to get. I clenched my fist.
“...First, I need to apologize to Inha.”
“Do that.”
I nodded. I never imagined things would escalate like this. I really had no self-awareness. I clenched my fist tighter.
Even with past life memories, I was like a child when it came to this. I let my expression sink into gloom.
But now wasn’t the time for regrets or self-reflection. I had to apologize to Inha first. Hugging my chest, tense and chilled, I thought of where she might be. We’d just finished third period. One more class before school ended. So I ran back to the classroom with the others. Inha was a model student.
And I was right. Inha was in the classroom. For someone who’d run there expecting tears, her face was reassuringly calm as she sat at her desk. But I knew that usual blank expression was just anger frozen stiff. I approached Inha slowly at her seat. I knew talking here would draw eyes, and it made me tense, but I had to say it.
“Hey... Inha.”
“...”
“Sorry. I didn’t know you... felt that way. I’m really sorry.”
It was break time, noisy all around, and my voice was soft enough to get lost in it. But with kids gathering seriously around one person, eyes glanced our way. Especially since Inha stood out even sitting still.
“...”
Inha didn’t reply. I continued my apology.
“I talked to Minhee, Hansu, and Hyunho... and yeah, I guess I don’t tell you guys much. I’m bad at talking to others... so I never thought you’d be upset about that. I’m really sorry...”
“...”
“From now on, I’ll change. If I need anything, I’ll tell you guys. So...”
“‘You guys’?”
Inha cut me off, glaring with sharp eyes. That cold gaze almost froze me, forgetting it was a kid’s.
“I thought I was your closest friend. But fine! I was just the same as everyone else to you?!”
Inha huffed and yelled. Surprised, even Minhee’s group stirred.
“I thought you were the most precious to me, that I was your most precious friend, but! To you, I’m just like the others... Am I really your closest friend?!”
Of course! I screamed internally, nodding fiercely with a twisted face. Hansu, Minhee, Hyunho—they were close friends now. But they were clearly different from Inha. Inha was my first friend.
My first real friend. My precious friend who’d been with me for years. The first I told about my magic. Inha said I didn’t share much, but I’d told her the most. Excluding my parents, she knew my abilities best!
Mana size was hard to convey, but she knew my spells and attitude toward magic completely. I always showed off successes to her first! She knew my talent best from sensing my mana. Even unspoken things, she’d figure out—we’d been that close. But my words hadn’t reached her.
“I can’t believe it.”
That was it. Inha never turned to look at me once. Until classes ended, she didn’t speak to me or let me speak. The Inha who always softened her face around me stayed rigidly stiff all day.
Forgetting the other kids’ stares, I despaired completely. Despair—it was despair. I couldn’t even answer Siha properly when she asked why.
No matter what anyone said, my most precious friend was Inha.
The girl my age whose name I’d known since infancy. Pretty and cool, with a dazzling smile. I’d wanted to be friends since childhood. But too cowardly, I’d only hovered around her.
Right—she approached me first. And like a miracle, we became friends.
We got close, laughed together, trained magic, talked magic... What was Inha upset about again?
I soon listed what Inha had said.
Keeping quiet about stamina training, hiding the fracture on purpose, saying nothing about the uniform, training alone...
I clouded my expression. Yeah, what Inha feared most was that.
Inha lacked confidence as my closest friend. I hadn’t shared much even with her, whom I saw that way. She didn’t know it was my best effort, having no friends before.
‘No... was it really my best...?’
No, it wasn’t. I felt like crying. Actually, I could’ve shared more. Opened up more. Maybe I’d been too indifferent to Inha. I made a miserable face.
Even so, I’d shared the most with her. More than my parents, she knew me best. It frustrated me. Sorry, so frustrated. Anxious, chest aching.
Right after end-of-day announcements, Inha stood up.
“H-Hey, Inha...”
Before I could speak, she teleported home with her badge. That cold, icy face—I hadn’t seen it since we became friends...
In the end, I flopped face-down on my desk, miserable. I’d been watching for a chance to talk, but lost it so emptily... Then, class chatter reached my ears.
“What...? Why’s Inha like that...? She always smiles at Eunha...”
“They fought, right? Isn’t this good? Honestly, Inha’s too good for Eunha.”
“Yeah...”
“Hey! You all shut up!!”
I bit my lip hard at the insults. Yeah, Inha was too precious and good for me. But cutting my anxiety, Hansu bellowed.
“You don’t know anything and just run your mouths...!”
“W-What?!”
“In my eyes, Eunha’s a hundred times too good for her! She apologized and everything, but total ignore? Pisses me off! How great must it feel to hear ‘just a friend’?!”
Hansu huffed, then patted my shoulder. As I looked up, he said awkwardly.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry. She’d never hate you.”
“Yeah... that was basically a confession...”
Grateful for his comfort, I grinned at Hansu. He looked embarrassed.
Minhee, Hyunho, and Siha came over.
“Heard what happened. You fought... You okay?”
I nodded at Siha’s worried question. Minhee pouted, glancing at Inha’s seat.
“But Inha’s angrier than I thought. Want us to talk to her too?”
“Me too. Didn’t expect her to stay mad after an apology.”
Their comfort eased my heart a bit. But I shook my head.
“No. It’s fine. Pushing now would just make her madder. And... hearing her out, I think I was wrong.”
I bowed my head. Excluding family or lovers, I’d only had shallow ties, never thinking silence hurt that much.
“So I’ll fix it myself. Sorry to you guys too...”
I bowed again. But as I did, Minhee grabbed my cheeks and pulled, facing me with a grin.
“Don’t bow. We’re friends.”
“Yeah, yeah. Who’re you bowing to?”
I blanked. I’d seen them as mature kids, but maybe I was wrong. I was the real kid.
“Yeah! I’ll work hard to make up with Inha.”
I smiled brightly. Minhee, Hansu, Hyunho, and Siha’s eyes widened in surprise. Wondering, I asked.
“What?”
“No...”
Hansu covered his clearly flustered face. Minhee said with wide eyes.
“Wow... We’ve been friends a while, but this is the first time seeing you smile like that...”
“Really...?”
“Maybe you smile like that alone with Inha?”
“Not sure... I don’t notice that stuff. But...”
Maybe. I mumbled, recalling recent memories. With Inha, it always felt warm, purely fun. Ah, yeah, I smiled a lot. I jumped up.
“Then I’ll head home. Gotta talk to Inha soon.”
“Yeah. Fighting!”
Minhee fist-pumped at me. Yeah! I grinned back, fist-pumping, then teleported.
Eyes closed and open—our front gate appeared. But I turned straight to Inha’s house instead.
Maybe I’d been too complacent.
I thought she’d accept my apology. We’re close friends, precious to each other—it’d be natural.
But a day, two, three passed, and Inha wouldn’t even meet my eyes. Wouldn’t listen properly, her cold glare unchanging. Time just flowed. Auntie Seona, Mom, Dad—all looked worried at us.
“Sorry. Inha must be really mad. She’s not like this...”
I’d been complacent. Never thought she’d be hurt that deeply. The uniform thing was over half a year old—entrance ceremony. So she’d bottled it up since then? I told my parents with a strained smile.
“It’s my fault. Don’t worry. She’ll cool off with time.”
Truth was, I was tiring too. Never clung to a relationship this hard. Well, once—in my past life.
‘You felt this too, huh...’
That guy was dense as they come. Confessed he liked me but missed my changing heart. And I wasn’t honest. But eventually, I swallowed my pride.
‘You really don’t know why I forgave you?’
‘What...?’
‘If you weren’t everything to me, I’d never forgive you, you idiot!!’
Guys never get it. I sighed, thinking that.
A week passed, Inha still shut me out. Yeah, I was tiring. Sighing over that guy.
With only shallow ties or assumed constants, I tired. Apologies ignored. Anxious if my words reached... But Inha was too precious to quit. When words failed, I wrote letters.
If she was that hurt, constant apologies might backfire like nagging. So I bought cute stationery and decided one letter a day. Hansu looked stunned.
“You’re going that far...? She’s so stubborn! If not breaking up, just forgive...!!”
“Inha must’ve agonized a lot. It’s fine.”
I glanced at Inha staring out the window from her seat.
“Why’s she so stubborn??”
Stubborn... yeah, stubborn? Maybe. If so, I knew that feeling well.
In my past life, I’d been stubborn with my crush. Expected mind-reading. Ah, that’s why he came to mind.
If stubborn, fine. Persistent letters and apologies would break it. And prove Inha’s preciousness. Truthfully, I feared she’d cut me off already.
One day, head tangled, I sat alone in the school park corner. Pondering letter words, stationery and envelope on my lap. Then bumped into Teacher Junhwi and Teacher Min. Right into them.
“You two fighting lately?”
They were together like in class, smiling fondly at each other, stopping at me. After greetings, as I spaced out, Teacher Junhwi asked. I awkwardly tucked hair behind my ear.
“Ah, yeah... You heard?”
“Yeah, we did.”
“How not to? It shows in class. How’d you fight? You were inseparable...”
They hadn’t said in class but worried.
“I’m kinda inconsiderate, so she got mad about that.”
I smiled bitterly. Lately, I felt Inha’s absence daily. Most in magic practice. We faced daily, practiced together.
Even now fighting, I practiced daily. Immersion forgot anxiety. Sitting anxious helped nothing. So...
“Well, don’t beat yourself up.”
“Yeah...”
“Friends fight like that once in a while. No need to worry. Junhwi and I fought that way tons.”
“...Thanks.”
Teacher Min patted my head. I smiled weakly.
“Don’t stay here alone too long.”
I blankly watched them leave. First time envying Teacher Junhwi and Teacher Min. Their unshakable bond—envied.
But I didn’t go home, sat with letter on lap till sunset, streetlights on. Rubbing cooling hands, lost in thought.
Cold winter, while we fought and I pondered mending, school buzzed with festival prep. Magic items everywhere, festival schedules on student IDs. On park bench, I gazed sadly at sky, sentimental. We’d planned wandering together, but festival in under three days.
‘Visit in dreams?’
Dreams are subconscious... maybe face honestly? But if she truly rejects? Knees up, head buried on bench. Then familiar voice.
“Hey~ Miss? It’s late—go home or bad uncle might grab you?”
I looked up at playful voice. Eunhee Sister. I just stared. She looked puzzled.
“What’s wrong?”
Eunhee Sister approached, softly stroking my hair.
“You look super down. Oh, Minhee said you fought Inha? That it?”
Haha... rumors everywhere now. I wryly smiled inwardly, nodding awkwardly. Hmm, Eunhee Sister pondered, then plopped beside me.
“Last time I was down, now our Eunha. What can sis do?”
“...It’s fine. Between me and Inha.”
“You’re hopeless. Kinda hurtful. Hm... okay, hear about my friend?”
“...Eunhee Sister’s?”
“Yeah.”
Eunhee Sister grinned at me. Soon her clear voice filled my stuffy ears.
“So... I mentioned starting middle school here? Fresh, I was prickly, all spiky. First friend was Kim Juyeon. Know her?”
“...Yeah. Rare magic senior?”
Saw them at sports day. Smiling together—odd not to think friends. Eunhee Sister nodded firmly.
“Yeah. My closest.”
That ‘closest friend’ piqued my interest. Curiosity lifting mood, I watched her.
“She was skilled here even then. Unlike me new, she’d always attended. Same class, but first noticed in leveled classes. I was top, advanced group. Five there, only her other girl.”
Story clicked. I listened silently.
“Back then, not much hope for school. Heard secrecy rule, but past made me guarded, no friends.”
“...”
“Met Juyeon then. Same leveled class.”
Eunhee Sister looked up, eyes nostalgic, shaking.
“Middle school leveled classes do lots of spars? First saw advanced kids’ magic... similar to mine. Won all, but first peers—secretly thrilled. Yeah, thrilled. You too, right?”
I bowed head briefly. Couldn’t deny.
Inha was most similar among peers. Our ‘talent’ outpaced age-mates from start. Thought no peers till older.
Meeting Hansu, Minhee, Hyunho, Inho Brother, Yujeong Sister—yeah, I was glad. Don’t know Inha’s feelings, but glad. And think Inha was too.
Else why her relaxed face sometimes?
I nodded.
“After, nothing special. Met in leveled, similar skill, rare same gender, interested. Juyeon approached first. I was prickly but inwardly glad? Poor girl suffered me. Oh, Seonghu was in advanced too.”
“Vice pres senior?”
“Yeah. Huh? Not close with him yet? Heh~ He likes kids despite looks. Cute personality—call him oppa later. He’ll love it.”
“...”
That senior? I tilted head. Image mismatch, but recalled sports day. Gave Granche cafe coupons, said eat with friends.
...Aha.
“Then met Je-hyeon... Cocky from start. Leveled teacher brought two kids—elementary level mismatch, could middle handle? He’d been known since elementary, troublesome. Anyway sparred, close fight, shocked at equal, got fired up, fought—and I lost? Pride stung...”
She laughed, sharing acquaintances. Bestie Kim Juyeon and brother Kim Juhan, vp Han Seonghu, Minhee’s bro and rival Joo Je-hyeon, his cute junior Yoo Cheonho.
“This bracelet charm? Mana crystal, school-processed accessory. Traded with Juyeon then.”
“Ah... I know that!”
Her happy tale lifted my mood. I smiled at bracelet. Mana crystal accessory too?
“I made one last year, gave Inha. Around meeting you.”
“Heh, really? How? Raw crystal?”
“No. Magic-fused into necklace. She was happy—I remember.”
First gift to Inha. Recall her crinkled eyes, blinding smile. Pretty girl beaming lit everything.
Eunhee Sister grinned mischievously.
“Oho, spilling that~? Crystals hard to make~?”
“...Fine. To Eunhee Sister, a bit...”
“...So cute!”
Eunhee Sister hugged me suddenly. Stroking hair in hug felt nice; I grinned.
She shared more: fights with friends, odd happenings, Seonghu senior, Je-hyeon senior tales. Realized she had tons of close ones. Felt good, smiled.
“Oh yeah, does Inha know?”
“What?”
“The necklace gift is a crystal.”
Obviously? But recalling, maybe not.
“Hmm... probably not. Just said I made it.”
“Yeah?”
Eunhee Sister looked, grinned.
“Got it.”
Listened more, parted. Home late, scolded by parents, lay lonely in bed.
Lay staring sadly beside. Always lay here practicing magic with Inha. Spread illusion over room. Scene shifted: bed to dream green meadow, distant sky starry river.
‘Why’d Eunhee Sister ask that...?’
Brief thought. Soon slept.
Still no makeup after. Festival morning dawned.