Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: 07. Fight
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※Mild swearing ahead.
In the end, I squeezed out my awkward feelings and ended up going along with them. I was holding hands with a senior named Yeon Yoyun, who was the vice president's friend—Seonghu oppa's friend—and walking with him. The place was absolutely packed with people, and in the middle of it all, I, an elementary school kid, felt tiny and fragile. During festival season, it wasn't just students coming into the school. Outsiders were there too. My parents and Inha's had wanted to come, but considering our current relationship, they'd decided not to this time.
Daehyeon Escalator School was the most famous magic academy in the country. That's why so many people bought tickets to come to the school festival. It was natural they'd worry about me, a lone elementary kid wandering through the crowd—they might trample me.
Middle school wasn't even this bad. I looked around cautiously and walked carefully, but so many people weren't watching where they were going that bumping into them was inevitable. I was dodging as best I could when suddenly Seonghu oppa's footsteps stopped.
“……?”
I looked up at him curiously from a step behind, and he suddenly lifted me up. Then he put me on his shoulders.
“……!!”
I was shocked. Then I flushed hot with anger.
What the hell are you doing?! A piggyback on the shoulders…! The ride itself wasn't bad, but now that I was higher up, everyone's eyes were on me, and I panicked. Especially since the one giving me the piggyback wasn't some ordinary high schooler. He was the student council vice president and ranked second among the school's mages. In other words, he was an object of admiration for every student here.
“Whoa, what the—?!”
Yoyun senior next to us looked flustered too. If it had been some random student, people would've gotten over it after a glance or two. I could feel the shock in all the stares on me, so I ducked my head and whispered, unable to brazen it out.
“Um, could you put me down…?”
Then his steps made my body sway, and I instinctively wrapped my arms tight around his head. It was unconscious from fear. I was terrified of high, shaky places. Seonghu oppa slowed his pace as he looked up at me.
“But… didn't you get hurt earlier? You okay?”
“Huh? Where?”
“Your foot got stepped on back there. Your uniform's all messed up, and your cheek's red from hitting a bag.”
“Really?”
Without thinking, I touched my cheek. Come to think of it, it felt hotter than usual… Oh, it really was. Yoyun senior whispered while looking at me. I panicked for a second but still whispered to Seonghu oppa, my face red.
“Um, still, it's embarrassing. Please put me down now.”
“It's fine. Better than getting hurt.”
“No, it's not just that……it's embarrassing…….”
I whispered in a mosquito-like voice, head down. God, how old was I mentally anyway! More than that, all these stares were driving me crazy! But Yeon Yoyun, watching us like this, just said,
“Wow……hehe…! Thanks to our vice president, I'm getting another fun show.”
Someone stop him!
I made a miserable face. What would my friends say if they saw this? I hesitated, then went for a compromise.
“Um……could you carry me on your back instead……piggyback is just too embarrassing…….”
“Yeah?”
Yes! I nodded vigorously.
Soon I was on Seonghu oppa's back. Still embarrassing, but better than shoulders. Marginally. I buried my face in his back. Please don't let anyone see my face……
I let out a sigh and thought,
‘Eunhee unnie was right.’
The rumor that despite his cold face and image, he liked kids. Otherwise, why would he do this for me? But man, it was embarrassing. What kind of humiliation play was this? No, actually the piggyback and shoulder ride weren't bad……it'd been a while since I felt like a kid……but in front of all these people, maybe even people I knew……
“But you must be close to Seonghu. He's nice to kids, but I've never seen him go this far…… How'd you two meet?”
Yoyun senior, walking beside us, asked. I hesitated a moment before answering.
“Through Eunhee unnie…….”
“Oh, got it! You're the kid the president mentioned!”
Yoyun senior's face lit up as he looked at me. I widened my eyes in surprise. What? What did Eunhee unnie say about me? As I made a curious face, he patted my head fondly.
“You're the one who cheered up the president again, right? We're grateful.”
“Huh? Me, cheer up Eunhee unnie…? What did I do?”
“Hmm, you don't know? Well, Eunhee was down for some reason before……then one day she came back all bright and happy. Talking about how cute some elementary kid was, all smiles. We figured that kid had lifted her mood. Man, turns out the cute girl's not just cute—she's a total lucky charm. Thanks, really.”
His hand patted my head harder. My bangs brushed my eyelids, and I blinked. His words jogged a memory.
Oh, right. That day. The day she straight-up asked me to comfort her. Eunhee unnie had definitely been super depressed that day.
She'd tried acting cheerful, but her eyes were sad. Had my words helped her?
If so, I was glad. I smiled shyly.
“If you cheered up our president, you deserve a reward! So, Eunha? Want anything to eat? Oppa'll buy it—just say the word.”
“No, um, it's okay…….”
I waved my hands at the kindness that was starting to burden me. I was already grateful they were guiding me and helping find Inha.
“Um, helping me find her is enough.”
“I'll obviously check the cameras, and I want to buy you snacks. Oh, right—even if we don't spot her on camera, we might see her wandering around. Anyway, describe her look? And give me your student ID number in case we need to call.”
Oh, I definitely wanted help with that, so I answered right away.
“Um, my friend's Kang Inha… super pretty girl.”
“Super pretty girl?”
“Yeah, she usually wears a pretty dress, hair down to her waist, eyes super black but with a blue tint.”
“Hmm…….”
“Yeah. And she's really pretty.”
I emphasized pretty with serious eyes. Yoyun senior got serious too.
“Really? That pretty?”
“Yeah. Pretty enough to shine. The second you see her, you'll know, 'That's Kang Inha,' and never forget.”
“Hoo…….”
“Oh, and senior, you might've seen her once……remember sports day? You saw me then. One of the girls next to me…….”
Seonghu oppa already knew Inha's face, so as I described her to Yoyun senior, I remembered and said that. He tilted his head.
“Hmm……not sure. Honestly, there were a few other kids there besides you? You're the one who stuck in my mind……there was a pretty girl next to you, but I don't remember her face clearly. Anyway, super pretty girl, got it?”
“Yeah.”
He grinned at my firm answer.
“Alright~ Student ID number?”
“‘0030425368’…….”
“So, 003…042…….”
Yoyun senior pulled out his student ID and inputted it. Then I heard beeps again—Seonghu oppa, carrying me, was entering it too.
“Got it. Huh? Seonghu, you didn't have her number either?”
“I'm closer to Eunhee.”
Yoyun senior nodded like, “Of course,” then turned to me.
“Yeah? Oh, Eunha. Like sweet stuff?”
“Huh? No…….”
“Oh? Savory then?”
“I like that……um, but why…….”
“Yeah?”
I answered but eyed him warily, a bad feeling brewing. My gut was right. Right after, before he even said anything, he started buying tons of snacks and shoving them at me. In the end, for telling him my tastes, I had to take a pile of food from him all the way to the CCTV room.
The kids were getting the high school tour but mostly looked sulky. Joo Minhee looked amazed one second, then scowled the next. Yun Siha and Kim Hyunho glanced at the attractions but clearly looked down. Park Hansu ignored the sights entirely, staring ahead and grumbling now and then. And they all kept fidgeting with their student IDs, like waiting for a call.
Seeing them like that, Yoo Cheonho made an awkward face.
“Hey, kids……what's wrong……?”
He'd met these kids plenty, but never in such a gloomy mood. Especially Joo Minhee—she was super lively, unlike her brother. She looked up at Yoo Cheonho and made a pouty face.
“What do we do? Eunha's still lost, I bet.”
“Eunha? Who's that?”
Joo Je-hyeon, watching his sister, twitched an eyebrow.
“…That girl? The quiet, mature one.”
“Yeah……. Eunha and Inha fought……. She's been down lately……threw up yesterday……seemed okay, but now she's avoiding……I'm upset…….”
“Kids fight like that these days?”
Yoo Cheonho looked flustered. Joo Minhee started sniffling. Once she opened up, the others burst out too.
“In my opinion, Inha's the problem. When someone swallows their pride and apologizes sincerely, you know what to say, right?”
“Worried……wonder if she's okay……?”
“Didn't know Inha was that stubborn.”
“Only with Eunha…….”
Park Hansu growled like he disapproved, Yun Siha looked cautious, Kim Hyunho mumbled dejectedly. Finally, all four sighed together. Joo Je-hyeon looked down at them and asked.
“So, what’s this Eunha doing now?”
“Um……looking for Inha. She’s hiding…….”
“Want me to help find her?”
Joo Je-hyeon said simply. Whoosh—the four kids snapped their heads up.
“Right! Oppa, you can?!”
“Detection magic's basic. But I don't know the one you're looking for well, so might be tough.”
Joo Je-hyeon muttered, scratching his head awkwardly. Then Yoo Cheonho snapped his fingers like he'd remembered.
“Oh! There's someone who can find by name alone……that second-year curse magic senior.”
“Can't beat that guy's power. Wait…oh, right, there.”
Joo Je-hyeon, who'd been pondering, snapped his fingers.
“CCTV control room.”
“Yeah, that's it!”
“We can check there. Let's go.”
The two led the kids with satisfied looks. Park Hansu looked happy but confused.
“Huh? But can we just look?”
Joo Je-hyeon grinned.
“Normally no, but I'm next student council president, so it's fine.”
He patted Park Hansu's head confidently and strode ahead. The kids followed excitedly. Park Hansu touched his patted head and blushed.
“…Cool only when it counts.”
Soon Park Hansu followed too.
Key school facilities were mostly in the high school section. So the CCTV control room was there too. They walked the hall, went down stairs to the basement, swiped their IDs to enter a restricted area most couldn't, and passed a hidden passage. The first-years watching were naturally stunned. They'd never imagined a place like this.
Joo Je-hyeon and Yoo Cheonho barged through the forbidden path and flung open the control room door. Instantly, weapons were at their throats.
“Who is it!!”
With sword and gun aimed, Joo Je-hyeon raised his hands casually.
“Hey. Long time no see.”
“What…. you.”
It was one of the school guards. In black military-style uniform, he checked Joo Je-hyeon, stored his weapons in subspace, and flopped into a chair.
“So, you cocky brat, what now?”
“Just looking for something.”
“What?”
“Thought about tracking student IDs, but that's harder.”
“Obviously, punk. Not emergency? That's a crime.”
Luckily(?), Joo Je-hyeon had done this before. The guard knew his face well and let small stuff slide.
“…Roughly guess from the situation. You little shit, for your sister again?”
“You know it. Help find the kid.”
“A kid?? You asking me to find a kid~?”
“Yeah.”
His shameless, ridiculous answer made the guard glare irritably. The kids watched curiously; Yoo Cheonho edged back.
“Why, Cheonho oppa?”
“Uh, got caught by that uncle once and got reamed, so he's kinda scary.”
“Oh.”
Anyway, the guard and Joo Je-hyeon ended with ‘find it yourself!’ They started scanning the cameras.
Cameras were divided by zone. They split elementary, middle, high school, and other areas. Joo Je-hyeon first scoured the high school zone he knew best. Not just familiarity—gut feeling too. Somehow. He'd always had good instincts and luck. Bingo on the third pass.
“Found her. This the one? Remember.”
“Whoa. Super pretty. Joo Minhee, you had a friend this cute?”
The man said admiringly. Kim Hyunho whispered in Joo Minhee's ear watching. You know him too? Yeah. Oppa’s friend? The guard shot back: Not friends. I'm your uncle's age. Yeah, he says. Joo Minhee nodded vaguely, then smiled brightly.
“Pretty, but bad personality. Understand getting mad, but bullying Eunha…….”
The three adults gawked; Park Hansu snickered.
“Heh…! Yeah, that girl's got a bad temper. Shameless, looks down on people.”
“Not that bad, I think…….”
“Hmm, but agree on looking down on people~”
Yun Siha replied timidly; Kim Hyunho cut in bluntly. Park Hansu laughed again. Yun Siha sighed, looking at her friends.
“Anyway, found her, so call Eunha.”
Yun Siha raised her student ID. But Joo Minhee gripped her hand tight. Yun Siha looked confused.
“Why?”
“Don’t call.”
“Huh, why?”
Joo Minhee turned to puzzled Yun Siha. Her eyes burned with scary rage. Yun Siha flinched. Yoo Cheonho, Joo Je-hyeon, and the guard were shocked too. Joo Minhee rarely got mad.
“We need to confront her. Oppa, come after we sort it. Even for Inha, this is too much.”
Joo Minhee strode out. Whoa, startled me. Yun Siha sighed, relaxing. Park Hansu scratched his head and followed. Kim Hyunho after, Yun Siha hesitated but followed head up. Bang—the door shut, leaving the guard, Joo Je-hyeon, and Yoo Cheonho. Guard asked.
“She okay? Place is complicated.”
“She's fine, uncle. You know. Minhee's smart.”
“Yeah…super smart.”
“Yeah.”
Nodding, the guard suddenly scowled at Yoo Cheonho.
“Why've you been quiet?”
“…….”
Joo Minhee strode ahead. Being high school thanks to her brother, she knew the layout well—she visited often.
So she knew where the CCTV showed Kang Inha. Striding silently with a hard face, the three followed quietly. Yun Siha eyed her anxiously. She'd seen Joo Minhee that mad only once before. And that time, she'd been terrifying. Adults might scoff at a kid's anger, but to kid Yun Siha, it was plenty.
Past basement, through high school grounds like her backyard, Joo Minhee soon spotted a little girl. Everywhere else noisy and crowded, but there unusually quiet and empty. Probably sought it out instinctively. Joo Minhee approached Kang Inha thinking that.
“Hey.”
Inha, at hall's end staring out window, finally turned. Clearly hadn't cared who came.
To Joo Minhee, Inha looked pretty worn out. Inha scowled at them. Joo Minhee opened hard-faced.
“Feels like forever since I saw you?”