Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Teacher
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Only after confirming several times that I could fully control my detection ability did I finally spill the truth I'd been keeping tightly sealed from everyone. How I'd suffered for nearly half a year because I couldn't properly control my detection ability, and the reason I'd avoided not just contact with people but even looking at them for a while. I told them everything.
My voice trembled and grew wet as I spoke. Once I finished, I sat down and just kept my head bowed. I was scared—terr mortally terrified—of how my friends would react.
I squeezed my eyes shut tight, then opened them. But the reactions from my friends, who'd heard every word, were nothing like what I'd imagined.
"A unique ability tied to magical talent... a special ability, right? I've heard about it from my brother."
I lifted my head. It was Minhee who'd said it. The friends fell silent for a moment, glancing at each other, then started chatting just like always.
"You've heard about it?"
"Yeah. Take me, for example—I'm a neutral-affinity mage. Apparently, when a neutral mage's mana grows strong enough, they can nullify spells with mana alone."
"Really?"
"Eunha's got something special too, even if it's not quite that extreme. She's exceptional at mana detection and manipulation. Plus, her affinities are light and darkness—both of them. It's not weird to have one or two unique abilities like that."
My friends showed almost no surprise at the fact that I'd read their minds. They surpassed every expectation I'd had, rationally analyzing it instead.
I stared at them in a daze. Only after a moment did I snap out of it and ask everyone,
"You guys aren't... upset? I read your minds, even if I didn't mean to..."
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted saying them. But once again, their reactions exceeded my expectations. Hyunho tilted his head, Minhee waved her hand with a laugh, and Inha and Hansu put on calm expressions.
"If you didn't mean to, what does it matter?"
"Besides, it's not like anything bad happens just because Eunha can read our minds. We don't think anything we need to hide, right?"
"Uhehe. Speak for yourself—not Hansu."
"Hey, I don't!"
Hansu shouted back, pulling a sassy face at Hyunho, who was grinning playfully. I watched my laughing, chatting friends and bowed my head wordlessly. Soon Hyunho asked curiously,
"But reading minds sounds convenient. Is it really that bad?"
I hesitated over how to respond when Minhee beat me to it, snapping irritably.
"Of course it is! There are so many weirdos in this world. And try hearing people talk behind your back sometime. It's totally infuriating."
"Yeah... I guess so."
"That's not the point. What matters is that Eunha suffered. Eunha, you've been through a lot."
Inha whispered it as she pulled me into a tight hug. Pat-pat. It felt strange having Inha—who I always treated like a kid—comforting me. It was almost like being consoled by my own daughter.
'Just like Teacher Junhwi said...'
We'd spent so much time together that we were special to each other. I buried my face in Inha's shoulder. My own shoulder was patted at steady intervals. Ahh... it felt like healing. A moment later, I pulled away from her embrace with a bright smile.
"Yeah. Thanks!"
I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. Just being surrounded by everyone like normal made it feel like all my past hardships had been rewarded.
"I'm glad I got control of my ability before spring break ended!"
"Yeah, for sure! Hearing everyone's thoughts at once would be insanely noisy."
It really would. I nodded at Minhee and grumbled. Seriously, it wasn't even coming through my ears—it echoed straight in my head, giving me killer headaches. Hansu frowned at my words.
"No wonder you always looked so tired..."
"Yeah."
"It's fine now. I can control it completely."
My friends' faces relaxed in relief. We went back to laughing and talking. As we chatted, the topic naturally shifted to tomorrow's opening ceremony. Inha let out a slight sigh, her expression darkening a bit.
"Oh yeah, that's right. Tomorrow's the start of school..."
Ahaha. Minhee burst out laughing at Inha's gloominess, knowing full well why. Then she sidled right up to my side and hooked her arm through mine.
"This year, I'm claiming Eunha all for myself!"
"Minhee, you..."
"Kidding! Don't glare like that!"
Minhee stuck her tongue out at Inha, who was scowling. I smiled at the sight, lips curving up. It couldn't be helped. Class assignments were pure luck, and not being in the same class as Inha this year was just how it went. Even in different classes, we'd be in the same hallway. Plus, Inha and I were next-door neighbors, so it wouldn't make much difference.
For the record, Minhee and I were in Class 1, Hyunho in Class 2, and Inha and Hansu in Class 3. Hyunho was the only one split off alone this time. He'd actually been the most bummed about the results. All we could do was hope he wouldn't draw the short straw next year.
"But when we get to school, the kids' reactions are gonna be wild. Right? Eunha, you barely went at all even after winter break ended."
"Yeah. They were super worried about you. Well, some didn't care."
Hyunho and Minhee high-fived as they said it. I blinked at them, then tilted my head slightly.
"Maybe it's for the best? The excessive attention on me might've died down by now."
"Ahaha. Still, Eunha's like an idol in our elementary division! Even if the stares and hype cool off, you'll stay the object of admiration till we graduate."
Minhee declared it with a laugh. My feelings grew complicated. But hey, if the overzealous fan club kids had toned it down a bit, that was a win. Sigh...
"Thinking about it, it's been forever since I went to school... Last year's report card's toast. I missed the second-semester exams."
"Couldn't be helped."
"It bugs me that I missed classes. Waaah, my classes! My grades!"
I wailed and covered my face with both hands. Last year was a total disaster. I'd wasted most of the semester against my will and bombed the exams. And missed classes too. I'd already reviewed the material from the textbooks, but still—I'd been so looking forward to them...
Seeing my dejected face, Minhee chuckled lightly and changed the subject.
"Oh, right. My brothers and Eunhee unnie were worried sick about you too. You weren't coming to school, and when I said it was a medical leave, they kept grilling me on what was wrong. Can I tell them the reason now?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Sorry for worrying them... and thanks for caring, pass that along."
I smiled softly as I said it. Yeah, they worried about me too.
I was beaming warmly at the thought when something occurred to me, and I added,
"But absolutely don't tell any other kids at school."
We said our goodbyes, promising to meet again tomorrow. That night, I slept in the same bed as Inha for the first time in ages. She was over 150 cm now, so my small childhood bed felt cramped for two, but we snuggled up close anyway.
Lying there practically embracing her, I thought about it. Inha had always been taller than me, but realizing how much she'd grown... It wasn't just her—I'd grown a lot too. Hugging like this really drove it home. Hmm, and my chest had filled out some too.
As my thoughts wandered, Inha's excited voice whispered in my ear.
"Sleeping like this with you... feels like it's been forever."
"We're at that age where it's kinda embarrassing now."
"Yeah. But we couldn't be together for so long... I was really lonely."
She was always like this. Cool and aloof to other kids, like an untouchable adult, but in front of me, she melted into spoiled-kid mode. I giggled. My heart filled with warmth. I wasn't directly reading thoughts anymore, but I'd always seen emotions as colors and vaguely sensed others' feelings. Inha's emotions sprayed over me like mist, filling my heart. Grinning, I hugged her body tight.
The next day, we got up early to prepare for school. I woke feeling refreshed for the first time in forever. We changed, ate breakfast, packed our bags with holiday homework, and headed out laughing and chatting like usual. The difference from last year: we had to split at the hallway.
"See you later, Inha."
Inha looked incredibly bummed as I waved.
"It's not class time yet... can't we stay together till then?"
"Well, true... Okay. I'll drop my bag and wait."
"Yeah!"
Inha smiled happily and went into her classroom. I unlocked our classroom door and stepped inside. It was empty. I used magic to open the windows for ventilation, hung my bag by a desk, and headed to Inha's class. I opened the door to 5th Grade Class 3, already unlocked.
Inside the neat classroom sat two figures: Hansu in the front seat, Inha in the back. I smirked at them. Geez, if you're gonna sit together, at least pick adjacent seats.
They were talking when the door opened and turned toward me. I walked up, greeting Hansu first.
"Hey, Hansu."
He looked at me and smiled warmly. I tilted my head for a second. I hadn't noticed yesterday, but today... his vibe seemed a bit different.
"Hey."
How to put it... more mature than before...?
Feeling an odd sense of dissonance I couldn't quite articulate, I sat next to Inha. Sitting like this made the grade-up feel unreal. Back row: me and Inha, with Hansu right in front— we'd always chatted like that...
"Hey, isn't that earring Eunha's?"
"Yeah, I borrowed it from her. She said it'd suit me."
"Hmm... well, she's got good taste."
"Yeah, it's Eunha. What do you think?"
"It suits you fine."
...and chatted...?
"......?"
Listening to their back-and-forth, my eyes suddenly widened. Huh? What? This peaceful conversation dragging on? These two used to bicker constantly, full of playful jabs and sweet tension. Arguments were daily routine; calm talks were the rarity. So what's this? How'd they get so chummy in the time I was gone?
It hadn't stood out with all of us together, but alone like this, the change was stark. They always bickered with me in the middle. Like siblings fighting over Mom—bickering lessened a bit with the group, but it was their default mode.
'Maybe because I was gone for so long?'
Thinking back, their worst spats were last year in 4th grade, when we three were together. And always with me between them.
So without me, no reason for big fights...? Got out of the habit...?
...Huh. I blinked in confusion, then felt a strange pang. This... yeah, it felt disappointing. Their relationship changed without me knowing.
Inha and Hansu's squabbles were their quirky way of showing affection. Gone now? Kinda lonely...
"Wait, why are you even wearing that earring? Come to think of it, she wouldn't specially bring it to your house just to lend it. You guys meet outside normally. Did you sleep together again?"
"Yeah. Jealous?"
"Nah, what age are you two, still sleeping together? How much do you even weigh? That bed's gonna break."
"What'd you say?"
...Oh, nope. Just more time to chat intimately, that's all. I blinked, stunned, then lightly pinched Hansu's cheek with my fingers.
"Ack! What?!"
"You—daring to bring up a girl's weight? And Inha's so light! Look at these skinny arms! The bed won't break!"
"Your beds are for kids!"
"Still not getting it, huh~?"
This time, surprisingly, Hansu and I were the ones bickering. Bringing up a girl's weight? Unforgivable. Hansu was 'surprisingly' mannerly, but still lacked finesse with girls. Tsundere or not, manners till the end! No weight talk with girls!
"Fine, fine! I won't!"
"Good."
I finally released his cheek. Inha watched us with unfamiliar eyes, then huffed at Hansu. That...! Hansu growled softly. Yes, this was them! I beamed.
I hung out between them for a bit. When other kids started arriving, I headed back to claim my pre-picked desk. Minhee was already there next to it—who knows how she knew.
"Hey, Minhee."
"Hey!"
"You somehow knew this was my spot."
"You always like seats around here. And that's obviously your bag. Where'd you go?"
"To Inha and Hansu's."
"Ah. How are they? Fighting non-stop without you?"
"Nah. Seemed closer without me."
"Makes sense~ Their fights are basically turf wars over you."
Yeah, pretty much. I nodded and smoothed my hair.
I chatted briefly with Minhee, then pulled a book from my bag. I was deep into reading when the front door slid open with a rattle, and someone entered. I barely noticed at first, figuring another kid. Even the clack-clack of dress shoes didn't faze me.
"Whoa..."
But then Minhee muttered beside me in shock. Followed by a familiar, mature-sounding voice from the front.
"Not everyone here yet, I see."
Definitely not a kid's voice. So I figured it was our new homeroom teacher.
'Why's Minhee so freaked, though?'
The voice felt familiar too, so I looked up to check the face.
And like Minhee, I couldn't hide my shock at the 'teacher' up front.
"Pleased to meet you. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next year. Name's Han Seonghu."
'What the—?!'
I gawked at him, eyes huge. His hair was longish for a guy, almost a bob, framing cold silver-gray eyes. Handsome face, neat suit—he was the type to make any girl's heart flutter, total aura. As the girls buzzed, Minhee and I stared wide-eyed for totally different reasons.
'Oh my god.'
I swallowed hard.
'It's Seonghu oppa!'
I gaped at him, hand flying to my mouth. How?!
But the shock passed quickly. Thinking about it, Seonghu oppa had always aimed to be a teacher. He'd gone to college for it. I'd heard updates from his girlfriend, Eunhee unnie sometimes. Ah, got it. He'd gotten his teaching certification...
Four years post-graduation— a bit fast for homeroom, but plenty for teacher quals. Shock settled, but still dazed. Never imagined Seonghu oppa as our homeroom teacher?
As I stared in surprise, our eyes met. He saw my wide eyes and smirked. The girls squealed.
I turned blankly to Minhee.
"Hey, Minhee. Did you know about Seonghu oppa?"
"Nope, first I heard today! Wow, he's already certified?"
"Yeah."
"And our homeroom! What a coincidence!"
"Or someone rigged it?"
"No way. But it'd be fun. Man, I was so shocked."
We traded stunned looks and stories, ending up laughing. Who wouldn't be thrilled to have a familiar face as the new homeroom teacher? But Minhee, miffed that Je-hyeon oppa hadn't told her, whipped out her phone under the desk and texted. I peered curiously as she typed. Reply came quick.
"What'd he say?"
"From oppa: 'Surprised? Knew you would be, so I didn't tell.'"
"That jerk..."
Je-hyeon oppa looked innocent but was pretty prankish. Obvious from his bestie Cheonho oppa.
"Tch. What would've it hurt to tell me~? Mean oppa."
Minhee grumbled and hammered out a feisty reply. Just then, the morning study bell rang. I glanced at the clock. Already 8:40.
The room was chaos, burying Minhee's antics. Kids—especially girls—bombarded Seonghu oppa with questions. His magic? Rank? Girls' top curiosity:
"Teacher! Got a girlfriend?!"
Yes. Yes, he did. A really pretty one.
Eunhee unnie was a total beauty. Seonghu oppa smiled sweetly at the question and nodded. So sugary I covered my mouth with both hands.
"Yeah, I do."
'Kyaaah!!'
I screamed internally. Seonghu oppa was peak cool-guy. Hadn't seen them much since they started dating, but wow—his face softened just talking about Eunhee unnie. Sorry Je-hyeon oppa, but seeing them happy felt great. Plus, I loved romance stories!
"Aww~."
"Bummer..."
"But a guy that hot's gotta have one."
"Teacher! Who's she? Pretty?"
Girls wailed in disappointment. Boys whooped. Girls peeked curiously too. Seonghu oppa smirked again.
"Very."
"Kyaaaaah!!!!"
"Woooah!!"
"Luuuucky~! Wonder who?"
"Whoever she is, she's gotta be gorgeous!"
She really was. I grinned wide, swallowing my squeal. Who knew Seonghu oppa was such a doting bf? Fun discovery.
Blushing and hiding my face, I felt Minhee nudge my side with her elbow. I turned; she grinned mischievously.
"Recorded that? Send it to Eunhee unnie and..."
"......"
I silently thumbs-upped her. Minhee, your initiative is top-tier. We laughed at each other. Wonder what face Eunhee unnie'd make?
"Don't text it—play it for her later? I wanna see her reaction."
"Awesome. You and I sync on this stuff."
"Obviously!"
We high-fived under the desk.