My First Fan: Baek Miju, the Good Friend from the Same Class (2)
A…. It's boring. Today, the sunlight was particularly bright and warm. The sky beyond the window looked so clear and blue that I felt an overwhelming urge to skip class. On top of that, the weather was getting warmer by the day. Early April. The spring chill had faded, and the true spirit of spring was beginning to stir. Cherry blossoms were starting to bloom here and there, and people were busy going out to see the flowers. Meanwhile, I was stuck inside the Academy, sitting through lessons.
"So, the foundation of a magical girl's combat is rapid spell activation. You have to eliminate threats quickly if you want both the citizens and yourselves to survive."
Morning theory classes were usually like this. None of it mattered much to me. I was sitting in a classroom learning knowledge and rules I already knew inside out. Even if it was useless to me, it was essential for the chicks, so I had no complaints about the class itself. Still, I couldn't help feeling frustrated and irritated.
"Over the past month since enrollment, you've been learning the spell Magic Missile and should have gained some sense of how magic works. You've also practiced using it in real combat."
If this were a normal class, I would've used the teacher's voice as a lullaby and drifted off to sleep. But today, I didn't. More precisely, I didn't want to. I knew rebelling against the physiological need for sleep would only hurt me in the end, but I just felt like doing this today. Thanks to that, my eyes were even heavier than usual and my reactions slower, but so what?
…It was spring. Maybe I should ask Jiah to go see the cherry blossoms later. Even if it was a hassle, I really wanted to go. I'd have to pester her into it.
While letting my mind wander with idle thoughts, I listened to the lesson as if I were watching a drama.
"During sparring, you've probably all thought at least once, 'If only I'd been a little faster, I could've won.' The winners must've felt, 'If her activation had been just a bit slower, I might've lost.' Except for that one match, most of the bouts were fairly even."
Was that one match referring to me and the class president? For a moment, everyone's eyes turned toward us, but the teacher continued without paying it any mind.
"It's the same in real combat. A difference of just 0.5 seconds can mean getting seriously injured or saving countless lives. That's why magical girls need to be fast above all else. You have to cast the magic you want quickly and calmly, and produce results. So, what do you need to do to activate magic faster?"
Well, what else? Just blast the magic out ridiculously fast. Or overwhelm it with raw mana. The higher your mana, the faster the spell completes. But that wasn't what the teacher wanted to convey.
"To do that, you need to understand the mechanics of how magic works. If you know the sequence and the characteristics of each stage, you'll easily figure out which part you need to train to speed up your casting."
Of course, the method I mentioned earlier could also speed up casting, but it was something only a tiny fraction of people could do, and it wasn't very efficient. In short, it was a stopgap measure for emergencies. In contrast, the teacher was introducing the textbook, fundamental method—the one with the most reliable results.
The mechanics of magic activation were also called the Three Elements of Magic. It was the most basic of basic theories taught at every magical girl academy. It was so important that no amount of emphasis or repetition could be excessive. I'd heard it until I was sick of it and already knew it, so I was indifferent, but the new students' eyes were sparkling. Especially the class president—she looked like she was trying to bore a hole through the blackboard with her gaze alone. Focusing was good, but… it was almost scary.
"Magic activation follows three major stages: mana preparation, magic circle construction, and spell activation. If we went into more detail, it could get deeper, but this much is enough for you. Now, a pop quiz. Which of these three do you think is the most important? I'm curious. Kim Jihye, over there."
"…Huh? Me?"
"Yes, you."
What the heck, really me? I reacted because I heard my name, but I was genuinely surprised she actually called on me.
"What's going on all of a sudden, teacher?"
"Tell me which of the Three Elements you think is the most important."
Hmm… Being put on the spot like this was a little troublesome. I just said whatever came to mind.
"Aren't they all important?"
"Pick just one. Only one."
Ugh… The teacher was persistent. Really tenacious. People who grabbed on and wouldn't let go no matter what weren't my style.
"Well… Wouldn't it be spell activation? No matter how much mana you have or how well you construct the circle, if you can't actually activate the magic, it's all for nothing."
"That's not wrong. Still, it's unique. Most new students tend to say magic circle construction is the most important."
The teacher gave me a narrowed-eyed look. More precisely, it was a gaze full of suspicion.
What? Why are you looking at me like that, teacher?
"Hmm. But if we're only considering the aspect of activating magic quickly, the most important stage is mana preparation. With the knowledge you have now, you might think magic circle construction is the most important, but for magical girls above a certain level, the time it takes to construct a circle doesn't differ much. Except for some special magical girls, of course."
Some special magical girls. Hearing those words made me think of someone from another world, not Earth. Come to think of it, there was one kid who drew magic circles unusually fast. Out of curiosity, I'd made several bets with that kid. 132 matches, 53 wins, 79 losses. That was our record. We always bet on meals, so my wallet would empty out in no time. Not that Earth's currency would've been useful there anyway.
…I wonder if she's doing well. Suddenly, I felt worried. And a little nostalgic. But I'd chosen my one precious family and my hometown, so I probably wouldn't see her again.
My thoughts were drifting all over the place today. Maybe it was because of spring. Outside the classroom window, forsythias had bloomed beautifully. It would've been forsythias, then azaleas, then cherry blossoms.
"Now then, let's see what you need to do during the mana preparation stage. Everyone, open your textbooks."
Hmm. Sorry, teacher. I really can't look at the book. It wasn't that I was weak against text, but these days, even glancing at a book made me sleepy, so I avoided them unless I really wanted to fall asleep. Since I didn't want to sleep, I'd just keep staring out the window.
"…?"
What? I only glanced at the cover without even opening it, and sleep was already creeping up on me? What kind of body did I have? Ridiculous.
…Ah. It wasn't that. I'd just reached my limit. I'd been forcing myself to stay awake, and now I couldn't hold out anymore. As drowsiness washed over me, my consciousness began to blur. Thoughts of going to see cherry blossoms and azaleas with Jiah swirled through my mind like a dream. Then, slowly, forsythias started to appear. Forsythias. Forsythias. Why did forsythias keep coming to mind? Bright yellow forsythias, like little chicks. Forsythias that bloomed and faded so quickly. 'A symbol of anticipation and hope.' Someone had said that to me once. Who was it?
✮✮✮
"A…. Hiss."
What time was it? I felt like I'd dreamed, but I couldn't remember it well. If I tried to recall… forsythias? Maybe because I'd fallen asleep while looking at the forsythias blooming outside the window.
"Jihye, are you awake? Time to eat."
"Class president. Is it lunchtime now?"
"Yeah. Theory class just ended."
Wow. My internal clock was spot on. How did I wake up exactly at mealtime? I stretched widely, loosening my stiff body.
"Hwaaaam. I'm still sleepy, but I guess I'll eat anyway."
"It's really amazing. You sleep that much and you're still sleepy?"
"I'm amazed at myself too, class president. …By the way, who's this?"
Unless I went back to sleep during lunch, the class president and I ate together every day. Even though I found going to the cafeteria a hassle, thanks to her waiting for me, I wasn't lonely at lunchtime. Eating alone was fine, but eating together made the food taste better. Because of the grudges I'd built up in class, the other kids seemed reluctant to eat with me. When the class president and I sat down in the cafeteria, no one sat near us. It wasn't like we had some contagious disease. Thanks to that, I could focus more on talking with the class president… What was the expression for this again? …I liked it better this way?
It was strange that someone was fidgeting beside the class president, glancing at me like they wanted to say something, even though I was apparently disliked enough that everyone avoided me. Who was this kid all of a sudden? Her face looked familiar, so she had to be from our class.
"Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected much. You can't even remember my name properly. …This is Baek Miju."
"…Hi. Jihye."
"Uh… yeah. Hi."
When the friend introduced as Baek Miju greeted me shyly, I responded stiffly, unsure how to react. She had an overall cute impression. If I had to compare her to something, a rabbit? Or maybe a forsythia, if not an animal. Baek Miju spoke to me carefully but clearly and firmly.
"Um… If it's okay, could I eat with you guys?"