A Dream That Shouldn't Have Been
My breath shattered into white clouds in the freezing air. It was the kind of winter wind that clawed straight through your skin—especially now, after graduating from the village school and simply waiting for the Royal Academy acceptance results. I tugged my scarf up haphazardly, only to hear the familiar patter of quick footsteps trailing beside me. It was Dorothy.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“I’m cold.”
“So am I.”
“That’s why I’m borrowing your pocket.”
“Are you insane?”
Before I could even finish, Dorothy’s hand slipped smoothly into the pocket of my coat. It was freezing. Why does she treat other people’s pockets like public property? The fact that she had zero sense of personal space with guys made me wonder who would ever take her.
“You gonna pull that hand out or what?”
Dorothy didn’t even blink. “Nope.”
“Put it in your own pocket.”
“Mine’s too far.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“Shut up and warm me up already.”
I looked down at her, utterly dumbfounded. She was just a little shorter than average. Her glossy black hair kept whipping against her cheeks in the winter wind, and her hazel eyes sparkled with moisture—probably from the cold. The villagers always said Dorothy was the prettiest girl in the entire territory. That lustrous black hair, those smiling hazel eyes, the way her cheeks lifted slightly when she grinned. Honestly, they weren’t wrong.
But to me, Dorothy was just… Dorothy. The girl who had been barging into my house like it was her own since we were kids, stealing my snacks, burning the sleeves of my training uniform and then insisting it was “designer.” She wasn’t the village beauty to me—she was my childhood friend with a rotten personality and terrible habits.
“Is my pocket some kind of public heater?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t give you permission.”
“Childhood friend privileges.”
“Since when did those exist?”
“They do now.”
Dorothy flashed that shameless smile—the one she always wore in front of other people. Cute, cheerful, quick to laugh, friendly to everyone. But I knew better. Behind that smile was a temper that was no joke. She was seriously strong-willed.
I tried to push her hand out of my pocket but stopped. Why is her hand this cold? In the end, I wrapped my fingers loosely around hers inside the pocket. Dorothy’s hazel eyes lifted slightly.
“What’s this? Being nice for once?”
“If you freeze to death, I’ll have to go to your funeral. That sounds like a pain.”
“Wow, so touching. I’m crying so hard I might actually freeze.”
Even as she said that, Dorothy didn’t pull her hand away, and I didn’t tell her to. Truthfully, this wasn’t anything special between us. At this point it was obvious—Dorothy and I were childhood friends. More precisely, we’d been going in and out of each other’s houses like they were our own since before I could even remember properly.
Dorothy knew the things I hated, and I knew she despised carrots. She was the one who would slyly slide carrots onto my plate and pretend she had nothing to do with it. And I was the idiot who ended up chewing and swallowing them while cursing her. There was even the time she burned my bangs while practicing her spark magic. Or the time she claimed to be drying my wet training uniform but scorched the sleeve, then insisted it looked like noble decoration.
I ended up wearing that thing for days.
So maybe this level of closeness wasn’t strange for us after all.
That was when a warm sensation spread inside the pocket. A faint heat was flowing from the tips of Dorothy’s fingers. The flow of mana traced across the back of my hand. It wasn’t hot—just a gentle, subtle warmth, like holding your hands near a small flame.
“Are you warming my hand right now?”
Dorothy immediately looked away. “I was warming mine, and yours just happened to benefit.”
“How generous of you.”
“If you’re grateful, buy me strawberry skewers later.”
Just so we’re clear, the “strawberries” Dorothy mentioned weren’t fresh fruit. They were those skewers coated in sugar syrup that had become popular among the girls lately. She usually didn’t even like fruit.
“How does it always end up like that?”
“Because I used magic.”
Dorothy was one of only two mages in the village. She could warm hands, dry wet clothes, cool swollen wrists after training, or float a small light on dark paths. The only other person who could use magic was Dorothy’s Mother, who knew basic household spells like lighting fires or drying damp cloth. Dorothy was far more skilled than her mother, yet she never thought much of her own magic. She would sometimes mutter that it was ambiguous.
I never liked that word. What’s ambiguous about it? If it’s useful, that’s enough.
“Kyle! Dorothy!”
The Vegetable Lady who had been sorting vegetables by the roadside waved at us. Dorothy’s face lit up instantly.
“Hello!”
“You two are together again today. My goodness, Dorothy, you look beautiful as always.”
Dorothy beamed as if she’d been waiting for it. “Right? I am pretty cute, aren’t I?”
I muttered beside her, “Did your conscience freeze to death in this winter cold?”
Dorothy immediately stomped on my foot.
“Ow.”
“Watch your mouth, Kyle.”
The Vegetable Lady burst into laughter. “You two never change.”
After walking for a while, the Training Ground came into view. I naturally turned toward it. Dorothy wriggled her fingers inside my pocket.
“Kyle, are you going to the training ground?”
“Why?”
“I’ll watch. I need to be there to laugh when you fall on your face.”
“You really have the worst personality.”
“That’s part of my charm.”
“Who said that?”
Dorothy pinched my finger inside the pocket. As we got closer to the training ground, I noticed a few girls around our age gathered outside the fence.
“Looks like Kyle’s training again today.”
“Have you seen how his whole vibe changes when he picks up a wooden sword?”
“His shoulders have gotten so broad.”
“Did you hear that?”
“The sound of the wooden sword was too loud—I couldn’t hear what she said.”
For a split second, Dorothy’s fingers froze inside my pocket. I glanced over. She was still smiling, brushing her black hair behind her ear with an expression that said she hadn’t heard a thing.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and go in.”
“Why are you suddenly rushing me?”
“It’s cold. Swing that thing quickly and then buy me those strawberry skewers already.”
I let out a dry laugh and stepped into the training ground. Dorothy leaned against the fence, resting her chin on it. That was how it always went. Whenever I picked up a wooden sword, Dorothy would casually watch from the sidelines. I never knew if she was there to mock me or just because she was bored.
I lifted the wooden sword. The familiar weight settled into my palm. I exhaled, then swung at the straw scarecrow.
Thwack!
The wooden sword struck the scarecrow’s shoulder. Again. I stepped forward, twisted my waist, and flicked my wrist to sharpen the blade’s path.
Thwack—!
The scarecrow’s shoulder bent sideways.
“Hey, Kyle.” The Instructor clicked his tongue with his arms crossed. “That one was freshly tied not long ago.”
“Sorry.”
“You don’t look sorry at all.”
“My face just naturally looks like this.”
The Instructor grumbled but studied my stance carefully. His eyes were dead serious.
“It really is strange.”
“Is that an insult?”
“Half compliment, half insult.”
“Then I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“A commoner who’s never had proper training shouldn’t be able to move his body like that at your age.”
Commoner? At those words, Dorothy immediately jumped in from the fence.
“Did you hear that? He says you’re weird.”
So that’s what she was reacting to. I turned to look at her. “He said it was a compliment.”
“No. He said you’re weird.”
“You’re weird too.”
“I’m weird in a cute way.”
“According to who?”
Dorothy stretched her leg through the fence and kicked my shin. Same spot as before.
“I’m really going to tie your legs up one day.”
“Try it. I’ll burn you with magic.”
“Your magic would probably burn the rope and your skirt along with it.”
“No it wouldn’t.”
The Instructor shook his head at the sight of us. After swinging for a long time, my wrists started throbbing. My palms were tingling, and sweat had soaked the inside of my shirt. I set the wooden sword down and shook out my wrist. That was when Dorothy approached and silently grabbed it.
Her cold fingertips touched my wrist, and soon a thin layer of cold energy wrapped around it. It wasn’t the sharp kind of cold that hurt—it was a gentle chill that soothed the burning ache. A sigh escaped me without thinking.
“That feels nice.”
Dorothy’s lips curved slightly. “If you’re grateful, buy me strawberry skewers.”
“One spell, one skewer? That’s your rate?”
“I did it twice today, so two.”
“You’re a thief.”
“Then don’t take it.”
I didn’t answer. Truth was, I liked it. These were hands that knew exactly where I was uncomfortable, how much cooling I needed, and when to let go. Why does she call this ambiguous?
When we left the training ground, the sun had dipped a little lower. Maybe because Dorothy and I were the first in the village’s history to be on the verge of passing the Royal Academy entrance exam, the entire village was buzzing about the academy lately.
Dorothy suddenly spoke beside me. “When I go to the capital, don’t you think all the noble young masters will line up for me? I’m so worried.”
I answered immediately. “Did all those young masters go blind at the same time?”
Dorothy’s eyebrows twitched. “Hey.”
“What? You asked.”
“Normally you’re supposed to at least say ‘Maybe’ or something.”
“I was taught that lying is bad.”
“Then you should live alone forever.”
I snorted. “Who has time to meet anyone?”
Dorothy playfully jabbed my side. “Aren’t you worried some noble lady will fall for you and force you to become her personal knight?”
“Why would they fall for me?”
“You’re…”
Dorothy trailed off as she looked me up and down. Then she strangely went quiet.
“What about me?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“It’s nothing.”
Dorothy turned her head. Her black hair fluttered in the wind. We had reached the fork in the road. Left led to her house, right to mine. We were still holding hands inside my pocket. More accurately, Dorothy had occupied my pocket, and I was covering her hand with mine. We both became aware of it at the same time.
Dorothy’s fingers twitched. I cleared my throat awkwardly.
“Take care of your own hand from now on.”
Dorothy slowly withdrew her hand. The winter air rushed into the pocket. Without the warmth that had been there moments ago, it felt even colder. Dorothy brushed her black hair behind her ear.
“If it’s cold tomorrow, I’ll borrow it again.”
“I’m not lending it.”
“I’ll borrow it anyway.”
“Did I give permission?”
“I already got it. In my heart.”
“You really are shameless.”
Dorothy laughed. The sound was so familiar that I threw out whatever came to mind.
“Don’t be late tomorrow.”
“Who are you to say that?”
“You said you’d watch me train.”
“I might not go, you know?”
“Do what you want. It’ll be nice and quiet.”
Dorothy glanced at my wrist. It was still a little swollen from training. She let out a small sigh, then reached out again. A thin layer of cold magic wrapped around it once more.
“Don’t swing like an idiot tomorrow.”
“Are you worried about me?”
Dorothy immediately frowned. “If your wrist goes bad, I’ll have to run your errands. That’s why it’s annoying.”
“So you are worried.”
“No I’m not.”
Dorothy kept grumbling all the way to her house. Then she paused at the door and looked back once.
“Hey, Kyle.”
“What?”
“Two strawberry skewers.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“One and a half.”
“There’s no such thing.”
“One bite.”
Dorothy laughed as if she couldn’t believe me. That laughter quickly disappeared behind the door.
Today had been just like any other day. Dorothy laughed, complained, cast magic for me, and said ridiculous things. I grumbled and eventually gave in to her again. Dorothy will probably be noisy again tomorrow too. I thought those trivial things would continue tomorrow, the day after, whether we went to the capital or not.
“Childhood friends, you say?”
Someone laughed somewhere in the distance.
“You must be mistaken.”
“A commoner girl with such big dreams.”
“The classes are completely different.”
Dorothy didn’t want to lift her head. But it rose on its own, as if someone had tied a string to her chin and pulled it upward. Before her eyes stretched a dazzling banquet hall. The ceiling was impossibly high, chandeliers hanging like stars. The floor gleamed like a mirror, and golden decorations adorned every wall. The clear clink of glasses, the laughter of nobles, the mingled scents of perfume and flowers filled the air.
Dorothy had never seen this place before. Yet somehow she knew it was the capital. A gathering for nobles who had graduated from the Royal Academy. A place where a countryside commoner girl like her would never be invited in her lifetime.
She wanted to step back, but her body wouldn’t listen. Her feet moved forward on their own. Why? Why is this happening? No matter what she thought, her steps didn’t stop. Dorothy was pulled through the crowd toward the center of the hall.
And then she saw Kyle.
It was an adult Kyle. Even though it was the face she had known since childhood, it felt unfamiliar. He was taller, his shoulders broader, and the black formal attire suited him almost frighteningly well. He wasn’t the grumbling childhood friend she knew. He seemed more distant. More radiant.
Dorothy’s lips moved on their own. “Kyle.”
It was her voice, yet it didn’t sound like hers. It trembled, small and shabby. Kyle didn’t turn around. Beside him stood a woman with silver hair. A woman so beautiful it hurt to look at her. Straight silver hair, eyes as cold as ice, an elegant posture held with perfect poise. Anyone could tell she was a noble—someone from an entirely different world than a girl like Dorothy.
The woman stood beside Kyle as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And Kyle had his arm wrapped naturally around her waist.
Dorothy’s breath caught. No.This can’t be.
Kyle was the idiot who hated crowded places because they were annoying, who couldn’t even eat sweet food properly, who would throw his wet training uniform onto the floor. He was the one who would casually say it felt nice whenever she cooled his wrist. There was no way that Kyle would stand beside a woman like this with that expression.
Yet Dorothy’s body took another step forward. She wanted to stop. She wanted to run. But her feet wouldn’t stop. Her arms, her fingertips, her lips—all moved on their own. As if she were being forced to reenact a scene that had already been decided.
Only then did Dorothy notice what she was wearing. A worn, plain dress that didn’t belong in this lavish banquet hall. She looked shabby. Her black hair was disheveled, and tears filled her hazel eyes.
The nobles around her began whispering again.
“Look. She’s crying.”
“She really thought she was on the same level.”
“How pitiful.”
“Pitiful? She’s just a lowly thing who doesn’t know her place.”
She wanted to cover her ears, but her hands wouldn’t move.
“Kyle.” Her lips opened again on their own. “Kyle, it’s me.”
Kyle was still only looking at the silver-haired woman. Dorothy tried to gather mana at her fingertips. She wanted to create even a small light. Like she always did. The light that had guided her on dark paths, the cold that had soothed Kyle’s wrist, the warm breeze that had dried his wet training clothes. Just one of those small spells.
But the mana at her fingertips only trembled. Not a single proper light formed. Beneath the dazzling chandeliers, Dorothy’s magic was too small. Too ambiguous.
Why isn’t it working? Why can’t I even do something like this properly?
While Kyle was watching.
The silver-haired woman looked down at Dorothy. Her eyes held neither coldness nor contempt. They simply said that Dorothy had never been worth considering from the start. Dorothy gritted her teeth and tried to approach Kyle. But this time her feet wouldn’t move. No matter how hard she struggled, her soles seemed glued to the floor.
In that moment, the silver-haired woman leaned into Kyle. Kyle didn’t push her away. Dorothy’s heart sank.
No.That’s my place.It was supposed to be my place.
The laughter around her grew louder. The light from the chandeliers shook like shattered glass. Dorothy tried to scream—this time with her own voice. But no sound came out. Her lips only trembled in the air.
And in the end, Kyle never turned around.
At that moment, Dorothy jolted upright in bed.
“Haa…!”
Her breath had climbed all the way to her throat. For a second she didn’t even know where she was. The lavish banquet hall, the golden walls, the whispering nobles—none of it was there. Only a dark room stood before her. A familiar old ceiling. A familiar bed. The cold night air of winter seeping through the window cracks.
Only then did Dorothy realize.
It had been a dream. Everything she had just experienced was a dream.
With trembling hands, Dorothy clutched the blanket. Her palms were damp. Cold sweat had soaked her neck, back, and chest. The candle in the room flickered wildly in response to her mana. Dorothy stared down at her own hand. A small spark bloomed at her fingertips, then quickly went out.
It was a dream. Just a dream. A ridiculous dream. She had to think that way.
But her heart kept pounding wildly. The image of Kyle standing beside that silver-haired noble lady refused to fade from her mind.