Prologue Story

It was that kid.

The one who acted like a leader in class and always looked at me with disdain.

Now, that kid was staring at me with trembling eyes, as if truly surprised.

“You… are you close with Senior Lee Eun-hee? That Senior Lee Eun-hee who used to be the student council president, right?”

The kid’s gaze followed Eun-hee unnie’s retreating figure in the distance.

Ugh, this was a mess. Wasn’t this just like the case with Senior Ji-hyun?

I was inwardly flustered but maintained a neutral expression on the outside.

After a brief hesitation, I nodded. There was no way to deny it now that she’d already seen it.

“Yes, she’s the senior you’re thinking of…”

“Are you close? How do you know her?”

I could tell right away that this kid had a strong interest in the powerful seniors at our school.

I groaned internally.

“We happened to meet last year by chance.”

“Could you… introduce me to her?”

Ah, as expected.

I stifled a sigh and considered my options. Eun-hee unnie would probably be easier to approach than Senior Ji-hyun, but…

I imagined a scene of introducing this kid to her, and a question slipped out naturally.

“How?”

“What, what?”

“I mean… even if you want me to introduce you… how exactly?”

“Just as a friend…”

“Well, it’s just, Senior Eun-hee is the guard at our school right now. I haven’t seen her recently since she’s been busy. So, think about suddenly calling her over just to introduce you… She probably wouldn’t like it much…”

It was a polite refusal, in my own way.

Honestly, it might be easier for me to just go through with the introduction and be done with it.

Yeah, maybe that would be simpler than having this girl keep pestering me.

But introducing people to each other isn’t really something I’m good at.

Introducing someone to someone I care about, while thinking they might not even like it?

Just thinking about it stressed me out.

And I didn’t want to do anything that might upset someone close to me.

The girl looked at me with an expression full of frustration.

Oh, she didn’t understand at all. Well, what did I expect from a kid?

I gathered my thoughts and put on my most hesitant face.

I’d use my shyness as an excuse. It’s been a while since I acted… maybe it’s even the first time?

“Also, I’m… not good at introducing people… I’m not really cut out for that kind of thing…”

I lowered my head, trying to look as awkward as possible.

“What?” The girl’s eyes grew round.

“I’m, not really good at talking to people…”

“Wait, so you weren’t ignoring me?”

“What?”

When I looked at her directly, the girl seemed at a loss for words.

Hmm, she must have thought I was ignoring her because I don’t talk much.

Not that I didn’t find it a bit annoying. But I wasn’t ignoring her on purpose.

It’s just easier to be alone since talking to people makes me nervous.

I mean… I guess there were a few times I’d just ended a conversation quickly.

It just stressed me out to talk too much.

“But… you were smiling and talking with that senior?”

“That’s because we know each other a little. She’s not the type to get annoyed over a simple greeting. But calling her over to introduce you all of a sudden is a bit…”

“Ugh, fine. If you don’t want to, forget it.”

The girl, clearly annoyed, turned away from me and stomped off toward the playground.

Just then, the bell rang. Oh no.

I hurriedly followed her, trying to keep up.

She glanced back at me and mumbled under her breath.

“You’re so annoying.”

Ah, I’d gotten on her bad side.

I realized it as soon as I heard her words.

But somehow, I thought I’d be okay.

It stung a little to have someone openly dislike me, but I was used to being alone, and I had my friends.

Besides, my friends weren’t the type to be bullied just for being close to me.

Han-soo would probably even fight back and scare them away.

Anyway, this kid didn’t seem to know how to bully beyond throwing a temper.

So, I thought it would be fine.

It wasn’t like the entire school was going to gang up on me—just a few people.

Once the year ended and we switched classes, any minor ostracism would naturally fade.

Being kids, that was even more likely. I jogged toward the playground a moment later.

☆

Kang In-ha paused her studies to look out the window.

It was time for her Spell Magic class, but she paid no mind.

She hadn’t been very interested in class from the beginning.

Most of the magic taught at school was magic Kang In-ha could already perform.

Because it was practice time, the room was lively, so no one would notice one person daydreaming.

Kids in gym uniforms were playing dodgeball out on the field beyond the window.

In-ha’s lips curled as she spotted Yoo Eun-ha among them.

Eun-ha was dressed in her gym uniform like the others, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail.

Noticing that In-ha was distracted, Kim Hyun-ho poked her arm with his finger.

“What are you looking at?”

“There, Eun-ha.”

“Wow, it really is her.”

In-ha pointed out the window with her finger. Kim Hyun-ho quickly located Yoo Eun-ha among the distant kids.

Just then, Eun-ha got hit by the dodgeball and was out.

The smile on Hyun-ho’s face faded.

“Oh… Eun-ha isn’t very athletic, is she?”

“That’s not it. She’s average. If she practiced, she’d probably improve quickly.”

“Then why did she get hit by such an easy throw?”

“She was probably too lazy to dodge.”

In-ha knew Yoo Eun-ha well.

When it came to magic, Eun-ha’s eyes would light up as she studied diligently and enjoyed herself.

But anything she wasn’t interested in, she found too bothersome to even try.

She found studying outside of magic tiring and sometimes didn’t even want to move.

Yet, for anything she was passionate about, she’d put in endless effort.

She was an all-or-nothing type.

“She really has an unusual personality.”

“Eun-ha, throw it! Just throw it…!”

Soon, Park Han-soo and Joo Min-hee joined the two, inserting themselves between them.

The four of them watched Yoo Eun-ha lazily playing dodgeball and whispered among themselves.

Among them, Yoon Shia was the only one who didn’t let his mind wander and focused intently on practicing magic.

If it were just one person, it might have been okay.

But with already noticeable kids gathered like that, it was impossible for them to avoid standing out.

In the end, they were scolded by the teacher.

“If you lose focus during class time, what are you supposed to do? You should save conversations for break time. Kang In-ha, show us the magic you were practicing.”

Without hesitation, Kang In-ha successfully performed her magic.

The spell was executed with an impressively high level of skill, hardly something you’d expect from a child.

They were different from Yoo Eun-ha.

Not one of them thought it indicated a skill gap just because of their ability to use this basic magic.

The teacher, though momentarily taken aback, continued with another reminder.

“Even so, remember not to let your attention wander during class. Magic isn’t just about casting spells.”

The kids obediently nodded.

They acknowledged that it was indeed their fault for being distracted during class.

But, if asked whether they’d stop daydreaming next time, the answer would probably still be no.

Meanwhile, outside, the dodgeball game ended.

After the game, the students from Class 1 sat nearby to chat and rest without much movement.

Thanks to that, the four of them could focus on the class without paying much attention to what was happening outside.

Soon, the bell rang, signaling lunchtime.

The kids eagerly dashed off to the neighboring class.

Lunchtime was the time they looked forward to the most.

Not only was the food delicious, but when lunch ended, it would soon be homeroom time.

And most importantly, they’d get to spend time with Yoo Eun-ha.

Even Park Han-soo, with his prickly demeanor, secretly looked forward to lunch every day.

The kids waited in the hallway outside the next class for Yoo Eun-ha to return to the classroom.

After a moment, they saw Yoo Eun-ha’s figure coming down the hall.

“Eun-ha!”

“Guys.”

Yoo Eun-ha, who had been walking stiffly down the hallway, softened her expression as she saw them and smiled.

Joo Min-hee and Kang In-ha immediately trotted up beside her like children.

“Hurry, let’s go! Hmm?”

Pretending to give in to Joo Min-hee’s whining, Yoo Eun-ha moved along with them.

They had a pleasant lunch, chatted for a while, and then returned to their classrooms.

As they were about to part ways with Yoo Eun-ha, they noticed a girl glaring at her.

The face looked familiar.

“…It’s the girl who picked a fight with Eun-ha last time.”

At Kang In-ha’s comment, Park Han-soo frowned.

Kim Hyun-ho asked Joo Min-hee.

“Who is she? You talked to her last time, didn’t you?”

“She’s Kang Ye-seul, the girl who acts like a leader among the girls in the other class. Apart from us, she’s probably the best at magic among the students in our grade.”

“Now that I think about it, isn’t she close with Min-hee?”

Joo Min-hee laughed and shook her head at Yoon Shia’s question.

“We’re not really friends, just kind of acquaintances?”

“Hm.”

With a cold expression, Kang In-ha glanced back at Kang Ye-seul, then swung open the classroom door.

The other kids, who had been chatting noisily, turned to look at them.

When they met Kang In-ha’s gaze, they immediately clammed up, intimidated.

Without a care for the staring eyes, Kang In-ha walked straight to her seat.

As soon as they sat down, the once silent atmosphere picked up noise again.

Carefully surveying his surroundings, Yoon Shia took a seat and began to speak in a small voice.

“But… did you know? Eun-ha, sort of… gets a bad reputation with the other kids.”

“…What?”

The expressions of the four instantly twisted in displeasure at those words.

Yoon Shia sighed and continued.

“I overheard some kids from Eun-ha’s class the other day, saying she’s gloomy, ignores people, and can’t use magic…”

At this, the faces of all four friends turned sour.

Joo Min-hee leaned on her desk and muttered irritably, her eyes glum.

“There are people who say stuff like that. You know how Eun-ha’s face can look fierce if she stays quiet for a while. Some kids even say she’s glaring at them. Because she’s quiet, they call her gloomy and unlucky, but… Eun-ha is actually so sweet! It really bothers me. I always tell people she’s never like that with her friends…”

The other kids also showed clear signs of irritation.

But Park Han-soo, slouching in a nonchalant pose, didn’t completely disagree.

“Sure, she does look a bit doll-like when she’s expressionless around kids who don’t know her.”

Kang In-ha scowled fiercely.

“Are you insulting Eun-ha right now?”

“I’m just saying the truth, okay? She smiles a lot when she’s with us. If she smiled like that with other people, she’d be popular…”

“I don’t like that.”

At the overly firm reply, Park Han-soo frowned in turn.

When it came to Yoo Eun-ha, Kang In-ha often displayed a strong sense of possessiveness.

“It’d be a waste to smile at just anyone. Do you know how long it took for me to see her smile?”

Kang In-ha propped her chin on her clasped hands.

The others looked at her with curious expressions.

They were always interested in hearing old stories about the two of them.

“Eun-ha, at first, she was like that with us too, right? Kind of cold and quiet… was it the same with you?”

“Yes, it was. I don’t remember too well… but at first, she was so quiet that I didn’t really think of getting close. But even though Eun-ha’s shy, she’s kind of mature. I think I liked that quietness about her. Better than the other kids.”

Kang In-ha first met Yoo Eun-ha when she was about six years old.

Fragmented memories flashed through her mind.

Sitting on the floor, those quiet eyes gazing at her.

She remembered the first smile they shared.

Though she couldn’t recall why Eun-ha smiled, that single smile drastically changed her impression of her.

“Since she was my mom’s friend’s daughter, I thought I should at least be polite. But then one day, I saw her smile. Brightly, really brightly, so beautifully. That’s when I truly wanted to be friends with her.”

Even now, Kang In-ha couldn’t quite find the words to describe that moment.

If she had to make a comparison, it was like a bud blooming into a radiant flower.

Park Han-soo looked at her with a serious expression.

“Are you bragging?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Ugh, this is just…”

Park Han-soo clenched his fists, unable to control his anger.

Kang In-ha calmly ignored Park Han-soo.

The other kids merely laughed as they watched the two of them bicker.

It was already a familiar part of their daily routine.

“But like Han-soo said… if Eun-ha just smiled at the other kids even once, her whole image would change.”

Kim Hyun-ho and Yoon Shia enthusiastically agreed with Joo Min-hee’s muttered remark.

The difference between Yoo Eun-ha’s expressionless face and her smile was enormous.

Joo Min-hee groaned in thought for a while before suddenly standing up, unable to hold back anymore.

“Ugh… I’m annoyed, so I want to eat something! Guys, we still have some lunch break left, so let’s go to the snack shop and buy some snacks!”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

The kids agreed.

Kang In-ha, Park Han-soo, Yoon Shia, and Kim Hyun-ho stood up and followed Joo Min-hee out of the classroom.

At that moment, a conversation that grated on their ears reached them.

“Hey, doesn’t Eun-ha seem really gloomy?”

“Yeah, totally. Ye-seul said Eun-ha has a really bad personality. She pretends to be close to the person Ye-seul likes for no reason.”

“What? Ye-seul liked him first? That’s so low.”

“Right?”

Kang In-ha’s already icy gaze grew even colder.

Joo Min-hee clenched her teeth.

But it was Park Han-soo who stepped forward.

“Hey.”

With a scowl, Park Han-soo glared at the girls who had been talking.

The girls looked at him in surprise, shrinking back as though frightened.

Park Han-soo had a pretty, delicate face, but when he was angry, he looked incredibly fierce.

“Huh? W-what…?”

“Yoo Eun-ha isn’t like that, got it? Don’t badmouth our friend. Or else!”

“Don’t scare them!”

Joo Min-hee crossed her arms in an “X” shape and tackled Park Han-soo.

“Ack!”

Park Han-soo stumbled backward.

Joo Min-hee, now standing in the spot where Park Han-soo had been, turned to look at the girls who had taken a few steps back, then flashed them a cheerful smile.

“Hey, girls~.”

“Huh, huh?”

“What…?”

“Eun-ha is my friend, and she’s not like that. She’s super nice.”

“Oh, um, okay?”

“Yep, nice. Got it?”

“Y-yeah, got it.”

The girls, nodding with frightened eyes, scurried off back to the classroom.

That classroom was Class 1 of the 2nd grade, Yoo Eun-ha’s class.

Joo Min-hee’s smiling expression turned icy in an instant.

“I really hate this. It feels awful.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

With a deep frown, Kim Hyun-ho nodded.

The other kids also frowned, glaring at the sign marked “2-1.”