Prologue Story

But there was a separate lunatic in all this.

Someone suddenly intervened between us as we were fiercely fighting.

“Hey! Are you crazy?!”

With that shout, Han-soo suddenly intervened from the side and pushed her down.

I was startled. The heat that had risen to my head cooled down by half in an instant.

The girl, unable to withstand Han-soo’s strength, toppled over to the side. Strangely, it all appeared very slowly, like in slow motion.

The sounds around me faded away.

The sight of her hair scattering and her hand reaching upwards was etched clearly in my eyes.

She looked like she was about to hit her head on the desk leg at any moment.

I opened my eyes wide and rushed toward her.

Isn’t there that story, how in urgent moments, the world suddenly appears to slow down?

This was exactly one of those moments.

No matter how angry I was, there were limits. And I was someone who held a rather rational line on observing those limits.

I quickly grabbed the girl’s hand.

“Huh…?”

At that moment, the sound and sight returned.

With a thud, the sound of someone collapsing reached my ears.

Fortunately, thanks to my grip on her arm, the girl fell on her rear instead of hitting her head.

Even after she fell, she looked dazed and confused.

I let out a sigh of relief. Then I sharply turned my head with blazing eyes.

Standing there was Han-soo, who looked puzzled and unaware of what he’d done.

I released the girl’s hand and stood in front of Han-soo.

“Hey, are you insane? What were you thinking, shoving an unguarded person from the side like that?”

“But, hey, she was using magic…!”

“What if I hadn’t caught her, and she hit her head first? She could’ve actually died!”

“Uh… really?”

“Yes, you idiot!”

It was the first time I had ever genuinely gotten angry at a friend.

My strength drained, and I sank down on the spot.

For some reason, I felt like crying.

“Hey, wait…”

Han-soo looked at me in confusion.

Min-hee and In-ha glared at Han-soo with angry expressions.

“Park Han-soo, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Who do you think you’re making cry right now?”

“I-I didn’t mean to…”

“No, I’m not crying. I’m not crying.”

I pressed my hands hard and wiped my eyes.

Everything felt strange.

For the first time, I had fought with another kid my age.

But the situation felt so strange.

It didn’t even end with the fight but with a rescue; how absurd is that?

But no matter how angry I was, I was the one who first yelled and cursed… Still, at that moment, I was so angry at her, I couldn’t bring myself to apologize for it at all.

Looking back, it was such an unexpected uproar.

After the situation settled down, we ended up being summoned to the teachers’ office, where we were scolded by many teachers.

“No matter how angry you are, you can’t just yell like that. Especially those harsh words from earlier—you must never use them, Eun-ha, okay?”

“Yes.”

“Sniff, sniff…”

The girl was still crying.

Fine, cry, go on.

When you’re young, it’s often hard to recognize your mistakes.

When you’re older, that’s all going to become embarrassing history.

Ah, why did I do that? Those moments will come again.

I was already calm, my anger subsiding after letting out enough rage.

I nodded quietly in front of the teachers.

Behind me, other teachers, kids, my friends, and even seniors gathered, all interested in the commotion.

Ugh, this is so embarrassing I could die.

Why are those three here?

To think I had shown this scene to Eun-hee unnie, Ji-hyun oppa, and Chunho oppa… Ugh…!

It’s a fight between kids! And we’re getting called to the teachers’ office!

And there are seniors here?!

I wanted to cover my face with both hands, but I held back.

“And Kang Ye-seul! This time, it’s clearly your fault.”

“B-but…”

“Of course, the one who started it is in the wrong. No matter how angry Eun-ha got, she still only used words.

But you tore her textbook and even hit her first.

Do you think Eun-ha should have held back without getting angry?”

“…”

The girl pursed her lips tightly.

Her face showed she believed she’d done nothing wrong.

Sigh… But more than that… Ugh, what about my image this semester?

Soon there’s an exam and then break… Am I going to be branded as a thug now…?

And this girl is actually pretty cute-looking.

I probably look like the only bad guy.

When a young kid cries, they always look pitiful, even if they’re the one at fault. Ugh, seriously…

“How would you feel if one day your textbook was suddenly torn? Or if someone suddenly hit you?”

“No…”

Thankfully, the teacher restored my textbook right away.

This is also one of the perks of the magic world.

“Eun-ha felt just as bad. Imagine how upset she was that even quiet Eun-ha yelled like that.”

One good yet frustrating thing about kids is that they tend to nod quickly when others speak.

The girl looked at me cautiously.

Yeah, kids are kind-hearted. They seem mean because they don’t know any better, thinking it’s a joke or simply not knowing it’s wrong.

But real bad behavior comes from never correcting this.

I waited eagerly for the lecture to end.

…Then I heard something like a thunderbolt out of the blue.

“At any rate, I’ll have to contact your parents. You both fought so grandly.”

“Huh…?!”

“T-teacher…!”

Both the girl and I were flustered.

No way, teacher, you’re calling our parents?!

We’re second-graders in elementary school, you know?!

Fights like this happen all the time! And you’re calling our parents…?

“T-teacher, please, don’t tell my mom… Please…! She’ll scold me!”

“You need a scolding so you don’t do this again.”

“Oh… come on.”

I ran my fingers through my disheveled hair from the fight.

Ouch, I should cut my hair at this rate.

My hand and cheek ached from where her nails scratched me.

They’d better not leave scars, right?

I should be fine; scars usually don’t stay on me for long.

And if necessary, there’s always a B-rank healer nearby.

But really, what do I do… Parents being called… I’m not scared of being scolded; it’s just embarrassing to admit I was in a fight.

“I’ll go make the call, so wait here quietly. Got it?”

“Yes…”

Oh, seriously…

Once the teacher left, my friends who’d been watching the whole time rushed over to me, starting with In-ha.

Friends, seniors, everyone.

I frowned, lowering my head.

There was only one phrase perfect for a moment like this.

I’d cursed earlier and didn’t want to use it, but it was fitting now.

“Ugh… I’m totally screwed…”

I groaned, clutching my head with both hands.

If only I had held back a little longer. Just a little more patience would’ve been enough.

I should’ve talked it out… This is really because of that girl…

“Hey, kiddo, are you okay?”

“It’s Eun-ha, okay?! Eun-ha! I heard you got into a fight—what happened exactly?”

“Ah… Well, I just got a little mad…”

Seeing the worried seniors approach me, the girl flinched, startled.

She subtly checked her surroundings, her confidence deflating.

Of course she would feel that way.

To her, Ji-hyun oppa and Eun-hee unnie were strong senior magicians she admired.

Then, with a resentful look, the girl glared at me.

But she shrank again under In-ha and Han-soo’s glares.

But embarrassment aside, what’s unforgivable remains unforgivable.

I fully understood the value of a single book.

The time, effort, and heart invested in a book… It was the crystallization of my time.

Now, I was giving more value to magic, having been born into the magic world, but I still liked and loved novels and books.

Even though I don’t want to be a novelist yet, I occasionally scribble down ideas in a notebook.

I shot a sidelong glare at the girl, then dropped my head again.

“But still, really… Parents being called…”

“It’s alright. So what. These things happen. When I was younger, I got called here a lot too. Once for fighting with Ji-hyun, too.”

Chunho oppa patted my back.

Th-that’s… It’s true kids often do these things, but still…

“Hey, it’s different with boys and girls! You can’t compare a troublemaker to a quiet kid! Geez, Chunho, you!”

“Ugh, really?”

Ah, I seriously feel like I’ve messed up from the very first button since starting second grade.

I sighed, watching Eun-hee unnie scold Chunho oppa.

Both of our mothers came to the school as soon as they received the teacher’s call.

Even though I don’t know where the girl’s house is, our house is quite far, but that’s the advantage of living in a magical society, I guess.

Sighing, I felt a wave of self-reproach as I saw my mom following the teacher with a worried look.

I couldn’t even control myself against a kid… What am I even doing?

When my mom saw my injuries, her face contorted with surprise and worry.

“Eun-ha, did you really get into a fight? I never thought you would get into trouble.”

“I was surprised too. Eun-ha is usually such a well-behaved child.”

“Yes. My daughter is usually very mature… In-ha, do you know why Eun-ha ended up in a fight like this?”

The mother of the girl beside me was also asking her the same question.

Honestly, I don’t even remember the girl’s name.

I’m not great at remembering the names of my classmates… though it might also be because I’m not that interested.

I also have a slight issue with face recognition.

In-ha hesitated before answering.

“…I don’t know all the details since I’m not in Eun-ha’s class, but I heard that girl picked a fight with Eun-ha first. She bullied her, tore up her textbook…”

“My daughter?!”

The girl’s mother, who had been listening, looked at her child in shock.

Her expression instantly turned harsh.

“Is that true? Did you bully that girl?”

“N-no, I just, she started…”

“Started what?!”

“But! I wanted to be friends too! She hogged everything to herself… Waaaah…!”

Ah, she started crying again.

Everyone there looked taken aback.

But the girl’s mother, unfazed, scolded her daughter with a stern look.

“Stop crying! You always bully others whenever something doesn’t go your way! You even do the same thing to your younger sibling! How can you call yourself an older sister?!”

“She’s not my sister anywayyyy…!”

“Stop it, now!”

The girl continued to bawl.

Kids really are kids, I thought.

Even in the second grade, crying in front of others doesn’t embarrass her—maybe because her mom is here, but she cried so openly.

The girl’s mother turned to the teacher.

“So, what did my child…?”

“Ah, yes. We don’t know the exact reason yet, but it seems that Ye-seul tore up and threw Eun-ha’s textbook, which made Eun-ha angry. She, um, used some words that kids shouldn’t know… ahem, and Ye-seul got flustered and attacked Eun-ha…”

“Waaaah!”

“Why are you crying as if you’re the victim? From what I hear, this is all your fault! Bullying someone just because you can’t solve things with words… I swear, I don’t know what to do with you. You picked a fight, hit, and scratched your friend… Goodness, that must hurt. Oh dear, I’m so sorry, really. Your daughter is hurt because of my child… I truly apologize.”

Somehow, the situation was resolved instantly.

I had been worried it might turn into a fight between parents, but thankfully it didn’t.

Or is this how it normally goes?

The girl’s mother scolded and comforted her daughter, then made her bow her head to me.

“Now, quickly apologize to your friend.”

“She’s not my friend…”

“Didn’t I tell you to apologize when you’re in the wrong?”

The girl, crying, finally bowed her head in front of me.

“I’m… sorry for tearing up your textbook…”

And I, too, was someone who just wanted this situation resolved as quickly as possible.

I started to feel like I’d gone too far against a young kid who doesn’t even understand the world yet.

After all, she was just a strong-willed child.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry for losing my temper too.”

“Oh my, how mature this child is.”

“Well done, Eun-ha. We’re really sorry too.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay.”

My mom, looking proud, patted my head and bowed.

The girl’s mother waved her hand.

“No, no, we’re the ones who should be sorry. My child is still so immature… Your daughter is truly mature. And so cute. My daughter, since she was young, has always been a handful due to focusing too much on her younger sibling…”

“At that age, they’re all like that. We sometimes feel a bit lonely because our only daughter is so quiet. She rarely cried, even as a baby, so it was convenient for us, but…”

Wow, they started chatting.

And it didn’t look like it would end anytime soon.

Either way, the cause… um… since this incident involved Ji-hyun oppa and Eun-hee unnie, I wanted to at least explain it to Min-hee, but that doesn’t seem possible right now.

At that moment, Han-soo whispered sulkily in my ear.

“Why did you even help that brat? She didn’t even apologize properly.”

“That’s because you were in the wrong…! Why did you interfere in someone else’s fight?”

Come to think of it, I had forgotten.

I immediately shot Han-soo a fierce look.

Han-soo shrank back.

Honestly, just thinking about that earlier situation makes me feel lost and overwhelmed.

If the girl had actually hit her head badly, who knows what might’ve happened!

It wouldn’t have ended so well.

“I couldn’t say everything earlier, but do you realize how dangerous your actions were? Do you even understand what could’ve happened if she’d hit her head? You need to apologize to her right now! If she had hit her head, she could’ve died!”

I raged, my anger rekindled.

How did a children’s fight turn into such a dangerous situation?

They have no idea how nerve-wracking that was for me.

It was truly a godsend that I was able to catch her as she fell.

But it seemed my scolding voice toward Han-soo was a bit loud, as everyone around had fallen silent and was now staring at us in surprise.

Oh, dear!

The girl’s mother looked at me with wide eyes, her cheeks flushing.

“How can a child think so deeply?”

“I… I’m surprised too.”

Han-soo, noticing the atmosphere around him, hastily apologized to the girl.

“S-sorry about earlier…”

“Uh, yeah? It’s okay…”

The girl shook her head, then murmured quietly.

The problem was, I heard it all.

“Like a mom…”

Yeah, right… Sorry.