Prologue Story

Still, thanks to that, the aunties’ chattering was interrupted midway.

As you know, conversations among women, especially among aunties, tend to go on and on.

After we apologized to each other and messed up each other’s hair in the fight, we looked like a total mess, so the kid and I decided to leave early with our parents.

In the meantime, I brought up to my mom that I wanted to cut my hair.

“Your hair? You want to cut it?”

“Yeah. It’s so tangled up. I just want to chop it all off into a bob.”

I ran my fingers gently through the tangled strands of my hair.

Hearing that, my friends, who had been looking at me and my mom with slightly awkward expressions, asked in surprise.

“What? You’re really going to cut it?”

“Yeah. What’s with the shock? Ah, hurry up and go back to class.”

I glanced at them with a puzzled expression, then gestured quickly for them to go inside.

In response, my friends looked disappointed.

“I’ll contact you later. Seniors, what brings you all the way here? How did you even know, and what about your classes?”

Mom shifted her gaze from my friends to the seniors.

“Oh, you’re the one who scouted Eun-ha last time….”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s been a while, Eun-ha’s mother!”

Eun-hee unnie greeted her warmly.

Mom then pointed to the two people standing next to her.

“And those two?”

“They’re seniors I know.”

Ji-hyun oppa and Chunho oppa gave Mom an awkward nod.

Then, Ji-hyun oppa cleared up my curiosity.

“Don’t worry. I have the right to skip class openly. I just happened to hear about you from Min-hee.”

Wait…what?

I was dumbfounded.

“What…?”

Then, Chunho oppa waved his hand with a laugh.

“No, just kidding. It’s actually our self-study time right now. In high school, we have elective classes. If there’s no class, we’re free to do whatever we want. We can rest in the classroom, take a walk outside, or even train.”

“Oh…I see.”

Good grief, Eun-hee unnie smacked the back of Ji-hyun oppa’s head with a fed-up expression.

“Ouch, that hurt,” Ji-hyun oppa muttered as if he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I see. Thank you for your concern.”

“Well, it’s a relief that it wasn’t anything serious.”

“Yes. I’ll be going now. Guys, I’m heading out first.”

Since my curiosity was resolved, I waved goodbye to everyone.

“Alright, see you again.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

Holding my mom’s hand in one hand, I waved the other hand broadly towards everyone as I walked away.

Mom and I decided to head to the hair salon in the shopping district first.

I went back to the classroom to grab my bag.

The other kids in my class approached me with curious looks, but I just replied that everything was fine and hurried out.

As we walked to the nearby warp hall, my mom used magic to heal the scratches on my face, neck, and hands.

Unlike me, my mom was quite adept at healing magic.

“My goodness, how did you end up with these scratches all over?”

“Well, I bet she got scratched up too. We’re even. I’ll tell you about the fight later.”

“I thought you’d be really angry about the fight, but that’s not the case? It doesn’t even seem like you’re holding a grudge.”

“Hmph. I do hold a grudge. She didn’t do a single thing right. But once I let out my feelings, I felt calm.”

“Can’t believe I’m hearing this from an elementary school kid….”

Mom shook her head and sighed.

At the salon, I trimmed my hair into a bob.

Mom asked if I wanted to try a perm while we were at it, but I firmly refused.

My hair is naturally slightly wavy as it is.

I’m certain a curly perm would never suit me.

“Oh dear, how did your hair get so tangled?”

While trimming my hair, the lady at the salon looked dismayed.

I awkwardly explained that my hair had somehow ended up with gum stuck in it and got snagged on a tree, trying to make it sound as plausible as possible.

After getting my hair cut, I used a teleportation item to return home.

The first thing I did when I got home was explain the situation to my mom.

I told her about the trouble with that girl, why we ended up fighting, and why she held a grudge against me.

As I talked, I felt a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable, but I also explained the mixed emotions I felt when that girl asked me to introduce her to the seniors.

“I see… Mom understands that feeling, too. Everyone deals with these things differently, depending on their personality. But you did well, Eun-ha. When you accept things like that, relationships can often get distorted. But how can you think so deeply? Really, you’re such a unique child.”

“Maybe I can’t put it into words well, but that’s how it is. Things just get awkward and can feel unpleasant, and I don’t like that….”

I continued, hesitating.

I knew the reason I shouldn’t introduce her, but I struggled to find the words to explain it properly.

If the intention behind asking for the introduction was admiration, it might be alright, but if it was to exploit that connection…

Perhaps I should’ve been more understanding, given her age.

But when I thought about how the person being introduced might feel, I couldn’t bear to do it.

It’s from those uncomfortable feelings that relationships start to crumble.

For example, when someone I just met sees me as something extraordinary.

When they thank the person who introduced us and look at me with sparkling eyes.

I’ve been in situations like that a lot.

When the friend and the person they introduced me to seem awkward with each other, or, on the contrary, overly close.

When it feels like everyone’s being used by each other.

Even if that friend introduced me with the best of intentions, where’s the guarantee that the person they introduced won’t look at it and think, “Ah, they’re just like everyone else,” and end up disappointed?

Relationships with people end the moment doubt creeps in.

Even someone as inexperienced with relationships as I am knows that much.

To protect my relationships with the friends I truly care about, I wanted to avoid situations like that.

“Suna was the same. You wouldn’t believe how many people asked me to introduce them to her. But most of those people wanted to use that connection somehow… I ended up introducing her anyway a few times.

Each time, Suna said she was fine with it, but… it still weighed heavily on my heart.

Turning down such requests is truly difficult.

You’re not at that point yet, Eun-ha, but….”

I blinked as I looked at my mom.

Actually, truthfully…I had been in that position before.

In my past life, I wasn’t known by everyone, but I was still a pretty popular novelist.

As an indoor type, I didn’t have many people I was close to offline, but I did get to know a few people through my work.

Some people I’d cut ties with a long time ago suddenly changed their attitudes and acted friendly when they found out I’d become a famous writer, and it felt so awkward and unpleasant.

Still, there was one friend I had really been close with, and I thought they’d be different from people like that.

That’s what I thought.

One day, that friend introduced me to someone, saying they were a fan of mine.

I didn’t feel too bad about it at the time.

I just let it be.

But when I found out that this supposed fan had approached my friend because of me… and when I realized they were using our friendship to gain popularity with other friends…

I know, not everyone is like that.

But I also painfully know that people aren’t always kind.

So, when I went out of my way to block that kid’s actions, it was probably because of that sense from my past experiences.

Relationships like that don’t end well for either side.

In the end, there wasn’t a single friend I could trust in my past life.

That’s why, this time, I don’t want things to end with that bitter aftertaste.

Not long after my talk with Mom, when In-ha came back, I explained the situation to her much the same way I’d explained it to Mom.

But In-ha, as usual, only grasped the surface of my feelings.

“I don’t deal with people who try to approach my mom. Only those who force themselves close to her are really just trying to use her. But if it’s just admiration, wouldn’t it be fine to introduce them?”

“Yeah, maybe so. But I don’t want to.”

“Then don’t introduce them. If you don’t want to, that’s enough.”

But In-ha was always on my side.

That fact always gave me strength.

When I explained the situation to my friends in a group video call, Min-hee was, as expected, the only one who understood.

[What the heck. You ended up fighting over that? If she didn’t want it, she should’ve just understood. She’s not thinking at all.]

Kids can be that way.

If things don’t go their way, they throw fits and get mad.

That’s just something they have to learn as they grow up, so there’s nothing you can do about it.

Min-hee added a rough edge to her usually bright face.

She usually seems so innocent, but even Min-hee’s personality isn’t a joke.

Hyun-ho tilted his head.

[But can’t you just introduce her and get it over with? That’d keep things from getting annoying, right?]

[But then it feels strange. I’ve been through that a few times, so I’m thankful Eun-ha understands. My brother’s been in those situations way more than I have. I even got into some bad fights with other girls over it in the past… That’s why my brother doesn’t like younger girls much. Says they’re more fake than others.]

Haha, that’s a bit of a stereotype.

I laughed awkwardly at her words but kept my expression neutral.

Still, I kind of get it.

Only people who’ve been through that would really understand the feeling.

Maybe once these kids get a little older, they’ll understand this feeling of mine that I can’t quite put into words.

Using someone is fine to a certain extent, but approaching someone by using another person… sometimes that feels really disgusting.

I let out a sigh as I looked up at the ceiling.

Anyway, it’s all over now.

[But Eun-ha, your new haircut gives off such a different vibe. You look more grown-up than usual.]

Noticing I didn’t want to continue the conversation, Shia smiled and changed the subject.

He was right!

Min-hee eagerly picked up on it, and Hyun-ho and Han-soo agreed.

[That’s true! The bob cut suits you so well, Eun-ha!]

[Yeah, it does make you look more mature than usual.]

[When my little sister cut hers short, she looked even younger.]

“It’s nice having my hair short, but it’s a pain afterward. I have wavy hair, so it sticks out all over the place.”

[Is that really a problem?]

[Probably, right? Juyeon unnie has curly hair, too, and it drives her crazy. Oh! Now that I think about it, she uses some kind of gel that tames it… Anyway, it’s something like that. She says it’s magic-based, and the effect is amazing.]

“Really? I’ll have to beg my mom for some. Could you ask Senior Juyeon about it for me?”

[Of course!]

Yes!

I clenched my fist with a big smile.

This… technically, this also feels like using someone, but it’s a totally different case, right?

This is well within reason.

In the end, everything comes down to moderation.

That day’s call ended with us talking about my haircut after starting with the reason for the fight.

It was a productive conversation since one of my worries got resolved.

When my dad came home a little while later, I explained what had happened today almost the same way I had to Mom and my friends.

Dad was a bit taken aback, saying he never imagined I’d get into a fight at school.

Starting the next day, my school life changed.

First, maybe because they’d seen my true colors, no one tried to pick a fight with me anymore.

Especially that girl who’d experienced quite a bit of pain because of me… was her name Ye-seul?

She’d been the ringleader of those who had given me trouble, but when she stopped, the others hesitated and backed off from me as well.

Even so, the kids who disliked me continued to dislike me.

I know I’m not the kind of person who easily wins people over.

But at least my school life got much easier without those kids bothering me.

And then, a few days after the incident, I ran into Eun-hee unnie by chance.

“I heard from Min-hee. The reason you fought was because of us, wasn’t it?”

“Oh, that girl… I guess she admired you all….”

“Heh. Believe it or not, I’m actually pretty famous.”

Eun-hee unnie joked as she plopped down on a nearby bench, leaving a spot next to her.

I blinked at her for a moment.

I was on my way back after finishing a class that required us to move, so I was alone.

Well, a little break wouldn’t hurt.

I sat down beside her as she intended, and she gave me a warm smile.

“If it happens again, just introduce them to us instead of fighting. We don’t mind cute kids who admire us. It’d probably be easier on you that way, too.

Though, maybe it’s best not to introduce them to Ji-hyun… He can’t stand kids like that.”

I lowered my head, thinking of my past self.

Eun-hee unnie might say that, but for me, it’s something I really can’t stand.

I doubt even Eun-hee unnie finds it easy.

So I quietly shook my head.

Eun-hee unnie hesitated and then spoke again.

“…It’s fine, though.”

I shook my head once more.

“I don’t like it. It makes me uncomfortable. If they start to feel burdened, I’d hate it even more.

If they start doubting… I’d hate that even more.”

Eun-hee unnie looked at me with a stunned expression.

“…You’re really mature, Eun-ha.”

Then she smiled gently.

“But really, it’s okay. I’m used to things like this.”

To be used to being used by others, to feel suspicion, to bear that burden… I know.

I know a little.

It’s such a lonely, painful thing.

I pressed my lips together.

Even though unnie said it was okay, I still hated the thought of it.

I vowed silently never to let it happen.