Prologue Story

The day before the second-year closing ceremony, in other words, the last day of Class I’s lessons, the students clung to Teacher Min and Teacher Joon-hwi, almost in tears.

“Waaaah! I don’t want to move up to the third grade! Please stay as our teachers!”

Class I was a class designed for lower-grade elementary students.

This was the last time we would be learning from Teacher Min and Teacher Joon-hwi.

That reality saddened us, and Min-hee clung to Teacher Joon-hwi, crying and sniffling uncontrollably.

I, too, felt my nose sting as I watched Teachers Joon-hwi and Min.

Even though moving up a grade would mean they were no longer our homeroom teachers, we wouldn’t be unable to see them forever as long as we were in the same school.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel upset.

Realizing this gave me an odd sensation.

Since my reincarnation, I felt like I had changed a lot.

I wasn’t the type to get sentimental over such an inevitable farewell…

Teacher Joon-hwi gently patted Min-hee’s head as she clung to him.

“You little ones, why cry over this when it’s not even graduation? These days, kids don’t even cry this much at graduation.”

“But… but…”

It wasn’t just Min-hee.

Hyun-ho was also shedding large teardrops continuously.

Han-soo and In-ha, too, gazed up at the teachers with sorrowful eyes.

Han-soo’s eyes were red as if he were about to cry.

Though Teacher Joon-hwi spoke in a casual tone, he seemed just as reluctant to part with us.

Both teachers exchanged sentimental glances with us, showing that they had grown attached to us as well.

“Sigh, you kids. Still, it makes me a little happy to see you crying like this.”

Teacher Min said this as he hugged us.

Unlike usual, Han-soo didn’t push him away but quietly accepted it.

Oh, Han-soo just sniffled.

“Are you crying?”

“I’m not crying!”

At In-ha’s question, Han-soo shouted in a flustered tone.

Such adorable children.

Teacher Min muttered this while hugging us and patting each of our heads.

“You’re supposed to ease the kids away, not hug them tighter. It’s not like we can avoid parting ways…”

“Waaah! Sniff… Teacher…!”

“Alright, alright. Don’t cry too much. You’ll get to see me again in the upper grades. I’ll be teaching magic theory and practice for upper-grade elementary students.”

Finally, Min-hee’s sobbing subsided a little.

“Sniff… really?”

“Yes. And if you want to see me, you can always come find me.”

Teacher Min chuckled and whispered near our ears.

“That guy, even though he acts like that, he’s feeling sad too. So, you better visit often.”

“Sniff.”

“Yoo Min!”

“Alright, alright.”

At Teacher Joon-hwi’s stern voice, Teacher Min released us from his embrace and stood up, laughing.

Before completely letting go, he softly smiled and patted my head.

Once again, my nose stung.

We really had grown attached to each other…

“This is a good thing for you kids, too. Starting next year, you’ll have your own dedicated teachers.”

Teacher Min paused and looked back at Teacher Joon-hwi.

Teacher Joon-hwi let out a small scoff in response.

I glanced up at the two with a slightly uneasy expression.

“Some people don’t usually take on students, so be grateful. For the next four years of elementary school, you’ll receive one-on-one education from highly skilled teachers.”

While I was certainly looking forward to it, I knew no one could replace the two of them.

Eventually, I began to sniffle as well, and Teacher Joon-hwi smiled helplessly.

“Take care of yourselves, alright?”

“…Teacheeeer!”

Min-hee and Hyun-ho burst into tears again.

Spring returned, and we became third graders.

The first major change for us as third graders was the class reshuffling.

Last year, I was the only one separated, but this year I was in the same class as my friends again.

However, it wasn’t like first grade where we were all in the same class.

I was in Class 3 with In-ha and Hyun-ho, while Min-hee and Han-soo were in Class 2, and Shia was in Class 1, splitting us into three groups.

This time, it was Shia who ended up alone.

Though it was a bit sad, that feeling lasted only briefly.

Shia, though a little shy, was good at getting along with people.

Shia wasn’t just friends with us.

Although he seemed a bit down about being in a different class, he soon smiled and exchanged greetings with his new classmates.

After all, our entire grade barely had 100 students.

Even though there were a few new transfers this year, it wasn’t enough to reach 100.

No matter the class reshuffling, we all knew each other anyway, so there was little reason to feel sad.

Han-soo, upon checking the class assignments, worried more about himself than the reshuffling.

“Ah, seriously! Why am I in the same class as this guy?”

“What? Hey, what’s wrong with me?”

Min-hee poked Han-soo teasingly with her finger.

At her words, In-ha, Hyun-ho, and I exchanged subtle glances.

Min-hee often teased Han-soo, putting him in awkward situations.

Despite her innocent-looking face, she knew how to manipulate people.

As expected from Senior Ji-hyun’s younger sister.

“Today, too, you’ll probably use me as a shield when girls bother you about Ji-hyun.”

“Well, Han-soo, you’re pretty good-looking yourself! I figured that would shut them up!”

“Argh!”

If Han-soo and In-ha were arch-nemeses, Min-hee was Han-soo’s nemesis in another sense.

Han-soo just couldn’t win against Min-hee.

Out of curiosity, I studied Han-soo’s face.

Now that I thought about it, Han-soo did have neat features.

Even though he was still young and unnoticeable, I was sure he’d grow up to surpass Ji-hyun in looks.

In-ha already had a striking appearance as a child, but she was an exception.

Wow, I’m really lucky to be reincarnated here.

In-ha’s entire family was stunning, and Eun-hee unnie, Seonghu oppa, and Ji-hyun oppa were all gorgeous.

Not to mention, Han-soo, Min-hee, and Hyun-ho might follow suit.

Min-hee, being Ji-hyun oppa’s sister, already has an advantage.

Oh, and teacher Yoo Min is incredibly handsome too…

This is amazing.

As I thought this, my hand brushed against something in my pocket.

I pulled it out to find a folded sheet of paper.

‘Come to think of it…’

I had almost forgotten about it.

I unfolded the paper, which turned out to be something I had tucked away before.

In-ha came closer to me.

“Is that the club activity guide?”

“Yeah. I had stuffed it in my pocket.”

Upon becoming a third grader, In-ha had worn her uniform just as she had mentioned before.

They say a face completes the outfit, and In-ha made even the uniform look dazzling.

Sometimes, I wondered if we were even wearing the same uniform.

In-ha brushed her long, swaying hair behind her ear and leaned in closer.

“Have you decided yet?”

“No, I’m still thinking. Everything seems fun.”

Club activities were the only elective courses for elementary students.

For the most part, they were similar to the club activities I already knew.

The classes were the same, and students had to choose a club just like before.

The difference was that we started in the third grade.

This was because many of the clubs were related to magic.

Basic magic alone was too difficult for younger elementary students to handle.

However, not all clubs were magic-related.

There were plenty of ordinary clubs as well.

Once a club was chosen, we had to stick with it for a year.

Most of the time, elementary students were grouped together, and middle schoolers were grouped together.

But I’d heard there were a few clubs where elementary and middle school students worked together.

Many middle school clubs were also tied to school societies.

For reference, high school students didn’t have club activity classes.

I was excited about what kind of classes they would be.

Han-soo, who had been bickering with Min-hee, turned to us after overhearing our conversation.

“What, club activities? You still haven’t decided? I already picked mine.”

“Really? What did you choose?”

“The Gardening Club.”

“…”

I felt a subtle emotion at his words and closed my mouth.

Then, hesitating, I opened and closed my lips.

No, um… what should I say?

Thinking about magic, it seemed like a perfect fit, but when considering his personality, it felt somewhat unexpected.

With mixed feelings, I looked for the gardening club section on the printout and finally understood after reading the description.

『The Gardening Club grows plants (including magical plants) and cultivates them. If you want to try growing various magical plants, come join us!』

Ah, ah… This seems incredibly fun!

I brightened up and my eyes sparkled.

“This sounds fun! And Han-soo, it seems like a perfect fit for you.”

“Right?”

Han-soo smiled happily at my words.

Meanwhile, In-ha, who was reading the gardening club description alongside me, just scoffed.

Han-soo got annoyed at that, but honestly, it didn’t seem like she meant it in a bad way.

“I already chose and submitted mine! I picked the swimming club! They said they’d teach swimming! Plus, our school pool has lots of cool features!”

“I’ve decided too. I found a shooting club! I signed up for that.”

I made a slightly bewildered face.

Wow, really… our school has every kind of club imaginable.

Shia tilted his head and asked, “But isn’t the shooting club one where middle school seniors also participate? Oh, and the swimming club too?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Right! The swimming club also includes middle school seniors.”

The shooting club sounded interesting.

I fell back into contemplation.

Honestly, everything seemed fun.

In-ha looked at Shia and asked, “What about you, Shia? Have you decided?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m thinking of joining the library club.”

“Hmmm…”

I felt a bit unsettled watching my friends casually decide on their clubs one by one.

We were supposed to decide by tomorrow, but which club should I join?

I stared quietly at the printout and turned to In-ha.

“What about you, In-ha? Have you decided?”

“No. I’m planning to join wherever you go.”

“What? You should pick something you like.”

“I just want to be together.”

“It’s only two hours a week…”

Seriously, In-ha sometimes.

Han-soo grumbled from the side.

“Does she think she’s a chick or something…?”

“…”

In-ha glared at Han-soo.

Oh, here they go again, starting their little war of nerves.

I watched the two glare at each other and then let out a small laugh before looking back at the printout.

Well, whatever the reason, I should just pick what I want.

If I don’t like it after trying it this year, I can choose a different club next year.

I skimmed through the list of club names, pondering.

There were so many things I wanted to do.

Han-soo’s pick sounded fun, and so did Min-hee’s.

I liked reading books, and since I was addicted to letters, researching spell magic also seemed enjoyable.

But maybe that would get a bit dull.

I recalled the club activities I’d done in my previous life.

I had joined a literary creation club, a comic club, and a reading club.

I’d even tried embroidery and beading clubs.

All of them had their own charm.

I enjoyed reading books, drawing comics—though clumsy—and even doing embroidery or making accessories by stringing beads together.

‘Accessories, huh…’

Lost in thought, I glanced at In-ha.

I remembered the first day I gave her a gift.

Since then, we had exchanged gifts for birthdays and other occasions, but I could never forget the fulfillment I felt that day.

Moreover, stringing beads or tying strings to make accessories was one of my hobbies.

Especially beads, as they only required following a pattern to connect them, so it didn’t demand special skills.

Accessories were an area where my lack of dexterity didn’t stand out much.

By the way, there were a few fields where my lack of dexterity was unbearable, with pottery and clay crafts being the most prominent.

I had cursed hands that cracked clay mercilessly.

My friends used to marvel during art class at how unique my skills were…

Thinking back now, the necklace I made for In-ha back then had some obvious flaws.

After some deliberation, I scanned the printout again.

‘Accessory Making,’ there was a club that fit perfectly.

I was surprised it even existed.

Nearby, there were embroidery and knitting clubs too.

I immediately marked the blank space next to Accessory Making Club with my finger.

The color imbued with magic etched itself onto the paper as if drawn by a pen.

I folded the paper again.

“What’s that? Did you just mark something?”

“Yeah? Oh, yeah. I kind of decided.”

“Which one?”

Everyone turned to me with curious eyes.

I answered with a light smile.

“The Accessory Making Club.”

“Wow, that sounds so complicated and difficult.”

“In-ha, do you think you can do it?”

“I’ll give it a shot.”

Oh no, I forgot In-ha had planned to join with me.

I felt a pang of guilt but only briefly.

It’s just club activities, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.

Suddenly, Han-soo looked at me seriously and said something unexpected.

“But, can you even do that with your dexterity?”

“…”

Everyone turned to look at me.

What… what’s that supposed to mean?

I stared at him with a pouty face.

“What do you mean by that? I’ll do just fine!”

Annoyed, I turned my head away sharply.

Han-soo, startled by my reaction, flinched nervously.

I had rarely gotten upset with my friends before.

Everyone else was just as surprised.

Even In-ha, who often bickered with Han-soo, widened her eyes in shock.

“Hmph!”

I spun around and teleported straight home, leaving my friends behind.

It was the first time I had sulked at these little kids.

However, I only stayed angry for a moment.

By the time I started reading a book at home, I had already forgotten.

It was the kind of annoyance that disappeared after a night’s sleep.

But my friends seemed to think differently.

The next day, as soon as I arrived at school, Han-soo apologized with his head bowed.

Of course, I was utterly confused, having completely forgotten what happened yesterday.

Thinking about it, this might have been the first time I genuinely got upset with my friends.

Perhaps it was proof that we’d grown closer.

I heard that after I left, they were so bewildered by my rare outburst that they held a discussion about what to do.

Honestly, it was pointless.

When Han-soo heard my side of the story, he was so drained he almost collapsed.

After that memorable incident, we continued our conversation about club activities.

Club activities were held every Wednesday.

In third grade, our class schedule extended to include fifth and sixth periods.

The club activity classes took place during the last two periods on Wednesdays, the only day with a shorter schedule.

By marking Accessory Making Club on the form and submitting it, In-ha and I finalized our club activities.

Han-soo chose Gardening Club.

Hyun-ho picked Swimming Club.

Shia joined the Library Club.

Min-hee opted for the Shooting Club.

And In-ha and I selected the Accessory Making Club.

Apparently, the first month was a trial period, so if it didn’t suit us, we could switch.

“In-ha, if the Accessory Making Club doesn’t fit, pick a club you like instead. It’s important to choose something you enjoy.”

“Doing this with you is what I enjoy.”

“That’s not what I mean. Trying new things is important, and finding what suits you is even more important.

Being apart for just a couple of hours won’t change anything.

So, find something you think will be fun.

Of course, making accessories is fun too.”

I smiled warmly at In-ha.

After thinking for a moment, she nodded as if she understood.

Club activities would begin next week.

It had been less than a week since the new semester started.