Prologue Story

I was left alone in an instant.

The hand I’d reached out trembled in loneliness.

Only after In-ha disappeared did I realize the gravity of the situation and grabbed my head.

Wait, how did things turn out like this?

I need to apologize.

What did In-ha just say?

I felt embarrassed by the gathering stares.

But there was something even more pressing I needed to address.

“You don’t tell me anything!”

With an anxious expression, I bit my lip.

Did I… really do that…?

“Wow, that In-ha… Tsk, she finally snapped.”

“Wow… I never thought In-ha would go that far.”

“…By the way.”

With a surprised expression, I cautiously asked Han-soo and Min-hee, who were exchanging words without much shock.

“Am I really… that closed-off?”

“Yeah. To a frustrating degree.”

Min-hee confirmed immediately.

Han-soo also sighed and nodded.

I was so shocked that I froze.

Really?

For Min-hee to say that… I…

With an unusually serious expression, Min-hee continued.

“Eun-ha, you really don’t tell us anything.

Whether it’s something you like, or even if it’s your birthday, especially things you don’t like—if we don’t ask, we get nothing.

We know you care about us, but it still hurts.

If you treat even In-ha, your childhood friend, like this, then of course she’d feel hurt too. We’re hurt, too.”

“Shall we take this chance to go over each complaint we have with you?”

Han-soo started counting off on his fingers with a disinterested look.

“You keep training without telling us, only show your magic after you succeed, don’t say anything if you’re hurt, don’t explain the reasons either, you handle everything by yourself without telling us, never talk about what you like or dislike, and when you eat food you don’t like because we do, you never say anything, just eat it quietly.

In-ha had to tell us for us to even know what you dislike.

Do we really have to ask you about everything to get you to say anything?”

“That’s exactly it!”

Hyun-ho clapped in agreement.

I blankly sifted through past memories.

Had I really been like that…?

Looking back, it didn’t seem inaccurate.

But if I said I was in pain, it felt… I don’t know, like showing weakness or whining…

And saying I was practicing every time just felt like boasting… so I stayed quiet about everything.

My birthday was the same.

I bit my lip.

“I… wish you’d talk to us more, Eun-ha.

It’s nice you listen to us, but still.”

When it came to relationships, I was really unskilled.

So much so that I knew very little.

I was the shy type, and that was true in my past life, too.

I hardly ever made friends.

If I say I was practically treated as an outcast, you might understand the extent.

Being with friends like this was honestly a first for me.

So, I didn’t know.

Even with a friend I cherished and always wanted to be with, it was the same.

I didn’t know where the boundaries were for sharing and keeping things to myself.

I clenched my fist tightly.

“…I need to apologize to In-ha first.”

“Do that.”

I nodded.

I never expected things to turn out like this.

I should’ve been more considerate of In-ha.

Clenching my fists, I remembered In-ha’s face, which had looked on the verge of tears.

Even with memories of my past life, when it came to things like this, I was really no different from a child.

I let my expression fall into gloom.

But now was not the time to sit idly, regretting and reflecting.

First, I had to apologize to In-ha.

With a heart heavy with tension, I tried to picture where In-ha might be.

It was just after third period.

One more class left before school ended.

So, with the other kids, I ran back to the classroom.

In-ha was a model student, after all.

As I’d expected, In-ha was in the classroom.

Though she’d stormed off looking ready to cry, she was calmly sitting in her seat as if nothing had happened.

However, I could tell that the expressionless face that seemed the same as always was just frozen in anger.

I slowly approached In-ha, who was seated.

I knew if I spoke up in the classroom, the other kids’ gazes would focus on me, and that made me nervous, but I had to speak.

“Um… In-ha.”

“…”

“I’m sorry.

I didn’t know… that you felt that way.

I’m really sorry.”

The classroom was noisy since it was break time, so my voice was quiet enough to be drowned out.

Still, with several kids gathered around me, speaking seriously to someone, we drew glances in our direction.

More than anything, In-ha stood out just by sitting there.

“…”

In-ha didn’t reply.

I continued my apology.

“I heard from Min-hee, Han-soo, and Hyun-ho…

It seems like I really don’t talk to you guys much.

I’m not great at talking to others…

So, I never imagined you’d feel hurt over something like that.

I’m really sorry…”

“…”

“I’ll change from now on.

If something happens, I’ll definitely tell you guys.

So…”

“‘You guys’?”

In-ha cut me off and glared at me with a sullen look.

Under that cold gaze, I almost forgot she was just a child and froze.

“I thought I was your best friend.

But fine!

To you, I’m just like everyone else, right?!”

In-ha shouted angrily, and it caught our friends off guard as well.

“To me, you’re my most precious friend, the one I hold dearest…

But!

But to you, I’m just the same as the others…

Am I really your best friend?”

‘Of course!’

I screamed inside as I nodded vigorously with a twisted expression.

Han-soo, Min-hee, and Hyun-ho were now dear friends, too.

But they were distinctly different from In-ha.

In-ha was my first friend.

My very first real friend.

The one who’d been with me for years, my precious friend.

The first person I revealed my magic to.

In-ha said I didn’t tell her much, but still, I’d told her more than anyone.

Aside from my parents, only In-ha knew my true abilities!

Sure, it’s hard to express magic capacity in words, but In-ha knew my magical skills and how I approached magic better than anyone.

Whenever I succeeded in something challenging, she was the first one I’d eagerly show.

In-ha understood my talents, felt my magic firsthand—she knew it all.

Even if there were things I hadn’t explicitly said, she would have known by now.

We were that close.

But it seemed my words hadn’t reached In-ha.

“I don’t believe you.”

That was the end of it.

In-ha didn’t look back at me once.

Until all the classes were over, she didn’t speak to me, nor did she allow me to speak to her.

In-ha, who always softened her expression in front of me, kept a hard expression all day.

I forgot about the other kids’ gazes and fell into despair.

Despair—that’s what it was.

I couldn’t even answer Shia when he asked me what was wrong.

No matter what anyone said, In-ha was my most cherished friend.

The girl my age whose name I knew since we were babies.

Beautiful, cool, and with a dazzling smile.

I had always wanted to be friends with her.

But I never had the courage and just lingered around her.

Yes, it was In-ha who spoke to me first.

And miraculously, we became friends.

We grew close, laughed together, trained in magic, talked about magic…

What exactly did In-ha say she was frustrated with?

I thought over each point In-ha had mentioned.

Keeping quiet about my physical training, hiding when I was injured, not saying anything about my uniform, progressing with training alone…

My expression darkened.

Yes, that was what worried In-ha the most.

In-ha lacked the confidence that she was my best friend.

I hadn’t shared much even with her, whom I considered my best friend.

In-ha didn’t understand that, for someone who’d never had friends, this was the best I could do.

Or… was it really the best…?

No, that wasn’t it.

With a feeling close to tears, I thought,

The truth is, I could’ve shared more.

I could’ve opened up more.

Had I been too indifferent toward In-ha all along?

Even so, I told In-ha more than anyone else.

In-ha knew more about me than even my parents.

That’s why it hurt.

I felt sorry and immensely frustrated.

I was anxious, and my chest ached.

Right after homeroom ended, In-ha stood up without a backward glance at me.

“Uh, hey, In-ha…”

And before I had a chance to say anything, she teleported home using her badge.

That cold, indifferent expression was something I hadn’t seen since we became friends…

With a teary expression, I collapsed onto my desk.

I’d been anxiously waiting for a chance to talk to her, only to miss it so easily.

Then I heard the voices of my classmates nearby.

“What’s going on? Why’s In-ha like that? She’s always smiling at Eun-ha…”

“Did they fight? Isn’t that a good thing? I mean, In-ha is too good to be friends with Eun-ha.”

“Right?”

“Hey! You guys over there, shut it!”

I bit my lip hard as I heard the nasty remarks.

Yes, In-ha was indeed a beautiful and wonderful friend—almost too much for me.

But before my insecurity could settle in, Han-soo shouted furiously at them.

“You talk a lot for people who don’t know anything!”

“W-what did you say?!”

“From what I see, it’s Eun-ha who’s way too good for her! I mean, look, she apologized, and she’s completely ignoring her!

How does that feel, being told you’re ‘just a friend’?

Sounds fantastic, right?”

Han-soo huffed and then, a moment later, placed his hand on my shoulder.

When I looked up, Han-soo, looking slightly awkward, spoke.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. Even if she acts that way, there’s no way she dislikes you.”

“Yeah… Actually, that sounded almost like a confession…”

I smiled shyly at Han-soo, grateful for his attempt to comfort me.

Han-soo avoided my gaze, looking embarrassed.

Min-hee, Hyun-ho, and Shia also came closer.

“I heard what happened. You fought, right? Are you okay…?”

Shia asked with a worried expression.

I said I was fine, though I smiled wryly.

Min-hee glanced unhappily toward In-ha’s seat.

“In-ha seems angrier than I thought. Want us to talk to her for you?”

“I agree. I didn’t expect her to be so upset even after you apologized.”

The comfort from everyone helped ease my mind a bit.

But I shook my head at their offer to apologize on my behalf.

“No, it’s okay. Right now, it’d probably just make her angrier.

And… hearing what In-ha said, I think I really was in the wrong.”

Until now, I’d only had shallow relationships outside of family and romantic partners, so I’d never considered that staying silent could hurt someone.

“So if I’m going to make things right, it’s my responsibility. I’m really sorry to all of you, too…”

I lowered my head in apology.

But as soon as I did, Min-hee grabbed my cheeks and lifted my head back up.

Facing me, Min-hee gave me a warm smile.

“Don’t bow your head. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, exactly. Who are you trying to bow to?”

My eyes widened as I looked at them, dumbfounded.

Up until now, even though they’d seemed mature, I’d thought of these kids as just kids.

Maybe I was wrong.

Perhaps the real child here was me.

“Yeah! I’ll try to make up with In-ha soon.”

I gave my friends a bright smile.

Seeing this, Min-hee, Han-soo, Hyun-ho, and Shia looked surprised.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…”

Han-soo, clearly flustered, covered his face.

Min-hee, with wide eyes, said,

“Wow… we’ve been friends with you for a while, but it feels like it’s the first time seeing you smile like that…”

“Really…?”

“Did you smile like that often when it was just you and In-ha?”

“I don’t know… I don’t usually keep track of things like that. But…”

Maybe I did.

I murmured quietly, searching my recent memories.

Being with In-ha always felt warm, and I was simply happy.

Oh, yeah.

I think I did smile a lot.

Lost in thought, I suddenly jumped to my feet.

“Then I’ll be off. I need to talk to In-ha as soon as possible.”

“Yeah. Go get ‘em!”

Min-hee cheered, pumping her fist at me.

“Thanks!” I said, raising my fist in response and then teleporting home.

When I opened my eyes, I saw our front gate.

But instead of going inside, I immediately turned to face In-ha’s house.

After hesitating, I pressed the doorbell.

Ding-dong—