Prologue Story

“Are you guys heading back now?”

“Yeah. We’ve seen everything we wanted to see.”

“Really? Since our classes are over now too, Min-hee, you should come with us… Hmm, would it feel a bit lonely if it was just Min-hee parting ways?”

“I’d feel lonely, I’d feel lonely! Let’s all walk to the school gate together.”

“Alright, should we do that then?”

Since it didn’t matter much to me, we agreed to Cheonho oppa and Min-hee’s suggestion. Cheonho oppa and Ji-hyun oppa quickly teleported, saying they’d go check attendance in the classroom.

The two of them returned soon. We walked together to the school gate, chattering away. Most of the conversation centered around our impressions of the duel we saw today.

“The explosion inside the barrier was really cool, wasn’t it?”

“I was so startled!”

“That barrier was incredibly strong!”

“Well, it’s a place that anyone at school can use, including school staff.”

When Cheonho oppa, raising his finger proudly, said this, I nodded in agreement, thinking that made sense. Just then, Min-hee raised her head with a look that suggested she’d remembered something.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t Juyeon unnie join our school organization too? Though it’s apparently different from what Eun-hee unnie is doing.”

“Yeah. Seonghu sunbae joined there too. Seonghu sunbae said he’d become a teacher at our school after he graduates from college.”

“Wow, really?”

I glanced over at Ji-hyun oppa. He didn’t seem bothered at all while talking about Seonghu oppa.

The conversation drifted for a moment, but we returned to our main topic, discussing the most impressive scenes from the duel we had just watched.

“I thought the clash of lightning was the coolest part.”

“Wasn’t it fun watching that senior fight with a buff cast on himself?”

“That was definitely impressive.”

“There was also someone who fought while praying, right?”

In-ha gave a very In-ha-like response. She only cared about things that interested her. Hyun-ho and Min-hee focused on entertaining highlights, while Han-soo shared brief comments on things he found amazing.

Han-soo’s comments aligned with my own preferences the most. I was thrilled too, having seen so many fascinating types of magic. I even thought that magic in this world could likely be divided into things like black magic and holy magic. Right, I should have recorded it. Why didn’t I think of that?

“Eun-ha, what impressed you the most?”

While I was grinning to myself, In-ha asked me quietly. In-ha had a good sense of my level of shyness by now. She knew, for instance, that if a person I wasn’t close with was around, I might find it hard to speak up even if she was beside me. So In-ha asked in a low voice, barely loud enough for me to hear behind our chatting friends.

“Um…”

I looked over at Cheonho oppa and Ji-hyun oppa, who were laughing, then leaned in to whisper into In-ha’s ear.

“For me, that fight between those two was the most impressive.”

“Their magic power?”

“Yeah. It was completely still at the end. That was actually a territorial clash of magic power. I don’t know all the details, but I guess those two’s magic heavily relies on dominating territory.”

“Hmm… I don’t really get it. What’s a territory?”

“Hmm… How should I explain it? Maybe ‘the distance over which one casts magic’ is a good way to put it? For example, in the case of my illusions, the space where the illusions appear would be the ‘territory.’”

“What’s the benefit of fighting over that?”

“Well… it might give an advantage when using your own magic?”

“So, does that mean in the case of those two, if one of them establishes their own territory, the other would have a hard time using magic?”

“Yeah, probably. It’s hard to find the right words for it.”

“It’s okay. I can just ask my mom about it later.”

“Hey! What are you two whispering about?”

Han-soo turned around and gave us a suspicious look. In-ha frowned, as if ready to argue—oh no, were they going to start bickering again? Knowing that Han-soo and In-ha loved to pick fights over each other’s comments, I jumped in first.

“Oh, it’s just a little secret talk? Something I ‘saw’ with my own eyes.”

“Saw” was a kind of code for me. But even though our friends were sharp, they were still kids, so I doubted they’d pick up on it… Just as I expected, only Min-hee and Han-soo seemed to catch on, while Hyun-ho and Shia looked at me with curiosity, urging me to spill.

“A secret? What is it? I’m curious. What did you see?”

“Well, you know… it’s a secret…”

“Come on, how many secrets can two girls have?”

“Right, right.”

“Hey, Shia, you’re not supposed to intrude on girls’ secrets.”

Fortunately, Cheonho oppa and Ji-hyun oppa stepped in to hold Shia and Hyun-ho back before they could get too suspicious. But I threw a quick glance up at Ji-hyun oppa. Since Ji-hyun oppa was so perceptive…

As I feared, Ji-hyun oppa was looking down at me with an expression that felt meaningful. Then again, it might have just been curiosity, and I was only feeling guilty because of my own thoughts.

After getting home, I messaged my friends, explaining the conversation I’d had with In-ha. They all asked back, saying they didn’t understand what “territory” meant or what I was talking about, so I told them to ask their guardians about it.

“But I have a feeling that ‘territory’ is something really important. Cheonho oppa’s duel with Ji-hyun oppa was decided the moment Cheonho oppa lost in terms of magic power.”

I could guess more or less. In fantasy novels or comics, things like “territory” or “distance” often held a lot of significance.

“…I should definitely confirm it.”

After thinking for a moment, I jumped up and dashed over to the house next door.

That day, In-ha and I properly learned about a magician’s “territory” from Auntie Suna.

Most of it was as I had expected, but its significance was far greater.

In the world of magicians, battles were frequently won and lost based on one’s territory.

The range where one could attack with magic, the distance where one could defend, the range where attacks didn’t penetrate, or perhaps the territory itself.

For a magician, there exists an absolute territory within which they can wield their full power.

Conversely, stepping into an opponent’s territory often means they can’t exert their strength fully.

At the very least, they would be at a disadvantage.

That night, after hearing Auntie Suna’s explanation about territory, I organized what I’d learned in my notebook and marked it with a star.

I had discovered something new.

☆

After class, I quickly packed my things into my bag.

So, where was I supposed to go today?

‘After stopping by the cafe, I’ll go look at some swords… and we’re planning to go to the pool on the weekend…’

I sighed as I remembered my promise to go to the pool over the weekend.

Hyun-ho can be so stubborn about things like this.

I don’t really like swimming pools.

It’s mostly because you usually have to wear a swimsuit.

The only reason I’m going is because there’s a water slide.

Besides, I don’t even have a swimsuit.

Unfortunately, though, the pool we’re going to this time requires swimsuits, so I decided to buy one.

Auntie Suna was absolutely thrilled about it.

Why exactly is Auntie Suna so excited?

‘Ugh, swimsuits really aren’t my thing…’

I made a grumpy face, then laughed.

Alright, sometimes you’ve got to give in to your friends.

Feeling like I always end up giving in might just be my imagination, probably.

Anyway, I should hurry up.

Today, I was going to eat something delicious with my friends.

Thinking about that made my heart flutter, filling me with excitement.

I cheerfully slung my bag over my shoulder.

I was planning to dash out through the back door.

But before I could do that, someone called out to me.

“Hey, you.”

When I looked up, I saw a few girls from my class standing in front of me.

The one who called me was standing at the front, with her hands on her hips and a smug expression.

She was a girl who could use quite a bit of magic and was treated as the informal leader among the girls in our class.

I looked at her curiously.

She was a girl I’d never even had a single conversation with before.

Why was she suddenly talking to me?

And with other kids, too… While I was wondering about it, the girl continued.

“They say you know Senior Joo Ji-hyun?”

Uh…?

That was a very unexpected question.

I was so surprised that I reflexively answered.

“Uh, yeah.”

It was a response that slipped out in my flustered state.

After answering, I felt momentarily taken aback.

A strange feeling gripped my heart.

At my answer, the girls in front of me widened their eyes in surprise.

They surrounded me, their eyes shining with excitement, and leaned in uncomfortably close, shouting their questions.

“How, how do you know him?”

“Can’t you introduce me just once?”

“Me too!”

“Hey! Why do you get to know Senior Joo Ji-hyun?”

Realizing the situation was getting a bit awkward, I pressed my lips together.

I knew that I should turn them down in situations like this.

It’s partly based on experience, but it’s also like a rule in comics and novels.

There’s a famous person.

A not-so-close friend of that person introduces someone to them.

When they meet, it turns out that person is a fan.

It happens over and over.

There are tons of people who try to cling to famous people.

And plenty who want to use them.

This might be different, but if someone I wasn’t close to started introducing people just because they were asked, how annoying would that be?

That would be a hassle for Ji-hyun oppa.

“He’s just an acquaintance. We’ve only crossed paths.”

I replied, keeping a blank expression and a look of polite discomfort.

At that, the girls’ faces shifted to say, ‘I thought so.’

“Figures… then, introduce us to Ji-hyun oppa’s little sister.”

This time, I made a genuinely troubled face.

What is this?

Are they seriously asking me to set off a friend-relationship bomb now?

I frowned slightly.

Obviously, I had no desire to ruin things with Min-hee.

But…

I silently observed the girls in front of me, their eyes shining with anticipation.

Every single one of them was a girl who had looked down on me, whispering behind my back that I couldn’t even use magic properly.

If I turned them down now, our relationship would probably end up worse than ever, right?

Especially since we’re young and more impulsive.

If even adults act like this, then…

Apparently, not many people know that Min-hee is Ji-hyun oppa’s sister.

Maybe she only told close friends.

After considering the situation from several angles, I answered.

Honestly, no matter what happened between me and these girls… yeah, it didn’t bother me at all.

“No, I can’t.”

“What, what?”

The girls, who had been startled by my answer, quickly turned hostile.

“What?! So you’re the only one who gets to know him?”

“You’re so annoying!”

“So petty!”

I shrank back for a moment under the force of their reaction.

Even though I was used to these cold stares, it was hard to just stand there and take the insults head-on.

I forced myself to respond with feigned confidence.

“Sorry, but he’s a friend of mine, so he’d probably really hate it. You’d hate it too if someone wanted to be friends with you just because they had an agenda, right?”

Though I offered my answer sincerely, the girls, still too young to understand, just grew more irritated.

“What? What does that even mean?”

“Forget it, just tell us! You can’t even use magic!”

“—What is this now?”

Wow, just when I was in a tough spot, the timing couldn’t have been better.

I smiled with relief when I saw Han-soo walk in through the back door.

The girls who had been pressuring me were startled and turned to look at the back door.

Behind Han-soo, I could see Min-hee, Hyun-ho, In-ha, and Shia.

My friends looked at the girls facing off with me, their expressions confused.

Now that I noticed, it had been a while since class ended, yet quite a few students remained in the classroom.

They must have been eavesdropping.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, my friends walked briskly into the classroom and stood by my side.

“What’s going on here?”

Min-hee was the first to try to settle the situation.

In-ha followed by giving the girls blocking me a cold glare.

At her icy gaze, the girls flinched, their faces reddening.

Usually, they’d flush with anger or frustration, but with In-ha, her appearance alone could make people back down.

Then, in the next moment, the girl who had first questioned me in that haughty tone suddenly called out Min-hee’s name in a friendly manner.

I was honestly a little surprised.

“Oh, Min-hee. Well… you know that she knows Senior Ji-hyun, right?”

“How did you know that?”

Min-hee’s eyes widened in surprise.

Whoa… I couldn’t help but be impressed inwardly.

That girl wasn’t even in our class last year.

Yet, the way she casually used Min-hee’s name… I guess Min-hee’s already become close with kids in other classes too.

So typical of Min-hee.

And that’s when I finally figured out how they knew that Ji-hyun oppa and I were acquainted.

“A photo of Senior Ji-hyun was posted on the school website, and Eun-ha was next to him in it.

So when I asked Eun-ha about it, she said her friend was Senior Ji-hyun’s little sister.

When I asked who that was… I really admire Senior Ji-hyun. I just wanted to meet him once, but she wouldn’t tell me anything! She’s so mean…!”

“That’s me.”

Before the girl could finish, Min-hee cheerfully pointed to herself.

I didn’t know how to react.

The girl was visibly taken aback.

“What?”

“That’s me. Don’t blame Eun-ha for not saying anything.

Our oppa really hates young girls.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

The girl’s tone faltered, suddenly sounding cautious, as if her confidence had deflated.

Wow… amazing.

I looked at Min-hee with admiration.

The girl’s face showed nothing but pure disappointment, without any sign of rejection.

Watching that, I sighed inwardly.

I also wanted to communicate like that, in a way that didn’t hurt the other person’s feelings.

Why can’t I manage it?

The girl squirmed, glancing sideways at Min-hee.

“But still… I just want to meet him once…”

“Oh, no, no, absolutely not.

Our oppa is really scary when he’s mad!

You’d be better off meeting him directly instead.

Our oppa immediately distrusts anyone I introduce to him.

Honestly, it’s because he cares about me so much…”

“Wow, really? I’m so jealous!”

The girls raised their voices, cheeks blushing.

So jealous! That’s so nice!

The classroom atmosphere instantly lightened.

All I could do was marvel at her.

The fact that even Han-soo looked surprised said it all.

“Our oppa is kind of cool, I guess?

I’ll upload a solo picture of him on the school website soon.

I have to get his permission first, though.

Our oppa’s got quite the temper! Grr!”

Min-hee bent her hands like claws, imitating an animal.

The girls giggled and laughed.

“Eek! Min-hee, that’s scary!”

“Is that for real?”

“It’s true. Senior Ji-hyun does look a bit intimidating when he’s alone.”

“Yeah, yeah. But he’s so cool!”

“He’s cold and cool!”

The girls squealed and cheered around Min-hee for a while.

Then, after a few moments, they dispersed as if nothing had happened.

I stared blankly at the scene.

So, that’s what it means to have a knack for handling people.

Min-hee waved enthusiastically at the girls leaving through the back door, then turned back to us.

“Let’s go now.”

“…Oh? Yeah…”

I snapped out of my daze and followed Min-hee.

The others seemed a bit amazed, but then they all trailed after her.