READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 222
After repeating that cycle, somehow managed to finish the mock exam…
“Did you stay up all night studying?”
Friends swarmed over, pretending to be concerned while reaching out to pinch my cheeks.
Like kneading sticky rice cake, my cheeks spun around under their fingers.
Too tired to tell them to stop, I just quietly accepted it.
“Not really, I didn’t stay up late studying…”
Answering the question they threw out just to pinch my cheeks, I grabbed the arm of the hand touching my face.
No particular meaning, just a reflex to the physical stimulation.
The second day of school ending early.
Even though it was just a mock exam, the class, drunk on the post-exam vibe, briefly escaped from study talk.
“Anyone feel the earthquake yesterday?”
“Me, me! I woke up scared!”
“Earthquake? What earthquake?”
“They say it was the Magical Girl who did it.”
Today’s topic was the monster extermination that happened at dawn.
A bit overdone, so there were a few articles with the vibe of “Thought it was an earthquake, but it was monster extermination.”
Kids these days, glued to their smartphones, shared their experiences of feeling the ground shake.
That was me, you brats.
“Did you feel it, Mari?”
“Nope.”
Shaking my head calmly at the sudden question, I answered no.
I was at the epicenter, but I was floating in the sky…
I could hear the rumble, but since the ground wasn’t touching me, I couldn’t feel it.
The earthquake talk naturally shifted to Magical Girl talk.
Completely unaware that the cheeks they were pinching belonged to a Magical Girl, they started talking like it was someone else’s story.
“How much do Magical Girls earn?”
“At least a million a month, right?”
‘Unless they’re on some special assignment, it’s not that much.’
“Must be nice, just flying around when they travel.”
‘I use public transport.’
“Even better, they work from home. Just chill with their phones and go out when needed.”
‘I’d like to see them on standby for two weeks.’
Silently refuting every fantasy the girls had about the Magical Girl profession, I pondered the gap between ideals and reality.
You think being a Magical Girl is a piece of cake?
Do you know how nervous I am right now, waiting for a monster to appear?
But even so, a Magical Girl who doesn’t want to reveal her identity can’t do much.
Swallowing unspoken anger, I just made an uncomfortable face.
Feeling the squishy sensation of my cheeks being pulled, that’s when…
“Mari, wanna go to karaoke?”
“Huh? Well…”
Even though it was just a mock exam, the test was over, so the karaoke invitation came my way.
PC bang, sure, but karaoke? Not really…
Hesitating with a “Well…” and not giving a clear answer, the teacher walked in at the perfect timing.
“Sit down—”
And just like that, I avoided answering, pretending not to hear…
“Huh? Let’s go—”
Even after class ended, the karaoke squad persistently asked.
From three people when first invited, the group inexplicably grew to six after class.
What teamwork, do they have telepathy or something?
Siyeon, who could’ve been my excuse to decline, was late and hadn’t arrived yet.
Just then, a familiar figure stopped by the back door among the students passing through the hallway.
“Mari, what are you doing? Not going?”
“Ah, I’ll go!”
Hearing Siyeon’s voice, I quickly took a few steps forward, like grabbing a lifeline.
Saved, I thought I had hope, but only for a moment.
A classmate closer to the back door than me spoke to Siyeon.
“We’re going to karaoke with Mari, you coming, Siyeon?”
Before I could even answer, my schedule was already decided.
What, who said I’m going?
“I’m fine with it, you wanna go?”
Siyeon tilted her head, not really into karaoke, and asked me, “You wanna go?”
I was planning to use Siyeon as an excuse to bail, but now I had to make a clear decision.
Brain freeze, hesitating to answer, that’s when…
“I’m fine, have fun!”
‘Oh, please.’
Siyeon jumped to conclusions, and the lifeline I grabbed snapped.
Like the tiger in the fairy tale chasing siblings, grabbing a rotten rope and falling.
Clearly the villain in the story, but I can’t help but understand…
Siyeon disappeared down the hallway with a cheerful expression.
Left behind without realizing it, I was dragged along by the atmosphere to the coin karaoke.
You might say, just refuse, but the atmosphere doesn’t make it easy.
You know how it is.
At a company meal, if everyone agrees on jajangmyeon and you say, “I want jjamppong,” you’re instantly labeled the crazy one.
Yeah, that kind of vibe.
“What songs do you like, Mari?”
Unknown recent songs passed by, and my turn, which I kept avoiding.
I had to sing something, but nothing came to mind.
Not really familiar with girl songs, so I went with old anime songs.
“One more time, give me—!”
Recalling old memories with each turn, singing anime songs like a pilgrimage.
The others were like, “When were these songs from?” but since the songs themselves were good, they clapped along.
Miss you, Tooniverse.
“See you tomorrow!”
“Bye!”
After belting out memories and surprisingly enjoying it, we all headed home.
Seeing friends dragged away by parents’ calls or texts telling them not to come back too late, I waved gently, thinking, “Just three more years of this.”
I could’ve treated them to lunch with my adult money, but since everyone was heading home to eat, I couldn’t just offer.
Thinking of eating alone, I texted Siyeon.
If she said she’d eaten, I’d eat alone; if not, I’d go back and eat together.
Tap tap, the smartphone keyboard I could type on with my eyes closed quickly sent the message.
[Did you eat lunch?]
[Not yet.]
The reply came almost instantly.
It’s almost 1 PM, and you haven’t eaten yet?
About to ask why, another message came.
[Ji-eun unnie is at home.]
“Huh?”
Wondering what was going on, I hurried back home.
Opening the front door, I heard the murmuring voices of two women inside and quickly headed to the living room.
First to greet me was Siyeon, talking to Ji-eun unnie.
“You’re back?”
“Mari, hi—!”
Then, Ji-eun unnie, leaning over and waving from inside the living room.
Waving back as a greeting, I asked unnie, who usually has Juwon and Uncle Dae-han around.
“What brings you home?”
“After dropping Juwon off at kindergarten and finishing the housework, I came out for a breather.”
Probably making a surprised face, unnie continued with a mock pout.
“What, can’t I come without a reason?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Answering the sharp question while trailing off, I scratched the back of my head.
It’s just weird seeing someone who usually moves around with the family alone, like ordering a burger and not getting fries and a coke.
In short, it’s awkward.
Scratching my head like that, unnie moved on to the next question without waiting for an answer.
“Mari, you had a mock exam, right? Where’d you go without Siyeon?”
When unnie came over, only Siyeon was at home.
Still thinking of us as inseparable elementary school kids, she asked with a puzzled look.
“Didn’t you hear? I went to karaoke with the kids.”
Of course, Siyeon must’ve already told her.
Thinking that, I asked back with the same puzzled look, and unnie continued.
“What about Siyeon? Why didn’t you go together?”
‘Exactly.’
Looking at Siyeon while unnie asked, I silently agreed.
Yeah, why didn’t you come and share the aggro?
Staring at Siyeon, who smoothly answered.
“It’s awkward if I join the 1st class kids.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
Finally revealing why she didn’t join the karaoke squad, Siyeon got some understanding from unnie.
So that’s what you were thinking.
Regardless, unnie’s next question was about my karaoke song choices.
“What songs did you sing?”
“Gale Force, Declaration, Goodbye, Don’t Stop Me…”
“Wow, those are really old songs, right? I think I remember hearing them on TV…”
Unnie marveled at my outdated song choices, recalling them from her memory.
…Yeah, it’s been a while since they came out.