The leisurely period of the moving-in deadline.
During that time, I started to look around to find a house to live in.
The optimal new house was thoroughly considered for location, environment, surrounding transportation, and costs.
After discovering a property I liked, the contract process went smoothly with Ji-eun’s help.
“New house!”
“It looks better than our old house!”
The chosen officetel took into account many infrastructures and facilities like nearby pharmacies, supermarkets, and convenience stores.
It was quite a sight as all the furniture from the previous apartment was moved in.
Siyeon was excitedly exploring the new house, while Ji-eun was amazed, walking around the rooms.
The lease was 150 million won, with a monthly maintenance fee of 80,000 won.
Though the rent was expensive for an officetel, it was a duplex, not just a bunk bed… so it had a romantic second floor.
“There’s a second floor!”
Siyeon, who didn’t need to worry about money, was busy enjoying the house tour.
I wanted to choose an apartment since we had just moved out of one, but the basic rents near our previous house were in the hundreds of millions.
Even if it touched Siyeon’s sleeping money, outside of taking out a loan, it was units that couldn’t be solved within my limits.
It was the perfect environment, close to Ji-eun’s house, school, and there were convenience stores and pharmacies around.
It was not a new building, but it seemed to be well maintained.
Siyeon rushed down from the second floor, grabbed my arm, and hurried back upstairs.
“Look! The second floor!”
“I guess we can sleep here.”
The second floor, with safety rails and a storage unit attached to the wall, had adequate space.
Having checked the pictures multiple times already and coming over several times to confirm, it was something I was already aware of.
Even if it was a duplex, it was still the second floor of an officetel; it wasn’t that wide or high.
I could stand upright for now, but even at a height of 160 cm, I would hit my head on the ceiling if I stood fully.
In the corridor leading to the first floor’s entrance was a front-loading washing machine located under a two-burner induction stove.
The narrow sink next to the induction was a minor flaw, but how amazing could two elementary school kids expect to cook anyway?
I boldly got rid of the previous bunk bed.
In many ways, cleaning a mattress was a hassle, and the bedding seemed to fit better here since it could just be folded and the cover washed.
“We’re going to live here now.”
“Really!?”
“New house, isn’t it nice?”
“Yeah!”
Siyeon’s reaction made me proud just by asking and observing.
Little did I know at this time.
If any problems arise, we just need to flip the table over to the landlord.
To think I’d actually end up doing something I had only joked about.
“I’ll be back!”
“I’ll be back!”
Starting my fourth-grade elementary school life with a new mindset in the new house.
Right after the winter vacation ends, January is colder than December, not warm at all.
I huddled my neck inside my padding, crossing both hands inside the ample wrist area, like the overly individualistic Chinese characters often portrayed in various media.
Still, it was warmer than sticking my hands in a cold pocket.
“I hope I’m in the same class as Mari!”
“Yeah, it’d be nice if we were in the same class, Siyeon.”
Wearing a mask and waving her arms, Siyeon spoke her hopes.
We had never been in the same class all throughout first, second, and third grades.
The closest we had was being placed in the third and fourth classes in third grade.
As I responded appropriately to her shared hope, we headed to the building where we would have our fourth-grade classrooms starting today.
However, Siyeon was going downhill toward the building we used for third grade.
With her steps unconsciously heading down, I was a bit slow to speak.
“… The fourth grade is here!”
“Oh, right!”
After going down about three steps, Siyeon flinched and turned back at my exclamation.
In the hallway, the textbooks to be used for the new grade were neatly stacked, their strings untied.
The urgent matter at hand was class placement.
As soon as we entered the building, there were several sheets of paper posted on the bulletin board.
In that place where the classes and names of students were written, I quickly scanned for my name using my practiced speed-reading.
According to alphabetical order, I found my name first—Kim Mari… Class 1.
The name in the center following the alphabetical order was Lee Siyeon… Class 3.
Nope, same class was out of reach again.
“Siyeon is in Class 3, and I’m in Class 1.”
“Another different class…”
“Make sure to grab a textbook each, and check where you’re sitting.”
“Okay…”
We parted as we always do amid the yearly routine.
Siyeon, gloomy over not being in the same class again this year.
Even if she looks like that, her mood will brighten once we get home and order something delicious.
The entrance of the school, Class 1, closest to the side door of the building.
Since we were using a new building starting from fourth grade, unlike third grade when we had to walk up to the third floor, we were back on the first.
How great it was not to have to climb stairs!
Separate from that, expanding to six periods felt troublesome.
We had to stay with loud bullhorns that didn’t match our mental ages until 2:30 PM.
Was this place a hell on earth or what?
“Hey! How many levels have you cleared, boss?”
“Five, what about you?”
“I’ve cleared up to level seven?”
At least, everyone was a bit more mature now, and the phenomenon of being mocked for just a name without any brain with younger grades had decreased significantly.
At this point, boys and girls started to slowly separate, becoming like oil and water that wouldn’t mix.
Girls leaned toward hand games like air fairy or string games, relics of the past.
Boys gathered together as long as they could play with their phones, discussing games played on smartphones.
If they had their smartphones taken away, they doodled in their notebooks, creating their own games, drawing awful comics, or playing with slap cards.
In the lower grades, smartphones hadn’t been collected, but as they reached higher grades, they would be required to submit them during homeroom.
Parents protested a lot about that…
There are indeed parents who believe grades would improve just by taking away computers and smartphones.
Taking away smartphones wouldn’t make kids study; that’s foolish.
“Hah…”
Resting my chin on the desk, staring out the window during the third period class.
By chance, the seat I got stuck in was right by the window, making my desk crammed into a corner.
“Just try to come over! Everything is mine!?”
To make matters worse, my desk mate, a boy, seemed to dislike girls for some reason.
My image at school, built up over the years, was that of a strong girl with a sharp tongue.
“Go ahead and take it; just don’t stick to me, you jerk.”
The desks that were initially sticking together forcefully.
I lightly nudged the chair the boy sat on with my foot to create some space.
“Ugh!”
Looking frustrated, the boy let out a strange noise of anger.
The results of years of physical activity were starting to show, even for a young girl.
For now, I was strong enough to hold my own against boys my age.
Elementary school students were still far from gang fights.
Assuming it wasn’t one against many, I was the strongest in elementary school.
There was a boy whose elder brother was in sixth grade, bragging about black belts and taekwondo…
How silly.
Once, a boy actually brought his older brother to scold me, and I had to knee him right in the family jewels, perfectly matching his height.
After that day, strangely enough, the boys in elementary school began to be wary of me.
Basically, I was a pacifist, but I wouldn’t ignore fights that came my way.
The first day of school was, of course, like usual, not really a day for lessons.
So I got my phone back early, having a pleasant day heading home.
“Did you have any friends known?”
“Yeah! Hayaan!”
“That’s great.”
I didn’t really care since I didn’t have any close friends due to my cursed name and behavior, but I felt good knowing Siyeon’s old friend was in the same class.
Anyway, if she had at least one friend she knew, she’d get along well.
‘Huh?’
With my expression loosening, I checked my lit smartphone as I walked.
I noticed there were about three missed calls—curious, I looked at the screen.
The caller was none other than Ji-eun.
She must have known I was at school; why was she calling?
As that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly felt something was off and quickly dialed her back before my smartphone had fully booted up.
Before even a second had passed after hearing the ringing, the call ended.
It was so fast it could be described as light speed—when I picked up, I quickly blurted out the expected words.
“Hello?”
“Mari! What do I do… It’s a big deal, a big deal!”
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