“I was really surprised thinking you were the teacher!”
Gasp!
“Originally, this was the time to take the potion.”
Tick-tock!
Yuna seemed to be fitting in just fine with her classmates while playing the air game, so I felt relieved and came to the bathroom to wash my flask as well.
But once I took a sip like I was smoking from an atomizer, I lost all confidence to drink this liquid again.
It was a bit late for it, but I thought I should take care of my tongue’s well-being before it’s too late, so I decided to use magic once more.
Just then, the bathroom fan was properly working, and I climbed up on the chair to sneakily blow the smoke outside. That should lessen the smell.
It was a perfect operation with no worries of getting caught. Until a curious kid saw me, that is.
“Isn’t that an e-cigarette…? We’re not supposed to smoke at our age.”
Haru pointed at the item in my hand.
“Can’t you see the flask here? It’s not a cigarette, it’s a potion I’m drinking.”
At first, I clumsily made it with an empty pen Yuna had given me, but these days, it looked quite like a real e-cigarette.
There was no need to connect it directly to the flask; I just needed to refill the solution.
“Why do you drink the potion like that?”
“Because it tastes bad.”
“It tastes bad?”
“Didn’t you see Yuna last time? This is way more disgusting than you’d think.”
When I first had it, I thought it was like Pocari Sweat; clearly, my taste buds were off then.
At that time, everything I ate tasted bland, so my body must not have been normal.
Recently, I’ve been able to smell things better and can somewhat discern flavors other than sweetness, which is a good sign that my body is recovering little by little.
However, that came with the drawback of the potion feeling increasingly disgusting.
But why is she trembling so much? The window is definitely open, letting in the cold outside air.
“Anyway, you’re not going to tell the teacher, right?”
“Yeah, I won’t tell, so can you let me go?”
“Okay? I guess I will.”
Clank!
With a clack, the bathroom door opened again.
“Do you want to have a quick chat in the hallway before going back to class?”
“With me? About what?”
“Just about school life and stuff. Since I’m the transfer student, I don’t know much about the academy. You were class president last year, right? You’re running for class president again this time, aren’t you?”
“Yeah… I guess. Don’t tell me you’re running too, Na-me?”
“No? Why would I bother with something like that?”
“Phew, what a relief.”
Haru sighed in relief.
She even despises being group leader for group assignments; I definitely don’t want such a troublesome position.
“But why is the class president election so late here? I’ve never seen a school hold it in early April.”
The cherry blossoms were already in full bloom, and there were lush green leaves budding on the branches. The gentle breeze coming through the hallway windows ruffled our hair and ran away.
“Instead, we can get to know who fits the role of class president while making friends over the month. Just being good at studying doesn’t mean they have responsibility.”
“Surely, it wouldn’t be great if someone like Si-hoo or Yuna became class president.”
“See? You think so too! Seo Yu-na only cares about herself! I tried to be nice to her last year since we were in the same class, but she even hit me! I had a bruise for a week, and it really hurt… And Na-me, being a totally clueless transfer student, she’s pretending to be friendly with you. But being friends with her is no good at all.”
“Hmm… You really think so?”
“Yep! Besides, that boring air game… If you saw how hard I was trying to win, you’d see. Look at this, my knuckles are all red!”
Haru held out her hands, palms down.
If she intended to ask for sympathy for her pain, that’s too bad.
“Haru, do you want to come closer? Let me see your cheek.”
“Why? Did I get something on my cheek?”
“Yeah, maybe?”
Haru slightly bent her knees. Just the right height.
Did she think I was going to wipe off something from her face? She gently closed her eyes, as if expecting it?
I was going to wipe off something, indeed. I would wipe off the rudeness dwelling in her.
I pinched her little cheek and pulled it.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Wha-what are you doing?!”
“You shouldn’t gossip about someone in front of them if you can’t say it behind their back. And I put in some effort to try to teach you the air game, and hearing you say it’s boring is a bit upsetting.”
“Let go of me!”
“Huh? Are you tensing up, Lee Ha-ru? Tensing up makes it hurt more, you know?”
Just because I’m small makes me look so easy to mess with, huh?
In the past, even the three dukes of the empire crawled in front of me.
Since Haru kept trying to get away from me, I decided to use my aura to make her legs go limp.
But I made sure she wouldn’t fall to the ground and get hurt, carefully helping her kneel in the hallway.
“The reason you shouldn’t gossip is also for your sake. There may have been things that annoyed you about Yuna. But from my perspective of hearing it, I could think you’re the kind of friend who just talks badly about anyone.”
“Ugh.”
“If I become close with you later, I might think, ‘Oh, this girl gossips behind my back even when something minor happens.’ Then would I ever earn your trust?”
“Yeah, I suppose so…”
Haru replied with a gloomy expression.
“That’s strange. Yuna may have a slightly arrogant side, but she’s not someone who would hit someone without reason. Did Yuna really do that?”
“You too…”
“Huh?”
“You just called Yuna arrogant a moment ago!”
“I can confidently say you’re a bit arrogant in front of Yuna.”
Even if I say that, Yuna would only flash that goofy smile of hers.
“So?”
“Actually… I don’t know, I can’t really remember.”
“Then should I ask Yuna later? If you were wrong, are you going to apologize to her? Of course, I’ll make sure Yuna apologizes to you for hitting you too.”
“Please, don’t ask her!”
Suddenly, Haru clutched my wrist and pleaded.
“Why?”
“Please. Just tell Yuna I’ll apologize now.”
“Did you curse at Yuna? Or did you get caught gossiping about her…?”
“No… No way, just…”
“Talking like that makes me even more curious.”
What did she do that made a seven-year-old angry enough to punch her in the stomach?
Is Yuna impressive for hitting her, or is Haru impressive for getting worked up to that extent…?
“Anyway, it seems like I need to hear both sides. There must have been some misunderstanding between Yuna and Haru. I’ll handle it well, so don’t worry too much. And I’m really sorry for hurting your cheek.”
Hearing just one side won’t reveal what really happened.
Typically, the perpetrator may forget, but the victim remembers that moment for a lifetime.
Just like how Haru seems to dwell on getting hit by Yuna, Yuna must have something she remembers too.
Looking at Haru’s red cheek and hands, my heart ached.
“What now…!”
“Just hold your hand over your face. I’ll make it not hurt.”
Casting: Tissue Regeneration
So once again, I used tissue regeneration magic. I feel like I’m using it really often lately.
I even thought maybe I should get a scroll for it at this rate.
Her red skin returned to its original color. Haru, probably intrigued, was staring at her hands alternately.
“Is it not going to split in half?”
Since class time was nearing its end, I figured I should at least show my face to the teacher before time’s up.
But Haru continued to kneel in the hallway without budging an inch.
I turned back to ask the reason.
“Did it hurt a lot?”
Is she a drama queen? It didn’t feel like I pinched her that hard.
“I’m sorry… I actually… said a really mean thing to Yuna.”
“Why are you crying all of a sudden?”
“To Yuna… I told her she was a bullied kid without a dad… I wanted to be good friends with you and Na-me, but if she hears that, she’ll dislike me, and… Na-me too… since you were adopted…?”
Haru confessed, biting her lower lip hard, trying to hold back tears.
How does she even know I’m adopted?
Yuna, who doesn’t even talk to the other kids in class, certainly wouldn’t tell anyone. Even kids can’t be underestimated when it comes to gathering information.
“Yuna had every right to be mad. But if you sincerely apologize, I’m sure she’ll accept it.”
“Aren’t you upset…? Not angry?”
“I would be upset if I heard something like that. But didn’t you want to be friends with me?”
“That’s right…”
“Then it’s simple. You apologize, and I accept the apology. I would really like to have a popular friend like you.”
It’s a simple thing.
Thinking about those who can’t even do something this simple makes me boil with frustration.
“Get up; you’ll catch a cold kneeling on the floor.”
As I reached out to help her up, Haru clung to my leg and buried her face.
“I… you know… I really regret saying that… My mom passed away in an accident last winter, and I realized how harsh my words were… Waaaah!”
Her mother passed away? That was the first I heard of this.
“Even though I barely gossiped… last year, I was the only one who looked out for Seo Yu-na among the girls… it’s so unfair! Why does this only happen to me? Waaaah…”
“Haru, you must have been through a lot. Did you endure everything alone?”
Haru nodded, sniffling with a nasally voice.
“I miss… my mom…”
While I silently comforted Haru, it seemed like she had more to say.
“When you pinched my cheek, it hurt a lot. I never got hit by my mom or dad. Yuna was the first.”
“Sorry for hurting your feelings. I’ll sincerely apologize again.”
“Apologize for scaring me in the bathroom too, and then…”
“Okay, I’ll apologize for that too.”
Wow, she’s surprisingly the type to have grudges simmering inside, isn’t she?
In the end, I had no choice but to comfort her until class was over, and the moment the bell rang, I grabbed her hand and raced back to the classroom.
Ding-ding!
