Ha-ru thought everything that had happened today felt like a dream.
If it was a dream, where did it even begin?
Maybe it started when Na-me cast a magic circle laden with thousands of formulas? That might make sense; there’s no way someone her age could know such magic.
Or perhaps it was when she saw Na-me having a nightmare?
If not that, could the entire pajama party have been nothing but an extravagant illusion?
Ha-ru was utterly confused.
But now, she didn’t even have the time to be confused.
Beyond the door she was holding onto, there was someone she longed for deeply.
“Welcome, Ha-ru. You’ve even brought friends today?”
“Mom…?”
No way. That woman over there couldn’t possibly be her mother. Her mother had surely passed away…
Nevertheless, the face she missed so dearly, the familiar gestures, and her gentle voice compelled Ha-ru to move.
“Fortunately, the surgery went well! It seems like you’ve grown taller since I last saw you. Did you miss me?”
“Is it really you, Mom…?”
The moment she saw her mother’s kind smile, tears welled up in Ha-ru’s eyes.
The surgery referred to was the major operation from last summer.
The unprecedented surgery of transplanting an artificial aura heart was completed successfully, and the thought of seeing her mother getting healthy again brought Ha-ru immense joy.
But those hopes were brutally shattered when her mother passed away that winter. The thought of seeing her again made Ha-ru unable to suppress her tears.
“Mom… Mom…!”
“Ha-ru, aren’t you ashamed to cry where all your friends can see?”
“Why did you leave me? I missed you so much…”
“Where would I go leaving my Ha-ru? Look, the surgery went well. The doctor said I might even be able to leave next week.”
Sniff… Sniff… “I hate it…! I was all alone…! Even if you say that, you’ll just leave again…”
“Kids, I’m sorry. Ha-ru can be a bit spoiled sometimes. Are you all friends in the same class?”
Her mother turned her gaze toward Ha-ru’s friends.
Yuna, startled, introduced herself.
“Ah…! I’m Seo Yu-na, and this is NoName.”
“Seo Yu-na…? Ah, I’ve heard about you. You’re in the same 1st Grade Class C as Ha-ru, right? The other one’s name sounds a bit unfamiliar.”
“Well, I transferred in the middle of the year.”
“Transferring…?”
Ha-ru’s mother squinted suspiciously.
Currently, the time that served as the backdrop for the Alchemist is September 2050.
It wouldn’t be strange not to know Na-me’s name.
“Well… the academy… Anyway, thank you for coming to visit. Please take good care of my Ha-ru.”
Ha-ru cried so mournfully that Yuna and Na-me decided to sit apart from her for a moment.
The two girls sitting on the opposite bed observed the touching reunion of mother and daughter.
Yuna leaned in and whispered to Na-me.
“Did Ha-ru’s mom used to be sick a lot?”
“She died last December.”
“Ah… I see…”
Yuna nodded. She understood Ha-ru’s reaction.
Having almost lost her own mother, Yuna realized how immense that sense of loss must be.
“Ha-ru seems like a really pitiful friend… I always just thought she was unlucky…”
“There’s no one in this world without a story.”
“Do you think we could see my dad who passed away when I was little with this magic?”
“Probably not. He’s not in your memories.”
“I see…”
As the atmosphere became somber, Yuna swung her legs, which couldn’t quite touch the ground.
Seeing Ha-ru’s face drenched in tears made her feel unintentionally sad, too.
“Na-me, are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“Nio-be sister said you’ve always hidden your pain. She said you would lock yourself in and cry.”
“Nio-be said that?”
“My mom always told me to tell someone right away if I’m in pain. That way, I can go to the hospital and take meds.”
“Wise words.”
“So if you’re hurting at the academy, say it. Of course, you might know better than me because you’re smart, but, um… I’m taller, so I could carry you to the nurse’s office…”
“Are you worried about me? Yu-na, you’ve grown up to care for others.”
“Aah…! Stop messing with my hair, it gets all tangled! If you keep going, I’ll do the same to you!”
As Yuna tried to reach Na-me to ruffle her hair, Na-me flinched before Yuna could even touch her.
She covered her head with both hands and curled up like a small animal facing a predator.
Yuna’s hand stopped upon seeing Na-me trembling.
“Ah, sorry, it’s just a reflex… It’s a habit…”
Just as Na-me lifted her head to explain, Yuna recalled Nio-be’s advice and acted.
Whoosh-
“Yu-na…?”
Yuna embraced Na-me with all her might.
Her warm body temperature fully reached Na-me.
Feeling a suffocating sense of comfort, Na-me gently stroked Yu-na’s back.
Realizing this, Yuna mumbled softly as if complaining.
“Na-me is my most precious friend. So don’t get sick.”
Though it might sound commanding, one couldn’t help but smile at the eight-year-old’s small voice.
“Okay, I won’t get sick. With a friend who worries like this, there’s no way I could.”
“I came here super excited for the pajama party! Let’s play again at home later.”
“I actually prepared a lot for you guys, but I couldn’t get to everything, so I’m a bit bummed.”
“Really? What did you prepare?”
Yuna pulled back from the hug to face Na-me again.
“Well, there’s also Halli Galli and Pirate Roulette I mentioned earlier, and I brought a karaoke microphone in case you like singing, and I thought we could watch a movie while snacking. Or maybe a pillow fight? But I didn’t mention it because I was worried you’d end up fighting with Ha-ru.”
She revealed her grand plans by counting on her fingers. Na-me got indignant over the last remark.
“Even if I’m like that, I’m not a bad person, you know…? And after talking to Ha-ru a few times, I think we kinda grew closer.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Ha-ru wanted to be friends with you too.”
“Ha-ru wanted to be friends with me…?”
Yuna tilted her head in confusion.
“If you’re really suspicious, just play the Truth Game later and confirm it.”
Na-me was determined to play the Truth Game, if nothing else.
After all, there’s no game that strengthens children’s friendships quite like it.
Feeling that the time to cast Alchemist was about to end, Na-me called out to Ha-ru over Yuna’s shoulder.
She was so preoccupied with her mother that she didn’t hear Na-me’s voice.
Farewells were bound to be painful for anyone.
Just like Estasha, who had learned the perfect use of Alchemist and reunited with her siblings from childhood, or Baek Ah-rin from Araća-byeol who once liked Na-me.
So Na-me thought to give Ha-ru at least some ample time to say goodbye.
“Ha-ru, you didn’t take your supplements regularly when your mom wasn’t around, did you?”
Ha-ru’s mother scolded her daughter.
Even that nagging seemed overwhelmingly good, as Ha-ru just smiled goofily.
“Yeah! Honestly, I often didn’t feel like taking them.”
“How many times have I told you? You have to keep taking your supplements regularly from the start to make it easier later.”
Her mother took a small plastic container from her bag and handed Ha-ru a white pill with water.
“Here you go.”
“Can’t you just feed me yourself?”
“Seriously. Say ‘ah’.”
“Ah-!”
Ha-ru opened her mouth wide to have the pill delivered, waiting like a baby bird receiving its food.
“Hold on, Ha-ru, stop.”
Swish
Suddenly, Na-me snatched the pill from her hands with a scowl.
Both mother and daughter stared, dumbfounded.
“Do you know that what you just did was extremely rude, even if you’re Ha-ru’s friend?”
“NoName…? Why are you doing this?”
Na-me closely examined the pill her mother was about to hand to Ha-ru under the light.
There were no markings like any letters or symbols on its surface.
“Ha-ru, when did you start taking this medicine?”
“Na-me, suddenly—”
“When did you start taking it?”
Na-me shouted sharply, causing Yuna, who had been watching quietly from behind, to jump up from the bed.
Ha-ru’s mind went blank as she couldn’t understand why her friend suddenly raised her voice.
“How can the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea approve something like this?”
Na-me’s piercing gaze flashed.
Even the mana potion she took required numerous clinical trials just to change its form.
The residual from the mana purification process was not harmful to humans, mostly except for the intense pain it brought when consumed.
But as far as Na-me knew, the ‘supplement’ that was about to be fed to Ha-ru wasn’t one of those kinds.
“Hand it over immediately. That’s supposed to be a supplement for Ha-ru.”
“Sure, not a chance.”
With a crunch, the pill crumbled in Na-me’s hand.
Na-me immediately stood up and with a mineral-like voice, chanted the spell to forcibly dispel the magic.
[Dispel: Alchemist]
