18

I haven't really liked school much.

It was the same in my past life, where I had few friends.

To be fair, I had more friends in my past life than I do now, but it didn't matter in the end, because I still couldn't gain popularity with the kids at school.

I had to wake up early in the morning and attend classes that I didn't really want to listen to.

If relationships got a little complicated, there were always those annoying kids I had to face regularly.

The teachers who taught were indifferent.

Well, to be honest, I understand.

Whether it was teaching students or working at a convenience store, "work" was the same — there were things you didn't want to do, and you couldn't help it.

But still, shouldn't they have at least understood that we also had to sit for at least 50 minutes in a space with people who made no effort to hide their dislike for their work?

Thud.

Something flew from behind and hit my head.

It wasn't a hard hit.

It was probably just a small piece of an eraser or something like that.

The person who threw it probably wasn't someone close to me.

After all, in this class, besides Hayoon, there was no one I could call a "close friend."

I still didn't understand how this class ended up so awkwardly; all the kids here were from the "other side of the street."

It's been five years since the Galactic Federation set up its roots in this world.

Though it isn't a long time, in those few years, the Galactic Federation has changed many parts of Earth.

Naturally, there were people trying to get involved.

And most of those people were "well-off."

They were the ones with connections long enough to reach that far.

As a high school student, I'm not at the age where I fully understand all of that.

But still, those parents influence me.

"Get along with this person. Don't get along with that person."

Children who have parents like that tend to group their peers and decide who to associate with based on that.

Hayoon, who comes from a well-off family in the Galactic Federation, is someone I "should" get along with.

As for me, with no background, I'm the one I "don't need to get along with."

If you think about it a little, it's not a good idea to make things hard for me, considering how close I am to Hayoon.

But, typically, girls who are full of themselves don't really think that far.

Thud.

I didn't even bother brushing off the eraser crumbs.

If I reacted, the bullying would just get worse.

I didn't even say anything to Hayoon.

It wasn't a logical thought, but I didn't want to seek help for something like this.

Honestly, I can't really explain why.

Maybe it's just jealousy.

Anyway, since I didn't react at all, I guess they got bored, because the eraser crumbs stopped flying.

I focused on my notes without looking back.

I made eye contact with the teacher again.

The teacher seemed to have noticed the situation but quickly looked away.

Well, of course.

It's probably easier for them to just turn a blind eye than to get involved with a student who doesn't have parents.

For kids with parents, their parents might show up at school.

If those parents are the type to live for themselves, who knows what they'd say to the teacher?

So, yeah.

It's just like that.

Thud.

I didn't brush off the eraser crumbs.

Responding would just make the bullying worse.

I didn't say anything to Hayoon.

It wasn't a logical decision, but I didn't want to get any help for something like that.

Honestly, I couldn't even explain why myself.

Maybe it was just that damn jealousy.

But anyway, since I didn't react at all, they must have gotten tired of it because the crumbs stopped flying.

I kept my attention on my notes and didn't turn around.

I made eye contact with the teacher again.

The teacher quickly averted their gaze.

Or was that just my imagination?

I'm not sure.

After that, I didn't make eye contact with the teacher again until the class ended.

I ate lunch with Hayoon.

I didn't have many friends in my past life either, but at least I had a few acquaintances that changed from time to time.

But here, in this school, there was no one else to eat with except Hayoon.

The kids who lived across the street didn't approach me, and those who didn't, didn't seem to want to approach Hayoon either.

There was this strange tension between these two groups, and of course, I ended up sticking close to Hayoon.

And quite ironically, I was seen as someone who was "mooching off Hayoon" by both groups.

Hayoon often bought me things, but I never asked for anything.

I also bought things for Hayoon when needed.

Of course, I usually received more than I gave, in terms of the absolute amount of money, but still.

We grabbed lunch and sat in a corner of the cafeteria.

Normally, it was just the two of us eating.

We never really thought about calling anyone else.

But today was different.

"Hey, Hayoon."

A strange voice greeted Hayoon.

At the beginning of the school year, there were always kids like this.

The ones who tried to get close to Hayoon simply because they ended up in the same class.

They never bothered talking to me, sitting across from Hayoon, and only spoke to Hayoon.

Honestly, I find it amazing every time I see it.

No one would think highly of people who ignore their friends.

Or maybe these kids had some kind of unspoken rule of their own?

"Oh, hey."

Hayoon answered awkwardly as the kid sat down next to her, placing their tray.

Her voice was almost a mumble.

That was a sign that she didn't like it.

Hayoon, who's shy and doesn't get along with many people, tries to hide her emotions when she's around someone she's not close to.

The fact that her voice lowered meant she was trying to suppress her feelings.

I continued eating my lunch slowly, not caring if other kids sat near us.

The group that followed the girl who sat next to Hayoon, looking at me occasionally, sat down around us.

They seemed to be asking me to move, but I ignored their looks.

"We're talking for the first time, right?"

Hayoon glanced at me.

She seemed uncomfortable.

Although I don't talk about the kids who bully me, Hayoon at least has some basic awareness.

Even though she couldn't tell them to leave, she knew I could feel how uncomfortable she was.

Whether she noticed me watching her, Hayoon's gaze turned toward me.

I could almost see her calculating something in her eyes.

She didn't like me.

In the long run, she probably wanted to get rid of me.

After all, I wasn't really helping her.

But she had likely realized that ignoring me too much would backfire.

I mean, shouldn't she have figured out this much by now?

She was always surrounded by other girls (sometimes boys) trying to talk to her, and yet, she came to the cafeteria with just me.

"Hey."

Once the girl finished her meal, she greeted me warmly.

I stared at her.

I think I know where she sits in class.

She's behind me.

I can't say for sure whether the eraser dust was thrown directly at me.

But at least, it was in a position where I could see it being thrown.

I also remembered hearing a faint laugh from behind.

"Hello."

I just responded like that and went back to focusing on my meal.

Seeing me, Hayoon cautiously moved her chopsticks again.

"The thing is, we're in the same class now, so I thought it'd be nice to get along, you know?"

"Ah, I see…"

I carefully observed Hayoon's lunch tray, which had more greens than meat.

Thankfully, she hadn't completely stopped eating, so the food on her tray was steadily decreasing.

On the other hand, the others weren't like that.

They were more focused on talking than eating, which was to be expected.

I slowed down the pace at which I moved my chopsticks to match Hayoon's eating speed.

"The thing is… this might sound a bit embarrassing, but I looked it up. Hayoon, we live in the same neighborhood."

"Ah, really?"

When I heard those words, I almost snorted.

I barely managed to hold it in, avoiding the disaster of having the food in my mouth go through my nose.

"Actually, I've been a fan of yours for a long time."

That kind of statement had the opposite effect on Hayoon.

Hayoon was kind to everyone, and at first glance, it seemed like she could easily become friends with anyone.

But in reality, her standards were pretty strict and high.

Although she probably didn't realize it herself.

To Hayoon, a friend was someone who could treat her normally, regardless of whether she was a magical girl or not.

Obviously, after becoming a magical girl, there weren't that many people she met who passed that standard.

A friend doesn't ask for autographs.

Since they're friends, there's no need for something like that.

They might do favors for other acquaintances, but not for a friend.

And a friend doesn't introduce themselves to others by showing off their magical girl status or boast about it.

When she didn't bring up her parents first, it was clear she knew not to talk about them unless necessary.

The moment I said "fan" at the start, a thick, invisible wall was created between us.

"Ah… I see."

I felt like the light in Hayoon's eyes had dimmed slightly.

Of course, there was no actual change in the lighting, but it felt that way.

Was it because of that?

Hayoon, the oblivious one, probably didn't realize her words didn't sit well with Hayoon.

"When I heard we went to the same school, I really wanted to be in the same class."

I kept stepping on mines.

It seemed like when people around her supported her, they did it in the same way.

It felt kind of like a comic book.

Well, since it was based on a webtoon world, it made sense.

I messed up.

Hayoon looked extremely uncomfortable.

I shoved the food on my tray into my mouth, chewed quickly, and swallowed it down.

Then, I suddenly stood up.

"Hayoon, are you done eating?"

"Huh?"

Surprised by my sudden movement, Hayoon looked up at me, but soon smiled brightly and stood up.

"Yes!"

Naturally, Hayoon hadn't finished her meal since she'd been nibbling away at it while talking.

"Huh? Huh?"

Suddenly, the girl—what was her name again?

Anyway, the rich girl who didn't matter—looked at me and Hayoon alternately, clearly flustered.

"Hi, it was fun talking. It's nice that we're in the same class. Let's get along from now on."

I rattled off those words, then quickly turned around and left.

The three kids sitting at the table probably didn't know what was going on.

They didn't understand why Hayoon followed me or why she was smiling when she hadn't even finished eating.

Maybe they'd never understand.

I put my tray in the trash and grabbed Hayoon's wrist, pulling her along.

"Let's go to the snack bar."

Since we hadn't finished our meals, I had to make sure she got something to eat.

Although I shoved my food in my mouth because I didn't want it to go to waste, Hayoon wasn't like me.

"Are you hungry?"

Hayoon asked me that.

"Yeah, I'm at the age where I eat a lot."

I replied and bought two sausage buns at the snack bar, forcing one into Hayoon's mouth.

There were always kids like that at the start of each school year—those who tried to get close to Hayoon because of her background.

And they all had one thing in common: they were surprisingly persistent.

Moreover, their persistence didn't just show in the way they tried to talk to Hayoon.

They couldn't just straight-up tell Hayoon why she didn't respond properly to them.

Considering her background, they probably felt too small to say something like that.

So, most of the time, the frustration would be redirected toward me—someone who seemed easier to handle.

After lunch break, throughout class, I could feel their sticky emotions from behind me.

I thought maybe it was just me, but when the eraser dust hit me again, I could tell that it wasn't just in my head.

And then—

Thwack.

A sharp pain hit the back of my head, and I instinctively lowered it.

I couldn't not turn around now.

"Ah, sorry."

The girl who had spoken to me during lunchtime, sitting diagonally from me, lifted one hand slightly and said.

"Could you pick up the eraser?"

I looked down and saw the eraser on the floor. It was a torn-up eraser. What a waste.

I picked it up and put it in my pencil case.

It was a new eraser, but now it looked pitiful with its torn edges.

It would probably be happier living as a proper eraser inside my pencil case.

"Hey."

Her voice dropped a little.

Not loudly, though.

She didn't want to draw too much attention, probably because the teacher was still watching.

Plus, Hayoon was nearby.

Hayoon, who was already glancing in our direction, made the girl keep quiet until the class was over.

I thought she might try to pick a fight after class, but with Hayoon sticking around, that wasn't going to happen.

Yeah, I was an easy target.

I wondered what I should do about them for a moment.

'Should I… go straight home today?'

Maybe it was because it was the day after the school year started, but Hayoon asked if I was heading home right away, looking as though she felt bad about leaving.

"Next time."

I answered.

"I have something to do today."

"I see."

Hayoon believed me without question.

After all, we'd see each other tomorrow morning, so she wasn't too disappointed.

We waved each other off and I watched Hayoon walk towards her house before turning to go towards mine.

But not directly home.

I walked in a slightly different direction.

There were some people following me.

They didn't seem like the type to take the bus, but they did.

I kept an eye on them, just in case, and, sure enough, they were following me.

Was the eraser really bothering them?

In truth, it wasn't the eraser but me that was on their minds.

And it seemed like they were eager to deal with whatever was annoying them right now.

Hayoon, on the other hand, was a little oblivious to this.

She didn't realize I was being harassed, not because she didn't pick up on the hostility, but because she couldn't imagine anything worse than the usual bullying.

"Hey."

I heard her call out to me, with a voice that sounded a bit lower, as though she realized I had noticed her circling around.

"What?"

I turned around.

"Eraser."

"You're rich, right? Just give me one."

When I said that, she scoffed.

Hmm, she seemed like she might want to fight.

I tilted my head slightly.

She didn't look like someone who could win a fight.

You know how some people have really skinny legs, almost like they could snap if they bumped into something?

Well, her legs looked like that.

Honestly, I didn't think it was worth fighting.

I could just outrun her.

She'd tire out before I did.

Right now, they probably felt invincible because there were three of them.

They likely hadn't considered the possibility of losing.

They probably hadn't bullied anyone who fought back before, or at least not anyone like me.

So what should I do?

I took a moment to size them up and made my decision.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Do I look easy to you?"

"Yeah."

I nodded lightly.

Yeah, I did look easy.

Maybe too easy, like someone who would break with the slightest wrong move.

My bold answer seemed to catch her off guard.

I could see a flicker of confusion in her expression.

I guess no one had ever talked back to her like that before.

But for me, it was just a natural response.

"Well then, what's your plan? Want to hit me first? I can let you throw one punch."

Of course, I didn't plan on letting her actually hit me.

I took a step forward, and the girls flinched.

"Or should I go first?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Am I?"

Of course, I wasn't out of my mind.

I had dealt with enough people who disliked me hanging around Hayoon.

And every time, I made sure they didn't forget who they were messing with.

No one dared bother me after that.

That's why, even in the cafeteria, not many people tried to interrupt while Hayoon and I were eating.

I had been in these "battles" far before Hayoon had even arrived.

I couldn't lose to regular people, though.