Chapter 187

It was a festival where we couldn’t do anything and just lay in bed, but with the support of those around us, we ended up having a fulfilling holiday.

After such a holiday, the period indicating the end of winter vacation was approaching.

On the internet, pictures combining dogs and school photos were circulating wildly, and as despair over the ending vacation was being expressed in posts.

To be honest, even though it was the end of winter vacation, it wasn’t too despairing.

After a few days of going to school, we had an additional short break of about 2 to 3 weeks due to a schedule adjustment called spring break.

Between the end of winter vacation and spring break, the atmosphere at school was truly…

So easy to summarize, it could be definitively stated as a playground.

“The girls’ middle school next door said they all start school in March.”

“Really? Ah, I’m so jealous.”

Talking about festival money and stories of other schools’ winter and spring vacations.

I can imagine that conversations were shared like that via a messenger app, but perhaps because there was nothing to do once at school, the students opened their pockets of stories they had been saving.

Even amidst such a noisy atmosphere, there were some diligent students who opened their study materials.

If you were to ask me which side I was on, I would say I was on the side chatting and getting swept away by the atmosphere.

Dongha, who had been dragged around by his dad throughout the vacation.

As soon as he met the usual four we see at school, he abruptly asked me.

“How was this year’s comic market?”

Dongha, who is genuinely invested in everything related to magical girls.

He even considered buying official merchandise, which he heard resellers got burned on and cut ties with, so it’s clear he’s not in his right mind.

In response to his question, I recalled the comic market that took place just before Christmas.

To recapture that memory…

“There were so many people….”

The simple impression that there were indeed many people.

And the memory that it was extremely cold, and that I liked the hotel, were the only things I held onto.

There were indeed many things, but almost nothing was clearly memorable, and all I had was a few cushions lying around at home and a couple of badges.

“Of course, that’s to be expected. So, what did you buy?”

Despite my impression of the large crowd, Dongha quickly furrowed his brows as if it was expected and then asked what I purchased.

From that question, I found it somewhat ambiguous to pick out just one thing since I bought various items.

The only thing I had that I could show off was a badge of the Mun character that Shiyeon insisted I carry.

The rest were items from home, most of which were in Shiyeon’s room.

I got up from someone else’s seat temporarily to check mine and pulled the clip of the badge hanging from my bag back before returning.

“This is it.”

“Oh, it’s the Mun character!”

Dongha, clearly not someone who isn’t a magical girl otaku, recognized the character just by seeing its face.

In contrast to Dongha, who was purely impressed by the merchandise, Seonhyuk, true to his character, was busy making sarcastic remarks.

“Wow, you carry stuff like this too?”

“Hey, what do you mean by that?”

“Yikes!”

You too, stuff like this.

It was a phrase that was hard to just pretend I didn’t hear. I quickly reached out and tightly grabbed Seonhyuk’s neck like catching a chicken.

While Seonhyuk was gasping, it was clear he said that with bad intentions, but in a bid to cover it up, he was coming up with excuses a bit slowly.

“I thought… you weren’t interested in this kind of stuff! Why! Why!”

With that lame excuse, he barely dodged a bullet.

I let go of the strength in my grip around Seonhyuk’s neck and subtly backed away while watching him with eyes that already knew everything.

Seonhyuk, with a look as if he had barely escaped, turned the topic to festival stories.

Cousins and distant cousins whose faces we hardly knew weren’t my concern; the main topic was always about the money received during the festival.

When students talk about festival stories, it usually just centers on how much everyone received.

“I got 170,000 won.”

“I got 310,000.”

“110,000.”

“200,000.”

In turn, Seonhyuk, Dongha, Taehyun, and then me.

Our combined festival money ranged from 100,000 to 300,000, which is a decent amount for student pocket money.

It seemed that no one was outliers in the millions.

Though I didn’t receive anything this festival, saying I didn’t receive a penny would obviously make me look weird, so I mixed in some harmless lies.

Of course, Taehyun, who had heard about my family situation, looked at me with eyes saying, “Where did you get 200,000?” but it didn’t matter.

I was too lazy to explain to everyone and hoped they wouldn’t ask.

Perhaps sensing my intent, Taehyun quietly let it go without any further comment.

Those short days of school transitioning from winter to spring vacation.

I hoped we could move up to 2nd grade together in this same class, but…

Such a good story would likely never happen in reality.

After spring break, my designated seat according to the class assignment.

2nd grade, Class 8.

After confirming my seat, I scanned the other names also in Class 8.

As a habit, I first skimmed through the boys’ names.

“It’s completely torn apart….”

Taehyun isn’t here.

Seonhyuk isn’t here.

Dongha isn’t here.

The four of us that used to hang out together are truly torn apart.

Having roughly checked the boys’ names, next are the girls’ names.

Surely, there wouldn’t be one with none from this side, right?

“Seohyun is here… Oh, Shiyeon is here too?”

At least, I discovered some familiar names as a small consolation among the misfortunes.

Even though the boys were all torn apart, it was somehow fortunate that Seohyun and Shiyeon ended up in the same class too.

At least I wouldn’t have to eat alone in the cafeteria.

After letting out a sigh of relief internally, I called Shiyeon, who was looking for her name here and there, showing her the seating chart.

Even though our seats were quite far apart, being in the same class was a good thing.

“Looks like 2nd grade will consist of girls just playing with each other.”

As for topics of conversation among the girls, I didn’t have much to contribute.

With such thoughts, I stepped into Class 8 with a nonchalant attitude.

Second-year middle school, a time often described by the expression “middle school second-year syndrome,” when teachers, parents, and even students can find it hard to manage each other.

Unlike the confusion of the first year, now there were students beginning to show their adult-like qualities.

Of course, it was only a superficial appearance of adulthood.

It was just the struggles of young kids trying to act like adults.

If one became a second-year, the students who used to bicker in 1st grade began to settle into their ranks…

In some ways, even the so-called delinquents appeared to be quite tame at this time.

Some students who loved comics were likely nurturing a small dark history in their hearts called ‘style.’

But at the same time, as the element of exams began to publicly infiltrate school life.

Different subject teachers would say it was a different deal altogether and would emphasize how it was a crucial time to determine life’s direction.

Midterms, finals, first tests, second tests, first written evaluations, second written evaluations.

Trying to change the terminology officially, a bunch of synonyms for the same meaning suddenly proliferated.

The terms chosen by each teacher differed by age group, but there was still a common saying.

“Didn’t you enjoy just playing around? From now on, everyone needs to get their act together.”

Get your act together, underline the parts in the textbooks that will be on the exam, study hard.

Words I’ve heard so many times in my past life they could form a scab on my ears.

No matter how much the world changes and technology advances, one thing remains unchanged.

Perhaps the only difference is that facilities got a little better than the days of using thick monitors?

The essence of repeat rote education remains unaltered.

Following directions to underline the parts in the textbooks that say “this will be on the exam”…

Falling asleep at my desk and occasionally snagging a piece or two from the friend in the back who sneakily munches on ramen.

Indeed, I repeated a life far removed from studying.

Studying for middle school is that.

What about studying in high school?

It’s studying for ranking well enough to get into a good college.

Then what’s the reason to get into a good college?

To gain an advantage in the job market known as the hell of employment.

For someone like me or Shiyeon, where the end goal is guaranteed, it sounds just like a place to feel good.

Of course, it would be absurd for me to explain this to Shiyeon and tell her to give up on studying and do well.

It’s just that in 2nd grade, one is still a little too young to grasp that essence.

Even if they might understand intellectually, their young, obedient cells are still hard at work following “as the adults say!”

What they think is rational bounces off, and it’s a far cry from this side where we spit things out if they twist a little.

What does school mean to me?

It’s like a second playthrough I enjoy as a girl, as well as a CCTV role to check if Shiyeon doesn’t encounter any strange incidents.

Regardless, as long as nothing particularly bad happens, it would be better to go until high school.

…For the sake of a certain level of common sense.

“Ahh, I slept well.”

Stretching and yawning at school.

Seeing me stretching so comfortably that tears welled at the corners of my eyes, Shiyeon looked at me disapprovingly and chided me from the side.

“Aren’t you sleeping too much at school?”

“If I’m sleepy, I have to sleep; staying awake won’t help me study.”

I spat out the truths gained from my past-life experiences and directly countered Shiyeon’s scolding.

The way home is noticeably quieter compared to the first year.

That’s because, having moved up to 2nd grade, there was no particular reason to meet the boys from the first year scattered across different classes until the very last moment.

At least, since Taehyun, whose home overlaps completely, we could still see each other occasionally, but I haven’t heard from Seonhyuk and Dongha since we parted ways on the way home.

I didn’t expect them to make a move first; they were probably hanging out daily with those they gelled well with at PC rooms.

Due to being with the other boys, Taehyun too would only acknowledge me occasionally in the elevator when we’re nearly at home.

I knew well that boys generally lacked sentimentality, but it still stung a bit.

Ah, though it can be said this was part of their growth…

“Let’s buy tteokbokki on the way!”

“Shall we?”

On the way home, it became comfortable to take a different route just the two of us with Shiyeon.

Shiyeon also seemed to prefer this way and expressed what she wanted actively.

Tteokbokki… it’s direct and fattening.