The next morning after that.
[MiHwa Girls’ Middle School bullying perpetrators fined with forced transfer… ‘Creating a Violence-Free School’ initiative launched.]
Searching for news articles about Shiyeon’s school.
There were only about three articles, but seeing ones dated an hour ago or 38 minutes ago, it seemed like they had just been published recently.
“Hmm.”
Letting out a short grunt, I walked toward the school.
It wouldn’t draw as much attention as a celebrity involved in a traffic accident, so a few articles like this would be it.
Unless it was an incident involving a well-known person whose name had spread widely, at least one person has to die for it to gain attention as news.
That’s just how people are.
They pay more attention to bad news than good news.
They tend to be interested in articles filled with more provocative words.
It’s a sad reality, but I felt relieved that it had been resolved.
The group of perpetrators will probably have a hard time at other schools too.
The five of them would be scattered, and most of the schools they transfer to would likely be troublemaker schools.
It would just be a matter of time before they bump into the local punks already gathered there.
After arriving at school with this vague foresight of the future, certain female students noticed my unusual appearance and approached me first.
While we weren’t super close, they were decent conversation partners with whom I could occasionally chat.
“Hey? You cut your hair into a bob?”
“Yeah, it just happened.”
“I thought long hair suited you better.”
“Managing it was a hassle.”
“Oh, right….”
Compared with male students who had no business dealing with long hair, these girls were good for discussing hair and other intricate topics.
Especially when it came to the struggles of having long hair, it’s something boys at this age couldn’t relate to, so to talk about such things, I had to mingle with the girls.
Among them, a few who liked to take care of others expressed their worry, asking if I was okay since I was absent yesterday.
Unlike the dark days of my second round in elementary school, the second round of middle school flowed fairly smoothly.
It seemed that life was progressing relatively well.
“Okay, shall we turn in the homework that was due today?”
‘What homework?’
Except for the fact that the scores for performance evaluations began to plummet.
A pile of homework that offered no mercy to absent students.
The most consideration shown was when my desk mate slipped a page into the drawer at the side of the desk when receiving the assignments.
Even if the deadline was only one day, as a student, I had no choice but to accept it and watch my scores dwindle.
Still, it was compulsory education, so no matter how chaotic it got, I wouldn’t get suspended or expelled.
I thought about skipping school outright since I was going to drop out anyway, but….
‘That might have a bad influence on Shiyeon.’
From the tales shared during meetups, it seemed that no matter how much of a magical girl you were, at least a middle school education was a given, and then it could lead to further decisions, so I decided to attend middle school obediently.
I took a can of apple juice from the vending machine.
Leaning my mouth against the opening and gulping, I was enjoying the refreshing taste during the second period break when Seonhyuk casually approached me, appearing amazed.
“Hey, how do you manage to skip at least once a week?”
“Why, jealous?”
“Of course! Just one sip.”
Seonhyuk, sounding like my former self during the first round of middle school.
I leaned the can of apple juice, which had about a quarter left, towards him while he sighed in a way that made him seem pitiful.
“Ugh, school days were the best.”
“Thanks, sounds just like my mom.”
He took the nearly empty can, thanked me, and then held the drink away from him like he was floating it in the air before gulping it down.
“School days were the best,” a saying I had heard annoyingly in my previous life.
It was both true and untrue at the same time.
It wasn’t like I could foresee the future; how was I supposed to know that?
Yet, seeing me say the same thing…
Turns out, life for everyone isn’t so different after all.
“Throw it away yourself.”
“Okay.”
As I told Seonhyuk, who was slyly trying to return the emptied can back to my desk, he hesitated momentarily before standing up and heading to the back of the classroom.
What a guy trying to act all high and mighty after mooching off me.
Clunk, the light sound of empty cans colliding.
After throwing away the empty can, Seonhyuk walked back and sat down a few steps away.
“But, don’t think it’s strange….”
“Yeah?”
“When a magical girl transforms, do their clothes just disappear?”
“…….”
For a brief moment, silence filled the air.
Among those around me, I was the only one who had actually seen a magical girl.
After all, considering they were just boys who had only recently entered middle school, there surely would be curiosity about this topic, but….
Hearing this from a guy now that I had become a girl felt oddly uncomfortable.
A few girls nearby overheard him and, with openly disgusted expressions, looked at Seonhyuk and said,
“Ugh, seriously… that’s gross.”
“Why! Honestly, you’re all curious too!”
“I’m not curious, okay? Ugh… is he some kind of pervert?”
The bizarre exchange going on between the other female students and Seonhyuk.
Specifically called “sexual humor,” such talks were exchanged more easily than expected.
To satiate his curiosity, I interrupted and vaguely responded.
“It’s just a flash, and it happens.”
“Can you see it even if you’re wearing sunglasses?”
“Oh, seriously guys… Mary! You don’t have to answer that!”
The intensity of the female students’ criticism toward Seonhyuk was rising.
The flames were spilling over to me, with friendly female students urging me not to answer anymore.
Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking that looking through sunglasses was an option, so I couldn’t provide any further answers.
“You can see it yourself or something….”
The transformation chant nearly slipped out in an instinctive conversation.
I hurriedly sealed my mouth and checked my body.
I almost transformed right in the middle of the classroom.
Why did it have to be about sunglasses?
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing, there’s plenty of information in America, so just look it up in English.”
I awkwardly reconnected the abruptly cut conversation as best I could, trying to navigate through the awkward atmosphere.
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of break time.
With a tone like we should go back, I waved my hand, and Seonhyuk returned to his seat far away.
After a smooth Korean class, it was time for physical education.
“Ugh, I hate gym class during the fourth period.”
Students generally dislike gym class in the fourth period.
…Including me.
Unlike elementary school, where I could come casually dressed and head to the playground, middle school required a specific gym uniform.
It’s bothersome to change into a full outfit, and above all, entering the cafeteria in gym clothes is prohibited.
Once gym class is over, you can’t head straight to the cafeteria and must change back into your uniform before going to the cafeteria.
Of course, the girls get to change in first.
Until the last girl changes in the classroom, the boys have to wait longer for their meal time.
It obviously wouldn’t be pleasant.
Nevertheless, since gym class was immediately after the third period, the more perceptive boys take their gym clothes from their lockers and head out first.
With no designated changing room, girls change inside the classroom while boys change into their gym uniforms in the nearby bathroom.
This means there’s no changing until all the boys leave the classroom.
“Hey, hurry up and get out!”
A few mischievous boys may linger in the classroom, but….
“Hey, aren’t you leaving?”
“Mary!? What are you doing?!”
As they approached menacingly, beginning to unbutton their school uniforms, the boys hurriedly scrambled out, scared.
After all, they wouldn’t want to attend school all year round being treated as perverts for seeing all the girls’ naked bodies.
For now, it’s still the more confident side that wins.
Once the last boy leaves the classroom, a few girls slap my arm with their palms, gasping as they ask,
“Hey, what are you doing?!”
“I’m not leaving, so you have to let me out.”
“Even so!”
Their reactions were as if they were witnessing an incomprehensible creature.
Regardless, thanks to my efforts, we managed to change into PE uniforms about a minute faster.
Girls who go crazy over the boys’ and male characters’ shirtless parties, like they’re going to show skin isn’t the same as just a little shoulder and belly.
The fuss is way over the top.
The fourth-period physical education class consisted of basketball.
Basketball among students isn’t that remarkable.
Just keeping a distance and throwing a ball into the hoop.
Of course, it doesn’t really work well either.
It’s a low probability that one out of eight people will be successful in getting the ball in the hoop.
This went on as we lined up at one hoop, taking turns throwing the basketball one by one.
After sufficient practice, all that was needed was a good shot based on the practice when the evaluation day came.
Around the time it was my turn for the fifth round, the physical education class quickly came to an unimpressive end without any free time due to lack of time.
“Looking for members for the snack shop—”
“Count me in.”
“Me too—”
An implicit rule of fourth-period gym class.
Bring your wallet in the pocket of your gym clothes.
Thus, today, our lunch for the four of us was decided to be at the snack shop.
At least they didn’t kick us out for wearing gym clothes.
