The leisurely period spent as a resident.
During that time, I began to look for a place to live, traveling here and there.
The optimal new home carefully considering location, environment, surrounding transportation, and costs.
Once I found a property I liked, the contract process for the lease was swiftly completed with the help of Senior Jiun.
“New home!”
“It looks better than our home.”
The chosen officetel was selected with many infrastructures nearby, such as pharmacies, supermarkets, and convenience stores.
Seeing all the furniture from the original apartment moved, it was quite a sight.
Shiyeon excitedly explored the new house, and Senior Jiun also marveled as she walked around the rooms.
Lease was 150 million won, with a monthly management fee of 80,000 won.
It was an expensive deposit for an officetel, but it had a loft, leaving behind the two-tiered bed… essentially a romantic structure with a second floor.
“There’s a second floor too!”
Shiyeon, who didn’t have to worry about money, was busy exploring the house.
I wanted to choose an apartment since we had just left one, but in the area around our original house, the base deposit surpassed 100 million won, reaching the three or four hundred million range.
Unless it touched the money of Shiyeon, who was still asleep, there was no way to handle these amounts without taking out a loan.
Simultaneously being near Senior Jiun’s house, the school was close, with optimal surroundings that included convenience stores and pharmacies.
Our new home was neither newly built nor in bad condition but seemed well-managed.
Shiyeon, who had rushed down from the second floor, grabbed my arm and hurriedly headed back upstairs.
“Look! Second floor!”
“I can sleep here.”
The enticing second floor had a railing for safety, as well as a storage cabinet attached to the wall, offering ample space.
Having already checked several times through photos and even visiting a few times, I knew well what to expect.
Even though it was called a loft, the second floor of an officetel wasn’t particularly large or high.
While I could still stand firmly, if I stood up completely at a height of around 160 cm, I would be hitting my head on the ceiling.
In the hallway leading to the entrance on the first floor was a front-loading washing machine positioned beneath a two-burner induction cooktop.
The sink, attached right next to the induction, was a bit cramped, but what could two elementary students make that was so great anyway?
I decisively removed the two-tier bed that used to be there.
In many ways, dealing with mattress cleaning was annoying; I felt that the floor mat and blankets, which only needed cover washing, were a better fit here.
“We’re living here now.”
“Really!?”
“Isn’t the new house nice?”
“It is!”
Shiyeon’s reaction felt fulfilling just by asking, observing, and listening.
At this point, I didn’t know yet.
If any problems arose, I could go to the landlord and resolve it easily.
Who’d have thought I’d actually say that statement, which was tossed out jokingly?
“I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be back!”
Starting my 4th-grade elementary school life with a fresh mindset in the new home.
Just after winter break ended, January was a time that was chillier than December, not warm in the least.
With my neck bent down inside the padding enough to cover my mouth, I crossed my hands inside the ample wrist area of the padding.
Like the overly unique characters often portrayed in various media as Chinese.
But still, this felt warmer than putting my hands in cold pockets.
“I hope I have the same class as Mary!”
“Right? It would be nice to be in the same class as Shiyeon.”
Shiyeon, wearing a mask and swinging her arms, expressed her wishes.
Neither Shiyeon nor I had ever been in the same class in first, second, or third grade.
In third grade, we were at least assigned to 3rd and 4th classes, which were the closest arrangement.
Responding appropriately to her shared hope, we headed toward the building with classes starting from 4th grade.
But Shiyeon was trying to go down the hill toward the building we used to be in until 3rd grade.
Her steps down the hill were so natural that it made me hesitate a little to speak.
“…But from 4th grade, it’s here!”
“Oh, right!”
As we descended about three steps down the hill, Shiyeon turned back, startled by my shout.
In the corridor were piles of textbooks for the new grade, their strings untied.
The most urgent matter was class assignments.
Upon entering the building, we spotted the bulletin board, where several sheets of paper were posted.
There, with names of classes and students listed from A to Z, I quickly searched for Shiyeon and my name with my practiced speed reading.
Finding my name, Kim Mari, listed in Class 1 according to alphabetical order.
And Shiyeon’s name, Lee Shiyeon, found in the middle as Class 3.
Another class had come between us.
“Shiyeon’s in Class 3, and I’m in Class 1.”
“Another class….”
“Make sure to grab a book each and check your seating chart before you sit down.”
“Okay….”
The yearly routine of separating us began.
Shiyeon, feeling down again this year because we weren’t in the same class.
Even if she looks like that, she gets happy if I order her something delicious once we get home.
Class 1, closest to the side entrance of the school building.
Since we were switching to a new building from 4th grade, unlike the times in 3rd grade when we had to walk up to the 3rd floor, we returned to the 1st floor.
Not having to walk up the stairs was so nice.
On a different note, the six classes now were a pain.
Stuck in the same classroom as loud amplifiers lacking any mental age until 2:30 PM.
Is this hell on earth, or is it some other place considered hell?
“Hey! How many levels have you cleared in the boss?”
“5 levels, what about you?”
“I cleared up to level 7?”
Still, everyone seemed wiser, as the harsh taunts from lower grades had significantly diminished.
Around this time, boys and girls slowly began to separate, becoming unmixable like water and oil.
Girls leaned toward older games like air games, string games, and “Ssesesse.”
Boys would gather while they could still use their phones and talk about games played on smartphones.
Once their phones were confiscated, they would doodle in notebooks, creating their games or drawing inadequate comics, or even playing games where you flip cards.
In lower grades, phones weren’t collected separately, but by upper grades, they were required to be submitted during morning assembly.
It was said that parents complained a lot about that.
Parents like those, who think that grades will improve just by taking away computers and smartphones.
It’s foolish to think that taking away smartphones would prompt kids to study.
“Ugh.”
Propping my chin on the desk and staring out the window during the 3rd class.
Of all places, I ended up sitting in the first seat by the window, and now my desk was pushed into the corner, feeling cramped.
“Come over here! All of this is mine!?”
To make matters worse, the boy sitting next to me, my desk partner, seemed to dislike girls for some reason.
My image at school built up over the years was that of a tough girl who swore a lot and was strong.
“Go on, try taking it! Don’t stick to me, you jerk.”
The desk that had originally forced us both to stick together.
I quickly pushed his chair away with my foot, creating some personal space.
“Ugh!”
The boy let out a strange sound of frustrated anger.
After years of physical activities, results began to show, even from a young girl’s body.
At this point, I could easily overpower boys of my age.
Elementary students are still far from fighting.
Assuming it’s not a one-on-many situation, I was the strongest in elementary school.
My friend had a brother in 6th grade who was bragging about his Taekwondo colored belt and black belt….
How ridiculous.
There was even a day when one boy brought his brother to actually put me in my place, and I ended up kneeing him in the groin to make him feel it.
Was it after that day when the boys in elementary school strangely started to keep their distance from me?
I was basically a pacifist here; I wouldn’t ignore fights, but…
On the first day of school, there are of course no actual classes.
So, I received my phone back early, feeling good as I headed home.
“Did you have any friends that you knew?”
“Yeah! Hayan!”
“That’s good.”
Due to my cursed name and behavior, I hadn’t made any close friends, so I didn’t care; however, my mood brightened at the news that Shiyeon’s friend from before was in her class.
As long as I had one friend I knew, things would be okay.
‘Huh?’
With that relieved expression and pausing as I walked, I noticed the smartphone that had turned on.
I looked at the screen curiously at the three missed calls that showed up.
The caller was none other than Senior Jiun.
She must have known I was at school, so why was she calling?
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a strange feeling washed over me, and before my smartphone could function fully, I swiftly dialed her back.
Almost a second after hearing the initial ringing tone, it abruptly stopped.
Receiving the call at what could be called the speed of light, I quickly spit out the words I had prepared.
“Hello?”
“Mari, what should I do… this is a big deal!”
