Chapter 85

“Wowwwwww!”

“How can it be just one year left…!”

“Yeah, there’s no do-overs! It’s our turn now!”

“Seoyuna, finish it off! Finish it, finish it!”

“You’re definitely going to make a mistake! You’re going to drop the marble!”

“Trying to interfere is completely useless!”

Since Name taught the game of marbles, the 2nd Grade A Class had now made it a trend during lunch and break times.

The kids learned quickly, as expected. They displayed a level of skill that could easily be called advanced in just a short time.

Name stood a bit away from the group, slowly watching them play.

Yuna was already taking on her role, boosted by the children’s trust in her.

The sound of children’s laughter always felt refreshing.

“Are you not going to play?”

Haru, who had just finished brushing his teeth, sat next to Name and asked.

“It’s a bit childish, just like you said?”

“But you’re the one who created the game.”

“I played it a lot back in the day. There wasn’t really anything else to do while alone except for marbles. I couldn’t play string figures.”

“I knew you were weird.”

Haru made a straightforward assessment. Name nodded in agreement, thinking that might be true.

It was another instance like this.

It was hard to tell whether Name was actually watching the children playing marbles or just staring blankly into space.

Whenever she had that unfocused look in her eyes, she was reminded of her great-grandmother, who always sat in a massage chair, gazing at distant mountains and the gently flowing Han River.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Just… thinking about the past.”

“Do you remember old times?”

“Yeah, I can remember things from when I was a baby.”

Haru was about to tell her not to lie but then reconsidered, thinking that maybe it was possible for Name.

“Why did I suddenly share all my family matters with you? I kept it secret from my best friend Nuri…”

“Maybe it was something you wanted to let out, even if it wasn’t with me.”

“No… how could I talk about that…? Last year, the kids teased me about it terribly. Somehow, I thought Name wouldn’t do that.”

By now, Name was already regarded as the most mature child in the class.

Haru, who had originally held that role, even officially acknowledged it.

Suddenly, Haru recalled the time Name had healed him and brought it up.

“How did you do that…?”

“What do you mean?”

“When I collapsed on the street last time, you hugged me. Suddenly, my head didn’t hurt at all.”

“Ah, I used some Aura. I was thinking of using magic, but I wasn’t sure about your actual condition.”

“Aura…? Isn’t that the mana used to strengthen muscles?”

“The uses are limitless. Typically, physical enhancement-type Aura is the most common, but it can also be used as a substitute for psychoactive drugs.”

“Ugh, I don’t understand any of that…”

While mana can disrupt the body’s balance if misused even for a moment, Aura coexists within a limit that the body can tolerate, so there is no concern about side effects.

Especially because the use of benzodiazepine-based anxiolytics or antidepressants for treating psychological trauma is discouraged.

So, Name’s goal at that time was truly to alleviate symptoms, not to provide a cure.

“So, what exactly were your symptoms? Was it just a throbbing pain in your head?”

“No… I hear strange sounds. There’s this beeping noise that makes my head hurt.”

Haru complained about one of the most common symptoms of auditory hallucinations.

So if Name didn’t know where her auditory hallucinations stemmed from, there would be no way to cure it.

After thinking deeply, Name suggested a course of action.

“Then how about trying to reconcile with Yuna first?”

“Eh, right now?”

Haru’s expression shook violently at the unexpected suggestion.

If it were symptoms caused by acute stress disorder, starting by filling in unconscious deficiencies would be the right way to go.

As Haru hesitated and avoided the answer, Name leaned in closer.

“You said you wanted to apologize to Yuna too.”

Haru nervously ran her fingers through her long hair.

The way she twisted her hair with her fingers represented her complicated inner thoughts.

“It’s embarrassing… Yuna might not really want my apology or…”

After a long thought, her newly spoken words carried deep skepticism.

It was due to the reason that she couldn’t imagine rebuilding a normal relationship with a friend she had declared to sever ties with.

“I just don’t get it. Why do people continue to hate each other and do regrettable things as if they’ll live forever?”

“…? I don’t really understand what you mean.”

“On the day Yuna hit you, what did you hope would happen to her?”

“Can I be honest…?”

“Of course.”

Name sent a gaze that seemed to await Haru’s answer without moving a muscle.

“I wished that Yuna would go to another class… But I don’t think that way anymore, so don’t misunderstand…!”

That was a true feeling Haru didn’t want to divulge to Name.

Upon hearing this, Name felt anxious that she might disappoint her.

“Did you ever think it would be great if Yuna died right then?”

Haru’s eyebrows twitched.

Although her tone was dry, the content was indeed extreme.

“Absolutely not!”

“Then why put off your apology? If Yuna were to die today and never hear your apology for life, would you be okay with that?”

“Well…”

“Death always comes unexpectedly. You, I, and Yuna. There’s no guarantee that a day will come when we can face each other and talk again.”

To Name, people who argue with their beloved partners, parents, and children were one of the hardest types to understand.

“I hope you don’t create something you’ll regret.”

* * *

In truth, while I spoke grandly to Haru…

I couldn’t come up with a proper method for tranquilizing children and helping them reconcile.

In my past lives, relationships had always been single digits.

It was a sad reality where being a prime example of an extreme introvert left no room for rebuttal.

However, seeing Haru’s state, which looked genuinely precarious, made me think it would be better to heal her mental sickness as soon as possible, so I came up with this idea.

“A pajama party?”

Yuna’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yeah. How about this weekend?”

“Uh. Ah. Ugh… I like it, but when will we study…?”

“We can do it at my house too. If you’re really worried, I’ll help you with the next assignment.”

“Wow, really? It’s my first time staying up all night with a friend at their house…!”

“It’s not just the two of us. Iharu will join as well.”

“Why is Iharu coming…?”

Yuna’s demeanor turned cold, openly displaying her displeasure.

“It’ll be fun if we all play together.”

“Is it not okay to play just the two of us? Is it because I’m boring? You’re my only friend, Name, so… that’s why during the survey, I didn’t write anyone else’s name…”

Yuna grabbed at the hem of my clothes, her eyes shimmering with tears.

“I wrote your name first too.”

“Really?”

Yuna responded in a noticeably brighter voice.

She truly was a simple child. It was ironic that someone like her was at the top of the academic ranks.

“To be honest, Haru wanted to say something to you, so I called you to my house.”

“Then you can just say it here in the class.”

“It seems to be a bit serious.”

“Okay… Still, I’m definitely your best friend, right? Don’t ever forget that!”

I replied with a nod by playfully stretching her cheeks.

She really was a greedy child…!

“Whew…”

But since she was pure, I could overlook it.

“So what do we need to bring? Pajamas?”

“We should also bring clothes for the next day and personal items like a toothbrush, right?”

“Yep. I’ll ask my mom first and pack! Don’t you need a pillow?”

“We have plenty of pillows and blankets at my house, so it’s fine.”

“How about a stuffed animal?”

“… Bring it if you want to.”

“Hehe, it’s fine. Actually, even without my dolphin, I think I could sleep well at night hugging you, Name…!”

I’d never allowed my body in that way, yet here I was, acting as if things were already more intimate than they were.

If she had a severe sleep habit, I planned to go straight to my own bed.

In that case, I would definitely see Yuna with a 100% crying face the following day, but I decided to think about that when the time came.

In reality, the problem was whether Haru’s family would allow it, but she told me not to worry, and assured me she would definitely come to my house this Saturday.

I should also inform Professor Cheon that I’m requesting delicious dishes in advance.

The menu’s selection was entirely at the professor’s discretion, but I couldn’t give up on dessert. It had to be crepes.

Now I have to carefully think about how to get Yuna and Haru to become closer.

Lastly, I remembered the unavoidable task of internet broadcasting.

As far as I know, there’s a condition in the terms which states that if donations aren’t received for four weeks, monetization will be temporarily prohibited.

I’ll have to see whether I’ll stream games or not, but I thought I should at least show my face on the broadcast sometime soon.