Chapter 99

Haru thought that everything that had happened today felt like a dream.

If it were a dream, where would it have begun?

Maybe it was when Name had cast a magic circle filled with thousands of formulas? Perhaps that could be it. No one her age would know such magic.

Or was it when she saw Name having a nightmare?

If not that, then was even the pajama party a completely fanciful dream?

Haru felt confused.

However, she no longer had the time to be confused.

Beyond the doorknob she held, stood the person Haru had longed to see.

“Welcome, Haru. You brought your friends today?”

“Mom…?”

It couldn’t be. That woman over there could not possibly be her mother. Her mother had clearly passed away…

Yet, her beloved face, her familiar gestures, her gentle voice made Haru move.

“Fortunately, the surgery went well. Oh my, Haru, you seem to have grown taller since I last saw you! You must have missed me a lot, huh?”

“Is it really you, Mom…?”

At that moment, seeing her caring smile made Haru’s eyes well up with tears.

The surgery referred to was the major operation from last summer.

The unprecedented surgery to implant an artificial aura heart had been successfully completed, and it was a day when Haru was genuinely happy to think about seeing her mother healthy in the future.

However, disregarding Haru’s expectations, her mother passed away that very winter. The thought that she could see her again made Haru unable to hide her tears.

“Mom… Mom…!”

“Haru, isn’t it embarrassing to cry in front of your friends?”

“Why did you leave me? I missed you so much…”

“Why would I leave my Haru? Look, the surgery went well. The doctor said I can be discharged next week.”

“Boo… I hate you…! I was so lonely all by myself…! You’ll just leave again after saying that…”

“I’m sorry, kids. Our Haru can be a bit clingy. Are you in the same class as her?”

Her mother turned her gaze toward Haru’s friends.

Yuna startled and introduced herself.

“Ah…! I’m Seoyuna. This is No Name.”

“Seoyuna…? Ah, I’ve heard about you from Haru. You’re in the same first-grade class C, right? I don’t recognize the other name.”

“That’s because Name transferred midway.”

“Transferred…?”

Her mother squinted her eyes suspiciously.

The current time setting of Alchemist is September 2050.

It wasn’t surprising that she didn’t know Name’s name.

“Um… Academy… Anyway, thank you for coming to visit. Please take good care of our Haru.”

Because Haru was crying so pitifully, Yuna and Name briefly decided to move away and sit apart from her.

The two girls sitting at the opposite bed in the hospital became witnesses to the touching reunion of mother and daughter.

Yuna whispered to Name.

“Was Haru’s mother sick a lot?”

“She passed away in December last year.”

“Ah… I see…”

Yuna nodded. It meant she understood Haru’s reaction.

Having nearly lost her own mother, Yuna realized how immense that sense of loss must be.

“Actually, Haru seems like a very pitiful friend… I always thought she was just unlucky…”

“There’s no one in this world without a story.”

“Can we see my dad, who passed away when I was young, with this magic?”

“It would probably be difficult. He’s not in your memory.”

“I see…”

In the suddenly solemn atmosphere, Yuna swung her legs in the air that didn’t touch the ground.

Seeing Haru’s face covered in tears made Yuna feel sad as well.

“Name, are you okay?”

“Hmm?”

“Ms. Niobe said that you always hide when you’re sick. She said you would cry alone with the door locked.”

“Did Niobe say that?”

“My mom also told me to let people around me know as soon as I get sick. That way, I can go to the hospital and take medicine.”

“That’s wise.”

“So you should say it if you’re not feeling well at the Academy. Of course, I know Name is smarter than me and knows that… um… even though I’m taller… I can carry you to the infirmary…”

“Are you worried about me? Yuna has grown up enough to care about others.”

“Ah…! Every time you pet my head, it gets all messy…! If you keep doing that, I’ll do the same back!”

As Yuna reached out to mimic petting Name’s head, Name flinched before her hand could reach her.

Putting her hands over her head, her body curled up like a frightened animal.

Seeing Name tremble like a baby animal witnessing a predator, Yuna’s hand halted.

“Ah, I’m sorry, it’s a reflex… So, simply put, it’s a habit…”

Before Name could lift her head to explain, Yuna recalled the advice from Niobe and acted on it.

Whoosh—

“Yuna…?”

Yuna hugged Name with all her might.

Her warm body temperature completely transferred to Name.

Feeling a sensation that was almost suffocating, Name instead felt comforted and slowly, gently stroked Yuna’s back.

Sensing this, Yuna murmured in a small voice, almost complaining.

“Name is my most precious friend. So, please don’t get sick.”

The tone might have felt commanding, but thinking of the speaker as an eight-year-old made one smile.

“Okay, I won’t get sick. I have a friend who worries about me, so I can’t get sick.”

“I was really looking forward to the pajama party today. Let’s play again later at home.”

“I was planning to prepare a lot for you, but I’m a bit disappointed I couldn’t do everything.”

“Really? What did you prepare?”

Yuna fell back to face Name again.

“There were games like Hali Gali and Pirate Roulette, and I brought a karaoke mic because I thought you’d like singing, and I planned to watch a movie while having snacks. Or a pillow fight? But I didn’t mention the pillow fight because I thought it might make you fight with Haru.”

Counting off her grand plans on her fingers, Yuna flared up because of Name’s last comment.

“I’m not that bad, you know…? And after talking with Haru a few times, I feel like we’ve gotten at least a bit closer.”

“Thank goodness. Haru wanted to be friends with you.”

“Haru wanted to be friends with me…?”

Yuna tilted her head repeatedly.

“If you’re really suspicious, we can confirm with a truth game later.”

Name intended to definitely have a truth game, if nothing else.

Because there’s no game better for bonding friendships among children.

Feeling that Alchemist’s casting time was slowly coming to an end, Name called out to Haru over Yuna’s shoulder.

She seemed still preoccupied with her mother and didn’t hear Name’s voice.

Farewells were painful times for everyone.

Just like how Estera, who learned the perfect use of Alchemist, reconnected with her childhood siblings, it was the same for Baek Arin, who once liked Name.

Therefore, Name thought of giving Haru plenty of time for a proper farewell.

“Haru, didn’t you skip taking your vitamins when your mom wasn’t around?”

Haru’s mother scolded her daughter.

For some reason, Haru was just smiling brightly even at such scolding.

“Yes! Honestly, I only took them occasionally because I was too lazy.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? Taking vitamins regularly will make it easier for you later.”

Her mother pulled out a small plastic container from her bag and handed Haru some white pills with water.

“Here, take this.”

“Can’t you feed me yourself, Mom?”

“Come on, open wide.”

“Aaaah—”

Haru opened her mouth as her mother delivered the pill.

Like a baby bird waiting to be fed.

“Wait, Haru, hold on.”

Suddenly, Name snatched the pills from her mother’s hand and frowned.

The two of them, caught off guard, widened their eyes.

“Do you realize that your friend just behaved very rudely?”

“No Name…? Why are you doing that?”

Name examined the pills her mother had handed to Haru under the light of the ceiling lamp.

There were no letters or marks on its surface.

“Haru, when did you start taking this medicine?”

“Name, why all of a sudden—”

“When did I ask you?”

Name shouted with a serious expression, causing Yuna, who had been quietly watching, to jump up from her spot on the bed.

Haru’s head went blank as she couldn’t understand why her friend was suddenly yelling.

“I guess the Korean Food and Drug Administration approves of things like this?”

Name’s cold glare flashed.

Even her mana potions required multiple clinical trials for approval despite their only form differing.

At least the residue was a byproduct from the mana purification process, so it wasn’t significantly harmful to the human body apart from the immense pain it caused when taken.

However, Name knew this “nutritional supplement” that was being offered to Haru was not of such a type.

“Hand it over immediately. That’s a nutritional supplement for Haru.”

“Yeah, right.”

The pill crumbled to dust in Name’s hand.

Without delay, Name stood up and cast a spell to forcibly dispel it in a mineral voice.

[Dispel: Alchemist]