Chapter 84
‘I was startled—I really thought you were a teacher.’
Normally, this was when I took my potion.
Yuna seemed to be getting along reasonably well with the rest of the class while playing gonggi, so I was relieved and came to the bathroom to wash my flask as well.
But after inhaling it through an atomizer like a cigarette, I found myself unable to bring myself to drink this liquid ever again.
It was a little late, but I decided I should start looking after the well-being of my tongue and use magic one more time.
As luck would have it, the bathroom exhaust fan was running properly, so I climbed onto a chair and decided to secretly vent the smoke outside through it. That should reduce the smell, too.
It was a perfect plan, with no chance of being caught. At least until a curious child saw me.
“That’s an e-cigarette...? We’re not supposed to smoke at our age.”
Haru pointed at the object in my hand.
“Can’t you see the flask here? It’s not a cigarette; it’s the potion I take.”
At first, I had made it crudely out of the empty ballpoint pen Yuna gave me, but these days I had gotten the hang of it, and it really did look like an e-cigarette.
I had made it so that I only needed to refill the solution, without having to connect it directly to the flask.
“Why do you take potions like that?”
“Because potions taste bad.”
“Because they taste bad?”
“Didn’t you see Yuna last time? This stuff is much more disgusting than you’d think.”
When I first drank it, I thought it tasted like Pocari Sweat. There had definitely been something wrong with my sense of taste.
Back then, everything tasted bland no matter what I ate, but it seemed my body simply hadn’t been normal.
These days, I could smell things better and distinguish flavors besides sweetness to some extent. It was a good sign that my body had begun to recover little by little.
The downside was that the potion had started to taste increasingly revolting.
But why was she trembling so much? The window was open, so cold outside air was definitely coming in.
“Anyway, you’re not going to tell the teacher, right?”
“No, I won’t, so could you let me out?”
“Really? Sure, why not.”
[Recast: Rotational Motion]
With a click, the bathroom door opened again.
“Would you like to talk in the hallway for a moment before going back to class?”
“With me? What about?”
“Just about this and that, about school life. I’m a transfer student, so there’s a lot I don’t know about the academy. I heard you were class president last year. You’re going to run for class president again this time, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Well... I suppose so. Don’t tell me you’re going to run too, Name...?”
“No? Why would I bother with something that troublesome?”
“Phew, what a relief.”
Haru sighed in relief.
I hated even being the leader of a group project, so I had no desire for some bothersome position like that.
“But why are the class president elections held so late here? This is the first school I’ve seen that holds them in early April.”
The cherry blossoms were already in full bloom, and it was well past the time when fresh green leaves had sprouted from the branches. A gentle breeze blew in through the hallway windows, tousled our hair, and fled.
“Instead, it lets us spend a month getting to know our friends and figuring out who would make a good class president. Being good at studying doesn’t necessarily mean someone is responsible.”
“I suppose it would be a little troublesome if kids like Sihoo or Yuna became class president.”
“I knew you thought so too! Seo Yuna only ever thinks of herself, you know? Since we were in the same class last year, I tried to talk to her and look after her, but she even hit me! It hurt so much I was bruised right here for a whole week... Since you’re a transfer student who knows nothing, Yuna must be pretending to be friendly with you all the time, but there’s nothing good that will come from being friends with her.”
“Hmm... You think so?”
“Yes! And you should’ve seen her grit her teeth and play this boring gonggi game—or whatever it’s called—just to win. Look, the back of my hand is all red!”
Haru held out both hands with her palms facing down.
If she was asking me to empathize with her pain, that was unfortunate.
“Haru, come a little closer. Let me see your cheek.”
“Why? Is there something on my cheek?”
“Yeah, probably?”
Haru bent her knees slightly. It was exactly the right height.
Perhaps she thought I was going to remove something from her face, because she gently closed her eyes.
I was going to remove something, all right. I would remove the rudeness dwelling inside her.
I gave her small cheek a hard pinch and tug.
“Ow ow ow! Wha’re ya doin’ (What are you doing)!”
“You shouldn’t talk behind someone’s back unless you’re willing to say it to their face. And I put real effort into teaching you gonggi, so it hurts a little to hear you call it boring.”
“Let go of this first (Let go of me first)!”
“Huh? Don’t tense up, Lee Haru. It’ll hurt more if you do.”
Just because I was small, did she think I was an easy mark?
Back in the day, even the Empire’s three grand dukes used to grovel before me.
Haru kept trying to break free, so I used aura to make her legs give out completely.
Even so, I supported her by the armpits so she wouldn’t fall and get hurt, then carefully lowered her onto her knees in the hallway.
“The reason you shouldn’t talk behind someone’s back is also for your sake. There may well have been something about Yuna that irritated you. But from my position as the person listening to you, I might think you’re the kind of friend who badmouths just anyone, right?”
“Ugh.”
“Even if I became friends with you later, I might think, ‘Oh, she’s the kind of person who talks behind my back whenever something upsets her.’ Then you wouldn’t be able to earn my trust completely, would you? Don’t you think so?”
“I think so...”
Haru answered with a gloomy expression.
“That’s strange. Even if our Yuna can be a little presumptuous, she’s not the kind of child who would hit someone for no reason. Did Yuna really do that?”
“You too...”
“Hm?”
“You just called Yuna presumptuous too!”
“I can confidently tell Yuna to her face that she’s being presumptuous.”
Even if I said that, Yuna would only flash me a goofy grin.
“So?”
“Honestly... I don’t know. I don’t really remember.”
“Then I’ll ask Yuna about it later. If it turns out you were in the wrong, will you apologize to Yuna? Of course, I’ll make Yuna apologize for hitting you, too.”
“No, don’t ask her! Absolutely not!”
Haru suddenly grabbed my wrist and began to plead.
“Why?”
“Please. I’ll just go apologize to Yuna right now.”
“Did you swear at Yuna? Or did she catch you talking behind her back or something...?”
“No... No, it’s not that, it’s just...”
“Now I’m even more curious.”
What on earth had she done to make a seven-year-old child so angry that she would throw a punch at her solar plexus?
Which was more impressive, Yuna for hitting her friend in the chest, or Haru for provoking a child to that extent...?
“I guess this is something where I need to hear both sides. There must have been some misunderstanding between Yuna and Haru. I’ll talk to her, so don’t worry too much. And I’m really sorry for hurting your cheek.”
You couldn’t understand what had really happened by hearing only one side of the story.
Even if the perpetrator forgot, the victim would remember that moment for the rest of their life.
Just as Haru kept dwelling on being hit by Yuna, there was probably something like that on Yuna’s side as well.
Seeing not only the backs of her hands but also Haru’s reddened cheeks made my heart ache.
“What are you going to do now...!”
“Put your hands over your face and hold them there. I’ll make it stop hurting.”
[Cast: Tissue Regeneration]
So I used Tissue Regeneration magic again. I seemed to be using it really often these days.
At this rate, I was starting to think I should get one as a scroll, too.
Her reddened skin returned to its original color. Haru stared at both hands in turn, apparently amazed.
“Aren’t we going back to class?”
It was almost time for class to end, and if I wasn’t back by then, the teacher would probably come looking for me. I needed to at least make an appearance.
But Haru remained kneeling in the hallway without moving an inch.
I went back and asked her why.
“Did it hurt a lot?”
Was she just being overly dramatic? I didn’t think I had pinched her that hard.
“I’m sorry... The truth is... I said something really awful to Yuna.”
“Why are you suddenly crying?”
“I told Yuna she was an outcast who didn’t even have a dad.... I wanted to become best friends with you too, Name... If you heard that, you’d hate me too... Because you’re... adopted too...”
Haru confessed while clamping her lips tightly together. She looked like she was desperately holding back her tears.
How did she know that I was adopted, too?
It obviously wasn’t Yuna, who didn’t exchange a single word with the other students. Even when they were young, children’s information networks were not to be underestimated.
“Yuna had every right to be angry. Still, if you sincerely apologize, I’m sure Yuna will accept it.”
“You’re not bothered...? You’re not angry?”
“I’d be angry if someone said that to me, too. But you wanted to be friends with me, didn’t you?”
“Yes...”
“Then it’s simple. You apologize, and I accept your apology. I’d be really happy to have a popular kid like you as a friend, too.”
It was a simple matter.
Thinking of the sorts of people who couldn’t manage something this simple made my blood boil with frustration.
“The floor’s cold, so let’s get up. You’ll catch a cold.”
I held out my hand to help her up, but Haru instead clung to my leg and buried her face against it.
“I... you know... I really regretted saying that... My mom died in an accident last winter, and that’s when I realized how cruel the things I’d said were. Hic...! Sometimes I wonder if it was divine punishment because I said such awful things to Yuna...”
“Your mother died?” It was the first I’d heard of it.
“I hardly even talked behind her back...! Last year, I was the only girl who tried to look after Seo Yuna... It’s so unfair. Why is this happening only to me? Waaaah...”
“Haru, you must have been having a hard time too. Have you been enduring it all alone?”
Haru nodded. Sniffling, she spoke in a nasal voice.
“I... hic... I miss my mom so much...”
As I silently patted Haru’s back, it seemed she still had more to say.
“When you pinched my cheek, it hurt a lot. I’ve never even been hit by my parents in my life. Seo Yuna was the first person to hit me. And you, too...”
“I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. I sincerely apologize again.”
“Then apologize for scaring me in the bathroom, too...”
“Yes, I’ll apologize for that too.”
Was she secretly the type to bottle things up inside and then explode, with a long memory?
In the end, I had no choice but to comfort her in the hallway until class ended, and as soon as the bell rang, I grabbed her hand and raced back into the classroom.