"The first Awakener, 'Eve,' who appeared during the outbreak, mysteriously disappeared after winning a head-to-head battle against the Irregular. Before concealing her whereabouts, Eve distributed Awakener testers to all countries, and her disciples created weapons that Awakeners could use..."
Haeun, who had been dozing off, heard the teacher catch her reading the theory book after being caught. Sihyun, who had switched seats and became partners with Lee, closed his eyes slowly. Lee messed up his hair, mimicking what he had learned by looking at Yoo Seowoo.
Scratch, scratch.
The sound of pencil lead rubbing against the notebook faintly reached Sihyun's ears. Following the sound, Sihyun looked down at Gunwoo's writing.
"Well, I'll tell the teacher you're not feeling well."
It seemed that Gunwoo, who had been continuously nodding off since earlier, was bothered by my constant fidgeting. Sihyun checked the note and casually laid his head on the desk. He had practiced water attribute skills, depleting mana for two days, and now, after checking the note, he lay down on the desk. He had slept deeply, but the mana consumption was severe, and he felt drained. Recovering between pouring out mana until late at night and having it stolen by Pia during sleep made it even more challenging. Now, after two weeks of school, Pia, who had grown a bit more, began consuming a bit more mana.
It hasn't even been a year yet, but how far can I go?
The fantasy paper that was initially just the size of a palm has now grown to the size of my head. It was a growth spurt that suddenly accelerated in the second semester. If it continued like this, I felt like I wouldn't be able to carry it around. Feeling the need for strength training, my eyebrows twitched. As I was contemplating, my hair was stroked again.
"Stop thinking about it."
Whether he noticed that I was thinking about something else while pretending to sleep, Gunwoo said. Relax your body, get ready well, and say, 'Are you sleeping, Sihyun?' The teacher called my name.
"It hurts."
"Hurts?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
The voice of lying was calm. As if he wasn't even a little surprised, he chuckled and patted my head again. It meant, "Stop growing."
He'll be jealous for the day.
Thinking back to the expression Haru had when the seats were changed, I murmured and surrendered to the approaching drowsiness. Although my posture was uncomfortable, my waist was stiff, and my body ached, the feeling of being thrown into a warm blanket was cozy. It was hard to refuse such a comfortable short nap.
"Sleep well."
Behind the voice murmuring like that, Haeun's voice slowly faded away.
When I opened my eyes, feeling refreshed, the theory class had already ended. Thankful that there was no theory of Awakeners in the mid-term exam scope a month later, Sihyun got up. During the break before the next class, which was long due to the mid-term break, there were no other kids left in the class. Just when I thought so, when I turned my head, I saw someone else sitting in the seat next to Gunwoo where there was clearly Gunwoo.
"Woke up?"
"What about Baek Geonwoo?"
"He went to have a consultation with the teacher for a moment."
"Consultation?"
"Yeah. Starting from the second semester, the Awakener guild experience begins. He said they're starting consultations for the hopeful guilds, starting from Class A."
Nodding in response to Seowoo's words, I stretched my sleepy body. Checking whether the next class was theory or training, long fingers playfully messed up my hair.
"Your hair is messy. Don't do it."
"Is it okay to pet?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Because he was dissatisfied with his hair being messed up, he propped his chin on the desk and let out a thoughtful sigh. Since it was something he expressed when he wasn't pleased, his gaze shifted away from the timetable.
"Why again?"
"What?"
"Every time there's something you don't like, you make those comments."
"Do you know about that too?"
"Do you want to know?"
I didn't want to know either. It was just that this behavior, appearing like a precursor to saying something annoying or irritating, caught my attention.
So, staring at him as if asking what the problem was, he, who had keenly observed my black hair, neatly arranged the hair I had messed up.
"Just... I don't know if we've grown closer or more distant."
"What are you talking about again?"
"We became roommates, but our seats got farther apart."
After randomly changing seats, our seats became polar opposites. He was in the first seat, and I ended up in the last seat. Seowoo, expressing his dissatisfaction as if it were a problem, talked about it, and Sihyun stared at him. Seowoo, who had been gazing at me with slightly furrowed brows, as if he didn't like something, opened his mouth after tidying up the platinum-colored hair that I had messed up.
"Just... I don't know if we've grown closer or more distant."
"What are you talking about again?"
"We became roommates, but our seats got farther apart."
After randomly changing seats, our seats became polar opposites. He was in the first seat, and I ended up in the last seat. Seowoo, expressing his dissatisfaction as if it were a problem, talked about it, and Sihyun stared at him. Seowoo, who had been gazing at me with slightly furrowed brows, as if he didn't like something, opened his mouth after tidying up the platinum-colored hair that I had messed up.
"Just... I don't know if we've grown closer or more distant."
"What are you talking about again?"
"We became roommates, but our seats got farther apart."
After randomly changing seats, our seats became polar opposites. He was in the first seat, and I ended up in the last seat. Seowoo, expressing his dissatisfaction as if it were a problem, talked about it, and Sihyun stared at him. Seowoo, who had been gazing at me with slightly furrowed brows, as if he didn't like something, opened his mouth after tidying up the platinum-colored hair that I had messed up.
"Why do you look at me like that? Do you think I'm handsome?"
"Come on. I just wondered why you've been acting like this lately."
"Huh?"
"If there's something wrong, just tell me. Even if I can't solve it, I can at least listen."
Compared to the first semester, Seowoo seemed a bit more lively. He stuck to me more, threw tantrums a bit, and readily expressed feelings of being upset or complicated. It was different from how he behaved with others, especially towards me. Trying to figure out the reason, I blurted out words, and Seowoo laughed. He rested his head on my shoulder.
"Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Because you seem different from before."
"How am I different?"
Should I put it into words?
Seemed like his expressions directed towards me became somewhat more honest, like taking off a layer of clothing, and his tone, like having caught one more python during the vacation, subtly playful. In the first semester, there were many times when he called me 'you, you,' but these days, he called me 'Sihyun-ah' more frequently.
They say when a person suddenly changes, it's time to die.
Wondering how to organize and say this, I hesitated, and he laughed again. Because his head was leaning on my shoulder, a small vibration was transmitted.
"It seems to me you've changed quite a bit too."
"...."
"Why are you more accepting these days? Before, you used to get scared and avoid me."
With a warm tone, he probed into my feelings. Even thinking about it, Sihyun, who seemed to have become considerably mature, was speechless. Memories of crying in the room flashed in my mind. I remembered the gift he gave me, closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
"Just... Because."
"Just because?"
"... I felt like I was a bit too much."
Come to think of it, I had intended to apologize to Seowoo for pushing him away excessively, but I had forgotten. When I turned my head to consider apologizing, a round head appeared. Colorful hair filled my field of vision.
"If you're accepting my apology because you feel sorry for me, it's ultimately just sympathy."
"...What?"
The weight I felt on my shoulders disappeared. Slowly, the person with the round head turned to face me. When he mentioned sympathy again, I felt a bit uncomfortable, but looking at his expression, it didn't seem like that.
No, I'm not sure if I can trust that expression. Seowoo was adept at hiding his emotions.
After maintaining silence for a while, he turned in his chair to face me and, smiling, opened his mouth.
"Sihyun-ah, are you sorry to me?"
"...."
The question I heard on the first day of school was thrown at me again. He didn't ask to hear an answer; he immediately spoke.
"Don't apologize. It was burdensome. I forced myself onto you to the point where it was burdensome, so just leave it be."
"...."
"Instead of thinking about apologizing, I'd appreciate it if you could think about why I approached you so persistently, rather than sympathizing with me."
A calm conversation followed. It was different from the conversation we had once, where we were nervously circling each other, trying to devour one another. It seemed like a conversation to align our positions equally. Without saying anything, being silent automatically became Seowoo's responsibility, scattering the static.
"I feel sorry for making you feel burdened. I thought about apologizing too. But if I go back to that time, I'll probably do the same thing again."
"Why,"
"If I didn't do that back then, you probably wouldn't have paid attention to me."
There was certainty in his firm voice. The complexion on Seowoo's face, reflected in his blue eyes, remained unchanged.
"If I hadn't acted like that back then, we might not be like this now, and it would have taken even longer for this relationship to develop... Don't you think? Is it just my speculation?"
"...."
"I've thought about it a lot. But if it's just speculation, it means my personality is just hasty. I wanted to be friends with the classmates in the same class, but did I have to spend over a year to do that?"
There were many questions. Whether they needed answers or were just soliloquies, I pondered while carefully considering his words. What he said was undeniably true.
This relationship was formed when he approached and I took a step back, not a relationship I shaped through my efforts. It wasn't a relationship I would have had if he hadn't approached first. I wouldn't have thought of him as someone other than a character in the story. Everything stemmed from his efforts.
"So, what do you want me to say?"
He barely opened his mouth to express those words. Thanks to his words, I became aware of the nature of our relationship, but I was unsure how to respond. He looked down and focused on his hands after a brief silence following my softly uttered question. My hand twitched in response, and a small sigh escaped through Seowoo's lips.
"...What I meant was, I hope you don't feel sorry or burdened because you pushed me away. If you want, you can forget that you pushed me away. If you harbor feelings of guilt towards me, I'll end up thinking you're sympathizing with me, and that's not what I want."
Unpleasant.
My shoulders trembled at the last word. The boy, who had been looking at me with his usual gaze, spoke gently.
"I would like it if you accepted me willingly and warmly."
"...What?"
"I wish you would have grabbed my hand if I showed it to you first."
Seowoo extended his palm over the desk. It seemed like an unconscious action that came with his words, not necessarily asking for my hand. After hesitating for a moment, I closed my eyes and placed my hand on top of his. I could feel a slight tremor between our overlapping hands. A faint sound of someone nearby swallowing was heard.
The conversation that had been diligently progressing was momentarily interrupted. Once again, it was Seowoo who opened his mouth first.
"...Sihyun-ah."
"Speak."
"Do you remember the conversation we had in the first semester? You said it seemed like you didn't even consider me as a friend."
"I remember."
How could I forget that? It was one of the memories I couldn't forget, frustrating and feeling like I'd been hit on the head with a hammer. I answered somewhat dully, and he firmly grasped my hand. I felt a slight fluttering between our hands, the palms below reacting to the pressure. A faint sound of someone nearby inhaling softly was heard.
The conversation that had been diligently continuing paused for a moment. Once again, it was Seowoo who spoke first.
"...Sihyun-ah."
"Speak."
"Do you remember the conversation we had in the first semester? You said it seemed like you didn't even consider me as a friend."
"I remember."
How could I forget that? It was one of the memories I couldn't forget, frustrating and feeling like I'd been hit on the head with a hammer. I answered somewhat dully, and he firmly grasped my hand. I felt a slight fluttering between our hands, the palms below reacting to the pressure. A faint sound of someone nearby inhaling softly was heard.
"...So, how do you feel about me now?"
"What?"
"As a friend?"
"...Sure."
Wondering why I had to say all of this, my eyes rolled. Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat, and he, with a gentle smile, lifted my hand with his ring-clad fingers.
"Then, from now on, will you put in as much effort as I do, Sihyun?"
Whether it was a question or a statement, the words came back indistinctively. Regardless, realizing that my words wouldn't be any different, Sihyun looked at Seowoo. His eyes curved, and his lips parted.
"Sure."
With that one word, Seowoo smiled.
It was almost too beautiful, bordering on ticklish.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
