3 – 3.
The chaos from the previous day hadn’t yet subsided during attendance check.
“….”
“….”
The strangely quiet gazes of the students were all directed towards Mayeonseo.
The homeroom teacher, with a tired expression on his face, made one important announcement.
“Due to some circumstances, all three friends have decided to transfer to different schools. It’s not because of what happened yesterday, so please don’t misunderstand. If you have anything you want to say to your friends…”
The boys who had tormented me and gotten beaten up by Mayeonseo were all transferring schools.
That was all there was to it.
There was not a single mention of the Devil’s Book.
As if she had no connection to it at all.
“No, does this make sense?”
It was strange to anyone who saw it.
No matter how much I thought about it, it was not just a situation that could be overlooked.
It wasn’t just a little argument between kids, it was a merciless assault.
But instead of disciplining the Devil’s Book, it was quickly wrapped up with a sudden transfer.
It was difficult to accept it logically.
“What on earth…”
Suddenly, the words she left yesterday flashed through my mind.
– Don’t worry.
– It’s okay.
It was such a confident tone even after committing such a huge incident.
“….”
I slowly shifted my gaze and glanced at the Devil’s Book sitting next to me.
And then she also gave me a sidelong glance and a faint smile.
*
After that incident. The Devil’s Book, who was already an outcast in the class, and I became even more isolated.
I was afraid to speak to her for no reason, and I started to see her as a somewhat eerie presence.
As a result, I was slightly shocked at first and felt a bit distant from the Devil’s Book…
“No, why would I dislike her?”
Looking back later, I realized that she had finally accepted me as a friend, and I changed my mind.
I finally had a real friend!
“Wow, you live there? I always thought it looked great whenever I passed by…. Awesome!”
“Where do you live?”
“You know the villa complex across from your apartment. I live there.”
Coincidentally, she and I, who had crossed paths, also went home together.
Originally, it seemed like she always came out to pick me up in her car.
Did her car recently break down?
I had a feeling that something was off, but once I heard the whole story, I was amazed.
“Rich people really are different.”
It was around two years since I met Mayeon and got to know her slowly.
“Don’t stay up late and wake up late during summer vacation. Don’t procrastinate on your homework. Got it?”
“Yes!”
Summer vacation had arrived.
“Oh… it’s here.”
Normally, I would have welcomed summer vacation with open arms, but this time, it didn’t feel so warm.
Maybe it was because I couldn’t hang out with my newly made friend.
Or maybe it was because of some other reason that I hadn’t realized myself.
The important thing was that I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.
“…Don’t you even have a cell phone?”
Ma Yeon-seo, who had asked for my contact information first for once, expressed her dissatisfaction with a slight frown.
But a cell phone is a luxury.
“I have a landline at home.”
“…Ha.”
When I mentioned the alternative of a landline, Ma Yeon-seo let out a sigh as if she was frustrated.
Since she was planning to spend the entire summer vacation in the United States, the phone was our only means of communication.
“Just wait until the vacation is over, right?”
Without even understanding what I said, I scratched my head for no reason and suddenly clapped my hands, speaking with enthusiasm.
“Oh! Mom’s cell phone!”
“…What?”
“Since my mom is always at home in the evening, would it be okay to borrow it for a while?”
I proudly looked at her, thinking that I had come up with a good idea.
“It’s my idea, but it’s not bad!”
Then, for some reason, she had a dumbfounded expression for a while, but soon she reluctantly handed me her cell phone as if she had no other choice.
“…Tell me the number.”
“Which ones?”
“The landline and your mother’s number.”
“Sure.”
Without much thought, I gave her the landline number and my mother’s contact information.
It was a time when I still didn’t understand the meaning of exchanging contact information.
*
“How boring.”
During the second week of my vacation, I was immersed in intense boredom, rolling around at home.
I couldn’t even bring myself to read the books I usually enjoyed.
The TV shows that I never got tired of watching became tiresome.
Even the occasional computer game that I used to enjoy was no longer appealing.
Life itself was just not fun.
“…I want to go to school….”
I had reached the point where I longed to even go to school.
Knock, knock. My mother, who had been in the living room, quietly came into my room.
“Yoo-chan, are you busy?”
Maybe it was because of my mood, but her face had a mischievous smirk, as if she had found something to tease me about.
“No, I was just lying down.”
“Then, do you want to take a phone call?”
“Me?”
My mother handed me a cellphone that was already connected to a call.
“It’s a call from your friend, Yeonseo.”
“!”
I wondered if it was Yeonseo’s call that I had been expecting.
“The voice was really beautiful. Did you get close at school…?”
“Oh, Mom. Can you please hang up that call?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, sorry. hahahahaha.”
I managed to get rid of the interrupter and firmly closed the door.
“Phew. Let’s stay calm…”
Then, I calmly cleared my throat and cautiously answered the phone.
“Hello?”
[Why haven’t you contacted me?]
A familiar voice came through the speaker.
It had the usual calm tone, but there seemed to be a subtle dissatisfaction.
“Are you angry because I didn’t contact you?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected first remark, I hastily poured out any excuse I could think of.
“Well, you see… I was just a little busy studying and reading books, so…”
[….]
“Oh, anyway! Are you doing well…? Are you in the United States now?”
[Yeah. I’m in New York.]
Fortunately, it seemed like they believed my excuse.
…At least, that’s what I thought.
“Wow, New York? It’s on the other side of the world! What time is it there now?”
[It’s 7 in the morning.]
“Morning?!”
[ Yeah. I called briefly before eating. ]
I was slightly surprised that she called me from the morning breeze, but I quickly stopped caring.
Now, the only thing that mattered was that I could talk to her.
“How’s America? Do you really hear gunshots on the streets?”
[ Occasionally? Yesterday, I even saw a monster. It looked like a chicken or something. ]
“Wow! Really? Then you must have seen awakened beings fighting too?”
[ …I have. Just seen them. ]
“Wow, that’s amazing! I’m so jealous!”
And so, we had a conversation about various things for the first time in a while.
From what happened during the break to the books we recently read.
“Oh…my battery is running out.”
Around an hour into the call, my phone battery ran out, so I had no choice but to end the call.
[ …Guess I have to hang up then. ]
“Yeah…I guess so.”
A brief silence followed.
[ …. ]
“……”
For no reason, I scratched my head and quickly got up, trying to shake off the disappointment as I greeted her first.
“I should end it here today. My phone is about to die.”
[ …Or something like that. ]
“Next time, I’ll call you first.”
[ Okay. ]
“Can I send you a text?”
[ …Sure. ]
“Alright, then I’ll hang up!”
[ Goodbye. ]
After hanging up with a lingering sense of regret, I looked forward to what was to come.
“Mom! Where’s the phone charger?”
I headed to the living room to charge my phone…
“The battery is about to die soon…”
“Son.”
For some reason, my mother, who was giggling, came up with a suggestion.
“Should I buy you a new phone?”
“Suddenly?”
“In exchange…grant me one wish, Mom.”
I had a bad feeling about this.
“…What is it?”
“Tell me about the child.”
“Huh?”
“That girl I just called! Who is she to talk on the phone for an hour?!”
“…It’s nothing.”
“Don’t say that! Huh? Tell me, Mom!”
“I don’t know!”
My mother, who had not seen me happy in a long time, persistently questioned me.
In the end, I got a cell phone much earlier than planned.
*
Graduating elementary school, I was now facing admission to middle school.
“Ugh. It’s so uncomfortable.”
The baggy school uniform, which boys wear loosely because they grow fast, felt awkward as if I was wearing my dad’s clothes.
The only consolation was that there were many other kids like me.
But the girls were different.
Unlike when we were in elementary school, there were more girls who dressed up in earnest. There were many children who had become much prettier than before.
Among them, Mayeonseo was undoubtedly the best.
“What did she eat to become so pretty all of a sudden?”
From Noble mtl dot com
This time, I ended up going to the same school as Mayeonseo.
At first, I was just happy that we could continue to be friends…
But when I saw her at the entrance ceremony, I felt an indescribable sense of discomfort.
Long, thick curls with no bangs, dyed black hair.
A pale face with light makeup, a face that had matured several times over.
There, her already subtly curving figure stood out even more in a well-fitting school uniform.
I vaguely felt it last year too. It didn’t feel like the Ma Yeon-seo I knew.
Of course, I was the only one who thought so.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Just like before, she found me right away and came closer, scanning my appearance from head to toe.
Then, with a slightly teasing tone mixed with laughter, she subtly complimented me.
“You’re cute.”
“…Are you making fun of me?”
“Did I show it?”
What an insolent person.
In my heart, I wanted to tease her about her uniform too, but…
I couldn’t bring myself to come up with the words.
“Oh! What’s this? We’re in the same class again?”
“Hmm. Lucky us.”
She and I were assigned to the same class.
Even after the class placement test, to end up in the exact same class out of six. I truly had good luck, just like she said.
“I guess we’ll be in the same class as Yeon-seo… Should I really give it a try?”
It’s a secret to others, but the truth is, I was really looking forward to middle school life.
Just like how kindergarten was different from elementary school, elementary school and middle school were completely different environments.
Of course, I wouldn’t be bullied just because I come from a single-parent household, which is a ridiculous reason.
As there were students from various schools mixed together, there wouldn’t be any prejudices between us.
In other words….
It meant that I could make new friends too!
“Hey, Mayeonseo. Let’s eat together.”
During the early days of the semester, when relationships were not yet established, it was common for students from the same background to gather together.
“Have a seat.”
Naturally, Mayeonseo and I opened the door to the new semester with a sense of reliance and optimism.
And then.
Time flew by in a flash, and before we knew it, the summer vacation was approaching.
“Hey! Let’s go to the PC bang!”
“Anyone want to go to the karaoke together?”
“We’re going to watch a movie, want to come with us?”
Excited children during the vacation were making instant plans and enjoying their time.
Except for me.
“…Why are you just standing there?”
“Huh? Uh, um, no, just…”
It was only Mayeonseo.