Chirp Chirp-
The morning bird songs sounded even more peaceful than usual, waking me up.
“Ah, I don’t want to go to school…”
After the S-Class Gate had appeared, I had taken nearly a week off school to rest, so getting up early for the first time in a while felt really tough.
Because I kept just lying around in bed and didn’t leave my room, my mom burst in, slamming the door open.
“Isn’t today a school day?”
As soon as the door opened, the rich smell of doenjang jjigae filled my nose.
It felt surreal that just the other day I had gone through all that chaos, and now life was so peaceful.
Waking up early, having to go to school, my mom waking me up, and eating the breakfast she made—all of it felt like a dream.
Maybe it felt even more unreal because I had just come back from a world where none of these things existed.
“I’m back.”
I hadn’t felt it much while skipping school, but now I could finally feel that I was slowly returning to normal.
“Okay, I’ll go!”
A stronger voice than usual came out. I suddenly sat up and immediately got out of bed to stretch.
Mom watched me quietly, then spoke with concern.
“If you’re too tired, you don’t have to go today. I can call the school for you.”
When I had gone missing for three days after tackling the S-Class Gate, my parents said they barely managed to keep their sanity.
My dad, who was always bragging about me being an Awakened, and my mom, who used to proudly puff up her chest wherever she went—they both said they regretted not stopping me the first time I insisted on closing gates myself.
“Dana! Oh, thank you, thank you…”
The moment I returned to this dimension, my parents came running, bursting into tears and thanking a god they never believed in before.
They checked me for injuries, and when they finally hugged me tight saying, “As long as you’re not hurt, that’s enough,” their embrace was so warm.
For about three days after coming back to this world, I was summoned to the Hunter Association, the guild, and all sorts of places, but my parents finally got fed up and laid down the law.
“Isn’t it too harsh to treat a kid who just got back like this?”
“Before being a Hunter, she’s a minor! Dana won’t go anywhere else! If you need something, wait a week. Rest comes first.”
So, I got a few days off, and thanks to my parents’ devoted care, I was able to rest comfortably.
Even the school I had missed so much felt like a vacation after taking a break.
But since I’d been rested for quite a while, I guess it’s really time to go.
“It’s time to go to school now. I’ve rested enough.”
“Hmm, really…? Then get ready and come out.”
The door closed, and I deliberately stopped the exaggerated stretching I was doing to show I was okay.
My reflection appeared in the full-length mirror.
This was no longer a body I had possessed against my will, but one I had chosen.
I raised my hand, brushed my face once, squinted my eyes for no reason, touched the bridge of my nose, and moved my lips around, studying my face.
‘I’m already familiar with it, but I have to get even more used to it.’
I smiled at my reflection one last time.
Back when I first got possessed, my outcast personality still showed on my face, and my expression looked somewhat timid, but now it brightened up.
“Dana! Hurry up and come eat!”
“Yes!”
At the urging from outside, I quickly changed into my school uniform and came out.
“For a while, even if you see a Gate, don’t think about stepping in. Stay close to your friends, okay?”
“I used to think you were the safest person in the world, but it turns out that’s not always true. Just don’t pay attention to Gates. From today, you’re an unawakened.”
“Yessir.”
That phrase had been ringing in my ears nonstop for the past few days.
My parents thought that since I hung out with the big names of the S and A ranks, no one could be safer than me.
But all those big shots got seriously injured, and one even disappeared with me…
I could fully understand my parents’ worries, so I obediently said I understood.
They seemed satisfied with my answer, and no more worried nagging came after that.
***
“Wow, how long has it been?”
Maybe because I had spent time in the other dimension when the Gate swallowed me, it felt like coming back from a long vacation to the start of a new semester.
When I returned to my old home, I never thought I’d attend school again, so it felt especially meaningful to be back.
“Huff, what am I going to do…”
“Those wounds are way too bad, aren’t they?”
“What are you going to do about those scars on your face?”
“How is it possible that even those scars look cool…?”
Worrying and ridiculous comments, unlike usual, floated around everywhere.
Turning my head at the familiar lines, I saw the Four Heavenly Kings walking to school together.
The ordinary road felt like a runway.
They were the usual friends, but every time I saw their faces, they really were handsome, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to them.
“What are you staring at?”
“Ah!”
Ban Eunhyeol, who flicked my forehead while chuckling, casually passed by.
I hurried after him to retaliate.
Smack!
Oops, I must have misjudged my strength.
The moment I smacked Ban Eunhyeol’s back, a thud echoed and his upper body jerked forward.
The girls who had been worrying about the Four Heavenly Kings’ injuries looked fierce at the sight.
‘Hmm, bad timing.’
Even though I’m the type not to care about such looks anymore, I couldn’t ignore this situation.
I had to get out of here and rush to the classroom!
“…You wanna try that?”
Just as I was about to run to the classroom before the girls attacked me, a deadly voice stopped me.
Ban Eunhyeol’s smile looked scarier than ever, as if he was about to retaliate immediately.
“No!”
I shouted a short reply and sprinted across the playground toward the classroom.
For some reason, I couldn’t stop laughing.
***
The teacher’s lullaby-like voice, the cool breeze blowing through the open window, the warm sunlight…
Perfect conditions to fall asleep, I lay down and closed my eyes, enjoying the cozy atmosphere.
Then suddenly—
“Are you telling me Eunhyeol is dating the outcast?”
What’s that supposed to mean?
Startled by the nonsense drifting in from outside the window, I snapped my eyes wide open.
I propped myself up and looked outside.
The kids from my class were having PE class in the playground.
Some were playing dodgeball or soccer, others chatting on benches.
The conversation I had just heard seemed to come from those benches.
“No way, they’re just friends. Eunhyeol doesn’t date anyone.”
“I’m telling you it’s true. Haven’t you noticed? The outcast isn’t exactly normal, you know.”
Why do they say I’m weird when they’re the ones saying we’re dating…?
“They study at Eunhyeol’s place, always hang out together, and the fact that the two of them disappeared at the S-Class Gate recently is weird.”
Weird?
The girl who cut off the conversation at the perfect moment flipped her hair in a way that just annoyed me.
“Did you see this morning? Eunhyeol hit him.”
I did. Now that he’s popular with the summons, isn’t he getting too cocky? Did you see Eunhyeol’s back get hit?”
“Exactly! But Eunhyeol didn’t get mad. Everyone who saw his expression was shocked.”
“Why? I was behind, so I didn’t see his face.”
What kind of expression was it?
Leaning closer to the window, I noticed more girls gathering on the bench, probably as interested as I was.
“He laughed! You saw Eunhyeol laughing after getting hit?”
The girls listening gasped in surprise.
“That’s such a shocking… shocking thing to see.”
I thought it was normal to laugh when playing with a friend, but knowing Eunhyeol’s personality, he would never laugh when hit.
Then why did he laugh that time? Did he just get the wind knocked out of him?
I stopped eavesdropping for a moment and glanced at Ban Eunhyeol sitting beside me, resting his chin on his hand.
‘Oh.’
He noticed my gaze and silently mouthed, ‘Well, anyone can laugh sometimes.’
Just because he’d been prickly so far didn’t mean every moment was prickly mode.
People have days when they laugh, right?
As I shook my head, meaning ‘it’s nothing,’—
“Kyaa!”
The girls screamed, and a murmur rose from outside the window.
I peeked out and saw a highlighter stuck right next to the bench where the girls had gathered.
A faint aura of menace radiated from behind.
It looked like the place where rumors were born had just made the situation uncomfortable for Yeon Ha-yeon.
‘Wow… she just stuck a highlighter in like it was a brick.’
No matter how much someone pissed me off, I’d never done something like that.
Yeon Ha-yeon was definitely on a different level.
As soon as the highlighter was stuck nearby, the girls who had gathered quickly scattered, running down toward the playground.
I silently gave Yeon Ha-yeon a thumbs-up.
“If it’s just a rumor about dating, that’s serious. I need to deal with it properly too.”
I decided I would nip any baseless rumors in the bud like Yeon Ha-yeon.
At break time, right after class ended, some girls I didn’t know surrounded me in the restroom.
I thought I’d be free of this kind of trouble now.
A bad premonition made me sigh involuntarily.
“What’s your relationship with Eunhyeol?”
The girls glared at me fiercely, as if they already had their answer prepared.
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