The sound of an old iron bell ringing makes my stomach growl. As a bonus, it brings back the hunger I’d temporarily forgotten.
“…No, seriously, what am I? Pavlov’s dog or something?”
The distinct meal bell sound of Hanul Academy.
After hearing this bell for a year and a half, it seems my body has been conditioned to get hungry the moment it rings. At first, I thought the sound was fascinating, but now it just reminds me of the familiar smell of food.
Human habits.
They can change so easily.
“Haaah…”
Oh no, I can already picture it.
The incredibly delicious buffet at Hanul’s cafeteria.
The taste, made rich with high-quality ingredients and generous seasonings.
The portions were plentiful too. If you wanted more, you could always go back for seconds. Some dishes had a one-serving limit per person, but a bit of charm and a cheeky smile could sometimes earn you a little extra.
Take me, for instance.
Go Hun, a man who, for the sake of an extra serving of strawberry gelato, acted cutesy for the first time in his life. Of course, looking like a tiny elementary school kid made it easier to get away with it.
-“C-Can I have a bit more, please?”
“…..”
The price of my dignity was sweet indeed.
‘Ah, that flavor was divine. Thick, creamy, and sweet enough to coat my throat. Honestly, if it’s that good, I’d act cute in my adult form just to taste it again.’
Remembering that taste made my stomach growl again.
-Grrooowl…
Ah.
Dinner can’t wait.
In the end, I got up from my seat.
But a question lingered in my mind.
‘Why is it that I’m as hungry as someone in their growth spurt, but my height hasn’t grown a single centimeter…?’
I’m 13 now, supposedly in my prime growth phase. My appetite matches what it was in my past growth spurt years, when I’d grow 10 cm annually.
But shockingly, my body hasn’t grown at all.
Not even a little.
Not taller.
Not bigger.
Nothing.
I’m still a ridiculously tiny kid.
No exaggeration—I haven’t grown a single inch in the past year. Clothes from two years ago still fit me perfectly. Even after undergoing a thorough medical examination, the results were the same.
“…..”
Even my two-years-older classmates laughed their heads off after seeing my health report. The result, showing zero growth with perfect precision, was nothing short of shocking.
“…..”
It wasn’t just my height that was stunted.
I hadn’t experienced even the faintest signs of puberty. Not even a single period. That had me visiting the hospital too, but the results were the same: perfectly healthy, just developing slowly. Even so, it felt strange.
During this same time, Mija and Juri each grew 3 cm, and Mari shot up to almost 165 cm. On top of that, they all seemed to mature in appearance, whether consciously or not.
Everyone else was becoming an adult, but I alone remained a child.
I never thought about wanting to become an adult woman quickly. But I also didn’t expect to remain like this. Adolescent growth is truly unpredictable.
My stomach agreed with that sentiment.
-Grrooowl…
“…Haaah, I’m hungry.”
So, rather than dwell on things I couldn’t understand, I decided to focus on the hunger that I could understand.
I shut the door to the studio and headed for the cafeteria. I had a long journey ahead, so I needed to hurry.
‘If I start running now, three minutes…!’
-Thump thump thump!
My still-short legs moved quickly toward the cafeteria. At times like these, they could operate at 300% efficiency. I wasn’t the only one running; middle school girls nearby were sprinting just like me.
Especially on days when the menu was particularly good.
Today was a no-leftovers day, after all.
“What’s the main dish today?”
“Braised short ribs!”
“Wow, if we’re late, we won’t get much!”
“Run! Run!”
“Get there before the boys do!”
“Seriously, some people take a ton on the good-menu days!”
“Huh?! Look, the soccer club kids are running too!”
“Run!”
In the chaos, one of my fellow middle school classmates spotted me.
“Hana, are you heading to dinner too?”
“Yep!”
“Alright, join the squad!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
–Thud thud thud…!
Everyone was moving at three times their usual speed. Middle school girls before dinner were a force to be reckoned with. But compared to the high school girls pouring out from the dorms in the distance, we were nothing.
Our high school seniors were truly on another level.
A senior from the theater department, leaping through the air like a martial arts master.
A senior from the art department, teleporting with an apron fluttering behind her.
A senior from the music department, flying like a butterfly but striking like a bee.
And finally, a senior from the dance department, twirling into the lead like a performer on stage.
Faced with the seniors’ lightning-fast movements, we middle school students could only gaze at their retreating backs.
“Kyaaaah! Tonight’s dinner is braised short ribs!”
“I’ll eat it all before anyone else!”
“Hahaha! Little ones, your big sisters are going ahead~”
“Mmm~ What a tasty smell!”
‘Why are kids from rich families so obsessed with food…?!’
Of course, I was running too.
Despite feeling slightly out of place in this scene, I’d grown used to it. Hanul Comprehensive Arts School was as lively and chaotic as ever.
“Huff, huff…!”
I moved my legs quickly, determined not to fall behind. Hunger waits for no one.
‘Huff, huff…! Lord, please bless me with food…!’
Fortunately, there was plenty of braised short ribs to go around. Technically, it was a no-refill dish, but a bit of charm usually worked wonders.
Watching me ask for seconds, seniors Kang Jina and Na Aeri burst out laughing and teased me like I was a child.
“Aww, look at you! Did little Hana want her num-nums?”
“Shall Mama Aeri give her baby some food~?”
“Hehe, look at that flat little thing.”
“Excuse me, what did you just say, you crazy—?!”
“… …”
Fine. Goo goo ga ga.
‘If acting like a baby is the price for seconds on braised short ribs, I’ll take it.’
*
On the way back from dinner, the evening sunset had already painted the sky, and a chilly breeze began to blow. Walking among the students who scattered in small groups toward the dorms, a few people approached me to chat.
“Hana! Want some chocolate?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
“Hana~ Come hang out in our dorm!”
“Maybe next time.”
“Hana, want to go to the library together?”
“No, I’m planning to rest today.”
“Is it true you’re entering the entertainment industry?!”
“No, it’s just a rumor.”
“Hana, you’re so cute today too. Can I give you a kiss? Want to marry me?”
“Please, spare me.”
“Ahahaha! Rejected!”
“Waaaah…”
After a year at this school, I’d grown accustomed to being treated like a mascot. Despite the media calling me a genius, I’d somehow ended up as the school’s favorite target for teasing.
But no one ever mentioned Mari.
Even though Mari still attended the school and often appeared by my side, she was harder to approach—an enigma to most people. Compared to her, I was the approachable, lovable youngest child in the school’s eyes.
‘It’s been almost two years since Mari gave up on group activities. I guess it’s only natural.’
“…”
That just meant it was up to us to reach out to her more often. With that thought, I quickened my pace.
Dormitory 7.
And the very last room.
That was where I was heading.
Finally, I arrived at the door.
For the past half-year, this room—which I had initially used alone—had gained a new resident after last year’s entrance ceremony. I’d worried about living with another girl my age at first, but my concerns proved unnecessary. She was someone I’d grown quite accustomed to.
—Creak.
I opened the door, and there she was my roommate.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome home.”
“Huh? Should I say tadaima instead?”
“Uh-huh, but if I do, this story will end.”
My roommate.
The blonde otaku was waiting in the room.
I spoke to Mija, who was lounging around reading a manga.
“Huh? Mija, aren’t you eating?”
“I already did.”
“When?”
“Earlier.”
“Already? Even though you’re as slow as me.”
“I-I was nearby, waiting, and then inhaled my food.”
“What about Juri?”
“Uh-huh, she said she was heading to the library.”
“So, you just ditched her? No loyalty, huh.”
“What are you saying, you little brat?”
Mija glanced up from her manga and grinned at me.
It was a mischievous smile, like a goblin hiding treasure.
The loose pajamas only made it worse.
“Then I guess I’ll eat all the ice cream I bought from the store.
I made sure to get the most expensive ones, two each.”
“Mija-unni, I was wrong! This humble one overstepped their bounds.”
I bowed deeply toward the big-hearted blonde lady.
Bow
The girl with beautiful blue eyes chuckled softly.
It was a refined laugh, like that of a medieval noblewoman.
Her sky-blue pajamas only added to the regal vibe.
“Uh-huh! C-come here and eat.”
“Thank you!”
Pant, pant!
The ice cream from Mija-sama was delicious!
We perched on the dorm bed, licking our vanilla-flavored ice creams.
Sure enough, the most expensive thing from the store was extra sweet.
“This is good.”
“Of c-course it is.”
“Really?”
“It’s the best one, after all.”
“Such a capitalist thing to say. It’s sad.”
“B-but it’s true…”
“Fair enough.”
Mija kept devouring hers, but suddenly clutched her head.
As soon as I saw her, I grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
“Ah?! Mija-unni! Mija-unni! Are you okay?!”
“Ugh, s-stop! It’s obvious I got brain freeze from eating too fast!
And yet you only call me unni in times like this!”
“But Mija, it’s fun teasing you.”
“Wh-what are you, a grade-school boy? Oh wait, you are one.”
“I’m a second-year middle schooler now, thank you very much. Practically grown up.”
“Gr-grown up but not growing taller?”
“…”
Ahh, I’ve failed this exchange of blows!
Go Hana’s vision went dark!
Mija patted my slumped shoulders, giggling softly.
“So, uh, Hana-chan.”
“…Yeah?”
“Tomorrow’s the entrance ceremony, right?”
“Oh, yeah, it is.”
Our juniors.
The time for the first-years to join had come.
Mija smirked and said,
“Why do you sound like you just remembered?
The spring break’s over, so the semester starts right away.”
“…Huh.”
Has it already gotten to that point?
I still felt like a freshman.
I chuckled awkwardly and said,
“My sense of time is all messed up.
Since I spent the whole break stuck at school, I can’t tell what’s what anymore.”
“Ah, yeah… Same here.
Seeing you every day got me confused too.”
“We hung out a lot with Mari and the others even during break.”
“Uh-huh, almost every day, right?”
“Was it really that often? Hmm…”
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Trying to recall “the days the four of us hung out last year.”
“…..”
In spring, when the semester started, we were practically glued to each other.
During summer break, we all went to Juri’s place in Jeju and stayed there.
At Chuseok, we visited Mija’s house and feasted there.
During winter break, we crashed at Mari’s place.
It was easier to count the days we weren’t together.
For instance, the day my uncle, who graduated from technical school early, opened an auto shop in Mapo.
Or the day Mari and I had a home party, just the two of us.
Even then, it wasn’t like the group of four split up completely; it just became a duo.
“I still can’t believe we actually slept in Mari’s doll room.
Come to think of it, we really stuck together this past year.”
I gasped as the realization hit me.
“W-we were together all the time, weren’t we?”
“You’re just realizing that now?”
“Wow, so this is what growing older feels like.”
“You saying that just sounds weird.”
Mija seemed to remember something and said,
“Hey, speaking of which.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you going to participate this year?”
“Participate in what?”
“The Hanul Youth Art Contest.”
“Hmm…”
For reference, Mari stopped entering competitions last year.
And I participated solo, ending up winning for the second year in a row.
Even though the result of two consecutive wins caught some media attention, that was all.
‘I feel like there’s nothing left to gain from entering the Hanul Youth Art Contest now.’
Honestly, as someone trying to start a career as an artist, it felt like the right time to step away from “youth competitions.”
It was time to let my work speak for itself.
I shook my head lightly and said,
“I’m not planning to enter anymore.”
“Uh-huh. Got it. Oh, by the way…”
“What now?”
“Your project exhibition—how’s that coming along?
Not that it matters much, since you could probably just submit any of your solo works.
Didn’t some rich guys buy a few of your pieces last year? That’s game over, isn’t it?”
“Oh… that.”
The April project exhibition.
It was an annual group show where Hanul Comprehensive Arts School students displayed the works they’d created during the curriculum.
Since it was held at the start of the semester, freshmen weren’t eligible to participate.
But now that we were second-years, we could join.
Of course, the exhibition wasn’t as intense as a professional showcase.
It was more of a school festival event, so there wasn’t much pressure.
This made it a good chance to experiment with different ideas.
I shrugged and said,
“This time, I’m thinking of exhibiting something different from my usual paintings.”
“Something different?”
“Yeah, digital work.”
Mija’s eyes widened in shock.
“D-digital―?! But there’s only a month left?!”
*
Professor Ahn Sooyoung, the homeroom teacher of the study-abroad class and an instructor at Hanul Comprehensive Arts School, widened her eyes at the director’s words.
“You want to have the standout students’ works from the project exhibition participate in an art fair?”
The art fair was an event where professional commercial artists showcased and sold their works…a gathering for established pros, not an event meant for students still in training.
The request directed at Hanul was therefore highly unusual.
The director spoke as if this was obvious.
“Well, I’m sure they’ve already got their eyes on three particular students. Since late last year, there’s been a push in the Chinese market to expand aggressively, and they’re eager to scout emerging talents likely to resonate across Asia.”
“…..”
The prodigies who had become the talk of the town.
It was no different from outright targeting Go Hana and Han Mari, along with Oh Yujin, who had consistently topped her classes for years.
In truth, the official request might as well have been a direct invitation for those three to participate in the art fair.
Professor Ahn spoke hesitantly.
“I’ll talk to Yujin myself, but Mari and Hana aren’t in the study-abroad class, so I’m not sure what they’ll think about this.”
“Well, the organizers are aware this is unprecedented. They’ve said they’ll decide after seeing this project exhibition.”
“This is… quite something.”
Professor Ahn felt this matter wouldn’t simply end as a passing incident.
‘With Yujin, Mari, and Hana all being exceptional talents, it seems inevitable they’ll end up participating…’
A sense of déjà vu washed over her, recalling events from the past year.
Hana and Mari, in particular, often brought results that defied expectations—
Holding a solo exhibition seemingly out of nowhere,
Or signing a surprise contract with a museum for a special showcase.
‘Something tells me they’ll pull off another surprise this time too…’
It was just a gut feeling, but a strong one.