Training
Was it because I overworked my body using the gift?
My body felt weak, and every movement brought sharp pain. In the end, I had to be half-carried home by my father.
Of course, my mother, who had been waiting at home, couldn’t ignore the state I was in.
“―It’s good that there were no major injuries, but what on earth did you do to make the child too weak to lift a spoon?”
“―Oh, you… no, honey. It’s always like this in the beginning…”
“―Be honest. If you don’t, I’ll be gone tonight.”
“―…”
As my father had predicted, he metaphorically “died” from my mother’s scolding. She was furious that he had put me in danger.
“―Gyeonwoo, you too,” she turned to me.
“―…I was wrong.”
Naturally, I got scolded as well, though less harshly because I wasn’t feeling well.
“―I wanted to see the goblin too… I’ll go kill it myself,” Ye-eun grumbled when she heard the story later that evening during dinner.
To cheer her up, my father and I stopped on the way home to buy cake. It worked like a charm. If all it took to lift her spirits was one slice of cake, it was a cheap deal.
And then…
“―Ugh…”
“―Oh my gosh, your fever is 38 degrees!”
The day after the battle, my body completely gave out. When I woke up, I was wracked with aches and chills. The strain of overusing my avoidance instinct had caught up with me.
I hadn’t expected the backlash to be this severe.
‘I need to stop pushing my limits so recklessly,’ I resolved while my family nursed me through the day.
“Whew…”
Maybe it was the full day of rest, but by Monday morning, I felt much better. My fever was gone, and my body was back to normal.
But I couldn’t celebrate.
‘The weekend is gone.’
A new week had begun, and it was time for school.
Dragging myself out of bed, I lamented, ‘If I had just a little fever left, I wouldn’t have to go today…’
Does anyone actually like going to school? At least, I didn’t.
This wasn’t just in this life—it had been the same in my previous one. As a kid, I hated school. As an adult, I hated work. Mondays, in particular, always felt like a cruel joke.
‘Counting my past life, I’ve been through elementary school twice.’
Thinking about it only made me more miserable.
“Ha…”
In Class 3, Grade 5, at Raon Elementary, I slumped onto my desk as soon as I entered the room.
Whether it was lingering fatigue or the depressing return to school, I couldn’t muster any energy.
As I lay there sighing, I heard a thud from the desk next to mine.
“What’s going on? Are you sick?”
“Ah… Haneul. Morning.”
I raised my head to see Yeon Ha-neul, who had just put her bag down. Her worried expression caught me off guard, and I managed a weak smile.
After setting her things down, she sat beside me.
“I was feeling sick yesterday,” I explained. “Terrible body aches.”
“Suddenly? What happened? Did you take medicine? Are you okay now?”
Her red eyes widened, and her rabbit-like ears perked up as she peppered me with questions. Her concern made me strangely happy.
“Actually, I had a real fight over the weekend,” I confessed.
“A real fight? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Fighting monsters.”
“Monsters? Isn’t that dangerous? Aren’t we too young for that?”
“Well, I’m part of the Shingeom Taoist school. My cousins have all done it by now, but this was my first time.”
“Still… it sounds dangerous. Were you hurt?”
“A bit, but most of the injuries were healed with magic.”
“Why only ‘most’? Can’t magic heal everything?”
“Healing magic is like borrowing your body’s future recovery energy. It’s better to let minor wounds heal naturally.”
Curious, she leaned closer, her red eyes scanning me.
“Show me,” she insisted.
I hesitated but eventually showed her the shallow wound on my arm.
Yeon Ha-neul frowned and pulled a small pouch from her bag.
“I have ointment and band-aids. Let me help.”
“You don’t need to—”
“Just let me do it!”
Her firm tone left no room for argument. Relenting, I extended my arm, and she carefully applied ointment before pressing a cute band-aid—decorated with a white rabbit on a pink background—over the wound.
“There,” she said, straightening up with a satisfied smile.
Looking at her handiwork, I couldn’t help but smile.
“So, how did you get the body aches?”
“That’s… a long story.”
I gave her a brief explanation of what had happened.
After hearing the full story, Yeon-ha-neul let out a sigh of relief.
“At least you’re okay. Just be careful next time, alright? Don’t get hurt again. How are you feeling now?”
“How do I look to you?”
“You look a little tired.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“Did you take your medicine?”
“I took it this morning. This one’s for lunch.”
“Don’t forget to take it later.”
“Then you remind me later.”
“No….”
I slumped onto my desk, pulling the medicine from my pocket and shaking it lightly.
Yeon-ha-neul, who had just opened her book, glanced at me with a mix of irritation and concern. Her glare softened a moment later, as if she couldn’t stay upset.
“Okay, fine. I’ll remind you.”
“If you do, I’ll owe you one.”
“If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know. Since you seem really sick, I’ll listen to you—just for today, though.”
Just today, especially…
I rested my head against my pencil case, watching her rabbit ears twitch slightly as she spoke. They stood tall, soft, and utterly fascinating.
“….”
At that moment, a strange curiosity overtook me. I felt playful and mischievous.
“Well, then…”
“Yeah? If you need anything, just ask.”
“Can I touch your ears?”
“…What?”
Yeon-ha-neul froze, her confident demeanor evaporating in an instant. She blinked, staring at me as though I’d spoken a foreign language.
“What—what did you just say?”
Her embarrassment was so obvious it was amusing.
“Let me touch your ears,” I repeated, suppressing a grin.
“Y-you want to touch my ears? Why?”
“I think it might give me strength.”
“…”
“I’ve been curious ever since I first met you. I just want to know what they feel like.”
“Did you… did you meet me just for this?”
“What are you talking about? Of course not. I met you because I met you. Your ears just happen to be fascinating.”
Yeon-ha-neul’s face flushed a bright red as she reached up to clasp her long ears, pressing them tightly to her head.
I had to fight the urge to laugh at her reaction. At the same time, I felt a twinge of regret.
Maybe I pushed too far. I should’ve eased into it.
I was about to drop the subject entirely when she surprised me with her response.
“If… if it really gives you strength…,” she stammered.
“…What?”
“Does it really help?”
“Uh… of course?”
“Why do you sound unsure?”
“Because I haven’t touched them yet.”
“…”
“No, really. I’m sure it’ll work!”
Her expression crumpled, and I quickly tried to backtrack.
“Alright, fine,” she sighed, clearly frustrated. “You can touch them. Just be quick about it.”
“Really? Are you serious?”
“Yes, but don’t bring it up again afterward. And if you’re not feeling better, don’t blame me, got it?”
“I promise. No complaints.”
“And just for a little while! Don’t touch them for too long!”
She emphasized her conditions, clearly embarrassed but determined to follow through.
I nodded eagerly. The chance to touch her soft rabbit ears was too good to pass up.
Slowly, I reached out toward her. Her shoulders stiffened as she shrank back slightly, but she didn’t stop me. Finally, my fingers brushed against her ears.
“Oh… they’re so soft. Fluffy, too.”
“Ugh… don’t rub them too hard! Be gentle—they’re sensitive!”
“I think I might get addicted to this,” I teased, marveling at their texture.
“That’s enough! Stop it—ah!”
Yeon-ha-neul let out a small sound of protest.
Ignoring her complaints, I indulged in the soft, plush sensation of her rabbit ears for a moment longer before finally pulling away, a wide grin on my face
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