By the time class ended, there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t covered in sand.
From myself and Min Ah-rin to everyone else, it was painfully obvious that we had all been rolling around in the sand.
We looked like a disaster.
There was only so much sand you could shake off. At some point, you had to just give up and accept it.
“I’m starving. Want to grab lunch?”
“You can eat like this? Forget it. I’m going back to the dorm, taking a shower, and sleeping. I’m too tired to eat. Go without me.”
“But that’ll cause muscle loss.”
“…You can eat after showering. Eat after.”
“Good idea.”
Min Ah-rin muttered something about how she couldn’t stand the sand in her clothes, then turned and headed straight back to the dormitory.
Once we parted, I messaged around to see who else might be free for lunch.
Unfortunately, Lisa, Kang Han-byeol, and Park Sa-gun had already eaten since their classes had ended earlier.
The triplets were apparently still stuck in class and would be for a while.
There was no reply from Yong Hae-rang.
He was probably still in class or just hadn’t looked at his phone yet. He mostly used his phone as a watch and rarely checked messages. He wasn’t good at multitasking, and once he focused on something, everything else disappeared from his radar.
I knew what he was like, so I didn’t mind the silence.
That was when a message came in from Yeon Ha-neul.
[Yeon Ha-neul]: I’m done too! Let’s eat together!
[Me]: Oki 🙂
[Me]: Where are you now?
[Yeon Ha-neul]: At the Training Hall.
The Training Hall was near the Dimensional Hall.
Instead of meeting at the cafeteria, I decided to go find her myself. There was a place to eat nearby anyway.
Not long after, I spotted her waiting in front of the Training Hall.
“You’re here! But… what happened to you?”
“Oh, this? So, what happened was…”
She had started by waving excitedly, but the moment she got a good look at me, her expression turned into pure shock.
I explained what had gone on in our morning class.
“So that’s why you’re all sandy. Must’ve been rough. I’d probably have ended up buried in it, too. Sounds like your instructor didn’t go easy on you.”
“What about you? What class did you have? And where’s Eun-bi? She’s not here.”
“Me? Tag and Capture. Eun-bi said she already had lunch plans with someone else.”
“Tag and Capture?”
“Cops and Robbers. You have no idea how much I ran around.”
“So that’s why your hair was stuck to your cheek.”
“…!”
Yeon Ha-neul flinched like a rabbit, her crimson eyes going wide as she took a step back.
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t come any closer… I sweated a lot today.”
“So what?”
“I probably stink!”
“You? You don’t smell.”
Back when we trained together as kids, she used to sweat too. If anything, I was the one who always ended up soaked.
I stepped closer, amused.
She immediately stepped back.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“Why are you trying to get closer?”
“Because it’s funny watching you panic.”
“D-Don’t…”
“I’m still coming.”
I took a step. Then another. And another.
We weren’t getting any closer. We were just slowly shifting in circles like some bizarre ritual.
Finally, it ended.
“Ah.”
“What’s ‘ah’?”
She had backed into a wall. Nowhere left to go.
I walked up to her, the way a predator corners its prey.
Leaning one hand against the wall, I tilted my head toward her neck.
“Ugh…”
“Doesn’t smell like anything.”
“Did you really need to do that?”
“Yup.”
“You’re the worst… Just back off already.”
Thud.
Yeon Ha-neul lightly tapped my chest with a limp little fist.
I pretended it hurt and took a step back. She was clearly annoyed, her brow creased, and her cheeks flushed bright red.
But when she finally spoke, her voice was warm.
“Geez. Come here. Were you really planning to eat with me looking like that? Don’t you think that’s rude? I’ll cast Cleanse on you.”
“I already did. Still couldn’t get all the sand off. I think that sand wasn’t ordinary.”
“Well, my magic’s stronger. Let me try. And if it still doesn’t work, I’ll brush you off myself. You probably don’t even realize how much is stuck to you.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate it.”
“…Hmm. Not even my magic can get it all off. Alright, come here. Lower your head.”
“Okay, okay.”
“This is ridiculous. There’s so much.”
She waved me closer.
I bent down, lowering my head so she could reach, and she leaned in and started brushing the sand out of my hair.
Still… where was I supposed to look?
My entire field of view was blocked. I couldn’t really see her legs.
She moved.
“This is ridiculous. There’s so much.”
“…”
She kept moving. I tried not to look and lowered my gaze even more.
Only then did I see the ground, and her boots came into view.
“Hey. Now that I think about it…”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Were your legs always real? Or fake?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Something I’d heard in class popped back into my mind.
I roughly explained the thought while she continued brushing sand from my head.
She looked at me like I had lost my mind.
“Are you stupid? Can’t you see I’m wearing stockings? Black ones.”
“Of course I can see that. I’m asking if you wore them even before coming to the academy. Like in elementary or middle school.”
“…Why does that matter?”
“It matters to me.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel like I was tricked.”
“Seriously? Sometimes I think I understand you, and then you throw me for a loop again.”
“I’m a mysterious guy.”
“Yeah. A romantic mystery.”
“What was that?”
“Ugh… Can’t you tell? If there’s a shine to the legs, it means they’re covered. No blemishes, nothing.”
“…”
“You don’t have to think too hard. If the outline is glossy—”
“I never looked that closely. Your legs always had this glow. Blemishes? I never noticed any. They just looked smooth—”
“Stop! You’re embarrassing me!”
“…So you’ve always worn them? Wait. Do you wear stockings or put them on?”
“Of course you wear them! They’re not clothes!”
“Then… I’ve never seen your real legs…”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“So when didn’t you wear them? Just tell me once.”
“…Why should I?”
“Huh?”
“I don’t want to tell you. I won’t. That’s the kind of thing you should notice on your own.”
“…”
“So? Can you figure it out?”
“…I can’t compare what I’ve never seen. If they always glowed, how could I know?”
“Stop it! Are you doing this on purpose? Are you teasing me?”
“What did I do?”
“Are you really this dense? You’re usually so sharp, but the moment it’s about me, your brain turns into pudding! Are you an idiot? A dummy? A jellyfish? Or just—”
“Just what?”
“…Just plain dumb.”
“Fine. Sorry for being dumb. I don’t know why I’m like this around you. Try to understand me.”
“…Stop making me embarrassed.”
“When have I ever done that?”
“Sigh… I seriously want to punch you.”
“You’ve punched me plenty already.”
“That’s not what I—ugh. Fine. You really want to see my bare legs that badly? You’re dying to know the difference between bare legs and stockings?”
“Yeah.”
“I can’t live with you…”
“But I live because of you.”
“…Stop messing with me. One day, you’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“A heart attack?”
“If you’re that curious… fine. I’ll show you. But only you. Consider it a very, spe-cial, privilege.”
“What? Really?”
“Of course it’s real. What, you think I’m joking? Meet me tonight in the first-floor lobby. I’ll show you the difference between wearing stockings and not.”
“That’s why childhood friends are the best.”
Getting smacked by Yeon Ha-neul earlier had definitely been worth it.
I grinned from ear to ear.
“Wait a second.”
“Now what?”
“If a rabbit wears stockings… doesn’t that make her a bunny girl?”
“…”
“Ha-neul? Why are you walking off without saying anything?”
“Why am I even friends with someone like you…”
She sighed like she’d completely given up on me.
I trailed after her in silence, trying not to get on her nerves any further.
Another day at the academy began.
After a quick wash, I headed out for my morning jog.
I ran a full loop around the academy grounds.
‘Was the sky this bright yesterday?’
Maybe it was just the unique atmosphere of the academy city, but everything felt a little clearer this morning. Brighter. Fresher.
The sun was just starting to rise.
It felt like the night had grown shorter in just a day.
Late winter seemed to be fading, and early spring was quietly taking its place.
Then I sensed someone approaching.
“Yo! Do Gyeon-woo! Another strong and mighty morning, huh?”
“Gyeon-woo, morning!”
“Hey there. I heard from Han-byeol. I’ll be joining you starting today.”
“…Morning to all three of you.”
Yong Hae-rang, Kang Han-byeol, and Park Sa-gun greeted me one after the other.
I adjusted my pace to match theirs.
But we weren’t the only ones out running this morning.
Voices called from behind.
“Good morning, everyone!”
“Gyeon-woo, good morning.”
“Good morning to all of you.”
Ko Eun-bi waved enthusiastically as she jogged toward us.
Beside her were Yeon Ha-neul and Lisa, who, unlike usual, had their hair tied up instead of braided.
And behind them…
“Huff… Huff… Wait… slow down a bit…”
Min Ah-rin followed, panting heavily as she tried to catch up.
‘Didn’t they all say they hated jogging? And yet, here they are, up early and running.’
I glanced back and chuckled.
It wasn’t just me. Kang Han-byeol, Yong Hae-rang, and Park Sa-gun all smiled too, as if they couldn’t figure out what was so funny, but enjoyed it anyway.
Soon, we slowed our pace to let the girls catch up, and our group grew larger.
Even while jogging, the conversations never stopped.
And the laughter never ended.
“Gyeon-woo! So you finally showed up!”
“We’ve been running for a while already!”
“Hey guys! Good morning!”
Not long after, we came across the triplets.
Apparently, they had come out early to surprise me.
Now with them joining too, our group became even more lively.
Before we knew it, our chatter was louder than the morning birdsong.
Noisy, yes—but warm.
‘The weather’s really nice today.’
The morning sun swept away the last traces of dawn, painting the sky a deep, soft blue.
Around the road, dew clung to trees and bushes.
Spring’s breath had already begun stirring the world awake. Flowers were lifting their heads and stretching, ready to bloom.
The lake nearby sparkled under the sunlight, clear and still.
And so, a new day dawned.
Little by little, we were settling into life at the academy.
[A serene energy flows into your body.]
[Luck has increased by 1.]
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