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Despite all this and that, in the end, Delphinium accepted my story.

I wasn’t sure if it was because of my words saying, “I don’t want to be left alone.” If anything, that might’ve made her want to distance herself from me further. People who usually like being alone tend to shy away from others getting too close.

However, no matter how much someone prefers solitude, there are moments of deep loneliness.

I was one of those people. At school, I kept my thorns up, making it hard for others to get close. Ha-yoon managed to get along with me, but that was just because she was Ha-yoon.

The kids who approached us were all just a nuisance. Most didn’t even think about coming closer when I treated people coldly, but there were plenty who still tried to drag Ha-yoon away from me anyway.

But every so often, I did wonder if I could live as a normally popular student at school. Ultimately, I gave up on that.

Here I was living a completely opposite life.

So, I hoped Delphinium wouldn’t feel that way.

Seo-hee and Yeon-woo started with somewhat negative feelings, but Delphinium didn’t harbor those kinds of strong negative emotions. Sure, there was an air of slight disregard toward me, but that was more due to a sense of ‘indifference’ than anything else.

My attitude of treating those who approached me with ill intent was somewhat understandable, so I could get where she was coming from.

“…”

As I blankly stared at Delphinium trying to explain something, she frowned at me.

It was her way of showing emotions. She likely noticed I was struggling to focus on the lesson.

There were basic classes about magic, too, but they weren’t very in-depth. They usually involved using or repairing equipment created by the Eun-ha Federation. After all, Cherry was the teacher, so…

Delphinium’s class leaned much more towards theory, which made it really difficult for me to concentrate. Even though I was relatively good at studying at school, the high-level teaching was instinctively hard to grasp.

Thud.

“Huh?”

But I didn’t expect Delphinium to close the book.

“Wait a second!”

I jumped up and yelled, barely managing to stop her from taking the book back to her room.

“Ah, um, sorry. Honestly, it’s been a bit hard to follow…”

“…Then you don’t need to attend, do you?”

True, that was a valid point.

Yeah. It might be pointless for an elementary school student to attend a class meant for college students. There was no basic knowledge to start with, so it was bound to be hard to understand. Delphinium’s class was at quite a high level, too.

But if I just let Delphinium leave, then my hopes would go down the drain.

“Um, Jua-senpai.”

Seeing me flustered, Ha-yoon quickly raised her hand.

“I, I’m understanding it just fine.”

“…”

Delphinium turned her gaze towards Ha-yoon. In that look, there was a subtle hint of surprise, albeit small.

In the original work, Ha-yoon maintained good relations with all the magical girls. It wasn’t just a personal thing; she played a role in connecting the magical girls who would otherwise clash, thus preventing teamwork from breaking down during fights against enemies.

That’s why she was able to hold a leadership position among the magical girls despite the presence of older students. Of course, the Ha-yoon in the manga probably didn’t aim for that.

Somehow, I ended up taking on a significant part of that role in this world, but that didn’t mean Ha-yoon’s true nature and skills had disappeared.

Delphinium quietly stared at Ha-yoon for a bit before shifting her gaze back to me. Her expression was nearly emotionless, but I was sure she was glaring at me.

Delphinium opened the book again and continued the lesson.

“…”

Hmm.

To be honest, I still didn’t understand.

But that didn’t mean I could just space out again. After all, I had requested this class.

I picked up a pen and took notes as diligently as I could during the lecture. I aimed to capture as much of Delphinium’s teachings and theories as possible.

Maybe later, I could reread and ask Ha-yoon about it? That might help me understand better.

During the class, Delphinium glanced at me for a moment, but she continued the lesson without stopping.

And just like that, the first day came to a close without any significant gains.

*

I lost all my life accomplishments from my past life when I crossed over to this world.

Well, it’s not like I had achieved some incredible feats worthy of being counted among the elite wealthy people who could be listed as the greatest in the world. I had, however, accomplished a few modest things as an individual—like getting into university, for instance.

All of that was gone now, and there was no way I could show others what I had done and brag about it. Yet, there was still one thing that remained with me.

That was my persistence.

In both good ways and bad, once I get focused on something, I stick to it stubbornly. Whether it’s truly a strength or just a habit, I’m not sure.

But because of that habit, I managed to adapt here too. Without that persistence, when I lost to Seo-hee once, I would’ve just given up, and when Dalia hit me with her magic, I would’ve also thrown in the towel.

And I probably would’ve disappointed Ha-yoon tremendously.

So, this time, I decided to utilize that stubbornness again.

I took the notes I had written from Delphinium’s theories and sought out everyone in the facility.

“Hmm? Isn’t this a level too hard for you guys? Did you hear it from Delphinium?”

Cherry responded to me with that reaction.

So it really was difficult, huh.

“Yeah. Still, I’m going to try my best to understand.”

Upon hearing my words, Cherry looked at me as if she were proud, but—truthfully, it wasn’t that I was genuinely interested in that knowledge. I was acting that way to sort of provoke a reaction.

After all, didn’t I just recently clash with both Seo-hee and Yeon-woo? Both of those situations began because I initially ‘lost’.

Delphinium was the same case.

I had initiated a duel, got turned down, and thus resorted to a different method to entice her.

But isn’t it kind of lame if I didn’t understand a thing? Even if I can’t win, I wanted to show that’s not my personality.

That was also a threat.

A warning that I would continue to be a nuisance if I were ignored. A threat designed to make Delphinium think maybe it would be better to join us instead.

So, I studied hard.

“Aren’t you studying a bit too much?”

Ha-yoon looked at me with concern.

There probably aren’t many second-year middle school students putting in this much effort during winter break.

But strangely enough, I found it a bit enjoyable. It felt different from just cramming for exams.

There was no real reason to achieve a higher score. I wasn’t diligent enough to make Delphinium give me an exam.

However, I was slowly keeping pace with Delphinium’s class, and every time I asked questions here and there, and whenever I answered the questions she occasionally presented, Delphinium’s reactions were amusing.

Just like when I landed a solid hit on Seo-hee for the first time. Or when I got closer to Yeon-woo.

When I asked Jua to make a wand for me, and then transformed while using that wand to fight with Ha-yoon.

It was all fun. Interacting with people felt like fitting puzzle pieces together perfectly.

The same went for my relationship with Delphinium.

The more I showed my effort and willingness to follow along, the longer Delphinium stretched out her lectures. She started teaching more and engaging with me more frequently.

I’m not sure if she herself realized it, but we were definitely getting closer.

“Is it okay if I join this class too?”

When I went to ask Jua, she expressed her keen interest.

And just like that, another student joined our lessons.

Delphinium tilted her head a bit, but the class continued regardless.

“I think this magic would be helpful for plant cultivation.”

When I asked Yeon-woo about related theories, she showed interest too.

And the next day, Yeon-woo quietly followed us and sat down a little distance away to listen to the class.

Once again, Delphinium wore an expression that seemed a bit strange.

“If I’m the only one not listening, wouldn’t that be a bit odd? Plus, it seems like magic that explodes like a fist would be helpful during fights.”

The observant Seo-hee quickly realized we were all participating and promptly joined in. She certainly was someone with a disposition completely opposite to Delphinium.

Thus, Delphinium’s class became one that all magical girls attended.

Before long, the blue-haired girl who used to prefer the corner seats among the magical girls became the center of our group.

About three days into classes with all of us participating, Delphinium finally realized it and wore a very dazed expression.

Seeing that, I felt a sense of refreshment.

Our gazes met.

As I grinned at Delphinium, she covered her forehead with her hand.

But still, she didn’t abandon the lesson.

 

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