NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44
“What are you doing?”
thud
“Don’t mind me.”
sigh
“Na-me, did that guy eat something weird? What’s wrong with him?”
shrug
“Who knows?”
shrug again
“Hey, there’s an empty spot, guys. Let’s eat over there.”
clattering dishes
Jihye, who got the lunch first, found an empty seat and sat down, followed by Seori.
clatter
Finally, Na-me, who came last, sat down right across from Seori.
thud
But then, Seo Yu-na, who had been sticking close to their group, boldly took the seat next to Na-me.
unexpected gasp
But that position wasn’t directly across from Jihye; it was more like a strange arrangement.
confused mumbling
“I told you not to mind me!”
exasperated sigh
Yu-na, with a stiff neck, picked up her chopsticks as if it was enough just sitting next to Na-me.
clank
“Hey NoName, is this really okay…?”
curious glance
“Why?”
shrug
“Do you usually eat so little for lunch? Did you have a big breakfast?”
tilt of head
“No? I usually skip breakfast.”
shocked silence
Yu-na looked glum at the amount of food on Na-me’s tray, because her own tray had the identical amount.
heavy heart
“Two spoonfuls of rice… no soup… three anchovies, one sausage, a piece of mashed potato, and a strand of spinach…”
grumbling stomach
Beef seaweed soup, my favorite…
internal wailing
Pork belly soy sauce stew isn’t something that comes around often either.
disappointed sigh
“Yu-na, won’t you be hungry eating like that?”
raising an eyebrow
“No? I’m fine! I think this is enough for me!”
laughing confusion
“Haha…”
snicker
Seori shook her head in disbelief.
shaking her head
She wondered what Yu-na was doing because lately, she kept mimicking Na-me’s actions.
curious glance
‘But is copying Na-me’s lunch behavior too much?’
exasperated sigh
Naturally, the first to finish lunch was Yu-na.
quick bites
With just five bites, her tray looked brand new.
clean plates
Seori and Jihye were busy chatting about stickers from the stationery store, while Na-me picked at her rice grain by grain until she set her chopsticks down.
clatter of chopsticks
“What? Not eating more?”
confused stare
“Yeah, I’m just not hungry.”
matter-of-fact shrug
“I can’t even…”
shaking head
Na-me couldn’t manage even that amount and leaned back, watching Seori and Jihye’s talk show.
entertaining banter
“Am I doing this just to annoy you?”
frustrated sigh
Finally, unable to hold back, Yu-na exploded.
surprised gasp
“Copying? Aaa.”
realization hit
Na-me finally understood the reason behind Yu-na’s recent actions.
lightbulb moment
[Don’t you take notes?]
curious look
[Studying’s done with the mind, not the hand.]
thinking hard
Yu-na, who filled her textbook with various highlighters, hadn’t even taken out her pencil case after a certain day.
notebook closed
[NoName out!]
disappointment
[Teacher, I got hit too. I’ll leave.]
nod of acknowledgment
In PE, always shadowing Na-me’s every move, following her around like a duckling.
flap of wings
[Seo Yu-na, if you’re not busy, can you help me with this?]
hopeful glance
[Don’t talk to me. I’m super busy right now.]
frustration peaking
Every break time, she copied Na-me, crossing her arms and dozing off.
deep breaths
It was all blinding imitation of NoName.
mocking tone
Seo Yu-na realized two days ago, having witnessed Na-me’s magic.
shocking revelation
This kid is a genius on a whole different level from Yoon Si-hoo.
wide-eyed amazement
Thinking she couldn’t possibly catch up even if she studied 16 hours a day, she devised a different plan.
thinking cap on
Assuming Na-me had some special secret to her intelligence, Yu-na thought she could gain enlightenment by mimicking her every action.
readiness for trial
Thus began the ‘Follow Na-me’ project.
excitement in the air
However, while observing Na-me, Yu-na couldn’t help but question herself.
frowning in thought
She didn’t take notes, nor did she seem to be paying attention in class.
confusion rising
Her lack of effort in physical activities during PE also showed she barely participated.
sluggish movements
Plus, she hardly brought food to her mouth all day; Yu-na felt she might faint from dizziness.
stomach grumbling
Grabbing her throbbing head, Na-me once again drank the liquid from the flask she had brought.
slurp
Like a sommelier savoring wine, she swirled the flask around.
swish
“I have a question. What is that you drink every day?”
curiosity piqued
Yu-na was sure.
nod of certainty
That liquid must hold a secret.
whispered secrets
A potion that improves memory? Or maybe it’s something that keeps her energetic all day without sleep.
speculation brewing
“It’s a mana potion, but you guys aren’t supposed to drink it.”
defiant tone
“A potion? Like the ones in games? Do those exist in real life?”
incredulous gasp
“The effects are roughly similar.”
enigmatic smile
What is a potion?
thinking cap switched on
It was a medicine that replenished the body’s mana.
scientific explanation
But something so convenient couldn’t possibly exist in reality.
shaking head in disbelief
If such a thing existed, everyone wouldn’t bother trying to increase their mana capacity, right?
nodding in agreement
But what if such a potion truly existed?
mind-bending thought
All magic above the 2nd circle came with a fee.
calculating profits
The payment point was unequivocally the ‘save’ stage, which allowed the exchange of information from the base station.
data connecting
However, if magic were halted at the 2nd or 3rd stage, it would lose additional mana due to a non-reversible quality of the circle.
loss of mana
But despite this inefficiency, if mana were infinite, it would allow practicing magic all day long.
dreaming of magic
Yu-na couldn’t let go of such an opportunity.
determined excitement
“Give me some too. I want to try it.”
begging tone
“You guys can’t drink it, I told you.”
firm resistance
“Is it expensive?”
curiosity about cost
“It’s not exactly super expensive.”
casual shrug
“So then, why not? I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”
puppy eyes
“This isn’t like a supplement; it’s a medication. You need a prescription to take it.”
serious explanation
You can’t just eat anything thinking it’s good.
warning tone
Na-me stood her ground against Yu-na’s stubbornness.
firm stance
“It’s something that reverses genetic alterations caused by prolonged exposure to Gamana. I can’t guarantee what would happen if an ordinary person keeps drinking it.”
serious reflection
Of course, who would dare drink this while sober, but still… it was a hard no.
strong resistance
“Ugh…”
frustrated moan
Seori, curious about their conversation, asked about the potion.
inquisitive tone
“How much do you drink every day, Na-me?”
asking for knowledge
“Three liters a day.”
stunned silence
“Eww, that’s a lot. So that’s why you don’t eat lunch properly.”
shocked realization
Seori clicked her tongue.
disapproving noise
Drinking that much every day would indeed feel torturous.
exaggerated grieving
Most people would struggle if told to drink three liters of water a day.
grimacing at the thought
“Your ambition is commendable, but I won’t give you one bite, so just give up.”
patting head
“Why can’t I? Just one bite won’t hurt!”
pleading tone
“What are you misunderstanding? This isn’t like a game potion. Yes, mana replenishes, but it’s not usable in an available state, so it’s meaningless.”
“Then why do you drink it? There must be a reason why it’s good!”
challenging tone
“Let’s just drop the subject.”
changing the topic
*
Only one step remains until the secret is revealed.
dramatic tension
During the 5th-period break.
clock ticking
Yu-na focused on Na-me’s timing of going to wash her flask.
anticipation rises
She had four 500ml flasks, and before the 6th period began, she always emptied three bottles and went to the bathroom to wash.
clank clank
Seemingly selecting that time intentionally to avoid the crowds at school dismissal.
logical deduction
And there was one last bottle, for some reason, she always left unconsumed as a spare habit.
pondering thought
‘Just one sip to taste it.’
daring thought
Yu-na took the flask out from Na-me’s bag and placed it on her lap.
nervous fiddling
Feeling guilty, she looked around nervously to see if anyone was watching.
glancing around
‘Looks like just ordinary water.’
calming realization
The half-liter liquid caused ripples in the bottle.
water swirling
But interestingly, there were no bubbles forming.
strange observation
She cautiously unscrewed the flask lid.
twisting cap
‘There’s no particularly strange smell either?’
curious sniff
But the mana potion was strange.
increasing tension
The clear liquid turned murky and black the moment she opened the lid.
shocking transformation
‘What! What should I do…?!’
panic rising
This is bad.
sinking feeling
Yu-na’s thoughts froze instantly.
brain stalling
She suddenly remembered that the leftovers in Na-me’s flask were black every time she went to wash it.
flashing memory
It changes color when exposed to air.
realization hitting
In the end, being caught was just a matter of time.
sense of doom
‘Now that it’s come to this…!’
determination rising
Whether it’s one drop or one sip, it’s already confirmed that she would be caught.
resigned acceptance
Since Yu-na figured she would be hated anyway, she planned to at least experience the potion’s effect before it happened.
eyes narrowing for focus
gulp
“……!!!”
gulping horror
The moment the liquid touched her tongue,
electric shock
Yu-na felt the strength drain from her entire body like a lie.
feeling weak
“Gah…!”
choking sound
crash
Without support, the flask tumbled down and fell straight to the ground.
hard hit
The glass bottle shattered against the dull wooden floor.
shattering glass
“Ahhhh!”
shouting out
“What the heck, Seo Yu-na? Why are you like this?”
shocked voice
Yu-na’s small body crumbled.
crumbling sound
Unable to bear the agony, she clutched her throat but couldn’t even let out a whimper.
silent scream
“Cough…!”
rough coughing
The liquid tasted beyond just bitter or sour.
sensory overload
It numbed her senses, and every cell screamed for help.
internal chaos
Feeling pain she had never experienced before, fear overtook Yu-na more than despair.
gripped by terror
“I don’t want to… I don’t want to die like this.”
pleading whisper
She wanted to cut her tongue out.
desperate thoughts
She didn’t want to feel this sensation anymore.
rejecting reality
Yet the burning sensation in her throat plunged her deeper into despair.
depths of darkness
“Please save me…”
crying for help