Hani didn’t have a friend of the same age for a long time.
In her formative years, Hani’s world was contained in the Eungwang One Light Orphanage, and no child there was the same age as her.
“Come to think of it, there’s no kid the same age as Hani here.”
“As long as her oppas and unnies care for her well, she’d be fine.”
“Maybe she’ll have a same-age friend one day.”
However, even after the name of the orphanage changed to Eungwang One Light Nursery and Hani entered Gwangil Elementary School, no child came to the nursery that was the same age as her.
During her first days at the elementary school, Hani didn’t make any friends.
The just-turned-elementary school student Hani was not as alert as she is now, and she had a difficult time lip-reading well.
Most parents didn’t want their children to be friends with a disabled child, and since Hani was difficult to talk with, the kids didn’t want to be friends with her.
On top of that, the teachers of Gwangil Elementary School at that time weren’t enthusiastic at all about giving quality education, so Hani was quickly isolated.
It was Gong Cheonghwon, a volunteer at the nursery, who supported Hani.
“There are a lot of people at school, so it’s not easy sensing presence and lip-reading. Let’s practice together.”
Gong Cheonghwon, who was a student at that time, often stopped by the nursery to do volunteer work that he juggles along with his studies, and he often tutored Hani.
Even so, Hani couldn’t gain any friends.
The kids were only amazed that Hani could understand what they were saying despite her being hearing-impaired, but that was it.
‘…I thought being able to converse would do it.’
Thanks to Gong Cheonghwon's teaching and the care of the people at the nursery, Hani managed to live without friends.
And then, when the new school year began…
For the first time, Hani got a friend the same age as her.
It was Dokgo Miro, who was isolated from the other kids for reasons different from her own.
— I’m going to be an idol! What about you Hani? What’s your dream?
— I don’t know.
— Then let’s discover it together!
Dokgo Miro was so bright and cool that it was difficult to imagine that she was a child ostracized by the others.
Her school life wasn’t that fun, but getting to meet and talk to Dokgo Miro made it worth it.
However, the fantasy-like time passed quickly.
When the new school year came, Hani was so happy that they ended up in the same class, but Dokgo Miro kept avoiding her.
— I’m going to debut as a solo idol, so I have to practice being alone from now on!
— I’m scared of being on stage, but it might get better when I get used to standing in front of people on my own.
— I don’t want you to greet me in front of the other kids.
— Don’t sit next to me. Go somewhere else.
Hani didn’t know why Dokgo Miro suddenly started to act strangely, or how she could erase the distance between them again.
As such, the two were isolated on their own again.
Hani had a very hard time after losing the first same-age friend she had.
It took a lot of time for Hani to accept that Dokgo Miro was no longer her friend.
A few years later, when Hani met Dokgo Miro again in Eungwang HIgh, she realized that something was not right about their past.
People online were talking about Dokgo Miro’s past on several social media sites.
‘Something happened back when Miro was staying away from me.’
Hani wasn’t following those accounts that were discussing Dokgo Miro.
She could only read their public posts, so she couldn’t dive into the details of the rumors that they were spreading.
Soon, those accounts began to disappear one by one.
This was thanks to Hwang Jiho following Jo Euishin’s suggestion.
Unbeknownst to Hani, they were handled by the Hwangmyeong Group.
It was Jung Haeon, Dokgo Miro’s fansite, who gave her a clue.
“You’re from Gwangil Elementary School aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
With Hani’s answer, Jung Haeon began a long speech almost in a single breath.
It seems like she was agonizing about it for a long time.
“Tell me what happened to Miro that time. If what I’m thinking is right, I think me taking pictures of her will get in her way.”
“Excuse me?”
“Even if there’s circumstantial evidence of the situation, I don’t have a witness or conclusive evidence yet.”
Jung Haeon seemed to have some sort of clue, but Hani had no idea what she was talking about.
She decided to be honest, saying that she didn’t know anything.
“…I don’t really know either.”
“What, you really don’t know anything? I don’t think you’re pretending not to know.”
Before Jung Haeon backed down disappointingly, Hani grabbed her.
“I’ll look into it if you tell me the circumstantial evidence you know, sunbaenim.”
Jung Haeon seemed to hesitate.
She thought perhaps her action would constitute her spreading rumors about Dokgo Miro.
Hani expressed her true feelings, those she had never verbalized before, to persuade Jung Haeon.
“I’m Miro’s first friend. I want to know what’s going on!”
After a second, Jung Haeon finally spoke.
“I think Miro is scared of cameras. And I think the reason is probably…”
Jung Haeon took out a picture taken with an old Polaroid camera.
“It may be because she was bullied using cameras when she was young.”
The picture showed a young Dokgo Miro with a frozen expression.
It seemed to be at their elementary school, and the background had children twitching behind Dokgo Miro and staring at her.
This photo is said to be posted on sale on a trading site shortly after Dokgo Miro appeared on Plalist.
“…Who sold this?”
“From a boy that was in a detention center not long ago. I borrowed Geumchan’s power to investigate, but I couldn’t find any clue.”
Jung Haeon was referring to Geum Chansol, class president of Year Two Class Zero.
‘Geum Chansol sunbaenim is an excellent player, and his family is very influential. They didn’t manage to get any clue?’
Hani thought of another acquaintance who came from a more powerful family than Geum Chansol’s and was also an outstanding player himself.
Her laughing classmate, the one that was being mentioned as the heir to Hwangmyeong Foundation.
But she immediately erased the idea.
‘No, there’s a better way than borrowing that guy’s power.’
That is, to ask Dokgo Miro directly.
Hani implemented her plan immediately the day Dokgo Miro went to school.
However, Dokgo Miro refused to tell her anything, so Hani decided to go to her last resort.
“If you don’t want to tell me, then let’s battle it out!”
Hani raised her voice in front of their classmates who came to stop them.
Seeing Hani screaming for the first time, the kids looked widely surprised.
Dokgo Miro was surprised too, but she nodded after a while.
“Okay. Since you want to fight, I’ll accept it, Hani.”
Dokgo Miro’s eyes were full of spirit.
***
When the countdown ended and the number displayed a huge zero, Dokgo Miro and Hani kicked the floor and rushed toward each other.
Fwaaa!
On the floor of the gym designed to withstand students’ abilities, faint signs of heat and energy waves rose.
Both seemed to be running with their feet loaded with energy waves.
“Ha!”
Hani immediately used a basic Taehokwon skill called Tiger’s Step and dug into the arms of Dokgo Miro.
Hani’s footwork was of a tiger leaping toward its prey, and she threw a sharp fist at her opponent.
Clash!
Dokgo Miro defended using the Morning Star, and the impact resounded loudly through the gym.
“I see she’s practiced a lot. The connection between Hani’s attack plane and her footwork has improved so much.”
Hwang Jiho, with his eyes wide, praised Hani.
However, his comments didn’t end with that praise.
“But Dokgo Miro is… someone competent enough to destroy a police station without leaving a trace.”
Not all the officers in that station were players, but the facilities were designed to withstand attacks from criminals who can use abilities and light skills.
On top of that, the chief in that station was an elite who graduated as a player.
Dokgo Miro is a person powerful enough to overpower such a place on her own.
Hit!
As soon as Hwang Jiho finished speaking, Dokgo Miro landed a lightning-like kick right on Hani’s stomach.
Hani swallowed a scream as she flew back.
“…!”
Rather than a special skill or a martial arts move, it seemed to be a simple counterattack.
Dokgo Miro’s offense did not stop there.
With Hani being off-balance, Dokgo Miro swung the Morning Star toward her.
“Be careful!”
“Dodge, Hani!”
“Hey what are you doing? Block it!”
At some point, the other kids stood up and were shouting at the two.
The Morning Star wielded by Dokgo Miro swung in an arc directly at Hani.
The moment it was about to hit her…
“…Ha!”
Hani threw her fist in the air with a scream.
Using the wind pressure, Hani forcibly lifted herself up to avoid the Morning Star, landing perfectly on the floor.
Hani immediately rushed to Dokgo Miro.
Hit! Whip! Clash!
The two exchanged strikes without a rest.
The sound of the Morning Star’s ironclad and the protective equipment colliding rang constantly inside the gym.
“Oh no, I can’t see anything…! Are Hani and Miro hurt?”
“I don’t think either of them is bleeding!”
Kwon Lena and Saeum of April couldn’t see well the rhythm of the match between Hani and Dokgo Miro.
On the other hand, the other kids who knew well how to battle lavished praises on the fierce match between the two.
“Miro’s really good…”
“It’s different from when she’s dancing. I want to draw that image too!”
Meanwhile, some other kids were overly excited.
“Take a step back and gather energy wave!”
“Don’t block it directly with your arm guard and just parry it!”
Song Daesok and Maeng Hyodon made a fuss as they threw their fists in the air.
The two have known Hani relatively longer so they coached her from the sides.
Hani can’t understand what they’re saying though since she’s focused on Dokgo Miro, but the two seemed to have forgotten that fact.
Hit!
While Dokgo Miro used the Morning Star to block Hani’s attack, she used her free hand to hit Hani’s chest.
Hani tried to avoid belatedly, but the punch connected well.
“Euhk…”
For the first time, a groan escaped Hani’s mouth.
The vital point was protected by protective equipment, but she seemed to have accumulated a lot of damage.
The fight between the two was neck-in-neck, but over time it gradually leaned in favor of Dokgo Miro.
Even the kids who had no taste for fighting knew that Hani was inferior.
‘Is it a difference in real-life experience?’
Dokgo Miro’s hits on Hani were anomalous attacks rarely seen in general battles and more in fistfights.
It seemed that the King of Back Alleys, having a lot of experience in fights where she doesn’t know where her fists would end up, was more dominant than Hani although the latter was trained formally in Taehokwon.
The longer the battle went on, the more obvious the gap between the two became.
Hit!
“Keuhk!”
Dokgo Miro’s Morning Star landed a hit on Hani’s back.
It was the first hit on an area not protected by any equipment.
‘…Dokgo Miro’s been going easy on Hani.’
She hit Hani with the smooth part instead of the iron clad made of solid metal.
Dokgo Miro clenched her teeth as she looked at Hani struggling to get up.
“I won, Hani-ah. Concede now.”
Hani stumbled and shook her head.
“I can still fight!”
Hani took a step back after adjusting her posture.
Fwaa!
A blue, close to ultramarine green, energy wave spread from Hani’s feet.
It’s a skill rare among humans, but all tigers have it.
The leap skill.
Looking at Hani rush using a leap skill, Hwang Jiho muttered quietly/
“…She really hasn’t changed.”
However, the momentum she had been gathering dampened.
The light of the energy wave spreading from Hani’s feet gradually faded.
If Dokgo Miro lands a big shot, the battle would end here.
However…
“Gosh!”
Bang!
Dokgo Miro threw away her Morning Star, denting the floor in the process.
Without blinking her eyes, Dokgo Miro threw out her fist.
Hit!
Dokgo Miro buried her bare fist deep in Hani's stomach.
Hani let out a short gasp, and Dokgo Miro quickly rushed behind her.
“…”
Dokgo Miro stood over Hani.
She hesitated for a while but…
She karate-sliced the back of Hani’s neck.
Hani stumbled and fell.
“Stop!”
Professor Ham Geunhyung’s voice resonated loudly.
The game is up.
“Dokgo Miro wins!”
