At least, that's what Yejun thought had happened.
I mean, they were in a new location.
About that… they were in a new location.
This time, it wasn't a field or a big city. It was dark outside now—he could hear the crickets chirping. From what he could tell, they had been teleported somewhere deep in a forest. Next to them was a large, blue pond that shimmered under the night sky.
But the strangest part wasn't the change in scenery—it was the people. There were a lot of them.
They all seemed to be in the same situation as Yejun and Doyun, except… they didn't look confused at all. If anything, they looked familiar with this place. Some students were playing around with their wands, while others were pushing each other toward the lake, laughing. And then there was Yejun—standing there, utterly lost.
Just then, as if snapping back to reality, Chandra spoke up.
"Oh, the carriages are here."
And she was right.
Out of nowhere, several carriages appeared in the middle of the forest. But they weren't old or rundown like something from an old storybook. These were sleek and modern, painted white with gold accents, decorated with elegant bird designs.
Without hesitation, Chandra picked up the mirror again. "I'm sorry, Yejun and Doyun. I have to go."
Doyun barely reacted, only rolling his eyes and looking elsewhere. Yejun, on the other hand, decided to say goodbye—after all, she had helped them a lot.
"Goodbye, Miss. Thanks for everything."
Chandra smiled warmly. "Oh, it's not a big deal. Stay safe. And maybe talk to some of the students—they might tell you something useful. Who knows?"
Yejun nodded, appreciating the advice.
Doyun, however, barely muttered, "Bye…?"
Chandra chuckled. "You too, Doyun. Stay safe."
And just like that—she disappeared.
But this time, Yejun wasn't the one getting teleported.
Doyun turned to him. "Alright, Yejun. Come on, we have to get on a carriage."
Yejun shrugged. "Sure, whatever."
The two of them walked toward the front-most carriage. Or at least, Yejun did.
Doyun, being Doyun, deliberately went and sat in a different one. Annoying.
"You'll be fine. You're not a baby." He rolled his eyes before leaving Yejun behind.
With a sigh, Yejun finally noticed the other people in his carriage.
There were two students—a boy and a girl—who looked oddly alike. Probably siblings. They both stared at Yejun with wide eyes, as if they had just seen a ghost.
Before he could say anything, the girl suddenly beamed.
"Hey! You're Yejun!"
Just like that, the awkwardness melted away.
She had the kind of energy that instantly lit up the room.
"I'm Jia, and this is my brother, Asher."
Yejun had guessed right—they were siblings.
"Ah… nice to meet you," he said, still unsure how to react.
Asher smiled too, though his was more awkward—shy but comforting in a way. His grin was eerily similar to Jia's.
"I-I hope we'll be friends…!"
Jia immediately bumped her brother's shoulder. "Hey! Don't be so awkward. Act normal! He's just a student like us."
"Yeah…" Asher mumbled, looking embarrassed.
Realizing he probably looked intimidating, Yejun decided to soften his expression and smile.
"I hope we'll be friends too."
Jia grinned. "Yeah! Us too!"
The carriage jolted forward, beginning to move. It was bumpy, but not as bad as Yejun expected.
"So," he started, attempting small talk. "Is this your first year here?"
"I've been here for a while now," Jia answered, "but it's actually my brother's first year too."
Yejun turned to Asher. "Then how'd you know it was my first year, Jia?"
Jia laughed. "Come on, you're famous in this world. Of course, everyone would notice if you showed up at this school."
Ah.
So Chandra was right. People did know who he was.
It felt weird.
The conversation continued, with Yejun throwing in the occasional question about the magic world.
"Wait, so there are magical creatures here?"
"Yep!" Jia confirmed, excitedly.
They kept chatting, mostly about creatures and places in this world. It was surprisingly easy to talk to them. But then, without warning, the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
"Huh? Why'd we stop?" Asher's voice was loud and dramatic.
Now that he was comfortable, he talked a lot—which was a good thing.
"What if someone's trying to kill us?" he whined. "I'm too young to die…!"
Jia rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, Asher. Calm down."
Before he could spiral further into paranoia, the carriage doors suddenly burst open.
Two students entered—a boy and a girl.
The boy looked nerdy—thick glasses resting at the top of his nose, dark and baggy clothes, his head tilted downward like he'd rather be anywhere but here.
The girl, on the other hand, looked bright. She was the first person Yejun had seen wearing modern clothes, and her hair was a strikingly fun color—standing out in a sea of dark tones.
"Hey," the nerdy guy muttered. "Our carriage broke down, so we'll be riding here now."
His voice was deep but quiet, almost like he was hoping no one would acknowledge him.
The girl immediately nudged him, grinning. "Hey, c'mon! Don't be so shy—they don't bite!"
The guy jumped in response, aggressively brushing her hand off.
"Eugh, don't touch me, Sera!"
Everyone burst into laughter—except for him. He rolled his eyes, clearly used to her antics.
Sera grinned, unfazed. "I'm Sera, and this is Jae. Don't mind him—he's weird sometimes!"
Jae finally stepped inside and plopped down next to Yejun. The second he did, his eyes widened, realization hitting him like a truck.
"W-Wait… are you… Y-Y-YEJUN?!"
Yejun tilted his head, sighing internally. Not this again.
Before he could respond, Sera waved a dismissive hand.
"Jae, leave him alone."
Yejun shook his head. "It's fine, I don't mind too much."
With that, the carriage doors shut on their own, and they were off again.
Now, there were five of them. The space was a little tight, but the atmosphere felt warm.
The conversation flowed naturally, laughter filling the small carriage.
For the first time since coming here, Yejun felt like he belonged in this world.
But while his carriage was lively and full of energy…
Doyun's was a different story.
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-Author
thx for reading