Closed An Antidote for Sore Losers pv: Eun-Ji L.H

Blue in English, Red in Korean

It was the day before summer games and Eun-ji found that she simply couldn’t relax. The rooster for her match didn’t seem too bad and she looked calm while inspecting it but the fact remained that they would be fighting foreigners and it was hard to tell what to expect. What more, there would also be much wider audience than during the Hogwarts championship. This meant the Ravenclaw felt both excited and extremely stressed. It was precisely why she decided to venture outside and seek some much needed solitude. The weather was nice, although perhaps a little too hot for her tastes. She plucked a few flowers along the way, looking for some shade. She could make a flower crown and maybe practice dancing for a bit if she felt like it. Sounds like a decent plan.

Eun-ji didn’t have an exact destination in mind. She simply wandered aimlessly far away from the crowds. It wasn’t until she heard a faint sound of music that she finally established her goal. Even though she didn’t want to socialize right now, the young ballerina could never resist the art of music. What was it? Sounds like ukulele. Well that was quite unusual but all the more intriguing. It did sound a tad chaotic however. Was the person behind the instrument not in a good mood? Should she approach quietly and sneak away if necessary?

There were many questions running through Eun-ji’s mind as she approached the performer but all of them were answered once she saw the owner of the wooden instrument. Well perhaps not all. She definitely did not pin Hana down as an ukulele guy. Then again, she did not expect him to weave flower crowns either. This boy never ceased to astonish her. The chaotic and moody playing though? Yeah…that made perfect sense.

Eun-ji calmly leaned against a tree right across the one Hanako used as his shelter. Since she approached very quietly, he would not notice her right away. Strange. She clearly wanted to be alone today yet somehow, she didn’t feel like leaving now that she saw the Slytherin. Smiling despite herself, the witch finally opened her mouth to speak. “Truly, you are full of surprises, aren’t you?” She said, still clutching onto her flowers. This was good. At least she didn’t have to think about what to do with her hands. Eun-ji found it strangely easy to communicate with the boy but there was still a lingering feeling of nervousness every time she had to start the conversation. He would never know of course but she did and that was enough. Why are you here? The Ravenclaw wanted to ask. With so many new faces around, she’d expect him to mingle rather than running away from it all. That was her specialty. However her perceptive nature told her, he must have had a reason to do so and it was likely not pleasant. She’d hear him out if he wanted to tell her but it was probably better not to ask for now.

@Hanako Tone

21 July 2023

Stupid dueling, stupid ravenclaws, stupid match-ups that were totally screwed. In moments of tranquillity, the music he makes sound like a mini orchestra of soothing raindrops. This was not one of those moments. The strums, aligned with his thoughts- screwed into a screeching halt that resembled something along the lines of harsh chalk on blackboards. Unbeknownst to him through his closed eyes and mind in helpless turmoil, he had an audience. Just as he was about to pretend someone asked for an encore, a voice sent a surprise jolt through his veins and he immediately sat up, his instrument falling from his hands, and his face looking frightful for a fleeting second. “ Eun-” he breathed out, his heart slowing its pace as his features softened momentarily. A slight spike of panic shocked him into covering up his earlier odd relief of seeing her and he leaned forward, pulling up his legs to support his elbows on it as he gave her his more recognisable smirk. “ Ah, precious~” the nickname rolled off his tongue much more naturally, hoping it would be enough for her to forget about his earlier slip up. For a second, there was an odd unfamiliar relief seeing her there. In her usual glorious unexpressive, elegant manner. His gaze momentarily drifted to the flowers in her grasps, unintentionally remembering their time ages ago where they merely enjoyed eachothers company as they wielded flower crowns. It was a good memory. Not one he expected to be good enough to untangle a bit of the tight knot in his chest from his earlier turmoil. However, he wasn’t going to allow her to know that.

In fact, not a moment too soon he realised it was actually really bad to see her right now. He wasn’t …himself per say. Or at least not the version of him that she surely expected. The persona he projects to the world, especially to girls like her. Who somehow one way or another had become entangled with a guy like him. String less, meaningless fun. With whatever little mood he had, he gave him a cheeky grin though he felt it a bit forced than usual. “ Oh, what? This old thing?” he held his ukulele by the neck and let out a light laugh. “ Well, I hear the ladies love a guy who can play an instrument. If it impresses you, you could’ve told me. I would’ve mentioned this little hobby of mine ages ago” he smoothly said, a tinge of his usual flirtation in his tone.

Behind his smirk and playful eyes, hid a mind in a different sort of turmoil. How on earth could he stray her away to leave him alone without giving away his feelings? All he wanted was to be alone. And the fact that Eun-Ji was apart of the team he was momentarily cursing just now made him squirm a bit. He'd feel more like a loser if she found out his real thoughts on the matches.

Reducio

@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Eun-ji blinked in a slight confusion. Did he almost say her name just now? Only a fleeting moment passed before she got her expression back in check but it happened nonetheless. It wasn’t often that she was so thrown off by something but the Ravenclaw learned very early on that Hana was especially good at doing just that. At least, it was not just her that was caught off guard. The boy himself seemed to panic for a second there. Of course, he also did his best to mask the slip up but Eun-ji was simply too perceptive to miss it. That being said, she had no intention of calling him out. It was clear to her that the mischievous snake wasn’t in the best state of mind right now so she had no desire to make him even more uncomfortable. “Hi.” She greeted him back calmly, too used to the nickname at this point to cause any obvious reaction.

As the conversation carried on, Eun-ji couldn’t help but feel the atmosphere wasn’t quite right. Hanako acted the same as always but the grins didn’t fully reach his eyes. “Hmm…it may be old but it’s beautiful.” She said honestly. The flower decorations on the instrument were truly eye catching. Sometimes, she envied the musicians. They all had something to cherish. She, as a ballerina, only had her pointe shoes but those never stayed long with her. Professional dancers generally wore through a couple pairs a day and while she wasn’t a professional dancer, with the amount of practice she had, hers always lasted for about the week. Even if she broken into one perfectly and grew fond of them, she had no choice but to discard them. “Besides, if it’s old then that means it stayed with you for some time. Isn’t that good?” The witch eventually pointed out aloud as well.

“Well, I hear the ladies love a guy who can play an instrument. If it impresses you, you could’ve told me. I would’ve mentioned this little hobby of mine ages ago” The comment almost made Eun-ji roll her eyes. It was so predictable and so…Hana. “I’m not that easy. I’d have to listen a bit longer to decide whether I’m really impressed or not.” She teased in attempt to lift the mood a little bit. Although to be fair, she did kind of mean it. He was clearly all over the place with his playing today so it was hard to tell how good he really was. The way he was playing made her wonder though…Did he also use his hobby to soothe his nerves like she did? Eun-ji was guessing that was the case. Perhaps we are more similar that I originally thought.

“So? What is it?” After some pondering, the Ravenclaw decided not to drag it out. She had no energy to dance around the topic. If he didn’t want to tell her, he could choose not to. She wasn’t so fragile as to let such rejection shake her. It was his right to do so if he wanted. “Why the sour mood?” She specified eventually, making sure to sound casual about it. Sounding too curious or worried (not that she was) would probably only make things worse. This way it shouldn’t feel like too much pressure and he would find it easier to avoid answering. Eun-ji wasn’t a pushy person. She herself didn’t like people that pried too much so she was unwilling to do the same to others.

@Hanako Tone

21 July 2023

A flash of surprise crossed his features at Eun-ji calling his instrument beautiful. No tease, no sigh, no subtle eye-brow raise. It striked Hanako’s mind for a moment that this was one of the things he both admired and envied about the girl. She wasn’t one to use honeyed empty words like he did. It was curt, and undeniably honest that oftentimes he was caught off guard by it. Unsure whether to be put off, or entirely something else. “ I…suppose so” he surprised himself by the normality he used in his tone. He very quickly tensed his shoulders before forcing them to relax as he wore his usual grin. “ Seems like it can catch your attention. Now, what would I have to do to get you to compliment me so easily like that?”. Her choice of words were…unique at best. It was one of those rare moments where it seemed like they weren’t just 2 people in an unusual transactional relationship. One that curiously made him wonder how their conversations would flow if he didn’t have the innate need to bring everything back to a surface level of conversations and flirty banters. Yet all the same, those less surface level conversations didn't feel as awful as it should. His instincts may have won today, but he’ll remember her words. Although he didn’t entirely understood why.

At her mention that she was still not easily impressed and she’d have to listen to him play before deciding anything, he managed to let out a short yet light laugh. A laugh that surprisingly didn’t feel like he was rehearsing a script in a play. “I do like that side of you that never makes it easy”. Should he start being worried how a little comment like that made him feel better? Yes. Yes he should. His grin weakened momentarily, as ideas raided in his head. Conducting schemes to subtly encourage her to leave.

Before he could execute any, she said something that made his head turn towards her. He couldn’t hide the flicker of confusion and surprise on his face after she said her next words. “ Do you ..Ravenclaws have some sort of radar for stuff like this?” he scoffed, a light edge to his tone as he looked away with a tight smile. It seems that asking him outright was the wrong choice.

He leaned back against the trunk of the tree and held his ukulele close to his chest. For a rare moment, it looked like he didn’t want to talk. Beyond annoyed by how she could tell. Then again she always seemed to pick up on things he tried hard to hide. Mildly he was frustrated he couldn’t do the same to her. Even when she asked how he was, he couldn’t detect her intention behind it. Was she concerned? Confused? Frankly, he was upset that he even cared about it. Wasn’t it better to not know? He should just be grateful she asked it as if she was asking about the weather. And ‘grateful’, he will be. She was a rarity. One who’d be spared from his immediate dislike for asking the most annoying question in his existence.

“ Nothing to fret over” he managed to say after some time passed, his eyes still glued to anywhere but her. At the very least, his tone had lost its earlier edge, though it was unusually curt. “ Nothing that would jeopardise our arrangement too much, at least”, he added a bit softer this time. Thinking perhaps that was the main core of why she even bothered to ask instead of just ignoring him. In fact, thinking that was all there is to it made him somewhat at ease.

Perceptive or not, she chose to ask. While the reason was unclear for now, that would be the only logical reason there is. He looked troubled for a moment. An annoying urge to apologise bubbled up. But for what? For not being his usual entertaining self? For showing such a pathetic version of him? A shameful feeling bubbled up in his stomach despite his best efforts to quell it. Why would he need to stress over constantly being in the right mood in front of her? They had an arrangement, as simple as that. They were both simply entertaining one another, and he was sure she wouldn’t care if he simply wanted a break for the day- right?

Uneasy at leaving it at just that so he mustered up every bit of his usual energy to give her a usual smirk. “ Did you ask because you were hoping to have a bit of fun with me? It’s just been a while since we saw each other. Miss me already, have you?”. He really wasn’t sure what was more pathetic. Him being caught being in a bad mood, or using flirting to divert their conversation away from his feelings. Part of him wanted to blame Eun-ji for bringing it up in the first place, though he was well aware she didn’t ask out of concern. Which frankly, would have made him more uneasy.

He tried to look on the bright side. If he was unable to continue on their arrangement today, and she had nothing to gain from staying with him longer- then she'll leave on her own. Who'd want to hang out with a guy that is obviously not in the best of moods? It was perfect. Although the tinge of disappointment in his chest says otherwise. But like many things, he choose to ignore it.

Reducio

@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Eun-ji raised her eyebrows a little. The boy seemed to accept her compliment albeit with some difficulty. She almost expected him to brush it off with a joke. Then again, it wouldn’t be Hana if he didn’t immediately go and ruin it. “Do you really need me to feed your ego?” The Ravenclaw asked curiously. “Besides, I don’t need you to do anything. You do you, if I find something worth praising, I promise to let you know.” She added nonchalantly.

It was true, trying to impress her purposefully wouldn’t work but she never had issues with giving a compliment whenever someone genuinely deserved it. That’s how she was taught ever since she was a little kid. Some people gave compliments way too freely. Even now, she still remembered her ballet competitions and performances. All other parents tended to praise their kids no matter how well they did. Eun-ji didn’t get that. At first, she was jealous but then she realized a deserved compliment held much bigger value for her and it stopped bothering her. Now, she was abiding by the same rules her paternal grandparents set for her. Thankfully, Hanako seemed to be somewhat of an masochist in this regard and clearly didn’t mind that she was not easily impressed. He even said as much himself.

What he did seem to mind however, was Eun-ji’s next question. To be fair, the witch kind of expected as much. Afterall, she herself didn’t like when someone straight up asked about her feelings. Especially the negative ones. This was precisely, why she wasn’t offended in the slightest when the boy reacted badly. “Hmm….no I don’t think so. Maybe we have a bigger amount of perceptive people but there are some that are utterly oblivious. You just got unlucky that you chose to pester me of all people. I hear I’m especially good at reading others.” She shrugged. “Luckily for you, I also don’t tend to pry. That’s just too exhausting.”

After that, it didn’t take long, for Hana to bring back his usual flirting. Apparently, this was his way of avoiding serious topics and Eun-ji took it in stride. She had her own ways to do the same exact thing so it would be hypocritical not to play along. Still, for some reason she couldn’t help being curious. Maybe if she stuck around for a little bit longer, he would eventually let something slip? “Miss you? I would never. It’s not my fault, you seem to be everywhere I go even if I don’t have a clear destination in mind.” The witch opted for a lighter tone to make things easier for the Slytherin. She felt like he would bury his head in the sand if she continued meddling for much longer. Miss you? Why would I miss you? She almost scoffed at the mere thought. She may have wondered whether he was coming to the summer camp for a brief moment but that was just a passing thought. Surely, such small thing couldn’t counted as missing him?

@Hanako Tone

21 July 2023

“Do you really need me to feed your ego?”

“It’s like you don’t even know me. Come on now, I’m always up for a good ego boost” he shrugged, and he wasn’t lying in the slightest. A good ole ego boost is certainly what he needed now. Even if he will face immediate loss once the duel starts. Alas, it was evident it wouldn’t come easy if it came from Eun-Ji Lee Hunt. She doesn’t particularly give the sweetest words often. And on most days, that was hot. But today? Just a tad bit difficult to delve into their usual banter. Annoyingly, there was a persistent disappointment that came along with that decision. The odd underlying feeling - as if he was missing something out. Which was ridiculous. He wasn’t missing out on anything without Eun-Ji around.

“Besides, I don’t need you to do anything. You do you, if I find something worth praising, I promise to let you know.”. At her words, he visibly paused. Fishing compliments for him was a daily job. A grind, if he wanted to be dramatic. As if there was an empty bottle he had to fill and no matter who or what about- he believed he thrived the best even with the tiniest fraction of attention. But he knew more than most about how easily honeyed, yet hollow words could be. He thought of the people he entangled himself with before, out of jest or lighthearted fun, with no strings attached. Comparing their sickly sweet words with an imagination of a genuine word of praise from her. He…only liked hers more because she was currently his favorite, right? He couldn’t think of a more logical reason why he found himself wondering how it would feel if Eun-ji told him stuff like, ‘good job’, or ‘ you’ll get there’, or perhaps even an encouraging smile.

A smile. A big one in particular. He wondered what that looked like. He also wondered how long he was going off in fantasy land. “Hmm,” he hummed, showing that he was listening at least. Though his eyes were away from hers and onto the ukulele, plucking a few strings as if that would detangle the mess in his head that he found himself in. Eun-ji? Encouraging him? He’d probably have better luck actually winning the duel. The issue that plagued him had nothing to do with encouragement. It was just a crappy situation he found himself in because he wasn’t good enough to even have a chance at beating them; as simple as that.

But goddammit, was it so tempting to fantasize right now. He was starting to feel like he was the one who should leave before he let something slip up. He shifted uncomfortably for a moment. Should he just offer her his spot so he could leave? Or..was he starting to not mind if she sat closer to him. Not because she could make his issues go away of course. It was just…a good distraction to think what would happen if he did intentionally slip up. To dip his toes in the waters despite its uncertainty. A small chance to see a different side of their usual conversations. The tempting allure urged him away from the thoughts regarding his impending doom of the duel.

Then just as he was thinking he might have successfully shooed her off, she came back with an unexpectedly… relaxed response. It was like something had been untangled in the bundle of messy yarn called thoughts. He didn’t know what exactly. But he didn’t notice the smallest, smile growing on his face. “ Unluckiest, for sure” he tried to say sarcastically, but the evident shift in his mood was a dead giveaway. That, and the less subtle shift of his seating position. As if he wanted to silently emphasize the empty spot next to him that was eligible to be comfortably sat on. His gaze met hers for the briefest moment. As if she didn’t need to be told, Eun-ji gracefully walked up to him and took a seat next to him.

It was unfair, really. She wasn’t allowed to make him feel better with a few little words.

“You wound me” he retorted, a faint but evidently faux hurt tone to her refusal to admit she missed him. It might be due to his heart suddenly picking up pace. But that was just the heat, of course. Besides, just because she said a few words he appreciated, didn’t mean his agitation about the duel was gone. He just..found a nice distraction. That's what they were to each other anyway. Just a simple distraction. “ I suppose we’re just naturally drawn to one another. There’s really no use saying otherwise now, don’t you think?”. He jested, plucking a few more strings, now forming a sort of repetitive gentle tune that lasted for just a moment.

His playing reflected his thoughts after all. It was a curious mental debate. One he didn’t think he would face. Should he continue the banter he found the energy to be more lighthearted in, or should he see what's new? A new side to their interactions he hasn’t yet seen. He bit his bottom lip for a moment before tucking away a lock of his hair behind his ear. Was it a nervous reaction? Just to prove himself wrong that he wasn’t nervous, he decided to go for it.

“ As much as I’d rather stay at home, my captains would have my head if I don't show up”, he attempted his best casual tone, as he continued to pluck a few more tunes. As if his words were nothing of importance. Or just a passing thought. He tried not to look at her, vaguely aware of the anticipation being too obvious in his eyes. He had nothing to be nervous about, it was just Eun-ji. And if she ends up not thinking too much about it, he could just forget it and go back to plan B. Simple. Uncomplicated. Instruction manual not needed.

But to the small chance, Eun-ji does pick it up…

He’ll think about it when he gets there.

Reducio

godmodding allowed by@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

Eun-ji hummed nonchalantly. By this time, she understood Hana’s personality relatively well and she was aware that he would take any compliment he could get. That being said, she was also pretty sure he knew, she wasn’t someone to give out empty compliments. As such, the witch didn’t see a need to comment on it any further and let the topic drop. She was certain a day would come, when the boy received a genuine praise from her but there was no reason think about it now. Only time would tell.

“Unluckiest, for sure.” The Ravenclaw huffed at Hanako’s remark but she was mostly amused and judging from his expression, he happened to share those feelings. It was the first time today, she had seen him smile. For some unfathomable reason, Eun-ji felt her own mood spike up. It was a puzzling reaction to say the least. A brief smile like that shouldn’t warrant any reaction from her, right? Maybe it was the hot sun messing up with her head. Yeah…that must have been it. She never did well in this type of weather.

Just as she was dispelling those nonsensical thoughts, she noticed the Slytherin slightly shifting to the side. Eun-ji didn’t need to ask what he was doing. The gesture and the look that followed it, were a clear invitation and she didn’t hesitate to take the offered space next to him. Somehow, it felt incredibly natural to do so but she refused to ponder about why it felt that way. “I suppose we’re just naturally drawn to one another. There’s really no use saying otherwise now, don’t you think?” Eun-ji’s first instinct was to protest that statement, but she found herself hesitating. For once, she didn’t know how to refute the boy. They really did seem to be naturally drawn to one another no matter how ridiculous it sounded. “Perhaps…” She conceded eventually albeit a bit unwillingly, her feet unconsciously moving into the tune Hana was playing. It was a subtle movement; she didn’t even notice it herself. Her body just always naturally responded to music and today was no different.

There was a brief moment of silence before the Slytherin finally appeared to give in and provide Eun-ji something to work with. It sounded like a casual remark but she knew better than to simply dismiss it as one. “Oh…I see.” Now she remembered. She was also going to take part in a duel during this summer camp so she had seen the roster. Now that he mentioned it, Eun-ji recalled the opponents Hana was supposed to face and how sorry she felt for him when she saw the match up. It was unlikely his team would win this one. “That sucks…I’ve been there actually. Really takes the joy out of the duel, doesn’t it?” She said with a sympathetic smile. Her voice was not filled with pity. More than anything, she sounded understanding. She also didn’t mention that her own bitter battle happened during the official season. Eun-ji didn’t like making others feel like she was downplaying their struggles. She recognized how passionate Hana was about duelling so she understood why he would feel discouraged after realizing he doomed to fail before the match even started.

Eun-ji felt an unfamiliar emotion tug at her heartstrings. Suddenly, she wanted to say or do something to lift Hana's spirits but she honestly didn’t know what. She wasn’t even sure why she felt that way let alone how to act on those feelings. It was a bit disconcerting…

@Hanako Tone

21 July 2023

If there was a word to describe how it felt to have Eun-ji understand his gesture and sit next to him without a word, it would be: unraveling. Just moments ago, his thoughts resembled a jumble of yarn. Twisted, confusing, tight - unable to find the start of the thread. It made his head spin, his stomach churn, and throat tighten. And yet now, it’s different. As if her action slightly unraveled the yarn he thought was impossible to do. A feeling that quirked the smallest warmth in his chest that he was frightened by. Weird. That was very weird.

His bubble had been invaded. Never mind that he was the one who invited her in. Regardless, it was an invasion. That must’ve explained why his heart raced all of a sudden. Her presence was all too real, all too near. A tinge of lavender touched his nose, and it took a lot of control not to scoot closer. Invasive. Definitely. Yet, Hanako convinced himself she already sat down anyway, so it would just be weird to have her stand up instead.

However, his sense of invasion shifted to something else when she said her next words. “Oh…I see. That sucks…I’ve been there actually. Really takes the joy out of the duel, doesn’t it?”

For a moment, he couldn’t help but not answer. As if he was waiting for something. Maybe a pitiful string of sympathy, or a jest about an evident win on her team. Or even tips he never really asked for. Anything, really. As if her simple understanding was instinctively met with confusion. That was it? That was it. She knew what he was talking about and yet that was the only thing she came up with? If it was any other day he would laugh it off and maybe joke about it. Sprinkle some of his deeply engraved faux confidence. To appear as if he was higher than that. Unbothered by it.

But this wasn’t just any other day. And for someone usually loud like him, the silence was a comfort. Another string unraveled from the tangled yarn. Much less invasive, he felt accompanied. Like they shared a bubble away from the rest of the world. “Not if you’ve lost enough times to be immune to the inevitable” he managed to jest, though his voice lost its usual spark and energy. Transcending to an almost gentle tone. “ Which... I thought I was,” he admitted, his heart spiking speed as he plucked another few strings on his instrument, unable to look at Eun-ji. Any admittance to his emotions felt like his chest was torn apart. Like a fresh wound, he’d avoid it. It still felt a bit like that, but somehow, for some reason - he didn’t mind it too much. Must be the weather.

“You don’t have to stay here, you know.” he managed to say, barely giving her a glance as he focused on plucking his ukulele. “ It’s nice news for Ravenclaws right now. I’m just being a downer”. This was his only remedy. Downplaying. Directing the conversation away from him. Subtly implying the exit is that way. It came out so naturally, that he even surprised himself. He figured he would be more careful with Eun-ji. No doubt she’ll notice what he was trying to do.

He finally glanced at her, the earlier tension in his eyes significantly decreased as he offered her a soft smirk. “I’ll go back to being the Hanako you know and love in a few days”. He said with assurance.

He had half the mind to tell her she didn’t need to pretend he wanted to sit next to him. However, it was hard to apply that to Eun-ji. She wouldn’t just do that. Not to a lot of people, at least. She wouldn’t pretend to be upset about his situation. Yet that only meant his question was left unanswered.

Why?

What was the point of sitting next to him when he could offer nothing she wanted? Even if he did, he failed to see what that thing was. What could a pouty, sore loser could offer? The bigger question being why he liked it, instead of pushing her away more furiously. Even if he wanted it, she shouldn’t stay if it wasn’t part of their deal. Yet, he wasn’t able to form it into words. Only looking at her with undoubtable curiosity.

Reducio

@Eun-Ji Lee Hunt

Blue in English, Red in Korean

There was a variety of emotions crossing Hana’s face as they talked but none of them seemed particularly negative. He was still clearly feeling down but she at least, didn’t make it worse. The Slytherin wasn’t as talkative as usual today but he seemed more…open? Just slightly but he was. Eun-ji found herself appreciating that new side of him. She liked the aloof Hana he always was, but it was also interesting to catch a glimpse of what’s going on underneath. It was not too much to make her uncomfortable, just enough to pique her interest and see how much more alike they were than she initially thought.

“I don’t think anybody is ever truly immune to the inevitable.” The witch said thoughtfully. Most people, who knew her probably deemed her as an incredibly reasonable individual but even she wasn’t immune to these things. “When I was little, I was dead set on becoming a professional ballerina...” Since Hana decided to share a little, she decided to do the same. Perhaps he would feel like they were on more equal footing then. “...then my Hogwarts letter came and I knew that dream was most likely never going to become reality since this school does not teach arts. I decided to make peace with it. After all, how many kids are lucky enough to say they can practice magic?” She smiled, making sure her tone was perfectly neutral as to not make the revelation too heavy. “I knew this for several years now and many adults were more than happy to remind me, to which I like to pretend I’m totally past that but deep down I know I’m not. Just because you don’t cry over something everyday doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the power to make you feel upset once in a while. Besides, it’s really just a sign that you are enthusiastic about something so it's not really a bad thing. Wouldn’t life be incredibly boring otherwise?” Eun-ji shrugged, truthfully not seeing anything wrong with his heavy disappointment.

“You don’t have to stay here, you know.” This surprised Eun-ji a little. She didn’t feel like he was necessarily pushing her away but rather genuinely worried he was being a bother. She would have expected him to either leave or make it clear he didn’t want her there instead of suggesting she didn’t have to stick around. Still, the Ravenclaw didn’t feel the need to go. Somehow, she wasn’t bothered by the somber mood. As ridiculous as it sounded, she felt strangely at peace. “Oh? And how do you know what kind of Hana I like?” She laid her cheek onto her palm, head tilted as she finally looked at her companion. For once, Eun-ji was the one of the two that sounded more playful. It didn't happen often, especially during the last two or three years, but Hana seemed to bring out that side of her from time to time. “Afterall, I’m a Ravenclaw. At times, we prefer complicated things better.” She added, trying to lighten up the mood without dismissing his disappointment. That was definitely not her intention.

Even so, Eun-ji did feel a gnawing need to do something for the boy. She had no idea why but it was relentless feeling and entirely impossible to ignore. “So? Is there anything that could improve your mood?” She gave in eventually.

@Hanako Tone