Esso, Kim Dream, and Elon carefully carried Park Rain, who was inside the magical portrait, into the classroom. The students held their breath as they watched them. Soon, murmurs began to spread.
"That's really Park Rain, huh?"
"Did she really come back from the dead?"
"Then why is she trapped in a portrait?"
Just then, a cold voice cut across the room.
"Come to my office."
It was Snow Professor.
Inside the office, the Principal and Vice Principal were already waiting. The Vice Principal gasped softly upon seeing the students, then hunched her shoulders and said,
"You… are you really Park Rain? Well… I guess it's too soon to say for sure."
The Principal quietly but firmly explained to Park Rain how she had died. From inside the portrait, Rain looked down at the back of her hand. It shimmered and blurred, then returned to clarity.
She was beginning to understand—she now existed as a ghost, bound to a magical frame.
"I… I'm not even sure if I'm really myself. What's going to happen to me?"
The Vice Principal responded coldly, though with a certain firmness.
"You're dead, but still here. You don't have a body… and this portrait is what keeps you tethered to the real world."
Elon looked urgently to Snow Professor.
"Is there really no way for her to return to her body? Any kind of magic…"
"There is no such magic!"
The Principal cut Elon off abruptly.
Knowing the immense social consequences of reviving the dead, the Principal remained resolute and took a step closer to Park Rain.
"But you came back. That alone is enough. This magical portrait brought you back to this world, so let's focus on what we can do—starting now."
The Vice Principal suddenly shouted,
"We don't even know if that's the real Rain! What if this is just a ghost with copied memories? The entire school could be in danger!"
A heavy silence filled the room. Rain lowered her head in silence. Esso pressed his trembling lips together, clenched his fists, and said,
"We'll prove it. That she's real."
Park Rain looked up and met the fierce red glow in Esso's eyes.
The Principal gave a quiet smile and brought the tension down.
"Then… let's dream again. Together."
"Really?! Are you serious?!"
Kim Dream asked in surprise, and the Principal chuckled.
"Esso's quite upset, so we'll start with shaved ice magic."
Esso and Kim Dream's faces lit up. They would finally be able to attend class with Park Rain again.
Then the Vice Principal looked at Park Rain and spoke with a blank expression.
"Miss Park Rain."
"Yes?"
"You are a soul returned from death. No one knows what may happen next. Even so… will you still attend classes with your friends?"
Rain hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"I'll save her a seat,"
Snow Professor said quickly, cutting the Vice Principal off from saying more.
Everyone except the Vice Principal laughed. And just like that, Park Rain began taking classes again—from within a magical portrait.
Inside the Winter Campus Auditorium.
Park Rain's reappearance was quieter—and heavier—than expected. Her presence within the magical frame had already become legendary.
"The student who returned from the dead."
"The blind girl's portrait."
"The hero who defeated the evil spirit."
The auditorium door creaked open, and Venus strode in confidently. She wore a white fur coat and sparkled with glossy lips. With a casual flip of her hair, she noticed the magical portrait placed prominently in the hall.
"What's this? Even the portrait's a transfer student now?"
She walked straight up to Park Rain and said,
"You're the one who defeated the evil spirit, right? Lucky you."
Venus stared at Rain in the magical frame with envy—ageless, immortalized like a legend.
Whenever the students looked at Park Rain, they held their breath. No matter how much she smiled or joked, she looked less like a living person and more like a returned soul. Sitting beside her, Kim Dream leaned in and whispered,
"Don't worry too much… It's just that everyone remembers you as a hero."
Venus crossed her arms, looked Park Rain up and down, and sneered.
"You'll probably cause trouble here too. What now, gonna walk through walls like a ghost?"
Some students snickered. But Park Rain remained calm and shot back,
"I tried. Didn't work. Too bad, huh?"
This time, laughter erupted from Park Rain's side, and the students joined in. Venus pouted just as Snow Professor entered the auditorium.
She handed out magical, glowing posters. At the top, in shimmering silver letters, was the title:
"Magic School Festival!"
Each event was listed below:
1. 1000m Running Competition
2. Performance Contest
3. Practical Magic Competition
4. Quirky Magic Tournament
Inside the frame, Park Rain could sense the flow of light in the poster and understand its contents. It was Snow Professor's thoughtful way of including her.
"The Magic School Festival will begin soon. We'll select the top talent based on the total scores. Details are on the poster. Now, our first lesson is shaved ice magic. What should we make it from today?"
"From snow!" shouted one confident student.
Snow Professor nodded.
"That's possible, but the answer is: air. Air already has everything we need. Liquefy the moisture, and apply freezing magic."
As the explanation continued, the auditorium filled with magical energy. Students waved their hands, conjuring ice, sugar, and toppings in every direction.
Park Rain quietly observed. She still wasn't used to being alive.
But the table, her friends' laughter, and the chill of shaved ice—those were undeniably real. Slowly, she began to adjust.
Just then, the auditorium doors slammed open, and Yomi rushed in with short, twin ponytails flying. In one hand, she held a fish-shaped pastry; in the other, a honey-filled pancake. A rice cake skewer was clamped between her teeth.
"Sorry I'm late! I overslept—was dreaming!"
"Go take your seat!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
As she ran, she spotted Park Rain in the portrait and gasped.
"Whoa! You're Park Rain, right? I remembered your name 'cause you're famous! Uh—are you… eating lunch with us later? Or maybe not?"
Right behind her came another latecomer—tall and athletic Sihoo, wearing a training tracksuit. He entered with a confident voice.
"Professor! I'm late too!"
"You're awfully bold for someone who's late! Sit down!"
Sihoo grinned and took his seat. Beside him, Rocksy, neatly dressed in uniform, had already made his shaved ice, notes stacked neatly on the table.
Sihoo, now sitting in front of Park Rain, turned around and looked at her inside the magical frame.
"I'm Sihoo. Hey, can you still learn magic in there?"
Rain could tell he wasn't mocking her.
"Maybe…"
Park Rain made a gesture from inside the magic frame, and a bit of shaved ice began to appear in front of her. Sihoo's eyes sparkled as he shouted,
"Wow!! You can do it too!!"
Watching this, Esso suddenly frowned. Then, the Snow Professor clapped her hands and said,
"Now then! Today's assignment is a practical exercise in creative shaved ice magic combinations. Everyone, form teams of three and make a delicious and imaginative bingsu!"
The students buzzed with excitement at the professor's words.
Venus immediately approached Kim Dream, hooked her arm around hers, and said,
"Kim Dream, let's team up! You handle the ice, I'll do the decoration. Perfect match, right?"
Kim Dream looked flustered but smiled softly and nodded.
"...Sure, why not. I'll start by controlling the ice."
Then Venus, with a glint of intent, sauntered up to Elon and said seductively,
"Elon~ we'll let you join our team too. With you, first place is basically—"
"I'm teaming up with Rain. Even though she's inside a painting, her magic still works. That means something."
Venus, who wasn't used to being rejected, was momentarily stunned. At that moment, Yomi popped up beside her.
"Venus! Team up with me. I've got tons of ingredients. I gathered 27 toppings just yesterday!"
Kim Dream couldn't help but chuckle at Yomi's enthusiasm.
The students quickly began forming teams and crafting their shaved ice.
Park Rain, despite not having a physical body, was gradually adjusting to the fact that she could still participate.
Watching her, Esso's lips curled into a small smile—but his gaze soon shifted to Sihoo.
Balanced build. Relaxed grin. Something about him was just irritating.
Sihoo summoned a rounded orb of ice into the air like a snowflake, then spun it and crushed it down into a shaved ice cup in a snowy flourish. Esso muttered, as if he couldn't take it anymore,
"You have no sense of artistry."
Sihoo immediately replied,
"I focus on flavor, actually."
Soon, the completed bingsu creations were displayed in front of the podium. The Snow Professor placed her hands over them and spoke.
"Today, winning and losing isn't what matters most. Magic is an extension of our lives—and a means of sharing emotions. So... the bingsu that truly touched my heart is…"
And with that, Park Rain's first class inside the magic frame came to a close.
Though she lacked a physical body, Park Rain was no longer just a memory. She was here, in the present—not the past, but this very moment.