Anita looked at the blue butterfly drawn on the back of her hand with a troubled expression. The butterfly in the drawing seemed so vivid that it gave off an impression as if it were looking at Anita with a pitiful gaze.

Or maybe it was Anita’s own paranoia.

***

The hallway was unusually busy today. It didn’t take long to realize why. A few students were handing out invitations to passersby, looking tired but trying to look cheerful.

Anita, with a book tucked under her arm, was also stopped by one of them and received an invitation. Anita briefly looked at the invitation envelope sealed with a wax stamp, then attempted to put it in her coat pocket.

When Anita, with one hand holding a precariously swaying stack of books and the other fumbling with her coat, someone took hold of Anita’s stack of books.

“A welcome party for new students… you could say it’s a social party disguised as a welcome party.”

There was clearly no one around. Startled by the voice coming out of nowhere, Anita was taken aback.

“Why, why are you coming out of nowhere?”

Anita managed to calm down just in time, preventing a situation where she might scream in the middle of the corridor.

“I don’t know.”

Whether Edmund noticed Anita’s bewildered look or not, he casually yawned. By now, Anita wondered if this person was really not homeless. He always seemed to pop up in strange places whenever they met.

“What’s that on your hand? Did you get hurt?”

“Uh….”

Edmund gently took Anita’s left hand and raised it.

“I didn’t give you a bruise when I grabbed you yesterday, did I?”

Seeing his bright face darken a bit, Anita shook her head.

Anita couldn’t erase the butterfly drawing with her own hand. Whether it was because she only washed it with water without rubbing, or for some other reason, it remained faintly visible, like a faded photograph. If Rutger were to ask about the butterfly’s well-being, she had intended to say that it accidentally got erased. However, Rutger Baylan hadn’t appeared for several days. Until the butterfly drawn on Anita’s hand completely disappeared.

She should have just not touched the butterfly from the beginning. Whether she erased it clumsily or it remained intact, he wouldn’t have cared anyway.

“I practiced drawing on my hand because I didn’t have paper. Even if I try to erase it, it doesn’t come off easily.”

“Should I erase it for you?”

“No. No. It’s okay.”

Although Anita appreciated the sentiment, she quickly withdrew her hand before he could reach it.

“Oh. Have you decided which club to join?”

“Not yet.”

While it was a story unrelated to Anita, it was not an exaggeration to say that most college students decide on their university based on the university-affiliated clubs. This is because students coming to the school are broadly divided into two categories: those who enter university with a pure love for learning, driven by a strong passion for knowledge, and those who enter university with the goal of building good connections.

The second category is often associated with a strong attachment to social activities.

Of course, Anita did not belong to either category. She didn’t have a great passion for learning, and she had no desire to make good connections. It was simply a result of her preference for a knowledgeable person who had firm beliefs about various social issues over her father, Nathan, who was ignorant and knew nothing.

While Anita was having somewhat pessimistic thoughts, Edmund unexpectedly mixed a mysterious envelope with the freshman welcome party invitation into Anita’s coat pocket.

“What’s this?”

“Club admission? Application? Anyway, it’s that kind of document.”

“Thanks.”

It wasn’t really necessary, but since she received it, she had to express her gratitude.

“Are you so touched that the student council president gave you just one application? If you act like this, I might feel sorry and won’t be able to pocket the school budget.”

Making a meaningless remark, Edmund disappeared again down the corridor.

‘Domestic and foreign politics’

For some reason, it seemed like this place would only be filled with men who smoke strong cigarettes and show off.

‘Anatomy’

I don’t think it’s that bad.

‘Boxing’

I think this place would be perfect for a violent person like Rutger.

‘Cricket’

Skip.

There were dozens of clubs listed on the paper. Horseback riding, martial arts, flower arrangement, strolling.

Staring tiredly at the densely filled black ink on the white paper, Anita put the paper away. Pressing her stiff eyes and rubbing them vigorously, Anita suddenly raised her head at the sound of someone stopping in front of her.

“Anita, why haven’t you contacted me lately?”

Anita ran a hand through her oily hair.

“Even if it wasn’t suitable for me to talk because of that guy back then, it’s been several days since then.”

It was the senior who had been making Anita run away since the last time. He shook his head as if in sorrow.

Who’s sad now?

The fact that this unnamed man still hadn’t given up was extremely despairing for Anita. From the beginning, he rudely approached her, and now he was behaving as if he were her lover.

Whether he didn’t hear when she told him to go away, or he couldn’t remember, was unclear.

In fact, all the problems were there. Anita not even knowing his name. Not properly introducing himself and engaging in one-sided harassment of Anita. Anita’s eyes, looking at the man’s unnecessarily sparkling eyes, cooled down sharply.

How should she reject him today? Or should she even consider it a rejection?