Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Desperate Intervention
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Han Ji-su What are you doing 10:17
‘No reply.’
It was almost evening already.
After the break started, Ji-su’s KakaoTalk replies felt strangely slower. And yet, when they did come, it was the usual Ji-su.
The odd vibe I’d picked up from her on the day Song Yeo-reum showed up at school was starting to take shape.
Ji-su ignoring Bang Eun-ji.
Ji-su brushing off Song Yeo-reum’s visit to the school with “I don’t know anything about that.”
“……”
Has Ji-su changed?
Like how I’ve changed, and our classmates have changed… has she too?
Or maybe I just never really knew her that well.
Maybe she doesn’t even want to be friends with the new me anymore.
“……”
I know.
Relationships go both ways.
Friendship can’t be kept alive on my feelings alone—the desperate wish to never lose her again.
If Ji-su doesn’t want to stay close to who I am now, I can’t force it.
That’s just how friendships change when circumstances do…
But even so.
💬 Penguins — Gyeong Se-in 16:20 Guys what are you up to I'm just lying here — Kim Ga-eun 16:20 Why are you always lying down You obsessed or what? — Ye-su-a 16:23 Lmao Kim Ga-eun replies first but hits like full DPS — Gyeong Se-in 16:24 ㅠㅠ My babies are coming back and I'm broke from tribute gifts — Gyeong Se-in 16:25 Don't spend on that baby anymore She's gonna announce marriage to a 7-year maknae mid-comeback — Ye-su-a 16:26 Kang Da-hye straight-up roasts Gyeong Se-in ‘Let’s stay close friends from now on.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Let’s keep in touch in college too. Meet up often.’
‘Ugh… I don’t think I can get into a Seoul uni.’
‘Don’t worry, Gyeong Se-in. We’ll come visit you during break.’
Even knowing things change, some relationships promise to stay the same.
So I’ll try too.
When I think back on my teenage years, Ji-su always comes to mind first.
All my happy memories were with her. I don’t want to let go that easily.
Whether she’s changed or I just never knew her well.
Not yet.
Am I being too clingy?
Yeah… I kinda am…
That’s why I was so clingy with Seo Jae-kyeom too…
And now here I am, tutoring at his house. Regression really flips the world upside down.
‘I put in so much effort with Seo Jae-kyeom, so giving up on Ji-su without even half that doesn’t make sense.’
Han Ji-su What are you doing 10:17
You're so clingy it's too much~ lol 16:27
Like a returnee newbie at dating ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), I sent the KakaoTalk and looked up.
Maybe because the housekeeper wasn’t here today, the house felt quiet.
Seo Jae-kyeom and the student teacher were still upstairs.
Should I just let myself out?
Sticking around alone on the first floor of someone else’s house might get me accused of stealing. Better bounce quick. With that thought, I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my umbrella.
“200 million… No, it’s not like that. Yes, yes. We have that much.”
“……”
A voice too hard to ignore leaked through the slightly open door.
“You’re sure, right? So if I just offer the sacrifice, Jae-kyeom’s future and his CSAT…”
“……”
Here we go.
200 million.
Enough to eat over 57,100 plates of tteokbokki at my mom’s shop.
Enough to take my biggest worry before break—summer cram school—10,000 times over.
Big money to me, but not to Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom.
She was saying it so casually.
Even thinking that, my feet stopped.
I heard the trembling mix of hope and desperation in Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom’s voice.
“Of course I trust you. After all you’ve done for me. Really, no one else understands my situation like you do…”
The student teacher’s respected senior would reveal the truth soon.
So just hold out a bit.
Not even that—just pretend not to know for today.
“Yes, then I’ll hang up and head right over…”
Argh!
Crash!
I flung the umbrella and charged into the master bedroom.
Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom, startled, fumbled to end the call and glared at me.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Do you know Do-yeon?!”
“What?! You little…!”
“I’m super close with Do-yeon! You know her mom’s a prosecutor, right? I heard about a recent case from her!”
I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted it out.
“That shaman lady!”
“……”
“She’s pretty, right? Listens well, great empathy? That’s ‘cause she’s a woman!”
Wow, even to me this sounded like total nonsense!
If I’m barging in to spout crap, shouldn’t it at least be logical?!
Who called me smart?!
I think I’m dumb!
Eek eek! Kang Da-hye desperately racked her brain.
The reason Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom wasn’t reacting was one thing: shock that I knew about the shaman.
‘How does she know?! Did she eavesdrop? How much does she know?’
So let’s threaten her with that!
“If you send money to that shaman now, I’ll report you two for adultery to the police!”
Adultery and the right to pursue happiness! Learned that in first-semester civics. Adultery law hasn’t been repealed yet at this point!
Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom isn’t legally married to the VP anyway, so no adultery with the shaman?
Don’t care!
I’m just spewing whatever comes to mind!
Luckily, the threat landed—or maybe she was just speechless.
Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom stared at me blankly. Seizing the moment, I pressed on.
“You must think this kid barged in spouting nonsense. Wondering how I know? But that’s not important right now. What matters is that shaman’s a fraud.”
“……”
“Just report her to the police for anything—assault, voice phishing. They’ll check her ID, and boom, out comes the truth. Is she a woman or a man? No legit shaman hides their gender, so if she’s a woman, she’s a scammer.”
That other future fraud in drag who claimed to fence with Elon Musk got exposed as a woman during an ID check.
“200 million might be pocket change for you, but it won’t end there. What if things don’t go well and she asks for double, triple? Can you cut it off then? No.”
“……”
“Test the waters before crossing, right? It’s over a year till Jae-kyeom’s CSAT. He’s been fine without sacrifices—no way he drops dead from lightning tomorrow.”
“……”
“Or just make her strip and check…”
Silence.
I stood there sweating.
Bracing for the torrent of abuse from Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom.
After a moment, she rubbed her forehead and spoke.
“Got it. Just go.”
“I…”
“I said go.”
“…Okay.”
I don’t even know how I made it out of Seo Jae-kyeom’s house.
All the way down the hill, I tore at my hair in shame and disbelief at my own reckless outburst.
Only after reaching the bottom did I realize I’d half-opened my umbrella in my daze.
‘Ugh, insane…’
I really couldn’t be a movie or novel protagonist anywhere.
No talent for it. Not enough wits.
‘Whatever.’
Scam victims suffer not just the money loss, but the self-loathing of “I was stupid enough to fall for it.”
Older folks must hate that feeling even more.
If Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom even pauses to rethink after my words, that’s a win, right?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next tutoring day.
After hesitating dozens of times and finally ringing the bell, it was Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom who greeted me.
She’d come to the door herself and said,
“Wanna talk for a sec?”
“Sure.”
We went to the garden table where she often hung out.
“I told Jae-kyeom and the teacher you’re running late.”
“Yeah, I saw the KakaoTalk.”
They’d freaked out asking if I was okay.
Without waiting for me to sit, Seo Jae-kyeom’s mom said,
“How did you know about that?”
“Do-yeon…”
“Anyone could tell that was a lame excuse.”
“……”
“No. How you knew doesn’t matter.”
She ran her disheveled hand through her hair again and asked,
“Why’d you help me?”
Well…