Chapter 122
Chapter 122
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Jang Ji-won's Desperate Excuse
“Yang Ji-woong. Were you always so reckless and full of jealousy?”
‘Not Yang Ji-woong, it’s Jang Ji-won......’
“You’re the worst.”
“......”
“I hate you more than anyone else on this planet.”
“What...”
“No way.”
“She’s really framing someone without evidence.”
“This isn’t just framing. She knew it was Kang Da-hye’s but lied and called it theft.”
“It’s a setup, a total setup.”
No one was sitting in their seats anymore.
Unable to stay still, they all stood up, eyes darting around busily.
It hadn’t even been three days since school started, and already this many incidents.
What about our class’s dopamine levels? How are we supposed to study like this?
‘Don’t show it to me, I never said anything like that, what are you talking about?’ I shot him a look loaded with that message, but Jeong Eun-seong just blinked innocently. His eyes were pure and round, nothing like the guy who’d just been pressuring the others with utter disgust moments ago.
Acting again, acting.
As I narrowed my eyes, Jeong Eun-seong let out an ‘Ah’ and spoke up.
“Da-hye, it’s fine. I’ll buy you a new one. A better one. The one Yang Ji-woong touched and crumpled? Throw it in the cafeteria furnace and burn it.”
“No...”
That’s not why I was looking at you......
And since when does the cafeteria have a furnace?
“Bury the ashes under Yang Ji-woong’s desk. In a sunny spot.”
“What the hell are you saying?”
The bewilderment and frustration from being accused of theft deflated like a balloon pricked by a needle.
I rubbed my forehead.
He called me ‘Da-hye’. Crazy.
Normally he snaps at me with ‘Kang Da-hye’.
Always at times like this......
“But one question. How did Jang Ji-won spot Kang Da-hye applying it secretly by herself without making a fuss?”
Su-a, who’d been watching with arms crossed, shot her hand up. As eyes turned to her, she widened hers.
“I mean, come on. She went straight for Da-hye’s bag like she knew from the start and pulled out the hand cream right away. Was she watching Da-hye’s every move with bloodshot eyes or what?”
“Yeah. How’d Jang Ji-won even know about the hand cream that even her friends didn’t? Total stalker level at least.”
“Knowing all that and still pinning it as theft? Chills.”
“Without that video...”
“Da-hye would’ve been so wronged.”
“Uh...”
I hadn’t exactly been hiding to apply it that secretly...... It just happened that way because I was embarrassed to do it in front of Jeong Eun-seong.
“Bloodshot surveillance. Yang Ji-woong’s sunny-eyed glare.”
“Hey!”
Jeong Eun-seong shushed everyone. Quiet.
Anyway, this wasn’t the important part right now.
“So, Jang Ji-won.”
I looked at Jang Ji-won, whose face had gone pale.
“Looks like it’s your turn to explain. What the hell happened here?”
Did she really lose the exact same hand cream?
Even if so, why frame me based on circumstantial evidence alone?
How did she find the hand cream in my bag so quickly?
Above all, knowing I had the same one, why insist it was hers?
“I... I got confused. I forgot the one at home and didn’t bring it, so I...”
“Earlier you said you took it out, applied it, and put it back in your bag.”
“I got confused... I must’ve mistaken it for a second...!”
“What kind of nonsense is that? There’s confusion and then there’s this! You knew Da-hye had that hand cream all along! Did you mix that up too?!”
Ga-eun had basically become Jang Ji-won’s personal sniper now.
“That’s dementia level! Skip college and go to the hospital or something!”
“Yeah, Jang Ji-won! Explain properly!”
“Explain and apologize to Da-hye!”
“Apologize and then hospital!”
The angry kids piled on Jang Ji-won.
This time the reaction was really bad. No way she’d get past this easily.
“Th...”
“Shh.”
Spotting the moment, I grabbed Seo Jae-kyeom’s clothes as he tried to butt in.
“Don’t get involved in girls’ business.”
“Why...! Everyone else is jumping in, why can’t I...!”
“Because you can’t.”
If you jump in, the boys will chime in looking at you, and the classroom will get noisy.
“The transfer student got involved...!”
“He’s a party involved.”
“Then what do I do...!”
“Cheer.”
I assigned him simply and turned back to Jang Ji-won.
“So it was really a mix-up, and you have the same hand cream?”
“Yes!”
“Then bring it tomorrow. The same one.”
Color returned to Jang Ji-won’s face at my words.
She was clearly thinking, ‘After school, hit the department store and buy the same one.’
Let me say it again: I’m not an idiot, Ji-won.
“Bring the receipt too. One with the date on it.”
“What?!”
“The receipt. What, you threw it away? No problem. Stores can reprint them.”
“Mine was a gift too, like yours! No receipt!”
“From who, Park Su-hwan?”
And then I saw it.
Before Jang Ji-won could even glance at Park Su-hwan, he was already waving his hands no.
Hey, you... disloyal...!
Seeing that, I lost all will to fight.
Jang Ji-won, please... please.... You really want to date a guy like that? What are you, a fox spirit? Even then, find someone else!
“Forget it. Let’s drop it.”
“Drop what? Who said you decide?!”
Even when I offered mercy, Jang Ji-won yelled.
“What happens to me if it ends like this?!”
I rubbed my forehead, now sore from all the pointing, and replied.
“What’s the problem, Jang Ji-won? You insisted my stuff was yours without evidence, but I said I’d believe you if you bring the receipt.”
“......”
“You at least have a way to prove your innocence, right?”
As I spoke, I glared at Park Su-hwan still pretending not to know from the back.
‘Wow.’
If your girlfriend’s getting this cornered, shouldn’t you step up by now and say you bought it? Protect her at least for show, no matter what happens later.
Really... so... so disloyal...
“Hey, hey, hey! When did the bell ring? Why are you still standing around?!”
The teacher burst in at the perfect timing as the door opened.
“You haven’t even changed yet! Ugh, this sweat smell. Open the windows.”
“Ugh...”
“It’s hot...”
“Ugh is what I want to say. You stinky kids. Ugh.”
The teacher pinched his nose and gestured at the front-row kids. ‘What are you doing? Hurry and open the windows.’
I patted the sulking Seo Jae-kyeom—who hadn’t gotten a word in—on the back to send him to his seat, then sat down myself.
Throughout class, the kids side-eyed Jang Ji-won while whispering to their partners. Jang Ji-won kept her head down, picking at her nails. Park Su-hwan ignored his girlfriend completely.
“Sigh.”
A fight that left only fatigue.
The only gain? Realizing I was pretty good at cornering people.
Is this why people watch courtroom dramas?
I think I found my calling.
Kang Da-hye, Prosecutor.
No? Sorry, I’ll be humble.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Wow, Jang Ji-won’s insane...”
“Why’s she doing Da-hye like that?”
“Dunno, jealousy meltdown?”
“Da-hye, if you ever dated Park Su-hwan behind our backs, tell us, okay? We won’t judge. It’s all in the past.”
“Saying stuff like that!”
“Hey. Da-hye’s standards are high.”
“No, at this point, isn’t her name on that Help Paper complaint or whatever too?”
“No way.”
“Heh.”
I just smiled beside my outraged friends.
‘Sure, but it was Do Ha-jun who wrote it, not Jang Ji-won.’
“Well... she might’ve really mixed it up...”
“Da-hye, you buying that?”
“Nope.”
I was just trying to uphold the presumption of innocence.
“What a joke.”
Ga-eun snorted and nodded ahead.
Jang Ji-won was walking far off, looking like her soul had left her body.
For once not with Park Su-hwan, alone. Her side profile looked bad. Shoulders slumped.
Probably praying tomorrow never comes.
Trembling in fear of how much I’d grind her down.
Bet she skips school tomorrow saying she’s sick.
If she’s that worried, make a fuss at Park Su-hwan. But she couldn’t even whimper at her boyfriend.
Sigh. Why live like that.
Someone with a sighing emoji, lend it to me one more time!
“Guys, I’m heading out first.”
I excused myself from my friends and ran ahead.
“Hey, Jang Ji-won.”
I caught up to Jang Ji-won, who was quite a bit ahead, and grabbed her.
She flinched to a stop. Jang Ji-won turned to me with eyes that screamed she wanted to kill me.
“Talk with me.”