Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: Ji-won's Apology
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“Why did you do it?”
“Do what.”
“What else.”
I'm asking why you framed me. Jang Ji-won grimaced at my question.
“Is that why you chased me down? You're vicious too, Kang Da-hye. You said you'd bring the receipt. Just bring it!”
“So, can you really bring it?”
“……”
“……”
Unbelievable.
Hey, Ji-won. You're way more vicious than me.
You stick to your loyalty to the end for your team (Park Su-hwan), but you ruthlessly pull info from other teams' (the girls') KakaoTalk rooms no matter how close you are to them!
You'd make a great spy. Why waste that talent on someone like Park Su-hwan?
“Jang Ji-won, can I ask you just one thing?”
“What.”
“What if Park Su-hwan commits murder and goes to jail? What would you do then? Would you still not betray him?”
“What the hell are you saying, damn it...”
“If you don't want to answer, fine.”
I sighed and continued.
“Ji-won, let's be honest. Deep down, we both know it. You tried to frame me.”
“……”
“I don't think you did it alone. We got along fine before the BJ incident, right?”
Don't you remember sitting at that stand together, looking at photos?
'Men... depend on how women treat them...!' My black history.
“Who did it with you? Tell me, and I'll forgive you.”
Please, say Park Su-hwan's name right now. Please.
But Jang Ji-won protected her boyfriend to the end and went down alone heroically.
“What do you mean 'with'? Are you delusional?”
Her eyes bulging, Jang Ji-won attacked me.
“Fine, I framed you as a thief. I hate seeing you act all goody-goody alone all the time. You're so nosy... Who the hell are you? Why do you always act like you're right, looking down on everyone and trying to teach them like you're superior!”
“Oh...”
“Do you think everyone else is dumber and less intelligent than you, that's why they live like this? Don't you have some angel complex or something?”
“Oh.”
She's really pissed.
I'm not out there doing bad things; I'm doing good deeds. Is that really something to get this mad about?
“Then don't you feel sorry toward me?”
“What?”
“Don't you feel sorry toward me at all?”
“……”
“Ji-won, just say one thing. 'I'm sorry.'”
This isn't the time to let your pride get in the way. At my added words, Jang Ji-won sneered.
“So what? You gonna pretend it never happened?”
“Yeah. I'll pretend it never happened.”
“……”
“I'll tell the others I checked your receipt, and you just made a mistake. So apologize to me.”
“……”
She must not believe it. Lips clamped shut, Jang Ji-won glared at me. I stayed still.
A brief moment passed.
Maybe thinking she had nothing to lose, or perhaps the approaching future scared her that much. Jang Ji-won spat out her apology curtly.
“Sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you regret it?”
“Yeah.”
“If you could go back, you wouldn't do it again?”
“Yeah!”
“Good. Then.”
I nodded, saying I understood.
“Remember this. You tried to frame me as a thief and had no intention of forgiving me, but I gave you a pass once.”
Every time you want to badmouth me from now on, remember that! Always!
Jang Ji-won looked bewildered, but there was a glimmer of hope in her expression—'Is she really letting me off?'
'She was scared of being labeled a liar among the kids herself, so why...?'
What the hell is Park Su-hwan's charm?
Ha...
No. Don't think about it now.
Park Su-hwan isn't my goal today.
I whispered slyly to the now-subdued Jang Ji-won.
“But Ji-won, don't you feel wronged?”
We both framed me the same way, but Do Ha-jun gets away scot-free while you're taking all this heat. Is that really okay?
At my words, Jang Ji-won's eyes widened.
“How did you know ab—”
“That's a secret.”
I flashed a grin at the shocked Jang Ji-won.
“If you're truly sorry to me and feel wronged about taking all the blame alone, there's one thing you can do.”
If you're curious, come over there first.
I pointed to the empty spot behind the main building.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Then we're in this together now.”
Don't betray me, Jang Ji-won.
I have evidence and witnesses that you framed me as a thief. Betray me, and I'll betray you too.
“Blackmail?”
“Yep.”
“Hah.”
I shrugged annoyingly at Jang Ji-won as she rolled her eyes.
“Ridiculous, damn it...”
Muttering curses, Jang Ji-won grabbed her bag and left.
She glared back at me a few times, pissed, but she wasn't slumped over like before, wishing tomorrow wouldn't come and helpless.
But still.
“Wasn't her tongue half-cut so she couldn't pronounce properly?”
She always talks like “Il-byeol-yuk-byeol oh-peol-teo dwo-gyul-sha-keol!” or whatever.
Her tongue sounds perfectly fine now? She even curses well.
“...Maybe I shouldn't have let her off. She doesn't even seem grateful.”
I ruffled my hair in frustration.
Did I do the right thing?
Like she said, was this just more fake-good-guy, know-it-all, frustrating decision-making?
“Sigh. Who knows.”
How nice would it be if life had clear answers like math problems?
Tomorrow, will I regret this choice and think, 'I should've crushed Jang Ji-won yesterday, made her irredeemable! Expelled her, forced her to drop out of high school and live that way forever, poured a drum of satisfaction soda on it!' while beating the ground?
A few days ago, I told Bang Eun-ji, 'You have to study to see the world through teacher’s solution manuals.' Now I see even those manuals don't have the right answers. They just help you get closer to them.
(Where is it anyway)
How old do you have to get to see the right answers in life? Thirty? Forty?
People in your 30s and 40s! How is it?
Do you get good at relationships and see the best answers to everything at that age?! Or do you need to be over 50!
“But seriously.”
No matter what, framing someone for juvenile prostitution and theft?
She's making Yuki's soul possess her.
“I must look that easy to mess with...♪”
A response came to my soliloquy.
“Hey.”
She startled herself after speaking and covered her mouth with a “Hep!” I wasn't surprised.
Yeah, I knew~
“Come out.”
I crossed my arms and looked to the side.
Jeong Eun-seong, who had been squatting in the opposite direction from where Jang Ji-won left, awkwardly straightened his knees and stood up. Seo Jae-kyeom was next to him.
...Together?
“Kang Da!”
“Da-hye!”
Then, friends hidden behind their big frames came rushing out.
...I thought only Jeong Eun-seong was hiding!
“What? You guys didn't leave?”
I asked in surprise. Do-yeon emotionlessly held out her phone.
“In case Jang Ji-won hit you, I was recording.”
“Right, she punched your shoulder last time.”
Yeah, she did.
“It's fine. We talked it out. And if Jang Ji-won hit me... I'd just reveal my hidden fighting skills.”
“You fight well, Da-hye?”
“No.”
“Then keep it hidden forever.”
“Yeah...”
But what? Were you two here in case Jang Ji-won hit me too? I pointed at Seo Jae-kyeom and Jeong Eun-seong.
The pointed-out Seo Jae-kyeom averted his gaze.
He still seemed a bit sulky because I told him not to interfere earlier.
Jeong Eun-seong... No idea what he's thinking.
But there was no time to figure it out.
“Kang Da! Why didn't you say anything! About Do Ha-jun!”
“Isn't Do Ha-jun crazy?!”
Friends swarmed around me, flapping their arms in commotion.
“So Jang Ji-won already knew Do Ha-jun framed you!”
“When it failed, she tried a second attempt on you?!”
“Can we really let this slide?!”
Chatter chatter.
Seo Jae-kyeom, standing with arms crossed and silent, was nodding enthusiastically without speaking.
Shaken every which way by my friends' hands, I barely managed to say,
“Why didn't I say... because I keep my mouth shut......”
I didn't want rumors about Do Ha-jun to get our homeroom teacher in trouble...... Now it's probably fine, though......
“Still!”
“Yeah! Still!”
“Heh heh.”
In the midst of the chaos, Jeong Eun-seong approached and easily plucked me out from the friends' midst.
He positioned me in front of him, then hunched his body to press his head firmly against my shoulder.
Something a puppy would do... Friends were speechless at Jeong Eun-seong's action, heedless of his size.
Jeong Eun-seong said,
“I'm gonna go nuts because of you.”
“Uh...”
Is this his protest right now?
“Why let Yang Ji-woong off.”
“……”
“I'm in a bad mood.”
Yep. Protest.
A head push on my shoulder with zero force.
“Kang Da-hye, are you a pushover?”
Wow.
No impact at all.
This soft protest and words are the maximum resistance Jeong Eun-seong can muster against me.
'Ah.'
He's right.
Global warming is serious.
My face feels hot.