Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Someone Has to Forgive
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“Someone has to forgive at least one person, right?”
Glancing at Seo Jae-kyeom, who was frozen with his mouth agape at Jeong Eun-seong's immature behavior, I said.
In truth, this was a lesson I'd learned from Seo Jae-kyeom's mom.
It didn't seem like something she'd intended, more like she'd given in because Seo Jae-kyeom had begged her for it. It had embarrassed me a bit, but in the end, she'd made it possible for me to get tutoring without paying a dime.
It wasn't exactly repayment, but I'd saved Seo Jae-kyeom's mom from that Shakespeare shaman too.
If she hadn't extended that kindness of tutoring to me, I never would have gotten involved in helping out at their house. I wouldn't have remembered what had happened there.
And in return, as thanks for that, Seo Jae-kyeom's mom had promised to cover my tuition—the very issue that had been weighing on my mind the most.
This was exactly the kind of thing I wanted.
Favors grow when exchanged, and malice gets cut off.
“Jang Ji-won framed me as a thief, and I got my revenge. Now she'll probably hold a grudge against me.”
I could crush her completely so she'd never even think of harboring resentment, but I can't trample everyone who opposes me like that.
So at some point, one person has to extend a hand.
That way, if I let someone off now, someday someone else might let me off when I mess up, right?
Jeong Eun-seong shook his head at my words.
“Still, you didn't have to go easy on Yang Ji-woong right now. You looked like a total pushover.”
“Exactly. There are other things worth forgiving.”
Kim Ga-eun agreed. She swung her fist as if Jang Ji-won were right there in front of her and continued.
“You should've publicly humiliated her and gotten the school bullying committee involved. That way she wouldn't pull crap like that again. How can someone be so rotten, lying like that...”
“Yeah. We like you, Da-hye, but this time you seemed like a pushover.”
Even Ye-su-a.
‘My friends have a point. If someone's done wrong, they should take responsibility for it.’
I nodded and asked Ye-su-a, Ga-eun, and Jeong Eun-seong.
“Do you hate me now because our values don't match? Because I seem like a pushover?”
“No...”
“Actually, that's why we like you eve...”
“Eek.”
It felt like Su-a and Ga-eun's arms tightened around me as they hugged me tight. Was that just my imagination?
“Yeah, we're not gonna kill Jang Ji-won here. Who knows when we might run into her again, so think of it as buying insurance.”
“Still, don't forgive too much.”
“Right. Some people only listen when you beat the crap out of them.”
“Got it. I will.”
“For real?”
“Yeah.”
I smiled and added.
“I'm worried you'll make my ‘ho’ into ‘pushover.’ From now on, call me Pushover Teacher Kang Da-hye.”
What makes you think you get to pick my ‘ho’?
Even Yi Wan-yong has one. Why can't I? Let's all pick ones we like while we're at it. Ho~
“What about you?”
Looking up at Jeong Eun-seong from my position with my neck strangled by Su-a and Ga-eun.
Are you disappointed in me?
Jeong Eun-seong stared at me with an unreadable expression for a moment. Just as I started feeling tense, he blurted it out.
“I'm Handsome Teacher Jeong Eun-seong.”
“I'm Chaebol Teacher Ye-su-a.”
“I'm Number One Worker Teacher Gyeong Se-in!”
“Cat Lady Teacher Do-yeon.”
“Muscle Kim Ga-eun.”
“Bed-and-Water-Unity Yang Yeon-hee.”
“Seo Jae-kyeom, you?”
Don't sulk—say it quick. I turned my attention to Seo Jae-kyeom. He hesitated before opening his mouth.
“I'm...”
“Jae-su Seo Jae-kyeom.”
Seo Jae-kyeom glared at Jeong Eun-seong, his words cut off.
“Scary~”
Jeong Eun-seong hid behind me with a completely un-scary expression.
Sigh.
“Get along. Don't go fighting like this and then send out wedding invitations after graduation saying you're getting married.”
“What?!”
“What?!”
I shrugged at the shocked Jeong Eun-seong and Seo Jae-kyeom and wriggled free from Su-a and Ga-eun, who were still choking my neck.
“Hug us too.”
I hugged them one by one: Se-in rushing over with arms wide, Yeon-hee, and Do-yeon pretending she wasn't waiting in line.
“But I'm not a total hopeless pushover. I'm tough on things I can't compromise on.”
“Like what?”
“Sex offenders.”
Dictators. War criminal nations that don't apologize.
That's why I can forgive Jang Ji-won but not Do Ha-jun!
Plus, Do Ha-jun's a repeat offender. He deserves enhanced punishment.
“Don't forgive Yang Ji-woong either...”
I shot a glare at Jeong Eun-seong, who was still mumbling regretfully. He whined back as if he had his reasons too.
“You got accused of being a thief because of me.”
“How is that your fault?”
“Revenge on Yang Ji-woong.”
“How do you plan to get revenge when you can't even get the name right?”
It's not that big a deal going from Jang Ji-won to Yang Ji-woong, I scolded him. Se-in, who had been thinking beside us, asked.
“But will Jang Ji-won really report Do Ha-jun?”
“She will. Da-hye saved her from total ruin. If she has a brain.”
“Jang Ji-won doesn't have a brain.”
“Still. It's not like I asked her to report Park Su-hwan—it's Do Ha-jun.”
“That must still be a huge hurdle for her.”
Ga-eun sneered, arms crossed.
“Eh, whatever. We'll find out tomorrow when we see.”
Su-a scratched her head vigorously and said.
“Anyway, let's move spots. If we stay here, the teachers will get the wrong idea.”
“I think I should head out first.”
Jeong Eun-seong, who had just checked his phone, chimed in. Why? I asked with my eyes, and he nodded toward.
“The school gate.”
“Ah...”
The stalkers are here.
They'd been quiet for a while, but now that school's started, they've resumed activities, huh.
Even after the classroom break-in last time, the security guard's been on high alert, but it hasn't helped.
Apparently, some kid from Class 4 was late for cram school and took a taxi, and they rear-ended it on purpose thinking it was Jeong Eun-seong's taxi, causing an accident.
They're insane...
“What do we do?”
To Su-a's question, Jeong Eun-seong calmly adjusted his bag.
“Easiest thing is to run and shake them off.”
It was the tone of someone who'd done it many times before.
“I'm going first.”
He made eye contact with everyone and said goodbye (ignoring Seo Jae-kyeom in the process), then started to leave.
“Ah.”
He turned back from a short distance away.
Our eyes met, and Jeong Eun-seong smirked.
“Kang Da-hye.”
“Yeah?”
“I'm not disappointed in you either.”
“Oh...”
He's saying it now...
“Even if you killed someone! I'm not disappointed!”
“No...!”
You should be disappointed if I killed someone...!
“And!”
What else!
“I like you too! A lot!”
As a friend! Jeong Eun-seong added before sprinting off.
“Mommy.”
Se-in, who had been pulling out a Polaroid camera from her bag saying ‘Let's take a picture before we part,’ dropped everything in her hands with a clatter.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Still sulking?”
“No...”
“You seem sulky.”
On the way to their house with Seo Jae-kyeom after parting with my friends.
There's no tutoring today, but the reason I'm going there is because my share of workbooks is stacked up there.
Seo Jae-kyeom's mom had said she'd cover my cram school fees and told me to go to the same one as him, but I turned it down. I said studying alone was better. So instead, she bought every workbook available on the market and piled them up, telling me to drive over whenever I had time and take what I need.
Where am I supposed to get a car...?
So we've been doing it this way, taking a few books at a time when I have a moment.
And to cheer up Seo Jae-kyeom while I'm at it.
I poked the sullen Seo Jae-kyeom, who had been down ever since I wouldn't let him butt in when I was arguing with Jang Ji-won in the classroom earlier.
“It would've been ridiculous if you'd jumped in. I can speak for myself.”
“Still.”
“...”
“You got hand cream from Paris from the transfer student, workbooks from Lee Seo-jun. But why can't I even butt in?”
“You gave me free tutoring.”
“And today, workbooks too.”
“That's from my mom.”
Is there a difference?
As I tilted my head beside him, Seo Jae-kyeom spoke up.
“Talking to you is okay, KakaoTalk when I have business is okay, brushing bugs off your face is okay.”
He suddenly started listing things, bringing up stuff from last spring.
Back when I said ‘confessions are like spilled water.’
The boundaries of what friends can and can't do.
“But looking at you in class isn't...”
Seo Jae-kyeom stopped after listing them one by one.
A few steps away from me, a bit lower so our eyes were level. Seo Jae-kyeom looked straight at me.
“Kang Da-hye.”
“Yeah?”
“What if I...”
“...”
“What if I tried to cross that line? Then I couldn't even be your friend?”
In that instant, it hit me like a bolt of lightning.
“Ah.”
Seo Jae-kyeom likes me.