Chapter 149
Chapter 149
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: He Said He'd Never Like Me
“Jeong Eun-seong said it before. That there's absolutely, absolutely, absolutely no way he'd ever like me.”
“Huh...?”
“It's true. Even if the sky came crashing down.”
It was definitely something he said.
When was it? During math class, I think.
Oh. It must've been the first day after my regression. He told me my eye would roll right out onto the floor, and there was no way he'd ever like someone as weird as me.
“Even if the sky came crashing down.”
My friends all dropped their jaws and tilted their heads at my words.
“Why... would he say something like that?”
“No idea.”
Maybe he never imagined I'd end up liking him like this?
It's not like girls like me were a rarity hanging around Jeong Eun-seong all this time.
“So who is the one Jeong Eun-seong likes?”
“No idea.”
Kim Ga-eun's face turned serious as she scowled.
“It better not be Han Ji-su. Weren't they together earlier?”
“Who knows...?”
“This is ridiculous. Should we play Truth or Dare again tonight?”
Ye-su-a crossed her arms. Ga-eun continued.
“But if Jeong Eun-seong really likes Han Ji-su, then I'm done treating him like a person.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it. If that's the best taste he's got in people? Then he's just as lame.”
“Hmm.”
“And just so you know, even if you make up with Han Ji-su later, Da-hye, I'll still hate her guts.”
I hate girls who run straight to their friends to badmouth someone the second they have a little fight with their own friend. Ga-eun said flatly.
Yeon-hee chimed in from the side.
“Yeah. If you wanna make up with Han Ji-su, of course I wouldn't stop you, Da-hye, but that's separate from her friends trying to take a shot at you... That was way over the line.”
“And they aimed for Jeong Eun-seong's face!”
“...Yeah, true.”
Honestly, I was really disappointed in Ji-su after what happened today.
More than disappointed, this was...
If Jeong Eun-seong's face had gotten hit by that paintball...
'Chills.'
I rubbed my arms, which felt eerily cold. Gyeong Se-in jumped in from the side.
“But I don't think Eun-seong actually likes Han Ji-su!”
“Why not? Gyeong Se-in, do you know something?”
“I've seen them talking in the hallway sometimes when I went to get water, but Eun-seong's always distracted! He clearly doesn't care!”
“What if they start dating after the math trip?”
“Then he must've been blackmailed into it!”
“Hmm...”
“Hmm...”
“Hmm...”
“Hey, there's the ice cream machine over there. Wanna get some?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah.”
Whatever. For now, I protected Jeong Eun-seong's face.
Mission accomplished.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Ah, now we have to call you up to the stage too, right? Homeroom teacher of Class 6! Where are you?!”
A question about math trips for the regressor Kang Da-hye.
Why do these recreation hosts love dragging teachers up on stage to dance so much?
Do teachers practice beforehand thinking, 'Oh man, I'm feeling the dance vibe this year' before coming on the trip?
That host is handing out 200s and 300s like candy right now, but it's really nothing—why do we end up risking our lives for it?
And why am I behind the stage right now?
“We've come this far, so we can't miss out on our homeroom teacher's dance too, right?! Hit the music!”
And when the hell is that damn Gangnam Style gonna stop showing up?
On the stage with swirling colorful lights, our Class 6 homeroom teacher—who'd been dragged out against his will—was dancing with a total 'whatever' expression.
It was less a dance and more like a writhing embodiment of 'Is this why I became a teacher?'... but the kids were cheering anyway.
That's right.
I'm hiding back here precisely because I don't wanna do crap like that.
'I've got way too many reasons to get called up.'
They could go 'Class president, come on up!' then '1st semester class president, too!' or 'Top student, get up here!' and I'd have to go again...
Even before my regression, I got dragged up once when the host yelled, 'Who's the best student in this school?!'
I gave it my all, but they said it wasn't enough, so I did a homeroom teacher impression on the way down. Black history that still makes my face burn, so let's not dwell.
Anyway.
One perk of regressing is avoiding that foretold black history, right?
For risk management, I'm planning to stay behind the stage until recreation ends this time.
Phew.
This darkness behind the stage. So peaceful.
“Kang Da-hye.”
Jeong Eun-seong, who was here helping Jeong Na-jun as promised, called out to me. His neck was wrapped in a bunch of sparkly streamers.
“What's with the streamers?”
“Jeong Na-jun gave 'em to me. Said to throw them when he signals later.”
“He brought those from home?”
“Guess so.”
Jeong Eun-seong stroked the streamers, saying they felt kinda soft, and came over to my side.
I peeked out just enough to glance at the main stage. That's when I proudly looked up at his flawless skin that I'd protected.
Then came the call from hell on stage.
“Wow~ Class 6 homeroom teacher's passionate dance! A dance that was all passion! Great job! So the stereotype that good students suck at fun is just that—a stereotype, right? Haha! What? You disagree? Alright~ Let's bring one more! At our Gogogo High School! Who's the best student?!”
“Kang Da-hye!”
“What? Who?!”
“Kang Da-hye!”
“Kang Da-hye?!”
“......”
I took a hesitant step back. The host on stage made a hand visor over his eyes and scanned the crowd.
“Where's Kang Da-hye?! In the bathroom or something?!”
“Nope!”
“She's behind the stage!”
“What?!”
“Back there!”
“Oh, behind the stage~”
The host's manic eyes snapped toward us.
I hurriedly ducked behind Jeong Eun-seong.
“Kang Da-hye, come on out!”
Jeong Eun-seong alternated glances between the approaching host gesturing wildly and me trembling like a leaf, then hid me behind the stage curtain.
Then he poked his own face out.
Just his face appeared, and cheers erupted from the auditorium.
“Whoa, who's this handsome guy~”
The host grinned ear-to-ear at the sudden handsome face, while Jeong Eun-seong lied deadpan.
“I'm Kang Da-hye.”
“No way, for real?! Everyone, is this for real?!”
“No!”
“No!”
“Boo~ Liar~”
“Boo~”
“The students say it's a lie?!”
“It is real.”
“Hahaha! Alright~ Then our handsome Kang Da-hye! Up on stage quick!”
“I learned the protagonist always shows up last.”
“Oh, coming later?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect! Then we'll definitely call our Kang Da-hye student at the very end!”
The host burst out laughing and turned away.
Jeong Eun-seong—now accidentally booked for the finale—turned back to me.
“Jeong Eun-seong...”
Because of me, you're going to that hell... I clutched the curtain and looked up at him with teary eyes. He met my gaze and burst out laughing.
“...Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing.”
Nothing my ass—he kept laughing. He covered his face, seemed to calm down a bit, then met my eyes again and lost it. Am I that funny?
“Pfft...”
Guess I am.
“Kang Da-hye, you look like Puss in Boots.”
“Huh...?”
Me...?
“Big shiny eyes.”
“Today's talent show first place is mine...! How dare you steal my spotlight, Kang Da-hye!!!”
Right on cue, Jeong Na-jun—whose name had been called—glared venomously at Jeong Eun-seong as he headed onstage.
“What the! The cheers are smaller than when Kang Da-hye came out! I'm not doing it!”
He threw a tantrum the second he got out there.
Wait, since when was Jeong Eun-seong Kang Da-hye?
Jeong Eun-seong kept chuckling to himself regardless, but his laughter slowly died down. Our eyes met as his lips curved up.
“......”
“......”
The outside got noisier with Jeong Na-jun's antics, and the other kids backstage were busy prepping their turns.
In the midst of all the chaos and busyness, it felt like just the two of us were in another world.
Finally stopping his laugh completely, Jeong Eun-seong called my name.
“Kang Da-hye.”
“Yeah.”
“We didn't finish Truth or Dare last night.”
“...True.”
“I answered honestly. So now it's your turn.”
“......”
“You got someone you like?”
That was when it happened.
“Kang Da-hye.”
Seo Jae-kyeom appeared from the door connecting to the auditorium.
I turned around in bewilderment at Seo Jae-kyeom's sudden appearance—he'd been quiet ever since the survival game earlier.
Me.
Jeong Eun-seong looking down at me.
The expressionless Seo Jae-kyeom alternating glances between us.
“Jang Ji-won disappeared.”
“What?”
“She said she was going to the bathroom earlier and hasn't come back. Phone's off too.”
“......”
“Ye-su-a said to ask you. Said you tracked down some girl from the engineering club yesterday and brought her back.”
“Ah...”
“We should go look for her. Before the homeroom teacher finds out.”