Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Vice President's Visit
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Seo Jae-kyeom didn't respond to my question.
He just swept back his hair with a frustrated expression.
At this point, I was getting annoyed too.
"Seo Jae-kyeom, you're acting weird today. Don't make this hard—just tell me. What's wrong?"
I pressed the silent Seo Jae-kyeom. After a few urgings, he let out a sigh and spat it out.
"Today... the Vice President is coming."
Vice President.
That meant Seo Jae-kyeom's father.
The rich man who had fathered an illegitimate child in him and thought occasionally dropping by fulfilled his parental duties.
"It's been months since his last visit, so Mom's on edge. She's been nagging me to come home early since earlier."
"...Then that sudden errand to the canteen...?"
Was it to take a call from Mom?
Seo Jae-kyeom nodded at my question.
"Yeah."
"So you've been on edge all day?"
"...Yeah."
I see...
Hiding my mixed feelings, I looked around the counseling room.
Piles of test papers stacked high.
Unfriendly answer sheets with answers just scribbled in, and a single teacher's textbook tossed over for reference.
And an 18-year-old boy whose nerves were frayed by complicated family issues.
'Come to think of it, around this time, Seo Jae-kyeom suddenly went on a trip and missed school for a few days.'
So that was the reason.
"Seo Jae-kyeom."
"...Yeah."
"If something's bothering you, just say it. Don't make things awkward like this. Don't go splashing anger everywhere."
"......"
"What you did to me today was just venting frustration. What did I do to deserve it?"
"...Sorry."
"Alright. Don't let it happen again."
I nodded, slipped off my school cardigan, and hung it on the chair. I pulled over the nearest stack of test papers.
I chin-pointed at the seat across from the statue-still Seo Jae-kyeom.
"You have nice handwriting?"
"Huh?"
"I'll grade from Class 1 and pass them to you, so write under the wrong answers why they're incorrect. I'll finish first, then we split the rest evenly from there."
"......"
"What are you waiting for? Sit."
No time to waste.
The sooner he sits, the sooner we get home.
As Seo Jae-kyeom sluggishly took the seat across, I slid over a freshly graded test sheet and the textbook.
"Why are you just sitting there? No red pen?"
I prodded the motionless Seo Jae-kyeom. He stared blankly at me before tossing the question back.
"Is that it?"
"What?"
"You're not mad?"
"Mad?"
"You said I vented on you. That you got splashed. And we're just moving on?"
"Well..."
Of course I wasn't thrilled.
"But I heard your side, I get why you'd act that way, and you apologized."
What more do you want? Make you grovel?
"Not flying into a rage over trivial matters is a mark of a refined person, you know."
And honestly, it barely fazed me. Whether you snap or not.
But that was meant figuratively—Seo Jae-kyeom's gaze stayed fixed on my face.
His brown eyes peered at me intently.
"Why?"
"...You've seemed different since yesterday. More grown-up."
Because I am grown-up.
"Is it 'cause you're pretending it doesn't hurt after I turned you down?"
"Jeez."
Why the sudden heart flutter?
"Don't go falling for me just 'cause I seem different. That'd be a hassle."
"That's not it."
"Then what?"
"Just... it's weird."
"Life's full of weird. Get to work."
I grabbed his idle hand and shoved a pen into it.
"Look at the explanation here and write."
I flipped open the textbook and added.
"The reason I seem different? I used to like you, so I was tense around you. Not anymore."
"What's that mean?"
"My behavior's natural now. You get stiff when nervous, right? Feel sorry for me."
"Feel sorry?"
"Yeah. Pitiful, right? How deep my feelings had to be to act that dumb. That's the real me."
"......"
"Talk's over. Let's work. You gotta get home."
"...Okay."
"......"
"......"
"......"
"......"
"I'll show you the completely changed me...♪"
"Pfft!"
"?"
Sudden spit attack...?
"You got comedy ambitions? How does serious mode crumble in under a minute?"
"I'm dead serious. Practicing for music eval."
"Don't make me laugh, for real...!"
"My singing's funny? I'm acing this."
"If you get perfect score, everything I own is yours."
"No regrets."
Boy you gotta be aware~~~~~♪
For a while, the counseling room filled only with my whishing circles and crosses, the scratch-scratch of Seo Jae-kyeom writing.
The bustling hallway had gone quiet, and the sunlight filtering through the counseling room window had baked into orange.
Suddenly, Seo Jae-kyeom spoke up.
"Kang Da-hye."
"Yeah."
"Really sorry."
"Yeah. Poor innocent me stuck here 'cause of you. Take this debt to the grave."
"That too. And this morning."
"Morning?"
"I acted childish."
"Oh."
I thought we'd covered that apology already.
"It's fine. From your side, it'd annoy anyone. You got up early to come with Ji-su, and I barged in."
Your feelings for Ji-su matter as much as mine did for you.
I nodded in understanding.
But Seo Jae-kyeom shook his head.
"Wasn't up early for Han Ji-su."
"Then?"
"Mom was loud from morning, woke me."
"Oh."
"Makes no sense getting up early for someone you like."
I have no will or way to do that, Seo Jae-kyeom said firmly.
"Yeah... figures you wouldn't."
Keep living life with yourself always first.
I, for whom waking early every weekend to see Seo Jae-kyeom was routine, replied offhand and glanced at the wall clock.
Even rushing, an hour had passed. Seo Jae-kyeom's phone had been buzzing nonstop.
He pretended not to notice, but his anxiety was obvious.
Damn.
"Seo Jae-kyeom, just go first."
"What?"
"Go on ahead. I'll handle the rest."
"How? You're stuck here 'cause of me. Together it's quicker."
"We've been at it an hour together, and look how much is left. Finish all this, you'll be eating midnight snacks, not dinner. Go now."
"......"
"Not free. Coffee next time."
Not scheming a date—just send a gift card. For me to enjoy solo.
I yanked the test papers and pen from the hesitating Seo Jae-kyeom's hands.
He dawdled, but after one more phone buzz, finally stood.
"Thanks, really."
"I know."
"Coffee and candy too."
"Candy?"
"White Day next week."
"Oh."
Right.
I nodded without much enthusiasm.
"Yeah, make 'em big."
You'll probably show up on White Day itself anyway.
Bet you'll forget this offhand promise by then.
"Go on, hurry."
I shooed out the constantly glancing-back Seo Jae-kyeom and shut the door.
Turning back, stacks of ungraded tests still loomed.
"Sigh."
Think positive. I needed geography study time anyway.
Of course, positive thinking didn't shrink a hour-long task to ten minutes.
After time dragged like a century...
"...Wow. Just Class 10 left."
I leaned back in the chair, dusting off my hands.
Slide.
"Kang Da..."
Ji-su cracked open the counseling room door and peeked in.
"Huh? No academy?"
"Yeah..."
"Why?"
"Jus'..."
Ji-su came inside, pouting.
"All this?"
She blanched at the mountain of test papers, then sat in Seo Jae-kyeom's old spot. She offered to help, but moved sluggish.
Biting her lip with an obvious "I have something to say" face, Ji-su finally spoke.
"Kang Da, umm..."
"Yeah."
"You mad at me 'cause of Seo Jae-kyeom?"
"Huh?"
What nonsense is that?
"Nooo... At lunch, you mostly talked with Do-yeon. Didn't visit once during break. No KakaoTalk replies either..."
"Oh."
That was just studying during break...
"Not that. I didn't tell you—I don't like Seo Jae-kyeom anymore."
"You don't like him anymore?! Why?!"
"Just... something more important than Seo Jae-kyeom came up...?"
"What?"
"Math. Going for Fields Medal."
That's what Do-yeon and I talked about earlier. She said I could use her remaining lectures.
Ji-su stared at me as I explained.
"But y'know, Kang Da."
"Yeah."
"Don't get too close with Do-yeon, okay?"