Chapter 150
Chapter 150
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Seo Jae-kyeom's Overflowing Confession
"Jang Ji-won's boyfriend doesn't know either? Where'd she go?"
"Gyeong Se-in even went over to Class 5 to ask."
"And?"
"They broke up yesterday. She said he kept coming over while she was hanging out with the class kids, bothering her, and he'd sulk if she didn't pay attention to him."
"What a nightmare."
She's the kind of girlfriend who listens to all his nonsense and praises him, and instead of being grateful, he finds her annoying?
"Jang Ji-won really should be a spy..."
That relentless drive and unyielding spirit to keep chasing new targets after three duds in a row!
And right now, no one even knows where Jang Ji-won is hiding—talk about overflowing talent!
"Then maybe she really did go meet that Gokgok High guy yesterday."
Jeong Eun-seong, who'd been listening, chimed in. Seo Jae-kyeom shut his mouth the moment something he didn't know came out of Jeong Eun-seong's mouth.
"Seo Jae-kyeom, actually, yesterday we..."
"We?"
"Me and Jeong Eun-seong."
I gave a quick explanation while racking my brain.
"Then should I contact that girl who KakaoTalked me yesterday?"
But she said she didn't know who Jang Ji-won was with... She said she'd look into it, though... Ugh.
"Let's go for now. We'll figure it out on the way."
I turned to Seo Jae-kyeom and asked.
"Do you know what that Gokgok High guy's up to today?"
"...I saw him coming back from some courage test earlier."
Seo Jae-kyeom's voice was heavy as he answered.
You've got it rough too. You're not the type to clean up after others.
No, does Jang Ji-won lose all judgment whenever a guy's involved? Doesn't she realize it's dangerous? Even this morning when she woke up, she just let Su-a's nagging go in one ear and out the other. Argh!
"This is driving me crazy, seriously..."
Why do I have to be the one spinning when I'm not even the Earth...?
"Let's head out first."
I gave Seo Jae-kyeom a look. Jeong Eun-seong, still wearing that shiny necklace, quickly stuck to my side.
"I'll go with you."
"You need to help Jeong Na-jun."
And you're supposed to go on stage last.
"If you disappear too, it'll be obvious someone's missing. No can do."
"Whiiine..."
"Hey now."
Tsk. Wait here. I scolded him like I was training a puppy and headed to the back door with Seo Jae-kyeom. We slipped through a passageway used for moving equipment and made our way to the annex building.
I tried calling Jang Ji-won the whole way, but of course, no answer.
"Maybe she won't pick up because it's me? Seo Jae-kyeom, try with your phone."
I sent a KakaoTalk to Gok Su-hwan—not Fake Su-hwan—and spoke to Seo Jae-kyeom, but no response.
"Seo Jae-kyeom, I said try your phone."
"......"
"Seo Jae-kyeom?"
"Ah. Yeah."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"......"
I shot a glance at Seo Jae-kyeom, who seemed to have lost his soul somewhere, and entered the annex. Right away, we ran into teachers from Gokgok High waiting for the elevator.
"You kids there!"
"Eek."
"You're the ones here on the school trip from the main building, right? What are you doing here?"
The pot-bellied teacher from yesterday, when Gok Su-hwan got my number, spotted us immediately. I replied calmly.
"We came to the convenience store."
"Convenience store?"
"Yeah, the one in the main building didn't have any Tongil Shin Ramen."
Guess Goguryeo and Baekje haven't fallen yet.
"Mixing Tongil Shin Ramen with Kim Yu-sin Ramen is delicious..."
The Gokgok teacher let out a hollow laugh at my tone, pretending my only goal in life was ramen, with zero interest in romance.
"No Tongil Shin Ramen in the annex either! Go back now—your homeroom teacher's worried."
"Yeah, hurry back. Or we'll call your school teachers ourselves."
They crossed their arms, standing firm in case we wouldn't leave.
Damn it.
"Really none? Tongil Shin Ramen?"
"None. Can't you tell from how the main building and annex are divided? Not unified yet, kid. Scram."
"Tch."
I grabbed the pretending-to-be-innocent Seo Jae-kyeom and left the annex. On the way back to the main building, I glanced back to see one teacher watching us instead of taking the elevator.
"Probably checking if we're actually leaving."
Let's hide here for now. We turned the corner and pressed against the annex wall. We stopped in a dark spot between walls not visible from the annex lobby.
"Once that teacher's gone, we go in."
"Okay."
I stuck Seo Jae-kyeom to the wall and squatted in front of him.
"Ha..."
What a mess on a school trip. I sighed and tried a voice talk with Gok Su-hwan, but no answer.
"Jang Ji-won still not picking up?"
"Yeah."
"This isn't normal... Something must've happened."
Jang Ji-won not answering Seo Jae-kyeom's calls is too weird.
"Maybe we should just tell the homeroom teacher now and search together..."
"......"
"I'll try contacting this Gokgok High guy a few more times first. If he doesn't know either, then we tell the teacher."
It's pretty much certain she snuck off to meet that Gokgok High boy.
Determined to keep trying until he picked up, I attempted another voice talk and looked up at the sky. From the distant main building, the thumping sounds and cheers from the auditorium reached us.
-So, this is a song you want to sing to your ex from last year? Is that ex here by any chance?
-Yes...
-Oh, this is fun! So much fun! Gokgok High School! Hottest school I've seen so far! We can't not call that ex out now, right?!
-Wooooah!
Unlike the excited auditorium, silence hung between me and Seo Jae-kyeom.
We both kept quiet, Seo Jae-kyeom trying Jang Ji-won, me trying Gok Su-hwan. The awkwardness made me mutter to myself.
"...Why won't he pick up."
You're demoted back to Fake Su-hwan. That's when the usually quiet Seo Jae-kyeom suddenly spoke up.
"So yesterday..."
"Yeah."
"You and the transfer student went looking for Jang Ji-won, right?"
"Told you."
"That's why you couldn't get ice cream with me yesterday?"
"...Not exactly."
"Then... why didn't you come back after finding Jang Ji-won?"
"I crashed in the girls' room. Was tired."
Not right away, but I glossed over it.
"I see..."
Seo Jae-kyeom nodded and fell silent again.
-Oh, you're gonna sing this one? To your old boyfriend?
-Yes...
-How does a high schooler even know this song? Weren't you all in elementary school when it came out?
"Ah, still no answer..."
"Kang Da-hye, by any chance."
"Yeah?"
"Are you... dating the transfer student?"
"No."
"Then do you like the transfer student?"
"What, truth or dare?"
I tried to laugh it off, but Seo Jae-kyeom was serious.
He swallowed hard enough to hear it and asked again.
"Then who do you like, Kang Da-hye?"
"You kids there! Still not gone?!"
Perfect timing—the Gokgok teacher interrupted. He spotted us hiding and came chasing with his phone out. Eek. I quickly dragged Seo Jae-kyeom and ran.
We stopped at the photo zone we'd passed yesterday with Jeong Eun-seong, where two neon swans touched beaks.
-Alright then! This song dedicated to past love—let's all hear it! No encores!
Did they leave? Not chasing anymore? I peeked around the swan's back.
"Then does that mean I don't have a chance?"
"Huh?"
I turned to Seo Jae-kyeom.
Seo Jae-kyeom, meeting my eyes, took a step back.
"Uh..."
Under the lights, his reddened pupils dilated wide.
I knew right away.
Those words just now weren't intentional from Seo Jae-kyeom.
They just overflowed.
"Seo Jae-kyeom..."
I called his name in a daze. He drew in a sharp breath.
Frozen stiff as if shocked by his own words, Seo Jae-kyeom spat them out.
Like he'd given up.
"Seeing you with the transfer student hurts. Seeing you with Lee Seo-jun hurts too. Just... everything... I'm anxious you'll start liking one of them."
"......"
"I know it's ridiculous to say this now. I know I'm ridiculous."
I think several times a day—what was I doing? If I'd just told you I liked you back when you confessed. Or at least, if I hadn't been so awful then.
If I hadn't snapped at you on my whims, ignored you, and treated you better.
"And when... I first started liking you."
"...Seo Jae-kyeom."
"If I'd admitted it right then."
Without pointless pride, even then...
"I want to turn back time."
His hands trembled as he spoke.
Like someone terrified of rejection, of a predetermined future. Trembling like it was truly horrifying, Seo Jae-kyeom called my name.
"Kang Da-hye."
His hands shook so badly he couldn't hide or wipe the tears streaming down his cheek.
Exposing his raw heart, Seo Jae-kyeom called my name again.
"Kang Da-hye."
Seo Jae-kyeom was crying because of me.
Crying and begging.
Begging and confessing.
"I like you..."
"......"
"Can't you like me again? I was wrong..."
This wasn't a confession. It was a guilty plea.