Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Midterms and the Torn Costume
This midterm was tough. Especially literature.
The literature teacher had been charging ahead like a runaway train ever since the first-semester finals.
Even I got one question wrong—well, I guessed on it with only about 80% confidence.
Math was tough too.
Politics? Even the president would've bombed it.
And in an exam like that, Ji-su got a perfect score?
'She must've studied really hard.'
Probably grinding to make up for dropping to 21st place last semester.
Separate from my disappointment in her, it was good to see her putting in the effort. I nodded as Lee Seo-jun asked from beside me.
"Kang Da-hye, can I ask what your average was?"
"Of course. 100 points."
He was right next to me—he could've just peeked—but no, he had to stare off into the distance and ask permission first. Such a good kid.
"Whoa."
"Hehe."
"So Han Ji-su got everything right too?"
"Seems like it."
"Wow..."
"What about you, Lee Seo-jun?"
"Me? I..."
"Whoa, you did amazing too!"
Lee Seo-jun usually ranked around 30th, right? He'd climbed up to 25th now.
Checking KakaoTalk, Kim Ga-eun and Seo Jae-kyeom had improved their ranks too. Jeong Eun-seong only knew his math score—57 points. (Did he even solve any?)
Ye-su-a, Gyeong Se-in, and Yeon-hee had decent scores considering they barely studied, and Do-yeon was always good anyway...
'Everyone's scores dropped, but their ranks went up.'
This exam really was brutal.
Lee Seo-jun blinked his big eyes at me from the side.
"Sharing first place with Han Ji-su... Finals are gonna be intense."
"It's fine. Just ace the finals too."
Did I mention this before?
No need to worry about others.
If I do well, that's it. If I get everything right, I'm first.
"So, Lee Seo-jun..."
"Yeah...?"
"You're studying harder for finals too, got it?"
"Uh, huh?"
"What're you doing? Open your book already."
"O-okay...!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Thanks to Han Ji-su's friends and Jeong Na-jun bellowing down the hallway—"My girl's number one!" "No way, my girl's number one too!"—the news that Han Ji-su and I were tied for first spread throughout the school.
And one more thing that spread far and wide:
'Han Ji-su shooting paint at Jeong Eun-seong's face during the school trip.'
Including the fact that Jeong Eun-seong wasn't wearing his helmet—bare-faced.
How did the kids react?
Chaos. They called her crazy.
Of course, some wondered why Jeong Eun-seong had taken off his helmet, but regardless, most kids didn't approve of what Ji-su did.
The rumor also sparked one that she and I had fought.
It even got twisted into nonsense like, "Han Ji-su liked Jeong Eun-seong, but he started dating Kang Da-hye, so she got pissed and shot him."
Anyway, reactions toward Ji-su weren't what they used to be lately.
She still had the image she'd built up over time, so it wasn't worse.
'Why did she do that?'
That wasn't like her at all.
Han Ji-su isn't the type to shoot paint at someone's face. (X)
She's not the type to show her bad mood openly and make trouble for herself. (O)
It's sad that the first statement is marked (X)...
"Her true personality finally came out."
"Her true personality?"
"Yeah. Can't say everything, but she's shady."
Seo Jae-kyeom grumbled as he bit into a neatly wrapped macaron.
Raspberry-flavored ones that Jeong Eun-seong had bought.
Jeong Eun-seong, who had been solving math problems by chewing on his lip and sticking it out, glared daggers.
"I didn't buy those for you to eat."
"That's why you suck at math—too stingy. Right, Da-hye?"
"What does being stingy have to do with math?"
"Can't even get a joke, so probably bad at Korean too."
"If you two keep fighting, should I leave?"
"Sorry."
"I'll be quiet."
Ye-su-a chuckled at the two who tucked tail immediately. Gyeong Se-in marveled from the side.
"Still, Eun-seong's studying so hard!"
"He has to. To catch up to everyone else."
"No need—he can't catch up. No one's studying except Da-hye!"
"Gyeong Se-in, you're the only one not studying."
We're all doing it. Kim Ga-eun swung the whip of love called facts, as usual today.
How did I not know I had such great friends before regressing?
I giggled and stood up. Seeing me rise, Jeong Eun-seong quickly closed his workbook and stood too.
"We'll head to club first."
"Break's already over? I didn't hear the bell."
"Nah, still time. We have drama club meeting today."
"Oh."
"We should go too."
As our friends packed up, Seo Jae-kyeom sighed.
"Why's there so much to study? Do old people get old from learning all this...?"
"Where are there old people? They're all just noonas and hyungs."
Jeong Eun-seong didn't miss the chance to tease. He leaned toward me and whispered loud enough to be heard.
"His posture's all wrong."
"He's not debuting or anything—why fuss over posture?"
"But...!"
"Shh. Come on."
I tugged Jeong Eun-seong's tie.
As we headed down the stairs together, I asked.
"No more sasaengs lately?"
"They still come sometimes, but way fewer. Just those few from back then hanging on."
"Persistent."
"It's fine. Give it a little time—they'll switch to other trainees. Following normals gets boring."
"Hmm."
Jeong Eun-seong, no longer a trainee.
Good that the sasaengs are gone, but a shame public interest is fading...
"Wanna make an SNS?"
"SNS?"
"Yeah. Post videos of you singing? Your school trip performance blew up online."
At that, Jeong Eun-seong stopped dead.
He dramatically lowered his head to look at me.
"You didn't watch?"
"What?"
"My singing video. You didn't watch it?"
"No...?"
I did, actually. I contributed like 30 views.
"Why? Why not?"
"Do I have to...?"
He looked so serious now—I couldn't admit I'd seen it.
"Was I supposed to watch it while cramming for midterms?"
I shot back casually.
"Watch it now."
"Now?"
"Yeah. Watch here before we go."
"Hey, we have a meeting."
"Video's under two minutes."
"YouTube has ads."
"I have it saved on my phone. No ads."
"Break'll end by then."
"You could've watched already."
You don't watch, I don't go! Jeong Eun-seong plopped down on the stairs. Kids passing by cooed at him squatting in the middle, calling him cute.
That video already had over 100k views—what more do you want?!
"Get up!"
"No!"
"Fine, you live there! I'm going!"
"Nooo!"
I dragged the whining Jeong Eun-seong to the drama club room.
"Okay, okay. After school. Happy?"
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"Promise?"
"I said yes."
Whew. I sighed and opened the drama club room door.
And froze.
Han Ji-su's costume—which had been perfectly fitted, ironed, bagged in plastic, and hung on the rack—was torn to shreds.
Like someone had worn it and hulked out.
The others already there examined it with grim faces. Bang Eun-ji was among them, pale as a ghost.
"...What happened to it?"
"Skirt must've been too heavy," Han Ji-su answered my question.
Her expression was ambiguous—smiling? Troubled? Or maybe just my imagination—as she added,
"This skirt is layered on top, meant to rip off piece by piece. But the innermost base layer must've been flimsy. Couldn't hold the weight, so it all tore off."
She glanced sideways at Bang Eun-ji.
"Probably the stitching..."
Bang Eun-ji jumped in desperately.
"No, I stitched it properly! I checked it multiple times in case it'd rip!"
"Then why's it like this?"
"......"
Bang Eun-ji shut her mouth.
She wanted to insist it wasn't her fault, no mistakes—but with the shredded costume right there, excuses wouldn't fly.
Han Ji-su turned to her magnanimously.
"It's okay. Actually, good thing. Imagine it ripping on stage. Better we know now."
Her words seemed for Bang Eun-ji, but her gaze swept the room. The kids, flustered as they stared at the costume, chimed in quickly.
"Yeah. Better now than then."
"It's fine."
"Still disappointing. Should've been more careful."
"How does it just rip hanging there...?"
"Maybe we should've paid pros even if it cost more."
"Can it be fixed?"
With so much already on their plates, the kids' tones were sharp.
Pointed glances slid toward Bang Eun-ji.
"Sigh."
Someone sighed loud enough for all to hear.
That's when the twist happened.