Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Locked In with Jeong Eun-seong
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I hurled the book at the rising pile of costumes.
"Die!"
Only after throwing the book did I realize it wasn't a ghost, but a gigantic rat—or, god forbid, a cockroach... But whatever it was, it had to be exterminated!
"Argh! Argh! Argh!"
The costume pile deftly dodged everything I threw at it.
The pile grabbed both my wrists and yanked me into its embrace.
I lost my balance and toppled over right along with it.
My nose buried into a firm, resilient human chest. The scent of fabric softener, like laundry dried crisp under midsummer sun, filled my nostrils.
"Why do I have to die all of a sudden...?"
A large hand supported the back of my head and my back as it pulled me close. The chest vibrated lightly against my cheek with his subdued whisper.
The voice was familiar.
"...Jeong Eun-seong?"
"Yeah."
"What are you doing here...? I thought you were a ghost!"
"What was I supposed to do when you told me to die? I'm already dead."
"True..."
"Get up first. Can't breathe."
"Oh. Right."
Sorry. I scrambled to my feet, apologizing profusely. In the process, I had no choice but to press my palms against Jeong Eun-seong's upper body to steady myself.
Oh. Awkward.
As I flailed around, Jeong Eun-seong said flatly,
"Just push off me."
"...Sorry."
I apologized again and braced my hand against his flat stomach.
Only then did Jeong Eun-seong shrug off the blue dragon robe he'd been buried under and the apron perched on his head.
He ran a hand through his now bird's-nest hair and asked me,
"Why are you here?"
"Me...? To write a book report. What about you, Jeong Eun-seong?"
What time was it now? Shouldn't he have gone home or to the company by now?
He hesitated at my question.
"You told me to read the materials."
"Materials?"
"Drama club."
"Oh."
But that was due by Friday's club time this week.
"I might not be able to come to school Friday. Company's got an event."
"That company won't take responsibility for your life, and they're keeping a minor from going to school?"
After blurting it out, I realized it sounded like I was badmouthing his agency, but Jeong Eun-seong was unfazed.
"Anyway."
So he'd come to read them all today...
"But why were you sleeping under there?"
"What can I do? Reading makes me sleepy."
He grumbled curtly and started tidying up the scattered costumes around us.
His hair was tousled like someone who'd slept obliviously, his expression languid. The skin exposed below his rolled-up Chunbok sleeves looked warm to the touch.
I glanced at the printouts crumpled under where he'd been lying. Han Ji-su had neatly bound them, and he'd gotten through about half the pages.
"The old language is so hard to understand."
He noticed my gaze and muttered in complaint.
That's a lot for someone who claims that.
Sorry to Jeong Eun-seong for his efforts, but now it was time for bad news.
I told him as he smoothed out the wrinkled pages from lying on them.
"We're locked in."
"What?"
"We're locked in. Song Yeo-reum locked the door from outside and bolted."
"Song Yeo-reum?"
"The girl who fought with me in the cafeteria last time."
Still, it was a relief. Jeong Eun-seong was here, after all.
Because.
I might not have my phone, but Jeong Eun-seong probably did.
"Jeong Eun-seong, you have your phone, right? Mine's in my locker. Call the teachers' office with yours and ask them to open the door..."
"I don't have mine."
"...Why?!"
"One of the debut lineup got caught dating, so the company confiscated all the trainees' phones. They're checking KakaoTalk and Chasebook, and they'll give them back Friday."
"That's insane!"
Even if they're trainees under the agency, rummaging through someone's phone without permission is a privacy violation. But setting that aside...
"Then what do we do?!"
"What do you mean? Wait a bit, and the office janitor will come patrol and let us out."
"He already went home... It's past 7."
"...What?"
"He came by earlier while you were buried over there. Told me he'd lock it up and to return the key to the duty teacher on my way out... Song Yeo-reum locked it and ran."
"......"
"......"
"Then the duty teacher will open it."
"Maybe... But the teacher's probably just doing work in the office. Doesn't seem like they'd wander dark hallways for a scare."
"This is crazy!"
Jeong Eun-seong must have finally grasped the severity.
He checked the wall clock, the door that rattled but wouldn't open no matter how hard he pulled, and the flower bed under the window (this was the second floor, by the way), then stomped his foot hard.
His irritated glare turned to me.
"Why don't you carry your phone? The world's so dangerous these days!"
"You don't carry yours either..."
"Mine got taken!"
"???"
What's the difference?
"Good thing Song Yeo-reum just locked the door and left. What if she'd come in and done something? There are so many weirdos out there—how can you leave your phone behind without a care?!"
Keep it on you at all times! Set it so one button press calls 112! Jeong Eun-seong fumed.
Sheesh. Says the guy who let his precious company take his phone without a fight. I got annoyed too.
"I know better than anyone how many weirdos are out there—I'm a girl! And it's Song Yeo-reum!"
Not Song Winter!
"Who cares! What now?!"
"I don't know!"
"Open the window and yell! Loud enough to reach the office!"
"You yell, Jeong Eun-seong!"
"Why me?!"
"Low voices carry farther!"
"How do you know?!"
"You don't? We learned it in science!"
"I was asleep!"
"Brag much?"
"Sorry!"
"If you're sorry, open the window and yell now!"
"Science! Science!"
Jeong Eun-seong slid the window open and unleashed a shout into the night.
Kwak... kwak...
His vocal power made it instantly clear why he'd debut as main vocal, but of course... no response from outside.
Jeong Eun-seong's ears slowly turned red after yelling.
This is embarrassing...
I timidly suggested from the side.
"Should I yell too?"
"Your voice loud?"
"No. Glassy vocal cords."
"Nah, forget it."
He grumbled sulkily and shut the window. He sat silently in a chair and picked up the materials he'd been sleeping on.
'Now that I think about it, I feel kinda bad.'
Anyway, he'd diligently read the materials because of me (even if he fell asleep), and his phone wasn't taken because he wanted it to be. We got locked in because of me.
I awkwardly struck up conversation.
"Don't worry too much."
"Huh?"
"I mean... don't stress. Someone will notice the light on in the clubroom and come turn it off. Worst case, my mom will come looking when I'm not home later."
"That's not what I'm worried about."
His words cut off there. What? I blinked curiously and made another suggestion.
"...Bored? Wanna listen to some music?"
"No phone. How?"
"Oh. Right."
"Forget it. I don't like music much."
"What aspiring singer doesn't like music...?"
And then silence for a while.
No more to say, and we're not that close anyway. Better to save energy than force talk.
Before I knew it, the sun had fully set.
The air turned chilly.
'Gets cold once evening hits.'
Should I drape the crown prince outfit he was sleeping under? I crossed my arms as I thought that.
Jeong Eun-seong glanced at me huddled up and asked,
"Cold?"
"Yeah."
"......"
"Wish this clubroom was on the sixth floor or something. Not this awkward second."
"Why?"
"Air's warmer higher up. Than down here."
"Science class again?"
"Yep."
Jeong Eun-seong looked like he'd never heard that.
"Why? Closer to the sun?"
"Forgot the reason. You study and tell me."
I replied half-heartedly and opened my book again. Checking my draft book report for grammatical errors.
Something plopped onto my shoulder.
Jeong Eun-seong had taken off his school uniform knit and draped it over me. He quickly turned his head away.
Jeong Eun-seong muttered,
"You said you were cold."
"......"
"I'm tall, so I'm fine. Air's warmer up high."
"......"
"Hit over 180 cm yesterday."