Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Shifting Feelings
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The day before.
Song Yeo-reum from Class 6 of the second year had been in the worst mood lately.
She had been showing up to school regularly out of sheer fear of repeating a year, even if it was just after lunch every day. But these days, she hadn't even gone anywhere near the school.
She didn't want to see a single soul.
The teachers who picked on her the moment they spotted her, the kids who had started to subtly stop fearing her, and Kang Da-hye.
"Why's that loser acting so cocky lately?"
"Song Yeo-reum got totally owned by that loser, right?"
"Ah, that's not what happened!"
But it was exactly what happened.
Kang Da-hye, whom she'd completely ignored, had talked back and sassed her, which soured her mood even more. And she'd gotten dragged into it too.
In front of everyone.
"But I heard Jae-kyeom took her side too."
"Jae-kyeom? Seo Jae-kyeom?"
"Yeah."
"Why hasn't that guy been replying to my KakaoTalk lately? He won't pick up my calls either."
The girl with pink-dyed hair got scolded by another girl who was checking her reflection in the mirror.
"You his girlfriend or something?"
"I dated Seo Jae-kyeom back in middle school second year."
"Oh yeah? Just you?"
"I dated him longer than you did."
"Sure~ Your ex is chasing Kang Da-hye around now."
"Who's Kang Da-hye?"
"Is she pretty?"
She stayed up all night gaming, got up around 1 p.m., and hung out with her usual crowd.
Girls who skipped school like her, and guys who'd graduated last year or the year before.
She'd always been the type that Kang Da-hye had called out—petty delinquents.
They pulled small-time stunts but were terrified of actually ruining their lives for real. But over the past few days, hanging with similar kids had dulled her standards.
Right next to her were people who'd gone down the path she used to fear first. And seeing them living just fine made it seem like it wasn't the end of the world.
Guys who'd dropped out of high school and worked at nearby fast food joints or bars, riding around on bikes—
Spending money freely, drinking and smoking whenever, hitting clubs. Sometimes renting a car to take them on drives. From an 18-year-old summer girl's perspective, they seemed way too cool.
Watching them made it look pretty appealing, like she could live that way too.
One of them, a guy who'd recently won big on sports lottery and gone to Thailand, puffed up his chest and asked.
"Want me to go give her a real lesson?"
That was when it happened.
"Song Yeo-reum."
Someone timidly approached the empty lot they used as their hangout.
It was Bang Eun-ji, holding the pants Yeo-reum had asked her to bring.
The guys burst out laughing at the sight of Bang Eun-ji, who looked utterly intimidated.
"Ah, this is insane!"
"Gross!"
One even threw his bag of snacks and rolled on the ground.
"Pfft!"
"Whoa..."
Even Seo Jae-kyeom's ex-girlfriends started giggling as they eyed her up.
Bang Eun-ji, already shrinking in on herself at the sight of these strangers cracking up, shriveled even more.
"W-Why are you laughing...?"
She looked to Yeo-reum, but Yeo-reum was clutching her stomach, laughing too.
Finally wiping tears from her eyes, Seo Jae-kyeom's ex number one slapped Yeo-reum's back.
"Ah, my stomach hurts from laughing so hard. Hey, Song Yeo-reum, what's the deal? Isn't your friend supposed to be a total babe?"
"Yeo-reum, I was looking forward to it! You said a pretty friend was coming!"
"Why~ Our Eun-ji's pretty, isn't she?"
Yeo-reum's tone was practically "She's pretty lolololololwmaooo". The group erupted in laughter again.
"You're serious?"
"This is hilarious."
"......"
Bang Eun-ji's face hardened as she finally grasped the full situation.
Ignoring her, Yeo-reum snatched the pants from Eun-ji's hands and ducked behind a car parked in the lot to try them on.
The guys and girls started chattering with Eun-ji standing there awkwardly.
"Hey, so what about that Kang Da-hye girl?"
"She's kinda pretty."
"If you're lying again, you're getting slapped."
"For real. Fuck."
"Yeah, she's pretty. Just dresses like crap."
"Oh. I like girls like that. Pretty but innocent."
"Hey, Yeo-reum!"
The sports lottery guy yelled at Yeo-reum, who was just coming back after changing.
"Seriously, want me to go stomp her for you?"
"Stomp her? You just wanna see her face since she's pretty, right?"
"Busted."
"But how do we get her?"
"Just grab her on her way home after school."
"Wait at the school gate? We'll get reported."
"What's wrong with your brain? Hey, one of us graduated from there. Just wear a uniform."
"Sounds thrilling."
"I didn't say anything~~~"
"Song Yeo-reum, what do you want? Slash her face or something?"
There are times like that.
When the mood takes over.
Chatting and giggling among themselves, the talk escalates, moods hype up. They want to show off in the group.
Everyone here was like that.
"Just say the word."
Yeo-reum spat and laughed at the guy's bravado.
"Your hand."
"My hand?"
"If it gets busted and shakes, you can't even mark an OMR card, right?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ And today.
Seo Jae-kyeom from Class 2 of the second year, sitting face-to-face with the problematic Kang Da-hye, thought to himself.
'Does she really not like me anymore?'
But how could that even be possible?
How can
love
just change like that!
"Seo Jae-kyeom, what are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"Why are you spacing out? Tired?"
"Ah, yeah. No."
"Hurry up and finish. I don't have time."
"Ah. Right. Yeah."
He snapped out of it and flashed a grin.
The old Kang Da-hye wouldn't have been able to meet his eyes straight-on in a situation like this.
Her face would turn beet red, she'd avert her gaze, her voice would get all high-pitched and excited, and she'd ramble nonsense.
But now...
She was yawning with the expression of someone who'd seen it all.
As he stared at that soulless face, their eyes met. If that indifference was an act, she deserved an Oscar. Kang Da-hye spoke in that impassive tone.
"You've got an eyelash on your face."
"...Take it off for me."
"Huh."
*Why should I?* her eyes seemed to say, but he shoved his face right up to hers anyway.
"Hurry."
He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his cheek while he was at it.
Kang Da-hye, alternating glances between her hand and his face with a bewildered look, said.
"...Seo Jae-kyeom. You..."
"Yeah?"
"......Never mind."
Bang!
That's when the classroom door flew open, and the transfer student appeared.
Always with that sullen expression, especially extra sulky around Jae-kyeom.
The transfer student blankly stared back and forth between Jae-kyeom leaning toward Da-hye and Da-hye's hand on his cheek, then asked expressionlessly.
"What are you two doing?"
"Errands the teacher assigned."
Kang Da-hye replied calmly and pulled her hand away from Jae-kyeom. She even turned her body to face the transfer student and asked.
"Why didn't you go?"
"Forgot this."
The transfer student who had entered the classroom pulled a lace parasol from a desk drawer. Kang Da-hye spoke to him again.
"Did you see the drama club group chat? We're going to see a movie."
"Yeah."
"Then why didn't you reply? You're going, right?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Then get lost already."
"Jeez."
She said she had no time and needed to hurry with him, but she chatted freely with the transfer student. He barely said a word to other kids but replied readily to her.
As the transfer student headed for the door, he asked Kang Da-hye.
"Need help?"
"Nah. Go."
Kang Da-hye waved him off.
"You eating lunch?"
"About to."
"Eat on time or you'll die young."
The transfer student, subtly concerned.
"Jikji Simche Yojeol."
"Ugh..."
...They seemed really close.
"Even if you give me that contemptuous look now, I know you'll think of Jikji Simche Yojeol before bed tonight and smile."
"No? I don't think of you at all when I get home?"
Kang Da-hye's face lit up with energy as she bantered with the transfer student.
Her mouth kept talking while her hands steadily worked through the homeroom teacher's tasks. The transfer student stared at her profile without even blinking.
'He's gonna burn a hole through her face.'
Something oddly irritating stirred in Jae-kyeom's mind, and he recalled an incident from the academy a few days ago.
'Seo Jae-kyeom!'
'Yeah, Han Ji-su.'
Han Ji-su calling out to Jae-kyeom as he tried to head home after class.
He glanced at her, greeted her, and tried to leave, but Ji-su grabbed him again.
'Seo Jae-kyeom, you know about that?'
'What?'
'Da-hye doesn't like you anymore.'
'......'
'Seo Jae-kyeom?'
'Yeah. I know. But what does that have to do with me? It's her feelings.'
'Really? Good if you think that way. I just thought you seemed to be paying a lot of attention to Kang Da-hye lately.'
'...Not really.'
'Really?'
'Yeah. Same as always for me. If anything......'
He remembered his words cutting off abruptly there.
At that moment, Jae-kyeom had thought.
'Come to think of it.'
How many days had it been since he'd last thought of Han Ji-su?
Passing by her at school or the academy without a second thought. How many more days?
Kang Da-hye doesn't like me anymore. Good for her.
But me?
Do I still like Han Ji-su?