Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Mistaken Identity
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30 minutes ago.
Han Ji-su, who had settled into a spot in the library, thought to herself.
'No eraser.'
She had lent it to her seatmate earlier and hadn't gotten it back.
The problem was that this eraser was Ji-su's lucky one.
She needed it to focus properly and do well on tests. If she let it slip away from her body, it felt like all the knowledge she'd studied up to that point drained out in equal measure. It made her anxious.
She knew it was superstition. But Ji-su took these kinds of superstitions very seriously. Seriously enough not to eat eggs—which resembled the number '0'—starting a month before exams.
"......"
She should hurry to Beta Stationery in front of the school and buy the same one.
Once she made up her mind, it really felt like the eraser needed to be back in her hand ASAP, so Ji-su rushed.
She threw on her friend's school uniform cardigan, which smelled clean (probably doused in fabric softener to mask the semi-basement odor), and headed down the stairs.
"Ah, Jeong Eun-seong!"
She ran into Jeong Eun-seong from Class 2 on the way down, but...
"Hi!"
"Hi."
Jeong Eun-seong didn't even make eye contact with her as he passed by.
Ji-su, left alone on the stairs, muttered awkwardly to herself.
"...He doesn't act like that with Da-hye."
Well, maybe he got close to her since they're in the same class. Seo Jae-kyeom too.
Da-hye, who had always just been "Han Ji-su's friend," seemed to be gaining popularity lately. It was nice to see.
Imagining Da-hye and Seo Jae-kyeom with their heads together in the classroom right now, Ji-su passed through the school gate.
The area in front of the school, where most of the kids had already left.
Some guys who had been standing near the gate approached Ji-su from behind as she waited at the crosswalk signal.
"?"
By the time Ji-su, who had been fiddling with her phone, looked up, she was already surrounded.
Long back hair for high schoolers. The blatant stench of cigarettes. The guys surrounding Ji-su snickered among themselves.
"Hey, it's her. Her name's on the name tag."
"We waited over 30 minutes and only ugly girls came out, so we thought Song Yeo-reum was bullshitting again."
"But why do I feel like I've seen her somewhere?"
"You probably saw her in the cafeteria last year."
"Hey, Da-hye?"
One of them, the sleaziest-looking guy, grinned as he spoke to her. Ji-su just looked up at him without responding. Then the sleazy guy reached out and tapped her cheek.
"We're not scary big brothers or anything. You know Yeo-reum, right? Song Yeo-reum. You're her friend."
"......"
"We wanna help Yeo-reum make up with Da-hye, so how about you come chat with big bro for a bit?"
"......"
"Oh, and by the way, big bro hits girls too?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ All done.
"What is this......"
It took way too long......
"Seo Jae-kyeom, you're heading out right away, right? Then take this to the office on your way down. I'm going with Ji-su."
I hurried along Seo Jae-kyeom, who had seemed totally out of it for a while now.
Just moments ago, he had been perfectly fine, even trying to pick eyelashes off my cheek and stuff. But after Jeong Eun-seong stopped by, his condition tanked.
He looked shocked by something, but...
Not my business.
"Alright, I'm heading out first? Thanks for the help!"
I dashed out of the classroom and called Ji-su.
No answer.
Ring, ring. While listening to the call connecting tone, I was already up at the library. I opened the door and went in.
"...?"
No Ji-su.
What? Her bag's here, though.
"Bathroom maybe?"
I tilted my head and left the library for now.
I tried calling her again.
[010-@@@@-****]
A call from an unknown number.
"Hello...?"
-Kang Da-hye?
"Who...?"
-It's Bang Eun-ji.
"Bang Eun-ji?"
The Bang Eun-ji I know?
She's calling me?
Forgetting about how she even got my number for a sec, why?
But Bang Eun-ji's voice sounded really urgent, so I answered straightforwardly.
"What's up?"
-Where are you?
"At school."
-Where at school?
"Seventh floor."
-Stay put there.
"No, but I..."
Click.
"Need to find Ji-su......"
I stared in bewilderment at the phone that had hung up before I could finish. I called Ji-su one more time, but no answer.
Soon, Bang Eun-ji burst out of the elevator.
"Hey!"
Spotting me in front of the library, she came running over, panting.
"Hey, big trouble."
"Big trouble?"
Was there any major shared crisis between me and Bang Eun-ji?
"Han Ji-su..."
"...?!"
There was!
"So those big bros took Ji-su right now. Thinking she was you."
"What...?"
What the hell? Adults butting into high school fights?
And is this the early 2000s or something? Delinquent punks camping out front of school and snatching kids on their way home?
What is this, some lame bully drama vibe......
What are they gonna do, kidnap her and make her kneel like 'I'm the public school delinquent king, you messing with my turf sis?-_-^' or some crap?
If I'd known it would come to this, I would've told Ji-su ages ago to date Seo Jae-kyeom!
If Ji-su were Seo Jae-kyeom's girlfriend, he would've come to her rescue!
Ah, girlfriend or whatever, just claim her!
(-_-;;)
Ji-su's in such an absurd spot...
Anyway.
I asked dubiously.
"There's no way they could've just taken Ji-su like that on their own, right?"
Because Ji-su...
Right on cue, my phone rang again.
[Ji-su's Mom]
I showed the screen to Bang Eun-ji and said.
"Has a dedicated person just for picking her up......"
That lady waits every day in front of the school, car parked, to get Ji-su.
Ji-su's mom is super sensitive about her safety.
"You know her too, right? That black car always at the front gate?"
Back in middle school, a male admin patted Ji-su on the shoulder, she saw it, reported to Ji-su's mom, and the guy got reassigned.
Even today, when Ji-su and I went for tteokbokki, we had to exit together and confirm with her 'Going with Kang Da-hye' before it was okay.
She probably even tailed us after to make sure we actually went for tteokbokki.
And sure enough.
-I was so shocked when I got the call. What the hell happened? They mistook our Ji-su for you, Da-hye.
"Yes, I just heard. What about Ji-su?"
-Ji-su's fine. I'm heading straight to where those little punks are gathered. Can you come too, Da-hye, just in case?
I said sure and hung up.
Checking the address Ji-su's mom sent, I said to Bang Eun-ji.
"Yesterday, you said certain people were there?"
"Baek Eun-ju, Yang Da-jeong, Kim Hae-in......"
Seo Jae-kyeom's ex-girlfriends.
Pretty and intimidating types who'd play sub-heroines in some romance novel.
Funny how they teamed up with Song Yeo-reum to step on total-loser-me from their perspective, and it backfired in this unexpected way.
'Talk about picking my nose without lifting a finger.'
I come out totally ahead.
But.
"Bang Eun-ji, why are you telling me this? You're Song Yeo-reum's friend."
"Well."
"This isn't some elaborate trap too, is it?"
"Fuck, no it's not?"
"Then why?"
"...I wanna see Song Yeo-reum crash and burn."
"Huh...?"
"You're smart. If I tip you off early, you'll screw her over."
"......"
That's exactly what I was asking—why do you wanna see Song Yeo-reum crash......
"Fine, whatever. She'll crash and burn like you want."
Ji-su's mom doesn't care about anything when it involves Ji-su.
She's mellowed a bit now, but in middle school, every kid at our school knew her face.
How else could an average girl like me even be friends with Ji-su?
All the well-dressed, outgoing types got cut at the mom level, leaving just plain Janes like me.
If Ji-su's personality were even a bit prickly or timid, she'd have been ridiculed by kids because of her mom.
Anyway. So...
I nodded at the fuming Bang Eun-ji.
"Let's go."
To watch Song Yeo-reum crash.
By the time Bang Eun-ji and I arrived, it was already over.
Song Yeo-reum, Seo Jae-kyeom's exes, and the pathetic adults hanging with high schoolers—all carted off.
Four police cars, even.
The cop who ignored me and Ga-eun during the dwarf uncle incident was there, bowing 90 degrees to Ji-su's mom. Thought it was someone else.
Honestly, I had no idea why I was even summoned here.
Ji-su went through this because of me, so yeah, I should show up... but Ji-su herself wasn't even here.
"Auntie, where's Ji-su?"
"To the hospital. She must've been shocked."
Ji-su's mom patted my head, saying she'd call after the checkup, then left with the cops.
Whoooosh~
Left alone in the empty lot with just Bang Eun-ji, she asked.
"That lady's Han Ji-su's mom?"
"Yeah. Super scary... and loves her daughter."
"Sure seems that way."
"Huh?"
"Sent her own shocked daughter straight to the hospital from the gate, but called someone else's daughter like you out here, even though she didn't need to."
"Yeah, pretty much."
In Ji-su's mom's eyes, I'm probably just Ji-su's sidekick No. 1.
I came because I was worried about Ji-su, not because of her mom.
"What now? Wanna see more of Song Yeo-reum? Head to the station?"
As I peered at my phone and asked Bang Eun-ji.
"You fucking bitch!"
Thwack!
A guy charged from behind and smashed a soju bottle over Bang Eun-ji's head.