Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Top Student Hides Her Regression
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"But how did you know today was my birthday?"
"I saw it on KakaoTalk earlier."
"Ah."
"What did you expect?"
It was a lie.
Truth be told, I'd known even before regressing.
Your birthday ads were plastered everywhere—no matter how hard you tried to avoid them...
'Eh. Just be honest.'
I don't memorize every idol's birthday just from seeing their ads all the time.
I remembered it because it was Jeong Eun-seong's.
Every time I passed by, I'd glance once, and if there was a pretty photo, I'd stop and look it over. Naturally, it stuck in my mind.
'When I think about it that way, even before regressing, Jeong Eun-seong must've been quietly special to me.'
I looked at Jeong Eun-seong with newfound eyes.
Was he flushed from running? His handsome face was beet red, like it might burst.
He rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand and called my name.
"Kang Da-hye."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. And sorry. For making you see something weird."
"Yeah................................................................................................................................."
That balled-up underwear was definitely weird...
There was even a lock on the locker—how'd they pick it?
I sighed and said,
"I need to cleanse my eyes with something pretty and cute quick."
"Wanna see my face?"
"Huh?"
"It's pretty and cute."
"Ah, back off!"
I pushed away Jeong Eun-seong's brazenly approaching face with my hand.
I felt his lips curve up against my palm.
"You're ridiculous, seriously..."
His smile eased the tension a bit.
The violence we'd stumbled into completely unexpectedly—the bloodstained underwear stuffed in the locker, the KakaoTalk terrorism, the shock of being surveilled by unknowns—shrank like a punctured balloon.
I took a sip of hot chocolate and said,
"Still, those sasaengs aren't that smart, huh? If they'd snuck in quietly, installed the cameras, and left without a word, we never would've known. But they idiotically tipped us off with KakaoTalk."
"They probably had a more important goal than just surveilling."
"What?"
"Seeing how I'd react to it."
"So they did all this just to get a reaction out of you?"
"Probably."
"But that reaction isn't a good one... It's just creepy."
"Even that's good enough for them, I guess."
"I don't get it."
"Not getting it is normal."
Sigh.
"...We were kinda funny earlier, right? Totally freaked out. Peeking around when we opened the classroom door."
"Yeah. Let's catch the culprit quick and ask them to delete the footage."
"You think they'll delete it nicely...? Oh, cops."
I see cops so often now, I might start greeting them on the street.
Our homeroom teacher stood and guided the police to our seats, pointing us out and explaining something.
I craned my neck to look, when a young voice piped up.
"Eun-seong oppa."
I turned. It was a girl with a bob haircut.
"What's going on?"
Yellow name tag with cute stickers, neat impression, black backpack. Her tone carried a hint of annoyance.
"Those cops are here because of you, right? They gonna check the CCTV or something?"
'Who is she?'
I mouthed to Jeong Eun-seong, who shook his head.
'Dunno.'
Hmm.
Jeong Eun-seong always had random kids talking to him even before, so it wasn't special.
But this one didn't seem all that interested in him.
As we eyed her warily without answering, irritation crept into her tone.
"I need to meet with homeroom, but all the teachers are over there. Just wondering how long I'll have to wait."
"Ah."
"What'd you report to the cops? CCTV, right?"
But.
I cut in.
"You're a first-year?"
"? Yeah."
The girl gave me a 'what's with her' look.
"I see..."
I nodded and slowly scooted my chair back. All the way behind her.
I glanced at her bulging bag—stuffed with books?—and her hand in her skirt pocket, then said,
"But, y'know."
"Yeah."
"First-years at our school have blue name tags. Yellow's for third-years."
"......"
"Who are you?"
Gotcha.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Eun-seong!"
"Hey!"
"Jeong Eun-seong!"
All caught.
Teen in a borrowed uniform who'd snuck in, twenties who'd rented a car and parked at the school gate for stakeout, thirties footing the bill to enable them.
The bob-cut got nabbed by the cops who happened to be in the staff room and spilled everything.
Oh, and the backpack had fireworks and a lighter; skirt pocket had a recorder.
"What'd we put in your locker? Say it~"
"Say it yourself, Eun-seong~"
"Fan. Tee. Say it, fan. Tee!"
"Eun-seong, you're listening, right~ Can you hear me? Hey!"
The thirties was naturally that sasaeng from before.
Surprisingly, even after getting caught by the cops, they showed no fear or regret.
This wasn't their first time pulling something like this on Jeong Eun-seong.
They used to stan a senior idol group from the same agency, but switched to Jeong Eun-seong after some dating scandal blew up—after he made a brief appearance on some variety show?
They flinched when we threatened to call adults last time, but in a group, they're fearless—even dragged to the staff room, no shame.
They flipped out cursing at our homeroom teacher, but lit up smiling sweetly the second they saw Jeong Eun-seong—gave me chills, straight-up creepy.
"Bye, Eun-seong~"
"See you next time~"
"Change your number and you're dead?"
"Doesn't matter how many times you change it, we'll find out~"
Please, stalking punishment law... please get passed already...
I trudged out of the staff room, now basically a temp precinct.
Jeong Eun-seong checked his watch and said,
"I'll walk you home."
"Shouldn't I be walking you home...?"
"I could take all of them even if they rushed me at once. You couldn't."
"......"
"Let me walk you. If I don't do this much, I won't sleep tonight from guilt."
"Fine. Okay."
We left the darkening campus together, took a taxi.
I asked the driver ajusshi to circle the neighborhood a few times just in case before heading home.
Only then did Jeong Eun-seong sigh and lean back, so I asked,
"Doesn't your company protect you from stuff like this? What do they even do?"
"If I tell the company, they just tell me to quit school."
"Insane."
Fitting for an industry that feeds on kids' dreams and hopes.
"At least the cops took the underwear and... pads from the locker..."
"They're moving my locker entirely. There's an empty one, so I'll use that."
"Good. Smart."
Sighhh... I leaned back too, sighing.
Jeong Eun-seong's thoughtful face reflected faintly in the car window.
At least today ended without fireworks exploding in that face. Small mercies.
As I thought that,
"Kang Da-hye, now there's one more reason I can't talk to you."
"What's this nonsense all of a sudden?"
I turned, baffled.
I was floored, but he was dead serious—no trace of a smile, face so punchable.
Jeong Eun-seong said,
"What if those people mess with you because you're close to me?"
"Too late for that?"
They already saw my face. And probably got me on camera too.
Acting distant now won't change anything.
Besides.
I turned to face him fully.
Our eyes met; he looked away.
Hey. Look me in the eye.
I tapped the hand resting between us on the seat.
"Since we're on the topic, spill the reason. Why exactly won't you talk to me?"
"...Men and women should keep distance..."
"You talk to Ji-su!"
"Ji-su?"
"My friend!"
"Her name's Ji-su?"
"Don't change the subject!"
I grabbed his tie and shook it.
Even with his neck constricted, he didn't resist.
Uncharacteristically meek for his usual foul personality...
'He has nothing to say.'
But I need to hear it!
"What is it!"
I'm really upset! Curious!
Is this some advanced strategy to make me obsess over you and fall in love?!
To tank my grades?!
Then you're worse than Seo Jae-kyeom, a total player!
Fisher of hearts! Old Man and the Sea!
I ain't the fish, so quit fishing!
"I'm not getting out till you tell me! Taxi fare'll just keep climbing!"
I pointed at the meter threateningly.
Finally, after hemming and hawing, Jeong Eun-seong blurted,
"Don't you think I'm pathetic?"
[Taxi Driver's Inner Thoughts] Ah, kid... why'd you answer already...