Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Barely on Time
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It was just a dream.
Phew.
'No matter what, I wouldn't fall asleep without setting an alarm.'
I'm not that careless.
I woke up at 6:40.
"Ugh!"
Already running late, and then that nightmare where no matter how much I wandered, I couldn't find the hospital exit and missed the exam...
"You awake?"
Jeong Eun-seong, who had stayed up all night just like me but looked perfectly fine, glanced down at his wristwatch. Somehow, he was already in his school uniform.
"Was just about to wake you. Perfect timing."
"...Where'd you get the uniform?"
"My brother brought it from home."
"Ah..."
But he brought the summer uniform.
And it's not even the mixing period yet.
"Mom's sleeping right now. She's regained consciousness and her condition's good, but they prescribed painkillers for the fracture pain. Visiting hours start this afternoon."
"Okay..."
I nodded while checking the message that my aunt would arrive in about two hours.
Jeong Eun-seong tossed something onto my dazed lap. I looked down—it was a disposable toothbrush set.
"Go wash up. Let's head to school."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Accident up ahead."
Jeong Eun-seong's older brother, behind the wheel, clicked his tongue.
"Accident there, accident here. This make any sense? You think we'll even make it today?"
He was right. We'd been stuck, not moving a single meter for the past ten minutes.
The navigation's estimated arrival time kept getting pushed back. I'd thought we'd left with plenty of time, but now there was none left.
"Da-hye, we might have to skip stopping by your place. You can go to school in civilian clothes, right?"
"I can't, but..."
Better than being late.
"Just head straight to school."
But changing the destination didn't make the cars blocking the road vanish into thin air.
"......"
"......"
"......"
"Haa."
Jeong Eun-seong's brother sighed as he kept checking the navigation.
"At this point, it's like the heavens are against us."
"......"
"Jeong Eun-seong, can't you call the homeroom teacher and ask to postpone the exam?"
"Be serious. How do you postpone an exam?"
"At this rate, we'll get to school around 9:30."
"Can't we squeeze through that gap up there?"
"You trying to get my license revoked or what."
I blinked at the navigation while Jeong Eun-seong fidgeted more anxiously than I did.
The entire stretch from our current road to Gogo High School's front gate was marked in red.
Below it: Estimated arrival: 9:31.
The exam started at 9:00.
Since it was midterms, they probably wouldn't bar us completely for being a bit late.
'But there's no guarantee we'll make it by 31 minutes past.'
What if we can't get in until the end of first period?
Could we make second period?
I called the homeroom teacher just in case, but no answer. Not that she'd have a magic solution anyway.
In the meantime, the estimated time stretched further.
9:34.
I'm losing it.
Losing it. Losi— No. Don't lose it. Solve the problem.
"Let me out here."
"Huh?"
Jeong Eun-seong's brother, mid-mutter about how two accidents could happen back-to-back, turned around.
"You want to get out?"
"Yes."
I closed the workbook I'd been forcing myself to look at.
"Checked the map—it's about an hour walk from here to school. If we sprint, we can make it before the gate closes."
"Da-hye, but an hour on foot is just—"
"Let's do it."
Jeong Eun-seong cut off his worried brother.
He shrugged off his summer uniform shirt, leaving only the white short-sleeved tee underneath, and jerked his chin.
"What're you waiting for? Get out."
"Thank you!"
"No worries. Sorry I couldn't get you all the way. Good luck—ace that exam!"
I took a deep breath, waving wildly at Jeong Eun-seong's brother as we left him behind.
25 minutes until the gate closed. If we ran nonstop, we could make it.
'Should've gotten out sooner.'
They'd let us take the exam even if we're a few minutes late, right?
What if they suspect cheating and give us zeros? ...Damn, why am I tearing up?
Slap.
I smacked both cheeks.
'Get it together.'
Don't you remember why you bombed the college entrance exam?
It wasn't because someone grabbed your hair and kept you out.
You panicked, lost your cool. Nothing registered, hands shaking.
You were so mad you couldn't say a word to that old man, tears kept coming, kept replaying what you should've done differently.
Once Korean fell apart, the rest crumbled too.
Get a grip.
It's just one day of midterms. My life's not over. I can recover.
And.
'I just won't be late.'
Get it together.
Move.
I tied my hair back and turned to Jeong Eun-seong.
"Jeong Eun-seong."
"Yeah."
"You good at running?"
I'm decent.
"Let's sprint."
"Ah!"
A groan escaped both of us as we finally skidded to a halt.
Another red light!
How do we hit every single signal?!
No time to gawk, though.
"Cut through the subway station and cross."
"Got it."
No arguments—we bolted straight for the station.
We rolled down the escalator like human balls and headed for the opposite exit, but...
[Upbound Escalator Under Maintenance] "This is insane..."
Mouth cursing, feet flying up the stairs faithfully.
"Huff... huff..."
Already short on sleep, no breakfast, now sprinting—stamina draining fast.
So damn hot.
Not just hot—scorching, blistering hot.
Half-crying, we barely crested the stairs to see the crosswalk crowd already across.
"......"
"......"
I ignored the phone buzzing nonstop. As I geared up to run again, Jeong Eun-seong grabbed my arm.
"Kang Da-hye."
"What."
"Not trying to ignore you or anything."
9 minutes left.
"But if I carry you, we might get there faster?"
Ahead: the uphill climb, the final hurdle to school.
"Just try it once. If it doesn't work, set me down right away."
"......"
Stamina: -999.
I eyed his still-boyish, lanky limbs, flushed face, heaving lips, then the steep hill.
"Piggyback?"
My body shot up in one motion.
Jeong Eun-seong hoisted me like luggage over his shoulder and tapped the ground with his toes.
"Say something if you feel dizzy."
And 8 minutes 59 seconds later.
Beep——!
"Okay! Top Student Da-hye and our handsome Eun-seong make it! Everyone else, tardy!"
"Huff..."
"Crazy..."
I did it.
No—we did it. Specifically, Jeong Eun-seong, lugging me the whole way.
"Da-hye!"
Do-yeon came sprinting up just as we collapsed in front of the closing gate.
"Do-yeon! Overflowing with energy on exam morning! Pow!"
"Put this on."
Ignoring the PE rep's shout, Do-yeon shoved a shopping bag full of uniform at me.
"Ga-eun's skirt and my shirt. Cardigan's Se-in's."
"Tha... nks..."
"What happened? You suddenly asked to borrow uniforms this morning—scared me."
"After... the exam... I'll tell you..."
Dangling like a keychain the whole way here, head's spinning...
Whoa.
World...
Can't even twitch.
I turned my head to see Jeong Eun-seong sprawled beside me.
His fine hair matted with sweat to his face. Cheeks and ears beet red, neck and forehead glistening.
Exposed to that hated sunlight, gasping for air. His chest heaved like his heart might burst out any second.
Sensing my gaze, Jeong Eun-seong flicked his eyes my way.
We locked eyes, flat on the asphalt.
"Kang Da-hye."
"...Yeah."
"I just took a full hit of sunlight—aged me one second. You're taking responsibility."
"O... kay..."
I should say thanks, but my throat's too tight for words.
We just lay there, staring endlessly into each other's eyes.
"Da-hye! Eun-seong! Get up and go in already! Da-hye, did you sleepwalk here or what?!"
At the PE rep's urging, Jeong Eun-seong stood first. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and pulled me up by the arm.
Do-yeon, watching, pressed the uniform bag into my hand. As I headed to the first-floor bathroom, Jeong Eun-seong called out again.
"Kang Da-hye. What were the verbs that take both to-infinitives and gerunds as objects?"
"...Love, Start, Begin, Like, Hate, Continue, Intend."
"Memory's fine. You'll ace today's exam."
"......"
"Good luck on the test?"
As he said it, Jeong Eun-seong smiled.
"......"
Verbs that take both infinitives and gerunds as objects.
>
> Love—to love,
> Start, Begin—to begin,
> And depending on the other's actions,
> Like—it's good,
> Hate—it's bad,
> Continue—it keeps going,
> Mood swings up and down,
> Intend—whether intended or not.