Chapter 77
Chapter 77
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Old Crushes and New Faces
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"...Sorry."
"Why are you sorry?"
"You hate noisy things."
But hadn't I become the center of attention because of me?
Actually, even without me, Seo Jae-kyeom was always the center of attention with every little move he made...
Seo Jae-kyeom tilted his head at my words.
"You knew that because you liked me?"
"...Yeah..."
"But this isn't your fault. Han Ji-su should be the one apologizing."
Seo Jae-kyeom grimaced after saying that. It felt strange. Seo Jae-kyeom making a face while talking about Ji-su.
"Still, bringing it up again during the presentation was my fault."
"If we cleaned it up like this, isn't that fine?"
Recalling what happened just earlier, Seo Jae-kyeom chuckled softly.
"I was thinking, is this what they mean by turning a crisis into an opportunity?"
Seeing his shamelessness feel endearing, he muttered to himself that I must really want to be friends with him.
"Didn't it look ridiculous? I wanted to bolt out of there in embarrassment."
"You handled the presentation pretty well for someone who felt that way."
"...I thought you'd get pissed seeing that KakaoTalk."
In front of us, Gyeong Se-in was presenting next. Watching her stick the pre-drawn character relationship chart on the blackboard, Seo Jae-kyeom clapped.
"I wasn't pissed."
Pretending to focus straight ahead, Seo Jae-kyeom moved his lips.
"Just two months ago, you liked me that much, and now it's like a confirmation kill that you don't anymore."
"Why?"
"All the KakaoTalk dates were from January and February."
"......"
My point.
Ji-su and I exchange dozens of KakaoTalks a day, but he'd scrolled back months to dig those up. Truly impressive. Persistent, huh?
"What made you stop liking me?"
"Huh?"
Lost in thoughts of a salmon bagel, I missed Seo Jae-kyeom's words. When I blinked, he repeated himself.
"Why did you suddenly stop liking me overnight? What heinous thing did I do to you?"
Ah.
"Nothing like that specifically."
"Did I talk to you too harshly?"
"......"
Right. That was it.
Actually, hearing that kind of rude talk would cool even a millennium of love. But that wasn't it for me.
"Something that takes priority over you just came up."
"What?"
My future, confirmed to crash and burn at 29.
"No way, the transfer student?"
"Not the transfer student—Jeong Eun-seong..."
Just then, Jeong Eun-seong was slipping in through the back door.
Swinging a Jetty straw around, he froze upon spotting the student teacher standing by the front door with arms crossed—someone about 10 centimeters taller than him, and pretty handsome too.
Wearing an expression like the sky had fallen.
"Eun-seong, you're just getting here? This is our new student teacher starting practice teaching at our school today. Handsome, right? You must be feeling the pressure, Eun-seong!"
Frozen in place, Jeong Eun-seong's eyes slid over to me.
I gestured for him to snap out of it and hurry inside, then said to Seo Jae-kyeom,
"While we're on the topic, don't use that kind of rude language with anyone anymore. My heart really went cold back then."
To Seo Jae-kyeom, who looked at me like I'd slapped him, I asked teasingly.
"So, was any of my analysis of you even a little right?"
"...No. Not a single bit."
"Darn."
"And Han Ji-su."
Seo Jae-kyeom grimaced again as he said,
"She's deliberately egging you on to fail from the sidelines—what's that about? First time realizing she's that clueless."
"Was it that bad?"
"Yeah. And while we're at it."
Glancing at Jeong Eun-seong as he took his seat, Seo Jae-kyeom said,
"I don't like Han Ji-su anymore."
"Oh."
"Not surprised?"
"Nope."
Your feelings flip faster than a page.
"Then back to Baek Eun-ju, Yang Da-jeong, and Kim Hae-in?"
"No. Figured I'd change up my ideal type this time."
"You had an ideal type before?"
Any pretty girl who dressed well—he'd date them all, right? Surprising.
"...Kang Da-hye, what's your ideal type?"
"Me? Tall, handsome guy with a good build."
"That's me."
"That's why I liked you."
"And now? Still handsome, and even taller."
"......"
Overly self-aware, but impossible to argue against—infuriating.
"One more thing to add."
"What?"
"A guy who isn't embarrassing to be seen with."
"Am I embarrassing?!"
"Ugh, Jae-kyeom! Stop bothering Da-hye! How long do I have to pretend I don't notice?!"
The Literature Teacher bellowed from behind the podium. Seo Jae-kyeom clamped his mouth shut, looking chastened. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Look at you right now..."
Embarrassment personified.
"I heard your presentation. Good job."
After Literature class ended, I wiped the blackboard in Do Ha-jun's place since he'd gone off for social service. As I snapped a photo of the notes with my phone before erasing, the student teacher approached me.
With tons of kids dying to talk to him, he chooses to chat up the one actually working.
Taller than the blackboard. Model-long limbs. A slick face that screams "I only date the prettiest, most famous girls at uni."
The student teacher who'd never said a word to me until he left pre-regression spoke to me amiably.
"The homeroom teacher said you're class president, so ask you about anything I don't know."
"Ah, sure."
"Top student in the school and class president too? You must be smart and popular. What's your name?"
"Kang Da-hye."
Seo Jae-kyeom, who'd been heading out, spotted him next to me and plopped back into his seat. Pouting, he glared at the student teacher from afar. He wanted to join the conversation but seemed hesitant about the height comparison.
Just then, someone from behind the podium piped up.
"Teacher, how tall are you?"
"Me? 191."
The moment "191" left the student teacher's mouth, Jeong Eun-seong clenched his fist over there.
Jeong Eun-seong and Seo Jae-kyeom, sensing crisis from the first guy taller than them. Two 18-year-old boys.
And that guy was an older adult man to boot...!
'But to me, he's just a younger guy.'
Student teacher, you're like 25, right?
Adult man (X)
Young man (O)
The young man perched on the edge of the podium smiled and asked,
"That presentation earlier—was it real?"
"Yes."
"But you can just say that in front of everyone?"
"I'm obsessed with grades. For points, I'd gladly sell off the scars of a painful breakup."
"Wow."
I said it flatly, but he clapped and laughed.
"I love stuff like that!"
"Yess..."
So positive—refreshing...
"You're fun. Looking forward to working with you?"
"Sure."
"Hit me up anytime you're curious. Top student—you're basically my junior-to-be."
"...Mind if I ask which school?"
I glanced at the name tag on his jacket.
"Korea University, huh."
"Whoa!"
The already handsome and likable student teacher being from a top school lit up the class's faces.
"Cool."
"Then Da-hye really could be his senior."
"You'll meet up in college, right?"
Yeah. No.
By the time I enroll, this young guy will have already graduated.
Thinking nonchalantly, I waved to my friends in the distance—Do-yeon, Ga-eun, Se-in, Su-a, and Yeon-hee.
Time to clear things up.
"It's just like you heard. I used to like Seo Jae-kyeom."
"So... you confessed last year and got dumped this year?"
"Yeah. Seo Jae-kyeom seemed to have totally forgotten about my confession."
"What a jerk..."
"It's fine. Ancient history for me now. Anyway, that's why I talked about it with Ji-su back then..."
"Got it."
"Don't like him anymore. Got over it and moved on."
After school.
High school confession time on the vine-covered bench at the sports field.
Saying it casually, but it's embarrassing.
Isn't this the worst black mark a high schooler can have?
To top this, I'd need a public confession from Do Ha-jun on Pepero Day.
Ga-eun frowned after hearing my story.
"I had no idea and went blabbing before about how you'd totally date Seo Jae-kyeom. Sorry."
"No way! I already didn't like him by then. And it's not like he's mine. Totally normal to talk about."
"But Kang Da, aren't you super close with Seo Jae-kyeom these days?"
"Yeah, it's Seo Jae-kyeom."
Can't argue with that. Sharp-eyed Su-a pointed to the opposite side of the field as she spoke. Sure enough, Seo Jae-kyeom was coming down from the stands with his friends.
But the vibe felt a bit off.