Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Apologies and a Sudden Collapse
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"Sorry, sorry. I'll remember this time."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You'll really remember?"
Even as Ji-su kept pressing for confirmation, the student teacher just smiled.
'Ji-su doesn't usually go this far.'
People never forget Ji-su in the first place.
It was while I was alternating between the student teacher, who kept smiling instead of giving a straight answer to the kid begging him to remember, and Ji-su pleading away.
"Kang Da-hye, what're you doing?"
Seo Jae-kyeom approached and stood next to the student teacher, crossing one leg out.
Ever since he realized the student teacher was taller than him, he always did that whenever he got near.
Seo Jae-kyeom crossing his legs was tame compared to Jeong Eun-seong, who wouldn't even get up from his seat.
Seo Jae-kyeom, standing crookedly, gave Ji-su a displeased once-over and blurted out.
"Han Ji-su."
"Yeah?"
"Did you apologize to her?"
"...Huh?"
"She got dragged into trouble because of you. Did you apologize?"
"Hey, why are you like this?"
I grabbed Seo Jae-kyeom's arm.
"It wasn't Ji-su's fault. She's a victim too."
"Still, you ended up in a mess because of Han Ji-su. Who made her kneel and beg? Just a simple apology out of courtesy."
Even if you accidentally bump into someone on the street, you apologize. Seo Jae-kyeom snarked.
"I know Han Ji-su didn't do anything wrong. But the person who got inconvenienced is right here. I don't get why she's just whining instead of apologizing."
"......"
"Even if it wasn't Kang Da-hye, I never heard about you apologizing to the other kids whose KakaoTalks got leaked."
"......"
Well, he's not wrong about that...
But the real culprit is the one who leaked it.
Ji-su didn't do anything wrong at all. She might've slipped up, sure.
But was it right for him to call her out like this?
As I stood there flustered, unable to respond, Ji-su, who had been silent beside me, smiled.
"You're right. I didn't even think of that. Da-hye, sorry."
"No, it's fine! I'm okay!"
I waved my hands frantically in surprise.
Ignoring my reaction, Seo Jae-kyeom turned his arrows on the student teacher this time.
"And what are you doing here, sir?"
He looked ready to pick a fight with everyone around. The student teacher, smiling brightly while 'looking down' at him, replied leisurely.
"Talking with Da-hye."
"Why?"
"Secret."
"......"
Adult guy vs. young guy...
But in my eyes now, they both looked like kids.
"Cut it out and come on."
I grabbed Seo Jae-kyeom's arm and dragged him away. I thought he'd resist, but he followed obediently.
We descended the tiered auditorium stairs lined with long wooden benches in straight rows.
With us holding arms as we went down, all the kids' eyes turned to us.
"Are they dating?"
"Didn't she say they broke up?"
"That'd be huge if they were."
We're not. It's not huge.
"Kang Da-hye, hi!"
"Hey, hi. ...Seo Jae-kyeom, why are you glaring at her?"
"I wasn't."
"She was just saying hi. Stop glaring."
The whispers were getting louder... I scolded Seo Jae-kyeom, who still looked sulky, oblivious or not.
"Your type?"
"What?"
"The student teacher. Is he your type?"
"What was my type again?"
"Tall, handsome, good body, guy I wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with."
"Oh."
He answered instantly.
"Nah."
I don't like his type—slimy, the kind who pops up in business classes all the time, hogging presentations for every subject.
"So what do you think of the student teacher?"
"Ugh."
"Tell me."
"Not interested. Hate him. Think of him as a flower without scent. Happy?"
"Yep!"
"Then sit down. The session's starting."
I shooed Seo Jae-kyeom away with a wave and found my seat.
Todays gender equality awareness training was basically held because of our class.
I glanced at Park Su-hwan, who looked guilty (and rightfully so) with his head bowed, the rest of his trembling crew, and Jang Ji-won, who was in a bad mood after her husband bailed.
In between them, Jeong Eun-seong was chugging milk.
Ever since seeing the student teacher over 190 cm tall, he'd been downing milk like crazy. The weird part was it seemed to be working.
'At this rate, he'll need a new uniform by second semester.'
Doesn't his stomach hurt from all that milk?
I shook my head and our eyes met.
"What the f..."
"Yeah, can't hear you."
I turned away sharply.
I could feel Jeong Eun-seong trembling behind me.
I chuckled, then my eyes met Ji-su's in the next row.
She smiled at me, so I smiled back.
"We must never let an incident like this happen again..."
'Did today's mock exam. Memorized vocab.'
Need to prep for other performance assessments and pop quizzes, return library books too. Why do I have so much to do?
I hope we get through the sports festival, finals, and into break soon.
Gonna catch up on math over break.
The school seminars help a lot, but...
'Mom really doesn't remember? Anything?'
'Nope. Mom didn't even know someone was behind her.'
'Hit by a car?'
'No. Bicycle.'
'Bicycle?!'
I thought of Mom scrubbing everywhere with her injured arm, saying she'd catch up on chores now, and shook my head.
'Family income's zero. Drop the seminar dreams.'
I heard it once 11 years ago. I can do it alone this time.
"Without inciting conflict..."
I was letting the pointless lecture about reporting and evidence collection slide past one ear as my eyes landed on the music teacher flipping PPT slides in the corner of the stage.
I asked Se-in next to me.
"Doesn't the music teacher look kinda sick?"
"Yeah. Caught a cold maybe?"
Then Se-in's friend next to her leaned in.
"That kid sued the music teacher."
"Who?"
"Y'know, the one caught cheating on midterms first day. First-year. The one who threw a computer at music."
"He sued music?"
Not the other way around?
"Yeah. Said music made him get zero."
"Eek."
"Heard he demanded like 100 million in damages."
"That's even allowable?"
"Wasn't even about the money."
"Then what's the point?"
"To harass and stress her out."
"Crazy..."
That was when it happened.
The music teacher, clutching the podium with a face like she was about to collapse, slowly slid to the floor.
"Wh-what?!"
"Oh no!"
Not just us—other kids watching her cried out too. The external lecturer's rant cut off as eyes focused.
Come on, do something!
"Help!"
I jumped up, calling nearby kids for aid.
Behind me, Seo Jae-kyeom and Jeong Eun-seong shot up too. They glared at each other like they hated sharing the thought, then shoved through to the aisle.
The problem was the auditorium packed to the brim.
"Uh, move it."
Even with their sizes, Seo Jae-kyeom and Jeong Eun-seong struggled to push through.
"Ow!"
"Da-hye, you okay?!"
"Sorry! Jae-kyeom!"
Se-in and I were in the same boat.
As the panicking kids tripped over and stepped on me, Se-in, Seo Jae-kyeom, and Jeong Eun-seong's feet.
From the back, the student teacher dashed down and scooped up the music teacher effortlessly.
He lifted the 177 cm music teacher without strain, then said to the pot-bellied geography teacher who finally arrived.
"We might need an ambulance."
The school nurse soon checked her breathing and temperature. Ambulance came, and the student teacher carried her out of the auditorium.
I'd been sprawled over the kid next to me watching, then stood up awkwardly.
"What was that all about..."
We finished the disrupted session and trudged back to class.
"Junior."
The student teacher had sidled up to me.
"How's the music teacher?"
"She's okay. Apparently stress-induced dizziness. ...Which isn't okay."
"Yeah..."
"Anyway."
The student teacher playfully glared at me and grumbled.
"I heard you. Calling me a flower without scent."
"Ah."
He heard that.
"Sorry..."
"It's fine. Everyone thinks that at first. Blame my looks—they're far from my intellect."
"......"
Yeah, honestly, you don't look like Korea University material...
Do Ha-jun said kids from Korea U calculate square roots at clubs...
As I looked at him awkwardly, the student teacher winked.
"Once we're closer, maybe you'll smell the scent?"
Why are you like this?