Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Lunchtime. Real Sword Fight (A)
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Lunchtime. Real Sword Fight
(A)
Boss who makes you sing at company dinners
Want to quit when it's like this
The company I barely got into
Hope it burns down or something
This damn... fiery boss
I say fire You say boss
Fire boss!
(Go home already!)
(B)
If you quietly and swiftly let me go home, I'd really be grateful
Staring at each other's faces too long gives you stress illness
Have to meet
Doctor
Ding~ (guitar strumming sound)
- Yu Ji-min, Self-Composed Poems 1, 2 (Due to Copyright Issues) - 1. Which of the following is not an appropriate interpretation of (A) and (B)? [3 points]
① The speaker is a listless office worker.
② Both (A) and (B) use spacing to highlight an impossible wish to go home.
③ Legal working hours should be slightly reduced, and salaries increased.
④ In (A), "fiery mishap boss" is used as an ambiguous expression.
⑤ The speaker rages at Korea's labor reality but sublimates helpless defeat into music without taking action.
"Alright, this definitely won't appear on next year's CSAT. Let's skim it."
"Yawn."
"Who yawned!"
"...Sorry."
"Jeong Eun-seong! You're sleeping right out in the open now!"
The Literature Teacher slammed the chalkboard with a piece of chalk.
"I wasn't sleeping though..."
Jeong Eun-seong mumbled sheepishly, but with a red mark on his cheek and his hair all mussed up, it wasn't convincing at all.
"So cute."
The girls giggled at his embarrassed look.
As Jeong Eun-seong pulled his chair closer, his toned long arms peeked out from under the sleeves of his uniform shirt. He must run hot because as soon as the mixed uniform period started, he switched to summer clothes.
'He looks even better than during exam season. Is he working out?'
Just looking at his well-defined arms, shoulders, and chest screamed "guy."
No one would ever mistake him for anything else.
"Must've slept like a rock, huh? Look at that hoarse voice. Sounds like it went straight through the floor."
The teacher pointed it out, but her face was full of smiles.
Riding the wave of everyone turning to look at Jeong Eun-seong, I sneaked a peek too.
"Okay, solve 1 through 3 first. You have 3 minutes."
I nearly made eye contact and quickly looked down.
"......"
Let me emphasize once more at this point.
What's my goal?
CSAT Perfect Score. Korea University Admission.
To achieve that?
No Dating!
I'm not an idiot.
I know what this urge to keep staring at Jeong Eun-seong and talk to him is.
But I can't dwell on it.
Just like he jokingly said the other day, neither he nor I can right now.
'More importantly. Does Jeong Eun-seong even like me?'
No.
'He'd date someone from his company's trainees if he dated.'
I'm just the one he talks to most at school. Can't delude myself.
'Not even sure if his company allows dating.'
Come to think of it, how's his debut going?
Knowing his family situation unintentionally complicates things.
Given his background, debuting soon makes sense, but debuting there means getting tangled in all sorts of scandals 99% of the time.
'Doesn't seem like something he wants that badly.'
More than that.
'Isn't this worrying crossing a line?'
Is this worry like my pre-regression self meddling in Seo Jae-kyeom's life and doing his homework for him, or genuine altruism from a third-party view?
"...Da-hye."
"......"
"Kang Da-hye."
"...Yeah."
"Why are you spacing out? Focus on class."
"I am."
"Then what's the answer to 1?"
"3."
"3?"
Seo Jae-kyeom, who had been poking my side while I zoned out, widened his eyes.
I'd solved it all and was daydreaming in the extra time. I nodded confidently.
"Isn't it 1? Reducing hours and raising pay, right?"
"It says 'slightly' reduce. Slightly won't cut it. Needs a big cut."
"The speaker isn't listless. Full of energy? Playing guitar too."
"No such thing as an energetic office worker."
I shared an adult secret unknown to 18-year-olds, but Seo Jae-kyeom was stubborn.
"If it's 3, I'll cut my palm."
"All done? Answers are all 3."
"Hand out."
I attacked Seo Jae-kyeom's hand resting on the workbook.
He pulled away when I grabbed. Grab, pull. Grab, pull.
The silent battle went on for a bit.
Then Seo Jae-kyeom covered my lunging hand from above and gripped tight so I couldn't move.
Both hands went under the desk like that.
Seo Jae-kyeom's cheekbones bulged.
"Let go?"
"No. You're gonna cut your palm."
"Yeah. Hurry up and do it. Let go."
"No."
"Start over. 1 is..."
"Teacher's explaining. Listen."
"......"
"Da-hye, focus."
Seo Jae-kyeom stared ahead, smirking, teasing.
I glared at his smiling profile for a few seconds before looking forward too.
"Not some secret romance. Holding hands under the desk is kinda weird, right?"
"This isn't holding hands. It's restraining."
"Jeez."
Mine's left hand so it's better, but his right makes writing inconvenient, yet he won't let go. Watching him doggedly write left-handed, I thought.
'What's with his change of heart about not liking Ji-su?'
I thought without me, he'd get along fine with Ji-su and date in college.
Second life, studies going decently.
No clue how the rest is unfolding anymore.
Ding-dong-dang-dong-
"Done!"
"...No need to shout. I'd end it anyway, kids."
"Hehe. Sorry."
"Oh yeah, Da-hye. Your homeroom teacher said to collect vacation intensive course applications?"
"Ah. Yes. Some haven't turned them in yet. I'll bring them next period."
As the Literature Teacher left, Seo Jae-kyeom asked.
"Kang Da-hye, you're taking the intensive, right?"
"No."
"Why?!"
No money.
"Just."
"Then we won't see each other over break?!"
"Unless we bump into each other on the street...?"
More like, you're taking it? At school? But he beat me to it.
"Can I change my application a bit?"
"Go ahead."
I pulled out the stack from my desk. Glancing at his, he'd signed up for a ton.
"All subjects?"
"Yeah. But changing."
"Got it. Then let go of my hand now?"
I shook him off like a bug.
"Jae-kyeom!"
"What!"
"Han Ji-su's looking for you?"
Turning, Ji-su waved from the hall. She waved at both of us alternately, then pointed at Seo Jae-kyeom.
"Why me."
Seo Jae-kyeom tilted his head and stood.
"Gonna submit the changed one now?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
Checked: changed from all subjects to none. Kid's extreme.
Let's see.
Who hasn't turned in.
Girls all did...
"Do Ha-jun hasn't."
I glanced at Do Ha-jun in the fourth row.
After the incident, his group including him got banished to fourth row. Stuck in the corner till grade change.
Corner like exile sparked talk of child abuse, rights violation among parents,
But Do-yeon's mom shut it down with, "Want us to handle it legally then?"
Do Ha-jun especially plummeted to the bottom of their pecking order since.
The implicit hierarchy solidified when they conspired to pin blame on him.
Few days ago, Park Su-hwan even made him bread shuttle.
'They just don't know limits.'
Even now, Do Ha-jun's latest phone was in Park Su-hwan's hands behind him. I spoke curtly to Do Ha-jun, who looked ready to cry.
"Do Ha-jun."
"Y-, yeah?!"
His eyes widened seeing me.
"You didn't turn in your application."
"Ap-, ap-, application?"
"Yeah. Vacation intensive. You can change later, so fill one out for now?"
"Uh, I, th-, that..."
What.
"No application?"
"...Yeah."
Sigh.
Pulled mine from the stack and offered it.
Planning none, just class num and name on top, otherwise blank.
"Erase my name, put yours, and give."
I'll get a new one when submitting.
Placed it on his desk lest our hands touch. Do Ha-jun stared at it, eyes trembling.
Why's he like that.
"Why just sitting. No pen either?"