Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Song Yeo-reum's One-Woman Protest
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"Song Yeo-reum?"
What? Did she come to the wrong school?
But what my friend said was completely out of left field.
"She said she's here for a one-woman protest? She's kicking up a fuss at the school gate, demanding Han Ji-su come out!"
"A one-woman protest?!"
Whether a former delinquent who got transferred against her will made sense doing a solo protest was beside the point... Ji-su? Why her?
"See for yourself."
I got up from my seat and headed out into the hallway.
The corridor was already packed with kids who'd heard the news. They were all glued to the windows, peering down at the school gate.
"Kang Da!"
Ye-su-a, who'd snagged a prime spot, made room for me. I pressed my nose to the window and checked outside.
Song Yeo-reum stood in front of the gate, looking unrecognizably haggard since the last time I'd seen her.
Her hair, usually styled in waves with a curling iron, was tied back tightly in a single ponytail. Dressed in plain clothes, she tried to push her way into the school. The PE teacher guarding the gate blocked her.
Song Yeo-reum wailed, caught by the PE teacher's arm.
"Han Ji-su!!!!!"
Her furious scream echoed loudly through a nearby open window.
"Let me go!!!!"
"Yeo-reum, calm down a bit..."
"I can't calm down! Tell Han Ji-su to come out!"
Soon, other teachers rushed out of the building and grabbed Song Yeo-reum's arms, dragging her back outside the gate.
"Let go!"
Even with three male teachers holding her, Song Yeo-reum didn't budge easily. It was a mystery where she was getting the strength from—she thrashed and resisted even as they practically lifted her.
"I have to see Han Ji-su!!!!"
The PE teacher hesitated as Song Yeo-reum kept making a scene. He couldn't bring himself to restrain his former student harshly and wavered.
The geography teacher sighed and barked something at him.
Soon, Song Yeo-reum was shoved out beyond the gate by sheer force.
The kids who'd stopped on their way to class to watch started moving again as the PE teacher clapped his hands and herded everyone inside.
Realizing the show was over, my friends peeled away from the windows.
"What the heck?"
"Why's Song Yeo-reum after Ji-su?"
"Wasn't it because of Ji-su that she got transferred? Yeo-reum tried dragging her off to beat her up."
"But that was her own fault, right? And now she shows up at school over it?"
"Plus, that was ages ago."
"What's this about a one-woman protest?"
"Dunno. She said she came to protest."
"She's lost it."
"Heard from a friend she's not even going to school anymore."
"Which school?"
"Gugu High School."
I spotted Bang Eun-ji amid the buzzing crowd.
I dragged her, who gave me an 'oh' look when she saw me, to a corner.
"What's going on? You heard anything?"
"Well..."
Damn. Bang Eun-ji tugged at her bangs out of habit and almost spat on the floor before stopping herself.
"It's true she's not going to school right now."
"Why?"
"No idea. Rumor has it her family's gone bankrupt."
"Her family went bankrupt?"
"Yeah. Not sure if it's confirmed."
"But if her family's bankrupt, why go after Ji-su..."
"Kang Da."
Ji-su appeared right then.
She'd apparently stopped by the office, holding the attendance book, and hurried over. Ignoring the sidelong glances from those around her, Ji-su wore her usual expression.
"Hey, you okay?"
Ji-su brushed off Bang Eun-ji's question with a faint smile and looked behind me.
"Where are Jeong Eun-seong and Seo Jae-kyeom?"
"In the classroom... Ji-su, you okay?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Luckily I didn't run into her."
"Why's Song Yeo-reum looking for you?"
"No idea."
"Bang Eun-ji says her family's bankrupt... You know anything about that?"
"No...?"
Her family went bankrupt? Ji-su's eyes widened as she repeated it.
"That's what they say."
"How?"
"Her dad's company fired him, and her mom's business tanked."
Bang Eun-ji jumped in to answer Ji-su's question. When Ji-su stayed silent, she added more, thinking it wasn't enough.
"Kids at school were bullying her so bad she couldn't stand it and ran off."
Ji-su just tilted her head, showing no real reaction. She blinked a few times, then naturally turned to me.
"But why come to me with all that?"
For a split second, I felt a sense of unease.
We're having a three-way conversation here.
There was this weird vibe where Ji-su and Bang Eun-ji weren't really talking to each other.
Come to think of it...
Had Ji-su ever directly spoken to Bang Eun-ji in the drama club?
"Ji-su, you really don't know anything?"
"Nope. I seriously have no clue why she's after me."
"Something about a one-woman protest."
"A protest? At me?"
"Probably..."
Song Yeo-reum had demanded one thing: Ji-su to come out. But before I could say more, Ji-su cut in.
"Anyway, I'm fine. The lady who helps me get to school is still out front, so she'll probably talk to Song Yeo-reum and clear up the misunderstanding."
"I see..."
Misunderstanding.
A misunderstanding, huh. I nodded, but the odd unease lingered.
"More importantly, Kang Da."
"Yeah?"
"You been studying a lot for finals?"
"Finals?"
Suddenly?
Ji-su giggled at my bewildered expression. She gently nudged Bang Eun-ji aside, stood in front of me, and said,
"You know we tied for first on the midterms, right?"
"Didn't know that..."
"The literature teacher graded one of my wrong answers as correct by mistake. She found out later while scoring."
"Oh..."
Wasn't that the literature teacher's mistake? Or did Ji-su's mom come to school demanding they bump up her score and change it to correct?
I think Seo Jae-kyeom said he saw Ji-su's mom that day.
"Good thing she caught it before the grade correction period ended."
"Gotcha."
"Yeah. So you gotta really buckle down this time, Kang Da."
"I always study hard..."
"Nah. You need to study even harder."
Ji-su added with an endearing smile,
"If I wanna beat you, I have to give it my all, got it?"
This was when it started.
When I first thought maybe I hadn't known Ji-su that well before my regression.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The president of the company where Song Yeo-reum's dad works is friends with Ji-su's dad.
Song Yeo-reum's mom's shop is in a building owned by Ji-su's family.
'Mom and Song Yeo-reum's parents reached an agreement. She's transferring on her own.'
'Really?'
'Yeah. Mom seemed to have something in mind.'
'...Like getting her dad fired? Raising the rent to kick them out of the building...'
'No!'
'Just passing along a message to raise their kid right. Kang Da, you can be surprisingly ruthless sometimes.'
And today, Song Yeo-reum came to school looking for Ji-su.
For a one-woman protest.
Looking utterly worn out, nothing like her old self.
I could chalk it up to her parents clamping down on her like a rat after the incident...
'But her family went bankrupt.'
Ji-su claimed she knew nothing about it.
Did Ji-su's mom know nothing either?
One thing was clear: the timing was too coincidental.
Tap tap. I drummed my pen on the workbook. Lee Seo-jun, reading next to me, jumped and looked over.
"Oh. Sorry."
I set the pen down and rubbed my eyes.
Song Yeo-reum never showed up at school again after being dragged out of the gate.
The initial buzz died down as kids concluded, "She transferred and lost her mind or something."
And now, finals were right around the corner.
Thanks to the mock exam results shocking everyone recently, half the class was self-studying by morning homeroom.
"I'll take responsibility for my man's skin."
"Okay, okay."
"I'm the only one for you, right? Reflect on ignoring me lately, boyfriend-mon."
"......"
Except for Jang Ji-won and Park Su-hwan.
I watched Jang Ji-won make a huge fuss, perched on Park Su-hwan's desk as he gamed, claiming she was applying lotion. I thought,
She's got some stomach for this.
Just looking at his super skinny uniform pants, three-stripe slippers showing white ankle socks, and bushy bangs covering his forehead killed my appetite...
Her ex got transferred, and she calls him boyfriend-mon? Is Jang Ji-won's dream job a monster trainer?
Why are there so many monsters in our class!
After the last incident, the whole school had united in ignoring that crew, but now same-class Jang Ji-won goes and talks to him first, even dates him? Undoes all that unity. Sigh...
Doesn't she read the room?
I let out a deep sigh and turned my head, locking eyes with Seo Jae-kyeom.
He read my expression and mouthed,
'Should I tell them to shut up?'
Yeah.
As Seo Jae-kyeom got ready to growl like a dog with my approval...
"Jang Ji-won, shut your mouth. Can't you see everyone studying?"
Someone beat him to it.