Ch 185
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 185
There was no sign of recovery in the relationship between Kim Do-hyun and Lee Ji-sung, so I endured the annoyance and made a proposal.
"Just drop out too. I said I wouldn't do it if he comes."
Nam Ji-hyeon grumbled, but I easily ignored her and looked at Lee Ji-sung, but somehow Lee Ji-sung's expression was also lukewarm.
"Well, your friends don't seem to want to do it with me."
Would they like it then?
Even though I can't brazenly stick to him with a thick face, he won't do it even when I've laid out all the groundwork like this.
I have no idea what he's thinking.
What, is he thinking of pushing Kim Do-hyun aside and doing everything himself?
"I don't mind."
What's this about?
I thought it was completely ruined, but Do-hyun is taking my side.
Looking at it coldly, it's closer to neutral than agreement, but I thought he would be the most vehemently opposed...
"Kim Do-hyun, what's with you? You really hated him too."
"I didn't exactly say I agreed, I just said I really don't care."
They say even hate becomes affection - it seems he's softened a bit through student council activities and experiential learning.
"So, we're all doing it together?"
"Don't decide on your own. Anyway, he said he wouldn't do it either."
"I didn't say I disliked it though? If you're all okay with it, I'll do it together."
That's right, Lee Ji-sung. You should have come out like this from the start.
Nam Ji-hyeon rebelled a bit more, but Ji-an was neutral and Yu Hye-ji also agreed, perhaps because she's his fiancée, so it was decided by majority vote that we would study together on the weekend.
At the same time, the door opened and student council members including Eunseo and Eunsu came in.
"Everyone came early. Sorry for being late."
"No problem."
"I have good news. You know that next Friday is Children's Day and Monday is Parents' Day, right?"
"Yes."
"Remember what we talked about at the last student council meeting..."
"That's right. Through the student council's proposal, we got a special holiday on Parents' Day Monday in exchange for reducing vacation days by one day."
"Really?"
"Then we can go home on Friday?"
"Not Friday, but after Thursday classes end, right?"
"It's a bit disappointing that vacation is shortened, but it's nice to be able to go home after a long time."
Everyone is delighted and happy to hear they can go home.
I'm also happy that I'll be able to spend a lot of time with Luciel and Se-jin after a long time.
Both the vice principal and principal are strict, so it wouldn't have been easy, but as expected of our Eunseo and Eunsu.
"The reason I called everyone today is because the student council wants to do an additional event along with the holiday."
"An event?"
"It's nothing grand, just an idea contest."
"A contest?"
According to Eunsu's explanation, if there are any inconvenient or unreasonable parts within the school, they'll give prizes to up to 10 people who submit those points and ideas to improve them.
The deadline is until Wednesday and they'll select on Thursday, but since it overlaps with the exam period and the deadline is short, they asked us to do good publicity.
"Senior, what are the prizes?"
"Red ginseng sets for 3 people, vitamin sets for 6 people,"
"The prizes are a bit..."
"The kids probably won't like them much..."
"Is that so? It's Family Month, so we'll send them as mobile gift certificates 8 days in advance so they can give them as Parents' Day gifts."
"It seems meaningful and good?"
"Um, but didn't you say you'd give to up to 10 people earlier?"
"Right. The 1st place winner with the best idea gets two dinner vouchers for Baekje Hotel. The vice principal sponsored them."
Oh, the stingy vice principal showed some generosity.
"If the 1st place prize is that good, quite a lot of kids will probably participate."
"Right? Everyone please do good publicity."
After the explanation ended, I left the student council room and was going to eat dinner with the kids when I felt a vibration in my pants.
[Teacher, let's meet on the rooftop at 7:20 after dinner.]
It's Eunseo.
Looking at it, I think she wants to spend time together during the holiday.
"Min Chan-seong, what are you doing? If you don't come quickly, we'll leave you behind."
"Ah, it's nothing. Let's go."
After eating dinner, I bought 2 coffees and headed to the rooftop, but I discovered Eunseo in front of the stairs leading to the rooftop.
"Oh? Teacher."
"What if someone hears? Why are you here instead of going up?"
"There are prior customers."
Looking in the direction Eunseo's finger was pointing, I could see Kim Do-hyun and Lee Ji-sung talking at the rooftop entrance above.
***
[Let's meet briefly on the rooftop at 7.]
Who is it?
"Do-hyun, see you tomorrow then."
"Huh? Yeah. Hye-ji, go in."
It was an unknown number, so I thought about ignoring it, but I felt uneasy for some reason, so I came to the rooftop and saw Lee Ji-sung standing in front of the door.
"You came? I was going to talk on the rooftop, but the door is locked."
"Was it you who texted? How did you get my number..."
"It's in the student council emergency contact list, isn't it? I guess you didn't save my number."
"I don't know what you're thinking by calling me, but I have nothing to say to you, so I'm leaving."
I'm already upset because I'm worried about mother, so I don't have the leisure to hang around with Lee Ji-sung.
"What's the rush? Listen. It won't be a bad story for you either."
"What?"
"I'll apologize first. I'm sorry."
"Forget it. I clearly told you last time that I don't need your apology."
"It's not an apology for bullying and ostracizing you last year, but I asked the secretary's office to look into your family situation."
"What did you say? You bastard...!"
I grabbed his collar, but Lee Ji-sung's expression remained the same.
"I'm sorry for not telling you in advance, but I really wanted to apologize."
"Are you calling that talk right now? Someone who says they're sorry does background checks, and is that the attitude of someone who's sorry?"
"You rejected it, but I thought there might be something that could help. Your family lives in a nice place, right? That dead teacher Kang Shin-hyeok from early this year? I heard that person helped you a lot."
"Shut up. A guy like you shouldn't carelessly mention that name!"
I really wanted to hit him, but I held back thinking of my mother who must already have a complicated heart.
"Calm down a bit? It's uncomfortable to talk, so let go of this too."
I didn't like Lee Ji-sung speaking so calmly, but I released the hand that was gripping his collar.
If I cause trouble here too, mom will have an even harder time.
"I received a report that there doesn't seem to be anything to help with since you have a house and a good job. So I said I understood. But yesterday the secretary's office contacted me again. They said your family situation seems to have gotten worse."
"..."
"I guess it's right."
"Mind your own business. I don't need help like yours."
"I can't do that."
"What?"
"I told you. I really feel sorry about what I did to you and I want to help you with even a little apologetic heart."
Why is this guy really acting like this?
Actually, after Lee Ji-sung entered high school, I heard that he hasn't caused trouble, caught a hidden camera criminal, and changed a bit, but I didn't believe it.
How much did that bastard torment me...
People never change easily.
I just thought that since all the kids he used to hang out with were forcibly transferred, he has no friends around him now so he's acting.
"I told you to stop caring about me and my family!"
"Ha... I really didn't want to say this much, but do you know that loan sharks visited your mother today?"
"How, how do you know even that..."
"What do you mean how? The secretary's office told me. From what I heard from the secretary's office, those guys aren't ordinary vicious bastards?"
"..."
"If you can't properly repay the debt, they make you write a body forfeiture agreement, and if the debtor is a woman, they force her to work at entertainment establishments - they're complete trash without blood or tears. I found out that the house wasn't completely given by teacher Kang Shin-hyeok either, so you can't even sell it..."
"Stop... So what do you want to say? Are you trying to mock me?"
"What mockery? I kept saying it. That I'll help you. I'll resolve the debt so those guys can't harm your family, and I'll also pressure the police to quickly catch the scammer who deceived your mother."
If Lee Ji-sung does what he says, there's nothing more I could wish for, but honestly I can't trust him.
That this bastard would really do all this for me with just the reason that he's sorry, without any compensation...
Wait, could it be because of Hye-ji?
Now that I think about it, that guy didn't like me being close to Hye-ji.
It seems like that's probably it...
Thinking of my family, I should accept the proposal, but Hye-ji hates Lee Ji-sung.
After Lee Ji-sung revealed in the auditorium that Hye-ji was his fiancée, Hye-ji told me that it was an engagement the families decided on their own and she had no intention of marrying someone like Lee Ji-sung.
She said she would definitely break off the engagement when she becomes an adult.
"In exchange for doing that, you want me to distance myself from Hye-ji? I can't do that..."
I can't do it.
It's not like I'm dating Hye-ji, but accepting this kind of proposal is no different from me selling Hye-ji for money.
"Wait, what kind of talk is that? Don't think on your own."
"I don't think you'd help me this much with just the reason that you're really sorry."
"You're really stubborn too. Honestly, I don't really have an issue with my fiancée hanging around with you. The engagement was decided by the families on their own, you know? I don't really like her."
"Don't be ridiculous. Then why did you in the auditorium last time..."
"I told you then too. Still, since she's my fiancée for now, it's a bit awkward if she gets too close to you. I'm not asking for any compensation for helping with this matter. I'm really doing it because I'm sorry."
"...Really?"
"I'm telling you so. Why can't you trust what people say?"
"If it's you, I can't trust your words..."
"I got it. I'm really sorry, so let's forget about the old days and get along well from now on. Like earlier."
"Earlier?"
"What are you pretending not to know? We decided to study together this weekend."
"That was Chan-seong's proposal, what does it have to do with me..."
"I pretended to be neutral, but from my position, I'm grateful enough that you didn't oppose it. If you had opposed it, we couldn't have done it together. Let's forget all about the past and do well going forward."
He extends his hand as if asking for a handshake - has this guy really changed?
I can't be certain, but... anyway, I don't have any other choice right now.
Though awkward, I shook his hand.
***
"At first I thought they were fighting, but I guess not."
"Huh? Yeah. It seems like it."
"What were they talking about? Something about fraud, police and such. You heard everything, right Teacher?"
I definitely heard it all, but I don't think I need to tell Eunseo about it.
"It seems like personal matters, so I think it's better to pretend not to know."
"Is that so? Then shall we go up?"
I came up to the rooftop with Eunseo, and there's an electronic door lock installed.
It wasn't there when I came last time.
I guess that's why Do-hyun and Lee Ji-sung just talked on the stairs.
"There's a door lock."
"They installed it last month. They said it could be dangerous if students come and go as they please."
"It was indeed a bit dangerous. I'll have to change the location next time."
"You don't need to worry. I know the passcode."
"Vice president, I don't think you were told the passcode for private use... Will it be okay?"
"This much is fine."
Eunseo opened the door and I followed her onto the rooftop.
"What did you want to see me about? Shouldn't you be studying since it's exam period?"
"Studying is something you do regularly."
It's a completely honor student-like answer, so it's a bit annoying, but well, that's like Eunseo.
"Teacher, what will you do during the holiday?"
Is it a date request after all?
"Well, I'll probably be at school."
Min Chan-seong has no family or home.
"Go on a date with me."
I was roughly expecting it, but as expected.
"On Parents' Day? Our Eunseo was a fire-attribute filial daughter, Teacher is very disappointed."
"What's that? Not the 8th, but other days are also off. Wait, have you already made appointments with other people you like?"
I heard just now so I haven't made any particular appointments, but I was originally planning to spend some time with Se-jin and Luciel...
I know Eunseo likes me and I haven't flatly rejected her, but since she's a minor, it's a bit awkward.
I'm also a student now, but it's just a disguise after all.
"Well..."
"Lying is prohibited. You must have heard just now, so you couldn't have made appointments already..."
"That... that's true."
"Then go on a date with me on the 5th. It's Children's Day."
"What does Children's Day have to do with anything? Eunseo, you're a teenager."
"Aren't teenagers also children? School is off on Children's Day too."
It's completely miraculous logic.
"Teacher, can't you?"
She's pleading with completely sparkling eyes... Hmm, wouldn't it be okay just once?
I mean, it's not like I'm going to take her somewhere I shouldn't go, and I feel a bit sorry for pushing Eunseo away too much.
"Alright."