Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Group Class (1)
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The next day.
Morning homeroom.
"Good morning, everyone!"
First period was morals class right away, so Homeroom Teacher Mi Su-jin had come into the classroom carrying all her lesson materials.
"Hmph~♪ Hm-hmm~♬"
She looked extremely happy.
Before, there had always been that anxious vibe, like a rookie teacher wondering if she could pull it off.
But now, she just seemed purely delighted, without a trace of worry.
"Teacher, did something good happen?"
The student up front asked curiously, and the others nodded in agreement one by one.
"Eh? Nah, same as always."
Anyone could tell that was a lie.
It was obvious something amazing had happened.
A few kids whined, "Aww, come on, tell us~!"
"I saw it~! Teacher got proposed to yesterday~!"
At that moment, a lively girl twisted her body dramatically as she shouted it out.
"What?"
"A proposal?"
"No way, for real?"
The classroom buzzed.
Riding the wave, the lively girl elaborated.
"Yesterday, I forgot my morals textbook at school, so I came back, and there was this guy on one knee at the back gate, giving Teacher a ring and everything~? Candles lit all around, eek, so embarrassing~! It was straight out of a drama!!"
The moment she finished, the buzzing classroom erupted into chaos.
"Whoa, no way!! That was a real proposal?"
"I left pretty late and didn't see it?!"
"What? Does Teacher have a boyfriend?"
"Proposal means marriage proposal, not just confession, right?"
The uproar was so big that even the kids who always slept through morning homeroom woke up and joined in.
"Haha... You saw that, huh..."
Mi Teacher fidgeted awkwardly with the sideburns by her ear with her fingertips.
"What's Teacher's boyfriend like?"
"Dummy, he's not boyfriend anymore—he's fiancé!"
"Aah! True, for real?"
"Tell us about your first love!"
In 2008, it was the kind of era where kids talked to teachers like this without a second thought.
"Well... He's not my first love, actually..."
Still, Mi Teacher didn't seem to hate it—in fact, she looked like she was enjoying it.
"Whoa, Teacher, that's cold!"
"Gotta tell on you to your fiancé! 'She's got a first love~!'"
"You're my first love, Teacher!"
"...Sorry, Teacher already has someone."
"Pfft-haha! Kim Cheol-su got shot down!"
And so Class 1-10 was in total pandemonium from the morning.
I just smirked bitterly from the very back seat, observing without joining in.
"Looks like it worked."
Because I'd known this would happen ever since that counseling session last time.
Rookie teacher Mi Su-jin, right after passing the teacher certification exam and getting her first assignment, receives a marriage proposal from her boyfriend.
The status window held various records from my first life.
Not that I could access them freely.
But whenever I met people or needed info, it would display the relevant ones right in front of me.
I barely had any memories from my first life besides being a total loser nerd and my studies.
So having other people's first-life records pop up when needed?
For me in this second life, it was cheat-level, better than any ability.
Plus, it was like those basic loading screen tips in games—no points or stats required.
"A proposal, huh."
I'd been through that once too.
Though mine was a loveless relationship that ended in a failed marriage.
Still, I hoped she'd live happily ever after, making up for my share too.
Especially since that nameless cherry caramel candy from overseas she'd stuffed me with was still going strong.
Achievement: Secret Love Cupid
Reward: +1 Life Point
Nom nom.
Munching secretly on the candy alone, I savored the equally sweet achievement reward.
The kids were still going nuts over their homeroom teacher's proposal.
Makes sense.
First year of middle school—they're right at that age where that stuff starts getting curious and tingly.
The line where recess chats suddenly get way spicier? That's between 6th grade elementary and 1st year middle.
Then.
"Teacher! I have a confession for you too!"
Suddenly, a boy shot his hand up.
What?
Not just me—even the other kids looked baffled.
They'd just done the first-love confession bit.
"Actually, I didn't do last week's homework you assigned!"
"Homework...? Oh."
Sudden silence.
Then the kids started catching on.
"Wait, there was homework?"
Even she, their morals teacher—
Even she had forgotten she'd assigned homework, thanks to the huge proposal bombshell.
Wooo!
Aaah!
Screams and wails erupted everywhere.
And it took less than a second for them to turn into curses.
"You fucking idiot!"
"We could've gotten away with it!"
"Step him during break."
"He's social suicide starting today."
And just like that, a new outcast was born.
Whew, middle schoolers are brutal.
Bang bang bang!
"Okay, okay, settle down! You in seat 4-4, turn off that local broadcast!"
Mi Teacher slammed the pointer against the blackboard to quiet everyone.
She was a fresh rookie, but she knew how to handle kids like teachers back then.
A morals teacher with a pointer, though.
Its purpose was obvious.
"Open your morals books to page 47 on your desks. I'm checking. Anyone without homework, come up front now."
"Goddamn Park Min-seok has no tact..."
"Shit, I already got whacked by the student records teacher this morning..."
"Teacher, can you hit my palm instead of my butt?"
2008, when corporal punishment was just how it was.
In my memory, I think I got hit in school up until my third year of middle.
Once high school started and the no-corporal-punishment rule expanded to Gyeonggi Province, teachers stopped, but...
There were plenty of other people hitting me anyway, so having teachers grit their teeth and join in was hell.
"Choi In-hyeok. You didn't do homework—why aren't you up? Get up here."
"Yes, ma'am..."
She started inspecting, walking between the seats.
Kids who'd been slacking got caught and stood up.
"The one scribbling next to you too."
"Teacher! I'm almost done if I just finish this!"
"No. Hurry."
"Aaaah~!"
Even kids scrambling to do it now got busted.
Classic middle schoolers.
Morals homework was just jotting down some heart-marks and thoughts anyway.
Takes ten minutes tops, but they drag it out till this mess.
Truly the same unchanging 2008, first or second life.
Familiar yet fresh nostalgic scenes.
Then.
"Han Kyung-jun, you didn't do homework either?"
"Huh...?"
"Why aren't you up?"
Tap, tap, tap.
Mi Teacher stood right in front of me, pointer at the ready.
* * *
"Last one, Han Kyung-jun. Palm out."
"......"
Whoosh.
I silently extended my palm with the most intense death glare I could muster.
Go ahead, hit me.
Dealt 1 damage to 『Mi Teacher』
Dealt 2 damage to 『Mi Teacher』
Dealt 3 damage to 『Mi Teacher』
And I took all three hits.
My palm stung, and this inexplicable sense of injustice welled up.
Never thought I'd get caned again at this age.
Even with stamina at 14 now.
Doesn't seem related to durability—it still hurt like hell...
But damage increasing each time—why hit harder progressively?
She glances at my face after each one, powering up.
Glances again, ups it more.
Not like it's building a combo for bonus damage.
Anyway.
Homework dodgers dealt with.
"Alright, class starts now."
Morning homeroom flowed straight into first-period morals.
"Today's group discussion. Pair up desks with nearby seats."
"Yes~!"
Drag, scrape.
Kids noisily dragged chairs and desks, smoothly forming groups like always.
Desk-shifting group-making, habit from elementary days.
The chaotic classroom quickly organized into groups.
"Hey."
"Oh, same group?"
"Ugh, stuck with Lee Min-su."
"Yeah, reflex."
"Fun~"
"Rainbow reflex."
"You elementary kid?"
"Yeah, you're more elementary~"
Middle schoolers' middle-school chatter died down on its own.
"Open to page 51. You see 'Think and Discuss Together'? Who'll read it first?"
"......"
"No one? Then number 36."
"I got called yesterday too."
"Oh, right? Next number then."
School classes were just like my middle school memories.
Groups settle on a stance.
Debate battles between groups.
"Cheol-su spots a broken trolley moving while walking. On the tracks, five miners fixing them are unaware and napping briefly."
The girl at number 37 after 36 read eagerly from the textbook.
"Cheol-su realizes pulling the lever switches tracks, saving the five resting miners. But it kills the lone miner resting on the other track. Is pulling the lever right? Split into pros and cons, discuss with friends. Discussion class. 4. Legal awareness and human rights as a democratic citizen. Page 51."
"You don't need to read that far... Good job, sit down, Ja-hee."
The kids burst out laughing, and Ja-hee blushed as she sat.
Wasn't that on purpose?
"Everyone get the gist? Each group pick a leader first. Leader summarizes group opinion—quick pros and cons. You have 10 minutes."
Her words ended, and the room buzzed instantly.
Everyone mixing chit-chat with fights over leader or passing it off.
"Who's leader? Rock-paper-scissors? Or dae-dae-jji till one's left?"
Our group hated it too—no volunteers.
For reference, group class was my least favorite.
Four members, but felt like three since I was there.
Grateful it was even that.
If grouped with Lee Ho-kwon types, they'd force me leader.
Of course, Lee Ho-kwon was gone now, hook-handed captain off to another school.
And I was 180 degrees from my pathetic first-life self.
Still, no way I'd volunteer.
What gain?
Being leader wasn't "in"—no quest from status window.
But then.
"No one wants it? I can do it~?"
A brave soul volunteered.
Looking closer, it was the lively girl who'd spilled the proposal during homeroom.
Digging deeper, the one who'd suddenly asked if I liked karaoke after my charm stat rose.
Name? No clue.
Never talked to her in middle school first life, regression or not.
Especially girls.
"Cool, right~?"
"Yeah, fine."
"So-mi, you okay~?"
"Yeah... If you're fine, Eun-ha."
"Han Kyung-jun, you agree~?"
Nod nod.
Fine then. Same strategy as always.
My first-life specialty.
Leeching.
Four members, but let the three handle it.
They'd prefer me stepping back anyway.
No quest, no point sticking my neck out.
Forced my way into unwelcoming spots once in freshman MT—enough shit for a lifetime.
"Saving five is obvious, right? Anyone would agree."
"Yeah... I think so too."
"Kinda~ But feels like a trap~?"
Our group's three debated lively.
Kids who slept face-down in normal class? Wide awake for this.
No need to backseat—let the kids do their thing.
I nodded like a bobblehead doll, mind elsewhere.
Actually, since class started.
"(Review what I forgot, catch up on studies... Prep for entrance exams on the side, aim for science high school this time not general... Build connections there, launch quantum computer startup faster than anyone...)"
Mouthing a 5-year quantum computer dev plan.
"Han Kyung-jun, you?"
"?"
The lively girl suddenly addressed me.
"Me?"
Did I hear wrong?
"Yeah. You're in the group~ Save or kill?"
What the—suddenly.
Why so cutthroat?