Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: That Guy in the Girls' Talk (2)
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"...No, just going to wash my hands."
Unlike Hong Ja-hee's guess, Lee A-ram didn't care much where Kyung-jun was.
"Why wash your hands all of a sudden? Did you take a morning dump without washing?"
"...Hong Ja-hee, seriously."
"Oh, A-ram, heading to the bathroom~? Want us to come with?"
"Just say you're going to the bathroom. Why act all classy, Lee A-ram? Washing your hands, my ass. Wipe your butt instead."
"Mm, I can go alone. You two, go plug that loudmouth's trap."
"Yeah~ Ja-hee, watch your pretty mouth."
"Mmph?!"
"Hahaha..."
With that, Yu Eun-ha began teaching Hong Ja-hee some manners.
Leaving Han So-mi, who timidly covered her mouth while giggling.
Drag.
Lee A-ram stepped into the hallway and, for no real reason, made sure to close the front door all the way.
"Phew..."
Then, with a sigh, he muttered softly.
"...Now they'll really think I went to the bathroom because my stomach hurts."
Hong Ja-hee was one thing—clueless, simple-minded, with nothing but poop and games on her brain.
But Yu Eun-ha, surprisingly quick on the uptake and considerate of others,
and Han So-mi, who was always worrying about everyone else due to her timid nature,
would definitely think that.
Normally, even if he refused, Eun-ha would link arms and tag along anyway.
But this time, she'd let him go without a fuss, so she must have bought the misunderstanding.
"...Whatever. Let them think what they want."
True to his sharp eyes that picked up on things better than anyone,
A-ram had plenty of insight himself.
But he deliberately ignored it, with a slightly twisted personality that avoided caring too much.
"Yeah. Let's go read some books."
His sanctuary since elementary school and even in middle school: the school library.
And so, Lee A-ram headed up to the fifth floor.
* * *
"Due date is two weeks."
Ding.
Lee A-ram silently bowed his head politely and checked out the book before leaving.
'The title just drew me in for some reason. Even though no one like that is around me.'
The book she'd borrowed from the library was
『The Secret Traitor Next to You ~About the Psychopaths and Sociopaths Threatening You~』
'Anyway, it was an interesting book.'
At just fourteen, Lee A-ram had already devoured hundreds of books.
She'd skimmed it once before even deciding to borrow it.
'It doesn't just explain dryly—it weaves in stories like a novel to show what psychopaths and sociopaths are.'
Liking the content, she'd borrowed it to read properly.
'Hum~♪ Humm~♬'
Humming to herself happily about finding a fun book after so long, Lee A-ram descended the fifth-floor stairs.
The first-years' classrooms were on the second floor, so the library on five was pretty far.
But it was lunchtime anyway, and with a useful, enjoyable book in hand boosting her mood, everything was fine.
Just as she passed the staff room on her way from the third floor to the second,
"Kekeke, Teacher. Hand it over nicely while I'm asking."
Right before turning the stairwell corner, a weird noise came from in front of the second-floor staff room.
A familiar voice—one she'd heard recently.
"Ah, you really shouldn't be doing this..."
"You're the one who suggested it first, aren't you, Teacher?"
He was using polite language, but only formally.
It felt like deep down, he wasn't treating her like an adult at all—like a subordinate.
Only Lee A-ram, with her keen observation and hobby of analyzing people, would notice.
'...Han Kyung-jun?!'
It was Kyung-jun.
Peek.
Instinctively, A-ram ducked behind the stairwell corner, peeking out to check.
Sure enough, Han Kyung-jun was right there in front of the staff room.
'...And our homeroom teacher too.'
Facing him was Mi Su-jin, homeroom teacher for Class 1-10—and A-ram's own—with a troubled look.
"If you can't even give me that, then wasn't this just a waste of my time?"
"Didn't I just give you some last time? It's already run out to begin with..."
"It's prime time. That's not enough."
Eavesdropping from afar, A-ram could only gasp at their conversation.
'...He's extorting our teacher?!'
Shocked, something clicked inside her at the same time.
'...My first impression was right. He's no good after all.'
About the Han Kyung-jun she'd sized up.
He'd caused trouble right at the start of the year, then nothing much after.
Even during that morals class presentation, and how his friends started speaking well of him after.
She'd wondered if it was all just her imagination.
No.
Lee A-ram recalled what she'd just read in the book from the library.
『Antisocial personality disorders like psychopathy and sociopathy have these traits:』
『First, indifference to others' safety or harm.』
'...Yeah, during morals class, he said if it doesn't concern him, it's just entertainment.'
One checked.
'And now he's shaking down the teacher... right in front of the staff room...'
『Second, impulsive and unplanned.』
Two checked.
"..."
A-ram swallowed dryly.
And realized why that book had inexplicably drawn her at the library earlier.
Subconsciously, she'd already judged Han Kyung-jun that way.
'...The book said three out of seven criteria.'
And he'd already hit the first two.
'I-I can't just stand by.'
A-ram steeled herself and rounded the corner, heading down.
"Ahem, hem!"
She cleared her throat loudly on purpose, making her presence known.
"Ah, hello, Teacher."
A bit awkwardly, she inserted herself between them and greeted Mi Su-jin.
Mi Teacher blinked, then recognized her and smiled warmly.
"Hey, A-ram. Library again today? You're amazing."
"Ah, yeah, well..."
A-ram hurriedly hid the book behind her back, lest it be seen.
Nothing good could come from him spotting it.
"Library during lunch?"
Kyung-jun asked Mi Teacher, intrigued.
"Yeah, she's right after you—didn't you know? You're 23, A-ram's 24."
"Close numbers don't mean we're buddies. I can count on one hand the kids in class I've even talked to. Probably chats more with you, Teacher."
"You really need to get along with your classmates. Make some friends."
"Weak people who fear being alone make lots of friends. Lacks strength as a human."
"What kind of talk is that?"
Kyung-jun spouted some line straight out of a novel that edgelords might love,
and Mi Teacher shook her head with a sigh.
'...W-What?'
Watching them, A-ram grew even more confused.
'That bullshit aside, they seem surprisingly close...?'
Unable to bear the mounting confusion, she decided to act.
"...You."
"?"
A-ram cautiously asked Kyung-jun.
"Just now, with the teacher... were you asking for something...?"
"Just something sweet. Why, you need some too?"
"No, not that, but..."
A-ram shook her head briefly.
Sweet, huh.
'Sweet... gotta be money, right?'
Whatever it was, that wasn't what she wanted to confirm.
Recalling the third of the seven criteria from the book,
"...D-Do you not feel sorry to the teacher, or like you did something wrong?"
"Why should I? Isn't it fair to ask for that much? Free education or not, it's our taxes paying."
"...!"
『Third, no sense of guilt.』
A-ram froze on the spot.
"Kyung-jun, so brazen to your teacher—like she's your sugar mama?"
Mi Teacher pinched her brow in disbelief, then checked her watch.
Her face fell—oh no!—and she hurriedly grabbed her morals textbook and old recycled gray printouts from her bag.
"Take it to my desk. I've got to prep for the next class. Not too many, okay? Gotta save some for the others."
With that, Mi Teacher clicked away quickly to the next class.
Kyung-jun headed to her desk in the staff room to grab what he wanted, as instructed.
But.
"Why?"
Unlike the teacher, A-ram didn't leave—she stuck by Kyung-jun.
"You got business in the staff room too?"
"Well..."
"Oh, here for your cut?"
"...??"
"Cool. Let's go in."
Kyung-jun cheerfully opened the staff room door.
Drag, creak!
The door panel twisted.
"...!"
A-ram panicked as it nearly came off.
But Kyung-jun took it in stride.
"Ah, this door's always like that. Broke it a bit last time without knowing, now it acts up often."
Gulp.
A-ram swallowed dryly.
'...T-That's the fourth one already?!'
Recalling the fourth criterion for antisocial personality disorder.
『Fourth, violent and aggressive.』
"...B-Broke it? A little? This?"
"It's fine, no big deal. Easy fix."
Clunk, clunk, thud.
Kyung-jun lifted the panel slightly, applied force, and the sliding door slid back into place.
Drag, drag.
"Good as new. Teacher's desk is right up front."
Striding in like he owned the place, Kyung-jun went straight to Mi Teacher's desk.
And picked up the bag of candies on it.
"Here."
He pulled out two or three and handed them first to A-ram.
Seeing that, she froze.
"...This is what you meant by 'sweet'?"
"? What else would it be?"
Kyung-jun looked baffled at her question.
Adding,
"Last time during morals class, Teacher said she'd use my presentation as reference for other classes, so I helped out. Asked for some candy as thanks."
Only then did A-ram realize.
She'd been jumping to conclusions all on her own.
Suddenly, her actions so far felt embarrassingly foolish.
"Not eating? The caramel inside's killer."
Unaware, Kyung-jun just urged her to grab them before his arm got tired.
"...I'm good. Wasn't here for candy... No, just give me one."
"Special—two for you."
"..."
And so, A-ram ended up with two cherry-flavored fruit candies filled with caramel from Kyung-jun.
Grab.
Kyung-jun then pocketed several times more—a huge handful.
A-ram freaked out at the sight.
"...What, taking that much?!"
"It's still 2008 Korea—China-style. Gotta take what you can."
Kyung-jun explained the justification with dead seriousness.
"Chinese folks load up plates at buffets and leave half anyway."
"What bullshit is that? You're not even Chinese..."
"It's fine. I won't waste any."
"...!"
A-ram couldn't make heads or tails of what this lunatic was saying.
Her chest tightened frustratingly.
'...Should've known from when he spouted that 'human strength' crap to the teacher!'
Maybe Han Kyung-jun was far stranger and more extraordinary than she'd thought.
'Calm down...'
A-ram reined in her inexplicable agitation and regained composure.
"...If you want 'em that bad, why not just buy your own?"
"These don't taste as good bought."
"..."
She barely held back from exploding.
'...More mature than other boys my ass—he's just a shameless psycho...!'
A-ram couldn't fathom what her friends saw in him to call him mature.
Or smart and studious.
Of course, no matter what she thought of him.
"This'll tide me over for days."
Kyung-jun didn't give a damn.
Pocketing his handful of cherry-caramel foreign candies like it was nothing.
Satisfied, he turned to leave.
"Catch you later."
As he stepped out of the staff room,
"Oh, wait. Hey."
He stopped abruptly.
"Might be nosy, but."
Glancing back at A-ram.
"...What?"
"That book? Way more biased than you'd think."
His eyes flicked precisely to the book she held.
"Better off with a psychiatrist's medical text. Writer calls herself a psychologist—no PhD even."
Then, carefully sliding the staff room door so it wouldn't come off this time,
"Oh, and for reference? I only match two."
With a smirk, he sauntered down the hall.
Left alone, A-ram.
"Ah..."
Her knees buckled, nearly sending her crumpling to the floor.