My Side or His Side? (1)
A week after the entrance ceremony and the start of the new semester, our class is finally starting to fall into some kind of rhythm.
"Attention, salute."
"""Thank you."""
Our Class 1-1 now has a proper class president. Her name is An Seong-gyeong. Unlike Do Ha-min's foggy, oil-smeared glasses, hers are shiny red horn-rimmed ones that gleam so much they practically mirror the face of whoever's looking into them. Right from the start of the class president election, she'd thrown her hat in the ring with a bold declaration that she wanted the job. Me included, everyone in Class 1-1 was captivated by her eloquence and those intellectual red frames—we voted for her in droves. She won by a landslide.
The way her voice gained authority the second she took office? Total type who seizes class president roles from elementary school on because she loves meddling. Every school had at least one back in the day. Those girls with the standout colored frames and sharp-as-a-tack personalities. Wonder if she'll be rocking those red horn-rims even as an adult. One thing's for sure—she'd nail a movie review essay.
"Good work, teacher."
"Yeah. Tell that dozer in the back to go splash some water on their face in the bathroom."
"Ugh."
"Ban Do-young, you again?"
A piercing glare shoots from behind those red horn-rims, faster than the teacher even.
"Ah, Do-youngie. Gross as hell. Drool all over the desk."
"Yaaawn... Sorry. Wasn't on purpose."
"Haa... seriously."
"..."
Ever since becoming class president, An Seong-gyeong sighs dramatically every time one of us gets called out by a teacher—like it's for our benefit. Especially toward me. Her stares sting like hell.
"Sorry, prez. Stayed up all night over the weekend."
Of course, I didn't do anything right, so I just bow my head and apologize meekly. Sure, I have my reasons, but ignoring the teacher's carefully prepped lesson to nap? Unforgivable.
"You're not the only one who's tired and sleepy. I studied till 2 a.m. last night too—while you were up playing."
"..."
"Hey, enough. Class is over anyway—what's the point now? Stay awake so the next teacher doesn't feel awkward."
"Aye aye, sir. Eyes open, no dozing!"
I snap a salute to the math teacher who's forgiven me, throwing in some exaggerated gestures to smooth things over without bruising egos.
"Seriously... everyone's so lenient with just Ban Do-young. Especially the male teachers."
But to An Seong-gyeong, that just fans the flames even more.
"Sorry, prez. I'll really stay awake next time. Let this one slide?"
"..."
An Seong-gyeong's even more of a goody-two-shoes showoff than Do Ha-min. Kids like Ban Do-young—total "don't care about studies" slackers—must look like thorns in her side. I get it. What pisses off rule-followers most isn't the lack of rewards for obeying—it's when rule-breakers get zero punishment. I have no right to call her criticism over the top when I'm the one in the wrong. From her view, I'm the kid skating by on teachers' favoritism despite breaking rules. Just because I'm "pretty"... or maybe because I'm this world's heroine.
"Alright, I'm out. Good job, everyone."
"Thank you! Goodbye!"
During break after the second-period math teacher leaves, I finally tidy up my desk—total mess from my nap.
"Here, your math workbook."
"Ah, thanks. How'd it end up all the way over there? You caught it?"
"Well, it rolled right to my desk."
Do Ha-min hands over the workbook that somehow fell under there. Lucky he grabbed it before it went farther.
"Got some drool spots here and there. You didn't lick it, right?"
"N-no way. Even I wouldn't. If I'd left it, it would've soaked my notebook too, so I just pulled it aside."
"Aw, you could've woken me before that. Hogging the model student role all to yourself?"
"I... thought about it. But you didn't look like you hated class or anything. More like you were just exhausted."
A bit surprising answer. So Do Ha-min was staring at sleeping Ban Do-young that intently?
"What, now you can read my condition just from my face? Heh, not bad."
"N-no, not just you. My mom crashes out like that after night shifts sometimes. Feels wrong to wake her."
Do Ha-min's eyes didn't lie. I'd been cleaning the dojo with Dad from Saturday afternoon without a wink. Looking as wrecked as an all-nighter cop? Totally normal.
"The prez kept glaring our way from the back the whole time. Math teacher let it slide, though."
"You missed it, Do-youngie. During class, the math teacher jokingly wrote a high school senior mock exam problem on the board—said it was unsolvable—and Ha-minie solved it on the spot."
"No way? There was an event like that?"
While I was out cold, this world threw Do Ha-min a spotlight moment to show off his brains. And the main heroine—me, possessed—missed the protagonist's big stage right in front of her eyes, all for some cleaning marathon for a mom I don't even know.
"Only you and Ha-minie raised your hands. Prez got it wrong, Ha-minie nailed it."
"Heh..."
"You seriously have no clue. Do-youngie, this is bad."
"Eh, math's been dropped since middle school anyway. She'd probably seen it but wouldn't know."
"Fair enough."
I didn't exactly bust my ass in middle school either, huh, original Ban Do-young.
"So? What'd you do this weekend to end up this wrecked? Spill."
Sa-hyung and Hye-rang swivel their chairs toward me and Do Ha-min, elbows on my desk.
"Stayed up all night without even texting us? Explains the morning mess."
"Huh?"
"Tardy too—happened a lot in middle school, thought high school might fix it."
"Something happen after Saturday?"
"Ah... well, see..."
"Hey, Ban Do-young."
That's when class prez An Seong-gyeong, seated up front by the lectern, adjusts her red horn-rims and heads my way.
"Ah, prez. Sorry about earlier. Wasn't trying to—"
"How about a little self-control? Our class already has problem kids like that Lee Jeong-gyu punk from Seongdong Middle screwing up the study vibe."
And there it is. By An Seong-gyeong's standards, I'm lumped in with guys like Lee Jeong-gyu.
"Not everyone's here just to slack off like you. Plenty of us are grinding for our futures. Can't keep coasting on your 'Bulsago Middle goddess' looks and connections forever—that worked in middle school, maybe. Right?"
I glance sideways at Do Ha-min. Pretty sure the "serious student" she's hinting at is him, sitting right next to me.
"I know you're the local girl everyone knows, and the teachers who've heard your name since middle school baby you. But ease up. Honestly? Toying with and distracting some easy mark guy you're not even into? Doesn't look good."
"Hey, An Seong-gyeong. Being prez doesn't make you queen—what's with that? Not like Do-youngie was the only one sleeping in math—"
"Choi Sa-hyung, appreciate it, but stay out."
"Do-youngie...?"
"She's not wrong. Wait."
I press Sa-hyung's shoulder lightly to stop her jumping up. Up to here? Fair game for a class president—and a dedicated student—calling us out.
"I'll own the nap. Weekend stuff kept me up—no sleep."
"Hmph... Bet you were out partying with some dude. Slut."
"Hey, An Seong-gyeong!"
"Apologize to Do-young right now."
"What, did I lie? Punks like Lee Jeong-gyu don't even show up. You do—and mess with the kids actually here studying. Teasing uninterested Do Ha-min like earlier, cracking weird jokes? Go hang with Lee Jeong-gyu types if—"
"Fine, no more talk. Let's ask directly. Am I bothering you or not?"
Thud. Right in front of An Seong-gyeong, I swing both legs onto Do Ha-min's lap.
"Ban Do-young... you!"
"H-hold on. Why my lap again?"
"Yo, model student. Hate me sitting next to you? Am I messing up your life?"
"Sudden question like that..."
"Nah, lemme rephrase casual-like."
I cross my legs at an angle where my white lime-pattern panties peek just a tad, then lean toward Do Ha-min.
"You. My side... or the guys' side?"