That Bastard's the One Who's Gonna Take My Virginity (6)
After the entrance ceremony ended, the students returned to the classroom.
"Doyoung, hey. We're in the same class this year too. Looking forward to a great year."
"You looked kinda cool back there. I almost fell for you! Got any interest in the lily side?"
"Gotta go home, so nah."
"Aw, too bad!"
"B-Ban Doyoung! Hi! Do you remember me? We were in the same class in elementary school..."
"Of course! The old Ban Doyoung does!"
"Uh, anyway, you remember? Thanks..."
Ban Doyoung, the school's top beauty. True to her setting, the moment she stepped back into the classroom, she drew cheers from classmates regardless of gender, becoming the center of attention.
"Th-this is it... Not a single person in the room who doesn't know her."
"Well, she's a local. All that running around playing made her name spread like wildfire."
"But hey, right now that just makes her the lowest in our group's pecking order, the baby chick, right? Not calling Ha-min oppa—what're you waiting for?"
"Kuh... You demonic siblings."
"I-I'm fine. Call me whatever."
Ha-min, back in the classroom, had no intention of leaving his original seat from earlier. Partly because he'd heard how the other kids thought of Ban Doyoung, but more importantly, his phone was being held hostage.
"If Doyoung's there, this is where we sit."
Sahyung and Hye-rang plopped their bags down in the seats right in front of me and Do Ha-min. It ended up surrounding the guy in a weird formation that included me too.
"Nice seats. When we hit second year, get here early on time and save our spots, baby?"
"Grrr... Just you wait. The moment you two hit nineteen, I'm changing your contacts to Henhouse #1 and #2."
Whatever. For now, I'd succeeded in planting the original protagonist, Do Ha-min, right next to me.
Some things are pretty only up close, and lovable only after a while. Naturally, that applies to me too. So, if you're sitting in the spot where you can see and stare at the school's top goddess 'Ban Doyoung' the closest and longest? You're already halfway to the ending.
"Alright, there was a bit of a commotion at the entrance ceremony, but I hope that's the first and last for our class. First off, let me introduce myself."
True to form as the protagonist's homeroom teacher on day one, the female teacher had been through the wringer already. Despite the morning disasters piling up, her eyes still sparkled with zeal for her students.
"My name is Yeo Mi-so. Just call me Yeo Mi-so. I teach social studies—geography and culture overall. This is my first time as homeroom teacher, so I might mess up or fall short, but please take care of me?"
YEOMISO
To make sure even the kids in the back could see, Yeo the teacher swung her black ponytail and stretched her arms and legs wide, scrawling her name huge from one end of the board to the other.
Was she trying to show off a bit of knowledge? It was kinda cute how she'd added her name in hanja small next to the Hangul.
"Mi-so teach, pretty name!"
"Hehe, thanks!"
"Seems like a great teacher."
"Yeah. Kinda cute, like a squirrel face or something."
"Oh, I get it. Feels like she'll play with the students and take our jokes well."
Her face had this oddly youthful cuteness. But her expression brimmed with genuine passion for the students, instantly drawing their interest.
"Any questions for me?"
"Mi-so teach, you got a boyfriend?"
"Wondering if you're dating anyone!"
"Boyfriend!"
"Th-the questions are all the same!"
"Honestly, that's all we're curious about!"
No one even had to lead; questions for young, pretty teachers were set in stone. For high schoolers in the prime of youth, it was all about other people's love lives.
"Uh, no! Something else!"
"Ideal type!"
"MBTI you'd never date!"
"Older or younger—how far?"
"I said not love stuff!"
Mi-so teach flushed red and waved her hands. Then her eyes landed on one spot. Do Ha-min, one of the few in class she'd actually spoken to before.
"D-Do Ha-min. Got any questions besides love stuff?"
She tossed the chance his way. Partly because he'd been the only one she'd chatted with pre-intro, but probably mostly because of his model student vibe—like he'd study even in break time. She expected constructive questions about school life. That hopeful glint in her eye.
"Then... it's entrance ceremony day, but I heard unlike other schools, we do normal classes..."
"Oh, yes! Great question! To protect your study rights as much as possible, I convinced the other teachers to hold classes even on entrance day! A student's duty is studying, right?"
"..."
The culprit behind normalized entrance ceremonies was closer than expected.
"Huh, why the sour faces? Any other questions..."
The question barrage for Mi-so teach ended there.
"Come on, don't get down! You all have fun high school lives ahead! Oh, right!"
Like she'd remembered something, Mi-so teach dragged a box from the front of the room.
"Calendar...?"
Inside were calendars marking the school's schedule ahead.
"Yes! School-made ones with exams, sports day, festival—all the events! Front row, pass 'em back?"
As Mi-so teach said, the school calendars listed all upcoming events. Midterms coming first, then the May school trip and class relay sports day. All killer events no youth story skips.
Since my top priority was reaching the ending with Do Ha-min, I couldn't slack on a single one.
"Okay, break time, so I'll be back in ten! Second period's social geography—get ready!"
With that brutal normal-class reminder, Mi-so teach left through the front door. Kids initially bummed about no short classes started peeking at the calendars, marking off exciting events one by one.
*poke poke*
"Doyoungie, Doyoungie."
The moment break hit, Sahyung from the front seat poked my cheek.
"Whatcha doing? It's break. Go buy drinks quick. Grapefruit juice for me."
"Blue lemon ade. Bottle, not can. Straw too."
Tch, she still remembered.
"Hurry. High school building means the canteen's farther. Break ends soon if you don't bolt."
"Kuh... You satanic siblings. Finally dipping into your friend's wallet, huh...!"
"No, you offered first."
My fists shook, but a man's gotta honor a settled bet. I meekly jotted down what Sahyung and Hye-rang ordered.
"Oh yeah, get Ha-minie's too, right? That was the bet."
"..."
"Whoa, glaring? You started the bet?"
"Tch."
I ducked my head and shoved the memo at Do Ha-min next to me.
"Write what you want. Break's almost over."
"I-I'm good. Really. Didn't know about the bet."
Do Ha-min waved it off like it was nothing.
"Th-thanks for earlier. For... backing me up."
He spoke without meeting my eyes properly, quietly tapping his desk.
"F-first time... someone's had my back in a spot like that. Never happened before..."
"Don't let trash like Lee Jeong-gyu get you down, Ha-minie. That's just his type."
"Yeah. Honestly, kinda cool thanks to you. Heard from friends who went to Seongdong Middle—he's the two-timing dump-'em type."
"..."
*scoot*
Maybe he sensed it wasn't just a mumbled thanks while staring ahead. Do Ha-min stopped his tense finger-tapping, turned his chair toward me.
Behind the ticking clock and class murmurs, he slowly lifted his bowed head.
Through his smudged glasses, I saw his slightly blue-tinged navy eyes.
We both knew we were looking at each other now. A little lag when our gazes passed chest-level, but I got it.
"Thanks... for having my back back there."
"No biggie."
"No, I really mean it. Whatever the reason... it's the first time for me."
To get back to my original world, I'd have to do even more down the line. Was it okay to hear this already?
"Whatever. Just say what you wanna drink already."
"N-no, really, I'm fine. I-I'd even wanna buy you one as thanks instead."
"Oh yeah? Then you buy."
I dropped Sahyung and Hye-rang's list into Do Ha-min's hand.
"Cola for me. Zero Lime."
"Huh...?"
"What? Two minutes left in break. Run."
To get back to my original world, I'd do more than just back him up. So this much was fair game.