Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: High School Entrance Ceremony
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After the day we took the class placement exam, Seol-i and I met up almost every day. Pretty much literally every single day. Mom even joked around with, "Why don't you just come live at our house?"
Seol-i shook her head shyly, but honestly, if she really did live with us, that'd be pretty great in its own way.
Being able to see cute Seol-i and cute Dasom every single day at home would be an incredible blessing.
Anyway, we spent every day together like that—went shopping for uniforms and all sorts of other stuff...
And just like that, the high school entrance ceremony rolled around.
I slipped into the black uniform—the total opposite of my middle school one—and fiddled with the sleeves.
This world really did feel like something out of a novel; the uniform had a subtle stylish flair to it. And yet it was still comfy to wear. Guess I owe the author thanks for that much, at least.
Yeah, just for this. My height barely budged past that point, so maybe that's all I can thank them for.
Author, I wanna kill you. Why not let me break past 180 cm, you jerk?
Grumbling ends here. Time to head to school.
"Dasom~ Big bro's off to school~"
Before heading out, I waved at Dasom, who was sleepily munching on her breakfast.
"Mmm~ Have a good day~"
She replied in a drowsy voice, but flapped her hand cutely in response.
I waved at Dasom one more time, then greeted my parents.
"I'm heading out first. See you later~"
"Alright~ Be safe~"
"Have a good day~"
Mom was setting the table for Dad and Dasom, while Dad helped her out. They saw me off, and I stepped outside.
From there, I hopped on the bus toward school—the high school where I'd spend the next three years.
The bus was packed with other kids in our school's uniform besides me.
They were probably all first-years like me. Definitely. No name tags on them.
I figured I'd memorize some faces, so I scanned the crowd. And there, among them, was someone familiar.
"Kang Haneul, hey."
Yoo Seung-ah—our friend who went to a different middle school but ended up at the same high school as me and Seol-i.
Seol-i's best friend, especially.
I looked at Seung-ah and teased her slyly.
"Yoo Seung-ah? What're you doing here?"
"What kinda question is that?"
"What kinda question? Check the time."
"The time? It's 8 o'clock."
Yeah, 8 a.m. The bus had been moving for about ten minutes, so we'd arrive in twenty.
8:20... and we didn't need to be there till 8:50. Pretty early, all things considered.
And Seung-ah wasn't the type to show up this early.
"No way you'd be here at this hour."
"Wow... what do you take me for?"
"The devil trying to corrupt Seol-i."
"Even I wouldn't go that far. If anything, you're the bad one. Aren't you the devil?"
"Me? What'd I do?"
"You... ah... never mind. You'll be sorry to me later."
What the heck was that about? Why would I owe her an apology?
If I owed Seung-ah one, I'd owe apologies to half the world.
I hadn't done anything wrong to her. Except maybe mooching tteokbokki from her dad too many times.
...Okay, that's kinda big. Guess I'll buy it there for a while.
"Sigh... anyway, why're you heading out this early? Meeting Seol-i?"
It stung a bit, but I shot back defiantly.
"I always leave early. Think about it—my school's an hour away."
"Hm... fair enough."
Seung-ah nodded. Yeah, had to concede that.
People who live far away always leave early to be safe. Like me.
"So, what class are you in?"
"Me? Class A."
"Class A... not with me, then."
"Where're you?"
"Class D."
Class D wasn't bad—decent chance of being next door.
"What about Seol-i?"
"She's Class A too."
"Ooooh... you two should just stay in the same class forever."
"Wish we could."
I meant it.
Being separated from Seol-i now made me uneasy.
Seol-i being uneasy, that is.
I didn't know the vibe of the kids at this high school yet—their personalities or quality.
If they were mostly nice, gentle, or hardworking types, no big deal.
But if not? If there were a lot of delinquents?
Then I'd have to stick by Seol-i and protect her no matter what. Gotta cherish and shield her.
It felt more like a parent or guardian than a friend, but oh well. Seol-i was that pure and kind. She'd get hurt too easily.
Meanwhile, either overhearing my thoughts or not, Seung-ah nagged me—not quite nagging, but close.
"...Don't be too overprotective of Seol-i. She's a high schooler just like you."
I had nothing to say to that, so I just nodded.
"Got it."
"Good boy."
Sometimes Seung-ah seemed like she'd regressed from her past life. Like when we first met—she had this surprisingly mature side.
Of course, that was just a side; normally, she was tomboy number one. Number two was Ji Ye-eun, who wasn't here.
When those two got together, even Seol-i turned into a tomboy. Some crazy magic.
Funny thing was, that's why I liked them.
Seol-i looked so happy with them around.
I just hoped she'd have plenty of that fun at school too.
A bit later, we reached the bus stop, and Seung-ah got off first.
"See ya~"
"Later? Huh? Hey, where you going?"
"Where else~ School~ You take it slow, okay? Slowly!"
"Uh, yeah?"
Seung-ah bolted off toward school the second the bus stopped.
Something felt off. This stop was closer to the front gate, but she was heading the other way.
...Taking a stroll around?
Not a bad idea. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom—perfect for a walk.
I soaked in the peaceful vibe and strolled ahead leisurely.
Falling petals were so romantic, and the bright sunlight lifted my spirits.
It felt almost too luxurious a start to high school life.
I was savoring the moment, walking slow and relaxed, when...
I finally spotted the school gate.
Last month, without the blossoms, it hadn't impressed me much. But now, with cherry blossoms and perfect weather? My heart raced more.
A moment that screamed "youth."
...Nah, too corny.
Sure, I was a high schooler now, but inside, I was a 23-year-old army vet. Add in time since coming to this world, and it was 33.
At 33, "army vet" didn't even apply. Just a full-on uncle.
I insisted my mental age was 23 since I skipped ahead, but whatever.
Didn't change a thing. Trying to bask in "high school youth" or whatever pricked my conscience too much.
I'd never experienced it before, never even wanted to. Maybe never had the chance to think about it.
My mind settled in an instant, and I walked on slowly.
Though a tad faster than before.
Earlier, I'd savored the mood at a crawl; now it was just normal walking pace.
Letting that carry me, I approached the gate...
...where someone stood blankly.
Gazing at the cherry blossoms, the gate, the school.
She looked so out of place here.
And as she turned, spotting me, she broke into a big grin and waved.
Someone I knew better than anyone. Impossible not to.
From kindergarten through elementary, all three middle school years together—and three high school years ahead.
Without a doubt, the cutest, purest girl in the world.
Seol-i.
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"Haneul...! You're here...?"
"Yeah, I am."
Seol-i welcomed me with that beaming smile—grateful just for that.
At the same time, blending with the vibe I'd tried to ignore...
...she was so, so beautiful.
I knew Seol-i was cute, pretty.
Her looks were top-tier.
But this feeling was worlds apart from before.
So much so, my heart pounded.
I placed a hand on my chest.
-Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
...Racing hard.
Blame the atmosphere or the girl in front of me—I didn't know. But it was intense.
Not unpleasant. Maybe even nice.
Still, I needed to shake it off now. Time to head inside with Seol-i.
I shook my head slightly and asked her.
"...Shall we go in?"
"Yeah! Let's go!"
She nodded eagerly, smiling brightly.
Looking at her, the heartbeat I'd tamped down surged back.
With that steady, powerful thrum, I walked into school alongside Seol-i.