Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: I'm the One Who's More Pitiful, Damn It
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Walking with Yerim brought back some old memories out of nowhere.
We were just strolling along, but people's gazes started gathering one by one.
The moment we passed through the school gate, I could feel everyone's eyes turning toward us.
Some couldn't hide their awe and just stared blankly.
Others pretended not to care but sneaked a peek anyway.
They made passersby stop in their tracks and turn around without thinking.
That was my girlfriend.
...It's been a while.
These past few years, I'd been going solo or just with Sea, so I'd forgotten about it.
Receiving all these stares loaded with various emotions after so long didn't feel burdensome.
Instead, it made me really feel like Yerim was back by my side.
I didn't hate it at all.
"Yerim, what class are you in?"
"Probably class 4... I think."
"Too bad. If it was class 3, you'd have been in the same class as me last year."
"Ugh, tell me about it..."
The hallway was familiar to me from last year, but it was all new to her.
So, to show her where her classroom was, I headed toward the second-year classrooms.
We arrived in front of second-year class 4.
Peeking through the window, I saw Sea, who'd left earlier, chatting with some girls.
"You're in the same class as Sea. Lucky."
"Yeah, I think it'll be easy to adjust..."
"Good."
Yerim smiled with her eyes, looking grateful as she started to unlink her arm, but I held on to keep it linked.
"...?"
"Let's go in together."
"...Together?"
"Yeah."
I'd originally planned to just walk her to the door and say goodbye.
But for some reason.
I suddenly remembered that declaration of war she'd made back then.
At first, she looked puzzled by my inexplicable action, but soon she caught on to my intent.
A smile slowly spread across her lips.
"Okay, sounds good..."
Creak—
As we opened the door and stepped in, all the eyes in the classroom turned to us.
It didn't take long for their initially bored looks to shift to awe and curiosity.
"Oppa! Yerim!"
Sea spotted us right away and came running over with a wave, then threw her arms around Yerim.
"Eek, Yerim! I missed you so much~!!!"
"Ngh, I missed you too."
"You were about my size before you left, but when did you grow like this~!"
—What are you talking about? She wasn't really the same size even before she left.
Her height or... other parts.
Yerim had been overwhelmingly superior in every way, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.
"Anyway, you two came in with your arms linked all bold like that~?"
Sea grinned mischievously, like look at these two.
"We're a couple. This is nothing."
"Whoa, acting all cool. Bet you're giggling inside and loving it!"
How'd she know?
"......Shut it?"
"Did you...?"
"......I wasn't giggling."
...Probably.
I pinched Sea's mouth for hitting the nail on the head, and she made muffled noises.
"Ugh, fine. Oppa, get out already! Yerim's mine now."
Ah.
The warm, soft sensation on my arm suddenly vanished, leaving me unexpectedly wistful.
I almost asked for it back without thinking.
"...Oppa, I get how you feel, but aren't you being too obvious about regretting it?"
"...Was it that bad?"
"I thought you'd lost a whole country or something..."
It saddened me that Sea couldn't understand I'd lost a man's dream, even if it wasn't me personally.
As I sulked, Yerim came over and gently took my hand.
"Oppa. I'll come to your class at lunch..."
"...You will?"
"Yeah, to say hi to your friends too..."
Yerim smiled brightly and fiddled with my hand.
"Got it... Call me right away if anything happens?"
"Yeah, I will..."
"Contact me if you don't know the school layout or rules or anything. Oh, and if by chance..."
"...Oppa. What are you, her guardian? Get out already!"
"No, but..."
"I'll take good care of Yerim, so just go!"
They say raising a sibling is pointless anyway.
Still, Yerim probably needed time to bond with the other girls, so I figured it was time to leave.
From the moment we'd entered, kids had been whispering and staring our way.
The girls' eyes were full of curiosity, the boys' full of despair. Our purpose here was accomplished.
Before Sea shoved me out with an annoyed push on my back.
My eyes met Yerim's as she smiled at me.
"See you later, Yerim."
"See you later, Oppa..."
...This is bad.
First period hadn't even started yet.
And I was already looking forward to lunch.
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Ugh, my arm feels cold...
Having lost my bonfire—no, my padding named Yerim.
I trudged powerlessly toward the third-year classroom, whimpering like a baby.
Why'd Mom give birth to me so early?
Couldn't she have held out just one more year?
Muttering stuff that would make Mom cry tears of blood, I headed to my assigned classroom and noticed kids gathered in front, buzzing.
...Did someone get in a fight on the first day?
What the heck? I pushed through the crowd and peeked inside. That's when I got it.
Come to think of it, this guy's the original.
If second year had Yerim.
Third year had this dude. I'd forgotten.
"Hey, Seo Jinhyuk. Long time no see?"
He looked more manly than before, but seeing that familiar face flirting with Yoon Do-hyun in the middle of the room made me grin involuntarily as I approached.
Jinhyuk grinned back when he saw me.
"Long time my ass. You're in this class too?"
"I came because it's my class, not to see you."
"Look at this punk talking shit right after we reunite."
Even as we traded barbs, we were chuckling. It felt comfortable somehow.
Yerim too.
Jinhyuk too.
My everyday life was finally fully back. It felt good.
"Anyway, no way Yoon Do-hyun's in our class too?"
"What's 'no way' about it?"
'No way' means no way~ Don't you know Korean after your America trip?"
"Han Woojin and Seo Jinhyuk, double assholes. What are you two, Kim Cheomji? Just say you're happy to be in the same class as hyung, you bastards."
"Not happy. How do you expect me to act happy?"
"Agreed. Recommend Han Woojin, who's not happy at all."
"This is Han Woojin. I upvoted 500 times."
As Jinhyuk and I took turns roasting him, Do-hyun trembled like he wanted to kill us.
Ah, this is it.
Alone, it wasn't the same, but with Do-hyun, it was perfect.
We two idiots were invincible together.
"Ha, whatever. Hey, Woojin. Did you know Jinhyuk was coming today?"
"No clue. Just realized when I saw his face."
"Good thing you didn't know either, or I'd have felt left out. But if he's back, doesn't that mean your girlfriend's back too?"
"We came to school together just now?"
"Then why didn't you know she was coming?"
How the hell was I supposed to know if no one told me, you punk...!
Do-hyun's genuinely baffled question made me bristle for a second.
"...She wanted to surprise me, so she kept it secret."
"......For real?"
"What, you think it's fake?"
"Man, she's ruthless... Always scary..."
"Yerim's not ruthless, you bastard. Your face is."
"This muscle pig always insults my face when he has nothing else to say."
"You're the one always being a pain in the ass..."
"Hey, hey, ugly bastards, cut it out."
"Says the corpse without a face."
"Agreed."
"......You two were just fighting and now you're teaming up? No, corpse is too much."
Jinhyuk protested like it was unfair, but no one here sympathized.
We all just burst out laughing.
"Kukuku, ah. I thought seeing you guys would make me nostalgic. Nope. Feels like yesterday."
"Agreed. Thought I'd feel a little touched seeing Jinhyuk, but aside from a faint cheese smell, same old."
"Shut up. Treat us at the canteen later. My wallet's finally back. You spent my money for four years."
"Yoon Do-hyun's a psycho."
As we went back and forth calling each other crazier, a friend from second year spoke up.
"Hey, Woojin."
"Yeah?"
"You know the transfer kid?"
"Yeah, friends since middle school. He was just in the US for a bit. He's my girlfriend's real brother too."
"Wait, so your girlfriend's here too?"
"Obviously."
For two years, I'd had suspiciously pretty girl pics as my profile, insisting she was my girlfriend.
Now they could finally witness the truth, and anticipation flickered in the kids around us.
"The kids know about Yerim?"
Jinhyuk asked curiously from the side.
"My profile pic's her. They were all curious."
"Oh yeah. But what's to be curious about? She looks exactly like the pic."
That pic was unreal pretty.
To her brother who saw her daily, it probably didn't register as the reason. His casual remark.
But hearing "exactly like the pic" from her brother jacked up their expectations even more.
One kid couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"...She really looks exactly the same?"
"Yeah. I've seen her a few times, identical. My sister's bad at photos, probably doesn't know editing."
"Whoa, fucking insane..."
"That thief bastard..."
"Who pitied Han Woojin? I'm the pitiful one here, damn it."
Jinhyuk was right.
Yerim never bothered with editing, didn't see the need.
She'd rather snap one more pic to send me in that time.
They didn't want to believe it, but seeing Jinhyuk right there made them picture his sister.
They stared at me enviously, so I awkwardly looked away.
Then, amid the crowd drawn by rumors of Jinhyuk, I locked eyes with a familiar face.
Lee Yuri.
I gave an awkward smile to Yuri, who smiled awkwardly back at me.
I returned the awkward smile and greeted her.