Chapter 42
Chapter 42
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Outsider Who Met an Acquaintance from Before Regression
-----------------------------------------------------------------
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A luxurious pension in Daegwallyeong on a clear, sunny day.
Even in summer, the daytime high never really topped 25°C, so with the balcony doors wide open in the guest room, a cool breeze blew in instead.
This high-end pension had clearly been designed from the start with enjoying the surrounding scenery in mind.
Just sitting on the living room sofa and gazing out toward the balcony filled your eyes with Daegwallyeong's vast, open landscape.
Being able to leisurely sip coffee in such a scenic, breezy spot like this.
I figured I could easily spend three days just hanging out in this pension alone.
But.
Everything's great, you know.
Except for you.
When I shifted my gaze from the Daegwallyeong view, there she was—sitting side by side with me on the sofa, sipping her coffee with elegant poise.
No, scratch that—she'd stolen the coffee I had brewed and was drinking it.
Han Si-a, who'd barged into my room without permission using her rock-paper-scissors command privilege.
She seemed to like the view from this room too, smiling faintly as she stared out toward the balcony.
It was her genuine smile, not her usual business one, and I had to admit it was pretty enough to rival the scenery.
But considering this was a private room where no one else's eyes could reach, the urge to bolt outside crept up on me.
This wasn't some room cafe where conversations from the next room carried over clearly, or a fusion cafe shielded only by a single curtain from prying eyes.
Even though we'd come here for the gifted education program, having Han Si-a—who'd arrived separately from her family—planted in my private room was, strictly speaking...
...no different from the two of us checking into a motel together.
No matter how you sliced it, even if neither of us had any improper intentions, this was a situation any two minors should avoid at all costs.
And factoring in my perspective as a 35-year-old man trapped in this body, sharing a room with a high school girl at this point was basically a crime for me!
I was inwardly trembling with anxiety, but she blissfully sipped her coffee, oblivious to my burning frustration.
Of course, I got that she was in the same boat as me—alone in a big room until her parents arrived.
Most people might feel bored or lonely in that spot.
But this was Han Si-a.
She was the one who preferred solo dining because she hated paying attention to others while eating.
I doubted she'd get bored just because she was alone in her lodging.
As a fellow outsider, I'd thought I understood her solo dining mindset.
But I couldn't quite grasp the psychology behind her suddenly showing up in a male classmate's solo-occupied room and claiming the space.
So when I shot her a glare full of discontent, she sensed it and turned her gaze from the scenery to me.
"...Why are you staring at me like you resent me so much?"
"Why? I said I didn't want this, but you used your command right to force your way into my room."
I answered her question curtly.
But Han Si-a looked at me like my attitude made no sense, grilling me in return.
"Jeong Yi-an, do you hate being around me? We were fine together in the car just a bit ago—so why the sudden change?"
Her words forced me to calmly explain the difference.
There'd been a driver in the car, so we weren't alone.
A girl entering a boy's room alone was just weird.
"If it's just about hanging out, we could've picked somewhere more public than my room, right? Like the lobby on the first floor or the park."
But after hearing me out, Han Si-a let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh... Listen up, Jeong Yi-an. You're just here to pick up your prize money, but that's not why I'm here."
"Yeah. I heard you're here to network with the elite kids."
"Exactly. So do you think I can just relax out there? The moment I step outside this door, I have to be on high alert like I am at school—smiling just right, making sure there's no slip-up for anyone to nitpick. And these kids' parents? They're all big shots in this country. They're wandering around inside this lodging right now! If I mess up even a little out there, it's straight-up smearing mud on my parents' faces! And you're telling me to go chill outside right now!??!!!"
She wasn't usually this talkative, but my attitude must've frustrated her to no end—she unleashed a torrent of irritated words.
Elite kids apparently had their own headaches.
"...Yeah. That sounds rough. Sorry."
She was probably carrying so much pressure that sharing a room with a boy felt like a minor issue by comparison.
I pretty much bought her reason for invading my room.
.
.
.
No, I almost bought it.
But that was that, and this was this—why was she hunkering down in my room instead of her own?
Respect my right to some alone time! I'm an outsider—I relax when I'm by myself!!
"If other people's stares are the problem, couldn't you just stay in your own room? It's right next door—same view and all."
"..."
Han Si-a heard me out but couldn't really rebut.
She looked a bit offended, her face flushing slightly as her lips twitched like she wanted to say something but held back.
"Even so, you could at least be a little considerate..."
"Huh? What'd you say?"
I thought I'd caught some words from Han Si-a, but they were too quiet.
Just mumbling to herself?
When I asked her to repeat, she suddenly snapped at me.
"You lost the bet anyway, so you have no say!!! Just obey my command!"
Hmm. She just wanted to mess with me. Knew I'm an outsider and deliberately stole my alone time. Pretty clever.
To be fair, if I'd won, I planned to disrupt her solo dining time, so I wasn't in a position to complain.
So I decided to accept reality and go with the flow.
Once I dropped my protests and turned back to the balcony, Han Si-a muttered something in a brighter tone.
"...Just giving orders works great. Maybe being a bit forceful is better for both of us?"
Couldn't make it out.
Didn't seem directed at me anyway, so I ignored it.
.
.
.
Han Si-a and I spent time in my room until sunset.
Our chats covered trivial stuff like school life or summer weather,
but surprisingly, some had real substance.
For instance, Han Si-a liked sweets. She'd only started recently.
I learned her insider survival skills came mostly from her stepmother.
I'd wondered why she lived with her stepmom instead of her birth mom, but it felt too prying, so I didn't ask.
And her hobby was hunting down animal videos online.
She didn't want to raise pets herself, but cute animals lifted her mood, so she enjoyed them.
Honestly, all I'd known about Han Si-a up to now was that she was rich, an insider, a top student, and a solo diner.
But after this long talk, I felt like I understood her a bit more.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Dinner time rolled around before I knew it, and Han Si-a headed back to her room.
This evening meal was where most of the gifted program students starting tomorrow would gather, so I put some effort into my appearance for a good first impression.
A quick early shower to wash off the sweat, changed out of my wrinkled travel clothes into fresh ones, and dressed as neatly as possible.
I had no clue yet how the program would unfold, but from what Han Si-a had explained today...
...it was probably designed around student collaboration.
In that case, it'd help to win some goodwill from the start—and if possible, plant an image of myself as reliable and competent.
Eight students showed up for the dinner that kicked things off.
Two high school second-years, three high school first-years including me and Han Si-a.
And one middle schooler per grade.
Ten were supposed to join originally, but the last two would arrive late tonight due to schedules, and parents were dining separately.
.
.
.
I was surprised by how tasty the kimchi jjigae set meal was, but excluding me, the other students started chatting among themselves.
Listening in, though, it felt awkward—like relatives you only see at holidays: 'Hi,' 'Long time, how've you been?' 'You've grown a lot,' 'You're even prettier now.'
I got that the others had known each other before, but the vibe suggested they didn't stay in regular touch.
I'd figured this program—meant for elite kids' networking—was an annual friend fest, but apparently not.
My plan to let Han Si-a lead and subtly blend in was toast.
No riding her coattails now, so my only real icebreaker with these kids was the program itself...
Plus, I needed to lay groundwork for cooperating with them, but they didn't seem that tight-knit. Tricky.
Still, to build smooth relations, I stayed calm, pitched my voice low, flashed an easy smile, and spoke up.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Jeong Yi-an, here by chance for this program. High school first-year, and a friend of Han Si-a's here. Nice to meet you."
"Ah, hi." "Hey." "No need for formal speech among us."
Good. Solid start.
But I couldn't end my turn there.
With limited topics I could jump into, I had to claim the conversation or fade out!
"First time here, so I heard the top scorer gets a plaque. Who was it last year, by the way?"
Alright. Which of you is the biggest hotshot?
The two high school second-years' expressions shifted subtly at my question, and without a word, the other high school first-year boy—excluding me and Han Si-a—raised his hand.
Got it. You're the top dog, huh? Wanna be secret pals with your uncle?
I planned to buddy up first with last year's plaque winner. Make navigating this program smoother.
...But as I looked at him, I realized his face rang a bell from somewhere.
"...Professor Song Chang-won?"
"My name's Song Chang-won, yeah, but professor? I'm in high school."
Incredibly, I'd run into a grad school classmate from before my regression in this gifted program.
Impossible to forget that face. We'd rotted away five years together in grad school.
Unlike me slaving away at a hospital lab for peanuts, he'd skyrocketed young to university professor.
I'd known he came from a wealthy family, but who'd have thought he'd been in this program...