Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The Outsider Who Masters the Princess Carry
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The orientation lasted about 20 minutes.
After that, a lecture was scheduled right away, so the students—including me—stayed in our seats, chatting idly while we waited.
But Han Si-a, who had been sitting next to me and listening to the orientation together, spoke to me in a voice so quiet it wouldn't reach anyone around us.
"So, what'd you think of the orientation? Any ideas on how to mess with those bastards?"
When I turned to look at her in response, she was beaming at me.
I couldn't tell if she was still angry or just genuinely serious about screwing them over.
Either way, I had to respond, but if I spoke out loud, the other students might hear. After some thought, instead of whispering,
I pulled out a ballpoint pen and scribbled on my notebook.
-It's still pretty vague overall, but I've got a general direction in mind. I'll sort it out and let you know by tonight.
The first idea I'd come up with for screwing over "Song Chang-won and his crew" was to exploit the vulnerabilities in this group project—where individual actions weren't restricted—and make them turn on each other.
That kind of project always carried the risk of the team falling apart at any moment. If there were any conflicting opinions among them, I could just give a little nudge from behind the scenes and tear this gifted program team into two or three pieces.
Keep ripping them apart until completing this high-difficulty task became impossible, and in the end, Song Chang-won and his friends would royally botch the project. Then their parents would step in and beat them down—no need for me or Han Si-a to get directly involved... That was the plan.
...
Honestly, though, this plan had too many holes. I wasn't sure if I could pull it off properly, or if it would even punish Song Chang-won and his crew as much as I wanted.
So it was too early to share with Han Si-a. I needed to refine it more.
That said, if she had a better plan, following hers might not be a bad idea.
But after reading my note, Han Si-a responded as if we'd read each other's minds, confidently whispering her own plan into my ear.
"How about this? We're in the mountains, right? Tons of steep stairs around. The orientation mentioned outdoor activities, so during one of those, we sneak up and shove them down the stairs."
"You crazy..."
Stunned by her words, I nearly let a curse slip out loud, but I managed to hold it back and gripped my pen instead.
-Did "messing with them" mean premeditated murder? And didn't you say no violence?
I was genuinely worried about her moral compass.
But after reading my note, she whispered back.
"Yi-an, I don't consider a little push violence. Even in self-defense cases, they let that kind of thing slide. It's just bad luck if it happens to be at the top of some stairs."
"..."
I stared at her coldly, but she kept going, unfazed.
"What, you think it'll kill him? A few broken bones at worst. It's fine. The guy's loaded."
Judging by her expression and eyes, this wasn't a joke.
I decided continuing this conversation was dangerous and moved my pen to wrap it up.
-Si-a, calm down for a sec. Let's think it over later. If we do something like that, we'll be the ones getting screwed, not them.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A short while later, the first lecture began. The topic was "Recent Trends in Daegwallyeong Highland Agriculture and Crop Variety Improvement."
From the project topics mentioned in the orientation, I'd guessed the lectures would be tough,
and sure enough, the invited university professor dove straight into advanced material that middle and high schoolers couldn't possibly follow.
Glancing sideways during the lecture, I saw Han Si-a struggling too—she was frantically jotting down unfamiliar terms in her notebook.
No wonder. Terms like DNA markers, F1 hybrid breeding methods—stuff requiring college-level genetics and molecular biology knowledge—were thrown around without basic explanations.
...
But that was just from a middle or high schooler's perspective. In other words, this was material suited for mere undergrads.
So for me, the super-educated returnee Jeong Yi-an, it was yawn-inducingly easy.
By the end, my notebook only had a few lines summarizing the key points.
As I stretched, bored out of my mind, the professor—who'd just wrapped up the two-hour lecture—addressed the students one last time.
"The lecturers, including myself, will be staying at this pension until the evening of day six. If any students have questions, don't be shy—knock on my door. That concludes this lecture."
.
.
.
After the lecture, the program students gathered to discuss the project.
Not including me, of course.
I tried to eavesdrop out of curiosity, but they shot me dirty looks and clammed up. What could I do?
This pretty much sank my "group project sabotage" plan before it even started.
Ha... And I couldn't exactly follow Han Si-a's advice and shove Song Chang-won down the stairs...
As I mulled over future plans alone, Han Si-a slipped away from the group and sat down next to me.
"I told them if they weren't gonna include you, I was out too. Maybe that'll make them invite us back once or twice? Worst case, we just do it ourselves."
She was making an effort to help me, in her own way.
If it really came down to just us two, she'd probably worry about not having enough hands.
Of course, as a super-educated returnee, I could carry this project solo, but she didn't know that—and still stepped up for me.
I'd remember this favor and repay it someday.
One more thing to do once I make bank on Bitcoin.
.
.
.
For now, Han Si-a and I were sorting through the lecture content together.
I explained the specialized terms she'd noted but didn't understand, while also breaking down the core points and their relevance to the project.
Since I'm a returnee uncle... it ended up with me lecturing her one-sidedly, but she was a little surprised by my knowledge level—yet absorbed it all quickly and intently.
Truth be told, I hadn't planned to reveal my skills this much.
I'd intended to observe the students early on, then step in at key moments to earn their trust.
Because the evaluation criteria for awards hadn't been revealed yet, I needed to keep my cards hidden.
But the situation had changed.
It was now hard for me even to join the group, and Han Si-a had left them for my sake.
No point hiding my abilities when it was just us two—no other students around.
Right now, the priority was to reassure Han Si-a, who might be inwardly anxious about being stuck with just me, by showing my full capabilities.
...
And honestly, teaching a top student who soaked it all up like a sponge was kinda fun.
.
.
.
Thirty minutes of me explaining the lecture to Han Si-a.
Just as she finally grasped the essentials,
Song Chang-won approached us with a smug look on his face.
"Han Si-a. Ditch that loser and come back to my group. No single middle or high schooler can handle this lecture alone. You felt it too, right?"
"Nah, I'm good."
Han Si-a shot down his offer flat.
But Song Chang-won pressed on, undeterred by her blunt refusal.
"You know it already, but biotechnology's my specialty. I've got some college-level knowledge. If I lead the presentation and you assist, we can manage the other students more effectively. Just tell Jeong Yi-an to hole up in his room and..."
"I said no."
"..."
Watching their exchange, I could see Han Si-a's mood souring fast.
Song Chang-won seemed a bit thrown by her reaction too... Maybe I could squeeze into their group if I played this right?
...
But no such luck.
"Hey, you fucking mutt Jeong Yi-an. If Han Si-a joined our group, we'd finish this project easy. She's taking a hit just to babysit you. It's all because a worthless mutt like you is shamelessly trying to freeload off us. If you had any damn sense, you'd fuck off to your room right now!!"
...
Fuuu... This high school shithead who can't even handle intro to molecular biology...!
I was so pissed I couldn't stop grinding my teeth.
This was the angriest I'd been since returning.
For reference, the next time was when Han Si-a teased me about my test scores at the sandwich shop.
After that was when Yoo So-mi got scammed by that weirdo.
Anyway, I wanted to jump up and unload on this asshole right then.
But... I held back.
No, I had to.
Seven pairs of eyes watching from behind Song Chang-won made that clear.
If I started a shouting match here, I'd lose in sheer numbers.
And throwing a punch? I couldn't deal with the fallout.
Fuck... What else could I do? Just imagine beating the shit out of Song Chang-won and endure.
You're first on my list once I cash in on Bitcoin, you fucker!
-Thwack!
Suddenly, a sharp slap—like swatting a mosquito with a slipper—rang out.
What the? Did I imagine beating Song Chang-won so vividly I hallucinated the sound?
No, it was real. Han Si-a had slapped his face.
She hit him so hard he staggered and leaned on a nearby table.
"You... you fucking bitch...! Think I won't hit you 'cause you're a girl?!!"
Song Chang-won lost it completely, roaring and rearing back to punch her.
But Han Si-a raised her fist too.
Sensing things escalating, the other students rushed to restrain him. I bolted to Han Si-a—still winding up—and scooped her up in a princess carry, bolting out of the auditorium.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "..."
"..."
Carrying Han Si-a in the classic "princess hold," I burst out of the building. Daegwallyeong's clear blue sky and cool breeze greeted us.
Basking in the warm sunlight and taking in the open scenery eased the anger and tension building inside me bit by bit.
I'd come out here to separate Han Si-a and Song Chang-won, but with no set schedule ahead anyway... we just silently soaked in the view.
I wonder if she's okay. She punched the precious son of some rich family—backlash could be rough.
"Don't worry too much. This kinda thing happens all the time. They won't make a big deal out of one slap after the way he insulted me."
I hadn't said a word, but she could tell what I was thinking.
I gave a small smile at her words, and she continued.
"Actually, I spotted some pretty steep stairs in front of the pension here. What do you think?"
"...For a sec there, I was tempted, but seriously, put a pin in anything we can't handle, Si-a."
"..."
"And... thanks. For getting mad on my behalf."
Until now, I'd been gazing at the distant Daegwallyeong mountains,
but for a thank-you, eye contact felt right. So I turned to Han Si-a.
Her face was closer than expected—nearly startling me.
Oh right. I'm still princess-carrying her.
"...Got it, so can you put me down now? I promise I won't run back in to fight..."
Her face was still flushed from the fight.
I hesitated, wondering if she'd bolt back in despite her words,
but soon she started squirming in my arms, so I had no choice but to set her down.