Chapter 45
Chapter 45
“Yes. Please come again.”
It was a relief that no one saw me buy this book.
As I hugged the paper shopping bag and looked around, Seo Hye-sook, who had gone elsewhere, returned. She was beaming, saying she'd snagged a children's book for her son.
“I’ve browsed all the books. Let’s check out the other sections.”
“Okay, we should just follow the flow, right?”
The two of them left the book section together and headed towards the area marked ‘Clothing Section’ next to it. Quite a few students were interested in buying things there.
After browsing for a bit, both shook their heads. There wasn't much to see, as most students had put out clothes they used to wear.
Next, they visited the ‘General Goods Section,’ which had many interesting items, but the atmosphere was not good. Teacher Hong Jeong-pyo was pulling students who were selling items at their stalls and scolding them.
“I really didn’t know. My cousin brother just gave it to me as a souvenir from his trip. I don’t eat chocolate, so I brought it to sell… It’s unfair.”
“Unfair? Hey, you punk. According to our school’s student life regulations, bringing alcohol onto school grounds immediately calls for a Disciplinary Committee. You’re still wet behind the ears, and you’re already pulling stunts like this?”
Seo Hye-sook, who had been craning her neck to observe the situation, clicked her tongue.
“What’s going on?”
“What he sold wasn’t just chocolate, it was whiskey chocolate. You know, the kind with just a tear-drop of alcohol in it.”
“Ah. And for that, a Disciplinary Committee…”
Of course, alcohol-infused chocolates were indeed items that shouldn't be distributed at a bazaar. However, seeing as he had them openly displayed even when the teacher arrived, it seemed he genuinely didn't know.
Watching the altercation made me feel uneasy. Even though there seemed to be no malicious intent, Teacher Hong Jeong-pyo was cornering the student in a public place.
Seo Hye-sook put a hand to her ear and whispered.
“Teacher Hong Jeong-pyo became the Head of Academic Affairs this year and he’s been a tyrant. Don’t you think?”
“It’s too much. He should have called him aside to talk.”
Bom nodded in agreement.
Even if there were school rules, if there were extenuating circumstances, it could be overlooked depending on the case, but Hong Jeong-pyo never did that. Yet, he himself smoked on school grounds.
“He’s a classic example of ‘rules for thee, but not for me.’”
“Exactly.”
Recalling the harsh words Teacher Hong had said to Han-gyeol, negative emotions surged within me.
Once someone fell out of his favor, he'd become hell-bent on finding even the smallest flaw, which wasn't normal behavior. After all, the student affairs department was meant for prevention, not punishment.
Fortunately, Vice Principal Seok Gwan-su, who was passing by, witnessed this and took both Teacher Hong and the student away.
“Our Vice Principal is incredibly good at mediating and resolving things.”
“That’s true.”
Seo Hye-sook said her enthusiasm had waned and suggested they just look at the sections they hadn't seen yet before heading in. Bom agreed and followed her.
The last section was marked ‘Other.’
“Oh?”
Here, Bom spotted Oh Dong-pyo, a member of her club.
Dong-pyo was doing business in the furthest corner, and the area in front of his stall was quite crowded.
‘What’s he selling?’
As I approached, I saw that Dong-pyo hadn't brought any items to sell. All he had placed in front of his stall were two chairs.
King of Deduction - Find the truth for just 3,000 won.
I wondered what on earth he was doing with such a sign. Bom and Seo Hye-sook decided to watch from nearby.
Just then, two male students handed Dong-pyo three one-thousand-won bills and started the game.
“What truth do you wish to know?” Dong-pyo asked with a solemn face.
“This bastard seems to be dating my sister, but he swears he’s not, even if it kills him.”
“Shit. I really said I wasn’t.”
More onlookers gathered at the interesting exchange.
“Yesterday, I clearly told you I was going to cram school and only Seon-hwa was home, right? But when I went home, why were you coming out of our house?”
“I told you I just forgot what I said and left! How many times do I have to tell you?!”
“Then why is Seon-hwa’s ID photo in your wallet?”
“Your sister gave it to me because she thought it turned out well, and I completely forgot it was even there.”
Bom listened to the two students’ story, trying hard to deduce who was telling the truth. But she couldn’t figure out who was being honest. Seo Hye-sook whispered.
“It really looks like they’re not dating, doesn’t it? Look at his wronged expression.”
“I’m not… sure.”
Dong-pyo, who had been quietly listening, pushed up his glasses and made a gesture for them to stop.
“I shall tell you the truth.”
The onlookers, who had been making their own deductions, suddenly fell silent. Dong-pyo opened his mouth.
“You are indeed dating Seon-hwa. Admit it and get permission.”
The male student gasped, sucking in a breath, and sprang up from his chair.
“No, no way. What do you know? What’s your evidence?”
As if he had expected this, Dong-pyo took a deep breath and quickly began to state his evidence.
“It was easy. This kind of suspicion is usually dismissed as nonsense. However, the act of overly refuting it is a typical reaction when one has something to hide. As a bonus, your cheeks flush every time Seon-hwa’s name is mentioned.”
“When did I ever?”
“You like Seon-hwa, don’t you?”
“No!”
“See? Your cheeks just turned red.”
The onlookers exclaimed in agreement, saying it was absolutely true.
“…”
Bom was familiar with that sight. It was just like when Jae-gyu tried to link her and himself together. He’s a consistent student, Bom thought.
“Shall I tell you more? Your eyebrows are raised, and your lower eyelids are trembling right now—that’s a textbook state for being cornered. All of this is based on scientific evidence, not just my personal opinion, so don’t argue any further.”
“…”
“Are you really dating?”
“Yeah, you bastard. I’m dating Seon-hwa!”
Unnecessary applause erupted among the onlookers. The two students started grabbing each other by the collars, but no one tried to stop them. Dong-pyo shrugged.
“We want to do it too!”
“Can you deduce things over the phone, student? I’ve got some money that was swindled from me.”
Everyone was clamoring to try it, and before long, a long line had formed. Those who had witnessed his skill firsthand were looking at Dong-pyo with eyes full of infinite trust.
‘Dong-pyo’s going to become famous at school soon.’
Bom, who was watching, spotted someone standing quietly alone amidst the boisterous crowd. Startled, Bom exclaimed, “Oh?”
‘Why is he here at this hour?’
When their eyes met, Choi Yi-jun bowed his head slightly to Bom in greeting.
There was no reason for Yi-jun to come to a small bazaar, of all events. Thinking he must be here for something else, she averted her gaze.
Teacher Seo Hye-sook whispered to Bom.
“Isn’t that Prosecutor Choi?”
“Yes, it seems he has some business here.”
“He keeps looking at you, Bom.”
“Huh?”
Looking again, he was indeed still looking her way. Bom broke out in a cold sweat. A few days ago, she’d received a missed call from Yi-jun but hadn’t called him back. She’d thought it was a mistaken dial, but…
‘Was he upset about that?’
She felt a pang of guilt for no reason. Eventually, Yi-jun started approaching them. Seo Hye-sook glanced at them, then gave a slight smile.
“Oh, I should head in now. Since there’s no homeroom today, I should seize the opportunity and leave early. You take your time and look around.”
“Ah, okay. Go ahead.”
After seeing Seo Hye-sook off, Bom stood still and waited for Yi-jun.
“Teacher Yoon Bom.”
“Oh, Mr. Yi-jun. What brings you here?”
Yi-jun looked around, then twisted his lips. His eyebrows were raised, and his expression was stern, making him seem angry. But his voice was calm.
“Since you’re avoiding my calls, I had no choice but to come in person.”
“That’s…”
Could someone really conclude she was avoiding him just for not answering one call? She tilted her head. Yi-jun was about to say more, but he saw a group of other teachers approaching in the distance and let out a sigh.
“Let’s talk over there for a moment. There are too many eyes around.”
“…Yes, okay.”
Following Yi-jun, they found no one in the parking lot behind the main building. As soon as they turned the corner, Yi-jun pinned Bom against the school wall. Her back instantly hit the red bricks, and all she could see was an angry Yi-jun.
“Why… are you doing this?”
“Your family has already given their permission, and things are progressing on our end. But the person involved is meeting some other bastard, so I’m quite displeased.”
What was progressing? Bom rolled her eyes, trying to grasp the situation.
‘Mom said she’d take care of it, and I said okay… but if it’s “progressing,” could it be…?’
Surely not marriage. Her pupils trembled. Yi-jun furrowed his brow and asked fiercely.
“You’ve been drinking with Seon Jae-gyu, and even visiting that bastard’s company. Don’t you think you need to straighten out your behavior?”
“How did you know about that…”
Bom stopped speaking. There was a presence somewhere behind them. Someone was behind the small, disused storage shed where cleaning tools were kept.
Yi-jun, pulling back from Bom, approached the direction where he’d sensed the presence.
‘Who could it be? Surely they didn’t follow us on purpose to eavesdrop?’
Worried, Bom cautiously followed behind. The thought that someone might have overheard sent shivers down her spine, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to be the case.
“…No, I said.”
The man behind the disused storage shed was engrossed in a phone call.
“Are you sure about the item?”
They couldn’t help but listen to the words, which reeked of suspicion. Yi-jun, too, focused on the man’s words with a sharp expression.
“As far as I know, it’s going to explode. Bang!”
Explode? What’s going to explode? As I listened, the voice sounded familiar.
Bom’s eyes widened. It was Jae-gyu’s voice.
“What happens if it explodes, you ask? What happens? If it explodes, everyone dies.”