Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 4: Just a Different Species (2)

The moment Lee Yu-jin, who had been sleeping face-down on her desk, sat up—

The very air in the classroom shifted.

The students' eyes shook with agitation.

"Whoa, what? Who is that?"

"How can a person look like that?"

"She’s way prettier than my favorite idol. This makes no sense."

"She’s a total goddess."

Someone finally recognized her.

"Wait, isn't that Lee Yu-jin from Asang Middle School? I think I heard she was coming to our school."

"Lee Yu-jin from Asang? I’ve heard that name before."

"Didn't they say she was going to an arts high school?"

"I thought she’d go to an arts high school for sure, but she ended up at a regular academic one?"

With a single stretch of her arms, Lee Yu-jin instantly commanded the attention of all her classmates.

Everyone began stealing glances at her, cautiously gauging her mood. Whenever their eyes happened to meet hers, they would hurriedly look away ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as if they hadn't been staring.

"But why was she crying earlier?"

"Maybe it was a mirror she really liked? The one she dropped."

"It looked expensive. I’d probably burst into tears too."

Jang Ji-hye silently listened to the whispers directed her way.

Sitting right next to Lee Yu-jin, all of Ji-hye’s nerves were focused on the window side of the room.

‘If she sits here, the UV rays are going to ruin her skin...’

Ji-hye usually preferred the aisle seat. However, she didn't want to lose the spot next to Lee Yu-jin, who was tucked away in the corner by the window, to anyone else.

She would just have to put her faith in sunscreen.

The male homeroom teacher entered the room.

After ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠introducing himself, offering congratulations on their admission, and explaining the long-term academic plan, he began the roll call.

"Alright, the first period is my class. I’ll take attendance. Ko Hyun-min."

"Present!"

Each time a student answered, the teacher made eye contact to confirm.

"Lee Yu-jin."

"Yes."

As the roll call neared the end, the students, who had been tense, felt a slight shiver at the sound of her languid, husky tone. It was a pleasant, melodic low voice that seemed to tickle the depths of one's ears.

"Oh... so you're the Lee Yu-jin."

Meeting her eyes, the male teacher stumbled over his words.

In any other situation, the students would have burst into laughter and teased him relentlessly. But right now, they completely empathized with how he felt.

"If... if you ever have any trouble with school life, feel free to come to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the faculty office for a consultation. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Ri-right. Next. Lee Jin-ah."

"Present."

And so, the first class began.

Ji-hye instinctively realized that the teacher’s entire focus was on Lee Yu-jin.

"So, in this section..."

Every time he turned back from writing on the board to look at the students, his gaze would invariably sweep toward Lee Yu-jin in the corner. Ji-hye, being sensitive to such things, could clearly feel him desperately racking his brain to explain things in a way that Yu-jin could easily understand.

He almost looked like a male bullfinch puffing out its chest and fluttering about to show off its song and dance.

Yet, she didn't find the teacher pathetic.

‘She’s just a different species altogether. Anyone would act like that in front of her.’

Destined to be loved by everyone. Destined to have everyone begging for her attention.

To the high school girl Jang Ji-hye, that was the kind of being Lee Yu-jin was.

*

The moment I stepped through the front door, Mom hurried over to take my bag and coat.

"How was the entrance ceremony?"

"It was fine."

Actually, I just went to the classroom early and slept.

"Did you make many friends?"

"They’re definitely more mature than kids in middle school. They respect personal space and don't bother me when I'm just sitting there."

In middle school, kids would swarm around me from the very first day. I almost had a claustrophobic breakdown back then.

"How many confessions did you get today?"

"None of that happened. Maybe it's because they're high schoolers, but everyone was quite well-behaved."

"No way. Are all the kids in your class blind?"

"...Mom."

I appreciate the deep affection, but this kind of over-the-top praise is hard to handle for someone with the soul of a man.

"Did you see Yu-seok? He said he was going to pick you up to match your dismissal time."

"I figured he would, so I left through the back gate."

I had no desire to run into my younger brother, who is an embarrassment no matter where you take him, on my way home.

"Still, isn't he sweet? He’s acting as a guard so no random punks try to hit on his sister."

"I'm stronger than Yu-seok, though."

"Oh, hush. You're still a girl."

The reason my brother acts so extra is, to use his words, "brand management." Because of his dream to turn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me into a star and become a high-paid manager, he’s been pulling this "image management" crap by himself since we were kids.

"Noona! Noona! Why did you come home alone? I ran there as soon as school ended to escort you!"

"None of the boys even talked to me. So don't bother coming from tomorrow on."

"I guess high schoolers are more refined than middle schoolers. Man, when I think about how much I struggled back in middle school..."

"I'm the one who struggled ten times more because of your fussing. What are you talking about?"

*

Monday, the second week of school.

Before opening the classroom door, Jang Ji-hye took out a hand mirror to check her appearance one last time. Because her seatmate had such an overwhelming presence, Ji-hye had become even more conscious of her own looks.

Slide.

As she opened the back door and entered, her eyes landed on Lee Yu-jin sitting in the corner by the window.

As if by some unspoken agreement, a one-seat radius around her was completely empty. Since the day of the entrance ceremony, keeping a distance from Lee Yu-jin had become a tacit rule. Just as it is hard to stare directly at the sun, the students couldn't bring themselves to approach her or strike up a conversation casually.

Only Jang Ji-hye sat next to her.

Even so, Ji-hye found it difficult to speak to her easily.

‘She’s really pretty. So this is what it means to be "pretty" as a different species.’

Ji-hye composed herself while stealing glances at Yu-jin’s profile.

‘I wonder if there’s an actress among the ones Dad knows who’s prettier than her?’

They say actresses look different on screen versus in real life. How would that face look on TV?

Ji-hye was so busy letting her imagination run wild that the lesson didn't even register.

‘I want to be friends...’

But even the thought of speaking to her felt burdensome.

Before she knew it, it was lunchtime.

While everyone else got up to go to the cafeteria, Yu-jin pulled out a plastic container just as she had on the first day. As usual, she sat at her desk and began eating half a bunch of bananas.

‘I guess she’s managing her diet? Is she preparing for a debut? With a face like that, she must be signed to an agency.’

Ji-hye had no idea. Yu-jin was only eating like this because she hated being stared at by everyone in a crowded cafeteria.

The last period was with their homeroom teacher.

"Alright, today I’m going to assign a group project that will run throughout the first semester."

[Topic: Traditional History]

"You are free to explore any sub-topic you wish. Groups must consist of two or more people; other than that, there are no restrictions. Presentations will be held on the Monday two weeks before summer vacation. That is all."

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, he saw the students' eyes drift toward the window corner.

Yu-jin’s expression remained unchanged, as if she were either completely unaware of the attention or simply brushing it off.

Then, an event occurred that shocked everyone.

"Jang Ji-hye."

Yu-jin had spoken to someone first for the first time.

"Ye-yes? Me? You called me? Really?"

"Want to be in the same group?"

Ji-hye was so surprised she nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Wha-what? You want to be in a group with me? Are you... are you serious?"

"If you don't want to, I'll look for someone else."

"No, no! I’ll do it! I’ll do it! Let’s be in the same group!"

An excited Ji-hye accepted happily. The other students waited with expectant eyes, hoping Yu-jin would continue speaking.

"Then it's just the two of us?"

"Hu-huh? Ju-just the two of us?"

"If you don't want to, I'll look for someone else."

"No, no! Let’s do it with just the two of us! I like it, I like it!"

"I’ll do my share, so you just do exactly your share too. That should work."

"Got it, got it. I’ll work hard!"

Many students, especially the boys, felt a pang of regret. They wished they had sat closer to Lee Yu-jin instead of backing away out of intimidation.

*

The reason I chose Jang Ji-hye was simple.

She sat next to me every day, and she was a girl.

Based on my experience from elementary and middle school, including a boy in a group project only increases the hassle, and if there are more than two girls, it becomes hard for me to control the situation.

The teacher was sensible enough to set the minimum at two people. Though, it would have been better if there was no group project at all.

‘Where is that brother of mine right now?’

I checked his location on the tracking app Mom installed on my phone; he was near the back gate. So, I left through the front gate with Jang Ji-hye.

"I think it's better to get this kind of thing done early so we can relax. What do you think?"

"Me too, me too!"

"Then shall we start today?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

I even exchanged phone numbers with Jang Ji-hye. Because the stares from all directions were stinging, I pulled out a mask and a hat and put them on.

"Yu-jin, you must be tired all the time..."

"I'm used to it, so I manage. We’ll need a computer for the project, right? Should we go to your place?"

"Huh? M-my house?"

"The environment at my place isn't great for working on projects."

"Okay! Then let’s go to my house!"

Actually, it’s because I don't want to show her my embarrassing younger brother...

"But my house is a bit far, is that okay?"

"Where is it?"

"Gangnam District..."

"Gangnam District? You managed to get assigned to this neighborhood despite living there?"

"Yeah, it’s a long story."

"I won't ask."

It was too embarrassing for Ji-hye to explain that her father had pulled strings to avoid the tragedy of his daughter—who wasn't very bright and hated studying—getting crushed among the elite students of the 8th School District.

No one was home.

"I'm going to change my clothes in the bathroom."

"You can change in my room..."

"The bathroom is more comfortable."

‘Does she always carry a change of clothes to school?’

Yu-jin went into the hallway bathroom. Ji-hye also went into her own room to change.

*

PD Jang Hyun-soo had been looking haggard for the past few days.

‘Why hasn't she called? Why? Why? Why on earth? For what reason?’

The happiness (the contact) that absolutely should have arrived had not come, no matter how long he waited. At first, he thought she might be playing hard to get for salary negotiations, but this timeline was getting too long.

‘Damn it, I already bragged to the writer and the staff that I found the perfect face.’

He remembered what the writer had cautiously said during today’s production meeting.

‘PD-nim, actress Ahn Jung-hyun is showing interest in this role. Should I give her a positive answer? It’s getting awkward to keep her waiting so long.’

‘Let’s wait just a bit longer. I’m telling you, that actress was perfect for the bodyguard warrior role. She wouldn't be overshadowed by Yoon Se-rang at all.’

‘But are you sure she’s an actress? Otherwise, there’s no way she wouldn't contact you after receiving your business card.’

‘She has to be at least a trainee or an aspiring actress. No parent would leave a face like that as a civilian.’

It wasn't that he had just been sitting around. He had exhausted every contact he had, asking, "Do you know a trainee or aspiring actress who looks like this? She seems to live around XX."

—Are you sure she isn't just a regular person? If she does contact you, make sure to link her with us, PD-nim.

He had only collected a bunch of counter-proposals like that.

‘Sigh, should I go on a stakeout near that park for a few days?’

He had stopped by the house at this hour because there was something he needed to grab from the basement gallery.

Opening the front door and stepping inside, he saw the profile of a strange woman standing in front of the first-floor terrace window, drinking orange juice.

Long sweatpants, a loose round-neck tee.

Just as he was tilting his head at the familiar silhouette, the woman turned toward him.

The moment their eyes met, Jang Hyun-soo let out a scream and fell backward.

"A-aaack! Why are you here?!"