The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Chapter 13
“I hate it when guys who aren’t handsome get called handsome.”
“……”
Just for a reason like that…?
“Hey… Seo Jae-gyeom is handsome.”
My utterly baffled remark was met with a firm retort.
“Which is why I hate you too.”
“Ha…”
Thanks for letting me know, I guess?
“Why call someone handsome when he isn’t?”
“I mean…”
Because he actually is handsome…
Stunned, I muttered to myself.
“I guess there’s zero chance Jeong Eun-seong will ever like me in this lifetime.”
“Yep.”
Unbelievable.
“I don’t like you either, Jeong Eun-seong.”
“I hate you more.”
“Yeah, no~ I hate you way more.”
“Think again~ Jae-consider it.”
“Ah, seriously, you psycho…”
So infuriating!
“Are you going to keep Jae-bbering like that?”
“I have a mouth, why can’t I talk? What are you, a dic-Jae-tor?”
As we traded nonsense back and forth, we arrived at our classroom before I knew it.
This time, I tried to slip in first and slam the door shut, but Jeong Eun-seong caught onto my plan and headed for the back door, foiling my attempt.
“Tsk.”
Clicking my tongue, I looked around the classroom.
Amidst the kids gathered in small groups chatting or doing homework, I saw Doyeon sitting alone, reading a book.
I pulled out all of today’s textbooks from my lockless locker, stacked them under my chair, and walked over to Doyeon.
“Hi.”
Doyeon, who had been engrossed in her book with an expressionless face, looked up in surprise.
As if she hadn’t imagined anyone would talk to her, yet somehow secretly hoped someone would—a complex, subtle look flitted across her pale face before quickly fading.
“What are you reading?”
“The Maze Runner.”
“Ah. Is the series finished right now?”
“No, not yet.”
“Oh.”
I’ve read all the way to the end! I know everything that happens next!
“I heard all the main characters get infected in the end.”
Dropping fake spoilers on Doyeon, I looked around the classroom.
A classroom buzzing with the excitement of a new semester.
The kids arriving one by one greeted each other warmly or shyly, but not a single person came toward Doyeon and me.
‘You shouldn’t talk to Woo Do-yeon.’ The unspoken rule that had already taken hold dominated the classroom atmosphere.
For kids stuck together in the same classroom all day, conforming to the group’s opinion and belonging to the majority mattered more than anything. Going against that was harder than death for teenagers.
I’d been a teenager once, so I knew.
‘Just me being her friend isn’t enough.’
To pull Doyeon out of her long isolation, breaking this atmosphere was essential above all else.
What can I do?
‘If just one person, just one more person would reach out, things would change.’
And that opportunity came sooner than expected.
During the break before geography class.
While previewing today’s lesson with Doyeon, someone cautiously called my name.
“Um, Dahye.”
“Yeah?”
When I looked up, a classmate with light brown hair held out a workbook toward me. Her cheeks were flushed red.
“Could you maybe teach me this?”
“Ah, of course. Ask away.”
Wait, your name is…
‘Kyung Sein.’
She was the classmate standing next to me yesterday when I broke my locker lock.
I remembered her as someone gentle and easygoing who got along well with everyone.
‘Still, I don’t think she was particularly outgoing or assertive.’
To come up and talk to me when we weren’t even close.
And right now, of all times.
Even though she was only asking about a problem, her tightly pressed lips showed she had mustered considerable courage to approach us.
It’s not like she’d be nervous just talking to me.
Then could this be…
“Actually, I’m not really sure about this problem either… Is it okay if we ask Doyeon?”
Doyeon’s better at math than me, I added.
After hesitating, Sein gave a slight nod.
Oh my gosh!
“Sit here!”
Thrilled, I made room for her in the seat next to mine.
I gave a light nudge to Doyeon, who had her mouth slightly open in bewilderment.
“You heard, right? Teach us this, please.”
“…Uh. Okay.”
Blinking, Doyeon slowly picked up her mechanical pencil.
Equally tense, Sein clenched both hands tightly into fists under the desk.
An excessive amount of concentration, far more than what a single math problem warranted, poured over the workbook Sein had brought.
Gulp. I couldn’t tell which one of the three of us swallowed dryly.
“This is actually really easy once you know the pattern…”
“Oh…”
“Ooh…”
Reactions that felt like people trying their absolute hardest to be sociable despite the awkwardness floated through the air.
“If you can’t figure it out, just plug them in one by one. For multiple choice, that might actually be faster.”
Doyeon, drawing a star next to the answer, wrapped up her explanation.
“Did you get it?”
“Yeah! Thanks, …Doyeon.”
“…It’s nothing.”
To Sein’s quietly added thanks, Doyeon shook her head and replied in an even quieter voice.
And then, a brief silence.
Like that awkward lull in conversation on a blind date…
As for me, I was so proud of Sein for reaching out first that I felt like giving her a kiss, but…
I truly had no idea what to say next.
My wandering gaze landed on Sein’s smartphone resting on the desk, specifically the celebrity photo card tucked into the back of its case.
I saw a member of a boy group who, in the future I came from, had practically ceased group activities as members went their separate ways, but right now was just a rookie who had barely debuted.
“Oh, Sein, do you like him?”
“Yeah! You too, Dahye?!”
That must have hit the mark. Sein’s voice suddenly shot up.
She asked me if I was a #)$(# too (it sounded like the fandom name), and suddenly began showing me dozens of photos from her phone gallery—all of guys with eye makeup who looked practically identical.
“I seriously want to marry him. But the problem is…”
“The problem is?”
“The age gap is too big.”
“You’re worried because you’re too young?”
“Yeah. I feel like he wouldn’t see me as dating material.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Because in the future, this guy ends up marrying a woman seven years younger than you.
Age is definitely the issue.
You’re way too old for him!
“And there’s something else bothering me…”
With shining eyes, Sein showed photos of skinship between her future husband and another member, passionately arguing that these two were definitely dating for real.
“So you’re saying the guy you want to marry is currently dating his own groupmate?”
Knowing who each of them would marry in the future, all I could do was chuckle, but surprisingly, Doyeon listened with total seriousness.
“If they’re making it this obvious, the staff must already know.”
“Right?! That’s what I’m saying! So…”
Pausing mid-sentence, Sein glanced over at Jeong Eun-seong sitting in the corner.
Lowering her voice, she asked in a whisper:
“Dahye, are you close with Jeong Eun-seong by any chance?”
“No? Not at all?”
Lowering my voice along with hers, I turned to look at Jeong Eun-seong.
He had placed a one-liter carton of milk on his desk—when did he even buy that?—and was applying hand cream. Looking at him from a distance, I could clearly see the girls in our class constantly stealing glances at him.
“Really? But you two were messing around during class.”
“Messing around? I was the victim of a one-sided assault.”
“Even so, you’re the only one in our class who’s talked to him. I want to get close to him too so I can ask about my idols… But Jeong Eun-seong seems on the quiet side.”
He talks plenty.
“How is he? Is Jeong Eun-seong nice?”
“He’s a total psycho.”
“That’s so cute…”
“Huh…”
“Come to think of it, there’s a handsome guy on Bus Number 12 in the morning too…”
“Oh? I know him!”
“Right, want some Mychew?”
“Yeah!”
Before we knew it, any lingering awkwardness between Doyeon, Sein, and me had completely melted away.
-Things High School Girls Need to Become Friends-
- Mychew 2. Handsome guys
“So Dahye, you don’t go to an academy?”
“Yeah. I just study on my own.”
“I’m jealous. You must be really smart.”
“No way, I’m planning to ask Doyeon for help with math too. It’s tough.”
“Right. Doyeon’s explanation was seriously good. …Hey guys, if you have questions, you should ask Doyeon too.”
Lifting her head, Sein suddenly called out to some other girls.
One sat right in front of me, and the other sat in the fourth row. From the looks of it, they were Sein’s friends.
As if they had already talked among themselves about Doyeon and me, Sein wore a determined expression.
At Sein’s words, the girl in front of me (Sein’s friend 1) stayed silent with a reluctant look, while the friend in the fourth row cut her off flatly.
“I’m good.”
Had the class bell not rung right at that moment, the atmosphere we had worked so hard to loosen up would have turned terribly awkward.
Sein gave a sheepish smile and whispered.
“Sorry. She’s been a little on edge lately. She says she can’t sleep.”
“No, it’s fine! That happens.”
And then, silence again…
“By the way, why isn’t the teacher here?”
“Yeah, weird.”
Seriously, why isn’t he coming?
