Translator: Nox

The Top Student Hides Her Regression

Chapter 28

“I’m already in a fucking shit mood, and now this…? What the hell is with this pathetic headband?”

Cursing without hesitation, Song Yeo-reum grabbed the ribbon on Bang Eunji’s head and yanked it. With a rip, the ribbon detached from the headband and dangled loosely.

“You’re already ugly as hell. Did you think wearing crap like this would make you pretty? You just look like a dressed-up fucking pig. Stop trying so hard, it’s pathetic.”

Song Yeo-reum’s shrill voice echoed loudly down the hallway.

Even as she served as an outright punching bag for Yeo-reum’s rage, Bang Eunji couldn’t say a single word. Face flushed bright red, Eunji kept combing her bangs with one hand.

Still, Song Yeo-reum didn’t stop.

“Get a grip on reality. Drawing lines on a pumpkin doesn’t turn it into a watermelon, Eunji. Huh? You’re fucking ugly.”

“……”

“Instead of wasting time making shit like this, go get plastic surgery, or lose some weight.”

With every word, Song Yeo-reum jabbed Bang Eunji’s forehead. Eunji could do nothing but stare at the floor in silence, eyes brimming with tears.

Having vented her frustration to her heart’s content right in front of everyone, Song Yeo-reum shoved Eunji’s shoulder hard as she walked past.

As she came this way, her eyes locked onto mine.

“You…!”

Catching sight of me, Song Yeo-reum marched over and raised her hand.

“You fucking—!”

“Eek.”

Save me. Trembling, I ducked swiftly behind Jung Eun-sung, who happened to be standing right next to me. When did he even get here?

Just then, a teacher coming out of the staff room shouted:

“Song Yeo-reum! I told you you’d be in serious trouble if you approached Eun-sung one more time!”

“Fuck….”

“Get away from him right now!”

“Fucking shit….”

Sheesh. Look at that mouth.

“Kang Da-hye, I’m going to tear you apart one of these days.”

Glowering at me with that threat, Song Yeo-reum spun around, fuming.

“Where are you going now?! Song Yeo-reum!”

Paying no heed to the teacher’s shouts, Song Yeo-reum walked straight out of the school.

“What are you looking at?! Fuck off!”

Over on the other side, Bang Eunji, her face burning crimson, snapped at the kids glancing at her. As she sobbed uncontrollably, a friend linked arms with her and led her away, comforting her.

With the spectacle over, the crowd began to disperse.

Jung Eun-sung was gone, too. Without even saying goodbye. Good grief. Enjoy your lunch, I guess.

As we headed down to the cafeteria, Doyeon asked,

“Why do you think Bang Eunji clings to Song Yeo-reum when she gets treated like that?”

“Maybe she’s afraid of being cast out of her friend group, too?”

Her pride gets crushed because of Song Yeo-reum, but the benefits of sticking by Yeo-reum’s side probably outweigh it.

At my response, Doyeon shook her head.

“Even so, swallowing your pride to that extent……. I just don’t get it.”

“We don’t ever need to understand.”

Let’s just eat and study.

They’re serving Brown Sugar Bubble Lattes for lunch today.

---

“So then Song Yeo-reum…….”

Tossing his phone onto the bed on speakerphone, Jae-gyeom took clothes out of his suitcase to unpack.

Even though Jae-gyeom didn’t say a word, the person on the other end chattered excitedly.

“And then she ran right into Kang Da-hye, cursed, and raised her hand, but Da-hye dodged it slickly. Behind Jung Eun-sung.”

“…Behind who?”

“Jung Eun-sung!”

“…….”

“Hello? Seo Jae-gyeom?”

“Shut up. What happened with her locker?”

“Who? Kang Da-hye?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that… looked like it turned out fine? She had all her books, too.”

“Is there anything you actually know properly?”

“Come on, it’s not like I’m Kang Da-hye’s boyfriend. How could I know all that…….”

“You couldn’t even if you tried. Her boyfriend, I mean.”

Giving him a scolding, Jae-gyeom abandoned unpacking and slumped down onto the floor.

Leaving a perfectly good chair alone, he sat leaning his back against the bed and pulled over his tossed phone.

He opened Chasebook.

During the few days he hadn’t gone to school, he had put up five posts. For Jae-gyeom, who rarely posted on Chasebook, that was unusually frequent.

Every time he posted, it would rack up a hundred likes and dozens of comments within ten minutes, but Kang Da-hye was nowhere among them.

Scrolling down, Jae-gyeom’s thumb halted on a photo taken by the Australian sea during winter break.

It was the last post that had a like from Kang Da-hye.

That was already weeks ago…….

‘Did Kang Da-hye get hacked or something?’

Or maybe she lost her phone?

Frowning, Jae-gyeom opened the class group chat on Kotalk this time.

He saw an announcement posted by Kang Da-hye.

-Today: Chemistry Periodic Table Test!!!

Kang Da-hye had posted three announcements in total.

A few days ago: -Next week: Chemistry Periodic Table Test!!!

Yesterday: -Tomorrow: Chemistry Periodic Table Test!!!

This morning: -Today: Chemistry Periodic Table Test!!!

Do Hajun
Giving up makes life easier lol
07:41

Memorize it instead of sending Kotalks
07:55

Even though they were clearly in the same Kotalk chat room, Kang Da-hye didn’t make the slightest attempt to catch Jae-gyeom’s attention.

She didn’t try to casually strike up a conversation, nor did she overreact to anything Jae-gyeom said.

She merely dropped the announcements and vanished.

Even when Jae-gyeom, annoyed by all the noisy chattering, had left the group chat, it was the Homeroom Teacher who reinvited him, not Kang Da-hye.

Holding onto his phone expecting a Kotalk from Kang Da-hye after leaving the chat, Jae-gyeom had only ended up getting scolded by his mom for staring at his phone at the dinner table.

“Want me to ask Kang Da-hye what happened?”

“Forget it. I’m not curious.”

“Why? I can ask for you.”

“I said I’m not curious.”

“Fine. Hey, but Kang Da-hye……”

This guy’s been talking about Kang Da-hye nonstop. Does he like her?

“Hey, do you like Kang Da-hye?”

“No? I don’t really like girls who are that strong-willed.”

“…….”

“I like girls who have some flaws. Clumsy, airheaded, laughs easily. Honestly, Kang Da-hye is kind of scary—…”

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“Girls like that don’t like you either.”

“Huh? Clumsy girls?”

“No. Girls like Kang Da-hye. Girls like her hate guys like you, too.”

“What…….”

“Girls like that don’t date guys like you. They only date guys on their level. Guys who are exceptional! Even guys like that would be lining up just to catch her eye once, so who are you to judge her? Who do you think you are?”

“No, I mean…….”

“Worry about your own life. Do you have any idea how high Kang Da-hye’s standards are? You could never date her. Got it?!”

Shouting angrily, Jae-gyeom hung up the phone without waiting for a reply.

On the other end, Jae-gyeom’s friend stared at the disconnected phone, muttering in dazed disbelief.

“Why did I just get chewed out……?”

Because you were talking bullshit, that’s why.

Regardless, Jae-gyeom lay back down on his bed after hanging up.

Resting the back of his hand on his forehead, Jae-gyeom’s gaze drifted sideways—toward the neatly wrapped box of chocolates on his desk.

“…….”

“Jae-gyeom-ah, the vice president is leaving! Come down quickly!”

“…….”

“Seo Jae-gyeom! Aren’t you going to say goodbye?!”

“…I’m coming.”

Jae-gyeom got up slowly from his spot.

Even after standing up, he didn’t head down right away. His large hand lightly tapped the chocolate box.

Tomorrow was finally the day Jae-gyeom would return to school.

When Jae-gyeom arrived at school the next day, he held a shopping bag containing the chocolates in his hand.

‘I hate doing stuff like this.’

Even with the girlfriends he had dated, he’d given them other presents rather than ever bringing chocolates to school, but Kang Da-hye wasn’t his girlfriend.

He was just repaying a favor.

‘Let’s just give it to her quickly and get it over with.’

With that intention, he had come to school unusually early, yet Kang Da-hye was nowhere in sight.

On the desk where Kang Da-hye usually sat reading or writing something, only her familiar bag sat all alone.

He considered just leaving it on her desk, but…

‘I made a promise.’

After a moment’s hesitation, Jae-gyeom headed to the class next door.

“Whoa, Jae-gyeom!”

“Seo Jae-gyeom, long time no see!”

The moment Jae-gyeom walked through the back door of Class 1, numerous kids called out to him. Acknowledging them half-heartedly, he searched for a familiar face.

“Han Ji-soo.”

“Oh, Seo Jae-gyeom!”

Spotting Jae-gyeom, Ji-soo stood up from her seat.

“What brings you to our class~?”

“Have you seen Kang Da-hye?”

“…Da-hye?”

“Yeah. Her bag is at her desk, but she’s not there.”

“I don’t kno~w……. I just got here myself.”

“Ah.”

Nodding that he understood, Jae-gyeom turned around without lingering. Ji-soo glanced back and forth between the item in his hand and his profile, a subtle smile touching her lips.

“Seo Jae-gyeom.”

“Yeah?”

“This is the first time you’ve ever come to me looking for Da-hye.”

“Is that so.”

Come to think of it, usually he used to go to Kang Da-hye looking for Han Ji-soo.

“Ah, there’s Kang Da-hye. I’m off.”

“Mhm. Bye-bye.”

Still smiling, Ji-soo waved her hand lightly. Seo Jae-gyeom was already no longer looking at her.