The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Chapter 31
“What if you can see me too?”
“When I walk Kim Gaeun home, I’ll walk you home too.”
“Me?”
When I asked why me, Seo Jae-gyeom sighed.
“Think about it. If Kim Gaeun is in danger, why wouldn’t you be?”
“Going by that logic, though, every girl walking around at ten at night is in danger……”
Wouldn’t it be faster to ban creepy older men from leaving their houses at that hour instead of walking every single girl home?
With that thought in mind, I looked up at Seo Jae-gyeom.
“You must’ve been really grateful that I let you go first that day.”
No matter how late it was, asking ‘Want me to walk you home?’ only to never actually do it—wasn’t that just who Seo Jae-gyeom was?
“I’m fine. You don’t have two bodies, so how could you walk both of us home at the same time anyway?”
“We could come to Kim Gaeun’s place together like today, and then go to your house.”
“I don’t have time for that. I need to get home fast and study.”
I even waved my hand to dismiss it. Staring intently at me, Seo Jae-gyeom asked.
“When do you want to get coffee?”
“Coffee?”
“I promised I’d buy you some.”
Did he?
“Forget it. Let’s just say you already did. You helped a lot today.”
“You helped me a lot, too.”
“Then let’s call it even with the banana milk you bought earlier.”
“How are coffee and milk the same? The prices are totally different.”
“Just how expensive of a coffee were you planning to buy me?”
“…One with chocolate, caramel, and whipped cream on top?”
“…You really are eighteen.”
“And you’re not?”
“No, I am too. And I love that I’m eighteen.”
Just thinking about my age makes me smile even in my sleep.
Grinning, I got on the bus heading toward my house.
Following me onto the bus, Seo Jae-gyeom craned his neck to watch me tap my transit card. He glared suspiciously at the card in his own hand before tapping it against the terminal. Luckily, it beeped.
‘He must’ve never ridden a bus before. Because he’s rich.’
Squeezing into the seat next to me on the two-person bench, Seo Jae-gyeom folded his long legs uncomfortably.
“By the way, why did you suddenly get a part-time job?”
“Oh. I was running low on pocket money.”
“You could just ask your mom.”
“Mm.”
In this world, kid, there are families where asking your parents for money is surprisingly hard.
“Actually, there’s something I want to buy. That’s why I’m saving up.”
“What do you want?”
“Hannam Xi. It’s around 2.7 billion won.”
“…You’re going to buy that by saving up?”
“Yep. Let’s see, since I skipped snacks today and saved a thousand won, now all I need is 2,699,999,000 won more.”
“How are you ever going to buy it at that rate?”
“Are you looking down on a thousand won?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Go dig a hole in the ground. See if a thousand won comes out.”
The bus suddenly slammed on the brakes just in time, cutting off my nonsense.
Sitting next to the well-built Seo Jae-gyeom, our arms brushed against each other every time the bus swayed. He even smelled nice, like he’d sprayed cologne to seem more grown-up.
As I secretly sniffed the air, Seo Jae-gyeom spoke to me again.
“Did anything happen while I was away from school?”
“Anything happen?”
“Yeah.”
Bang Eunji had poured milk into my locker and Song Yeo-reum had locked me in the school, but……
“Nothing.”
“Right……”
He trailed off with a strange linger. Looking somewhat sulky, Seo Jae-gyeom asked.
“Are you close with the transfer student?”
“Jung Eun-sung?”
“Yeah.”
“Mm.”
He told me I’m the second most annoying person in our class. Does that count as being close?
When I told him that, Seo Jae-gyeom frowned.
“You’re close, then.”
“I guess?”
“Isn’t the person he hates the most me? It feels like he doesn’t like me.”
“…….”
Probably……
“Ah, we have to get off here. Get up.”
“Already?”
“It’s not ‘already.’ If you don’t stand waiting at the back door before it opens, the driver gets mad.”
“Ha……”
Welcome to Korean buses, Seo Jae-gyeom!
“Who are you Kotalking?”
“Gaeun.”
“You just parted ways with her. Why are you messaging her?”
“I have my reasons. …Ah, you can stop here. Thanks for walking me.”
“Why? Are we there?”
“Not really. But if you go in any deeper, it’ll be hard for you to catch a cab.”
Plus, I didn’t particularly want to see the expression you’d make seeing our rundown villa (and our semi-basement unit at that).
Seo Jae-gyeom, who had likely never once felt embarrassed about his home, looked puzzled, but he backed off obediently nonetheless.
After hesitating for a moment, I lightly caught Seo Jae-gyeom by the wrist.
“Thanks for helping today.”
“It’s not like I helped you.”
“You did help me.”
Today, you helped me, you helped Gaeun, you helped Sein and Su-a and Doyeon…… basically, you might as well have helped every girl whose name I can remember.
“I’ll do my best from now on so that someday, we’ll build a society where we can handle things like this on our own without your help, okay?”
I gave the wrist I was holding a firm squeeze and smiled.
Seo Jae-gyeom didn’t smile back. Looking down at me, he blurted out.
“Do you really not like me anymore?”
“Huh……?”
Out of nowhere?
“No, no. That’s not what I meant.”
Looking even more flustered himself, it seemed he hadn’t intended to say that either.
I waited while Seo Jae-gyeom froze with a hand covering his mouth. A few seconds later, he tossed out softly.
“Being with you makes me think.”
“Think?”
“About things I never used to notice or care to understand.”
“…….”
“So whenever I’m beside you, I……”
“You?”
“……feel like I’m so young.”
“You are young.”
“Whatever. We’re the same age.”
As he said that, Seo Jae-gyeom slightly narrowed his eyes. As if dazzled by a bright light.
Even though he was the one standing right under the streetlamp.
“Go on in. I’ll watch you go.”
Seo Jae-gyeom placed his other hand over mine where I was still holding his wrist. His large hand, with slightly calloused fingertips, gently gripped the back of my hand once before letting go.
It felt like the timing to say something, but no words came to mind.
I just blinked a farewell and dashed toward home.
I couldn’t look back.
In case Seo Jae-gyeom hadn’t left yet and was still watching my retreating figure.
“Guys! What happened yesterday!”
“Why didn’t either of you reply on Kotalk!”
“Did you kill the guy? Did you stab him with a knife?”
“Gyeong Sein…… do you really think they’d be here right now if they did?”
To cut to the chase, Gaeun publicly apologized to Doyeon the next day.
Saying she was sorry for misunderstanding all this time, sorry for speaking carelessly without knowing the full story, and that she wanted to be friends.
With strong-willed Gaeun stepping up first, the other kids who still disliked Doyeon couldn’t openly show it anymore.
This is why atmosphere matters.
And as I found out later, Doyeon and Gaeun surprisingly got along quite well.
Girls with strong opinions who weren’t overly sweet.
As the two grew close quickly, the classroom atmosphere improved as well.
And another surprising thing.
Seo Jae-gyeom.
Seo Jae-gyeom actually came to the front of Ibaji Academy every day to pick Gaeun up. That is, until Seo Jae-gyeom’s mother, utterly furious after hearing her son kept skipping his academy, came to school in person to drag him back to his classes.
‘I’d never seen Seo Jae-gyeom look so mortified.’
And so, Seo Jae-gyeom’s favors ended after only a few days, but it was more than enough to become a hot topic among us.
A few days later. Free period disguised as PE. On the wisteria bench.
“Doesn’t Seo Jae-gyeom like you?!”
Her cheeks flushed, Sein smacked Gaeun’s shoulder repeatedly. It was right after Seo Jae-gyeom, on his way to play basketball, had bummed a piece of jelly candy from Gaeun.
Twisting her back to dodge, Gaeun replied.
“I don’t think so. It’s just manners, probably.”
“Seo Jae-gyeom has manners like that?”
“What? Seo Jae-gyeom is the only guy in our class who doesn’t target the girls first during dodgeball, though.”
“…….”
At those words, all our gazes briefly drifted toward Do Hajun in the corner.
Do Hajun, who threw balls deliberately aiming at girls’ faces or chests every dodgeball game while saying, ‘Let’s clear out the trash mobs first.’
Was it just last week that Doyeon, unable to take it anymore, smashed a powerful spike right into Do Hajun’s face and made him cry……?
“Well, we haven’t played dodgeball with Jung Eun-sung yet.”
At that, our gazes slid right over to Jung Eun-sung.
Jung Eun-sung, who was applying a sun stick to his arms over there, raised an eyebrow when his eyes met mine. Soon, my phone buzzed.
Jung Eun-sung
2
14:11
I didn’t even have to ask to know what this meant: ‘Kang Da-hye, you’re the second most annoying person in our class.’
Looks like his agency gave him his phone back.
14:11
Go do PE or something
Jung Eun-sung
You do it
14:11
Jung Eun-sung
Stop staring at Jae
14:12
14:12
I wasn’t staring
Jung Eun-sung
I heard everything Lee Sein was just talking about
14:12
It’s Gyeong Sein, actually
14:12
Memorize your classmates’ names already
Jung Eun-sung
I only need to know yours
14:12
“?!”
Jung Eun-sung
Since you’re the class president
14:13
“Ah……”
Crazy jerk. Why does he say things that lead people on? I almost dropped my phone.
My startled reaction must’ve shown on my face. Jung Eun-sung chuckled in the distance. Ugh, how embarrassing.
“Anyway, it’s really not that Seo Jae-gyeom likes me.”
Gaeun said.
I quickly slipped my phone into my pocket and focused on the conversation.
“What makes you think so?”
At Su-a’s question, Gaeun showed her phone.
“Look.”