The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Chapter 41
Period 3. Aqua Man
One month into my regression. Midterm review.
Became class president. +1
Stopped Do Hajun from putting on a bizarre play in the Theater Club. +1
Undid the thing I regretted all along. +1
What I learned in high school,
not a single thing,
I remember none of it. -100
: So what do I need to do now?
That’s right, study!
Time to study.
There’s so much forgotten curriculum to catch up on.
From now on, my days will be of studying, by studying, and for studying.
“A girl who is warm and humane during the day!”
“Guys, keep it down.”
“Beauti-ful, loveable!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Guys, lower your voices. The teacher said they’d be right here.”
“Yes you, hey!”
“Let’s be quiet… There are people trying to study.”
“Huh? Who’s studying?”
“That would be me.”
I pointed at myself with the pen in my hand.
“Ah, right. Kang Da-hye, gotta give you that.”
“Thanks, I guess?”
I crossed my hands and gave male student 1 a half-hearted horse-riding dance, then buried my nose back into the workbook. Satisfied, male student 1 returned to his seat.
“That would be you!♬”
“Hey….”
It hasn’t even been a week since I became class president, and I’m already drained. When is the teacher coming…?
As I resolved to buy earplugs on the way home today, my desk mate spoke to me.
“How are you studying even during a quick break like this?”
“This is actually when you get the best focus.”
“What, you trying to get into Hankuk University or something?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
I’m the top student in the entire school. If I don’t go to Hankuk University, who will?
“True. Hankuk University does suit you. Feels like it’d be full of kids deriving the quadratic formula in a club.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Keeping your sanity and solving for the quadratic formula is way better than passing out drunk in a club. Besides, the quadratic formula is already solved.
“Then what college suits me?”
“You?”
I lifted my head from the workbook and glanced at my desk mate. Bathed in the morning sunlight, he flashed his teeth in a grin.
“Horangi University, the pride of the nation?”
“No. Enlistment.”
Opposition. Bedbug. Guillotine. Exaggeration. Cold treatment. Mistreatment. Cold shoulder. Hostility.
If not that, then what….
Hold your trap right there?
And how could a pro-Japanese collaborator like you go to Horangi University? Gonna write ‘collaborator’ in your personal statement?
Just go join the Self-Defense Forces.
“Hey, what kind of class president talks like that? Are you really the president?”
“Yup~ You get enlisted, and I’m Um Seok-dae.”
While it might look like we’re having a conversation, I’ve actually been solving a math mock exam this entire time.
Ever since my regression, I’ve made it a rule to solve one every day, but with so many problems I don’t know, grading and reviewing takes quite a while.
You all know, right? Mock exams have to be timed.
If it’s a 100-minute test, the unwritten rule is to finish in 95 minutes, excluding bubbling time.
In other words, I’m not even sparing a glance in my desk mate’s direction.
So why does he keep talking to me? Is he completely oblivious? I’m already anxious enough because there’s so much I don’t know.
By now, you’ve probably figured it out, right?
My desk mate is none other than…
“Kang Da-hye, isn’t there anything you’re curious about with me?”
Do Hajun.
The popularity vote guy. Park Suhwan’s lackey. A voice as thin and reedy as a eunuch’s, and hands and feet that look smaller than mine.
After joining the Theater Club out of his league to hit on Jisu, Do Hajun became my desk mate and was now targeting me, flashing smiles that were cool ☆only in his own mind★ as he kept chatting away.
“Hmm? Tell me what you’re curious about. I’ll answer anything.”
“Nothing.”
Ah.
“Actually, there is one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Could you…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Maybe not talk to me?”
“Ha.”
Stunned for a moment, Do Hajun let out a hollow laugh and pulled back.
“Fine, whatever. Forget it.”
“Let’s.”
Just because you make it obvious you’re sulking doesn’t mean I’m going to fret and walk on eggshells. For the record, you were the rude one first.
“Did you get rejected?”
Park Suhwan, sitting in the seat in front, turned around and sneered. Do Hajun complained loudly enough for me to hear.
“Yeah. Looks like she won’t even mingle with you unless you’re on Seo Jae-gyeom or Jung Eun-sung’s level.”
“Nah, no way. Kang Da-hye isn’t on that level. Tell her you’ll pay her to talk.”
Not worth a response, so I ignored them.
Why is my seat like this, seriously? When are we switching seats again?
“I hear my name being mentioned somewhere.”
Appearing right on cue, Seo Jae-gyeom slammed a box down onto the teacher’s lectern. Behind him, an expressionless Jung Eun-sung and a couple of well-built boys walked in carrying identical boxes.
The Homeroom Teacher, walking in last, spoke up.
“Everyone, pass them back one by one.”
“Whoa!”
“Wah!”
“Shh, quiet! The class next door is in session.”
It was one gourmet burger set and sweet-and-spicy fried chicken per person.
“Teacher, who’s treating us to this?”
Seo Jae-gyeom’s mother.
“Ah, that’s a secret. An anonymous parent treated everyone.”
The person who asked to keep it a secret was probably Seo Jae-gyeom. Seo Jae-gyeom found this so embarrassing that he hadn’t run for class officer since elementary school.
In elementary school, his mother had handed out one whole pizza per student to the entire grade just because he became class president…
‘Should I treat the class too?’
Feeling a bit of pressure, I looked at Seo Jae-gyeom, and our eyes met. He mouthed, “What?” and when I shook my head no, a smirk broke across his face.
Lately, he’s been acting like that.
Constantly making casual remarks, smiling.
Even messaging me on Kotalk first.
Seo Jae-gyeom
What are you doing?
19:30
Math
Seo Jae-gyeom
What about now?
22:01
English
For a second, I thought Seo Jae-gyeom’s account got hacked.
Behind Seo Jae-gyeom, a slightly sleepy-looking Jung Eun-sung was practically dumping the burgers in a pile onto the front desks.
For reference, I’m in row 1, Seo Jae-gyeom is in row 3, and Jung Eun-sung is in row 4. Both of them are a bit far from me.
One notable thing is, um… Doyeon and Seo Jae-gyeom are desk mates?
“Thanks for the food!”
“Anyone leaving cheese fries! I’ll eat them!”
Taking advantage of the commotion, Seo Jae-gyeom walked over to my side and spoke.
“Were you talking about me?”
“Not me, them.”
I pointed at Do Hajun and Park Suhwan.
Seo Jae-gyeom looked back and forth between the two losers, who had clamped their mouths shut and were staring at the floor the moment he approached, before speaking.
“You didn’t talk about me?”
“I was studying.”
“Working hard, huh.”
“I always work hard.”
Because it’s the best way to solve the problems I’m facing right now.
“You look like you’re in a good mood.”
“Because I am.”
There’s nothing bothering me.
Even the few problems I do have are the kind that effort can fix.
Even Song Yeo-reum hasn’t been seen at school since that day. Bang Eunji is busy cowering.
If every day could be like today, I’d have nothing left to wish for.
Seeing me grinning, Seo Jae-gyeom’s lips curled up too.
“All right, then. Study hard.”
Picking up my ballpoint pen, Seo Jae-gyeom scribbled something on my workbook and headed back to his seat.
Looking down…
🐱🐰
“……?”
What’s with him?
“Guys, are we… eating school lunch?”
“No.”
“Nope.”
“I’m full.”
“What’s on the lunch menu today?”
“Braised half-dried pollack, braised lotus root, seasoned eggplant, and bean rice.”
“Ugh.”
“Ew.”
“Let’s skip.”
Gaeun shook her head vigorously.
During lunchtime, already full thanks to Seo Jae-gyeom’s mother’s generosity, we strolled leisurely behind the kids sprinting toward the cafeteria.
“Let’s just get dessert.”
“What should we have?”
“Fish-shaped ice cream sandwiches?”
“Tired of that….”
“Wanna get strawberry shaved ice? The café across the street just got it.”
“Sounds good!”
“Love it!”
“But we can’t go off campus.”
“Do they deliver?”
“Probably not.”
“Can’t we just shout our order across the street?”
“…Can’t we just call and ask if they can bring it across the street?”
“Oh. Genius.”
“How do we pay, though?”
“I have cash.”
“Oh, it’s Dahye’s friend.”
Sein, walking ahead, said.
From the opposite direction, Jisu was walking over with her classmates. Spotting me before Jisu did, Jisu’s friends whispered to her.
Jisu lifted her head, her gaze sweeping over me, Gaeun, Su-a, and Sein one by one, before finally landing on Doyeon standing next to me.
I raised my hand high.
“Jisu!”
“…Kang Da.”
“They said today’s lunch is braised pollack, lotus root, and eggplant.”
I cracked the joke expecting Jisu to be grossed out, but…
“Ah, yeah.”
Her reaction was totally lukewarm.
With an awkward smile, Jisu brushed past me first. Next to her, one of the friends who had looked back at me whispered something into Jisu’s ear.
Until she descended the stairs and disappeared from sight, Jisu didn’t look back once.
“Dahye’s friend must be in a bad mood today.”
“…Looks like it.”
What was that about?