The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Chapter 47
“…I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Looks like you do.”
“…….”
“What was it they said? That kids who only study have no tact?”
“That’s—”
“You’re close with Kang Da-hye, and you’re close with them. Looks like you already have plenty of friends, so is there any reason to be friendly with me too?”
“…….”
Jung Eun-sung remained nonchalant even after seeing Jisu’s face stiffen. Turning his gaze away from the now-silent Jisu, he glanced around.
…Did the mood just suddenly turn chilly, or is it just me?
“Ah, but why isn’t Do Hajun here yet?”
One of the Theater Club members chimed in right on cue. At those words, I checked the time—there were only three minutes left until the movie started.
“Is he actually on his way? Call him.”
“He says he’s almost here.”
“When will he get here?”
“Five minutes.”
“Which means ten minutes.”
“Don’t they play ads before the movie?”
“Three minutes including the ads.”
“Haah….”
“Can’t we leave a ticket at the entrance and go in first?”
“I already asked, but they said they can’t hold tickets. There are too many people entering right now.”
“…Someone’s going to have to stay behind, wait for Do Hajun, and go in together.”
Like anyone would want to do that. It wasn’t like you could just catch the missed beginning in the next showing.
Irritation clouded the kids’ faces.
Sigh. I let out a breath and spoke up.
“You guys go ahead and watch. I’ll stay and wait for Do Hajun.”
“No way, let’s just wait together.”
“Or I’ll wait. I’m the club president, so it’s right that I do it.”
“Why bother? It’s fine.”
Truth be told, I’d already seen this movie before my regression. With you guys, no less.
And besides, in times like this, isn’t it only right for the oldest adult here to stay and wait…?
“Hurry up and get in, hurry. The movie’s really going to start at this rate.”
I nudged the backs of the kids, who kept looking back.
“What’s Kang Da going to do all by herself…?”
“Just hit the restroom or something. Do Hajun will be here soon anyway.”
“Do you honestly believe that?”
“Nope.”
But I always carried workbooks in my bag! He’d surely be here before I finished solving them!
Waving my hand, I sent them off and turned around.
True to my word, I stopped by the restroom and returned to the lobby. As I walked out shaking the water from my hands, someone smoothly drifted up beside me.
It was Jung Eun-sung.
“You didn’t go in?”
“I’m going in in a bit.”
“Why?”
“Staring at the screen is tiring.”
“Choux cream?”
I really hadn’t heard him clearly and asked back, but Jung Eun-sung looked at me with open disdain. After staring at me until I grew sheepish, he headed toward the franchise cafe attached to the theater.
“One choux cream latte, and… milk, please.”
“Milk?”
“Yes.”
He ordered without even asking for my input.
“Want whipped cream on top?”
“Yeah….”
“Lots of it, please.”
“For here?”
“Yes.”
“Jung Eun-sung, Do Hajun will be here soon.”
“Tell him to come here.”
“Okay.”
Waiting while sitting down was nice anyway.
The drinks came out quickly. Sitting down, I sent Do Hajun a message.
13:22
Where are you?
Do Hajun
Nah clingy girls aren’t attractive
13:23
13:23
Where ARE you
Do Hajun
5 mins
13:26
He said five minutes earlier, and now he was saying five minutes again. In the time it took him to say that, he could have arrived already. And did I ask for the time? I asked for your location!
13:26
So WHERE are you
Do Hajun
My house is far
Takes an hour lol
13:30
“An hour, my foot! I know roughly where Do Hajun lives. It takes ten minutes by bus or subway!”
Jung Eun-sung poked a straw into the coffee sitting before my fuming self.
“Or what, is he riding a horse here? Is he late because there’s no stable to park his horse?”
“Do you park horses?”
“I don’t know!”
Even walking wouldn’t take an hour! Huffing, I sucked hard on the straw.
Meanwhile, Jung Eun-sung cleared away the straw wrapper, then picked up the workbook I had laid on the table and flipped it open.
Fearing that watching a movie and everything would keep me from doing today’s study quota, I had woken up early this morning to solve the problems in advance, but I hadn’t had time to grade them yet.
“You didn’t miss a single one in the beginning, but from the middle, you got a whole bunch wrong. Is the back part harder?”
“Not really.”
It’s because I regressed.
“Still, you’re getting better as you go.”
Because my memories were coming back as I solved problems without skipping a single day. Even so, I still had a long way to go.
I don’t want to get better, I want to get every single one right!
Ah, what am I going to do about math, seriously? The CSAT is one thing, but midterms are right around the corner.
“Why didn’t you grade this part?”
“Didn’t have time.”
“When did you solve it?”
“Before coming here.”
I’ll do it now. I said as I pulled out my pencil case. Jung Eun-sung looked back and forth between my tattered pencil case and the workbook, then made a playful suggestion.
“Want me to do it for you?”
“No!”
“Whyyy?”
“Because I’ll get a lot wrong and it’s embarrassing.”
“I’ll grade it.”
“Go away.”
Give me the workbook. I reached out, but he whipped it away. Why this little punk?
I reached out again. He whipped it away again. Leaning his upper body back, Jung Eun-sung fluttered the pages.
“Oh, already wrong. The answer’s number 3.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, got this one wrong too. The answer’s 1.”
“You don’t even have the answer key!”
“Wrong here too, wrong here, and this one….”
“Give it!”
“Kang Da-hye got a zero?”
“Hey!”
Give it back right now. Leaning over the table, I thrust my arm out. Jung Eun-sung firmly caught my flailing wrist with one hand.
Jung Eun-sung was grinning, canines on full display. I was doing the same.
“…….”
“…….”
“You even studied in advance like this, only to miss the movie because someone else was late.”
“Tell me about it.”
“He’s that guy, right? Your desk mate?”
“Don’t call him my desk mate. Don’t associate me with him in any way.”
“Okay.”
“…Hey, though.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you and Jisu on bad terms?”
I asked straight out, but Jung Eun-sung played dumb. Lightly shaking my wrist held in his hand, he answered.
“We’re not close enough to be on good or bad terms.”
“Then why did you act like that earlier?”
“What did I do?”
“You said something earlier. To Jisu.”
“It was a compliment. Saying Han Jiyoung has lots of friends.”
“It wasn’t Han Jiyoung, it was… anyway, nothing happened between you two, right?”
“What could possibly happen? We’re not close.”
I’m asking why you aren’t close, you know….
“Get along with her. You two are the leads.”
“Actors shoot dramas just fine even when they dislike each other.”
“You’d rather die than say you’ll get along, wouldn’t you?”
If you look closely, this guy is surprisingly exclusive.
“Oh, it’s Do Hajun.”
Right on cue, the phone on the table vibrated. Pulling back my wrist from Jung Eun-sung’s grip, I answered the call.
“What? You don’t know where it is? Just come into the mall, take the elevator up to the 6th floor, and— Augh, just stay there. We’ll come get you.”
Is there anything this guy can do properly?
“Do Hajun says he’s at the plaza in front of the station. Let’s go get him. Did you finish yours?”
I gestured toward the milk Jung Eun-sung hadn’t even touched after ordering. Following my gaze, he picked up the cup. After taking a few halfhearted sips, he set it down. A milk mustache sat on his plump upper lip.
“You have milk on your face.”
When I pointed it out, Jung Eun-sung lifted the back of his hand to wipe it, paused, and soon curled his lips into a smirk.
“Want to wipe it for me?”
“Are you crazy?”
“Why, didn’t you wipe it for that ugly guy last time?”
“That ugly… Wait, Seo Jae-gyeom?!”
Hey, that’s really crossing the line!
“Eat this instead.”
I scooped up the round dollop of choux cream whipping left atop my cup with my straw and held it out. Staring at the whipped cream brought to his mouth, Jung Eun-sung dipped his head and carefully took a bite.
“It’s good.”
“Right? Let’s go.”
“I can’t go since you haven’t wiped my mouth.”
“Augh!”
I roughly wiped his mouth with a napkin from beside us and grabbed my bag. It wasn’t until we came out onto the first floor that I realized Jung Eun-sung was carrying the heavy workbook that felt like it would snap my shoulder.
“Whoa.”
In the plaza in front of the shopping mall housing the cinema, pink cherry blossom trees stood in neat rows. A few were in full bloom, while others had just begun to blossom. Petals fluttered down in the spring breeze.
“Did you know? They say if you catch a falling petal, your wish comes true.”
“Superstition.”
“Where’s your sense of romance?”
I glared at Jung Eun-sung for brushing it off.
People in noticeably lighter clothes than last month stood before the cherry blossom trees taking photos.
As Jung Eun-sung stepped among them, what can I say?
It looked like a page straight out of what people envision as ‘ideal youth.’
Another gust of wind blew, sending petals scattering.
“Where on earth is Do Hajun….”
While I looked around, Jung Eun-sung took a few steps forward and reached out his arm. He even took off the cap he was wearing, tucked it under his arm alongside the workbook, and waved his arm vigorously.
Soon, Jung Eun-sung returned to me and opened his palm.
“Here.”
Inside lay a single pink petal.
“It’s yours.”
Paying no mind to his flattened hair, Jung Eun-sung smiled triumphantly.
“From now on, don’t get any wrong and get a perfect score, okay?”