The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Chapter 48
“That was fun.”
“Right?”
“What do you mean, ‘Right’? Dahye, you barely even watched any of it.”
“Did Do Hajun apologize to Kang Da-hye?”
“Ah, I did, I did! How long are you guys going to bring that up? I was just late because I live far away.”
“It’s fine. I had fun too.”
It was the truth.
The movie was 100 minutes long and I only caught the last 30 minutes! Didn’t that mean I got to watch just the climax? What an absolute win! ㅗㅗ
“Come to think of it, isn’t it cherry blossom festival season right now?”
“Should we go too? It’s just one bus ride straight to Yeouido from here.”
“No, no. Time to study now.”
“Ah, Kang Da. It’s not even exam season, why study? If you miss the timing, the cherry blossoms are gone for good.”
“I have never forgotten my studies just because the flowers fall.”
“No, they didn’t fall, they just bloomed! Right now!”
“I have never forgotten my studies just because the flowers bloom.”
“There’s no getting through to you.”
Male Student 1, who had suggested it so excitedly, pouted.
As the group split half-and-half between those who wanted to go and those who didn’t, I looked at my watch and said,
“You guys go have fun. I have somewhere to be.”
Besides, I already saw the blossoms.
I thought of the single petal tucked between the pages of my workbook.
Beside me as I clenched and unclenched my hand in sudden embarrassment, Jung Eun-sung walked in silence.
“So Jisu isn’t going, Do Hajun isn’t going… What about you, Eun-sung?”
“I have to head to the practice room.”
“Ah.”
Beside him, a club member asked with curious eyes,
“Do you go every single day?”
“Pretty much.”
“Do you see celebrities when you go?”
“I see seniors if they come down to the basement practice rooms, but not often.”
“Do you have their numbers?”
“I have the numbers of the hyungs who trained with me before debuting.”
His tone was blunt, but he answered surprisingly sincerely. With Jung Eun-sung actually responding, the kids excitedly chimed in with their own questions.
Seeing this, he was secretly kind of nice.
“Oh, right. But what about our costumes and props?”
“We’re prepping those already?”
“In the second semester, we’ll have so much to prepare—stage backdrops, tickets, promotion—so wouldn’t it be better to sort out costumes in advance?”
“Can’t we just wear what we already have?”
“We could, but there’s nothing suitable… and they smell.”
“Plus, dirt was falling off them,” another club member added with a frown. Having guilty consciences, Jung Eun-sung and I feigned innocence.
“Our play did well last year, so we got funding for it.”
Just then, Do Hajun—who was getting shot down after suggesting to the other guys that they go to a PC bang instead of flower viewing—butted in.
“Costumes! I’ll order them! I know a site!”
“You?”
Club activities were just as important to me as grades… because of my student record. But Do Hajun…? Hiding my inner turmoil as best as I could, I asked,
“What kind of site…?”
“I was in charge of costumes last year, remember? I found the site back then, and the value for money is insane.”
“Mmm…”
Strictly speaking, you weren’t in charge of costumes, you were just the costume carrier…?
While the girls exchanged subtle glances,
one clueless girl clapped first.
“Sounds great!”
“……”
It really wasn’t.
Left with no choice, Jisu spoke up.
“Then Hajun, why don’t you look through the site and post some options in the Kotalk group chat? We’ll discuss and decide together. We have to buy props and other things within our budget too.”
“Just trust oppa.”
Oppa, my foot. Has he lost his mind?
O: Oppa, my ass, let’s
PPA: Part ways right this second.
“I’ll catch the bus here.”
“Kang Da, you’re heading to the hospital, right?”
“Yeah.”
To Jung Eun-sung, who whipped his head toward me at the mention of a hospital, I said,
“I’m not the one who’s sick.”
“I was wondering. Thought your heart was aching from getting so many problems wrong.”
“Hey…”
“What’s this?”
“An evil-warding talisman. Han Ji-soo’s mom left it when she visited.”
“Oh…”
From the looks of it, it didn’t look like an evil-warding talisman, but a misfortune-attracting one. These Chinese characters are…
“Her mom’s insane. She asked for my birth date and time, my grades, and my parents’ jobs, and then told me not to talk to Han Ji-soo at school.”
I was currently visiting Bang Eunji in the hospital. It was the first time I had ever seen her bare face without makeup.
Without the eyeliner that looked like it had been drawn with a black permanent marker, she looked much better.
“Then what’s with this… magazine of a half-naked ordinary woman?”
“Funny, right? My oppa gave it to me.”
“Oppa? That trash boyfriend of yours?”
The twenty-two-year-old dating a high schooler? At my question, Bang Eunji glared daggers.
“Hey. What do you mean, trash?”
“He is trash.”
“You just don’t know him. Oppa treats me f*ing well. When we walk together, he always makes sure I walk on the inside, and on dates, setting out the silverware, booking theater tickets—I don’t have to do a single thing. Oppa does it all.”
“If doing just that lets you date high schoolers, I could do it too.”
“I’m telling you, that’s not it! Oppa might be a bit rude to other people, but he’s never like that with me…”
“So you’re saying the trash only doesn’t smell when it’s next to you.”
Doesn’t that just mean you have rhinitis?
“My blood pressure is rising, so let’s talk about something else.”
Shaking my head, I cut Bang Eunji off.
I didn’t come here to listen to Bang Eunji defend her boyfriend.
My purpose in coming was—
“Bang Eunji, do you know Song Yeo-reum transferred schools?”
“…Yeah. She actually called me and cursed me out. That’s why I deleted my Chebook account.”
“Is that all? When you return to school, your standing won’t be what it used to be.”
You won’t be able to enjoy the smug satisfaction of reigning over other kids, and at an age where friends are everything, you’ve lost all of yours. Right away, you’ll have to worry about finding someone to eat lunch with.
Just like how you mocked Doyeon a few weeks ago.
You might even have to ask the quiet kids you made fun of as losers until yesterday if you could eat with them.
“I know. Me too.”
“F*,” Bang Eunji cursed softly and lowered her head. Seeing her looking so gloomy, I asked,
“Then why did you do it?”
Knowing full well it would end up like this.
After muttering a few more curses under her breath, what Bang Eunji confessed was:
“Actually, the day before, Song Yeo-reum called me over to bring her pants, and when I went…”
Blah, blah, blah.
“…Holy shit, really?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s the worst.”
Touching someone’s sore spot like that. Even if I were Bang Eunji, I would’ve stabbed Song Yeo-reum in the back.
“She made me stand there… and said I looked like a pig. Said looking at my legs, I’d do great in physical education college.”
“……”
“But the day before that, you helped me in the teachers’ office.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Mujin Yanghaeng.”
“Ah.”
Right. Because I felt bad for her getting scolded by the Hanja teacher.
“Honestly, at first I was embarrassed and annoyed that you jumped in… I thought you were showing off like a know-it-all. But thinking back, you were helping me. While Song Yeo-reum, who was supposed to be my friend, humiliated me.”
“So.”
That was why you betrayed Song Yeo-reum and helped me.
It wasn’t like I had helped you out of some grand benevolence either, though…
“Still, you’re pretty impressive, Bang Eunji.”
“…Impressive?”
“Yeah.”
“……”
“Any other kid would have swallowed their pride no matter how hurt they were and stayed Song Yeo-reum’s minion.”
Out of fear of having no friends.
“But you chose to cut Song Yeo-reum off for your own self-respect. That makes you impressive.”
“……”
“Since you had that kind of courage, you should have the courage to apologize to the kids, too. When you come back to school, apologize to our classmates. Some might say a mere apology isn’t enough, and most won’t accept it, but there will definitely be someone who does.”
Compared to betraying Song Yeo-reum, giving an apology is nothing.
Your pride might take a hit, but that’s your own karma.
“Think it over while you rest. Being embarrassed and ashamed right now is only temporary. Isn’t it better for you to make new friends quickly and adjust back into school?”
“……”
“If you summon your courage just once, you’ll feel at peace for a long time afterward.”
Compared to how you’ve bruised other kids’ pride all this time, an apology is a light price to pay. I added those words.
Bang Eunji said nothing.
I wasn’t in any position to give Bang Eunji more advice or comfort either, so I wrapped up the conversation.
“I’m leaving.”
I grabbed my bag and stood up from my seat.
As I was about to head out, Bang Eunji suddenly spoke from behind.
“Kang Da-hye.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
“……”
“For bullying you in middle school, taking your money, teasing you as a beggar over your clothes and shoes… and for trashing your locker like that. I’m sorry for all of it.”
“……”
“Thank you for helping me even though I bullied you. As for the money, once I get my allowance, I’ll pay back as close to the amount as I can.”
“I told you to summon your courage, and you’re using it on me first?”
“…Yeah.”
“……”
“Will you accept it?”
“Well…”
You were pretty harsh to me, after all. Honestly, if you were going to call me a beggar, you shouldn’t have extorted money from me.
You plucked the liver right out of a beggar!
I let go of the doorknob and turned around.
Looking at Bang Eunji, who couldn’t even meet my eyes, I said,
“Bang Eunji.”
“Huh?”
“When you’re discharged, come apologize to my mom too. Beg for forgiveness properly for what happened back then.”
If you do that, well.
Who knows? Maybe someday you and I could become friends too.
“And.”
“…Yeah.”
“Thanks for coming to warn me that day.”
“…Yeah.”
“I’m really going now. Get some rest. Don’t just goof off because you’re hospitalized—get some studying done, too.”
Though of course, I need to study first!
Math!
With that mindset, I left the hospital and headed straight for the neighborhood library.
And there,
“…What are you doing here?”
I ran into Seo Jae-gyeom.