The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Chapter 50
Two familiar-looking boys were walking shoulder to shoulder from the other end of the hallway. They must have been looking this way even before Jisu pointed, because our eyes met immediately.
Male Student 1, with prominent cheekbones, greeted me while looking like he was holding back a grin.
“Hey, Kang Da-hye.”
“Oh, hey.”
“Heading to club?”
“Yeah.”
Looking closer, he was someone who had been in my class during our first year.
Beside Male Student 1, whose lips were twitching, was Male Student 2—presumably his friend—staring at me with sparkling eyes.
I didn’t think this one had been in my class.
“…Hi?”
It felt awkward to ignore him, so I greeted him anyway.
“Uh, y-yeah! Hi!”
Startled, he greeted me back. Soon, a smile bloomed across Male Student 2’s face as well.
As we brushed past them, I heard Male Student 2 asking Male Student 1 in complete excitement from behind:
“Hey, are you close with Kang Da-hye?”
“We were in the same class last year.”
“Ah, you should’ve told me that beforehand! Holy crap, my heart almost dropped.”
“Fell for her?”
“She’s even prettier up close. Is she always that sweet?”
“Crazy bastard, how is that sweet? She just said hi.”
…I can hear everything.
“See? You’re totally popular.”
Jisu, who had been watching from beside me, whispered with amusement dripping from her voice.
“I was in that class last year too, but I guess I’m completely invisible.”
“No way.”
“You’re better at studying than me, and more popular too. I’m totally beneath Kang Da. Wow. From now on, I guess I should step backward to make way whenever you walk by.”
“Come on.”
I linked arms with Jisu, who was bowing low and taking comical little backward steps.
“Let’s hurry. The bell’s about to ring.”
“It’s fine. The teacher said he’d be late today. Said he had something to discuss with another club’s advisor.”
“Still, Do Hajun is……”
“Ah, Do Hajun is supposed to show us the costumes he found today, right?”
“Wait, wasn’t he supposed to post that in the club group chat first?”
“He was, but he didn’t post anything!”
“Haah.”
“Did he say anything to you, Kang Da? You two are desk mates.”
“Do Hajun got caught playing mobile games during homeroom, so he’s on chore duty… He spends all of recess frantically erasing the chalkboard. And besides,”
“Besides?”
“I don’t particularly want to talk to Do Hajun……”
“Ugh.”
“Ugh.”
Do: Hate Do Hajun.
Ha: Hate Hajun.
Jun: Hate him so damn much.
Shaking my head, I opened the door to the Theater Club room and walked in.
I saw Jung Eun-sung, who had arrived first. Sitting in the far corner away from the sunlight, he was meticulously applying hand cream.
“Hey, Jung Eun-sung.”
Jisu greeted him first. Behind her, I gave a halfhearted wave.
We’re in the same class—why couldn’t he walk with us? Why did he dash over alone?
Jung Eun-sung saw me waving, and……
He whipped his head away and ignored me.
I wasn’t surprised or flustered. It wasn’t like Jung Eun-sung being weird was anything new.
Let’s just let it be.
Eun: sung’s
Sung: personality is weird.
Meanwhile, there was an unexpected person inside the club room.
“…Hey, Kang Da-hye.”
“Bang Eunji?”
Bang Eunji, who had been discharged from the hospital, was raising an awkward hand toward me.
“Why are you here?”
At my question, Bang Eunji’s eyes darted around.
“I’m going to switch clubs.”
“Ah.”
Right. There was no way she could stay in her old club. All her former friends would be there.
I understood that, but.
“But why the Theater Club…? Did you always like theater?”
“I like Cho Seung-yu. The actor.”
“……”
He is a musical actor, to be fair.
“You can’t just switch whenever you want. Did you get the teacher’s permission?”
“Normally no, but… he said he’d talk with my current club’s teacher.”
“Ah.”
Then again, Teacher Lee Mong-ryong probably had a rough idea of Bang Eunji’s circumstances.
‘So that’s why he’s late. Because he’s discussing it.’
Of course, I also thought it was better for Bang Eunji to switch clubs rather than walk on eggshells and stubbornly endure her old one.
Still, out of all the clubs, why the Theater Club specifically?
Jisu whispered beside me:
“Told you, Kang Da is popular.”
“Come on.”
Wait, didn’t Jisu’s mother warn Bang Eunji to stay away from Jisu?
Is it really okay for her to ignore that warning and join the Theater Club?
Then again, maybe I was the only one intimidated by Jisu’s mother, while Bang Eunji couldn’t care less.
As long as Jisu didn’t tell her, her mother wouldn’t know anyway.
Well, more club members meant more helping hands, so it was a good thing. With that thought, I nodded.
“Welcome.”
“Welcome!”
Jisu clapped beside me as well.
The other members who trickled in to fill the seats flinched at first upon seeing Bang Eunji, but soon clapped along, even if stiffly.
Had rumors already spread that Bang Eunji was turning over a new leaf?
Still, worried the atmosphere might turn awkward, I voluntarily took a seat next to Bang Eunji. As I pulled out my chair, Bang Eunji whispered:
“I’m going to break up with oppa.”
“Out of the blue?”
Just a few days ago, she was totally head over heels.
Did the veil blinding her finally lift?
‘Let’s not pry. What if she changes her mind?’
“Congratulations.”
When I gave her a thumbs-up, she smiled.
Once Jisu confirmed everyone had arrived, she raised her voice to get their attention.
“Guys, the teacher is going to be late today. Let’s start by ourselves. You remember we were supposed to decide on costumes, right?”
“Right, Do Hajun. What happened with the costumes?”
“Weren’t you supposed to post them in the chat?”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Only then did Do Hajun—who had been ignoring everyone, holding his phone sideways to play games—stop furiously bouncing his leg and look up.
“Ah, well, that’s…”
“You didn’t look into it, did you?”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“Ha. Look, this kind of thing normally never happens, okay?”
“So what happened?”
I have no desire to listen to Do Hajun drone on, so let’s skip to the conclusion.
Conclusion: There were costumes we planned to buy, but just in case, he searched Jungo World and found something similar. Thinking it’d be more cost-effective, he tried to buy those instead, and……
He got scammed.
“…Where did you even get the money?”
We never gave him the club funds, so what money did he use to buy it?
At that, the treasurer slowly raised a hand from the corner.
“Hajun said it was urgent… so I gave it to him. He said things like that sell out if you don’t buy them the second they’re listed……”
Note: Whenever Do Hajun came up in conversation, this was the person who subtly shielded him, saying, ‘Come on, Hajun’s pretty decent, he’s cute.’
She was also the one who beat everyone to the punch and clapped at Do Hajun’s suggestion the day we watched that movie!
“What?”
The club room erupted into chaos at the treasurer’s bombshell.
“What the hell is this…!”
“The two of you decided that without even consulting the rest of us?”
“Because consulting would’ve taken too long……”
“And after you got scammed?! Why didn’t you say anything?!”
“Ha-Hajun said he could fix it before club time.”
“How on earth was he supposed to fix that?!”
“…How much did you get scammed for?”
Jung Eun-sung, who had stayed quiet until now, asked.
At the interjection from Jung Eun-sung, who hadn’t uttered a single word so far, the kids fell silent.
“Well, that is…”
Hearing the treasurer’s answer, I grabbed the back of my neck.
Hey. From now on, you’re Hajun’s wife.
“Are we broke now?”
“Wow.”
“Wow.”
“Haah.”
Hollow laughter and sighs broke out.
Do Hajun, the culprit behind this mess, was hiding behind his wife to avoid the blame. Jisu, her face hardened, spoke:
“Do Hajun. We clearly agreed to buy them only after we finished discussing it.”
“No, but that was seriously so cost-effective—”
“With that amount of money, didn’t you blow through almost the entire budget? Not to mention it wasn’t even actually cost-effective.”
Jisu’s lips trembled as she fought back her rage.
I kept my mouth shut and watched the situation unfold.
Hold back. Jisu is the club president. It’s not my place to step in.
Let’s manage my temper by thinking of this conflict as an anecdote I can write in my college application essays later.
“Even if you couldn’t tell the others, as the president, you should have told me beforehand—”
Even though Jisu, who was normally nothing but kind, spoke this sternly, Do Hajun showed not a shred of remorse. He jutted out his lip in irritation and half-listened, until—
“Do Hajun, are you listening?”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“Did I do it on purpose? I was just trying to do well. I’m a victim too, so why are you attacking the victim?”
“……”
“You think you guys are the only ones mad? I’m mad too. Frankly speaking, wouldn’t I be angrier than you guys who just sat on your asses flapping your mouths? Do you really think it’s right to corner someone like this over an honest mistake?”
“We’re not cornering you—”
“Ah, seriously, do you guys live your lives without making mistakes? Make two mistakes and you’d probably murder someone. Should I just quit the Theater Club? Should I go up to the roof right now, write a suicide note blaming you guys, and jump off? Would that satisfy you?”
Hold… back.
“What are you even saying? You messed up, and that’s how you talk? Did you even apologize to us?”
“Ah, yeah, yeah—I wondered when the apology talk would come up. You’ve got nothing else to say, so you nitpick over petty details, right? I am SO~ deeply sorry~”
“……”
“Happy now?”
I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!
Does anyone here think I should hold back?
Step over to the next page for a second.
Bang!
Phew~
Anyone else?
No one?
Then, onto the next chapter… you are cordially invited :)