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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Cleanly, Brightly, Confidently
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The aftermath of the school trip had the class buzzing more than usual.
Feeling extra tired today and unable to focus, A-jin found the lessons dragging on endlessly.
As soon as the break bell rang, she stretched like she'd been waiting for it and flopped down on her desk for a quick nap.
"Hey! Puppy."
But she had to sit up again because Jun-woo was tapping under her desk, calling her.
"What?"
A-jin asked with a face full of complaints.
"Go buy some bread."
"What?"
She furrowed her brows in disbelief.
"I said go buy some bread."
"Why me?"
When she shot back, he raised his right hand.
"My arm's hurt, so I can't go."
It wasn't his leg that was injured, and both hands weren't unusable.
A-jin scowled even more at his lame excuse.
Was this what they called a bread shuttle?
A little while later...
"Here, banana milk, right?"
She couldn't refuse because of her guilt.
Back from the school store, A-jin handed him the castella cake and banana milk.
"No. I said chocolate milk."
"No, you said banana milk."
"I only drink chocolate milk."
"Ugh... I'll go exchange it."
"Forget it. Just stick the straw in."
"You can do that much yourself."
"You said you'd do whatever I want."
Jun-woo raised his right arm once more.
*I'm the sinner here. I'm the sinner.*
He was annoying, but she had no right to refuse.
A-jin jammed the straw into the milk carton lid with all her might.
He'd said "please" nicely, but he was treating her like a slave.
She peeled the wrapper off the castella for him too and handed it over with the milk.
Finding it amusing how she grumbled but served him anyway because she knew it was her fault, he let out a smirk.
Then he handed the banana milk to her.
"That's yours."
* * *
Her footsteps home felt endlessly heavy.
Lately, Cho-hee's mood had been utter crap.
Seeing Jun-woo and A-jin grow even closer using his injured arm as an excuse made her stomach churn and her nerves fray to the point of wanting to die.
"Han Cho-hee."
Just then, someone blocked her path.
Already irritated, her brows furrowed even more sharply.
"Who..."
Cho-hee looked up and couldn't hide her momentary shock.
It was Lee Min-hyuk.
Last year, he'd mistaken her for a college student while she sat in a café and approached her with a slice of cake.
There had been guys like that before, but she hadn't given her number to all of them.
But Min-hyuk, a PE major, was built solidly, handsome, and seemed well-off.
That's how their relationship started, and even after he learned she was underage, he didn't care.
But they broke up soon after.
Min-hyuk showed intense obsession, deleting all the numbers in her phone behind her back, calling relentlessly until she picked up.
He followed her everywhere and even got caught trying to secretly install a location-tracking app.
That was when she started understanding her dad's feelings.
How suffocating it must have been for her to run away from home.
And now that same Lee Min-hyuk had come all the way to her house.
"Long time no see, Han Cho-hee."
"How did you know I lived here?"
"I got leave."
"If you're on leave, go hang out with friends. Why waste time coming here?"
At her question, Min-hyuk twisted one corner of his mouth.
"It's time for you, so why would it be a waste?"
"..."
"We still have things to talk about."
"What things?"
"Everyone thinks I'm the bad guy."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's all because of you."
Min-hyuk looked wronged.
Blaming it all on her, he stepped closer with heavy footfalls.
"You told me to cut off everyone around me first. Said to only look at you."
"Who said to cut them off?"
"You brought up location tracking first."
"That was just talk that came up while dating. Who said to actually do it?"
"People know, right? That you're a rotten bitch?"
"Yeah. Anyone who needs to know does."
At Cho-hee's unapologetic attitude, Min-hyuk let out a hollow laugh.
He'd have left quietly if she'd just said sorry once.
"You think you can ruin me like this and live happily?"
"Did I ruin you? You're just ruined."
"What? Don't you remember the day we broke up?"
"Breakup day? When was that?"
Frustrated by her brazen attitude, Min-hyuk raked back his hair like he was tearing it out.
"Don't pretend you don't remember."
"Pretend what? Did something even happen between us?"
Min-hyuk wore an incredulous expression, as if how could she forget.
His obsession had clearly mirrored hers.
She'd made him cut off his friends, cater to her whims that changed dozens of times a day, obey her every word.
After taming him like that, she'd suddenly declared it over.
Unable to accept it, Min-hyuk clung to her, and Cho-hee despised him for it.
In the café, excited, he'd tried to drag her out, and she'd asked bystanders for help, branding him a date abuser and stalker.
Rumors spread to school, forcing him to take a leave and enlist like he was fleeing.
"Fine. Then I'll do one last crazy thing before I go. Those photos you sent me? I've kept them safe."
At the word "photos," Cho-hee's eyes shook uneasily.
"Photos...? What photos?"
"There are all kinds. Which one should I show first?"
Her lips trembled at his pettiness.
"You bastard. Even if you hate me, isn't this low for a guy...?"
"Think it over and call me. You know what you have to do."
Min-hyuk grinned wickedly, mouth stretched wide.
Fear spread across her face at his smile.
What should she do? Her mind blanked, nothing coming to her.
* * *
As always, A-jin's slave-like day began.
"Here."
Jun-woo tossed the gym shirt onto her desk.
A-jin stared at him blankly, wondering what it was.
"What?"
"Put it on me."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
"Just ask Jong-min."
"He's busy."
He nodded toward Jong-min.
Jong-min was glued to his phone game, mouthing curses.
*Busy, my ass.*
A-jin pouted at him, knowing it wasn't a real excuse.
The ways he found to use her were endless.
Demanding she put on gym clothes he didn't even need right now, turning pages because it was hard, even opening can lids for him.
Even though his fingers worked fine and he could do it himself, he invented ways to boss her around.
A-jin slipped the good arm in easily, then widened the sleeve for the casted right arm and slid it on.
Then, curiosity struck, and she asked.
"You're doing this just to mess with me, right?"
"Why would I?"
"Technically, you could do all this yourself."
"So, you don't want to?"
"No, it's not that I don't want to, but it's all stuff you don't need me for."
As a sinner, what right did she have to complain? Her voice trailed off.
He'd been gazing at her steadily, then tugged the collar straight, nodded, and said.
"Come with me."
"Huh?"
He suddenly headed out of the classroom.
Not knowing why, A-jin worried she'd upset him with her question and followed timidly.
"Where are we going?"
She trailed after him with a worried face.
"A-jin, where you headed?"
Just then, she ran into Cho-hee coming back from the bathroom.
"Cho-hee."
Her nerves had been on edge all day because of Min-hyuk.
Seeing A-jin stuck to Jun-woo's side like gum made her even sharper.
"Where are you two off to?"
"Uh... where are we going? Right?"
A-jin called to Jun-woo ahead, but he walked on without a word.
*Oh, please, 'we'?*
The word grated on her.
Cho-hee couldn't control her expression, her brows twisting.
But A-jin didn't notice.
She was just focused on catching up to Jun-woo, who was getting farther away.
"No idea. I'll go first, Cho-hee. See you later."
A-jin waved to Cho-hee and hurried after Jun-woo.
"Is she pretending to be his lackey on purpose?"
Watching them disappear, Cho-hee bit her lip.
She couldn't understand why A-jin kept doing things that annoyed her more and more.
Acting annoyed or reluctant while sticking close, doing unclear lackey-or-girlfriend stuff— it made A-jin seem so infuriating she wanted to scream.
Especially that innocent "I know nothing" face; it made her want to scratch it up so bad her guts twisted.
* * *
He hadn't answered where they were going, but they ended up at the library.
"Why the library?"
"Hand."
"Huh?"
Jun-woo took her hand, spread her palm, and gestured for her to hold it out.
Clueless, A-jin extended it as he wanted.
He pulled out one book from each section and stacked them on her outstretched hand.
Science, social studies, novels, English, math.
Before she knew it, five books towered on A-jin's hand.
"Hold them and come."
After checking them out, he led the way, holding the glass door open.
He waited for her to pass first.
"You borrow books a lot, huh. I thought top students just stuck to textbooks."
"Then you must read a lot."
"Me? Not really. Why?"
"You're bad at studying."
"Oh, come on!"
They say don't tell someone who's actually bad that they're bad—it hurts!
A-jin huffed, wrinkling her nose.
"But why borrow books all of a sudden?"
"Because you have to do it."
"Huh?"
"Can't hold them all with one hand."
"Did you borrow them on purpose because I complained about pointless tasks?"
"Not really. I was gonna anyway."
Either way, A-jin was glad to be actually helping.
She'd wondered if he was making up useless chores just to guilt her more.
That had made her feel even sorrier.
"But you know what?"
Feeling good, A-jin sidled up and whispered conspiratorially like she had juicy gossip.
"What?"
"I've never been to the library before. Heh heh heh."
As a second-year who bragged about never visiting the library, A-jin grinned brightly.
Pitiful, but oddly cute.
A chuckle escaped him.
Being with her was like this.
He'd laugh without meaning to, often.
A faint smile lingered on his lips the whole way back to class.
* * *
"Did you take good notes?"
At Jun-woo's question, A-jin beamed proudly and held out the book.
"Of course. Here!"
Jun-woo skimmed her notes, then twitched his brows in dissatisfaction.
"Well? Good, right?"
"Even my foot could do better."
Offended by his harsh critique, A-jin bit her lip, glared, and stormed out.
"Getting all sulky."
Amused by her, Jun-woo added explanations to her notes.
"Hey! Park Jun-woo."
Then Jong-min plopped into A-jin's seat, leaning in like he had a secret.
"What?"
"Tell me, just me. I'll pretend I don't know."
"Tell you what?"
*'I already know. Spill it.'*
Jun-woo found Jong-min's random question annoying, but Jong-min had to ask.
Why keep A-jin around calling her slave this and that over a few apologies?
Normally, he'd brush off help as a hassle, yet here he was assigning her trivial errands—it didn't add up.
"I'll really keep it to myself."
"What!!?"
Jong-min brought his narrowed eyes and sly grin close to Jun-woo's ear.
"You like Kang A-jin, right? You definitely do. Can't fool my animal instincts."
"Ew! You psycho!!"
Jun-woo shoved him away in shock, not sure if it was his own feelings or Jong-min's gross lips or both.
"Whoa, overreacting much?"
Jong-min took Jun-woo's violent reaction as confirmation.
"You freak! Get your mouth away!"
"See that reaction? You totally like her."
"Why would I like her?"
"Then why overreact? Old saying: strong denial means strong affirmation."
"Get lost."
Jun-woo scowled, done talking.
But Jong-min pressed on.
"You're ambidextrous. Right hand's hurt, fine, but you can write with your left."
"So what!"
"Healthy hand and you still make A-jin do it every time."
Caught off guard by the sharp question, Jun-woo faltered.
"It's fun. Easier to boss her around."
"Nah..."
Jong-min shook his head, instincts sure.
"So what."
"Okay, stopping here. For today. Watching more will reveal the truth. I'll watch."
Jong-min pointed two fingers from his eyes to Jun-woo and back, then returned to his seat.
*'Watch what.'*
Jun-woo eyed Jong-min distastefully, dismissing the nonsense.
He slammed her textbook shut.
He'd just made her take notes because it was a hassle.
He absolutely didn't like Kang A-jin.
Jun-woo denied Jong-min's guess.
