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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Sweet Honey Honey Tea
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My stomach started hurting a little from the morning.
Had a whole month already passed?
Times like this really drove home how fast time flew.
Cho-hee checked her schedule.
'History class.'
The history teacher—whose balding had progressed to the point where he smacked a thick comb against his scalp at every opportunity—was fine with anything she did.
No homework? Okay. Forgot her textbook? Okay.
On days when he supervised self-study hall, she could show up or skip it, no big deal.
A few kids resented her for his obvious favoritism.
"Teacher."
"Huh? What's up, Cho-hee?"
He greeted her warmly when she showed up at the teachers' lounge, as always.
"Um... my stomach hurts. Could I lie down in the nurse's office for one period?"
"Why's your stomach suddenly hurting?"
"Oh... it's that thing, you know, girl stuff..."
"Ah, that. Yeah, can't have you hurting, Cho-hee. Go lie down."
He nodded knowingly without her having to spell it out.
Then he patted her back with a gentle hand.
Cho-hee smiled to herself.
Thanks to her easygoing history teacher, she could kill the next hour scrolling on her phone in peace.
She claimed a spot in the corner of the nurse's office.
She'd turned in her airphone but snuck her real phone along.
To avoid getting caught using it, she lay on the sofa with her back to the room instead of the bed.
A curtain was drawn, suggesting someone else was there besides her, but it wasn't the nurse, so she didn't care much.
Five minutes hadn't even passed when the door creaked open.
Thinking it might be the nurse, she hurriedly hid her phone.
"You little punk, still here?"
It was Jong-min.
'Why's he here?'
Cho-hee stayed quiet for now.
After Jong-min's grumbling came a familiar voice.
It was Jun-woo.
'The guy lying there is Jun-woo?'
Cho-hee perked up her ears for their conversation.
"You really not into Cho-hee at all?"
At Jong-min's question, she strained to listen harder than ever.
Most guys were interested in her, even if they didn't show it.
"Crazy bastard, you know who I like."
'He likes someone?'
Cho-hee's brow furrowed bit by bit.
"But why Kang A-jin?"
'Kang A-jin?'
She let out a disbelieving scoff.
No wonder she'd felt off whenever those two were together.
Even though she and A-jin were no comparison, that anxiety had a reason now.
Cho-hee marveled at her sharp instincts.
'Why? Why her of all people?'
It might not have bothered her this much if it were some other girl.
Jealousy burned in her eyes, veins bulging red.
She gripped her phone hard.
* * *
Fifth period break ended, and Jun-woo was back at his seat.
A-jin fidgeted nervously with the honey tea drink in her hand.
'Is this too much? No! Even friends give each other stuff like this when they're sick.'
Feeling bad for ignoring him earlier, she'd slipped out to the school store. Luckily, they had hot drinks.
Worried the other kids might see, she'd hidden it inside her jacket.
"You're back?"
She sat down and asked him.
Maybe she'd spoken too softly? He didn't seem to hear.
"Y-you okay?"
She tried again.
And debated pulling out the honey tea from her jacket.
"Yeah."
This time he heard and answered.
He wouldn't get sweet just because he was sick—his gruff tone was consistent as ever.
What if he snapped that no one would drink this crap?
Half-expecting rejection, she pulled it out and offered it to him.
"Here, have th—"
"Jun-woo, drink this."
But then a girl from the class next door set a honey tea drink on his desk.
The exact same one she'd bought.
A-jin quickly stuffed hers into her bag.
Pretending nothing happened, she pulled out her textbook for the next class.
Still, she side-eyed the girl offering the drink.
"How's your body feeling? Better?"
"Yeah."
'How far did the rumor spread?'
Just a cold, and it reached the next class over.
Exhausting.
Jun-woo gave the girl a curt reply.
"Take care of yourself, then."
"Yeah."
The girl beamed, proud that he'd accepted her drink without complaint.
As the girl left the classroom grinning ear to ear, the stares and murmurs of "Ooh" died down.
A-jin dropped her glance.
'That was close—almost embarrassing.'
Relieved she'd hidden it fast, she was caught off guard when Jun-woo held out his hand to her.
"Hand it over."
"Huh?"
She stared blankly at his open palm thrust in front of her.
"I said give it."
"What outta nowhere?"
"You bought it for me, right?"
"You... saw?"
She'd hidden it quick, but he'd spotted the honey tea in her hand.
"What, regretting it now that I'm asking?"
"Who's regretting? There's already the same one."
A-jin pouted, feeling wronged.
He promptly passed the drink on his desk to Ji-hoon, who sat right behind him.
Ji-hoon looked puzzled at first, then nodded gratefully.
Jun-woo turned back and held out his hand to her again.
"No more excuses. Give it."
"But..."
It was the same drink anyway—why toss the one from someone else but demand hers? It didn't make sense.
Still, he wanted it, so A-jin awkwardly bent down, fished the honey tea from her bag, and handed it over.
He popped the lid and downed it without hesitation.
His throat bobbed rhythmically with each gulp, like a conductor at work.
His raised neckline was smooth, his prominent Adam's apple subtly sexy.
A-jin swallowed unconsciously.
She was grateful he'd drink the one she bought without complaint.
Proud, too—and he looked adorable chugging it without pause.
* * *
It was a peaceful class period.
Then the door slammed open, and the supervising teacher stormed in.
"Teacher, one sec. Choi Jong-min, Yoon Sun-ho—out here!"
He beckoned Jong-min and Sun-ho to come.
Unlike the startled kids, Jong-min and Sun-ho looked like they'd half-expected it and filed out of the classroom.
Everyone wondered why, but no one knew.
A-jin was curious too about what got Jong-min and Sun-ho called out.
She leaned toward Jun-woo.
"What happened? Why'd they call Jong-min?"
"Got caught at a club."
He answered nonchalantly, like it was nothing.
A-jin was the shocked one.
"No way. Jong-min goes to places like that?"
"Why? You think he just studies at home?"
"No... not that. But he's such a good guy."
Jun-woo eyed her naive expression.
"Good guys don't drink or hit clubs? That's a stereotype."
"He drinks too? No way. I never pegged Jong-min for that... kinda bad."
"What's wrong with drinking?"
"You drink too, then?"
"You don't?"
"Aside from tasting while cooking... everyone drinks, huh."
Jun-woo glanced sideways at her.
High schoolers weren't supposed to drink, obviously.
Her conflicted face—half right, half wrong—was amusing.
Cute.
The deep furrow between her brows as she pondered seriously was comical, her puffed-out lips endearing.
* * *
"You crazy bastard, look at this mess because of you!"
Jong-min slammed the mop on the floor, snapping at Sun-ho.
"Who knew the science teacher would be there?!"
"Ha! That's why I had a bad feeling. Why'd your brother ditch us like that!"
"I dunno. I'm pissed too. That jerk's girlfriend showed up. Argh, pissing me off again. He's dead when he gets home."
Sun-ho's brother— a pretty famous club DJ in Gangnam and two years older—had finally caved after Sun-ho begged for days to see his set and invited them on a gig night.
Seeing his bro's DJing was the main goal, but it wasn't the only one.
Bad luck struck: they ran smack into the science teacher shaking his ass like mad.
'We're screwed.'
Yeah, claiming they were just there for his brother might've worked.
But unfortunately, Jong-min and Sun-ho had beers in hand.
No way out.
Punishment: stairwell cleaning duty.
Jong-min wielded the mop; Sun-ho scrubbed foam onto the floor with a sponge.
They bickered nonstop while cleaning, blaming each other.
"Some DJing. All flash, no substance."
"What? Yeah, what would a basement warrior know!"
"Hey! At least I sell items and make money. What do you do? Total deadweight."
"Better not to earn like that! Do your parents know? That you're skipping study for games?"
"Don't touch family!"
Enraged, Jong-min hurled the soapy water bucket at Sun-ho.
But with a splash came a woman's shriek.
"Eek!"
Jong-min and Sun-ho froze.
There stood Cho-hee, drenched head to toe.
'We're dead.'
The water A-jin got was karma coming back at her.
Blinded by the sudden deluge, Cho-hee gasped raggedly as droplets fell.
She screamed.
"What the hell!"
"S-sorry! You okay?"
Jong-min flailed helplessly.
"You think I look okay right now?"
Her seaweed-like wet hair hung limp; she glared at him with eyes full of rage, irritation, fury—all of it.
"What do we do? Take off your clothes... N-no, I'll rinse you... No."
Nothing to wipe with, he awkwardly brushed her hair and shoulders with his hands.
It did nothing but annoy her more; she shoved him away irritably.
"Argh, screw it! Don't touch me!"
She stormed off.
* * *
"Choi Jong-min! You did that on purpose 'cause you hate me? Argh, so annoying!"
Cho-hee yanked off her soaked jacket and flung it into her locker.
She could change into gym clothes, but what about her carefully styled hair?
Fuming, she ripped open her shirt buttons hard enough to pop them.
"My phone."
She remembered it in her pocket.
She fished it out of the jacket pocket—thankfully, no water in the port.
Right then, it buzzed with a vibration.
Unknown number.
"Why so many unknown calls lately."
She ignored numbers she didn't recognize.
They were probably guys who'd somehow gotten her digits.
Cho-hee rejected the call.
She hung up and rummaged for her gym clothes.
"Where's my gym uniform?"
It wasn't in her locker where it should be.
She racked her brain, eyes darting.
"Oh! Duh, I took it home 'cause it was obvious. Gotta borrow A-jin's... Wait, right."
She remembered the shopping bag shoved in the back of her locker for ages.
Inside was Jun-woo's gym uniform.
"Should I wear this at least?"
Cho-hee held his gym clothes, hesitating.
