Chapter 70

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The Person I Want to Be Cheered By
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After yesterday, a cold wind was blowing from Jun-woo.

There were no more sly smiles when their eyes met, avoiding the others, and no gazes from the back of the room during class.

She understood his feelings, but at the same time, she felt wronged.

The finals hadn't even started yet, and no results were out, so reacting like this already seemed too hasty.

But what should she really do?

He had left, and A-jin had pondered for a long time.

Sitting on the playground swing, swaying her feet slowly, she had agonized and agonized.

If by any chance she actually won, would she have the resolve to give up studying abroad?

Could she bear living apart from him?

She didn't want to be separated from him either.

But she also didn't have the confidence to give up the great opportunity given to her.

Moreover, wouldn't going abroad actually be better if she wanted to stay by his side?

She wasn't exceptionally beautiful or a top student, so instead of standing awkwardly beside him, shouldn't she strive to become someone more fitting for him, even if just a little?

No matter how much she thought, no answer came into view.

So she pushed away her worries, telling herself she couldn't win anyway.

A-jin turned her head to look at Jun-woo.

He was more focused on class than ever.

How should she melt his heart?

Her eyebrows drooped heavily.

The lunch bell rang.

Like springs were attached to their slippers, the kids all bounced out of the classroom.

The room emptied in an instant.

Only after the commotion died down did A-jin stand from her seat.

As she turned around, Jun-woo was still at his desk.

"Um..."

Just as she tried to say something, he stood up from his seat.

And whoosh, he left the classroom.

How long was he going to act like this?

She felt hurt, and on the other hand, angry.

A-jin pouted her lips and sighed.

* * *

After the camping trip, Jung-hwa had grown close to Jong-min and Sun-ho.

She arrived late at the cafeteria, and they were already seated together.

But Jun-woo wasn't there.

Taking her tray, she sat next to Jung-hwa while scanning for him with her eyes.

She casually glanced around without making it obvious.

Then Jong-min, noticing her, gestured with his eyes toward behind her.

Turning her head, she saw him standing there.

A-jin looked at him curiously, wondering why he, who had left the classroom first, arrived at the cafeteria even later.

She asked with her eyes why he was late.

But he ignored her question and sat next to Sun-ho, as far from her as possible.

Did he have to be so cold? She shot him a glare, thinking it was too much.

But he didn't notice.

There had never been a day with so many sidelong glances.

She tried not to look, but her nerves kept pulling her eyes to him; she couldn't help it.

She glanced so much her eyes felt like they were spinning.

"Where are you looking so much?"

Then Jung-hwa craned her neck to peer into A-jin's eyes.

"Huh? No."

A-jin shook her head reflexively in surprise.

"Is there something over there?"

Jung-hwa turned her head toward where A-jin had been looking.

Fortunately, with so many kids packed closely together, Jung-hwa couldn't figure out what A-jin had been staring at.

"What's there?"

"Nothing."

Jung-hwa wasn't the type to pry.

She lost interest right away at the word "nothing."

Instead, she asked something else.

"A-jin, your finals are next week, right?"

The word "finals" made her flinch for no reason.

She became even more conscious of his gaze.

His expression somehow seemed worse.

"Huh? Yeah."

"Can I come too?"

"You're coming?"

"Yeah. I'm curious to see you compete."

"If you come cheer me on, I'd be grateful."

"Hey, then let's all go together."

Sun-ho chimed in.

Cheers.

She recalled his words last night that he couldn't cheer for her.

The person she really wanted cheering her on was someone else.

A-jin smiled, indirectly expressing her reluctance.

"But what's the finals theme?"

Jung-hwa asked.

"Bread for everyone."

"For everyone? So you have to make bread that anyone would like?"

A-jin nodded at Jong-min's question.

"Probably something like that?"

"Decided what to make?"

"Not yet, still thinking."

She was already frustrated because no fitting ideas for the theme had come to mind.

Jung-hwa's question felt like a brick.

It seemed to block her already clogged head even more.

Then came the clink of chopsticks hitting.

"You can't eat eggs, right? I'll take it."

Jong-min reached for Sun-ho's egg with his chopsticks, and Sun-ho blocked him to keep it.

"No!! I wanna eat it."

"You can't even eat it! Move it quick."

"There's ham inside. I'm gonna pick it out!"

"Then pick it out quick. I'll do it for you."

"Get your dirty chopsticks away!"

The two bickered while the other friends looked at them pitifully.

Meanwhile, A-jin watched them with a bright smile.

Found it. The recipe.

A thrill ran through her mind.

It felt just like Archimedes shouting Eureka.

A-jin widened her eyes round and clapped her hands.

Her clap silenced the surroundings for a moment.

Everyone, including Jun-woo, looked at her with expressions wondering what was up.

But A-jin ignored their stares and asked Sun-ho directly.

"Sun-ho, you usually can't eat bread, right?"

"Yeah. Eggs are in it."

"Then if there were no eggs, would you want to eat it?"

"I'd want to if there were no eggs. But why?"

A-jin smiled brightly, thanking him.

"Sun-ho, thanks. I'll definitely repay you later."

A-jin jumped up from her seat.

Everyone raised their gazes following her.

Sun-ho didn't know what she was thankful for, and the others wore similar puzzled expressions.

But Jun-woo's face was different.

His furrowed brow suggested he knew why she was thanking Sun-ho.

* * *

Before entering the computer lab, Jun-woo blocked A-jin's path.

A-jin looked up into his face.

Hoping maybe his mood had improved, but his face was still stiff.

"Why?"

She asked in a small, creeping voice.

Feeling like a criminal no matter what, she was dispirited.

"You got an idea, didn't you?"

His heavy voice felt like it was pressing down on her head.

"Yeah."

"Not bread everyone likes, but bread everyone can eat, right?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you have to be so quick on the uptake right now?"

"Jun-woo."

"I'm even more anxious now. Your goal is to win right now."

"I'm just trying to fit the theme..."

"Yeah, probably. Whatever the result, it's your choice, but I'd like to be there. Go just with your mom this week."

He entered the lab first.

She resented him for not being her support.

And she was angry at herself for not making a clear decision.

* * *

A rustling sound came from Jun-woo's seat in the classroom.

Someone stood from under his desk and grumbled irritably.

"Damn, where is it?"

It was Ji-yeon.

After sneaking around hiding to search his bag for his wallet and not finding it, she outright placed his bag on the desk and started pulling out all his belongings.

She rummaged through every pocket, shoving her hand deep inside, and finally found the wallet.

"Yes! Got it!"

Ji-yeon pulled out the wallet and shouted.

It was a plain black one, but the leather was luxurious.

Ji-yeon stroked the wallet fondly a couple times before opening it.

She searched for his ID photo.

With almost no editing, the photo looked just like him in real life.

"Wow, even the photo is super handsome. Is there only one?"

Ji-yeon emptied everything from the wallet to look for more ID photos.

Jun-woo's cards and bills were scattered messily on the desk.

"What the hell are you doing right now?"

Then someone shouted from behind.

Ji-yeon jumped like a thief caught in the act and turned around.

She had been trying to steal his ID photo, so it might actually be theft.

A-jin had left the computer lab a bit early.

Her stomach felt off, and she wanted some water.

After drinking at the fountain and heading back to the lab, she saw someone in her classroom, at Jun-woo's seat.

From the side profile, she had an idea who it was.

His bag was leaning against the chair on the floor, and what looked like his belongings were spilling out onto the desk.

A-jin yelled in disbelief.

Ji-yeon turned toward her.

At first startled and panicked, but then seeing A-jin as an easy target, her expression relaxed.

A-jin shouted again as Ji-yeon stared blankly at her.

"What are you doing in someone else's classroom?"

"I didn't do anything."

Ji-yeon brazenly spoke while turning her back to the desk to hide it.

But A-jin had seen everything, so lying was pointless.

A-jin approached Ji-yeon closely.

"Is this 'not doing anything'?"

She snatched the wallet from Ji-yeon's hand.

"This is Jun-woo's."

"I was just checking something."

Ji-yeon snapped irritably and snatched the wallet back from A-jin's hand.

Then she shoved the scattered cards and bills back onto the desk.

No, crammed them in roughly.

"Checking?"

"Yeah. I wasn't trying to steal. I came to give a gift."

"Why rummage through someone else's wallet to give a gift?"

Ji-yeon rolled her eyes like what was the big deal and opened the gift box to show her.

She still wanted to make excuses.

"I gave him a wallet last time, but he didn't seem to like it. So I bought a higher-end brand one. I was gonna transfer these cards here, but probably better if oppa does it himself, right?"

Ji-yeon bluffed roughly and tried to leave the classroom.

But A-jin blocked her path to keep her from going out.

"Even if it was for a gift, you can't just touch someone else's things like that."

Ji-yeon glared at A-jin, as if offended by the scolding.

"Ah, yes, sorry. Who does she think she is, bitching like that."

She sneered with a quiet curse.

It was a small voice, but loud enough for A-jin to hear clearly.

A-jin laughed in sheer astonishment.

"Ha!"

"Can I go now?"

"Wait. But what's that in your hand?"

A-jin pointed at Ji-yeon's clenched fist.

Ji-yeon hurriedly hid her fist behind her back and shrugged.

"What? Nothing."

"Then why hide your hand? That's Jun-woo's, right? Give it here."

A-jin grabbed Ji-yeon's arm and pulled.

"Why are you doing this? There's nothing!"

Ji-yeon shook off A-jin's hand from her gripped one.

A-jin staggered for a moment but quickly regained balance and seized Ji-yeon's fist.

She struggled to pry it open.

Ji-yeon desperately guarded her fist, while A-jin clung persistently.

"Ah! Damn! Why are you being such a bitch!"

In their tussle, Ji-yeon smacked A-jin's arm and shoved her chest hard.

A-jin fell back onto his chair.

"Hey! You."

A-jin couldn't hold back anymore.

She had to find out what Ji-yeon had taken.

A-jin lunged at Ji-yeon as she turned to leave, grabbing her fist again.

Ji-yeon was tall and strong.

It wasn't easy to force the fist open no matter how she tried.

"You're so persistent. Just get lost!"

Ji-yeon grabbed A-jin's hair and yanked back.

A-jin’s one hand came off Ji-yeon's fist as she clutched her pulled hair.

Then Ji-yeon, as if waiting, shoved A-jin again.

This time, she fell onto the desk right behind.

The desk, pushed by her body, toppled sideways.

Her body tilted backward along with the desk.