episode_0042

042

Another peaceful morning at the academy.

*Sigh.*

I turned my head slightly.

Jin Soyeon was exhaling deeply.

There was a subtle change in her complexion.

She was holding her chin with one hand, staring blankly into space.

“Hey, Soyeon? Are you feeling off today?”

Kim Seyoon, who was chirping like a bird, suddenly stopped and stared at Jin Soyeon’s face, raising her eyebrows.

“Oh, it’s nothing… I just didn’t sleep well.”

“Is that so?”

It seemed like she really had trouble sleeping.

But that wasn’t the only issue.

It was because Soyeon’s attitude was different from usual.

Her behavior, tone, gaze, expression, and more.

It was a subtle difference, but having been childhood friends for a long time, I could tell that something was wrong with Soyeon.

If it were me in the past, I might have been a bit slow to notice.

But considering what I had feared might happen at Soyeon’s house last night, there was a high possibility of it occurring.

Being aware of that fact, I was able to notice Soyeon’s subtle changes.

“Hehe. Soyeon, why couldn’t you sleep well? Did you talk to Siwoo late into the night?”

“There’s no way. I just can’t seem to sleep well these days.”

Kim Seyoon continued to chatter without realizing, while Jin Soyeon forced a bitter smile.

It seemed like Soyeon didn’t want to burden those around her with unnecessary worries, so she tried to brush it off.

But I couldn’t just leave it at that.

It might have been just my imagination, but if it wasn’t, things could get complicated, so I needed to dig deeper with Soyeon.

“It seems like there’s more than just trouble sleeping going on.”

“Huh?”

As I cautiously hinted at it, Jin Soyeon and Kim Seyoon’s gazes turned to me.

Kim Seyoon blinked her eyes, and then a mischievous smile crept onto her face.

She then exclaimed loudly, “Oh? Is this the intuition of childhood friends finally kicking in!”

Ignoring the foolish Kim Seyoon, I continued.

“Is it really just because you couldn’t sleep? Or is there something else bothering you?”

“Oh, come on, out of the blue. It’s nothing, really.”

“You used to be like this before. Whenever something was wrong, you’d keep it to yourself.”

Before Jin Soyeon could come up with another excuse, I cut in.

She seemed a bit flustered, glancing at me hesitantly.

I raised my voice.

“That’s why you ended up suffering more later on. So if you have any worries, just tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself and suffer alone.”

“Um, okay.”

After a few more words of advice, Jin Soyeon hesitated for a moment, and as I continued to stare at her, she took a deep breath and slowly began to speak.

“Sigh… I didn’t want to say anything because I thought it would only make me more nervous.”

“What? Soyeon, what happened?”

As Jin Soyeon cautiously started to tell her story, Kim Seyoon looked worried.

“Well, the thing is… last night, someone threw a rock with curse words written on it into my yard.”

Kim Seo-yoon, who had been listening to the story quietly, suddenly flared up with anger as if she were offended.

“Wow, insane. How can there be such a person?”

Kim Seo-yoon furrowed her brows as if she were the main character, expressing her volcanic anger continuously.

“Is he completely crazy? How did he find out where I live… Ugh, seriously.”

Shaking her head vigorously, she suddenly grabbed Jin So-yeon’s shoulder and looked at her with sympathy and pity.

“Ah, was So-yeon very scared? Don’t worry, I’ll help. Let’s catch that lunatic!”

“Ah, um… Seo-yoon? Can you calm down for a moment?”

“Let’s call the police! We need to feed him some bean rice, whoever it is!”

“Seo-yoon, please lower your voice. The kids are watching.”

“Huh? Oh.”

Kim Seo-yoon glanced around for a moment.

The students were now facing our direction.

She scratched the back of her neck as if embarrassed.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize I was getting carried away.”

Well, I knew Kim Seo-yoon’s personality well enough to expect her to act like that.

I wasn’t flustered at all, in fact, I was grateful for Kim Seo-yoon’s outburst.

Because thanks to her actions, the voice might have reached the male lead, Lee Si-woon.

“So-yeon.”

Suddenly, Lee Si-woon, who had been mixed in with the group of kids, turned towards us and approached.

He came close to us.

And then he raised his eyebrows.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but…”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course. It’s nothing. I wasn’t hurt, and I’ve experienced this kind of thing a few times in the past. I guess you could say I’m used to it?”

Jin So-yeon boasted confidently as if it was nothing.

For a moment, Lee Si-woon pursed his lips and remained silent.

It seemed like he was pondering why Jin So-yeon had experienced such a thing.

Before long, Lee Si-woon’s expression slightly sharpened.

It seemed that he had come to the conclusion that it was because of him that she had suffered.

“Is it because of me?”

A short but revealing sentence.

He seemed to think that one of the girls who had a crush on him was the reason for this incident.

And he wasn’t entirely wrong.

In fact, it was highly likely that one of the girls who had a crush on Lee Si-woon was the one who threw the rock at Jin So-yeon’s house.

But if we were to think about it based on the game’s storyline, there was someone else who could have instigated the crime.

Although it couldn’t be confirmed at the moment, if this incident followed a similar path to the game, then that person was definitely the culprit.

“No, it’s not because of you.”

“But…”

“It’s not your fault. It’s the fault of the person who did such a thing in the first place. So, Si-woon, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Even with Jin So-yeon’s words, Lee Si-woon’s eyes remained calm.

Although he was almost expressionless as usual, his eyebrows twitching slightly indicated that he was quite angry.

He must have felt bad knowing that a girl he liked was being harassed because of him.

“What’s wrong, So-yeon? Are you okay?”

“What kind of crazy person would do this, really.”

Suddenly, a few students also approached.

It was Kim Yoo-seong and Choi Chang-won.

They were also individuals who secretly had feelings for So-yeon.

Especially Choi Chang-won…

“Have you seen his face?”

“No. It was midnight, and… there was no one when I went out.”

“Really? Then how about reporting it to the police for now?”

“I’ve reported incidents like this before, but it didn’t help much.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Choi Chang-won sighed and turned his gaze away.

“However, the kind of people Soyeon would do such a thing to… ”

“Oh, come on.”

“Hmm? Are those the only ones?”

“Well, even if that’s the case…”

“No, I don’t know. They seem a bit off, don’t they?”

Naturally, the gaze of some children began to focus on one place.

Beyond that gaze was the largest group of girls in our class.

And in the center of that group was a familiar face looking in our direction, with an inexplicable smile.

“Oh my, why is everyone staring?”

It was Yoo Seolhyun.

Her lips were curved up in a smile, but her eyes were not.

“Hey, hey. What’s up with you guys?”

Seonari, who was standing next to her, frowned like a crumpled piece of paper.

“Why are you all staring like that?”

“Uh, just a little.”

“You’re not suspecting our Seolhyun, are you?”

“No, it’s not that.”

It was a public secret, but there was tension between Jinsuyeon and Yoo Seolhyun.

And many of the children had caught on.

As a result, the children couldn’t help but shrink back, like a loyal watchdog growling at Seonari, who was staring at Yoo Seolhyun’s group.

Everyone knew that it wouldn’t be good to provoke Yoo Seolhyun, who had the most influence and power in our class.

Moreover, wasn’t Yoo Seolhyun the third daughter of one of Korea’s leading clans?

If they were caught up in unnecessary trouble, it could cause problems when they tried to get a job at a clan-like place in the future.

After all, the hero industry in Korea revolved around connections and power.

That’s why there weren’t many people in our class who could confront Yoo Seolhyun confidently.

“Seolhyun, are you really not?”

“Huh? What?”

And right now.

“I mean, are you really not?”

“What are you talking about?”

There were few people who could confidently stand up to Yoo Seolhyun, who was on Jinsuyeon’s side.

“You still haven’t fixed that habit?”

“Huh. I was wondering what you were talking about, but it’s funny, Isiwoon? What did I do?”

It was Isiwoon, the heir of the SL Group.

“I knew you were always bothering Soyeon, knowingly or unknowingly. I thought you wouldn’t cross the line.”

“Are you already making definitive statements as if I did it?”

“Considering your track record, it’s quite possible.”

“What?”

Unlike his usual decadent smile, Yoo Seolhyun was responding quite emotionally to Isiwoon’s accusations.

It seemed that it was because it was Isiwoon, of all people, who was saying such things.

‘Hmm.’

I observed the current situation for a moment.

I watched the two of them argue.

When I thought about the actions of the guy who deliberately provoked the two of them, it seemed almost certain.

His behavior in the game, which caused polarization within the class and led to increasing conflicts, was similar to what was happening now.

“Yoo Seolhyun probably didn’t do it.”

“….”

I tried to calm them down for now.

“There’s no need for Seolhyun to do something like that to Soyeon. It’s a crime in the first place. Just because she doesn’t like Soyeon doesn’t mean she would go this far.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“In the first place… If she’s throwing rocks at her house, she must have done all sorts of things at the academy by now. And you, Seolhyun.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you tell your group not to spread strange rumors about Soyeon?”

“Oh. Well, for now?”

Seolhyun was showing that she hadn’t forgotten the promise we made, monitoring the children in her own way.

“It’s not like Seolhyun ordered it, it’s just that other kids did it on their own or it was the work of other kids.”

“….”

“Well, that’s just my opinion.”

“….”

Objectively, my words lacked credibility.

But it didn’t matter.

Believe it or not, that’s not the important part.

It was crucial to cut it off before those two got into an emotional fight. If they ended up confronting each other unnecessarily, it would just be a waste of time. Like in a game.

“Hmm. Well, I’ll tell you this much, it’s not related to me. Well, of course, there’s a possibility that our kids did something on their own.”

As if resigning to a temporary ceasefire, Yoo Seol-hyun let out a deep sigh and then spoke in a cool voice.

“I can’t monitor our kids one by one, you know?”

After finishing her words, Yoo Seol-hyun glanced at Lee Shi-woon as if to say she had said all she needed to and then returned to her group.

Lee Shi-woon watched Yoo Seol-hyun’s back for a moment, but didn’t say anything.

I secretly sent a text message on my phone about the incident related to Yoo Seol-hyun and quietly talked to her.

Yoo Seol-hyun suddenly stopped in her tracks upon receiving the unexpected message, then glanced at me as if to acknowledge it and continued on her way.

“….”

A moment of inexplicable silence settled between us.

I suddenly licked my lips.

“Anyway, we don’t really know who the culprit is, but we’ll help out. Right, Shi-woon?”

“….Yeah.”

Lee Shi-woon nodded with a slightly lowered gaze.

“Yeah, yeah. So-yeon, I’ll help too. Don’t worry too much.”

“Yeah, I’ll help a bit too.”

At Choi Chang-won’s voice, Jin So-yeon smiled bitterly.

“No, but, thanks… but there’s not much time left until the midterms. You don’t have to worry about that because of me…”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry~ As long as you do well on the practical exam, right? The written part, well, that, that, Jin-hyuk will take care of it?”

“Jin-hyuk, you…”

“I’ve already finished all the 2nd-year material, so…”

He answered as if it was no big deal to Jin So-yeon’s words.

And I quietly thought.

I have no intention of dragging out this incident.

If we delay like in a game, not only will there be multiple victims, but So-yeon will also have a hard time.

Of course, such a difficult experience could be a stepping stone for the future, but these days, So-yeon seems to be under a lot of stress, so I can’t just leave her to suffer more.

After all, I don’t want to see So-yeon suffer unnecessarily.

Because So-yeon is my childhood friend in this life and my favorite character from my past life.

I just hope So-yeon doesn’t suffer too much and gets a good ending with a cool guy like Shi-woon.

***

“Is it already lunchtime?”

Lunchtime had arrived.

I had planned not to say anything to my classmates about last night’s incident, but thanks to Lee Jin-hyuk’s keen sense, I ended up vomiting.

…Anyway, Jin-hyuk.

Jin So-yeon smiled secretly.

There are times when he is sharp on topics related to women even though he is usually clueless about them.

Why is he so sensitive in this area?

Anyway, I can’t hide it, I can’t hide it.

…So I received a lot of help in the past.

In the past.

Yes, there was a similar incident in the past.

Back then, I endured it alone, but thanks to Jin-hyuk’s help, it was resolved safely.

I realized once again that I received a lot of help from Jin-hyuk.

“So-yeon, what are you doing? Let’s go eat lunch.”

“Oh, just a moment.”

Today, I wanted to spend some time with Jin-hyuk, so I turned my gaze towards him, but Jin-hyuk was quietly leaving the classroom.

“Jin-hyuk, let’s go eat lunch together.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m going to the school store today.”

“Again?”

With those words, Jin-hyuk disappeared.

What’s up with him, he’s always like that.

Jin So-yeon watched his figure for a moment, then suddenly got up from her seat.

No, I can’t let this happen.

Today, I’m really going to confront him.

“Hey, Soyeon, where are you going?”

“Sorry, I have to pick up something from the school store today.”

Ignoring the call from behind by Kim Seoyoon, Jin Soyeon hurriedly followed after him, afraid of losing sight of Lee Jinhyuk.

But… huh?

That’s not the direction of the school store over there?

Curious, Jin Soyeon silently followed behind Lee Jinhyuk, who was carefully scanning his surroundings for any pursuers.

It was as if he was wary of being followed.

“What’s up with him?”

Suddenly, Jin Soyeon also followed Lee Jinhyuk, keeping her footsteps quiet.

She never thought she would use the tracking skills she learned in class here.

But seriously, where is Jinhyuk going?

“Here… this is the tactical training ground for giant monsters, right? Why here during lunchtime?”

Finally arriving at their destination, the tactical training ground.

Lee Jinhyuk cautiously moved towards the rooftop, pressing the code on the securely closed rooftop door.

I don’t know how he knows the rooftop code.

Before she knew it, Lee Jinhyuk had opened the rooftop door, entered, and closed it behind him.

Jin Soyeon approached with quiet steps, placing her hand on the door handle.

Just as she was wondering why Lee Jinhyuk had entered the rooftop alone…

“Oh, what? You guys were here first?”

“The school lunch is not that great today.”

“Huh?”

Through the rooftop door, Yoo Seolhyun’s voice faintly reached Jin Soyeon’s ears.

“Why are they on the rooftop?”