episode_0079

079.

Whisper, whisper.

“Isn’t Lee Jinhyuk kind of cool?”

“Well, his face is decent enough.”

“And he’s pretty good academically. Wow, he’s a brainy guy.”

“Hey, what are you saying, girl?”

Among the girls, Lee Jinhyuk’s popularity subtly increased.

The sight of girls stealing glances at Lee Jinhyuk and fawning over him occasionally caught Jin Soyeon’s attention.

“Didn’t you say Lee Jinhyuk was a loser last time?”

“Well, after talking to him, he seems pretty cool.”

“Oh, really?”

Approaching him as if showing subtle interest or simply jokingly engaging in skinship as friends, it was hard to tell.

An unknown warmth spread from deep within Jin Soyeon’s heart as she watched them from a distance.

“…When did they start being interested in Jinhyuk?”

Jin Soyeon raised her eyebrows slightly, her expression turning rough.

During the early days of Union’s enrollment, Lee Jinhyuk was one of the students who had no presence in the class.

Due to his breakup with beautiful girls like Jin Soyeon, he was not particularly popular, despite causing a stir for a few days.

Moreover, since his middle school days, his practical scores were low, he had no special abilities, and his family was not wealthy, so he was not even mentioned by the girls.

But could the performance evaluation be a turning point?

Lee Jinhyuk, who was evaluated as the only flaw in the Union team, unexpectedly showed remarkable performance, surprising the kids.

And during the rescue mission on Yeongdeung Mountain, where even professionals had failed once, Lee Jinhyuk’s team, including Yoo Seolhyun, Kang Daehan, Yoo Seolhyun, and Baek Yurin, surpassed formidable competitors and took the top spot.

Initially, there were negative opinions like luck or teamwork.

But after the hostage rescue evaluation, hero and villain evaluation, and excellent performance in the written test, the controversy was somewhat subdued.

Crucially, during the Union attack incident, Lee Jinhyuk rescued several kids, forming a group to confront the villains.

How many people owed their lives to Lee Jinhyuk at that time?

Dozens of people, including Jin Soyeon and Roxanne, received help from Lee Jinhyuk. It was a critical situation where they might have lost their lives if Lee Jinhyuk’s group had not arrived.

Therefore, some security guards and kids went to thank Lee Jinhyuk.

Some female students blushed like teenage girls, saying he was cool and grateful.

Lee Jinhyuk’s popularity had soared to an unprecedented level.

Although he was never at the level of Yoo Siwoon and Kang Daehan, it was rather because Lee Jinhyuk had some shortcomings compared to them that the opinion of ‘Oh, if it’s Lee Jinhyuk, I can give it a try too’ became stronger.

In other words, many girls started to choose a more approachable but decent tree rather than stupidly staring at an unattainable one.

“Do you know? I saw Lee Jinhyuk wearing casual clothes, and they were all luxury brands. Clothes, shoes, watches, all from famous brands.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. He seems to have a lot of money.”

“Is he secretly a third-generation chaebol or something?”

“Geez, what are you saying, really.”

Money…

Jinhyuk was wealthy.

Thanks to the embezzled funds from Sungyura, including stocks, his assets now exceeded several hundred billion.

As a result, Jinhyuk was enjoying luxuries he had never experienced in his past life.

For example, he bought luxury watches that he had only dreamed of in his past life, wore expensive designer clothes, purchased high-end sports cars, and even obtained a black card…

As a Union student who was legally considered a half-adult, he was able to obtain a driver’s license, a car, and a black card.

Well, it may seem like he was indulging in unnecessary luxuries, but in a situation where he didn’t know when he might die, it was Jinhyuk’s way of relieving stress.

“It seems like he’s good at washing clothes subtly.”

“Oh, I saw it too. I thought he was just a bookworm, but he dresses quite well, doesn’t he?”

“When I passed by him in the city, I thought he was a college senior.”

“Well, he has a certain vibe… Unlike other guys, he has a somewhat mature feel to him.”

Having graduated from college and worked in society in his past life, Jinhyuk had a good sense of style and, try as he might to hide it, his past life’s atmosphere still seeped through.

“Why not confess to him now?”

“Huh? Really?”

“I think Jinhyuk would like you too~.”

“What are you talking about? Hey, you’re like Kim Yuseong.”

“Oh~ What about Kim Yuseong?”

“He looks rough~. Not my style.”

The girls chattered jokingly about confessing to him.

When those words reached Jinsuyeon’s ears, she couldn’t help but bite her lip slightly. It’s annoying to hear such confessions. Really.

Jinhyuk is not someone to take lightly, so stop with the nonsense of confessing to him just for fun.

Jinsuyeon had been looking at Jinhyuk with a bit of disdain, but lately, he seemed to have more money and popularity, so she found herself pretending to be interested.

‘….’

Jinsuyeon unconsciously clenched her fist.

She didn’t feel good whenever the girls showed interest in Jinhyuk. It was really uncomfortable and irritating.

‘…Jealousy. Sigh. Jealousy.’

Suddenly, she wondered how Jinhyuk was in the past. Did he have these feelings when he had a crush on her?

Did he feel this way when they maintained a fake relationship, or when he watched other boys approach her?

For years.

Without saying a word.

Just silently watching Jinsuyeon.

‘Ugh.’

A strange sense of guilt pricked Jinsuyeon’s heart.

Did she have the right to like Jinhyuk now, knowing that he secretly liked her, or after asking for a fake relationship, or after pretending to hang out with other boys?

Did she have the right to like Jinhyuk now, after causing him so much heartache for so long?

She bit her lip tightly, pondering if she even had the right to like Jinhyuk.

Did she have the right to like Jinhyuk?

Would she have hesitated, worrying that Jinsuyeon would not accept his confession every time she was with other boys, or that she might start liking another boy?

Would she have realized that she actually liked him after tormenting Jinhyuk’s heart for so long?

It was all nonsense.

If she were a third party, wouldn’t she have shouted not to make a fool of herself?

‘….’

Jinsuyeon shook her head vigorously, shaking off the negative delusions for a moment.

Surely, revealing her feelings to Jinhyuk now, saying she likes him, loves him, or showing her emotions could be a big nuisance.

But burying this feeling was too big.

Really, too much.

“…Sigh, I’m okay, I’ll be fine.”

Jin Soyeon peeked at the girls with a twinkle in her eye.

Jinhyuk’s eyes were not low enough to be interested in those girls.

Although it seemed like boasting to say so, honestly, Jinhyuk had grown up seeing the beautiful Jin Soyeon so many times that he had been slapped by celebrities several times when he was young, so it was natural that his standards were very high.

He had grown up looking at elegant beauties like Jin Soyeon, so would ordinary girls catch his eye?

No, they wouldn’t, right?

Jin Soyeon knew she was pretty.

Since kindergarten, she had received confessions and likes from countless men, so she knew better than anyone that she was beautiful.

Comparable girls like Yuseolhyun? Seonari? Yuriya?

They were all beautiful girls who couldn’t be compared, but personally, Jin Soyeon seemed a bit superior to them.

…There was a bit of self-praise mixed in, but anyway!

“Jinhyuk said he likes a different girl, so those girls shouldn’t confess to him.”

There was a slim chance that the girl Jinhyuk liked would confess, but the possibility seemed very low.

Jinhyuk, who was expected to have a very high standard for women, would not have many men around him showing interest in him, especially if the girl was pretty enough to catch his eye.

…Surely that would be the case.

“So, I should start building a better relationship with Jinhyuk from now on and maybe confess… Ugh.”

Confessing.

She had never thought about confessing or dating before, so her heart fluttered for no reason.

“Jinhyuk likes someone else, but… I’m confident. I can make him like me again.”

There was no other girl who knew Jinhyuk as well as Jin Soyeon.

Likes, dislikes, preferences, hobbies, memories, etc.

And Jin Soyeon was pretty, right?

If Jinhyuk liked a pretty girl, he wasn’t the kind of guy who liked just anyone, but there were hardly any men who disliked pretty women in general.

As much as he had liked her once, her appearance was already guaranteed.

“So, what should I do? Seduce him? Should I seduce him? But how do you seduce someone?”

Since she had never seduced men before, Jin Soyeon was at a loss. She had actually made an effort not to seduce men, so she was even more confused.

While she was thinking about Jinhyuk in various ways…

“Excuse me…”

Suddenly, a girl with pink hair entered the classroom.

“Am I a little late? I’m sorry for coming late. I was doing some extra work at the church.”

A girl with beautiful hair cascading down, looking at Jinhyuk with innocent and delicate blue eyes.

“I’m sorry, but do you have time?”

Her delicate and gentle voice ringing in his ears had an unknown charm that stimulated men’s hearts.

“If you don’t have time now, maybe later.”

Roksanne.

As her name suggested, she was a mixed-race girl with Western beauty.

Unlike Yuseolhyun and Jin Soyeon, she exuded innocence, purity, and elegance, even a sense of dignity. Like a priest.

“Oh, no, it’s okay.”

“Oh, then should we go out and talk for a bit?”

Jinhyuk nodded politely and went outside with Roksanne.

As they left, the classroom became a bit noisy.

“Why is Jinhyuk with Roksanne?”

“Is that Roksanne? She’s so pretty. No wonder she was bullied.”

“Jinhyuk, flirting with Yuseolhyun and now Roksanne?”

End of the Korean webnovel section.

“He seems to be quite popular with the girls, doesn’t he? He dated Jinsuyeon, and he’s really close with Yuseolhyun and Sunari.”

“Damn, I’m jealous. Is that the life of an alpha male?”

“Even if his abilities aren’t great, the girls are all over him because of his looks. Damn.”

“His abilities are probably better than yours, right? Does he even know his midterm grades?”

Beyond the chatter of the boys, Jinsuyeon thought to herself.

‘…Why is Roksanu protecting Jinhuk?’

She had heard that Roksanu had also helped in rescuing Jinsuyeon.

She had expressed her gratitude to him before.

But wasn’t the problem already resolved? Why bother bringing up Jinhuk again?

‘Ugh… What should I do? I’m worried, I’m worried.’

Jinsuyeon hesitated, fidgeting with her hands, unsure whether to follow or not.

She thought it was a bit silly to chase after something like this, but at the same time, she couldn’t just sit still because she was worried.

After all, Roksanu was too unpredictable.

Especially that vile sexual energy pouch of his. What on earth is that? It’s cheating, it’s cheating! His face looks so innocent, but what’s with that big lump?

Are they really the same age group?

No, he’s much bigger than the same-aged mixed-blood Yuseolhyun. Is it because he has a broad mind like a priest? Ah, what a strange thought. Ugh.

‘I don’t know! It’s not going to work. Let’s just follow for now.’

At the end of her hesitation, Jinsuyeon stood up abruptly.

She secretly began to follow the distant figures of Ijinhyuk and Roksanu walking ahead.

And Yuseolhyun, who was quietly observing their actions, raised her eyebrows slightly, pondering Jinsuyeon’s strange behavior.

Since returning to the academy, she had been stealing glances at Ijinhyuk as if she were anxious about something.

‘Could it be Jinsuyeon?’

Hmm.

What’s up, Jinsuyeon?

So, you still have feelings for Ijinhyuk.

Pretending otherwise, but they’re quite amusing, these two.

After all this time of hanging out with other guys, did she start to miss him once they parted ways?

Seeing her like this now is a bit embarrassing.

‘I guess she’s not happy.’

I won’t torment her as promised, but I guess we can’t become friends after all, Jinsuyeon.