Ch.19Episode 5. Special Class Image (3)

“Those agency guys, they’re serving delicious food again today.”

In the student cafeteria, visited by both students and teachers alike.

Gu Yeonhwa, wearing her school uniform due to penalty points, was savoring the pork cutlet in her bowl with indignation.

“As if I’d be deceived by something like this…! I have a powerful mind that can’t even be brainwashed!”

Munch, munch!

Despite chewing her food vigorously, her face quickly softened as she succumbed to the taste.

“I almost fell for it again. But it is delicious, that’s a fact. Falling for temptation despite knowing better. I still have a long way to go…!”

Just as she was rationalizing while about to pop a shrimp sushi into her mouth—

“Why are you talking so much while eating alone?”

She flinched at the words that particularly pierced her ears amid the noisy cafeteria. The sushi on her chopsticks dropped back onto her plate.

“Hey, shut up. Your voice is fucking loud, you freak.”

The source of the voice was a table where four male students were huddled together.

“Was it? But why should I care what others think?”

“Isn’t she that one? You know, the one with chuunibyou.”

“Oh, her? The special class chuunibyou?”

“I’ve never seen someone actually wear a weird black dress to the entrance ceremony before.”

“Ugh. She really wore that? Her face isn’t bad though…”

“But she’s wearing a uniform today?”

“Probably got so many penalty points she had to change into uniform to avoid suspension.”

Yeonhwa picked up the fallen sushi with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth.

“As expected of agency minions. I never thought they’d resort to mental attacks.”

She was in the middle of taking out her frustration on her food while glaring at the group of boys talking about her.

“Come to think of it, I have a friend who went to the same high school as Gu Yeonhwa. He said she was always like this back then too.”

At the mention of high school, Yeonhwa’s eyes began to waver.

“Her name is Gu Yeonhwa?”

“Yeah. Anyway, I heard she got cited so many times for dress code violations that her parents were called to school, and after that, she had to wear her uniform.”

“So she did all that crap to the point where her parents had to be summoned, and she’s still doing this? That’s severe.”

“It’s not like she’s at some comic market or whatever. What is she doing at twenty years old?”

“And apparently it wasn’t just her clothes. Her way of speaking was so messed up that she was bullied.”

At the mention of bullying, she quietly justified to herself, “I wasn’t bullied. I was the one who ostracized you all…” but it didn’t help much.

The pain was the same.

“I wouldn’t talk to her either if she’s like that.”

“But you know, girls like her are surprisingly easy?”

“Hey, does she cosplay when you do it too?”

“Wow, holy shit. Look at your imagination. You’re insane.”

Yeonhwa clenched her fist as she watched the boys burst into laughter.

“I—!”

“Can we just shut up and eat?”

Just as she was about to stand up to give those gossiping guys a piece of her mind.

A black-haired man in a pitch-black suit was suddenly standing in front of the group of boys.

He was someone familiar to her.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m saying you’re too loud. I can’t tell if the food is going into my mouth or my nose because of you guys.”

“Who are you to say that?”

“I’m an instructor.”

Yujin replied matter-of-factly, as if asking “what else would I be?”

“Does being an instructor give you the right to interfere with conversations in the student cafeteria? Even our assigned instructors don’t do that.”

“Do I care? Tell your assigned instructor not to do it. I’ll do what I want.”

“Why are you talking so rudely?”

“It’s ‘rudely,’ not whatever you just said. And what should I say to guys who talk behind people’s backs about things they wouldn’t dare say to their faces?”

“Is being an instructor everything? Huh?!”

Yujin pressed down on the shoulder of the student who was trying to get up.

The male student couldn’t move an inch.

He desperately tried to grab Yujin’s arm, but it didn’t budge at all. He couldn’t even resist against the overwhelming strength.

“T-this is abuse of teacher authority!”

“File a complaint if you’re upset.”

“You think I won’t?”

Yujin sneered at the sight of the student trying to act tough out of pride.

“Just be prepared to accept the consequences that will come your way.”

Yujin patted his shoulder and smiled.

Having finished the conversation, he walked to the kiosk, giving Yeonhwa a sidelong glance.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he calmly ordered tempura udon.

* * *

I wonder what she’s thinking, coming to a place like this…

I watched Yeonhwa’s back as I waited for my food.

Her academy life was already ruined from the moment she wore that gothic dress to the entrance ceremony.

She wore a pitch-black dress in front of the entire school and spouted strange lines; it would take considerable time and effort to change her image now.

But she probably wouldn’t even try to change her image since she doesn’t care about others’ opinions in the first place.

Still, coming to a place like this alone to eat was thoughtless.

With Yeonhwa being the most talked-about person at the academy right now, coming to a place like this would inevitably lead to gossip.

Honestly, I thought she brought it upon herself, and it was something she had to deal with on her own, so I tried not to care.

However, considering what would happen in the future, managing Yeonhwa was definitely something I had to do.

I set down the tray with tempura udon in front of Yeonhwa.

Well, well. This kid is eating a pork cutlet set with sushi on the side? Must have money to burn.

“Why are you eating alone?”

“Ah… hehe. Are you alone too, Instructor?”

She asks with her characteristic arrogant smile as soon as she sees me.

It feels like she’s asking, “Are you an outcast too?” and somehow, it irritates me.

“Other teachers asked me to eat with them, but I declined because it was bothersome.”

“So you’re popular! How annoying!”

“You’re openly saying it’s annoying? And that was just a workplace suggestion. There was no ulterior motive.”

I smiled wryly as I watched her gobble down her sushi. Is she even listening?

“By the way, Instructor, do you usually eat lunch late? The lunch period is almost over.”

“Ah… I was preparing a lunchbox for Yeonmuhui.”

She blinked at my casual remark.

“…Come to think of it, unlike the other agency dogs, you spend most of your time with us, don’t you?”

Stop calling us agency dogs…

“It’s because I’m worried about you all.”

“…Worried?”

She, who usually laughed boisterously, showed a rare calm smile.

“Hu, huhu! Don’t worry! I won’t be shaken by what those inferior humans say! It’s the right of inferior humans to be jealous of superior ones!”

That kind of talk makes me worry more, you damn kid.

I slurped my udon without responding to her, who had returned to her usual self.

Oh, the udon tastes pretty good.

“We’re in the special class because we’re super strong! They can only tear us down with words because they’d be no match for us in a fight!”

It’s not because you’re super strong, it’s because you’re super problematic.

“…Be quiet and eat. Should I eat your sushi?”

As I moved my chopsticks toward her bowl, she blocked it with her body in panic.

“That’s mine!”

“Alright, alright.”

I chewed as I slurped up the udon noodles.

Having quickly finished my udon, I stood up.

“Huh? Y-you’re done already?”

“Yes.”

“I-I’m almost done too! Wait for me!”

“I thought I was an agency dog? Do you want to eat with me?”

“N-not really! I don’t want to eat with you! But… when you’re around, no one says anything…”

Seems like it was actually a bit tough for her, despite saying she was fine.

I looked at her as I sat back down. Only then did she start eating again with relief.

“You know.”

“Yes?”

She looks at me while chewing.

“First impressions, once they’re set, don’t change easily. Even after months of living together, first impressions don’t change.”

“Why are you suddenly saying this? I don’t care what others think anyway—”

“Enough, just listen.”

I cut off her attempt at unnecessary talk.

“Even if you change from now on, you’ll still be known as ‘chuunibyou’ by the time you graduate from the academy. Of course, since you’re the type who doesn’t even have the will to change, there’s no point in hypothesizing.”

“It feels like you’re subtly criticizing me? Do I have to listen to this quietly?”

Yeonhwa said glumly. She shows her sulky expression with chopsticks in her mouth.

“So make it definitive.”

“What?”

“Even if you maintain your chuunibyou concept when you become a hero, become so strong that people will like you.”

What people want isn’t some fancy ability. They need strong heroes who can protect them from villains.

Even with a chuunibyou concept, if you have the power to properly protect people, it can be sublimated into humor.

“Oh, but Instructor, there’s one thing you got wrong.”

“What is it?”

“This isn’t a concept, it’s real.”

“…Right. Chuunibyou is real.”

“No! Not that!”

I quickly put a piece of sushi in her mouth as she was getting worked up.

“Well, that’s all I have to say. I’ve finished eating. Shall we go?”

“Mmmphhh!”

“Don’t talk with food in your mouth.”

I placed my hand on her head and stroked it as she glared at me disapprovingly.

“Anyway, hang in there.”

That was as far as I would go to encourage her.

I don’t want to see her being intimidated either.

It’s better if she’s noisy and boisterous as usual.

…Sigh. Or maybe not?

“Hmph! Hmph hmph hmph!”

Though still chewing, she seems to be in a good mood as she makes nasal sounds while taking her plastic tray to the return counter.

After finishing the sushi in her mouth, she turns sharply to look at me.

“Just you wait! When I become a hero, I’ll eradicate those villain bastards from this world with my darkness!”

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

I also placed my tray at the return counter.

“I’ll specially buy you strawberry milk!”

“…Why?”

“Huhuhu. I cannot tell you.”

I didn’t bother asking again since it was obvious she’d give some reason about trying to bribe me or something.