Ch.48Chapter 48. Chaos (1)

“M-m-m-m, m-m-m-m, m-m, you crazy bitch! You started it first!”

“……”

Tom, who had been panting with his face flushed bright red, finally noticed that the surroundings had gone quiet.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, he slowly raised his head.

There stood the teacher, looking down at him with a cold gaze.

“Tom.”

“Teacher, there are two Toms…”

“Come with me.”

“No, that’s not what…”

“No excuses. Just follow me.”

“Yes……”

At the stern command, Tom could only hang his head low.

It was obvious what would happen if news of him talking back to the teacher reached his father’s ears.

“Assistant teacher. Could you take Cuss to the infirmary for a moment?”

“Sure. Cuss, can you walk? Let’s go get your wounds treated.”

Even as Cuss was led away by the assistant teacher, she kept glancing back.

Tom, who had been dragged to the corner of the gym, was having a long conversation with the homeroom teacher.

Occasionally Tom seemed to resist and raise his voice, but each time he would quickly shrink back.

What could they be talking about?

Even while getting light disinfection and bandages at the infirmary, Cuss was so preoccupied with Tom that she didn’t feel the pain.

After quickly finishing the treatment and returning to the gym, she saw Tom trudging toward her with his eyes downcast.

“I’m sorry……”

“That’s right. Well done. It’s good to be honest, isn’t it?”

Cuss’s mouth fell open in surprise.

This wasn’t like the forced apology from before.

Although he didn’t seem happy about the situation, his eyes weren’t as defiant as before.

Who would have thought this ill-mannered little human would submit so readily?

Perhaps the homeroom teacher was as good with children as Jinsoo.

“Now then, what should Cuss say in return?”

The homeroom teacher smiled and looked at Cuss.

If there was something she needed to say to Tom, it was already decided.

There was something she hadn’t been able to say earlier.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“I almost landed head-first. The human head is a critical weak point… You threw me sideways to prevent that, didn’t you?”

“…!”

The homeroom teacher covered her mouth with both hands, overcome with emotion.

She had naturally assumed Cuss would just resent Tom for throwing her, but to think she had such a thoughtful perspective!

She never dreamed Cuss would think this way.

Perhaps reconciliation between the two might be easier than expected.

“W-what?! Don’t be ridiculous! I just wanted to slam you into the ground!”

“Oh, is that so? Tell it straight. I should throw you down once too.”

“H-hiiik?! Teacher! Cuss is trying to hit me again!”

“Sigh……”

No, there was still a long way to go.

The homeroom teacher couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.

*

Ring ring ring……

During break time.

Alice was startled by the sudden ringtone.

It was Cuss.

“Hello? Cuss?”

“Alice. I have something to ask.”

“……”

Alice turned around in disbelief.

She could hear Cuss’s voice in person and through the phone simultaneously.

Cuss was standing right behind her, holding a phone.

“Why call when you’re right here…?”

“I just wanted to try it.”

“Sheesh. So what did you want to ask?”

She must be excited about getting a phone.

Alice chuckled and hung up.

“Who is Jake Prime?”

“Huh? Jake Prime? He’s Tom’s older brother, isn’t he?”

“Why are you suddenly talking about my brother?!”

Tom shouted from a distance and came running over.

I should have spoken more quietly.

Alice closed her eyes tightly with regret.

“We saw him at the main gate that time.”

“Ah… you mean that tall human.”

“So why my brother? Huh?”

“This letter was on my desk.”

Cuss held up a small memo.

It was written in neat handwriting:

-Come to the back gate during break time. I need to talk to you.

-Jake Prime

‘Is this a confession?!’

‘My brother must be planning to put her in her place!’

They were equally surprised, but their reactions were quite different.

“Heh. If you’re scared, you don’t have to go…”

“Let’s go, Cuss! Of course, I’ll just watch from behind!”

“W-what? Then I’m coming too!”

“You’ll just watch from behind too, right?”

“Why?”

“Because having someone watching makes it harder to be brave!”

“Is that so?”

Somehow it had already been decided that they would go, even though no one had said anything yet.

Well, it’s not like she wouldn’t have gone anyway.

Jake was also one of those who had noticed the secret under her skirt.

Alice had succeeded in silencing him, but Jake was still pending.

So this was actually a very good opportunity.

“Moving out.”

“Yay!”

“Y-you…! Aren’t you afraid of my brother?”

Cuss with a solemn expression.

Alice who was simply excited.

And Tom who couldn’t stay still.

The three of them left the classroom and set off on their journey to the back gate.

***

“Hehehe. He’ll be so happy, won’t he?”

In the car moving forward energetically.

Juliane was smiling from ear to ear.

On the passenger seat was a lunch box she had packed herself that morning.

Of course, now that she was aware of her lack of cooking skills, she had prepared only simple dishes that didn’t require heat.

Kimbap, was it?

A food that was commonly prepared for lunch boxes in Korea.

“Is this the place?”

As the car entered the complex entrance, Juliane leaned forward to survey the scene.

Tactum (Tac&Term).

Though only a medium-sized company by scale, it was a solid business that consistently won engine supply contracts for aerospace agency-led projects.

Though they only had one factory, it was quite large.

So this is where Mr. Jinsoo works.

“Thank you for your hard work~”

“Yes. Are you a visitor?”

“That’s right. I’m here to see Jinsoo Kim who works here.”

“Uh… did you contact him in advance?”

“No. I brought lunch to surprise him.”

“Hahaha. In that case, please go to the office. I’ll contact the security there in advance, so you can just take this card with you.”

“Oh my. Thank you.”

“Haha, it’s nothing. Just note that you shouldn’t approach the factory area.”

“Thank you~”

The barrier went up.

The security guards, who had initially looked stern, quickly brightened up when Juliane spoke with a bright smile.

She was aware that this was an unreasonable request.

She also knew to some extent that her appearance was pretty enough to make it possible in an instant.

‘But why that man…’

She started getting angry again.

During this quasi-relationship, Kim Jinsoo didn’t seem to pay any attention to her at all.

Maybe he was too busy taking care of Cuss.

That must be it.

Yes, of course.

After reassuring herself, Juliane resolved that today she would finally win Jinsoo over.

She had been following Jinsoo’s lead too much until now.

It was about time she took control, at least psychologically.

“You’re looking for Jinsoo Kim?”

“Jinsoo Kim.”

“Yes, Jinsoo Kim.”

“Ah, yes… that’s right.”

“Go up to the fifth floor and head to the office. Even if the elevator stops in between, you must never get off on any other floor.”

“Yes. Thank you~”

Juliane passed through the office building entrance and got on the elevator, humming a tune.

With each click-clack of her heels, she could feel gazes gathering from here and there.

In this place full of nerdy glasses-wearers, Juliane was certainly a rare species.

Soon Juliane arrived at the office and opened the door with a bright smile.

“Is Jinsoo here by any chance?”

“Wow……”

Everyone in the office stood up abruptly and stared at the door.

Hehe. A young, pretty, smart, and capable girlfriend (not really) has come looking for him?

Feel the superiority.

“Jinsoo is out right now.”

“What?”

Her plans were ruined.

Who would have thought he’d be away from the company when it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.

She was so annoyed that she almost frowned.

“Could I possibly know where he went…?”

“That guy is probably at Lake Park. By the way, are you Jinsoo’s…”

“Yes, I’m his girlfriend.”

“Whaaat! Damn! Jinsoo Kim, you bastard!”

“Jinsoo! I didn’t wish for you to be this happy!”

“Haha……”

The atmosphere in the office became even more excited.

Jinsoo would probably be bombarded with questions when he returned.

Imagining his troubled face made her smile.

“Making me go through all this trouble. You’d better be prepared.”

Back in the elevator, Juliane gritted her teeth.

She would return their relationship to how it was when she was the one chasing after him.

And then she would reject him over and over.

Until he was crazy about her.

“It’s farther than I thought.”

She decided to walk since it seemed awkward to take the car out of the parking lot again.

But as the walking time became longer than expected, she started to get irritated.

Kim Jinsoo should really count his blessings.

To have such a pretty girlfriend (not really) bringing him lunch while sweating in this scorching sun.

“Where is he?”

When she arrived at the park, it was quite cool with the breeze blowing.

Juliane tied her windblown hair back and looked around.

The lake was too wide.

How should she find Jinsoo?

Rather than calling him, she wanted to surprise him from behind.

“Oh? Found him!”

Just as she was starting to get anxious, Juliane spotted a familiar back of the head and smiled.

A messy double-helix parting.

No one but Kim Jinsoo would have such crazy curly hair.

As Juliane was sneaking toward the bench…

‘Huh…?’

She noticed that Kim Jinsoo wasn’t alone.

Black hair just barely visible above the bench.

It was a woman.

Kim Jinsoo was sitting with a woman.

‘Since it’s black hair, it’s not Cuss. And anyway, that child should be at school right now. Is it a colleague then? Or if not…’

Before she knew it, Juliane was gritting her teeth and spying on the two.

Watching them laugh and chat while looking at each other somehow made her feel unwell.

Leaving such a pretty girlfriend (not really) behind, who on earth was he hanging out with?

Gradually, she could see the side profile of the woman.

Any woman involved with Kim Jinsoo should naturally be nothing special…

“What the…”

Or so it should be.

But why was this woman so sexy?

She looked like a model straight out of a magazine.

Though her makeup was heavy and she seemed a bit older, lacking the pure beauty that I have.

As Juliane was unconsciously comparing herself to the woman,

“What the heck?!”

She belatedly realized that the woman was her superior.