Ch.6So that bastard is the one who’s going to take my virgin away (6)

After the entrance ceremony, students returned to the classroom.

“Doyoung, hello. We’re in the same class this year too. Looking forward to working with you for the year.”

“You looked pretty cool earlier. I almost fell for you! Are you interested in yuri by any chance?”

“I need to go home, so I don’t like that.”

“I see! That’s too bad!”

“B-Ban Doyoung! Hello! Do you remember me? We were in the same class in elementary school…”

“Of course I know you! The past Ban Doyoung!”

“W-well, at least you know me? Thanks…”

Ban Doyoung, the school’s most beautiful girl.

True to her reputation, as soon as she returned to the classroom, she became the center of attention, receiving cheers from classmates regardless of gender.

“T-this is something… Everyone in the classroom knows her.”

“Well, she’s a local. All that running around and socializing helped make her name known.”

“But right now, you’re just the lowest-ranked baby in our group, aren’t you? Why aren’t you calling Hamin ‘oppa’?”

“Ugh… you children of Satan.”

“I-I’m fine with whatever you call me.”

Returning to the classroom, Hamin didn’t think about moving from where she had first sat earlier.

Partly because she had heard how other kids felt about Ban Doyoung, but mostly because her phone was being held hostage.

“If Doyoung is sitting there, we should sit here.”

Sahyang and Hyerang put their bags down and sat in the seats in front of me and Do Hamin.

Strangely, including me, we ended up surrounding Hamin.

“Good spot. When we become second-years, don’t be late—come early and save our seats, maknae.”

“Just you wait… the moment you two turn 19 first, I’ll change your contact names to Chicken Coop #1 and #2.”

Anyway.

I succeeded in getting Do Hamin, the original protagonist, to sit next to me.

Things become pretty when you look closely, and lovable when you look for a long time.

Naturally, that applies to me too.

So what if someone gets to sit in a position where they can see “Ban Doyoung,” the school’s top goddess, up close and for the longest time?

I could say I’ve already succeeded halfway to the ending.

“Alright, there was a bit of commotion from the entrance ceremony, but I hope that was the first and last commotion for our class. Let me introduce myself first.”

The female teacher who, befitting her role as the homeroom teacher of the protagonist’s class, had a rough time from day one.

Despite facing a series of nerve-wracking incidents since morning, her eyes still sparkled with enthusiasm for her students.

“My name is Yeo Mi-so. Call me Mi-so. I teach social geography and general social culture. This is my first time being a homeroom teacher, so I might make mistakes and have shortcomings, but I look forward to working with you all.”

-Scratch. Tap tap.

-Rustle. Screech.

[Yeo Mi-so]

[余媄笑]

So that even the students in the back could see,

the teacher, with her black ponytail swinging, stretched her arms and legs to write her name largely from the edge of the blackboard.

Perhaps she wanted to show off a bit of knowledge to her students.

There was something oddly cute about how she wrote the Chinese characters for her name next to the Korean.

“Teacher Mi-so, your name is pretty!”

“Hehe, thank you!”

“She seems like a really good teacher.”

“Yeah. She’s kind of cute. Like a squirrel.”

“Ah, I get what you mean. She seems like the type who’d play well with students and take jokes well.”

Her strangely youthful and cute face.

Yet her expression, which conveyed genuine passion for her students, immediately captured their interest.

“Does anyone have any questions for me?”

“Teacher Mi-so, are you seeing anyone?”

“I’m curious if you’re dating someone right now!”

“Boyfriend!”

“A-all your questions are the same!”

“Honestly, nothing else is interesting!”

Even without anyone leading the charge, the questions for young, pretty teachers were predetermined.

For students in the prime of their youth, what they were most curious about was naturally others’ love lives.

“Um, I don’t have one! Ask something else!”

“What’s your ideal type?”

“Which MBTI type would you absolutely never date?”

“How much older or younger would you date?”

“I said something other than romance!”

Teacher Mi-so blushed and waved her hands dismissively.

Meanwhile, her eyes stopped on one person.

She looked toward Hamin, one of the few students in this class she had spoken with earlier.

“D-Do Hamin. Do you have any questions about something other than dating?”

Teacher Mi-so threw the question opportunity to Hamin.

Partly because she was the only one she had spoken with before introductions,

but also likely because Hamin gave off the impression of a model student who would study even during breaks.

Surely Hamin would ask a constructive question about school life.

Her eyes held such expectations.

“Well… it’s entrance ceremony day, but I heard that unlike other schools, we’ll have regular classes…”

“Ah, yes! That’s a very good question! To ensure your right to study as much as possible, I convinced the other teachers to hold classes even on entrance ceremony day! A student’s primary duty is to study, right?”

“…”

The culprit who normalized the entrance ceremony was unexpectedly close by.

“Oh, why do you all look so unhappy? Any other questions…”

The barrage of questions for Teacher Mi-so ended there.

“Come on, don’t be discouraged! Everyone! You should enjoy your high school life from now on! Oh, that’s right!”

Teacher Mi-so pulled out a box from the front of the classroom as if remembering something.

“Calendars…?”

The box contained calendars recording the upcoming academic schedule.

“Yes, that’s right. These are school-made calendars that record events like exams, sports days, and festivals! Now, let’s pass them out from the front row to the back?”

As Teacher Mi-so said, the school calendars recorded upcoming school events.

The midterm exams coming up first, followed by the school trip in May and the inter-class sports competition.

Each one an intense event that couldn’t be left out of a youth drama.

As long as reaching the ending where I end up with Do Hamin was the top priority, these were all important events that couldn’t be carelessly missed.

“Well then, it’s break time now, so I’ll be back in 10 minutes! The second period is social geography, so everyone prepare well!”

With that intimidating regular class comment, Teacher Mi-so opened the front door and left.

Though some students were initially disappointed about not having shortened classes, they soon began showing interest in the calendars, checking off exciting upcoming events one by one.

-Poke poke

“Doyoung, Doyoung.”

As soon as break time started,

Sahyang, sitting in front of me, poked my cheek and spoke.

“What are you doing? It’s break time. Hurry up and buy drinks. I want grapefruit juice.”

“I want blue lemon ade. In a bottle, not a can. And bring a straw.”

Tsk, so they still remembered.

“Hurry up and go. The school store is even farther away now that we’re in the high school building. If you don’t run as soon as break starts, you’ll be late.”

“Ugh… you children of Satan. You’re really determined to get your hands on your friend’s wallet, aren’t you?!”

“No, you’re the one who suggested it first.”

My fists were trembling, but a man accepts defeat in a settled match.

I quietly wrote down the menu items Sahyang and Hyerang wanted me to buy.

“Oh right, you know you have to buy something for Hamin too, right? That was part of the bet.”

“…”

“Hey, are you glaring at me right now? After you’re the one who suggested the bet?”

“Tsk.”

I lowered my head and held out a notepad to Do Hamin beside me.

“Write down what you want. There’s not much break time left.”

“I-I’m fine, really. I didn’t even know you were making such a bet.”

Hamin declined, pushing away the notepad.

“Th-thanks for earlier. For… taking my side.”

Hamin spoke while gently tapping the desk,

unable to properly meet my eyes.

“It-it’s the first time, you know. Having someone take my side in that kind of situation… it’s never happened before…”

“Don’t feel down just because trash like Lee Jeongkyu picked on you, Hamin. Guys like that are always like that.”

“Yeah. Actually, thanks to you, the situation got better. I’ve heard from friends who went to Seongdong Middle School that he two-timed and dumped a lot of people.”

“…”

-Creak

Perhaps thinking that merely saying thank you without making eye contact wasn’t enough?

Hamin stopped tapping nervously with her fingers and turned her chair toward me.

With the ticking clock and murmuring voices in the background,

Hamin slowly raised her head.

Through her slightly smudged glasses, I could see her navy blue eyes with a hint of blue.

We clearly recognized that we were looking at each other.

There was a slight delay when her gaze passed my chest area, but I understood.

“Thank you for taking my side then…”

“No need to make a big deal out of it.”

“No, I really am grateful. Whatever your reason was… it was a first for me.”

I’ll have to do much more than this to return to my original world.

Is it okay to hear such words already?

“Anyway, just tell me what you want to drink.”

“Th-that’s really okay. I-if anything, I’d rather buy you a drink to show my gratitude.”

“Oh, really? Then you go buy them.”

I placed the list of what Sahyang and Hyerang wanted in Hamin’s hand.

“I’ll have cola. Zero Lime.”

“Huh…?”

“What are you waiting for? Two minutes left in break time. Hurry up and run.”

To return to my original world, I’ll need to do more than just take her side.

So it should be fine to ask for this much, right?