# Chapter 35
The kids asked me if it was true that I had received two exemption passes, and after hesitating for a moment, I answered that it was.
The class was shocked not only that I had succeeded on the first try and earned an exemption pass, but that I had challenged it a second time. They made a big fuss about how rare it was to succeed both times and get two exemption passes.
It was true that I had gotten two, but now I only had one. I had handed the other one over to Son Gyucheon, so I really only had one left. But I couldn’t tell them that, so I didn’t say anything more. Then someone jokingly said:
“Hey, can you spare one of those exemption passes?”
Someone who heard this sighed with amusement and muttered “no conscience.” The tone was light, so it wasn’t something to get seriously worked up about, but I thought, what’s so unconscionable about that? When I looked over, I saw it was a guy with five stars.
He’s in a high Class but still greedy. They say the rich always want more, and that’s not wrong.
I laughed it off lightly and went to sit at my desk. As I did, I briefly made eye contact with Ko Kyungsu, who seemed to be asking if I was okay, so I nodded.
After putting down my bag, I looked around at the guys who were still talking about exemption passes, then opened my book. It was the workbook I had brought from my locker yesterday.
The monthly evaluation was on Thursday. Even though there were only a few days left, it was important to cram as much as possible into my head. Cramming for tests is normal, but considering how rusty my brain might be from not using it for a while, time was tight. So I decided to focus on studying during non-class hours at school.
At home, I had a stack of workbooks and notes piled up neatly. I planned to go through them until bedtime after school ended. Even though I had an exemption pass, it didn’t feel right to not study at all, and if I was going to take the test, I might as well do well. It would be tiring, but this week was going to be busy.
After the morning commotion, the classroom became so quiet it was hard to believe how noisy it had been. Considering how last week most students were chattering or playing games during breaks, this was surprising.
It must be because the monthly evaluation was right around the corner. Even the homeroom teacher told us during morning assembly to prepare well and get good scores. Thanks to that, I could focus solely on studying quietly.
“Moon Seoheon.”
A soft, beautiful voice penetrated my ears. I had been so focused on my workbook that I hadn’t noticed anyone approaching. Just as I thought what a nice voice it was, I was startled to realize the owner of the voice had called for Moon Seoheon, and my body jerked in surprise.
Just from hearing the voice, it was obvious it wasn’t Byeon Seungha, but I tightened my grip on my pen thinking it might be him. Tensely, I slowly raised my head to see Jung Hyoin with his blonde hair standing next to Moon Seoheon. Thinking how striking his appearance still was, I looked at his face until our eyes met. Then I quickly lowered my head, pretending to solve problems.
“Are you studying?”
“Yeah. The evaluation is this week.”
Jung Hyoin asked Moon Seoheon, who was solving problems next to me. His voice sounded surprised, as if seeing Moon Seoheon study was quite unexpected.
“You already got an exemption pass this time too, but you’re already studying?”
“Well… it’s better than not studying.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Jung Hyoin, who didn’t seem that surprised after all, grabbed a chair from behind and sat down. I had thought he would take Moon Seoheon away, but he just sat down without leaving, which made me very flustered. Though I tried to maintain a blank expression.
Why the hell isn’t he leaving and why is he sitting there making a scene?
With Jung Hyoin quietly sitting there watching Moon Seoheon study, I couldn’t concentrate on my problems. For a moment, I wondered if he didn’t know anything.
Moon Seoheon had said it would be fine, but that was just his opinion. My only thought was that I should avoid Byeon Seungha at all costs if we were to meet.
The same went for the other main characters. Kwak Junhee probably wouldn’t be friendly toward me anymore either. Thinking about it, I hadn’t exactly acted in a particularly friendly way. I thought he was showing some interest, so I responded accordingly.
So while I had no particular connection with Jung Hyoin, he was still someone I should avoid. Yet there he was, sitting right next to Moon Seoheon doing nothing, and I was the only one sweating bullets.
Wondering if he had come to check if I would do something, I glanced at him and saw he was sitting comfortably with his arms crossed and eyes slightly lowered. His attitude showed complete disinterest in me, which eventually eased my tension somewhat.
But since I wasn’t completely comfortable, I was ultimately the one who stood up.
With a creaking sound, I rose from my seat, and Moon Seoheon, who had been looking at his workbook, raised his head to look at me. Jung Hyoin’s eyes automatically followed me too.
To act naturally, I interlaced my fingers and stretched my arms, then walked out of the classroom. Since my body was really stiff from sitting for so long, I thought I might as well go to the bathroom.
“Shit…”
As I was walking, I swallowed the curse that almost escaped and turned my body when I spotted a figure in the distance. It was an immediate reaction as soon as I saw the intense red hair. Realizing that Byeon Seungha was heading toward Class 1, I immediately ruled out returning to the classroom.
I stood by the window pretending to look outside, with my hand resting on the windowsill. Hoping he would just pass by without noticing, I hunched my body as much as possible, when the footsteps right behind me stopped.
Unable to turn around, I slowly lowered my head, but soon the footsteps that had stopped began again. Only after making sure the presence behind me was completely gone did I quietly roll my eyes to the side. And I could see Byeon Seungha entering Class 1.
“Haah…”
This wasn’t a thriller movie, but I could feel cold sweat running down my armpits. Thinking I couldn’t study properly in this state, I trudged toward the bathroom when my phone vibrated in my pocket as if someone was calling.
Taking it out to check, I saw it displayed “Club President.” It was Lee Jinyoung. Wondering what it was about, I quickly answered.
—Ah, Taeho. It’s Jinyoung.
“Yes. What’s up?”
—Could you… come to the rooftop garden during lunch after eating quickly today?
Rooftop garden? So there’s a hands-on space like that too. Realizing that the club was Food and Cooking, I thought there must be some connection and nodded.
“Yes, I can come.”
—Oh, really? …Ah, okay. Then you’ll need to be there by 12:30, is that okay?
“Yes.”
—Great, thanks.
Lee Jinyoung, who seemed to have expected rejection, was surprised by my answer but calmly replied before hanging up. Just like at the social club meeting, the Middle Class guys probably won’t show up, right?
Since she mentioned a garden, I figured we’d be tending to crops or something, so it wasn’t particularly troublesome or annoying. Rather, I was a bit interested in the fact that there was a garden on the rooftop.
I wouldn’t be able to study during lunch break, but I thought it was fortunate since I probably wouldn’t be able to concentrate anyway. The main characters would definitely be occupying my seat during lunch.
* * *
When I deliberately entered the classroom after the bell rang, neither Jung Hyoin nor Byeon Seungha was in sight, as expected. As I sat down before the teacher arrived, Moon Seoheon, who was still working on problems, spoke without looking up from his workbook.
“Did you deliberately avoid us earlier?”
My body instinctively flinched. Unable to say anything, I looked at him, but he was silently solving problems without giving me a single glance. This guy… he’s perceptive, but the way he casually pokes at people’s feelings shows a lack of humility. Since he wasn’t looking at me anyway, I cursed him with my eyes, but Moon Seoheon spoke in a light tone.
“I told you it would be fine.”
“Ha, that… only applies to you.”
He seems perceptive, but is he really that clueless? Maybe because he’s the protagonist, he doesn’t have the awareness when it comes to matters related to him.
“It would really be fine, you know?”
“What would be fine? Are you saying your grades for the monthly evaluation will be fine?”
Not wanting to argue about something so absurd, I spouted nonsense just as insensitively. At my words, which were partly intended to tell him to study hard, Moon Seoheon stopped moving his pen and looked at me.
As I stared at him as if asking if he had something to say, Moon Seoheon gazed at me for a moment, then chuckled. It was the first time I’d seen him laugh like that. Finding it novel, my eyes widened slightly.
“What about your grades, will they be fine?”
At his amused voice, I tucked in my lips that were about to pout and said:
“I’ll manage somehow.”
* * *
As soon as lunch break started, Jo Youngmin came over and nudged me. I got up and followed him as he said we should go eat. Looking at his back, I recalled seeing him with Son Gyucheon. He seemed to have been dragged away by Son Gyucheon, so I guessed it wasn’t something he wanted, but I felt too uneasy to stay quiet. So I asked:
“Hey, what did you do yesterday?”
Jo Youngmin looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if wondering what I meant.
“You saw me yesterday, didn’t you? We ran into each other at the convenience store, don’t you remember? I just relaxed, that’s all.”
“…Did you just go home after leaving the convenience store?”
Jo Youngmin paused for a moment at my question before nodding indifferently. Though it wasn’t obvious, the subtle awkwardness revealed that he was lying.
“What’s your relationship with Son Gyucheon?”
“What?”
At that moment, I recalled when Byeon Seungha had questioned me. It felt like I was doing the same thing, which didn’t sit well with me, but I thought it was better to ask directly, so I went straight for it.
Ah, could it be that Byeon Seungha had also seen me with Son Gyucheon or talking to him? Whether he saw from a distance or heard about it somewhere, it might explain why he would question why two completely unrelated guys seemed to have something going on. After all, I’m now curious about why Jo Youngmin, who doesn’t seem to have any connection to Son Gyucheon, was with him.
Jo Youngmin flinched at my words and blinked. He questioned me with a bewildered expression as if wondering why I would ask such a thing, then his eyebrows twitched as if he felt something was off. Seeing this, I casually said:
“Just… Son Gyucheon’s personality is so messed up, right? He keeps picking fights with me and it’s getting annoying.”
At my tone, which sounded like a complaint, Jo Youngmin relaxed his expression and sympathetically said that was too bad. Yes, my situation is pitiful, but isn’t yours the same? I kept looking at him curiously, wondering what he had discussed with that guy, but Jo Youngmin only said useless things.
“That guy does go around probing here and there. It’s best not to run into him at all.”
