They say even if you don’t speak the language, you know when someone’s cursing at you. Even though I was just slightly uncomfortable inside, Lee Hyeonseok glared at me with sharp eyes.
“What are you thinking right now?”
“I’m trying hard to look good to hyung…”
“I said if I catch you lying, your wrist flies off.”
“Is what I was thinking about thinking.”
People curse the president when he’s not around, but Lee Hyeonseok couldn’t forgive me even for being uncomfortable inside. There wasn’t a single thing we liked about each other. I didn’t know if we could get along well on our own from now on like this.
“Let’s do well, yeah?”
“I’ve done some social life stuff, so I’m really good at that kind of thing.”
“I guess you also know what happens if you don’t.”
Lee Hyeonseok said arrogantly while looking down at me. I’d have no regrets if he’d just let me hit him once. Somehow my former workplace superior came to mind and nausea was about to come out unconsciously, but instead I answered by smiling to the point of spasms at the corners of my mouth.
“Answer.”
“…Yep.”
However, perhaps not satisfied with that, Lee Hyeonseok gripped both my cheeks tightly and demanded an answer with my mouth. An unclear word came out because of my mouth sticking out like a carp’s mouth, but fortunately he seemed to understand. When I couldn’t find the next thing to say and was obediently waiting for Lee Hyeonseok’s words, the bell signaling first period rang.
I didn’t know whether I should just quietly leave as is or get Lee Hyeonseok’s permission to leave. I glanced at the school building once, glanced at Lee Hyeonseok once. Then asked with my eyes if I could go. Lee Hyeonseok seemed to find my appearance amusing as he chuckled and left first. Bastard, may you live long and prosper.
Having gone to find Lee Hyeonseok as soon as I got to school, I had completely skipped morning assembly time, so I felt awkward going into the classroom. My heart was heavy thinking about getting scolded while receiving the class’s attention again. To be honest, being scolded in front of the kids was more embarrassing than Lee Hyeonseok treating me as insignificant. While I was hesitating at the back door of the classroom, the back door opened. Someone had opened the door before I could. Startled, I looked up and it was the class president.
“The teacher says to come in quickly.”
“Okay…”
“What were you doing… Huh? Your face!”
“Huh?”
“What are you doing, not coming quickly.”
It seemed he had discovered me hesitating through the window and was watching, then couldn’t stand it anymore and was told to do it. I bowed my head like a sinner, then slightly lifted my face to check the class atmosphere, and as soon as the class president saw my face, he was startled and asked me. I didn’t know what he meant and tilted my head.
The moment the class president raised his finger and was about to speak, the homeroom teacher called me.
Since the class president was looking at me strangely, I also looked at the class president as if he was strange, then changed to an apologetic face and approached the homeroom teacher. But not just the class president – the kids and even the homeroom teacher looked at me strangely. The children murmured. Embarrassment rushed in. The homeroom teacher was already changing to a flustered yet worried expression.
“What’s this, Seo Jiwoo. What’s wrong with your face?”
“Pardon?”
Even the homeroom teacher pointed out my facial condition in a flustered voice. I wondered if my face looked that strange, then only then remembered that Lee Hyeonseok had hit my cheek. I didn’t know because there was no mirror, but it seemed I wasn’t in good shape.
“Did someone hit you?”
The homeroom teacher suspected school violence. He seemed full of difficulty. I couldn’t bring myself to say I was hit by Lee Hyeonseok and just stared at the floor. The homeroom teacher would definitely be troubled if he heard I was hit by Han Hyeonseok. Nothing could be done, nothing would be resolved, and only the story that Seo Jiwoo was hit by Han Hyeonseok would spread far and wide.
Even being hit by a simple delinquent would cause all kinds of controversy, but being hit by Han Hyeonseok? Definitely, a quiet school life would be impossible for the time being. I had no choice but to once again create a non-existent being.
“Actually, on the way to school I got caught up with a drunk person…”
I lied without even wetting my lips. As soon as I became aware of being hit, the pain crept up. It wasn’t that painful, but I squinted my eyes as if it hurt. The homeroom teacher looked worried when I gently touched my cheek with a wronged expression. It seems I really do have a natural talent for acting.
“First, you should go to the nurse’s office.”
“Yees…”
The homeroom teacher, who completely fell for my lie, recommended I go to the nurse’s office. I answered languidly, worried it would look strange if I accepted too readily.
“Ah, where did you get caught up?”
“Uh, um… in the alley that’s a shortcut to school.”
“Geez! I told you not to come that way.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Anyway, there’s no one who listens when you tell them. You all have no intention of listening at all, do you?”
Afraid they might check CCTV or something if I mentioned just any place, I diligently mentioned a place with no people and no CCTV. The shortcut to school was an alley made of walls, so there was no CCTV and of course no place for people to see. Therefore, because it was dangerous, the school warned not to use that place, but if you went through the shortcut you’d arrive 5 minutes faster, so students secretly used it.
“Fine, just go to the nurse’s office.”
“Yes.”
The homeroom teacher subtly scolded me as if it was my own doing. Even if I were actually in that situation, I felt bad thinking that the bastard who hit me was the bad one, but I just decided to go to the nurse’s office as the homeroom teacher said.
“You guys saw too, right? Don’t use the shortcut.”
“Yes.”
The homeroom teacher said something to the kids before I even left the classroom. The kids clearly looked reluctant, but perhaps because the result was right before their eyes, they answered without resistance. Did he really have to say that while I was there? It was fortunate I had my back turned. Otherwise, everyone would have seen my crumpled face.
* * *
“Who is it!”
The moment I arrived at the nurse’s office in a bad mood and opened the door, a loud voice mixed with anger could be heard all the way to the hallway. Not just me but the people in the nurse’s office were startled by the angry voice.
I was startled by the sight of Han Taeseok fuming and pressing someone angrily, but Lee Juwon saw me and made a strange expression, then immediately made a forlorn expression. The change of expression was so fast I wondered if I had seen it wrong. Everyone was surprised by the unexpected appearance, but except for one person, they immediately returned to their original expressions.
“What, you.”
“I’m sorry.”
It was an attitude treating me, who came in for treatment, as an unwelcome guest. Rational me immediately apologized and quickly and quietly closed the door. I think it was a swift reaction.
Inside were Lee Juwon and his men. Looking at the hostile atmosphere and how they surrounded Lee Juwon sitting in a chair, it seemed Lee Juwon was injured. Otherwise, there was no reason to be in the nurse’s office. As soon as I reached a conclusion based on rational judgment, I left the nurse’s office.
It didn’t hurt that much to begin with, and even if it did hurt, I didn’t have the guts to be treated nonchalantly in that place. It was a level of pain that I could tell would heal on its own over time.
When I left the nurse’s office and had gone about a hallway’s turn, I heard the sound of someone calling me and running from behind. Before I could turn around out of curiosity about who was running so urgently. That someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to face them. Even though it wasn’t a long distance, it wasn’t a short distance either, but they were fast.
“Where are you going?”
It was Lee Juwon. The expression I had just seen on his face came to mind and I felt slightly repulsed, but I saw a faint bruise on Lee Juwon’s left cheek. For a moment I remembered Lee Juwon being hit by Han Hyeonseok. If that faint bruise was evidence of being hit by Han Hyeonseok that day, I was amazed at how hard he must have hit for the bruise not to fade even after almost a month.
Lee Juwon’s face held apology. It seemed he knew I couldn’t go in because of them. Although my conscience pricked slightly at having felt repulsed, the repulsion didn’t disappear.
“Uh, huh?”
“Weren’t you here to get treated?”
‘Would there really be anyone who could get treated in that atmosphere?’ rose up to my throat wanting to be asked. I was curious whether he was asking while knowing, or if he actually didn’t know, but I decided to just let it go. There was no need to fluster a good person who tried to protect me and came chasing out of concern.
“I was thinking of doing that, but it doesn’t hurt that much.”
“Don’t say that and get treated before you go. Your face is swollen red.”
Despite my decline, Lee Juwon pushed my back toward the nurse’s office. One of Lee Juwon’s men, Han Taeseok, with a displeased face, stared at us from outside the door. He seemed quite displeased with Lee Juwon taking care of me. Just going in there, I felt like I’d get indigestion just from existing.
“No, no… I’m really okay!”
I refused in earnest. Until I saw Han Taeseok, I was slightly startled at the thought of encountering the protagonist and it felt unreal. But only after seeing Han Taeseok glaring at me as if to devour me did reality return.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll treat you.”
That was the biggest problem. Lee Juwon’s consideration wasn’t just troublesome but even awkward. Even though I didn’t know the contents of this novel properly, during the half year after transmigrating, I could tell how crazily Lee Juwon’s men were obsessed with Lee Juwon.
They blocked people who came close to Lee Juwon, and people who got handsy couldn’t be seen from the next day. Just looking at Lee Juwon would get you anything from light threats to getting beaten up, so that says it all.
And in front of them, get personally treated by Lee Juwon? I was even suspicious that Lee Juwon was actually trying to get rid of the person who saw him get beaten by Han Hyeonseok that day.
