# Chapter 36
Ye Abin and Hong Hachan failed in their attempt to interrogate me about what happened with Son Gyucheon that day as they came outside. I decided not to think too deeply about it, judging that Jo Youngmin had simply been caught by Son Gyucheon and experienced something unpleasant. He might not be talking about it because he was embarrassed.
“Ah, I need to eat quickly and go. A senior from my club called and asked me to meet them.”
On the way to the cafeteria, I remembered Lee Jinyoung’s call and said to the guys walking ahead.
“From your club? What for?”
“I’m not entirely sure… but they told me to come to the rooftop garden.”
I responded calmly to Ye Abin’s question. Ye Abin, who was looking at me with a somewhat meaningful gaze, soon spoke indifferently.
“Is that so? Alright.”
When we arrived at the cafeteria and started eating, Hong Hachan spoke while still chewing his food.
“I was thinking about this before too, but you’ve been eating well these days, haven’t you?”
“…Have I?”
“You say you need to go quickly, but it’s amazing that you’re actually eating quickly too.”
After swallowing what I was chewing, I told Hong Hachan to swallow before speaking. My comment must have sounded too naggy because he made a strange face, but I ignored it and checked the time—I still had plenty of it.
“Oh, about the performance we talked about last time, I think I can do it with you guys.”
At my words, they looked at me with surprised expressions. Ye Abin, who had stopped with a spoonful of rice before it reached his mouth, squinted his eyes and asked.
“Did things go well with… the student council president, like you said they would?”
“Yes.”
At my brief but confident answer, they didn’t ask anything more and just stared at me with wide eyes. Of course, I understand their shock. I didn’t expect Kwak Junhee to agree so readily either. But in reality, Kwak Junhee told me to do as I pleased, and even if I hadn’t received permission, I couldn’t have done it with those guys anymore.
After Byeon Seungha caught me yesterday, the performance proposal made to me was probably as good as gone. This was actually for the best.
“So it’s settled then?”
“…Yeah.”
At my explanation that things had worked out well and we could now work together, Ye Abin nodded. Oh, but there are four of us—where would we find another person? I was about to ask but decided against it. It wasn’t important yet.
Having finished eating, I got up saying I would leave first. The guys who hadn’t finished yet casually waved their hands, telling me to go ahead. I picked up my empty tray and walked to put it away.
Since there was nothing to throw away, I put the tray down and headed to the water purifier for a drink. As I approached, someone came up beside me. My face stiffened automatically at the presence that was perceptible even without looking. Pretending not to notice, I filled a cup with water and drank, when a voice with a light tone reached my ears.
“Did you get home safely yesterday?”
“…Yes.”
I didn’t expect him to speak to me… I was confused by Kwak Junhee acting so casual. For a moment, I looked around thinking he might be talking to someone else, but I was the only one near him. Glancing at me as I delayed my response, Kwak Junhee tilted his head and looked me up and down as if examining me.
“Any injuries besides your leg?”
“…None.”
He was asking after seeing me get hit in the shin by Byeon Seungha. The bruise had turned from blue to a dark reddish-purple, but after my hesitant answer, Kwak Junhee nodded as if he understood and turned away. After a moment of hesitation, I called out to stop him.
“Sunbae.”
Kwak Junhee paused at my call and turned his head. Unlike his consistently expressionless face, he looked perplexed, but his demeanor was noticeably different from what I’d seen over the past few days. He seemed angry, but I was just puzzled that he had approached me first.
“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?”
When I asked this, Kwak Junhee’s eyes widened slightly. Like Moon Seoheon, I wondered if he was waiting for me to tell him, so I asked. Kwak Junhee finally relaxed his expressionless face and smiled faintly.
“Right. …You can tell me if you want to.”
As I moved my lips, unable to organize my thoughts, Kwak Junhee looked around and added.
“Later, I mean. It’s not really appropriate here.”
“Ah…”
“I need to eat too.”
With that response, Kwak Junhee raised his hand in a sort of greeting and left. As I blankly watched him go, I noticed the main characters sitting together with Moon Seoheon. Because of that, I briefly made eye contact with Byeon Seungha and quickly averted my gaze, but not before I saw him giving Kwak Junhee a disapproving look as he sat down.
I turned and headed for the rooftop. Though I still felt dazed, I thought I should finish my tasks first.
As I went up the stairs in the main building, I briefly wondered if I was going the right way. I hoped I wasn’t heading in the wrong direction. With plenty of time to spare, I went all the way to the top, where I found a firmly closed iron door.
Turning the handle, I was relieved to find it wasn’t locked. When I pushed the smoothly turning handle, my mouth opened slightly at the green landscape that came into view.
They called it a garden, but I expected just a small flower bed or something. This was big enough to be called a proper garden, wasn’t it?
Half of the vast space, large enough to run around in, was dedicated to vegetable beds. While one side was barren land with nothing planted, the uniformly created garden on the left had a professional look to it.
The spaces between the long rows of garden beds were covered with small pebbles instead of mud, allowing people to walk through. Crouching on that path were Lee Jinyoung and the teacher I had first met during the Social Club meeting. His name was… Jaewon, I believe.
“Hello.”
“Ah, Taeho, you’re here. You came early.”
“Oh, you really came?”
Unlike the formal appearance from that time, the teacher was dressed casually in a large t-shirt and jeans, and he showed a surprised expression. It seemed like he didn’t believe I would come even though he was told.
“I thought you wouldn’t come since there’s a monthly assessment this week.”
He must have thought I wouldn’t come because I would be studying. I approached the two with an awkward smile.
“What should I do?”
“Ah, right. Taeho, could you help with transplanting these over here?”
“Sure.”
Looking where the teacher pointed, I saw what appeared to be lettuce seedlings placed one by one. They seemed to have been brought when nearly fully grown, as they were almost big enough to harvest and eat. I guess we would be planting them in the garden.
The garden wasn’t made with large pots or boxes but seemed to have been created by spreading soil directly on the ground, with wooden boards used to divide it into equal-sized sections. It was not only pleasing to look at but also appeared to be designed for convenient management.
As I approached one area that seemed to have only soil with nothing planted yet, the teacher handed me a pair of gloves.
Though I put on the seemingly new white gloves, I honestly didn’t know what to do and just stared blankly at the teacher. When he gave me a look that seemed to ask if I had something to say, I awkwardly asked.
“How should I do this?”
“Ah… Are you not familiar with it yet?”
The teacher, who let out a small sigh at my words, stopped his movement toward another area and came over.
“It’s simple. You just need to transfer these seedlings here.”
Saying that, the teacher crouched down, telling me to watch what he did and then follow. I also bent my knees and squatted down, intending to copy exactly what the teacher would do.
The teacher immediately selected a spot to plant and dug into the soil. After digging a hole of appropriate size, he took one of the seedlings and carefully removed it from its pot. Then he placed it in the hole and planted it properly.
As the teacher dug another hole, he spoke.
“Planting lettuce isn’t particularly difficult. You just need to maintain proper spacing when planting them.”
When he pointed to the spot he had dug and told me to plant one, I carefully removed a seedling as the teacher had done and planted it well. The teacher, who had been watching me pat down the soil to secure the plant, smiled with the corners of his mouth turning up.
“You’re doing well.”
At the brief but strong praise, I laughed softly, “Ha ha,” and replied, “Thank you.” Although it was my first time, it was certainly easy, and I felt confident I could do it alone. But seeing there were other things to do and quite a lot of seedlings, I wondered if just the three of us would be doing all this, so I asked.
“Aren’t other people coming?”
“Seulbi couldn’t come because she had something to do, and Yuna said she would come… but she hasn’t arrived yet.”
It seems the others were completely excluded. Thinking back to the Social Club meeting, I can understand Lee Jinyoung being diligent as the club president, but what exactly do the Middle Class students do, besides me, Oh Seulbi, and Kim Yuna from Low Class? Do they just come to eat?
A supervising teacher should be able to dismiss students who don’t participate properly. I glanced at the teacher while planting the remaining seedlings.
He was holding a large watering can, filling it with water from the tap. Seeing that there was a water supply installed, it was quite a well-equipped facility. When I was in school, the rooftop was always locked due to safety concerns, and I had never been up there.
Of course, this place was dangerous too. Looking at the large wire fence surrounding the outside, it was at least fortunate that it was installed to prevent falls. The “Falling Hazard” sign hanging in the middle was creepy, but… all building rooftops are the same, right?
Anyway, even as the supervising teacher, it seems he can’t exercise the authority to dismiss unsuitable members. I don’t know what subject he teaches, but it’s probably not a major one? Recalling the Middle Class students who tried to steal credit during the Social Club meeting and didn’t seem affected by the teacher’s comments, he must not have much power.
After planting about four seedlings, the rooftop door opened, and Kim Yuna came running in, out of breath.
“Ugh, I’m sorry! Eating took longer than I expected…”
“No, you’re right on time. Glad you could make it.”
The teacher smiled kindly at Kim Yuna, who looked upset, and said as he put down the water-filled watering can.
“I’ll buy you all ice cream when we’re done.”
He might lack authority, but he was definitely a good teacher.
After planting all the seedlings and watering the soil until it was wet, I checked the time and found it was five minutes before the bell.
“The timing is a bit awkward, isn’t it? I think it would be better to treat you during club time… what do you think, kids?”
“I’m fine with anytime!”
“Whatever works for you, teacher.”
The teacher nodded at Kim Yuna and Lee Jinyoung’s words and said he would buy ice cream on Wednesday, telling us to go down now. As I was taking off my gloves while following Kim Yuna, who was leaving with a bow, the teacher approached me and said.
“Taeho, good job. They said you’ve changed, and you really do seem like a different person.”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
“Take care, and I’ll see you later.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
After bowing to the teacher who was waving his hand, I passed through the entrance and came inside the building. Even though it is a different person, it must be quite noticeable if even the teachers can tell. Thinking it was only natural, a small, self-deprecating laugh escaped me. By the way, it seems quite a lot of students are talking about me.
