1st in Class Hides Regression - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Episode 37
The woman who owns our Villa.
Talkative, industrious, fit as a fiddle, and endlessly curious about everyone else’s business.
It’s no exaggeration to say that ninety-nine point nine percent of the neighborhood gossip flows from her mouth.
The moment my eyes met hers—bright with interest, small and gleaming—goosebumps crawled down my spine.
This was trouble.
“A boyfriend dropped you off, didn’t he? Out this late, the two of you holding hands so tight~?”
“Ah, well, ma’am, that’s not actually—”
“Oh, never mind. You don’t need to explain to me. Of course Da-hye’s at the age to notice boys.”
Except I’m really at the age where I should be studying.
“Since we’ve run into each other, why don’t you introduce your boyfriend to me? Hey, what’s your boyfriend’s name?”
“She’s not my boyfriend.”
That’s when Jung Eun-seong spoke up.
“She’s a girl.”
“Huh?”
“She’s a woman.”
……
……
A chilling silence fell over us, but Jung Eun-seong remained perfectly composed.
“A man? From what angle would I look like such an incomplete, foul-smelling creature?”
“Hey, stop that.”
I jabbed her in the ribs with my elbow.
“Why should I stop trying to expose the truth?”
Because it’s not the truth……
“Not being able to call a woman a woman……”
……
“I’m still a woman.”
……
I pressed my palm to my forehead.
The landlady looked just as baffled as I felt, but standing there with her mouth hanging open, Jung Eun-seong pressed on without a shred of shame.
“I’m serious.”
“Oh, fine. Da-hye, get inside now.”
The landlady, having surrendered entirely, waved her hand and left. As she turned toward the flower beds behind the Villa, Jung Eun-seong called out after her.
“Goodbye, ma’am.”
An unintelligible muttering drifted back.
“What, Kang Da-hye. Embarrassed by your girlfriend?”
“Oh my god.”
Honestly, I’d been so solemn just moments before.
I was going to be a respectable adult!
My fists clenched, my teeth gritted with determination—and now it all drained away like water through a sieve.
In its place came an absurd laugh.
Unable to suppress the corners of my mouth from twitching up at the ridiculousness, I pushed at Jung Eun-seong’s back.
“Go on, get out of here. At this rate the taxi fare’s going to run over fifty thousand won.”
I pushed with both hands with all my strength, but she didn’t budge an inch. Looking down at me, Jung Eun-seong spoke in a cocky tone.
“Kang Da-hye.”
“What?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I only hate you second in our class.”
“I swear.”
By now, wasn’t this line basically a ritual incantation?
“If you’re going to do this, hate me first instead. I want to be number one at everything.”
“Just get inside before the landlady comes back and starts talking to you again.”
“This is right in front of our house anyway.”
“Yeah. Three seconds and I’m gone. Go on, get in there.”
“…Fine.”
I had no choice but to turn around first.
Jung Eun-seong stood motionless, apparently determined to watch me open the door and step inside.
‘It’s not like the landlady’s some kind of monster.’
Even standing in that grimy alley, she had the presence of someone from a magazine, and I caught myself stealing a glance before something suddenly occurred to me.
“By the way, you haven’t been teasing me about Jae lately, have you?”
It’s been a few days since we talked about that.
Jung Eun-seong rolled her eyes at my question.
“Oh. That.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not fun anymore.”
* * *
“Wow, that’s crazy! What kind of cop acts like that?”
“They were just dismissing you kids, right?”
“One hundred percent!”
“My friend had something like that happen once. She went to the police station because she got scammed trying to resell a concert ticket, you know?”
“Hee-min?”
“Yeah. But the cop told her to come back with her parents. So she was desperately begging them not to find out she’d spent over a hundred thousand won on the concert, asking if there was any way around it……”
“And then?”
“They sent her home saying, ‘If you won’t tell your parents, why would you tell us?’ They told her to take it as a lesson and focus on studying going forward. Stop chasing celebrities.”
“That’s insane… Why do they have to talk like that?”
“I know, right? Parents coming along? Fine, that happens. But why talk like that?”
“It’s actually infuriating!”
Se-in glared. Do-yeon added quietly from beside her.
“Next time something like that happens, tell me. I’ll ask my mom if she can help.”
“Why? Is your mom a cop?”
Do-yeon’s mom is a legal professional.
I said it leaning back in my chair.
“Yesterday I really wanted to grow up fast.”
My mind was already an adult, but my body was a child, so nothing got done. It was so frustrating.
If Peter Pan showed up in front of me right now and said, “Da-hye, let’s go to Neverland together and live as eternal girls,” I’d do it.
I’d beat him with a Problem Set Book and chase him away.
An adult who can vote, get a driver’s license, watch restricted films, make real estate contracts, and apply for working holidays! That’s the best!
“Still, it feels satisfying. Se-in, you’re amazing.”
“Right, Ga-eun. I talked to your parents and got you transferred to a different hagwon.”
“Really? I’m not in trouble?”
“No. I told your parents your grades have improved a lot, so the Advanced Class would suit you better, and I’m connecting you with another hagwon a friend of mine runs.”
Se-in leaned in and whispered.
“Seo Jae-gyeom goes to that hagwon.”
“Insane. I’m going right now.”
It’s all thanks to Da-hye. Ga-eun said this and stuffed a hot dog with thick ham into my mouth.
Today’s school lunch had Spicy Chicken Ribs Soup, so we were eating lunch and also having the Tteokbokki and hot dogs we talked about yesterday.
Even eating all this, we’re hungry again by the time we leave.
“That day, the day Seo Jae-gyeom chased that guy away. I was wondering why Da-hye asked me to take a Kakaotalk screenshot right after we broke up? But it ended up being used as evidence.”
“Oh, that.”
I swallowed the hot dog and responded.
“They said if you tell a friend specifically what happened to you that day in detail, that counts as evidence too.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“Last time I got disrespected at the police station and was so frustrated I couldn’t study. So I did some research.”
Glad I did. I never imagined it would be useful like that.
“Ga-eun, you did great too. I never would’ve thought of a Whistle.”
“I did some research too. I was going to buy Pepper Spray at first, but they said it doesn’t help in urgent situations.”
“That pervert’s stupid face at the time……”
“He’s getting divorced, right?”
“I hope he gets cleaned out in alimony and loses everything.”
“He kept saying she was pretty and that’s why he kept looking……”
“Pretty or whatever, the point is we don’t want to be stared at! You feel uncomfortable and gross when someone stares at your face, don’t you? We feel exactly the same way!”
Se-in, fired up, slammed the table with a bang.
“Is it really that hard to understand that we feel the same emotions you do?!”
“Se-in! Is your energy overflowing?!”
Che-yuk, who’d been buying Sausage Bread at the School Cafeteria, spotted Se-in like that and shouted.
“Your fighting spirit is amazing! Wanna run laps on the playground with me? Go for it!”
“…Let’s bounce.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
“One, two… Ugh, look at Kang Da-hye going first!”
“Sorry, guys!”
I need to survive!
Gasping for breath, I climbed straight up to the fourth floor where my classroom was. I burst through the classroom door with the same momentum I’d built up running, and collided directly with Seo Jae-gyeom, who was heading out holding a basketball.
“Oh, sorry. Go ahead.”
I stepped aside to let him through.
With less than fifteen minutes left of lunch period, he was still planning to play basketball. The guy’s always running around like that, and it’s strange he never smells at all.
But for some reason, Seo Jae-gyeom didn’t leave right away—he started talking to me instead.
“Did you eat a Hot Dog?”
“Huh, does it show?”
“No. You’ve got ketchup on your face.”
“Oh.”
Embarrassed, I rubbed my cheek. Meanwhile, Seo Jae-gyeom just stood in front of me, staring blankly.
“Aren’t you going? The guys are probably waiting for you.”
“If I don’t go, they’ll start without me.”
“But you’re holding the basketball—how are they supposed to start without—”
I was trying to hurry him along so the others wouldn’t have to wait, but Seo Jae-gyeom wouldn’t budge.
He stared at me hard, then pouted his lips slightly.
“You don’t have anything you want to tell me today either?”
“Tell you?”
“Ask if anything happened.”
“Oh.”
Well, something did happen. I even went to the Police Station.
Since the Regression, that makes the second time!
But since I wasn’t the one directly involved…
I’m not going to tell him.
“Nothing happened.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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