1st in Class Hides Regression - Chapter 38

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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 38
“You’re lying.”
“I’m serious. Nothing happened.”
“Just tell me. Kim Gaeun already spilled everything yesterday.”
“Gaeun did?”
“Yeah. Over KakaoTalk.”
“…So what’s the problem then?”
Why are you asking me again? I looked up at him, puzzled. Seo Jaekyeom, receiving my gaze, brushed his hand across the basketball once.
“I want to hear it from you too.”
Ah, so you’re one of those people who likes reading the same incident twice from different angles?
“Yeah. So?”
Seo Jaekyeom had a hand in dealing with that guy too, so he deserved to know.
“Let’s go inside first.”
I grabbed Seo Jaekyeom’s elbow and dragged him along. He came willingly, and I wedged us both into the corner between the front door and the blackboard.
After glancing around to check we were alone, Seo Jaekyeom instinctively leaned down and tilted his ear toward me.
“So it went like this, and then it ended up like that.”
“That’s insane.”
“Yeah. Completely insane. But thank goodness the Principal came. And Jeong Eunseong helped a lot too….”
“But Dahye.”
“Hm?”
A chill ran down my spine and I stopped talking.
Why did he just call my name so tenderly?
‘Dahye.’ That’s the way Seo Jaekyeom uses it when he’s pushed his buttons but is forcing himself to be polite anyway.
Like, for instance, when I’d failed to read the room and confessed to him.
I pulled my face away from his ear and twisted my body back.
Only then could I see his expression clearly.
…Aren’t we standing way too close right now?
From the side, it looked like Seo Jaekyeom had me pinned between himself and the wall. At this distance, if anyone took a shot at me, he’d take all of it.
Seo Jaekyeom, who had me practically locked in by his body, glared down at me.
“Why didn’t you contact me?”
“What?”
“I was already helping you with that. So why did this transfer student suddenly show up and start helping?”
“He’s not a transfer student. That’s Jeong Eunseong.”
It’s been nearly a month since he transferred. When are you going to stop calling him that?
“Why did Je-ong Eun-seong suddenly show up and start helping?”
“Well… I happened to be in contact with Jeong Eunseong at that moment.”
“You message Jeong Eunseong separately?”
“Not normally. Just yesterday.”
“Why?”
“He said he wanted to ask me something about Korean history.”
“That’s total bullshit.”
“Huh?”
“His tutor doesn’t exist? Why would he ask you?”
I don’t have a tutor either, so why would he ask me?
As for Jeong Eunseong… well, who knows.
He probably has tutors for dance and singing, at least.
“Anyway, that’s how it happened. You would’ve been at cram school anyway at that time. It would’ve been fine either way, so what does it matter?”
“But why hide it? Why say nothing happened?”
“Because it wasn’t my business to tell.”
“So you don’t tell me things that aren’t your business?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“But other girls tell me everything about their friends.”
“What other girls?”
“…The ones I dated before.”
“Wow, your standards are lower than I thought.”
Where did you even find girls who run their mouths like that?
Actually, I think Jisu is hands down the best girl you’ve ever liked. From now on, just stick to liking Jisu.
I shook my head firmly. When it became clear I had nothing to say in response, Seo Jaekyeom, wearing a pouty expression, spoke again.
“From next time, contact me. I can help you so much better.”
“I just hope nothing like that happens again.”
“That’s not what I meant…!”
“Dahye, help me out for a sec!”
The Homeroom Teacher arrived just then, and the conversation came to an abrupt halt.
“Ugh, Jaekyeom. That’s putting me on the spot.”
The Homeroom Teacher, seeing how close Seo Jaekyeom and I were standing, slapped Seo Jaekyeom’s forearm and separated us.
Right, some distance would be good.
Close contact like this is only allowed after you turn twenty, isn’t it? Let’s respect the rules here.
“You know we’re holding the Class President Election next period, right? I was planning to get everything done then—the ballot box and switching seats too—but I still haven’t finished making the ballot box.”
“Oh, yes. I’ll help you with that.”
I gave Seo Jaekyeom’s arm a gentle push—he looked somewhat displeased—and stepped out of the classroom. As we walked down the hallway together, the Homeroom Teacher winked at me.
“I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”
“No, sir.”
“Hmm, so was it Jeong Eunseong’s side you were leaning toward, rather than Jaekyeom’s?”
“Neither of them, actually.”
“Why not? They’re both handsome.”
“There are plenty of handsome guys in college.”
“Ah…”
I’d meant it to sound like a naive teenager who’d never been to university, but the Homeroom Teacher covered his face with his sleeve and sighed at my remark.
“…You’re not crying, are you?”
“No, no. You’re right, Dahye. Once you get to college, there are guys way more handsome than Jaekyeom and Eunseong everywhere. You can study with Kim Suhwan, grab snacks with Jo Mo-eum, eat at the cafeteria with Lee Hyehon, and go on retreats with Song Dae-gi. So work hard on your studies, yeah?”
“…….”
What a liar the teacher was!
“Every point you gain raises the attractiveness level of the guys around you!”
I cut off the Homeroom Teacher’s false advertising.
“But we’re doing the Class President Election right after lunch ends? Jeong Eunseong still hasn’t come to school.”
“Eunseong hasn’t arrived yet? He said he’d be here before fifth period.”
“Ah. Well, he’ll show up then, I guess.”
Class President Election.
Because I did well in my studies and was diligent, I always got assigned as temporary class president at the start of each semester, but I’d never actually served as the real class president.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do it.
They just never let me.
That sort of thing…
Was something the popular kids got to do.
‘I mean, I’m not the type to be popular with people anyway.’
I wasn’t strikingly pretty, didn’t dress flashily, wasn’t good at hanging out with others. My personality wasn’t warm enough to mesh well with everyone.
I was more the clumsy type.
Ugh…!
It’s okay…! I love myself anyway…!
‘Though for my school record, it would be nice to be class president at least once.’
The names that came up regularly whenever we held a Class President Election were always Seo Jaekyeom or Jisu.
I remember that this time too, the first person the kids recommended was Seo Jaekyeom. He declined, saying it was too much bother.
My name had never come up.
Swallowing the disappointment, I rummaged through my memories of the past.
Who ended up becoming class president for second year, first semester?
“I nominate Park Suhwan.”
…So it was Park Suhwan.
Ugh. I don’t like him.
Ah. Park Suhwan, who is he?
The guy Do Hajun just nominated.
Right, that one sitting over there, touching his temples with both hands. The one the boys are all crazy about. The one the boys liked way more than the girls did.
In my opinion, he’s short, narrow-shouldered, has an unpleasant look in his eyes, and though his voice is naturally deep, he seems to deliberately lower it even more. I genuinely don’t see what’s so good-looking about him, but the guys worshipped him as this absolutely gorgeous guy.
And they always did it by comparing him to others.
Like this:
‘Jeong Eunseong is better-looking than Park Suhwan?’
‘Obviously not?’
‘Come on, pick one. Height 150 Jeong Eunseong vs Height 180 Park Suhwan.’
‘…….’
‘See? Can’t pick, right?’
That’s how they’d compare, and then they’d giggle, saying that even the girls couldn’t pick Jeong Eunseong in that matchup.
Jeong Eunseong is 180 centimeters tall, and Park Suhwan is apparently around 168 with some generous rounding, so why does he need to make such a big deal out of comparing them?
Besides, we’re already in the second semester anyway.
Even if Jeong Eunseong were 120 centimeters tall, the girls would still pick him.
Why?
Because he took on the class president position and acted all cool while doing absolutely nothing—our class atmosphere went completely downhill.
He doesn’t even stop kids like Do Hajun when they’re making noise, and he forgot to collect the homework the teacher asked for, so our entire class got docked 0.5 points each!
And then he acts like he’s above it all, makes excuses, and doesn’t even apologize properly!
How could I have forgotten about him until now? I guess I just hated him so much I blocked it out.
[People I Hate Most – Ranking]
1. Park Suhwan
2. Do Hajun, Jeong Eunseong
“Park Suhwan!”
“Park Suhwan!”
“Hey, hey—knock it off. If you overdo it like that, people are going to start resenting him.”
Park Suhwan stopped Do Hajun’s group from cheering. His gaze met mine as I stared at him with cold eyes, and he shook his head, tidying up his bangs.
‘That’s right. That’s what I hate about him—all that pretense.’
Does he die if he doesn’t touch his hair for even a day?
+Playing it cool.
+Acting like he’s looking down at everyone from above.
+Pretending he’s the only one who understands how the world works!
When everyone’s pooling their energy to work hard together, he holds back. Even at sports festivals, he doesn’t try hard because he doesn’t want to look bad—just stays in the back fussing with his bangs!
He doesn’t look cool doing that; he looks ridiculous. When is he going to figure that out?
Everyone can tell you’re not good at sports. That’s obvious.
Even if you’re not good at something, it looks way better to push yourself hard anyway!
‘Wouldn’t it be better if I were the class president instead of him?’
But nobody thinks that way—nobody’s going to vote for me—so I can’t exactly insist on it by myself.
The class chose Park Suhwan. What can I do about it?
My own influence just isn’t enough.
‘Well, as of today, I’m done with class president duties anyway.’
I need to focus on studying.
Math, first.
I was in the middle of solving problems from the Problem Set spread across my desk when it happened.
“I’d like to recommend Kang Dahye.”
“Um…?”
Who just nominated me?

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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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