1st in Class Hides Regression - Chapter 54

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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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Ranked 1st in School Hides Her Regression
Chapter 54
“Grandmother?”
“Yes, dear.”
I’m sorry, Grandmother. I’ll be a filial daughter someday. Please forgive me.
“Your grandmother’s made a friend at the Senior Center lately—another grandfather. At first they weren’t getting along so well, but after going through this and that together, they grew close. But then…”
“But then?”
“One day, out of nowhere, he told her to stop talking to him.”
“What? Why?”
“That’s what I said. What could the reason be?”
“Did you do something wrong?”
“Maybe you offended him somehow?”
“She says no. They even went to see a movie together not long ago, and the mood was fine then. They had tea together.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm.”
I had no idea. Se-in-i crossed her arms, and Su-a and Ga-eun-i followed suit beside her. Do Yeon-i, who’d been quiet until then, offered an opinion.
“Maybe another grandmother caught his eye?”
“Well, but they’re not like that, supposedly. Just friends.”
“Your grandmother and this grandfather can be just friends, but he and another grandmother might not be. Maybe the other grandmother told him not to get close to your grandmother. Out of jealousy.”
“Wow. That’s too childish.”
“Isn’t dating always childish? When grandparents fall in love, wouldn’t it be the same as us?”
“I suppose.”
“Or maybe he’s been keeping her on the line this whole time? Like, he thinks she’s his catch, so he doesn’t feed her.”
Su-a said this.
It’s a different story, but every time I hear the expression “keeping someone on the line,” I’m struck by the reality that this is the past.
People living in the future, teenagers in the future—do they use that term too? What’s that? You don’t know because you’re not a teenager anymore? Good grief.
“Do grandfathers keep people on the line?”
“I saw it in <The Old Man and the Sea>.”
“But that man was a fisherman….”
“This grandfather could be one too. A fisherman of hearts.”
While my friends rattled on, I fell deep into thought.
It doesn’t seem to be keeping someone on the line.
Is there really another grandmother?
But Jung Eun-seong doesn’t have a close grandmother…?
“Jung Eun-seong!”
What? I lifted my head.
In the hallway, Ji-su was holding a toothbrush cup and waving at Jung Eun-seong. Just as Jung Eun-seong was opening the front door to our classroom, he caught sight of Ji-su and—
“Hey.”
And surprisingly, instead of going in, he waited for Ji-su.
Seeing Jung Eun-seong act so unlike himself, my friends and I—everyone coming up the stairs—stopped in our tracks. Ji-su approached Jung Eun-seong with a pleased smile on her face.
“Just coming back after lunch?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re wearing your casual uniform today.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Don’t have any clean dress shirts.”
“Do you do your own laundry?”
“Yeah.”
Do Yeon-i whispered.
“Are those two close?”
“…I guess so.”
I didn’t know either.
‘Didn’t they seem awkward even when we went to the movie?’
I’d asked him to get to know her better, and he’d never answered.
Just then, spotting me past Jung Eun-seong’s arm, Ji-su’s eyes lit up and she raised her hand brightly.
“Kang Da-hye!”
“Oh.”
Before I knew it, I was walking toward them.
Ji-su, Jung Eun-seong, and me—the three of us stood in an awkward triangle.
It was incredibly uncomfortable.
No, it was only me who found it awkward. Ji-su and Jung Eun-seong were perfectly at ease. Ji-su, showing off a newly purchased adorable toothbrush cup, tapped Jung Eun-seong on the arm.
“What’s next period?”
“Don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
‘…So he has a grandmother he’s close to.’
Han Ji-su’s grandmother!
But this grandmother was close to me too. She wasn’t the type to say things like ‘Stop being friendly with Kang Da-hye because I’m jealous!’ That wasn’t her.
‘Even if the grandmother is fine, the grandfather might hold back on his own.’
Does that make me the villain again?
Before I was the villain between Seo Jae-gyeom and Ji-su, and now I’d be the villain between Jung Eun-seong and Ji-su?
If Jung Eun-seong starts treating me the way Seo Jae-gyeom used to—because I thoughtlessly wedged myself in the middle and got in the way—
‘Stop. No catastrophizing.’
Ji-su and Jung Eun-seong are in the same Drama Club, so of course they’d get to know each other. I’m overthinking this just because they exchanged a few words.
Why should Jung Eun-seong be friends with only me?
At twenty-nine years old, and I’m the most childish person here, Kang Da-hye.
‘But still, he said he wouldn’t talk to me and then he talks to Ji-su, so it’s strange. That’s why I feel this way.’
Strange, or more like… disappointed.
“Da-hye!”
“Huh? What?”
“Why are you ignoring me? I asked what’s next period.”
“Not telling you.”
“What!”
“Hehe.”
Even as I exchanged silly jokes with Ji-su, I was acutely aware of Jung Eun-seong standing beside us. While all my attention was fixed to my left, Jung Eun-seong stood indifferently, looking elsewhere.
Seeing that expression, it felt like I was losing.
“I need to brush my teeth, so I’ll head inside first.”
I shuffled into the classroom.
By the time I pulled my toothpaste and toothbrush from my school bag, brushed my teeth, and returned to the classroom, Ji-su and Jung Eun-seong were still talking together in the hallway.
Deliberately tuning them out, I glanced at the clock—four minutes until the bell. I sat next to Do Ha-jun, who was tapping his legs nervously, and opened my problem book.
Do Ha-jun and Park Su-hwan, who had been talking loudly to each other, clicked their tongues as they watched me.
“You really live such a boring life.”
“That’s just for show. There’s four minutes left—what kind of studying? What can you even do in four minutes?”
…? Then why don’t you just take a ninety-six-minute test instead of the full hundred?
“Yeah, keep struggling. You’ll get caught up eventually anyway.”
“It’s only because you didn’t know anything back in first year that Kang Da-hye got ranked first in school. As you move up grades, everyone’s scores come down to cram schools and tutoring. You can’t keep up.”
“I’ve seen plenty of kids who bragged about their grades in middle school come crashing down in high school.”
“Is that Kang Da-hye’s future?”
Talking about the future to someone who came from the future. How ridiculous.
Without responding, I plugged my earphones in.
Never feed the bottom-feeders.
When I ignored them, Park Su-hwan and Do Ha-jun trembled with anger. It was just as Park Su-hwan reached out to snatch my problem book.
Tap.
A large hand pressed down on the desk.
“Hey, Do Ha-jun.”
It was Seo Jae-gyeom.
Park Su-hwan, startled, turned his body forward and looked away from Do Ha-jun. Seo Jae-gyeom didn’t so much as glance at Park Su-hwan, addressing Do Ha-jun instead.
“Switch seats with me.”
“Huh? S-switch?”
“Yeah. You and Park Su-hwan keep talking during class anyway. It’s ruining the atmosphere.”
“B-but if we just switch seats without permission, the homeroom teacher will—”
“It’s not without permission. The homeroom teacher told me to do it. He said to separate you and Park Su-hwan.”
……
“What are you doing? Move.”
Seo Jae-gyeom gave a small nod. Do Ha-jun stumbled to his feet.
Seo Jae-gyeom plopped down in the seat Do Ha-jun had vacated. When our eyes met, Seo Jae-gyeom’s lips curled up in a smirk.
“Improving a friend’s study environment isn’t flirting or anything, right?”
“…So there’s a fisherman here too….”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Ugh. This seat smells bad.”
Seo Jae-gyeom scowled and leaned back, peering into his desk.
“Picnic drinks and just shoved everything in here. Ugh, this bread isn’t rotten, is it?”
He fished out Do Ha-jun’s mechanical pencil and rummaged through the desk, then covered his nose with his sleeve. Seo Jae-gyeom waved his hand to call Do Ha-jun over.
“Hey, Do Ha-jun. Clean this up before you leave. Bring wet wipes next period and wipe down the whole thing.”
After the warning, he kicked the front seat where Park Su-hwan was sitting. Park Su-hwan flinched and turned around, and Seo Jae-gyeom issued another threat.
“From now on, every time you make a noise, you get a smack on the rear.”
…….
Is he the vice class representative or a delinquent……?
“Hey, Jae-gyeom!”
“You switched seats?”
“Yeah.”
As the bell drew near, students began trickling back into the Classroom, and they greeted Seo Jae-gyeom casually. He gave a brief nod in return and raised his voice, glancing around.
“Just so there’s no misunderstanding—the teachers told me first that they can’t have Park Su-hwan and Do Ha-jun sitting together. That’s why I switched them. Don’t go running to the homeroom teacher saying ‘Seo Jae-gyeom got to switch seats, so why can’t we?'”
But then.
I asked Seo Jae-gyeom.
“If you do this… what about Do Yeon-i?”
You were sitting with Do Yeon-i, weren’t you?
I’m grateful enough to trade Do Ha-jun for Seo Jae-gyeom, but Do Yeon-i—!
“Oh, that.”
Seo Jae-gyeom tilted his head and leaned close to my ear.
“Do Yeon-i was all for the switch. She said you were carrying two disasters on your own… that true friendship is about sharing the burden.”
“…!”
Do Yeon-i…!
I looked over at Section 3 where Do Yeon-i sat. Our eyes met, and she gave me a blank thumbs-up.
Just then, the front door slid open and Jung Eun-seong walked in.
We made eye contact unintentionally.
Jung Eun-seong’s expression turned cold as he took in the sight of me sitting next to Seo Jae-gyeom.
“?”
What. Why. What.

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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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