1st in Class Hides Regression - Chapter 57

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

Ranked 1st in School, Hiding Her Regression
Episode 57
“But how did you know today’s my birthday?”
“I saw it on Kakao Talk earlier.”
“Oh.”
“What were you expecting?”
That’s a lie.
I’d actually known since before the regression.
Your birthday advertisements were plastered everywhere—impossible to ignore even if I tried…….
‘Fine. Let’s just be honest.’
Seeing advertisements doesn’t mean I’d remember every idol’s birthday.
I remembered because it was Jung Eun-seong’s birthday.
Every time I passed by, my eyes would catch on it, and whenever a beautiful photo was displayed, I’d stop and study it carefully. Gradually, without thinking about it, the date had lodged itself in my memory.
‘When I think about it like that, Jung Eun-seong was probably already subtly special to me even before the regression.’
I looked at Jung Eun-seong with fresh eyes. Was he running a fever? His handsome face was flushed almost to the point of bursting. Jung Eun-seong rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand and called my name.
“Kang Da-hye.”
“Mm?”
“Thank you. And I’m sorry. For showing you something weird.”
“I…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….”
That bundle of underwear really was strange though……. The locker even had a lock on it, but apparently he’d managed to open it. I let out a sigh and spoke.
“I need to cleanse my eyes by looking at something pretty and cute instead.”
“Want to look at my face?”
“Huh?”
“It’s pretty and cute.”
“Hey, stop shoving your face at me!”
I pushed away Jung Eun-seong’s face as he shamelessly leaned in close. I felt his lips curve upward against my palm.
“You’re unbelievable, seriously…….”
Laughing seemed to ease the tension a bit.
The shock of the violence I’d encountered so unexpectedly—the bloodstained underwear crammed inside the locker, the Kakao Talk terror, the realization that I’d been under surveillance by unknown people—all of it deflated like a needle-pricked balloon.
I took a sip of hot chocolate and spoke.
“Those obsessive fans don’t seem very bright, though. If they’d just snuck in quietly, installed cameras, and left, we never would’ve found out. But they were stupid enough to expose themselves through Kakao Talk, so we caught them.”
“They probably had a more important purpose than just surveillance.”
“What?”
“Getting a reaction out of me.”
“They’re doing all this to provoke a reaction from you?”
“Probably.”
“But the reaction they’re getting isn’t a good one……. It’s a horrified one.”
“Even that must be better than nothing.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s normal that you don’t.”
Ugh.
“…We looked pretty funny earlier, didn’t we? All nervous like that. Peeking through the classroom door, looking left and right.”
“Yeah. Let’s catch the culprit fast and demand they delete the footage.”
“Will they really delete it so willingly…… Oh, there’s the police.”
I’ve seen the police so often lately that I think I’d greet them if we passed on the street.
The homeroom teacher stood from her desk and guided the police officers to a seat. She pointed toward us while explaining something. I craned my neck to get a better look, when a young voice suddenly cut in.
“Eun-seong.”
I turned around. It was a short-haired girl.
“Is something wrong?”
She wore a cute sticker on her yellow name tag and carried a neat black backpack. There was a hint of annoyance in her tone of voice.
“The police are here because of you, right? Are they reviewing the CCTV or something?”
‘Who is she?’
Jung Eun-seong shook his head at my silent question.
‘Don’t know.’
Hmm.
Jung Eun-seong usually had lots of people who’d talk to him even if they weren’t acquainted, so this wasn’t unusual in itself.
But for some reason, this girl seemed to show little interest in Jung Eun-seong.
When we didn’t answer and remained cautious, irritation crept into the girl’s tone.
“I need to talk to my homeroom teacher, but all the teachers are over there. I was just asking how long I’d have to wait.”
“Oh.”
“What did you report to the police? You were checking the CCTV footage, right?”
But then.
I cut her off mid-sentence.
“You’re a first-year?”
“? Yes.”
The girl looked at me like I’d just asked something ridiculous.
“I see…….”
I nodded slowly and began sliding my chair backward—toward her. I caught sight of her bulging school bag, stuffed with books, and her hand resting in her skirt pocket, then spoke.
“But here’s the thing.”
“Yes?”
“Our school’s first-years wear blue name tags. Third-years wear yellow ones.”
“…….”
“Who are you?”
Caught her.
* * *
“Eun-seong!”
“Hey!”
“Jung Eun-seong!”
All three were caught.
A teenager in a borrowed school uniform who’d slipped inside, a twenty-something who’d rented a car and staked out the school entrance, and a thirty-something who’d bankrolled the whole operation.
The short-haired girl who’d been hauled into the School Office by the police who happened to be there sang like a bird.
There were firecrackers and a lighter in her backpack, and a recorder hidden inside her skirt pocket.
“We put something in your locker, didn’t we? Tell us what~”
“Say it yourself, Eun-seong~”
“Un. der. wear. Come on, un. der. wear!”
“Eun-seong, you can hear me, right? You can hear me! Hey!”
The thirty-something was, of course, that obsessive fan I’d seen before.
What was shocking was that even after being caught by the police, none of them seemed particularly scared or remorseful.
Apparently this wasn’t Jung Eun-seong’s first time being targeted like this.
They used to be obsessed with a senior idol group from the same agency, but when that group’s dating scandal broke, they’d apparently jumped ship to Jung Eun-seong after he’d made a brief appearance on some variety show.
I could’ve sworn they’d flinched when our homeroom teacher mentioned calling adults last time, but with numbers on their side, they seemed to have lost all fear—even dragged to the School Office, they showed no shame.
They’d hurled curses and insults at our homeroom teacher with wild eyes, but the moment they spotted Jung Eun-seong, they suddenly broke into grins and started cooing sweetly at him—it was nauseating, genuinely chilling.
“Take care, Eun-seong~”
“See you next time~”
“If you change your number, we’ll kill you?”
“No matter how many times you change it, we’ll find out everything~”
Please, Anti-stalking Law, please…… When will you finally be enacted…….
I shuffled out of the School Office, which had essentially become a temporary police station. Jung Eun-seong glanced at his watch and spoke.
“I’ll take you home.”
“I think I should be the one taking you home, don’t you?”
“I can handle all of them at once, but you can’t.”
“…….”
“Let me do this. If I don’t, I’ll be too sorry to sleep tonight.”
“Okay. Fine.”
We walked across the darkened school grounds together and hailed a taxi. I asked the driver to circle the neighborhood a few times just to be safe.
Only then did I lean back against my seat and ask Jung Eun-seong, who’d done the same.
“What does your company do to protect you from stuff like this?”
“If I mention anything like this to the company, all I hear is I should quit school and withdraw.”
“That’s insane.”
An industry that feeds on children’s dreams and hopes—it figures.
“Still, the police said they’d collect the underwear and…sanitary products from your locker, so…….”
“I’m going to move the locker to a different spot entirely. There’s an empty one we can use instead.”
“Good. That’s the right call.”
I sighed and leaned back against my own seat.
Jung Eun-seong’s face reflected dimly in the car window, lost in thought. At least he’d made it through today without getting hit by firecrackers.
I was thinking that when—
“One more reason just came up why I can’t talk to Kang Da-hye.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
I turned around, genuinely baffled.
I was speechless, but Jung Eun-seong was dead serious. His expression—utterly humorless, making me want to hit him—showed no trace of a joke as he spoke.
“What if those people give you a hard time because you’re close to me?”
“That ship has already sailed.”
They’ve already seen my face. And that’s not all—the camera probably caught me too. So what difference does it make if I keep my distance now?
Besides.
I turned to face Jung Eun-seong. When our eyes met, he looked away. Hey. Look at me straight. I tapped the back of his hand resting on the seat between us.
“While we’re on the subject, tell me why. Why won’t you talk to me?”
“…because men and women should keep their distance…….”
“You talk to Ji-su just fine!”
“Ji-su?”
“My friend!”
“That’s their name?”
“Don’t change the subject!”
I grabbed his school uniform necktie and shook it back and forth. His neck must have been uncomfortable, but Jung Eun-seong didn’t even resist. For someone so obnoxiously stubborn most of the time, he looked strangely docile…….
‘Like someone with nothing left to say.’
But I need to hear it!
“What is it!”
I’m really hurt! And curious!
Is this some kind of elaborate scheme to make me keep thinking about Jung Eun-seong so I fall in love with you?!
Just so you can tank my grades?!
That makes you worse at love interest management than Seo Jae-gyeom!
A fisherman of hearts! The old man and the sea!
I don’t want to be the fish, so you stop being the fisherman!
“I’m not getting out until you tell me! Then the taxi meter will just keep running!”
I pointed at the meter as a threat.
Only then did Jung Eun-seong, who’d been hesitating and stammering, finally blurt it out.
“Don’t you think I’m pathetic?”
[The Taxi Driver’s Inner Thoughts]
Ah, student…… why are you already answering like that…….

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