Looking for the Runaway Heavenly Maiden - Chapter 12

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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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12.

I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different. But one thing was certain—it was an instinct I couldn’t possibly ignore.
I pretended indifference and turned my gaze away. It seemed best to keep my distance from my homeroom teacher.
In truth, the best outcome would be for Princess Yeonhwa to return to the Heavenly Realm as soon as possible, allowing me to leave this school.
I couldn’t deceive Yerim forever.
Then was there truly no other way besides persuading Cheonhaerang?
But how exactly should I persuade him? From the start, it didn’t seem like my persuasion would work easily.
Though I hadn’t heard a direct answer, I could be certain of one thing. Cheonhaerang was here because of that man.
Whatever he did to capture that man or however he dealt with him, Cheonhaerang wouldn’t leave until he resolved the matter.
My eyes rolled and settled on Cheonhaerang.
Such a beautiful face. With him smiling at me like that, it was only natural that I lost my composure.
I was far too weak to that face. That was the biggest problem.
I swallowed the sigh threatening to escape and closed my eyes, then opened them. In that instant, our eyes met.
Cheonhaerang smiled as he always did.
For a moment, I felt my heart drop with a thud.

“It’s alright.”
“It’s alright, Jiho.”

His tender voice lingered in my ears. Beyond the open window, a gentle spring breeze stirred the young man’s jet-black hair.
In my world, only he shone brilliantly.
Thump. Thump. As my heart pounded fiercely, I felt heat rising to my face and hurriedly turned my head away.
My gaze no longer drifted toward the blackboard or toward Cheonhaerang.
Throughout the entire class, my eyes remained fixed solely on my math textbook.

* * *

♩ ♪ ♬ ♪
The clear bell chimed. I flinched and scanned the page before me.

The clean paper held only math problems printed on it. In the end, my eyes had merely been fixed there while I hadn’t actually listened to the lesson properly.
I had no idea where my mind had been during class.
I exhaled a sigh with a look of dismay. Today truly had been unlucky in every way.

“Everyone, make sure you listen well to fourth period too. Understood? And Jiho, would you come to the Faculty Office with me for a moment?”

At the sound of Jeonghyeon’s voice cutting clearly through the air, I lifted my head abruptly. He was gazing at me with that familiar smile of his.

“…Me?”
“Yes. You, Jiho.”

I had decided to keep my distance from my homeroom teacher. Should I really follow him to the Faculty Office? Why was he calling only me there?
Of course, it was natural for a teacher to summon a student.
My mind filled with worries in an instant, and I couldn’t form an answer right away. Without realizing it, I glanced toward Cheonhaerang.
Cheonhaerang flashed me a reassuring smile, then turned to address Jeonghyeon.

“Teacher, Jiho doesn’t know the way yet. Would it be alright if I came along too?”

No matter that he was a transfer student, it seemed excessive by any measure. Yet no one pointed this out.
The other students in class merely whispered among themselves—that he wasn’t even a child, and this was practically overprotective.
Jeonghyeon nodded without hesitation.

“Sure, then come along with us, Cheonhaerang.”

Following Jeonghyeon as he left, Cheonhaerang and I exited the classroom.
The hallway during break time was bustling with noise. The spirited male students of that age ran through the corridors, so Jeonghyeon’s lectures and sighs followed regularly. The students would respond but nothing changed.
Shaking his head, Jeonghyeon soon blurted something out to the two of us.

“By the way, did you two know each other already?”

Walking alongside Cheonhaerang, I flinched at Jeonghyeon’s question and turned to look at him.
It was an ordinary question, nothing particularly special, yet somehow it felt strangely pointed to me.
I hesitated for a moment, about to answer that I didn’t know him, but Cheonhaerang’s response came faster than mine.

“No. I saw her for the first time yesterday.”
“Is that so? But there’s an interesting rumor going around, Cheonhaerang.”

There was a hint of playfulness in Jeonghyeon’s voice as he asked.
At the mention of a rumor, I tilted my head in confusion.

‘A rumor? What kind of rumor is going around?’

“That you two are dating?”
“…!”

I was startled, so much so that I stopped in my tracks. What on earth was this supposed to mean?
How had the lie I’d told to deceive Yerim spread throughout the entire school?
Flustered, I could barely form words. My mind was nothing but chaos.
Unlike me, Cheonhaerang remained composed.

“Yes, that’s right.”

My eyes widened as I looked toward Cheonhaerang. But his gaze wasn’t directed at me.
He spoke to Jeonghyeon as if making a declaration of war.

“I fell for her at first sight.”

In an instant, heat rushed to my face. I didn’t need a mirror to know my cheeks were burning crimson.
Thump. Thump. My heart raced wildly. I spun my head away in panic. Cheonhaerang had to be insane. Why would he say something so unnecessary to the teacher, of all people? And why—why did this feel so different from yesterday? When I’d made excuses in front of Yerim yesterday, it hadn’t been like this at all.
I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to calm myself.
Thump. Thump. My racing heart showed no signs of settling. My mind had gone completely blank, unable to form a single coherent thought.
Thump. Thump. Her racing heart showed no signs of calming down. Her blank mind could no longer think of anything at all.

“Yes? Yes, yes!”
“What? Yes, yes!”

Jeonghyeon burst into laughter. His bright, refreshing laugh made him look boyish for a moment.
It was only natural that the female students’ gazes turned toward him. Both the girls and boys gasped in admiration.
But I didn’t notice any of this. Cheonhaerang felt the attention around us but dismissed it without concern.
Jeonghyeon spoke with laughter in his voice.
Jeonghyun spoke in a voice full of laughter.

“Don’t you have a girlfriend, sir?”
“Don’t you have a girlfriend, teacher?”

At Cheonhaerang’s question, a face flashed through Jeonghyeon’s mind—a woman whose image remained frozen in his memory.
Jeonghyeon swallowed the self-mockery rising within him before answering. Controlling his emotions and expressions was not a difficult task for him.
Junghyun swallowed the ridicule directed at himself and answered. Suppressing his emotions and expressions was not a particularly difficult task for him.

Unfortunately, I don’t have one yet. I wish you’d get a girlfriend too, teacher.

At Jeonghyeon’s envious remark, I suddenly looked at him.
With that level of appearance, that profession, and that personality too.
He clearly seemed popular, so why didn’t he have a girlfriend? From the way he spoke, it didn’t seem like he lacked interest in the matter.
Was it because he was some kind of universal heartthrob that women couldn’t easily approach him?
Lost in such trivial thoughts, I managed to forget Cheonhaerang’s bombshell confession.

Before long, we arrived at the Faculty Office.
Before Jeonghyeon could open the Faculty Office door, Cheonhaerang hastily extended his arm to open it first, then smiled at Jeonghyeon. It was his characteristic gentle smile.

“Shall we go in, Teacher?”
“Yes, thank you, Cheonhaerang.”

As we stepped into the Faculty Office, naturally all the teachers’ gazes turned toward us.
It hadn’t taken long for the rumors spreading among the students to reach the Faculty Office.
Just as the students had done, the teachers only glanced sideways without directly asking anything. For me, it was fortunate in its own way.
Seated at his desk, Jeonghyeon picked up a paper he’d placed there and showed it to me.

“You’ve probably heard, but our school has very well-developed club activities. There are clubs here that you won’t find in other schools. Following the Board of Directors’ intention to cultivate students’ creativity and respect diversity, every Thursday afternoon class period is dedicated solely to club activities.”

I accepted the paper and immediately read the first characters that caught my eye. Seonhwa High School Club Organization Status.

“So now you need to choose a club too. Would you mind looking it over and letting me know by today?”

I quickly scanned through the club list. I hadn’t visited other schools so I wasn’t sure what theirs looked like, but looking at this list, there certainly seemed to be quite a lot.

“By the way, I think our Jiho would be well-suited for the Shooting Club. What do you think?”

I lifted my gaze. My eyes met Jeonghyeon’s as he looked at me kindly with a smile. And I noticed it.
His eyes gleaming with an odd light for just a moment.

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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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