Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 102
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Awakener Special School, Rank 0
Episode 102
“Clara, hello!”
Break time.
The students in the class swarmed around Clara like a hive of bees.
“Wow, she really looks like a doll.”
“Clara, did you know Yu-jin? Were you two close when you were in Germany?”
“Hey, move over. Let me say hello too.”
A stunning beauty from a prestigious German school.
Her presence alone was enough to command the students’ attention.
And yet.
…….
Clara, sitting in the center of that whirlwind, remained perfectly still.
She didn’t spare a glance at any of them as they addressed her.
She simply fixed her eyes on a book thick as scripture, turning its pages with elegant fingers.
“What book are you reading? It looks really hard.”
“Isn’t that German?”
“Hey, but didn’t they say Clara doesn’t speak Korean?”
“Oh, right. Um, hello. My name is—.”
That was when it happened.
Snap.
Clara closed her book and looked up.
“Would you all scram?”
…….
…….
Silence fell.
“What?”
“She said scram.”
“Huh…….”
Bewilderment flickered across the students’ faces.
Throughout it all, Clara stared at them without blinking.
‘Are you leaving or not?’
That’s what her gaze seemed to ask.
Unable to bear the piercing coldness in her eyes, the students gradually backed away.
The classroom finally grew quiet.
Clara opened her book again, looking slightly weary.
“Is it always this loud here?”
German, not English, not Korean.
Her eyes remained fixed on the pages, but her words were directed at Moon Yu-jin sitting beside her.
Moon Yu-jin had earphones in. It seemed he hadn’t broken that habit even here.
But Clara knew. She was certain her voice would reach him regardless of the earphones.
“It’s been a little over half a year since you left for Korea without a word.”
…….
“I wanted to see what kind of school this supposedly great place was.”
Flip.
Clara turned a page.
“But it’s not as impressive as I thought.”
Reaching that point, Clara’s hand stopped mid-turn.
“…Have you already forgotten German?”
Her steely blue eyes shifted coldly toward him.
Now she could see it properly.
Moon Yu-jin was staring intently at something.
“Moon Yu-jin?”
His profile suggested he hadn’t heard her at all, which was infuriating.
Clara naturally followed his gaze, slowly turning her head.
And at the end of that gaze, she found her.
──A girl with teal-blue hair that fell to her waist.
The same one who’d given up her seat during morning assembly.
She was whispering something to the girl sitting beside her, who looked rather gloomy.
Nothing particularly noteworthy about the scene.
Moon Yu-jin had already turned his attention back to his smartphone, as if he’d never been looking.
…….
Clara’s eyes, which had been studying Ji-u, narrowed to slits.
– There’s a girl there who looks decent enough. What was her name again… Seol Ji-hyo? She’s in class 2, right?
Yes, looking at her again, she did seem to be the one Zike had mentioned.
But Clara quickly turned away, as if losing interest.
What did it matter? What Zike thought of that girl had nothing to do with her.
Or so she told herself.
At least, that’s what she thought back then.
“Ji-u, they’re serving sautéed sausage and vegetables today.”
Lunchtime had arrived.
Rim-sa, who’d checked the menu, shared the good news with Ji-u.
Ji-u, who’d been organizing his textbooks, zipped his bag shut and stood up.
“Then let’s eat at the cafeteria today instead of the canteen.”
“Yeah, sounds good…!”
After Ji-u and Rim-sa slipped out of the classroom,
the classroom grew quieter as most of the other students headed to the cafeteria.
“Shall we go too?”
Scrape.
Moon Yu-jin pulled back his chair and stood up.
While Clara was here at Gawon, Yu-jin had to look after her during classes, lunch, and after school. The teachers had been explicit about it.
Since Clara wouldn’t know the location of the cafeteria, showing her the way fell to Yu-jin as well.
“Wait a moment.”
Just as Moon Yu-jin was about to open the rear classroom door, Clara’s voice came from behind.
“I brought a private chef from Germany with me. I’ll be eating there.”
“…A chef?”
“Yes. I asked my father beforehand. The food here wouldn’t suit my palate. It’s all been arranged with the director.”
Gawon was extremely strict about outside visitors.
Unless there was a special case like the exam held last semester, it was virtually impossible.
But exceptions did exist.
And this was one of them.
Clara’s father was a prominent German politician—in other words, someone in a similar position to Moon Yu-jin’s father.
If his influence had been brought to bear, permission could certainly have been granted.
They were distinguished visitors from abroad, after all.
“All right then.”
Just as Moon Yu-jin began to turn away,
Grab.
Clara caught hold of him.
“Where are you going? You’re coming too.”
“…Me too?”
“Yes. There’s an empty classroom in the adjacent building. We’ll be eating there. The other Falke students will be joining as well.”
“I’m not part of Falke.”
“If you hadn’t come back to Korea, you’d be one of us just like them.”
Clara held Moon Yu-jin’s gaze, studying him directly.
“Besides, it would be better for you to eat quietly over there. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Moon Yu-jin had been exactly the same back in Germany.
Never drawing close to others, always hating crowds.
She found it hard to imagine him seeking out the crowded lunchtime cafeteria.
And yet.
“No, I’m going to the cafeteria.”
Moon Yu-jin slipped his wrist free from Clara’s grip.
Faced with this unexpected response, Clara’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Why insist on going? I thought you hated crowds.”
“They’re serving sautéed sausage and vegetables today.”
“…What?”
Sautéed sausage and… what?
“Then I’ll see you in afternoon classes.”
“Wait.”
Clara grabbed Yu-jin again just as he was slipping out through the back door.
“In that case, I’ll go to the cafeteria too.”
…….
“Why? Didn’t you hear what the teacher said? To look after me while I’m here?”
And with that characteristic haughty expression, she lifted her chin.
“What are you waiting for? Lead me to the cafeteria.”
Moon Yu-jin’s silvery-gray eyes studied Clara wordlessly.
An inscrutable, blank gaze—utterly unreadable.
Moon Yu-jin turned slowly, then spoke as if spitting out the words.
“…Fine, then.”
* * *
Meanwhile, Ji-u and Rim-sa were heading toward the cafeteria.
“Oh! Found you!”
As soon as they reached the first floor after descending the stairs, a massive shadow fell across them.
“You…….”
Ji-u recognized the person and stopped in his tracks.
Zike.
The foreign student he’d met near the Chasm that morning.
“Why is it so hard to find you? I’ve been looking everywhere. Why is this school so huge anyway?”
He approached with a grumble, but his manner was surprisingly friendly.
Rim-sa’s eyes widened as she glanced uncertainly at Ji-u.
“J-Ji-u, do you know him?”
“Um… kind of.”
Ji-u’s response only deepened Rim-sa’s confusion.
Falke had only started attending Gawon this very morning, so how could they possibly know each other? And with someone who looked this intimidating, no less.
This guy wasn’t even assigned to their class…….
Meanwhile, attention from students around them was turning this way. After all, their companion was one of the Falke students everyone was watching.
But Zike, seemingly indifferent to the surrounding attention, smiled broadly and held something out.
“Here, take this.”
What he offered was an enormous paper bag.
The moment Ji-u reflexively accepted it, his body swayed.
What is this? Why is it so heavy?
“I raided the canteen a bit.”
“The canteen?”
“In return for this morning’s favor.”
Peeking inside the bag, Ji-u found an assortment of bread, snacks, candy, bento boxes, mouthwash, and even… deodorant?
“I’m supposed to have a good sense for these things, you know.”
Watching Zike lean back and laugh, Ji-u quietly sealed the bag shut.
“Oh, and this too.”
As if remembering something, Zike fished around in his uniform pocket and pulled out a handful of something.
‘…Flowers?’
Wildflowers, the kind that commonly bloomed around the dormitory—those poor flowers were crushed in his rough grip.
“These aren’t for you though… well, what’s her name. The girl from your class who’s auditing classes, Clara—.”
That was when it happened.
“There you are.”
Someone wedged between them.
The moment Ji-u saw that face, his body went rigid.
It was Nam Rae-in.
Nam Rae-in, who’d appeared out of nowhere, glanced down at the wildflowers clutched in Zike’s hand.
…….
A flicker of displeasure passed through those violet eyes.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————