Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 20

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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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Awakener Special School Rank 0
Chapter 20
“Hey, Ji-u.”
…Who?
Ji-u’s brow furrowed slightly.
Looking closer, the face seemed familiar—a girl from her own class.
What was her name again? Ji-u glanced at the nameplate.
‘Jo Bit-na’.
Ah, right. That was it.
‘But why is she talking to me?’
Over the past week, they hadn’t exchanged more than a handful of words.
And that made sense—Jo Bit-na ran with Gu Min-jae’s crowd.
Though if Ji-u remembered correctly, Jo Bit-na hadn’t participated in any of the class’s juvenile pranks.
She was the type who sat at the center of the group, always gazing into a hand mirror.
Though Ji-u sensed something odd about the situation, she answered anyway.
“I don’t mind eating together, but there’s no empty seat here.”
“Oh, really? What should we do?”
Jo Bit-na, who had pursed her lips in apparent distress, suddenly brightened and turned back.
“Then why don’t you come sit with us instead?”
Just like that?
“Isn’t it more comfortable eating with other girls?”
Comfortable or not, the taste of rice didn’t change whether you ate with boys or girls….
Though it wasn’t like she absolutely had to eat with Han-gyeol and Yu-jin.
Come to think of it, properly breaking the ice with her classmates might not be a bad idea. Especially for information gathering.
More than anything….
‘This Jo Bit-na girl has caught my attention from the start.’
Ji-u had been wondering how to approach her, and now the opportunity had fallen into her lap.
“Fine, whatever.”
Ji-u stood up with her tray.
“Han-gyeol, can I borrow Ji-u for a bit?”
“Huh? Um….”
Borrow? What was there to borrow?
And why was she asking Bae Han-gyeol’s permission?
“Come on, let’s go, Ji-u.”
Jo Bit-na pulled at Ji-u’s arm.
“Actually, I’ve wanted to get close to you for a while now.”
She even linked arms with Ji-u in a friendly way.
Ji-u was a little taken aback, but didn’t show it.
Come to think of it, she’d linked arms with Ji-u just like this when they walked around. Maybe it was common among girls of the same age, even if they weren’t family.
“I’m really glad this chance came up. Let’s be close friends from now on.”
Jo Bit-na smiled brightly, a smile like roses blooming around her face.
Now that Ji-u noticed it, Jo Bit-na wore a strong perfume—not particularly pleasant, but it suited her glamorous beauty.
‘Is this the kind of girl popular at school?’
There were always crowds around Jo Bit-na, regardless of gender.
…And among them was Gu Min-jae.
A few days ago during break, Ji-u had caught wind of rumors that Jo Bit-na and Gu Min-jae were dating.
…She’d have to observe this carefully for a while.
“Everyone, I brought Ji-u.”
Jo Bit-na pointed to a chair. “Sit here.” It was the seat next to her own.
Before sitting, Ji-u glanced around the table.
Gu Min-jae was nowhere to be seen. She’d expected him to be sitting at the same table.
“Why are you looking around? Sit down.”
At Jo Bit-na’s urging, Ji-u sat.
It went without saying that not everyone at the table seemed pleased to see her.
In fact, some were crossing their legs or resting their chins on their hands, glaring….
That was when it happened.
Clang!
Someone set down a spoon as if throwing it.
“…Jo Bit-na, why’d you bring her?”
A voice sharp as a thorn.
Ji-u recognized its owner instantly.
Kim Yeon-hui.
The girl who’d been doused in cola a week ago.
Kim Yeon-hui’s face was expressionless, her eyes narrowed sharply.
“Didn’t you hear what happened between me and her a few days ago?”
The atmosphere froze.
The other kids at the table looked back and forth between Kim Yeon-hui and Jo Bit-na.
“Damn it, she doesn’t read the room.”
Kim Yeon-hui muttered a curse under her breath.
Unlike that day in the hallway, she couldn’t shout it outright—not with everyone watching. Maybe the presence of her friends was giving her courage.
She’d barely been able to meet Ji-u’s eye since that incident, yet now her tone was getting bolder.
“If I’d known you were here, I wouldn’t have come.”
Ji-u stared directly at Kim Yeon-hui and added, “I’m a bit sensitive, you see.”

“…What?”
At Kim Yeon-hui’s bewildered turn, Ji-u smiled faintly.
“Got a new bracelet?”
Kim Yeon-hui’s shoulders flinched.
Gone was her earlier boldness. The moment their eyes met directly, the cola incident came rushing back, and she clamped her mouth shut.
It was Jo Bit-na who spoke first.
“Yeon-hui, relax. What’s the big deal about eating together? There’s nowhere else to sit anyway.”
“So whether Ji-u stands and eats or lies on the ground and eats, what does it matter to us?”
Kim Yeon-hui spoke louder on purpose, her expression hardening.
But she didn’t even glance at Ji-u.
Jo Bit-na spoke gently, as if soothing her. “Don’t say things like that. You two made up already, remember?”
“Made up, my ass. The School Director forced me to. I’d have to be insane to actually make up with Ji-u.”
Watching Kim Yeon-hui lash out, Jo Bit-na drew her brows together in troubled silence.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think that through.”
“Fine, you understand? Then just—”
“But what do I do? I already promised to eat with Ji-u.”
…What?
Kim Yeon-hui looked taken aback.
Ji-u felt the same.
Paying them no mind, Jo Bit-na murmured, deflated, barely moving her lips.
“I already told her, so I can’t send her away…. Yeon-hui, I guess I’ll eat at another table with Ji-u. Sorry for not thinking ahead.”
As Jo Bit-na made to gather her tray and stand, the other kids began to protest.
“Hey, why are you being so sensitive? Just eat with us. There’s nowhere else to sit anyway.”
“Leave her alone, she’s already said all that. Kim Yeon-hui, you weren’t going to eat anyway—you’re always on a diet.”
“…….”
Kim Yeon-hui looked as if she had plenty to say.
“Your food’s getting cold. Let’s eat, Ji-u.”
In the end, Ji-u found herself sitting next to Jo Bit-na, eating rice.
It was like sitting on a bed of thorns.
Why did these people have to make the atmosphere so uncomfortable? It just ruined the meal.
Ji-u couldn’t fathom why Jo Bit-na would go to such lengths to ruin the mood just to eat together.
But Jo Bit-na’s peculiar behavior didn’t end there.
“Wanna go to the bathroom together?”
“Can I sit next to you?”
“Ji-u, we have to move classes. Let’s go.”
Jo Bit-na followed Ji-u around through the afternoon classes and every break.
She clearly had some purpose in mind, but nothing about her behavior seemed actually suspicious….
Since Ji-u decided to let her be for now and observe, before long the classes ended and it was time to leave school.
“Hey, Ji-u.”
After classes, as Ji-u was gathering her bag to head back to the Dormitory, someone approached.
She thought it might be Jo Bit-na again, but it was an unexpected person.
“…Im Li-sa? Why?”
Im Li-sa, gripping her bag strap tightly, murmured in her characteristically quiet voice.
“If you don’t mind… do you want to go… together…?”
Just then, before Im Li-sa could finish, someone else suddenly pushed in between them.
“Ji-u, you heading straight to the Dormitory? I’ll come with you!”
It was Jo Bit-na again.
She linked arms with Ji-u as naturally as she had at lunch.
Im Li-sa, her words cut off, wore a bewildered expression on her face.
Ji-u glanced at her. “Im Li-sa, what were you trying to say?”
“Oh, never mind. Have a good one….”
Watching Im Li-sa hurry away, Jo Bit-na tugged at Ji-u’s arm impatiently.
“Come on, Ji-u.”
“Yeah, okay.”
So Ji-u left the Classroom with Jo Bit-na.
What had Im Li-sa been about to say? Wondering that, she exited the Classroom.
“By the way, Ji-u, are you close with Yu-jin?”
“…Moon Yu-jin?”
“Yeah. I saw you two eating together at lunch.”
“We just ended up eating together. We’re not really close.”
“I see. So are you close with Han-gyeol then?”
…What kind of question was that?
More importantly, why was she suddenly bringing up Moon Yu-jin and Bae Han-gyeol?
Ji-u caught herself and glanced at Jo Bit-na suspiciously.
“Hey, look over there. Isn’t that Ji-u?”
“Wow, that picture looks really weird.”
…Maybe it was because Jo Bit-na was beside her.
The kids in the hallway were all staring at them with curious eyes.
“Why is Jo Bit-na hanging around with a weirdo like her?”
“She probably got dirt on her.”
“Like Bit-na would let herself get blackmailed by someone like that.”
Humans are creatures of adaptation, they say.
Ji-u had been at Gaon for over a week now. That was more than enough time to get used to ridiculous situations.
These days she didn’t waste her time on every comment. She just ignored them and moved on.
But then.
“Everyone, listen up.”
It was Jo Bit-na who stopped walking.

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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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