Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 21

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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 Ranking: 0th Place
Chapter 21
Jo Bit-na turned sharply away from Ji-woo’s bewildered expression toward the swarm of students gathered around them.
“I hate weird rumors spreading, so let me be clear: I was the one who asked Ji-hyo first if we could go home together.”
Jo Bit-na tightened her grip on Ji-woo’s arm and pulled her along.
“Come on. And you don’t need to worry about what they’re saying either.”
“I wasn’t really worrying about it, though…”
“Good. I’m glad.”
Ji-woo regarded Jo Bit-na, who was smiling brightly, with an odd glint in her eye.
From what she could see so far, Jo Bit-na was acting as though she were protecting her.
This was the first time since Bae Han-gyeol that she’d shown such favor toward Seol Ji-hyo.
‘Were they friends, then?’
…Though their personalities didn’t really seem to match, come to think of it.
And over the past week, she hadn’t said a single word to her. Even though they were in the same class.
“By the way, Ji-hyo, that keyring on your bag is really pretty.”
“…This one?”
Hanging from Ji-woo’s backpack was a Butterfly Keyring made of pale blue transparent beads.
It was something Ji-hyo had given her as a gift long ago.
It was also the only possession of Ji-woo’s that she’d brought from her family home.
“Didn’t you used to not carry things like that? Where did you get it?”
“Didn’t buy it. It was a gift.”
“I see. That makes sense—being the granddaughter of a conglomerate and all, you must get gifts from everywhere. Like that camera last time.”
…Camera?
At that word, Ji-woo’s steps faltered.
Jo Bit-na, who had stopped in turn, looked at the keyring jingling at the edge of her bag and spoke.
“Will you give that to me?”
“…What?”
“I really like it. Besides, it’s not like it costs you much.”
Jo Bit-na smiled sweetly as she spoke.
“If it’s not expensive, buy it yourself.”
“That’s different between you and me. Someone like you could buy hundreds of keyrings like that, couldn’t you?”
Everyone in the hallway was looking their way. She could hear murmuring, but couldn’t make out what they were saying.
“Huh? Give it to me.”
Without waiting for an answer, Jo Bit-na reached toward the keyring.
Ji-woo lightly knocked her hand away.
“No.”
A tiny crack appeared in Jo Bit-na’s expression.
“…You’re refusing?”
Jo Bit-na murmured in disbelief, like someone who’d never been denied anything in her life.
There was no way her resolve would weaken after that.
‘She just brought up the camera.’
Which meant it was highly likely that Jo Bit-na had been there on “that day” when they entered Narak.
And moreover…
In that video, “Oh, there’s an Infected Entity.”
The child who had spotted and pointed at the Infected Entity first.
Her face wasn’t visible, but Ji-woo had seen it clearly.
Long, carefully maintained nails.
Painted with a pale rosy manicure.
“Ji-hyo, it’s just a keyring. You can easily buy another one whenever you want.”
……
Ji-woo stared down at Jo Bit-na’s pale rosy nails.
There was something unsettling about this girl named Jo Bit-na.
And there was no reason to give her this keyring.
Ji-woo spoke plainly.
“It was a gift from someone precious to me, so I can’t give it away.”
……
“And even if it weren’t, I wouldn’t really want to give it to someone who refers to it as ‘just a thing.'”
Jo Bit-na stood frozen, as if she’d been struck in the back of the head.
Ji-woo brushed past Jo Bit-na’s shoulder and left the hallway.
……
In the end, Jo Bit-na didn’t move.
Not even until Ji-woo’s figure disappeared completely from the hallway.
* * *
The next day.
“Ji-hyo, good morning!”
The moment Ji-woo arrived at school, Jo Bit-na came toward her with a smile as bright as sunlight.
To be honest, Ji-woo was a little taken aback.
She’d been sure Jo Bit-na’s feelings would be hurt after yesterday. That was the point of what she’d said.
But she didn’t seem affected at all.
“Yeah, hey.”
She returned the greeting, at least.
After that, Jo Bit-na treated Ji-woo familiarly, as if nothing had happened.
…No, it went beyond merely friendly.
“Ji-hyo, the teacher said to bring colored pencils for the next art class but I forgot. Can I borrow some of yours?”
“I got mine from the Dormitory supply room. You could go get some now if you wanted.”
Jo Bit-na kept asking Ji-woo for things. Starting with the keyring yesterday, then class materials, and even a hair tie.
Ji-woo kept refusing.
At one point, Ji-woo even wondered if Jo Bit-na might be struggling financially.
She hadn’t noticed at first, but upon closer inspection, Jo Bit-na was surprisingly modest in her presentation.
Not in terms of appearance, but in her belongings—her bag, shoes, cosmetics, hand mirror, and such.
With such striking looks, Ji-woo had assumed she only used luxury brands, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
She’d learned at some point that Jo Bit-na came from an ordinary family background.
‘In a place like this where heirs of various wealthy families are common, that’s a pretty rare case.’
The expensive items she occasionally carried were probably gifts from somewhere or things she’d acquired somehow.
Now Ji-woo found herself wondering where she’d gotten them from.
“Yes! I’m sitting next to Ji-hyo!”
During break, Jo Bit-na, sitting in the seat in front of Ji-woo, was rummaging through her Pencil Case without asking permission.
Ji-woo stared intently at the pale rosy manicured nails.
‘Those hands really do look like the ones I saw in the video.’
Of course, you couldn’t be certain based on just that. Pale rosy wasn’t that unusual a color.
Ji-woo, who had been staring at Jo Bit-na’s nails, asked her a question.
“…You must like getting your nails done?”
“Oh, this? There’s a nail salon on Campus. You probably don’t know about it. You’re not interested in that kind of thing.”
Jo Bit-na hummed a tune as she rummaged through the Pencil Case.
“…So you’ve been getting them done consistently for a while?”
“Yeah, well. There’s this older cousin I know who runs the place. She kept bugging me to be her model, so I’ve been getting them done for free as a favor since middle school.”
…Since middle school, then.
That would fit the timeline, at least.
“Wow, you have more pens than I thought. You must study hard.”
The Pencil Case Jo Bit-na was happily rummaging through wasn’t actually Ji-woo’s—it was full of things Ji-hyo used to use.
From among them, Jo Bit-na picked up a Highlighter Pen.
“Can I have this?”
Here we go again. Did this girl think everything she touched was hers?
In truth, it wasn’t a big deal to give her one pen…
But Ji-woo, staring at those pale rosy nails holding the pen, spoke flatly and without inflection.
“Why don’t you just buy your own?”
“What?”
“You’ve been asking for things since yesterday, but you’re a student—it’s not like you don’t have a pen.”
At that, the smile vanished from Jo Bit-na’s face.
…Was she showing her true colors now?
It was what Ji-woo had been hoping for. If Jo Bit-na revealed her real self here, it would be easier for Ji-woo to push back.
But then.
“…That’s so mean.”
Jo Bit-na put down the Highlighter Pen with a soft clink and covered her face with her hands.
Bewilderment flickered across Ji-woo’s eyes.
…What? Was she actually crying?
“I just… we’d gotten closer, so I thought I wanted something you’d used. Friends usually share things with each other, don’t they?”
Is that how it works? She wouldn’t know. She’d never had a close friend.
No, more than that… she never would have expected Jo Bit-na to cry over something like this.
Though Ji-woo didn’t believe the tears were genuine, the droplets falling onto the desk like pearls were poignant enough to pierce right through her guard.
“Why? Do you not want to be friends with someone from a poor family?”
“I never said anything like that.”
“Then why are you ignoring me?”
“When did I ever do that?”
“I forgot my Pencil Case today and… *sob*, I thought you’d at least lend me a pen…”
As Jo Bit-na’s sobs grew louder, the other students in the classroom began stealing glances their way.
—’Seol Ji-hyo made Jo Bit-na cry.’
That was the only way the situation could look.
“Just lend it to her, will you?”
“What’s the big deal about one pen?”
“Seol Ji-hyo, didn’t you say your family’s rich? Does one little pen hurt?”
The other students in the class sided with Jo Bit-na as if they’d rehearsed it.
On top of that, Jo Bit-na’s sobs grew a little louder.
“I wasn’t trying to steal it. I just… *sob*, I just…”
It was maddening.
Ji-woo hadn’t expected tears to come out so easily like this.
Or was this a setup to put her in an impossible position?
“Hey, Jo Bit-na.”
The moment Ji-woo opened her mouth—
“Here.”
A pen was placed in front of Jo Bit-na with a soft sound.
It wasn’t Ji-woo’s pen.
…It was one that Moon Yu-jin, sitting next to her, had offered instead.
“If you need a pen, use this one.”
Jo Bit-na lifted her tear-streaked face.
Ji-woo did the same.
‘…Out of nowhere?’
Was she trying to help?
That girl who seemed completely indifferent to whatever commotion was happening next to her suddenly deciding to get involved—why?
‘Did she just find the noise annoying?’
Jo Bit-na, alternating her gaze between the pen and Moon Yu-jin, gave a sniffle and wiped her tears away.
“Oh, you didn’t have to… Yu-jin, thank y—”
“If you’re done, go back to your seat.”
“What?”
“You’re being loud.”
Moon Yu-jin turned the page of her textbook with a flat expression.
Jo Bit-na, staring vacantly at the pen placed before her, dragged her chair back with a scraping sound and stood up.
“…Yeah, sorry.”
Her voice bright and gentle, as if she’d never been crying at all.
But.
“I’ll use it well, Yu-jin.”
Her expression was unsettlingly blank.

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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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