Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 51

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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 51
‘…What did you just say?’
Ji-u felt the warmth drain from his entire body.
Did this person… somehow know?
Until now, there hadn’t been the slightest hint of suspicion.
…No, I can’t panic.
Ji-u replied as calmly as possible, keeping his voice even.
“I don’t have any siblings.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m an only child.”
…….
Tae Ga-young’s eyes narrowed slightly.
A single second stretched like minutes.
Ji-u held himself rigid, waiting for her next words.
After a moment, she tilted her head.
“That’s strange. I’m usually not wrong about these things.”
“…Sorry?”
“From what I could tell, Ji-hyo definitely had that older sister vibe.”
…….
The tension that had gripped his entire body suddenly evaporated.
Oh, so that was it.
Meanwhile, Tae Ga-young made a small sound and kept tilting her head.
“All right! Then I’ll be your older sister from now on.”
Thwack!
Two large, rough hands gripped Ji-u’s right shoulder with solid force.
Had she noticed that his left shoulder was injured and deliberately chosen the other side?
Either way, that wasn’t the important part…….
‘Suddenly an older sister?’
Unable to keep up with her pace, Ji-u’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“Now that you’re officially part of the Special Class, I’m going to think of you as family.”
“I’m sorry? Family, all of a sudden……?”
“It’s nothing special. I’ll praise you when you overcome something difficult, and hold your hand like this when things look too heavy for you.”
Tae Ga-young smiled, showing her canines.
It sounded like she was declaring what she intended to do for him going forward.
Ji-u, who had been listening quietly, asked a question.
“—Then what about me?”
Even though Ji-u didn’t understand modern society well, he knew there was no such thing as a free meal in this world.
If she was going to do something for him, it would be right for him to do something in return for her.
What could Tae Ga-young want?
Loyalty? Or perhaps… some childish game?
Prepared to flatly refuse if she said anything absurd, Ji-u looked at her.
But then.
“Well, just focus on doing your duty.”
“…I’m already doing that, though?”
“Oh, right.”
Hmm, let me think. Besides that, if I had to pick something…….
Tae Ga-young held her hand to her chin, pondering for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands together softly as a good idea struck her.
“That’s it. When things get hard, reach out to me or Min-ki.”
“…Pardon?”
“Anything’s fine. If school becomes difficult. If your friends bully you. Or if your homework is too hard. Oh! Though you’d probably be better off telling Min-ki about that last one.”
Ji-u’s eyebrows trembled faintly.
“…Is that all I need to do?”
The moment he asked that,
Tae Ga-young gently placed her large hand on top of Ji-u’s head.
“It won’t be easy, trust me. Not for you.”
…….
“Right now, you’ve got that look in your eyes like you’re wondering how you could possibly think of a complete stranger as family.”
Her rough hand casually ruffled his hair in every direction.
Satisfied with that, Tae Ga-young turned to leave.
“All right, I’m going. Everyone’s waiting.”
Footsteps fading.
The woman who had messed with his hair without permission was now disappearing just as arbitrarily.
Ji-u stared blankly at his own crown, his hand rising to it.
‘…A strange person.’
—The leader of the Special Class was truly a strange person.
* * *
…….
…….
In the forest, thick darkness pooled like water.
Moon Yu-jin and Nam Rae-in of the 【Heart】 group walked at different paces.
For over twenty minutes since they’d set out, neither had spoken a word.
Yu-jin stared intently at Nam Rae-in’s back ahead of him.
Yu-jin knew little about Rae-in.
They had never been in the same class before Yu-jin studied abroad, nor even now, and they barely crossed paths even in the Special Class.
…Until Seol Ji-hyo entered the Special Class, that is.
Even so, Yu-jin was certainly aware of Nam Rae-in’s existence.
Nam Rae-in drew attention because of his handsome features and was the type who gathered crowds wherever he went.
‘But…….’
When he’d seen him from a distance, he hadn’t seemed like the quiet type at all.
It was the same just now.
When they were all together in the Annex Building, the man had smiled and laughed easily enough, but the moment he and Moon Yu-jin were alone, he’d shut his mouth completely.
Yu-jin agreed that they had nothing to talk about, honestly.
But…….
– Is it really true that you’re engaged to Rae-in?
That question had been circling in his head ever since.
Of course, it wasn’t surprising for someone from a conglomerate family to have a pre-arranged engagement.
‘Since when?’
If the engagement dissolution was on hold, that meant the engagement itself was still valid, didn’t it?
And…….
‘Why do I even care about this?’
The moment a faint crease appeared between Yu-jin’s brows,
He suddenly felt Nam Rae-in ahead of him stop walking.
“…Come to think of it.”
He stood in place and turned his head sharply toward Yu-jin.
“We’re in the same Special Class, but we’ve never really talked before.”
Nam Rae-in naturally took his place beside Moon Yu-jin.
“Went to Germany and came back, didn’t you?”
“…Just briefly, in middle school.”
“Do you speak German well? Your pronunciation’s pretty unique.”
Nam Rae-in continued the conversation naturally.
Now, of all times—twenty minutes after they’d started—what wind was blowing him toward conversation?
Listening silently, Yu-jin found that his particular easy-going tone wouldn’t stop.
“Did you visit any tourist spots while you were there? You know the one—Neuschwanstein Castle, I think it was. I’ve only seen it in photos. Did you go?”
“……No.”
“Stuttgart? There’s a famous ballet company in that region—.”
“So. What are you trying to say?”
Moon Yu-jin stopped walking.
“…It’s been about two months since you entered the Special Class. I don’t see why you’d suddenly have an interest in me now.”
He pulled out the Earphones he’d had plugged in and placed them firmly into their case.
“Is this about Seol Ji-hyo?”
The moment Yu-jin looked up at him, he saw it clearly.
Nam Rae-in’s smile fade.
…….
…….
After several seconds of silence, Nam Rae-in let out a small laugh.
At the same time, Yu-jin’s neat brows twitched.
What was so funny?
A faint unease began to creep up from his chest.
Actually, it had been like this from the start.
More precisely… ever since he’d learned that this man was engaged to Seol Ji-hyo.
As if to suppress that nameless feeling, Moon Yu-jin’s voice turned rigid.
“If it’s about Seol Ji-hyo, I have nothing to tell you.”
Moonlight finally broke through the clouds that had hidden it.
Nam Rae-in’s face, which had been shrouded in darkness, was not smiling at all.
“Yeah. I figured.”
……’I figured’?
Moon Yu-jin’s lips pressed together, and his eyes began to narrow.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Just what I said?”
Nam Rae-in brushed past Yu-jin’s hardened figure lightly.
For some reason, in that instant, Moon Yu-jin impulsively grabbed Nam Rae-in’s shoulder.
Crack!
“You asked. I’m asking what you meant by that.”
Nam Rae-in’s violet gaze dropped, sliding down to Yu-jin’s hand gripping his shoulder.
He was holding it so hard that the blue veins stood out starkly across the back of his pale hand.
…Look at that.
As if to say exactly that, his eyebrows rose silently.
Yu-jin had thought him a boring type. Apparently not.
…….
…….
Zzzzzzzt—
The sound of crickets spread through the darkness.
The two boys stood facing each other in silent confrontation.
A silence that threatened to break but did not.
Within it, a chuckle finally escaped from between Nam Rae-in’s teeth.
“Want a piece of advice?”
Nam Rae-in met his eyes with a broad smile.
“Don’t touch my body carelessly.”
“…What?”
“Take care of those pretty hands.”
Flick.
Nam Rae-in brushed away Moon Yu-jin’s hand from his shoulder.
…As if brushing off an insect caught on his clothes.
“And one more thing.”
With an indifferent gaze, Nam Rae-in thrust his hands deep into his pockets.
“You’d do well to stop paying attention to her.”
Nam Rae-in’s figure receding into the distance.
Staring after him, Moon Yu-jin let out a hollow laugh without realizing it.

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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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