Rank 0 of the Awakener Special School - Chapter 69

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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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Rank 0 of Awakener Special School
Chapter 69
As the festival proper got underway.
The Makeshift Convenience Store that Ji-u’s group had opened was doing reasonably brisk business.
“We’re short 500 won — is there any extra?”
“There should be more in that pocket over there?”
“The tuna mayo is sold out!”
“Hey, who unplugged the coffee pot?!”
“Sorry, I just needed to charge my phone for a sec…….”
“You lunatic!”
…Actually, it was far busier than expected.
The one saving grace was that Ji-u’s role was restocking—filling empty spots on the shelves with Triangle Kimbap, Cup Noodles, and the like.
‘Thank goodness it’s simple work.’
Given his upbringing, Ji-u had never done even the most basic part-time job before. If they’d suddenly asked him to work the cashier, he probably would’ve been nervous.
But it seemed there had never been any such concern to begin with.
The cashier position had been unanimously assigned to Moon Yu-jin.
“Could you ring this up for me?”
“Of course. That’ll be 2,000 won.”
“Um, would you maybe take a photo with me?”
It seemed some of the customers who came to the Makeshift Convenience Store had Moon Yu-jin specifically in mind.
Before heading to the Storage to restock supplies, Ji-u glanced over at the Cashier Counter, which was crowded with people.
‘Moon Yu-jin’s really popular.’
He’d known it, but seeing it like this was almost astonishing.
Normally an aloof prince with no excuse to approach, but standing at the counter he was within arm’s reach.
Seizing this chance, crowds of students gathered to try striking up brief conversations with him.
Thanks to this, the Makeshift Convenience Store was utterly packed with customers.
Of course, even Ji-u had to admit that Moon Yu-jin’s looks were exceptional. When he’d first seen him, he’d thought he was a celebrity from television.
“Hey, I just talked to Yu-jin!”
“What?!”
“He even gave me an extra Hot Bar!!”
“That’s just the one-plus-one promotion, though.”
“Anyway! Up close, his skin literally has no pores—is that real? How is anyone that beautiful?”
“Takes after his mom, I guess. Yu-jin’s mother was that actress, right? The one in <Glass Garden>.”
Whether he wanted to hear it or not, talk about Yu-jin kept filtering into his ears.
‘So his mother is a famous actress.’
<Glass Garden> was a film Ji-u knew. If his memory was right, it was a prestigious work that had won awards at an international film festival.
That explained the radiant beauty, then. Ji-u nodded to himself.
He’d heard through gossip that Yu-jin’s father was a major figure in politics.
Born into such an accomplished family with such perfect looks, it was no wonder his world was utterly different from ordinary people’s.
While entertaining such idle thoughts and watching Moon Yu-jin at the Cashier Counter.
…….
Their eyes seemed to meet unexpectedly.
Ji-u reflexively looked away.
– Stay here with me.
…That memory from earlier surfaced.
Honestly, he’d been quite startled. He hadn’t expected Moon Yu-jin to grab him like that.
In the end, held fast by him, Ji-u couldn’t move an inch until the festival started.
If not for Moon Yu-jin, he would’ve gone to find Bae Han-gyeol…….
“Ah, found you.”
Then, a voice came from behind him.
Tap-tap, light footsteps drew near, and turning around, he locked eyes with a boy in a hoodie.
“…Bae Han-gyeol?”
He’d just been thinking about Bae Han-gyeol, so his sudden appearance felt almost like a coincidence.
The boy had apparently been searching for him for a while—he was breathing slightly heavily. He roughly combed his slightly tousled hair with his hand as he spoke.
“You free right now?”
“…Huh?”
“Wanna walk around the festival together?”
The shop was winding down anyway.
The last restocking had just finished, so Ji-u had no more work to do.
Though things had been a bit awkward with Bae Han-gyeol since he’d received that Red Envelope…….
‘Anyway, I need to settle this eventually.’
He couldn’t put it off any longer.
Besides, he’d been planning to find Han-gyeol himself.
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
In the end, without much deliberation, he nodded.
Han-gyeol’s expression brightened slightly at Ji-u’s acceptance.
Pretending not to notice the faint hope radiating from that face, Ji-u stepped away from the booth with him.
“Yu-jin?”
…….
“Y-Yu-jin, I need to talk to you about…….”
“…Oh.”
Meanwhile, Moon Yu-jin, standing near the Cashier Counter, deliberately turned his gaze away from the two figures growing distant.
But he couldn’t help the way his attention kept drifting toward them.
* * *
“So, how is the Makeshift Convenience Store treating you? It looked pretty hectic from what I could tell.”
“It was tough at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly. For me, it was just grabbing stuff from the Storage and restocking it anyway.”
“I see. The sales looked incredible. With that, we could probably do a party—maybe even get everyone a pizza.”
Having left the booth, Ji-u and Han-gyeol walked side by side, conversing.
Even so, Ji-u was mentally debating when to bring up the Partner topic.
But as he waited for the right moment, the conversation flowed naturally.
“You haven’t checked out our booth yet?”
“Ah, no. What are you guys doing?”
“Kind of a board game café meets a mini arcade. You can play simple games with dice, cards, that sort of thing.”
“Sounds nice. What game are you running?”
“Heading Lifting.”
“…Heading Lifting?”
“Where you keep a soccer ball in the air with your head without letting it hit the ground.”
Like this.
Han-gyeol bounced lightly, mimicking the motion of heading an invisible ball.
The sight of it was rather endearing, and a small laugh slipped out before he could help it.
“Isn’t that a bit unfair to the players? You’re probably really good at stuff like that.”
“You think so…?”
“You’re a student athlete, after all.”
“Well, but looking at that last test, you’re much better at everything than I am.”
Han-gyeol laughed bashfully.
Ji-u had worried things might become awkward between them, but by now such concerns had completely melted away in the eased atmosphere.
…Now was the moment.
“So, about the campfire…….”
Without delaying any further, he broached the subject directly, and he felt Han-gyeol stiffen slightly.
But the boy didn’t deflect or interrupt—he simply looked at Ji-u, waiting.
“…Sorry. I’m grateful for the invitation, but I don’t think I can dance with you.”
The response didn’t come right away.
Ji-u felt uncomfortable too, so he couldn’t even meet Han-gyeol’s eyes properly, only staring at his shoes.
When rejecting other students’ invitations, he hadn’t felt nearly this guilty.
Was the discomfort of this rejection so acute because Han-gyeol had been Seol Ji-hyo’s first love?
Or was it, separate from that, because Ji-u himself knew Han-gyeol was a good person?
Either way, he’d made a decision he wouldn’t take back, so he could only wait for Han-gyeol’s response.
“I figured as much.”
After a long pause, a voice emerged as if releasing held breath.
When Ji-u slowly looked up, he saw Han-gyeol shielding his eyes with his hand.
“Somehow I knew you would.”
“You knew I’d reject you?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why…….”
Han-gyeol’s lips curled up in a lonesome smile.
He dropped the hand that had been covering his eyes.
Their gazes met.
“…I happened to hear about your engagement. So I think I got a bit anxious.”
“About that engagement──.”
Ji-u fell silent.
This wasn’t a moment for excuses. It would be rude to both of them to pile on more words.
Even though Ji-u had cut himself off mid-sentence, Han-gyeol simply smiled as if he’d heard nothing at all.
Ji-u understood.
It was gentle consideration.
‘If a kid this kind ends up distant from Ji-hyo because of all this…….’
He didn’t want that.
But asking him to stay close going forward would be too shameless, too selfish.
After all, Han-gyeol had essentially been rejected by ‘Seol Ji-hyo.’
Whatever Ji-u did now would only offer false hope.
So he could only stay silent.
“We can still be close going forward, right?”
…What?
Had he misheard? Ji-u’s head came up.
“I was worried this might make things awkward between us. Honestly, that’s what I was most afraid of.”
Han-gyeol laughed awkwardly.
He hadn’t known. That this kid shared the very same worry he did.
Ji-u’s eyes widened, and he slowly parted his lips.
“…Can we really stay close?”
“Of course. If I end up unable to stay as we were with you, I’ll really regret asking you to be my Partner.”
At those words, some of the weight in his heart lifted.
So much consideration was felt in those words.
……He really was a good kid. Bae Han-gyeol was.
“Thank you.”
He meant it sincerely.
Whether or not the sincerity came across, Han-gyeol smiled brightly.
“Go on, then. You can’t be away from the booth too long.”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
“Enjoy the rest of the festival.”
“You too, Han-gyeol.”
With a faint smile, Ji-u slowly walked away.
Only after that figure had vanished completely into the crowd did Han-gyeol collapse onto the ground as if his legs had given out.
“Haa…….”
Having finally exhaled the sigh he’d been holding, Han-gyeol fished a Banana Milk from his pocket.
Clutching the Banana Milk he hadn’t been able to give, Han-gyeol gazed blankly up at the sky dyed in sunset gold.

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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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