Chapter 14.
They say you shouldn’t judge people by first impressions, but Jeongwoo’s thoughts were a bit different.
Whether it was because he’d been on the Disciplinary Committee for a long time, most people acted exactly as the first impression Jeongwoo saw.
No matter how much people praised someone as polite and good, if the first impression wasn’t good in Jeongwoo’s eyes, their conduct was bad behind the scenes.
There were many opposite cases too.
Everyone cursed them saying they were no good, but once you got to know them, there were good people too.
His friends said it was all an eye developed from faithfully doing Disciplinary Committee activities for a long time and wanted to switch with him. Saying he didn’t know how much of a blessing it was to have an eye for people.
In that regard, Jeongwoo was also full of pride in his own way. He was accurate to the point where he and those around him acknowledged it.
But after experiencing Jihan, Jeongwoo, who now doubted his own thoughts that he’d maintained until now, even wondered if judging people by first impressions was really right.
Of course, it was Jihan who intentionally bothered him every day in front of the school gate, but the thought that it might not be with bad intentions also gradually bloomed.
He felt his gaze watching the distancing Jihan loosen a bit. Whenever the wall crumbled even a little, he would scold himself, but now he didn’t scold himself saying he absolutely must not open his heart.
“Well, it’s not bad.”
Jeongwoo’s day felt perfect, if anything.
Unlike when he was with Jeongwoo, joking and teasing, Jihan had to take a long detour on a different road as soon as they parted, looking back at what he’d done wrong to Jeongwoo and whether he’d made any mistakes.
***
The school was in a noisy atmosphere due to the exam report cards they’d seen not long ago.
Except for the fact that the homeroom teacher hadn’t come yet so they hadn’t received their report cards, Class 5 of the 3rd year was no different.
Rather, there were many students hoping the teacher wouldn’t come.
After the exams ended, they’d forgotten about grades and studying, but now report cards.
The faces of students who wanted to enjoy the feeling of exams being over and play, and students who did poorly on the exams, were full of gloom even until now, over a week later. Though it was a class that was never quiet, it was especially noisy today.
“Everyone sit in your seats, will you! How is it that there’s not a single bastard sitting properly.”
Then the classroom door opened. The homeroom teacher, who found everything bothersome, entered with a bright face. Even without saying anything good, the voice tone was higher than usual.
The students who hurriedly returned to their seats all whispered that the homeroom teacher was strange, wondering if he ate something wrong.
The face of the teacher standing in front, seeing and hearing all the students, was endlessly bright like someone who didn’t know anger at all.
There are people who are scarier when smiling than when frowning. That was exactly how the students felt right now.
The more the teacher smiled, the more everyone worried. Whether the teacher had gone crazy, whether he was sick somewhere. They were all futile worries.
“The homeroom teacher must have eaten something wrong.”
“Right.”
This time, even Jeongwoo agreed with Jihan’s words. Whether he ate something wrong or not, it was definitely strange.
Jihan narrowed his eyes and glared at the homeroom teacher, then made eye contact. Startled, he turned his head toward Jeongwoo pretending not to see, but no words followed.
Jihan looked at the homeroom teacher again with a puzzled face that didn’t understand.
However, the homeroom teacher had already turned his gaze elsewhere.
“Huh? I should already be cursing asking why you’re glaring. He really ate something wrong for sure. Or maybe his time to die tomorrow has come.”
“Don’t say things like that.”
“Okay. Got it.”
He was always quick to respond to Jeongwoo, who only spoke without turning his head even once. Jeongwoo shook his head saying even a five-year-old responds well.
Jihan always responds well. Just responds, that’s all.
“The report cards are out.”
The teacher, who had been stalling for time by looking around the classroom, opened his mouth.
The bundle of papers held in his hand swayed gently in his grasp. The faces of students looking at the report cards in the teacher’s hand turned pale.
Here and there, words even came out wondering if the teacher had achieved enlightenment because they did so poorly on the exam.
Jeongwoo, who was silently just watching the situation, also inwardly agreed with those words.
Already, the class in front and the class behind were causing a ruckus asking if they could call this grades, so how could Class 5, full of students who weren’t at all like 3rd years except for a few including Jeongwoo, possibly be quiet?
Just as Jeongwoo was wondering if he should cover his ears, thinking they might yell in a moment.
The teacher picked up the top two report cards.
The letters were very small so the students couldn’t see well, but the teacher shook them ostentatiously. The report cards swayed lightly like white petals. They also looked like white handkerchiefs as a sign of surrender.
Was he going to get angry saying is this a 3rd year report card because they studied so poorly? Everyone was watching for signs like that.
“Those are Woo Sejong and Kwon Jeongwoo’s report cards.”
A student right in front of the teacher muttered. At those names, a smile bloomed fully on the teacher’s face.
“Right. Our class produced 1st and 2nd place in the whole school.”
“Wow.”
“Amazing.”
Soulless exclamations burst out here and there.
“Sejong is 1st place, Jeongwoo is 2nd place.”
Everyone’s faces were deflated. Students who thought they’d be scolded for bad grades and had tensed up with stiff shoulders even slumped over their desks with sighs. Unlike them, the shoulders of Sejong and Jeongwoo, whose names were called affectionately, stiffened.
Jeongwoo and Sejong, who were watching the teacher smile while looking at them alternately, awkwardly exchanged glances.
“Good job, Sejong. Keep doing it like this from now on. You’re the teacher’s light.”
“Ahaha. Thank you.”
“Jeongwoo did well too. It’s unfortunate you got 2nd place by missing just 1 question, but still, you did well. How proud I am among the teachers!”
“Thank you.”
“What thanks! This is all because you did well.”
The teacher who personally brought the report card to Sejong, who was 1st place, patted Sejong’s shoulder. The teacher who also came to Jeongwoo, who was 2nd place, smiled brightly and stroked Jeongwoo’s head. Not knowing that both their faces were stiffening in fright at that affectionate action.
The teacher who went back to the front called from number 1 and distributed the report cards. It was clear discrimination, but there wasn’t a single student who opposed the teacher’s actions.
Rather, sympathetic gazes poured toward Sejong and Jeongwoo, who were gaining trust.
“It’s natural that you did well, so why is the homeroom teacher taking credit.”
Jihan said. His hand was already on top of Jeongwoo’s head.
“What are you doing?”
“Disinfecting. The homeroom teacher’s hand touched you.”
Jihan, who said absurd things about disinfecting because the crazy homeroom teacher’s hand that wasn’t even normal had touched him, constantly stroked Jeongwoo’s head.
“The craziness might transfer.”
Jihan, who stroked here and there meticulously, didn’t even lower his voice, not afraid of the teacher. He just glared at the teacher in front who didn’t know how to close his grinning mouth.
Normally, the teacher who would have gotten angry first after hearing Jihan’s words seemed not to have heard, busy smiling at the report cards that weren’t too bad compared to other classes.
“Lower your voice.”
“Did I say something wrong?”
Jeongwoo, who had been watching the teacher’s reaction, let out a sigh of relief when no scolding came back. Then he suddenly cleared his throat, not knowing why he should feel relieved. He’d been swept up by Jihan without realizing it.
He tried to look at the report card in his hand while glaring at Jihan who, though not a kid, only said useless things every time.
“That guy’s annoying.”
Because Jihan suddenly interrupted, he couldn’t look.
“Who?”
“That guy.”
“You’re not calling the teacher ‘that guy,’ right? I believe your personality isn’t trash to that extent.”
Hearing Jeongwoo’s words, Jihan shook his head saying no matter what, he wasn’t that much of an insubordinate. Then he pointed at Sejong who was checking his report card.
“That guy. Your friend.”
“……”
“He’s annoying. Look at his mouth corners going up.”
“Why are you cursing my friend.”
He grabbed and pulled down Jihan’s arm.
Sejong didn’t see it, but if he had, it would have been an action that would feel bad. Thinking it was fortunate he didn’t see, Jeongwoo hit Jihan’s arm that was trying to go up again.
“Why are you hitting me.”
“You cursed my friend first.”
“How is saying he’s annoying cursing. And he is annoying.”
“Stop saying he’s annoying.”
“Then……”
Jeongwoo, who covered Jihan’s mouth with his hand as if he was looking for another curse, rather was startled himself and removed his hand.
Jeongwoo, who always kept distance from Jihan to not get close, seemed surprised by his own hand that reached out without knowing. Jihan himself seemed to have no thoughts about it.
“If that guy wasn’t there, you’d be 1st place.”
“It’s not something for you to worry about, so stop it.”
It was true that if Sejong wasn’t there, Jeongwoo would be 1st place, but why would Jihan worry about that?
Jeongwoo looked at Jihan with eyes that didn’t understand. Jihan, who received Jeongwoo’s confused gaze, went forward when it was his turn and received his report card.
As if he had no interest in his own grades, the report card he placed carelessly on his desk almost fell.
Jeongwoo, who quickly caught the report card that flew onto his desk, saw his grades. He wasn’t good, but he wasn’t bad either. They said he only crammed during exam periods, and he was exactly mid-rank.
Looking at his usual behavior, Jeongwoo thought he’d scrape the bottom, so he was surprised at Jihan’s grades.
‘Even though he looks like he doesn’t do it, is he the type who does it when he does it?’
Even when he saw him concentrating quite well at the study hall, he thought he was just pretending. With these grades even while playing around like that, he thought if he did it properly, he’d do well.
‘Well, he probably won’t do it himself though.’
“It’s too bad you got 2nd place by missing 1 question.”
“……”
“That guy didn’t miss any, so that’s why he’s 1st place, right? Ah, so unfortunate.”
Jihan had no interest in his own score but focused solely on Jeongwoo’s grades.
‘Whether it’s one or two questions, I’m the one who got them wrong, so why is he more disappointed?’
“That guy must not be human. How can he not miss any. Next time, definitely get 1st place, background check. Tell your friend to miss two questions.”
“Background check……”
How long is he going to call me that? He’d been calling me by name for a while, and I didn’t have to hear it since I was off from the Disciplinary Committee until today, but here it starts again. Jeongwoo, who was about to point it out, shook his head saying let’s not.
Jihan’s cheering continued.
Next time he’ll help from the side so let’s go to the study hall together, if the study hall gets boring let’s do it at his house, and so on.
When he asked what he’d help with in disbelief, he said he’d provide snacks and meals like last time.
Why you? Why on earth?
“You do well yourself.”
Around the time questions arose, Jeongwoo cut him off sharply saying he wouldn’t listen anymore.
He cut sharply, but Jeongwoo’s heart was complicated.
He couldn’t understand Jihan who kept worrying only about him with his own report card in front of him.
‘Why is he so interested in me?’
Seeing the study hall story come up, it seemed he thought they’d become close by going together during the exam period.
‘Is this really becoming close? My thoughts, I’m the same, so why does that person think we’ve become close?’
Could it be because we hung out together for one day? Or because I’m not on disciplinary duty? His thoughts jumped in a strange direction. In the end, he concluded it was because they’d bumped into each other every morning, but because he wasn’t on duty due to exams, there was no reason to bump into each other.
“If you need anything, tell hyung anytime, Jeongwoo.”
But Jihan didn’t listen whether Jeongwoo drew lines or whatever.
At some point, Jeongwoo felt his own name, which sounded affectionate, felt unfamiliar.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
