Chapter 15

The final exams went smoothly.

With an unusually good memory, I was able to always get first place without studying much.

"...57 points."

Ha-Soo-Yul had the passion for studying, but unfortunately, he just didn’t have the head for it.

"Ugh. 74 points."

It seemed like Choi Ye-Seo had studied at least a little, as her score came out higher than average.

When their eyes landed on my test paper...

"...Seriously, you're so annoying."

I subtly placed my test paper where it could be easily seen.

Choi Ye-Seo furrowed her brows and looked irritated.

"I should go to an academy too. I really hate studying."

Considering how hard she was trying, though, if she went to an academy, her scores would definitely improve.

"I’ve never seen you study, so how are you doing so well?"

Choi Ye-Seo stared at my test paper.

"I’ve only skimmed through it once or twice. That’s studying."

I said it a little arrogantly, giving a slight shrug.

"Ugh, this is so frustrating."

Choi Ye-Seo turned her head and clung to Ha-Soo-Yul.

"Yul~. Our exams are over, let’s go hang out!"

Ha-Soo-Yul ignored her and spoke to me.

"Unah, are we going again this vacation?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I think so. But I don’t really know. The adults decide."

What Ha-Soo-Yul meant was: Are we going on a trip again during the vacation?

We’ve gone on vacation almost every holiday, so I think we’ll probably go this time too.

Normally, Lee Do-Yoon and Baek Yoo-Seol would go too, but...

They said they couldn’t join because of personal reasons.

"I wonder where we’ll go this time. Yooni wanted to go to a valley."

As I mentioned this, Choi Ye-Seo asked.

"Wow, are you going on a trip? That’s so unfair..."

"It’s pretty much a regular thing, so it’s not that exciting."

I didn’t think it was something to be jealous of.

School was over, and I grabbed my phone as I left the classroom.

With the exam over, the school was buzzing, with kids running around regardless of grade level.

As I walked down the hall, looking at my phone, I heard a notification.

Ding dong!

[♡Mom♡: Ask Ye-Seo about it!]

Well, what am I supposed to ask? It would be nice if she’d give me a bit more context.

But honestly, in this situation, there’s really only one thing I need to ask.

I showed my phone screen to Choi Ye-Seo, who was walking next to me.

I didn’t realize it before, but she’s actually taller than me.

She’s not as tall as Ha-Soo-Yul, but still, she’s mysteriously taller than I am.

I felt a little irritated, narrowing my eyes.

"Uh, uh? What are you talking about?"

Choi Ye-Seo didn’t know what was going on. I forgot to explain myself earlier.

"I asked if you want to go on the trip with us."

At my words, Choi Ye-Seo’s eyes widened, and she opened her mouth a few times before saying,

"Can I really go? Isn’t it a family trip?"

"It’s a family trip, but not just ours."

I pointed to Ha-Soo-Yul, who was walking beside us.

"He’s coming too, and so is his aunt."

"Huh! So that’s what it is?"

Choi Ye-Seo, who had just looked dejected, now smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yeah! I’ll go! I was wondering what to do during the vacation, but this is perfect!"

It’s not like we’ll be gone for more than a few days.

"Then, it’s settled? Oh, and what about your parents?"

"Don’t worry! I’m sure Mom and Dad will be fine with it. They won’t come, though."

When parents were mentioned, Choi Ye-Seo’s expression darkened slightly.

‘...Did I step on a landmine?’

This was exactly the moment...

"Well... whatever. You’re going, right?"

I awkwardly avoided the topic and changed the subject.

"Yeah! Let’s hang out today!"

Sometimes, I think Choi Ye-Seo’s stream of consciousness is even more complicated than Ha-Soo-Yul’s.

"Why did the conclusion turn out like that?"

I let out a tired sigh.

"Don’t worry, Unah. I’ll make sure you get to come too."

Ha-Soo-Yul patted my head lightly and then pulled Choi Ye-Seo’s arm, leading her forward.

"Uh, uh? Yul? What about Ha-Eun?"

"Ha-Eun is going separately today."

Thanks to Ha-Soo-Yul’s sacrifice, I was going to be able to head home easily today—finally.

"Ha-Eun!"

...Why is it that whenever I try to relax, something always comes up?

I gave an exhausted look and turned around. When I heard the voice, I recognized it as my homeroom teacher.

"Teacher? What’s going on all of a sudden...?"

The teacher’s face was pale, and sweat was dripping down.

"Ha-Eun, could you come to the teacher’s office for a moment?"

‘Ugh. I feel like something bad is about to happen.’

I nodded and asked what it was about.

"Oh, well... you’ll find out when you get there."

It would have been better if you just explained it now.

I quickly tried to think of possible reasons for being called to the teacher’s office.

First possibility: Did I accidentally throw trash somewhere I shouldn’t?

But that’s something everyone does at least once.

Second possibility: Did I get caught stealing toilet paper?

That happened a year ago... Why is it an issue now? And that was moldy, so I threw it away.

Lastly, the third possibility: Did I flaunt my final exam results too much? Maybe that’s why the other students complained?

...This is nonsense.

‘So, what is it?’

I never imagined I’d be called to the teacher’s office in my life.

And then, just like my teacher said...

"Is it you? The one accused of assaulting my son?"

...What?

I was hit with a situation I never expected.

Humans are truly highly intelligent creatures. If humanity had even slightly lower intelligence, elephants or dolphins might have replaced humans.

Of course, I absolutely hate the idea of anthropomorphic animal fantasies.

But why am I talking about this now?

It just makes me think, shouldn’t we test the intelligence of every person?@@novelbin@@

"Hey, did you hit our son? Hmm?"

What is this? This old lady?

I stared at my homeroom teacher with a look of disbelief.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Jun, maybe you should first explain the situation—"

"Don’t you see my kid’s face? His cheek is all swollen!"

...Isn’t that just because he gained some weight? The size difference already heavily favors them.

"Let’s calm down a bit and talk this through first."

My teacher tried to keep the situation under control, but...

"No. I should probably look at that kid’s parents first."

...How did this turn into this?

Reluctantly, I spoke up.

"Excuse me, ma’am. I think you’re seriously mistaken—"

"Huh? Oh, ma’am? Ugh, really?"

What is this nonsense? This is a cliché that’s just asking for criticism.

Well, at least her character is very clear—it’s kind of fun.

Maybe if I ever draw a webtoon, I’ll just copy this exact character.

"And you, the top student in the school, you must’ve cheated, right?"

She’s starting to look like one of those characters that would appear in a cartoon.

By now, I started to enjoy the situation.

I mean, it’s amusing, right? How often do you get a chance to see something like this in real life?

"You’re not saying anything, so it’s true. Right?"

She’s just making noise by herself, looking like a spectacle.

Still, it’s annoying.

"So, teacher, what are we going to do now?"

Let’s get this over with so I can go home. I’m tired.

"Hmm? I think we should clear up the misunderstanding first."

Misunderstanding or not, if I was being bullied, I’d be the victim, and I have no muscles to hit anyone.

"First, let’s hear from Mrs. Jun."

My teacher was trying to stay calm and sort things out.

But on the other side, they were getting angrier. What now?

Well, let’s at least hear the reason.

"Our Jun came home beaten up yesterday, and now you’re siding with that kid?!"

"I wasn’t at school yesterday."

I hadn’t spoken up until now, but that’s an outright lie.

"What? Lying like this—"

"If you’re curious, just check the attendance sheet."

There’s no respect for people who act like they’re adults but act this way.

So, my opinion is that you have to treat these kinds of people poorly.

"Ugh! @!$#@!"

Now she was frothing at the mouth. Just this morning, the kids in our class were talking about it.

"I wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so I didn’t go to school. Right?"

I turned to my teacher, who smiled and patted my head.

Lately, more people have been patting my head. It’s a bit strange.

"Unah hasn’t been feeling well and sometimes skips school."

"How does that matter?"

"And girls generally have much weaker muscles than boys."

"......"

"Mrs. Jun, stop making unreasonable accusations."

‘Wow, was this the same teacher who seemed like a gentle herbivore just a moment ago?’

My teacher’s stern words made the angry woman stop.

"Jun, are you sure this kid is the one who hit you?"

Seeing things not going her way, the woman turned her attention elsewhere.

Pathetic. But this is not something that doesn’t happen often.

Parents come to school all the time and bully the teachers.

The teacher’s authority is at rock bottom, and the complaints from parents are increasing day by day.

Despite all this, teachers still have to bow their heads to the parents.

But my teacher, somehow, seems like a true educator.

"Teacher, can I go now...?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. You didn’t really need to be here anyway."

The teacher’s face darkened.

"I’m sorry, Unah. I should’ve thought it through and brought you along later."

It seems like the teacher was too scared to handle it and brought me here out of fear.

Now that I think about it, this is the first year the teacher’s been here.

It makes sense since they’re new. The pressure from the parents is tough.

It’s sad to see someone so young already dealing with these struggles. But that’s life, and I think it’s time I got some revenge.

The woman, who had gained some weight, kept glaring at me.

What’s she going to do with that glare?

Before leaving the teacher’s office, I spoke up.

"Does your cheek hurt from the slap? I’d think it doesn’t hurt much since the fat absorbs all the shock."

"What—"

Smack!

Ah, perfect timing.

If you’re going to bring an innocent person into this, why not pick someone else instead of me?

That way, you wouldn’t end up being embarrassed in the end.

I walked out of the school feeling refreshed.

As I left the teacher’s office, I heard the shouting from the angry woman, but who cares?

Let’s see if she dares to file a defamation lawsuit.

"She mocked our son for being fat! So funny."

I imagined the pig she’ll be by tomorrow morning.

Maybe I should draw a pig today.