Chapter 10
The heavy, sinking voice froze both Yeoreum and Haein in place. Neither of them could bring themselves to turn around.
“Where do you think you’re going.”
Their hands clutched tightly onto their bag straps as if they were lifelines. Slowly, they turned, lowering their heads in front of their homeroom teacher.
They hadn’t even made it all the way out of the cafeteria yet—so they were doomed. Behind them, students peeked and giggled, whispering at their expense. Even middle schoolers passing by on their way home craned their necks, curious to see what was going on.
They’d been caught right in the middle of it.
And of all days, they had to get caught by their homeroom teacher the very first time they decided to skip evening study.
Yeoreum squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again in disbelief. Before either of them could explain themselves, the teacher’s voice came again, low and unyielding.
“Follow me.”
Inside the faculty office, the teacher sat down first, tapping his fingers against the desk a couple of times. That was the signal for them to sit as well.
He hadn’t scolded them harshly yet, but their shoulders already slumped as if weighed down by guilt. Passing teachers looked their way.
“What’d these two do?” someone asked, and the two flinched.
Another teacher chuckled knowingly, “They must’ve been caught skipping night study.”
Their shoulders sagged even further.
Once the hallway traffic quieted, their homeroom teacher finally spoke.
“Choi Haein.”
“Yes…”
“I’ve overlooked the times you skipped already, you know that, right?”
“Yes…”
“But it’s not even April yet and you’ve skipped five times already. Isn’t that too much?”
“Yes…”
“You think I’ll just keep letting it go? While everyone else is studying, you think it’s okay to disrupt the atmosphere?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
Haein was scolded first. Shock flashed in his eyes when he realized the teacher had been keeping count. The teacher’s expression said plainly: Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?
His voice was gentle yet firm. Haein quickly bowed his head, admitting his fault.
Now the teacher’s gaze shifted to Yeoreum.
“Han Yeoreum.”
“Yes…”
“With your parents overseas, I’ve been worried about you living with just your sister. And this is how you betray that concern?”
“I’m sorry…”
“You’ll do better, won’t you?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
The teacher glanced between the two of them, then continued.
“Skipping once in a while, I can ignore. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“But being this brazen about it, how can I just overlook it?”
“Yes.”
“Both of you—do better from now on.”
“Yes.”
Then came his peculiar method of discipline.
“Now, when I pretend to hit you, you scream ‘Ow!’ If it’s too soft, I won’t let you go.”
It was his way—pressing a 30cm ruler down on their palms instead of hitting them, making students yelp in fake pain.
And afterward, he’d always add:
“Where else will you find a teacher as generous as me.”
Some found it more embarrassing than an actual hit. Others, strangely, enjoyed it.
Haein passed in one try. Yeoreum needed several do-overs before she was let off.
Back in class, a few students snickered.
“What happened?” one asked.
“They got caught ditching night study,” another explained with glee.
“Told you, the way they walked out so confidently—obvious.”
Pouting, Yeoreum and Haein trudged back to their seats. Gyeol mouthed, ‘Did you get scolded badly?’ Both shook their heads wearily.
But once seated, the embarrassment hit harder. Both buried their faces in their hands.
After a moment, Yeoreum peeked out first, nudging Haein’s desk with hers. She whispered:
“It wouldn’t have been as embarrassing if we’d just stayed out. Coming back to class makes it worse.”
“Exactly. Totally humiliating.”
From beside them, Hyunho commented dryly:
“Pathetic. You can’t even skip properly.”
Yeoreum pouted, sulking under his unimpressed gaze. Of course he’d think she was pathetic—he never skipped night study himself.
Still, did he really have to rub it in? But then, unexpectedly, he added:
“Seriously. Can’t even ditch right.”
“Not, Why would you skip, but You skipped badly?” Yeoreum blinked.
“People skip sometimes. Plenty do it all the time. You should’ve done it properly.”
She kicked at her own foot, lips stuck out.
Hyunho slid his desk closer, lowering his voice.
“You should’ve skipped well.”
“And how do you do that? Is there a proper way?”
“Want me to teach you? How to skip without getting caught?”
“What is it? Tell me!”
“First—study.”
“Ugh, seriously!”
“If you study hard today, I’ll ditch with you tomorrow.”
“Really?”
He said it casually, but Yeoreum’s eyes sparkled wide with excitement.
“Wow, Choi Hyunho, unbelievable. You’ve never skipped before.”
Haein looked at him with meaning, but Hyunho only tilted his chin like, So what.
Yeoreum, thrilled, scribbled in her notebook:
[Tomorrow, skip night study → Chicken restaurant, LET’S GO!!]
“Then tomorrow we’re eating gizzards!” she grinned.
“Hey, Lee Jungwoo, you heard that, right? You’re coming too.”
“Yeah, yeah. Now get back to studying, will you.”
“Can I come too?” Gyeol chimed in suddenly.
Everyone blinked at him. Hyunho looked at him like he was ridiculous.
“Were you planning not to?”
“You didn’t ask me.”
Again, blinking. This time, Haein scratched his neck.
“Ah, true. I just assumed, of course.”
“So obvious we didn’t even think to ask?”
“No, no. It’s not that. It’s just—we’re always together. It’s a given.”
And so the five of them made their pact to skip, swearing not to get caught this time.
While Haein and Jungwoo chattered away, Yeoreum leaned toward Hyunho, whispering worriedly.
“Are you sure it’s okay for you to skip?”
“It’s fine.”
“But you’re so diligent with night study.”
“That’s what students are supposed to do. Whether you’re good at it or not.”
“Wow. You sound just like my aunt. She says that all the time.”
“Then listen to her.”
“I do! She also says, skipping once in a while is something you can only do as a student. As long as it’s not something bad, try it once.”
“She sounds cool.”
That night, sharing one set of earphones and listening to songs on his MP3, Yeoreum found herself talking endlessly with Hyunho.
He mentioned he’d signed up for the third round of night study in the library next semester. She even thought, Should I sign up too?
Maybe it was because she’d talked so much with him. Maybe it was the quiet, bright classroom against the dark outside, or the gentle breeze brushing her nose.
But Yeoreum found herself thinking—
“I’m glad we got caught today. I’m glad we came back to class.”
The next day, during dinner break, Hyunho demonstrated.
With practiced ease, he laid out a textbook, opened to a page, a notebook with notes beside it, a pencil and highlighter scattered casually.
“Wow…” the others gaped.
“Last step.”
He pulled his phone and wallet out of his bag, then left the zipper half-open. It looked exactly like someone had just stepped away for a moment.
“Leave your bags,” he said.
“What about tomorrow morning?”
“Bring a different one. Or get here earlier than the teacher and prefects, or slip in through the back gate.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Then, they slipped out.
They made it. No one noticed.
Victorious, the five of them bolted straight to the chicken place—Dakmura.
The gizzards and fried chicken tasted better than anything, seasoned with the thrill of success.
Afterward, they strolled through the marketplace, cups of cold grain shake in hand, steps light with laughter.
But just as they were about to leave the market—
They ran into Sia, flanked by two girls.
Hyunho, Gyeol, Jungwoo, and Haein froze on the spot. Yeoreum, who didn’t know her, tilted her head. But soon, she understood.
So this is her.
Sia looked Hyunho over once, then turned her icy gaze on Yeoreum.
“So you’re the transfer student?”
