🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 17
Yunwoo should’ve already gone to the music room, but she kept dawdling. She had known someone was scheming something, but she hadn’t imagined they would stoop to something so childish and despicable.
“If no one confesses, I’ll check all your bags. And if I catch the culprit, I’ll be calling your parents in.”
The homeroom teacher, holding a yellow recorder in one hand, smacked it against his own shoulder. When Yunwoo turned her head, her eyes met Eunyeong’s, who was smirking, lips curled in amusement.
It’s you.
Eunyeong kindly indicated who currently had the MP3 player. Fury welled up deep in Yunwoo’s chest.
She had known for a long time that Eunyeong disliked her. But this much? Was it really necessary to go this far? They weren’t elementary school kids anymore.
“……”
Heat boiled up in Yunwoo’s head as she bit her lip. If the teacher weren’t standing right there, she might have yanked Cha Eunyeong’s hair out on the spot. But with him planted firmly at the front of the classroom, things had become much trickier.
If she admitted the MP3 was in her possession, it would be the same as confessing to theft. But if it were discovered in her hands by someone else, the fallout would be even worse. She might even end up with her aunt groveling barefoot in front of Eunyeong’s parents.
If that happened, there could very well be a body pulled out from the orchard annex that same day. Her aunt had always accused Yunwoo of stealing the money her uncle blew on gambling, just because Yunwoo was the only one sharing a room and thus knew where it was kept.
“…Heh.”
Either way, she would end up branded a thief. The injustice was enough to make her want to explode.
Yunwoo clenched her fists tight, veins rising against her thin skin. She squeezed so hard her body trembled, dizziness washing over her as the blood rushed hotly to her head.
But no matter how hard she strained, no solution came. Should she just confess? But that was the one thing she absolutely could not bring herself to do.
“No one’s going to speak up, is that it?”
The longer the silence stretched, the rougher the teacher’s voice became.
“You’re nineteen. Next year you’re adults. And yet here you are, stealing other people’s things and keeping your mouths shut. You think this is just going to blow over? Wrong. Put your bags and desk drawers on top of your desks. All of you.”
At his command, the students began taking out their belongings one by one and setting them out. Watching the scene, Yunwoo felt bile rise in her throat. She gagged, tears welling as the injustice curdled into seething anger.
When she still didn’t move, a tattling voice piped up behind her.
“Teacher, there’s someone who hasn’t put up their bag yet.”
“Who.”
“Seo Yunwoo.”
The teacher’s face hardened as he stepped down from the podium to stand before her. It’s over, Yunwoo thought hollowly, a tear slipping down her cheek.
Then—
“…Woo Jungha. What’s that?”
The teacher had called someone else’s name. Startled, Yunwoo turned to see Jungha sitting calmly beside her.
A white earbud dangled from his ear. Tracing the cord down, her eyes landed on a small, bright pink MP3 player—something that could never possibly belong to him.
Woo Jungha was listening to music, right there, with the teacher looming over them. Casually, he pulled one earbud out.
“You. What is that?”
“I borrowed it.”
His voice held no hesitation, leaving even the teacher momentarily wrong-footed. A faint buzz of music leaked from the dangling earbud.
When the teacher pressed him further, Jungha coolly met his eyes.
“I borrowed it from Cha Eunyeong earlier.”
“…What?”
Unable to hide his shock, the teacher whipped around to stare at Eunyeong. With everyone’s gaze on her, her face turned ashen.
Then, looking as though she couldn’t believe what was happening, she darted nervous glances at both Yunwoo and Jungha.
“I-I never—!”
Her voice cracked into a shrill denial. The teacher sighed incredulously, as though none of this made sense. Yunwoo too struggled to piece it together. Eunyeong had just been pointing the finger at her—so how had the MP3 ended up in Jungha’s hands?
That was when his low voice cut sharply through the air, right beside Yunwoo.
“You lent it to me.”
“…I did?”
“Yeah. Before music class.”
“……!”
The way he emphasized music class made Eunyeong blanch even further, his lips curving in a sharp, knowing smile.
She fumbled, lips opening and closing without sound, before lowering her eyes under the weight of his unflinching stare. This time, it was her fist that clenched tight.
“What is going on here?”
The teacher arched an eyebrow, demanding an answer. Sweating, Eunyeong stammered,
“M-maybe I forgot…”
“What? ‘Maybe you forgot’? What kind of excuse is that?”
“…I’m sorry.”
Biting her teeth so hard her jaw creaked, Eunyeong bowed her head. Realizing he’d wasted time over nothing, the teacher clicked his tongue.
“Don’t cause trouble like this again. Everyone, get ready for your next class.”
With a few more smacks of the recorder against his shoulder, he stalked out of the room.
The atmosphere in the classroom turned strange. Yunwoo opened her clammy palm, realizing her hand was damp with sweat. Students whispered among themselves, glancing between Jungha and Eunyeong.
Catching Yunwoo’s eye, Eunyeong shot her a look so venomous it made her shiver.
Just then, Jungha shoved his chair back with a screech and stood. His imposing height drew everyone’s breath. Step by heavy step, he walked straight to where Eunyeong sat, head bowed.
“Hey.”
“….”
Startled, she looked up. Jungha removed the earbuds completely, then tossed the MP3 onto her desk with a sharp flick of his hand.
“Change your taste in music. It sucks.”
No one in the room failed to understand that as a warning.
“….”
Eunyeong bit her lip until it bled, clutching the MP3 in her hand. Without a word, Jungha left the classroom.
Yunwoo hurriedly stood and followed after him. Behind her, Eunyeong suddenly burst into loud, ragged sobs.
A strange mix of satisfaction and vague guilt twisted inside Yunwoo’s chest.
They walked across the schoolyard for a while. Class was about to start. If Yunwoo didn’t go back, this would be the first time in her life she skipped. But she couldn’t stop following Jungha’s confident stride.
The two slipped into the empty gym to escape the cold. From a basket stuffed with basketballs and dodgeballs, Jungha picked up a ball and, without hesitation, jogged forward and shot it.
The ball circled the rim before dropping cleanly through, bouncing twice across the floor. Yunwoo approached as the sound echoed.
“You’re not going to class?”
“…Not really.”
His casual answer steadied her churning emotions. The tears and rage from earlier faded into disbelief, which slowly shifted into a nervous flutter as she watched his broad back.
She knew what she wanted to say, but still she hesitated. Then Jungha turned and held out the basketball toward her. She instinctively stepped back.
“What?”
