IRLPLBIO Chapter 19 Part 1

Chapter 19 #4. Backstabbing (4)

Jae-gu said he would study. He said he wanted to know more. He solved the test papers carefully, and no longer just picked one number down the line and slept through the exam.

Even teachers who weren’t his homeroom teacher were moved.

“Work hard. It’s good to see.”

“…”

Jae-gu didn’t hear the teacher’s soft murmur. Han Seong-cheol next to him simply glanced up and frowned.

The teacher, who had been looking proudly at the test paper with Jae-gu’s scribbles, slowly walked around the classroom again. It wasn’t right to disturb a student who had made up his mind to study.

Jae-gu racked his brain over each problem. He even meticulously filled out and reviewed his OMR card. Fearing that a hastily marked answer might be counted as unanswered, he completely filled in the bubbles, coloring them solid black.

The teacher for the next period, and the teacher for the period after that, all saw Jae-gu, his lips pursed in intense concentration, and cheered for his change.

The first period was Literature, the second was English I, the third was self-study, and the fourth was Classical Chinese.

Just concentrating through three subjects in one day completely drained his energy. Joo Hae-jun approached Jae-gu, who was slumped over his desk.

“Did you do well on today’s test?”

“Better than you.”

“Wow, Yang Jae-gu, you’ve grown a lot! You haven’t forgotten our bet, have you? Just you wait and see.”

Joo Hae-jun, with an expression that was hard to tell if he was dumbfounded or amused, puffed out his chest confidently. He was truly self-assured.

“It’s not that I don’t study; it’s just that if I really put my mind to it, I’d poke the ass of the top student in school!”

“Should I just stab that cheap mouth of his…?”

“Just you wait, you’ll be surprised too. Looking at today’s test paper, the answers just popped out at me. Get nervous, Yang Jae-gu. I’ve already thought of everything I’m going to make you order if I win the bet.”

Jae-gu no longer responded to Joo Hae-jun, who was chattering away excitedly.

As soon as he packed his bag, he headed straight home. It was due to Park Kwang-cheol’s request that he study at home instead of the library, at least until the wound on his head had fully healed.

On the second day, Jae-gu was even more confident than the first.

If there was one thing he was confident in, it was science. He had even memorized the entire secondary gender section. This was to understand Park Kwang-cheol, an Alpha, and to not miss an opportunity to beat up Han Seong-cheol, also an Alpha.

Jae-gu proudly received the test paper and immediately looked for the question on secondary genders.

“…Damn it.”

“Yang Jae-gu, don’t swear. Not during sacred exam time.”

The PE teacher, who was supervising, poked Jae-gu with a bat that had “Love” written on it in large letters.

To him, who valued strength, stamina, and perseverance, Jae-gu was a valuable talent. If he had chosen sports, he could have found a respectable life even if he threw punches!

He had always clucked his tongue disapprovingly at Jae-gu’s antics, but he was also one of the people most delighted to hear that Jae-gu was studying.

“I’ll be watching.”

“Yes, sorry.”

“I heard you’ve been studying hard lately? Do well.”

“…”

The PE teacher patted Jae-gu’s shoulder.

But Jae-gu didn’t answer. He was despairing over the words written on the poor-quality gray paper.

The secondary gender section, which he had so eagerly anticipated, was a measly single question. And it was an incredibly easy one, a so-called “gift” question.

Jae-gu’s efforts, having memorized the textbook until his head ached, were completely in vain. Seeing Joo Hae-jun’s arms moving excitedly in the front, Jae-gu felt like crying just a little, a very little bit.

Han Ga-yeon’s hands, which were cleaning the cafe, slowly slowed down and then stopped. The events of that day still felt like a dream, and she would sometimes become lost in thought.

In the mornings, there were relatively few customers, so it was fine even if Han Ga-yeon wasn’t doing anything. This was because the cafe was located in a quiet area with only a few schools nearby, not a densely packed business district.

Still, it wasn’t operating at a loss. Han Ga-yeon introduced new menu items with each season and offered special services to regular customers. There was a reason why her cafe remained in the same spot for years, even as other shops around it changed.

At any rate, business was reasonably good. While she couldn’t support Park Kwang-cheol and Jae-gu enough for them to do everything they wanted, it wasn’t to the point where she couldn’t feed or clothe them.

…She thought that, but perhaps it would have been better for the children to connect with Dae-yeong Group sooner. Both for Park Kwang-cheol, who had gone to see Im Ho-sin on his own, and for Jae-gu, who had said he would go up to Seoul with him…

“Madam, please give me coffee and a sandwich. Your recommended menu!”

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Haha, yes, I’m here again today.”

The person who broke Han Ga-yeon’s reverie was Im Ho-sin. Yelling cheerfully again today, Im Ho-sin helped himself to a seat and then finished wiping the table that Han Ga-yeon had left half-cleaned. To others, he would look like an old bachelor lawyer trying to curry favor with the cafe’s beautiful owner.

Im Ho-sin treated Han Ga-yeon as if nothing had happened. It was so much like before that she wondered if he had forgotten the events of that day.

It was Han Ga-yeon who felt awkward, deliberating how she should treat Im Ho-sin. However, Han Ga-yeon was not someone who hesitated indefinitely either.

“The chicken was good, so I made a chicken sandwich. I put basil in it too, would that be… alright?”

“Of course. It feels like my day doesn’t start until I get your coffee and sandwich in here,”

Im Ho-sin pointed to his stomach and smiled cheerfully. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly. Only then did Im Ho-sin’s face redden slightly.

“Uh, this… why is this happening all of a sudden… haha.”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll bring it out right away.”

Han Ga-yeon pulled two espresso shots and sliced the thick sandwich in half. She carefully re-wrapped the neatly folded paper part, placed it on a tray, and added two shots to hot water to make a strong americano.

Perhaps catching the subtle coffee aroma, Im Ho-sin was already sniffing eagerly. When she placed the tray in front of him, he exclaimed excitedly.

“Wow, the sandwich is extra plump today! I’ll enjoy the meal.”

It didn’t take long to eat. In less than five minutes, the sandwich plate was empty.