IRLPLBIO Chapter 2 Part 2

“Jae-gu, you brat, what time is it now? Is school a place where you come when you want and leave when you want?”

Usually, he would pretend not to notice Jae-gu, but for some reason today, he scolded him properly. It seemed he couldn’t show his usual lax self in front of the transfer student from Seoul.

Jae-gu glanced around. That damn transfer student standing next to the homeroom teacher was none other than Han Seong-cheol.

Jae-gu quickly turned his eyes away from his slick face and deliberately pretended not to notice Seong-cheol’s curious gaze that met his.

“…Sorry.”

His mumbled words were quiet, but they were clearly heard by the homeroom teacher.

Jae-gu, that idiot, would never say sorry for being a little late to class, would he?

The homeroom teacher, who had been momentarily stunned, snapped back to reality at Han Seong-cheol’s ‘ahem,’ a clearing of the throat.

Asking them to treat the transfer student from Seoul well, not only the principal and vice-principal but even someone from the Office of Education had come. This student, Han Seong-cheol, seemed to have some powerful backing.

“Alright, that’s enough. Go in. Don’t be late next time.”

“Yep.”

Jae-gu didn’t know where his seat was, but he shrewdly sat in an empty one. It was the designated seat for those who weren’t diligent in school, the window seat in the very back row.

Returning to school after more than twenty years, the stains on the dirty windows, the way the grubby curtains fluttered, even the dusty corners of the classroom that hadn’t been properly cleaned, were all very interesting. While Jae-gu was looking around everywhere, Seong-cheol, having finished his introduction, found a seat and sat down. It was next to Jae-gu.

‘Damn it.’

A curse almost slipped out.

Why is the seating arrangement like this?

He wondered if it had been like this before, but he couldn’t recall such detailed aspects. Jae-gu unconsciously began to shake his leg.

The current Seong-cheol hadn’t done anything particularly wrong. Jae-gu clearly knew that in his mind. However, he couldn’t treat him as if nothing had happened in his heart.

Seong-cheol had exploited him for over 20 years and enjoyed the results, then stabbed him in the back at the end. Even if he hadn’t done anything wrong yet, if left alone, he was a guy who would walk the same path as before. So, wouldn’t it be okay if he struck first? Jae-gu was just thinking that when…

“I don’t have a textbook.”

Seong-cheol spoke first. His tone was so gentle that one couldn’t even imagine him being the same person as the guy from before.

Jae-gu, even more startled than when he used to hear absurd commands, jumped up.

“W-what did you say?”

“I said I don’t have a textbook. Let’s share.”

“I don’t have one either.”

The words of refusal came out reflexively.

Just thinking about sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with that guy and sharing a single textbook, he already had goosebumps erupting all over. With an ‘Ugh’ sound, Jae-gu rubbed his forearms roughly.

Seong-cheol’s eyes narrowed slightly. Seeing Jae-gu dare to refuse his goodwill and instead just mess around, irritated him. At the same time, he wondered if that guy would still be able to stand firm even knowing his true identity.

He had been planning to raise a useful dog anyway, and picking up a stray to raise seemed like a good idea too.

Knock, knock.

The sound of a polite knock on the classroom door was heard. Unlike when Jae-gu would abruptly burst in, the sound of the door opening was relatively quiet.

Through the half-open door, the homeroom teacher exchanged a few words with someone, and soon several books were brought into the classroom.

“Transfer student, it seems your textbooks have arrived.”

“…Yes.”

Receiving a stack of books, Seong-cheol returned to his seat and looked at Jae-gu again.

“You said you didn’t have books either, right? Let’s share.”

It was an act of consideration that Jae-gu didn’t want at all.