“Who is he?”
“Is he a transfer student?”
“No clue. He’s h.e.l.la cool, though.”
“Woah, I can’t even talk to him.”
It was impossible not to hear the mutters in the small cla.s.sroom. It was the first day back so the students had arrived early on purpose. As they trickled in one by one, each student was taken aback when they saw Seung-ho.
Then they would go to their circle of friends and ask “Who’s he?”
‘I thought that I’d gotten better-looking, but I didn’t know it was to this extent. It seemed like they were dissing me on the bus earlier.’
The female students who were grouped up in the far corner were talking amongst themselves while looking at Seung-ho. Embarra.s.sed, he took out his textbook in advance.
‘Just going to pretend to prepare for the lecture. I’m so uncomfortable.’
However, the girls came to a different conclusion.
“Wow, not only is he good-looking, but he studies well!”
“Awesome.”
“He’s perfect.”
“I want to learn to study.”
“Should I ask him if he wants to come over to our house and solve the mock test together?”
“Crazy b.i.t.c.h.”
“Eep! He’s so handsome!”
He didn’t know it before, but he had no idea how much the girls’ gossip could get on his nerves.
“Oh, who’s he?”
As the cla.s.sroom door opened, Kim Han-joo entered. He, of course, didn’t close the door, and cold air blew into the room immediately.
“That jerk.”
“He won’t bother the new transfer student, will he?”
“If he does I’m going straight to the teacher.”
It was then that they started talking truly secretly. Even these students knew that the crazy Kim Han-joo was someone to be wary of.
“I don’t know. He was sitting there when I arrived.”
“Yeah? Ah, I don’t care. I’m so sleepy; I drank all night.”
“No wonder you smell. Who’d you drink with?”
“The older students were in a festive mood since the university entrance exams are over. I’m gonna die.”
“Whew. They should just go if it’s time for them to graduate.”
“Exactly. I’m going to sleep. Wake me when the homeroom teacher gets here.”
Kim Han-joo hung his bag on the desk and collapsed on it.
It was only then that Seung-ho, who had been sneaking glances at Han-joo, relaxed and took a deep breath.
‘It’s only the first day back after transforming - if I get caught by that b.a.s.t.a.r.d, it’ll have been for nothing.’
He’d raised his strength to resist them in case the bullies bothered him, but the scared loser’s instinct didn’t go away easily.
Having researched with the green panel over the break, he found out that if he’d only strongly fight back once, the bullies wouldn’t bother him ever again.
He had increased his strength in order to properly resist that one time, and it was to the point that if he measured his power with handgrips, his grip power would come out to be 75 kg.
‘I don’t know know how strong that is, but it should be effective when I fight back at least once.’
As Seung-ho tried to calm down his pounding heart, someone suddenly spoke to him from the side.
“Hey, there.”
Surprised, he looked over to see a familiar face sitting next to him. Choi Seul-hwa. She had been Seung-ho’s desk partner for over 3 months.
This cla.s.s changed seating arrangements every three months, and during the entirety of those 3 months she had complained about not changing the seats, nagged at Seung-ho, and distanced their desks every day.
It was the first time that this Choi Seul-hwa had started a conversation with Seung-ho. Of course, that was excluding the “Ah, I don’t like him”, “f.u.c.k off”, and “Just go away!”
“Ah, h-h.e.l.lo.”
Seung-ho felt deeply uncomfortable at hearing Seul-hwa’s friendly tone for the first time.
“Hey, where did you transfer from?”
Her voice, which had usually sounded disgusted with Seung-ho, had definitely changed. She couldn’t hunt men like this, could she? They said that a woman’s transformation was innocent, but this was surely sin.
“Wow, that minx.”
“She’s already flirting with the transfer student.”
“Is having a good body shape everything?”
“Is having a decent face everything?”
“That is everything…”
The female students dissing Seul-hwa knew that it was everything to have a pretty face and a stunning body. At their words the students cried, the sky cried, and the author cried.
‘I’m not a transfer student, but why do they keep…”
Seung-ho leaned his body slightly backward and spoke.
“I didn’t transfer here…”
Suddenly Seul-hwa c.o.c.ked her head and dragged her chair toward Seung-ho. He gulped without realizing it. For a high school student, her development was no joke.
“Hey, stop hitting on the guy.”
When the bully sitting behind her spoke while tutting, Choi Seul-hwa glared at him sharply. Taken aback at her look, he switched his gaze to elsewhere.
“Be quiet. I had to put up with a smelly, hikikomori, f.u.c.king ugly, acne-p.r.o.ne, loser pig as a partner for three months and now that I have a proper desk partner, I’m just trying to talk to him - why the bulls.h.i.t?”
She was fierce, as expected. Choi Seul-hwa wasn’t a bully; in fact, she was one of the popular students. That popular aura was distinctly felt.
However, Seung-ho had been hit by 6 accusations in a row. Even when he thought about it again, those words were definitely cussing out Seung-ho before he’d changed. No matter how truthful it was, the 6-word fact bomb hurt a lot.
Seung-ho ducked his head sullenly. At the same time, the cla.s.sroom’s front doors slid open.
Da-re-rek
The homeroom teacher entered with the attendance book and a whole bunch of printed material. Seeing the face that he hadn’t seen in awhile, delight and worry rose up simultaneously rose up in him.
“Sit down; sit!”
Before the teacher reached the lecture desk, the students hurriedly returned to their seats and sat down. Even Han-joo, who had just fallen asleep, woke up at his friend’s voice and raised his head while wiping his drool.
“Now, I’m going to a.s.sume everyone’s here because there are no empty seats. I won’t call any absences.”
The teacher tried to rush over the attendance as if it was troublesome.
“I see there are kids who attended supplementary studies, and kids who didn’t. Now that school’s started again, you all should start attending school seriously. Starting next week you are all 3rd years.”
“Boo~”
At the words ‘3rd years’, the entire cla.s.s hissed. Seung-ho felt the same with his chest constricting.
‘Ha, now I have to actually focus on my studies. I have to get a scholarship in order to not be a burden to Mum.’
The teacher banged on the desk and silenced the students.
“Be quiet. Now, the 3rd year cla.s.s a.s.signments have come out, and if you think you really can’t handle the a.s.signment, follow me quietly to the staff room.”
Seung-ho suddenly became very nervous. Third-year cla.s.s a.s.signments. The most important crossroads that would decide who would be in the same cla.s.s with whom for a year.
‘I really want to be separated from Kim Han-joo.’
The teacher put up the a.s.signment list on the blackboard with a magnet and headed toward the door. The cla.s.s leader hurriedly stood up and stopped the teacher in his tracks.
“Teacher, are you not going to introduce the transfer student?”
“Transfer student?”
The homeroom teacher turned around at the cla.s.s leader’s absurd question.
“What are you talking about?”
“Over there.”
The students’ and the teacher’s eyes all followed the point of the cla.s.s leader’s finger. Suddenly the center of attention, Seung-ho became embarra.s.sed and didn’t know what to do.”
“I haven’t seen you before. Who are you and why are you in our cla.s.s?”
“What?”
“Are you in the wrong cla.s.sroom? This is 2nd-year 6th cla.s.s.”
“I’m in the right one.”
“There’s no way I wouldn’t remember my students.”
“Teach, I’m Seung-ho. Second year, 6th cla.s.s, number 38 Choi Seung-ho.”
“What?”
At that moment, the teacher and every student excluding Seung-ho had the same thought running through their heads.
‘What bulls.h.i.t is this?’
The teacher shook his head and continued.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ah, now that we’re talking about it, it looks like Seung-ho isn’t here. Try to contact him.”
“Okay.”
“And you there, follow me for a minute.”
“Yes?”
“Hurry up.”
At the teacher’s urging, Seung-ho got embarra.s.sed and hurried out the cla.s.sroom. It seemed as if the other cla.s.ses had started their lessons as well; the corridor was very quiet.
Seung-ho closed the cla.s.sroom door and stood in front of his teacher, shuffling his feet. The students, as though there was a show going on, all shoved their faces at the windows and watched the scene.
“You, what’s your name?”
“It’s Choi Seung-ho.”
“Stop playing around.”
“It really is Choi Seung-ho.”
Seung-ho took out his student ID card from his pocket and showed his teacher. Even as he looked at the card, the teacher couldn’t believe it.
If Seung-ho had been slightly different from the picture he wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but this was just a different person altogether. Additionally, the teacher had taught Seung-ho for a year before he’d changed.
“This is you?”
The teacher squinted as he looked between the student ID card and Seung-ho.
“Yes, sir. I went through a sudden second growth spurt during vacation…”
“Hmm..”
The teacher pondered for a while before taking out his phone.
“Tell me your mother’s phone number.”
“Why?”
“So I can check.”
“It’s 010-3xx3-45x6.”
The teacher called Seung-ho’s mother straight away. He was sorry to the student, but this was the only way he could make sure.
“h.e.l.lo, teacher. How can I help you?”
“Hi. Is this Seung-ho’s mother?”
“Yes. Is there something wrong?”
At the mother’s worried tone, the teacher skillfully skirted around the answer as if nothing was wrong.
“No. Not at all. It’s just that Seung-ho came back rather changed.”
“Ah, yes. I think p.u.b.erty came and hit him because he suddenly grew and lost weight.”
“Ah, I see. I just called in case something had happened. It’s nice to see him looking so handsome. Hahahaha.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, then. Goodbye!”
“Goodbye! Please take care of Seung-ho.”
“I will.”
The homeroom teacher hung up with a chuckle and looked at Seung-ho.
“Wow, you really are Seung-ho. How did you change so much? I almost didn’t believe you. Sorry for doubting you.”
“It’s nothing.”
That was a compliment on his good looks. The corner of Seung-ho’s lips shyly turned upward.
“Let’s go back in.”
“Yes, sir.”
As he and the teacher re-entered the cla.s.sroom, the students watching from the windows hurried back to their seats.
“I told you guys to prepare for cla.s.s but you guys never listen.”
The teacher cleared his throat and continued speaking.
“Seung-ho, stand up.”
Seung-ho awkwardly stood up from his seat.
“This is the Seung-ho that we all know.”
“Whaaat?”
All 39 students spat out that word simultaneously.
“Quiet!”
As the teacher banged on the lecture desk, the cla.s.sroom became quiet as a mouse once more.
“They say that p.u.b.erty’s second phase suddenly hit him during the break and transformed him completely, so don’t be too awkward and treat him well.”
“Yes, sir~”
They answered so well, just as students should.
“Then morning a.s.sembly is over for real.”
The teacher wrapped things up and left. As soon as he left, all the kids gathered around Seung-ho.
“Wow, are you really Seung-ho?”
“I wondered where you’d gone over break, and you’ve transformed to this?”
“Did you do plastic surgery by any chance?”
“What plastic surgery - he’s grown this tall. That’s impossible with today’s medical abilities.”
“That’s right. If it were, you would have to grow first. Hahaha.”
“You’re really changed.”
“Awesome. You have a phone, right? Tell me your phone number!”
“Did you work out much?”
Female and male students alike approached Seung-ho. Since they’d been the ones to ostracize and exclude him until now, he didn’t understand this attention but he didn’t dislike it, either.
“Uh… I didn’t have surgery, but I shot up suddenly during the vacation.”
“Wow, how tall are you now?”
“I measured myself recently, and it came out to be 186 cm.”
“Woaaaah.”
The students all exclaimed at the same time. Seung-ho began to get in a better and better mood. He’d thought that getting other people’s attention and interest was a difficult thing to accomplish, but now that it happened he realized that it was a good thing.
“Do you go to the gym?”
“Do you have a Jeti? Do you want one? I have a lot.”
“Do you want to go to the cafeteria with me?”
Before he knew it, the other cla.s.ses had gotten hold of the rumour and started crowding toward the 6th cla.s.s.
In an instant, the cla.s.sroom became as loud as an open-air market. It was Seung-ho’s first time receiving such warm attention. They said that anyone received love when they were a baby, but Seung-ho hadn’t received any even when he was little.
However, there were a couple students who felt irritated at the current situation.
“Wow, it’s so f.u.c.king loud.”
Han-joo kicked the desk as he stood up. The students milling around Seung-ho surrept.i.tiously went back to their places.
“Hey, Ug-Face b.i.t.c.h. Did someone tell you to put yourself out there, now that you’re taller?”
Cold sweat started running down Seung-ho’s back. Han-joo steadily approached him. It was the fear that he always felt about feeling pain.
‘I don’t want to get hit anymore.’
Han-joo kicked Seung-ho’s desk so hard that it make a ‘boom’ sound.
“Get up. Did you feel like you could live now that you didn’t get hit over break?”
Seung-ho stood up instinctively at Han-joo’s words. His standing form, however, took even the cla.s.s students by surprise.
The height difference was nearly 10cm.
Han-joo’s height was 178 cm. It wasn’t a short height. In fact, he was the tallest one among the bullies. But in front of him, Seung-ho was gigantic.
A whopping 186 cm. He felt every centimeter that he grew past 180cm.
“Was he always this short?”
Seung-ho had been extremely nervous internally, but courage started filling him for some reason.
“Since there’s a lot of people around, let’s beat you up outside.”
Han-joo extended his hand and grabbed Seung-ho’s collar, trying to drag him outside. Instantly, anger rushed through Seung-ho.
This was the new uniform that his mother had bought him, going beyond what she could afford; she’d been so happy that he’d grown so much. He had worn that uniform for the first time, and this b.a.s.t.a.r.d was trying to dirty it.
Keeping hold of the collar, Han-joo tried to pull Seung-ho along behind him. Seung-ho didn’t get dragged along for once.
‘What is this?’
It felt like a boulder.
‘Was this kid always this weak?’
Seung-ho grabbed Han-joo’s hand as it was holding Seung-ho’s collar, and lifted it. Fl.u.s.tered, Han-joo glared at Seung-ho.
“Is this b.i.t.c.h crazy, or what?”
Han-joo punched Seung-ho in the chest with his other hand.
Seung-ho felt pain, but it wasn’t bone-deep as it had been before.
However, he didn’t know what to do. Did he keep hold of Han-joo’s hand or let go of it? He was pondering in face of Han-joo’s glaring when a translucent panel appeared before his eyes.
QUEST:
Take revenge on those who had bothered you until now. You must pay back every drop of sorrow and pain that you’ve received so far and vent your rage.
Leave the bullies at your tender mercy.
Reward: 1. 5 points per person
2. Kim Han-joo: 10 points
3. Second ability revealed
‘This is it!’