Chapter 38: Unnecessary Guilt

The final exams were approaching soon. I was planning to lock myself in the dormitory and study on the weekends, but I made an appointment to prepare for Je Galhwarin’s machinations.

[Gu Miho: I’ll send you the meeting place on the map]

[Gu Miho: (Map)]

[Gu Miho: If you come here, you’ll see me]

I decided to meet Seong Nari, the chief of Veritas, to contact Seo Yoon. She was waiting at a quiet cafe on the outskirts of Hakdo.

I left the dormitory early to avoid being late for the appointment. I took the Hakdo inner-loop bus and got off at the bus stop near the cafe. I could see Gu Miho’s back.

She was wearing a short-sleeved denim jacket over a white T-shirt and short jeans.

“You came.”

“Oh? You came early.”

She turned around and was surprised. Then, she stared at me intently.

“What are you looking at like that?”

“Ah, sorry. It’s a habit of mine to observe people’s appearances.”

Come to think of it, when I met Seong Nari at TT Academy, she also scanned me from head to toe. Is it a characteristic of reporters?

“The color of your T-shirt is pretty. Where did you buy it?”

“…I don’t really know, since it was sent by delivery. I’ll ask you later.”

The orphanage’s vice-principal sometimes sends me clothes, and this T-shirt was one of them. Gu Miho and I headed to the cafe where Seong Nari was.

On the way, Gu Miho suddenly sent me a file via chat.

[Gu Miho: One-Shot Mock Exam Set.pdf]

After checking the title of the file, my hand trembled slightly.

“What’s this?”

“A small gift from the chief and me…? It’s meant to encourage a continued good business relationship.”

Gu Miho used the expression “small,” but her expression was confident. She had every right to have such an expression.

The One-Shot Mock Exam was a precious mock exam that was not for sale and was only distributed to a small number of students. It wasn’t even well supplied to TT Academy, so I hadn’t even tried it yet.

‘Above all, it’s the mock exam that Eun Yuri, an executive of Ojakgyo, raved about…!’

When I saw it in the original webtoon, I didn’t understand why they were making such a fuss over a private mock exam, but now that I was immersed in my studies, I realized the value of this mock exam.

“I heard it’s a perfect premium mock exam. I chose it as a gift because you seem to be immersed in your studies. Do you like it?”

“…Honestly, I want to go back home and solve it right now.”

“You can’t! You have to meet the chief!”

She put her arm around my arm to prevent me from running away.

“I’m not running away. I was just saying it, so let go.”

Only then did Gu Miho let go of my arm.

While we were talking, we arrived at the cafe. Gu Miho stopped in front of the cafe door and didn’t go in.

“Then this is where my guidance ends. Have a good time.”

“Aren’t you going in?”

When I asked, Gu Miho wore a regretful expression.

“Actually, I’m dying to join you, but the chief said she would meet you alone… I’m just going to do some reporting.”

“You’re reporting on the weekends?”

“The weekends are when a lot of secret scoops are discovered. Today, I’m going to go to an anti-Ojakgyo rally near Dowon High.”

She still didn’t think about the aftermath. Gu Miho bowed her head and disappeared from my sight with light steps.

I went inside the cafe and looked for Seong Nari. She was in a corner away from the window.

She was leaning against the wall and staring blankly at the laptop screen. When I got closer, I could see dark circles under her eyes.

“I’m here.”

When I made my voice heard, Seong Nari, who flinched like a robot being electrocuted, slowly raised her head and looked at me.

“Ah, you came. Did you order a drink?”

“Yes. Just an iced tea.”

“I was going to buy you one.”

She stretched and rubbed around her eyes.

“You seem busy.”

“Don’t even mention it. It’s the end of the semester, so I have to report to the club, and the executives of the Hakdo News Agency Association are really nagging me….”

Veritas is a sub-club of the Hakdo News Agency, so it is controlled by the Hakdo News Agency. But Seong Nari is too free-spirited, so she doesn’t get along well with the executives of the Hakdo News Agency.

Every time Seong Nari stirs up Ojakgyo, only the Hakdo News Agency dies.

Nevertheless, the Hakdo News Agency does not allow Seong Nari to withdraw because of her performance.

“Did you get a gift from Miho?”

“Yes. I was very surprised.”

Seong Nari smiled and rested her chin on her hand, as if the satisfaction was evident on my face.

“I’m glad you like it. To be honest, I was hesitant about whether it was right to give you something like this.”

Well, the act of giving a private mock exam as a gift to a male student my age was far from normal.

The bell rang. I brought the iced tea and sat down.

“Then shall we get down to business?”

Seong Nari’s expression became serious. She typed on the laptop and continued to speak.

“First of all, the request you made is to hide your identity and contact Seo Yoon…. This can be roughly divided into two things. Hiding your identity and contacting Seo Yoon.”

“That’s right.”

“First of all, I can’t be sure about the former. I don’t know if this is outside of Hakdo, but there are no eternal secrets in Hakdo. The Hakdo Integrated System is a pain in the ass.”

The Hakdo Integrated System records the personal information of students belonging to Hakdo, as well as information on which academy they are registered in and which dormitory they are staying in.

Students can also view some of the information, so it’s difficult to hide secrets.

“I don’t expect to hide it forever either. It’s okay if it’s revealed someday, but I want to hide my identity while contacting her.”

“While contacting her…. Then how about this? Instead of you meeting her directly, I’ll mediate between the two of you.”

“Sunbae will?”

“I’m the chief of Veritas. Considering my usual personality and rumors, even if I hit on Seo Yoon, everyone will just think it’s normal and move on.”

Seong Nari turned the laptop and showed me the screen. There was a simple picture drawn in the Paint program.

It was a picture with Seong Nari’s caricature stuck between my and Seo Yoon’s caricatures.

‘She’s good at drawing…. Is that what Seo Yoon looks like in this world?’

“You can trade with Seo Yoon with the words or information you want to say to Seo Yoon while I have it. I’ll hide you under the pretext of the information provider’s privacy.”

“That’s okay.”

This method can only be used because it is Seo Yoon. She is different from other executives.

If the other party was women like Lee Jihye or Je Galyeonhwa, this method would be useless.

As soon as Seong Nari contacted them, those crazy women would threaten Seong Nari and find out my identity.

“Then contacting Seo Yoon is easy. If I connect with her, I’ll contact you. It won’t take long.”

“I want to finish it before the final exams if possible.”

“Um…. It’ll probably work.”

Seong Nari turned on the calendar app on her phone and checked her schedule. Even a quick glance showed that her schedule was very tight.

“Seo Yoon originally has few activities. I don’t know if Alice doesn’t use her much because she’s a freshman, but she doesn’t come out of her school, Choyeon High, usually. Except when she’s going home from school.”

That was the case in the original webtoon too. She was a character who spent her normal school life without causing accidents unless she was instructed to do so.

“But such Seo Yoon is suppressing anti-Ojakgyo rallies right now. So I’m hearing sightings from all over Hakdo.”

“It’ll be easy to contact her.”

“That’s right. Besides, it’s only suppression, but she’s just persuading them with conversation or breaking them up with simple threats, so there seems to be some setbacks.”

After finishing her words, Seong Nari checked a text message that came on her phone and showed me the contents. Surprisingly, it was a map with Seo Yoon’s current location marked.

“My member just sent it. Has my ability been proven to this extent?”

“I never doubted your ability in the first place. That’s why I asked you for this favor.”

“Okay. Then tell me now.”

Seong Nari turned off her phone and looked at my face.

“What do you want to say to Seo Yoon?”

“…….”

I didn’t open my mouth right away. Because I was worried.

From now on, I have to expose the past of Seo Yoon and her acquaintances. It’s to oppose Ojakgyo, but….

Still, I endure it because it’s necessary.

“…Please keep the following words a secret.”

“Okay. I won’t even write it in an article.”

I can trust Seong Nari. In the original webtoon, she never betrayed Haneul High.

I opened my mouth with a heavy heart.

 Do you know Jeong Soyeon-sunbae?”

“I know her. Shetooes to the same school as me.”

“…Then you must know about Jeong Soyeon-sunbae’s younger sibling’s incident.”

“…….”

Seong Nari’s face darkened.

“Jeong Soyeon-sunbae’s younger sister, Jeong Sohae…. Jeong Sohae is currently hospitalized due to a bullying incident in middle school.”

“I heard about it. It’s a pity.”

“Then did you also know that Seo Yoon and Jeong Sohae were close?”

“…I heard that they went to the same middle school, but it’s information from outside of Hakdo, so I don’t know the details. I didn’t know they were that close.”

“Seo Yoon was originally a judo scholarship student, but as soon as Jeong Sohae was hospitalized, she didn’t leave the perpetrators alone. The incident got bigger, and she was stripped of her scholarship student status.”

I took a sip of iced tea.

“Most of the perpetrators received light punishments, and only the leader went to a juvenile detention center.”

“Juvenile detention center?”

“But when Je Galhwarin tries to hit us, she’s going to cooperate with the guy who led the bullying of Jeong Sohae. That woman must have come out of the juvenile detention center by now.”

“If you specify it like that, I can find out quickly. Wait a minute.”

She typed on the laptop and was silent for a while. And she carefully opened her mouth.

“Yu Hana. Is this the name?”

‘In the original, her name was Yu Hajin, but here, it’s Yu Hana.’

“I think I know what your plan is. It’s difficult to deal with Je Galhwarin and Yu Hana’s forces with just the counseling club, so you’re trying to bring in Seo Yoon?”

“Yes. Seo Yoon and Yu Hana still haven’t resolved their grudges.”

“…But suddenly, this question comes to mind.”

“What question?”

“According to you, Seo Yoon hates bullies. But she herself belongs to Ojakgyo?”

I recalled the background of Seo Yoon joining Alice in the webtoon.

“There’s a reason, but it seems like you can find out for yourself.”

“I’ll look into it when I have time.”

Seong Nari didn’t bother to ask me.

“It’s a really complicated situation. I knew it to some extent, but it was incomplete information because it was information from outside of Hakdo, but I know it completely thanks to you.”

“Please keep it a secret.”

“I will. I’m too busy to deal with the articles that are coming up right now.”

“I’m going to leak information to Seo Yoon that Yu Hana is coming to Hakdo. And I’m going to drag her into the fight between Je Galhwarin’s gang and us.”

“What if Seo Yoon endures her hatred for Yu Hana and defends Je Galhwarin, who is in the same Ojakgyo?”

“That won’t happen.”

The development of the original webtoon proves my opinion.

“You’re pretty sure. Is the trauma engraved on Seo Yoon that terrible….”

Seong Nari, who had let out a sigh, closed the laptop as if she had finished organizing.

“Then the outline of which information to contact Seo Yoon with has been roughly grasped, so let’s exchange the details via chat. It’s dangerous to keep talking about this outside.”

“Yes.”

Seong Nari, who had finished organizing, put her laptop in her bag and spoke to me.

“I’m going to go now, what about you?”

“I haven’t finished my iced tea yet.”

“I also want to wait for you to drink it out of courtesy, but I’m a little busy. I’ll get up first.”

“Yes. It was a good deal today.”

“I should be saying that. Every day has been fun since Miho brought you.”

Seong Nari smiled, picked up her bag, and left the cafe. Left alone in my seat, I checked my chat.

[Na Yuna: Maru!]

[Na Yuna: Maru?]

[Na Yuna: Maru, I did it!]

[Na Yuna: The CEO said to come to write a profile if I’m interested!]

[Me: That’s great]

[Na Yuna: And]

[Na Yuna: There’s something I want to tell you separately…]

[Na Yuna: Can you give me some time later?]

Judging from Na Yuna’s reaction, she will probably confess to me that she is broadcasting.

If she works as a model, Yuna’s identity will inevitably be revealed, so she seemed to be trying to let me know before that.

[Me: Call me when you have time]

[Na Yuna: Okay]

[Me: What are you doing now?]

[Na Yuna: I’m with Soyeon. She said she’ll teach me how to write a profile and how to pose]

[Me: You have to learn well]

[Na Yuna: I’m taking notes carefully]

I finished the chat and got up from my seat. I had finished most of what I had to do today. Now it was time to go back to the dormitory and fulfill my duties as a student.

“Who is it? You’re grinning.”

“Huh!? I was smiling?”

“Yeah. You look kind of stupid.”

Jeong Soyeon scolded Na Yuna, who was sitting on a park bench and chatting. Na Yuna’s lips were hooked to her ears while chatting.

“Is it that handsome junior from back then?”

When Jeong Soyeon said the correct answer, Na Yuna’s face turned red.

“Wh, what are you talking about.”

“It all shows on your face. I can’t be fooled.”

Na Yuna rubbed her cheeks with her hand and was silent. Jeong Soyeon sighed.

“He seems popular, so shouldn’t you approach him more actively?”

“That’s true, but….”

Na Yuna blurred the end of her words while staring blankly at the scenery of the park.

“I can’t do it. I’ll help you. I can’t stand you making such a pitiful face.”

“Help me?”

“Hey, I’m not bragging, but I’ve received a lot of confessions, you know?”

When Jeong Soyeon calmly recited the facts, Na Yuna made a constipated face.

“What’s that face?”

“I feel like you live in a different world than me.”

In Na Yuna’s memory, the only time she had received a confession was when male students lost a game of rock-paper-scissors and made a fake confession as a punishment.

“Look who’s talking. When I first saw you, I thought you were deliberately covering your face with your bangs because you didn’t want to attract attention.”

“It’s really nice of you to say that….”

“While building a model career, you show him your changed self. While you’re showing him, show him those two nuclear weapons on your chest.”

“What are you saying!”

“If it were me, I would have already used those nuclear weapons sparingly. If you make a man bury his face in your chest, it’s over.”

“…Bury his face?”

“Yeah, so he can’t even breathe…”

When Jeong Soyeon showed a hugging posture, Na Yuna swallowed hard. In her head, Kim Maru was already buried in her chest and on the verge of suffocating.

Na Yuna, who imagined him thrashing in her arms, rubbed her thighs and gnawed on her lips.

“That female expression right now! Suffocate him with that expression!”

“…St, stop it. Maru isn’t that kind of perverted guy.”

“Men are the same as us, you know?”

In the midst of giving a long speech, Jeong Soyeon received a call.

Jeong Soyeon’s expression hardened when she took out her phone and checked the caller.

Because Jeong Soyeon was in a hurry, Na Yuna inadvertently saw the caller’s name.

‘Seo Yoon…?’

Jeong Soyeon was hasty, so she forgot that Na Yuna was next to her and answered the phone right away.

“You…!”

[I deposited the money, sunbae.]

“I don’t need that dirty money. I’ll get the money myself.”

[I’m sorry that the amount is small. I’ll send more next time.]

“Instead of doing that, you should come to visit Sohae in the hospital! Do you think Sohae would like it if you acted like that?”

[…I don’t have the right to see unnie, and Sohae. This is how I atone.]

“How many times do I have to tell you! Why are you doing that…!”

[Please use the money.]

The call was unilaterally cut off. Jeong Soyeon stared at the phone screen with a dazed expression for a long time.

Na Yuna couldn’t breathe and looked at Jeong Soyeon’s profile.

Jeong Soyeon opened her mouth in a trembling voice.

“Yuna, I’m not feeling well today, so I’m going to go in.”

“…Okay, let’s do that.”

Jeong Soyeon struggled to get up from the bench. And she murmured without turning around.

“You’re not going to ask…?”

“It looks complicated….”

“…Thank you. I’ll tell you someday.”

Jeong Soyeon walked away from Na Yuna’s sight with weak steps. For a while, Na Yuna stared blankly at the bench where Jeong Soyeon had been sitting.