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Dogun’s Perspective

In the end, I decided to withdraw from that day.

If my speculation was correct, meaning there’s some hidden secret behind the deaths of my senior’s parents, then the woman who is the only one who survived among the two perpetrators could be a crucial clue.

Given that, I thought it best to step back for now and investigate further… but in my eagerness to ask Chae-rim for that additional investigation, I unexpectedly stumbled upon some news.

To be precise, it was news I never saw coming.

“…School?”

“Yep, you know what my sister said. She’ll make sure Dogun gets back to school somehow.”

Come to think of it, there was indeed such a promise made.

However, I had internally given up on it, thinking it was utterly impossible in reality.

“Here.”

Was she happy to finally be able to keep her word?

Chae-rim’s face was filled with a bright smile as she handed me something.

I couldn’t possibly turn away from that innocent smile, so I had no choice but to accept what she was offering.

And when I accepted the thing Chae-rim handed me and checked…?

It was some sort of pamphlet.

What caught my attention was the name printed boldly on the front of the pamphlet.

Why is Yoonseo’s school name written here?

I must’ve been lost in my thoughts amidst a sea of question marks.

Did she pick up on that bewildered expression?

Chae-rim cautiously opened her mouth, looking unusually tense.

“Why? Is it not a good place? But they say it’s the best school around here…”

“No, it’s not that…”

When I go back to school, shouldn’t it be to Yeongang High, where I used to attend?

I thought for sure that my sister and the principal’s relationship would guarantee that.

But suddenly, here we are considering another place.

Naturally, I couldn’t help but feel confused, but to Chae-rim, it might have seemed like I was reacting for another reason altogether.

“Ah, is it because of your friends?”

“No, it’s just… why Huiseo instead of Yeongang?”

“Ah…”

“Is there some special reason for that?”

“Not really…”

Then why Huiseo?

I would soon find out.

“Well… I’ve looked around, and while Yeongang isn’t bad, compared to Huiseo, it’s just…”

In short, she was enchanted by the facilities.

Well, I mean, Huiseo’s facilities are indeed top-notch, there’s no denying that.

Maybe that’s why the cafeteria is rumored to have great food too.

But still, to give up on Yeongang and pick Huiseo, what was she planning to do if the principal found this out later?

“And Huiseo is the closest to home… Also, in terms of security…”

Well, that’s something my sister has to manage, Huiseo…

Though I’d always wanted to go there, I never imagined I’d get this kind of opportunity.

Is this what they mean when they say you never know what life will throw at you?

Well, from my perspective, there was nothing bad about it.

Especially since I could regain something I had secretly given up on.

I still don’t know what I’ll do moving forward, but having a high school diploma is definitely more advantageous than being a dropout.

Of course, it’s a bit disappointing that it’s not the place I used to attend, but… there are plenty of people I know at Huiseo too.

And with Huiseo, there’s Yoonseo as well.

By the way, if that’s the case…

“Do I need to get my school uniform tailored again?”

“Huh? You’re going to attend?”

“Of course, I will.”

Knowing how much effort Chae-rim put into making this happen, I couldn’t abandon that.

I unexpectedly found myself back in school.

Of course, I decided to keep this a secret from Yoonseo for now.

It wasn’t entirely confirmed yet, and since it turned out this way, I wanted to keep it a secret until the last minute to surprise her.

That way, it would be more dramatic, wouldn’t it?

And while preparing to transfer, I discovered I wasn’t the only one going to Huiseo.

What’s there to say?

Bora was also transferring to Huiseo.

I heard it was because of security reasons, but more importantly, it was about Bora’s attitude.

Though she hadn’t quite completed a year, and unlike me who had spent some time in high school, Bora had been under the management of the Association since childhood, which means she could have never even dreamed of a normal school life. It’s understandable that she would be excited.

From the moment we tailored our school uniforms, the excitement was off the charts.

And that eagerness continued through to the first day of school, making it possible to see Bora bouncing around with glee from early morning.

“Are we ready to go?”

“Yup.”

“…Y-yes!”

To be honest?

When Chae-rim said she would take us, I had a lot of worries.

That’s because her car was infamous for being a disaster.

It seemed better suited for a desert or jungle than a city.

Getting into something like that on the first day of school?

That would definitely draw unwanted attention.

From my perspective, I wanted to avoid being noticeable as much as possible.

So much that I was prepared to suggest taking a taxi if things got dicey…

“…Hmm?”

“What?”

“Oh, um, never mind.”

Maybe she took extra care since it was our first day of school?

Waiting for me and Bora, who were following Chae-rim, was an ordinary-looking SUV.

Relieved, I hopped in, and not long after, we arrived in front of Huiseo.

And I wondered if Chae-rim’s role was just to drop us off at school.

“Well, go on in. You should head to the teacher’s office.”

“Ah, yes.”

“If anything happens, just call me right away.”

“Yes.”

With those parting words, Chae-rim took her leave.

After waving her goodbye, I headed straight to the teacher’s office, and upon arrival, one of the people guarding the office began to guide Bora and me, as if everything had been arranged in advance.

I wonder how much time passed since we began being led.

Where we finally arrived was a classroom marked with a plaque that read “Special Class.”

“You’ll be taking classes here from now on.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Just sit here and wait. The teacher in charge of the special class will come. You’ll get the full details from them.”

Since the person had volunteered to guide us, I thought they were our teacher; however, it seemed we had a designated teacher different from them.

‘By the way…’

Special class, huh?

It’s understandable that this was the best option given the situation, but I still couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

Nevertheless, my feelings were nothing compared to what Bora must be feeling.

They said it was “school,” so I expected a bustling classroom full of my peers, but what I ended up facing was this disarray, so it was only natural I would be disappointed.

Unlike earlier when I was being shown around the school, Bora’s posture now was drooped, her shoulders sagging as she laid her head on the desk, an utterly pitiful sight.

‘Maybe I should introduce her to some kids from middle school later…’

That thought naturally crossed my mind, but still, I wondered when our designated teacher would show up.

Just as I was pondering that internally, the sound of clicking heels approached from the direction of a window connecting to the hallway.

And after a while…

With a creak, the door opened, revealing…

“…Sister?”

Chae-rim.

Honestly, just that was enough to throw me off, but what made it even more surprising was Chae-rim’s attire.

Maybe it was a reaction from her days as a hero, but unless it was a special event, she usually dressed casually… but today, or rather, right in front of me, Chae-rim was different.

Her outfit was a rather tight office look, and where on earth did she even get those peculiar round-framed glasses she was wearing?

“Hey, you should call me teacher, you know.”

“Didn’t you say you were busy because of the Association?”

“Well, first, let me call the roll.”

“Excuse me?”

“Lee Dogun?”

“Uh, um…”

“Lee Dogun isn’t here?”

“I’m here.”

“Okay, then, next…”

What on earth is happening, really?

In that moment, I thought that, but I wasn’t completely lost either.

Considering Chae-rim’s perspective, she must think this is the best way to ensure my safety.

So, it’s not that I didn’t understand, but did it really have to be this way?

‘Hehehe…’

 

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