Chapter 5

“What have you two been doing all day? All the teachers who came to our class today had something to say. I was so embarrassed I wanted to hide!” In a mouse hole! The homeroom teacher stomped her foot, pointing at the empty floor. The teacher was angry, but I was dazed. Seeing the homeroom teacher’s face again after 10 years since graduation, it looked the same as back then. A rookie teacher who had just graduated from university and was assigned to be our homeroom teacher in her first year at our school. Not even ten years older than us, still prone to mistakes. I’ve seen her more than once or twice with slumped shoulders when we ask, ‘Teacher, aren’t you going home?’ replying, ‘The vice principal told me to do this before leaving…’ She didn’t know much about how the school worked, even less than we, who had already been here for a year, so some of the boys openly disrespected her. Even such a teacher looked very grown-up to me back then. But looking at her now, she’s completely like a baby, a baby. Teacher, do you also cook spicy chicken noodles and watch reruns of Infinite Challenge when you get home? Anyway, now she’s an adult woman, 7 years older than me, furious, holding Jung Eunsung and me back as the other kids rush out to eat lunch. “What on earth were you two doing today? What, did you plan this together? To get me in trouble?” The homeroom teacher roared. “The other teacher scolded me!” “Teacher, it’s not like that. Jung Eunsung…!” I didn’t want to do this either! I’m twenty-nine years old, but I spent all day raising my hand and calling for teachers! Some of the teachers I whined to about punishing Jung Eunsung are even younger than me. What is this! “Jung Eunsung started it first!” “That’s not true. I was just helping the music teacher.” “Both of you, be quiet. If this happens one more time, you’ll both stay behind and clean up together.” “Oh. I’m so jealous of Kang Dahye.” “Teacher, I want to stay behind with Eunsung too!” The girl who chimed in shrank back when the teacher shot her a glare. “Please, give me a break. We already have so many late students that the grade head teacher is keeping a close eye on us. If this keeps up, I’m going to get in trouble.” “Yes. We’re sorry.” “We apologize.” “Alright. Hurry up and go eat. They’re serving stir-fried octopus today.” Warning us that ‘if you’re late, there won’t be any sauce left to mix with your rice,’ the teacher disappeared first, full of anticipation, wondering, ‘Will there be dried seaweed flakes too?’ …My plan to live as a perfect student… crumbled on the very first day. I glared at Jung Eunsung. Feeling my gaze, Jung Eunsung looked down at me. “What are you looking at?” “……” Ignore him. I should just go eat. If I’m late, there won’t be any octopus sauce left, right? I flung open the classroom door, now empty as all the students had rushed out. The friend I used to eat with during this time was… “Dahye!” My friend, who couldn’t enter the classroom due to the <NO ENTRY FROM OTHER CLASSES!!!!> sign, was waiting outside with a bright smile, reaching out her hand to me. “Han Jisoo!” I ran and hugged my friend tightly. “Jisoo! Waaah!” “Huh…? What’s wrong…?” “Waaah… It’s really Jisoo…” It’s you, Jisoo. My friend Han Jisoo. Tears welled up instantly, just like when I saw my rejuvenated mom this morning. “Sniff sniff…” I tightened my arms around her, sniffling. Han Jisoo. My friend, I’m seeing you again after 10 years. The person I was closest to in my 29 years of life. We were in the same class for all three years of middle school, and even in the first year of high school. We were close for 6 years straight, but I cut off contact after I bombed the CSAT. To be precise, I unilaterally cut off contact. Out of inferiority. Because while I messed up the CSAT, Jisoo did as well as usual and got into Korea University. And in the department I had wanted to enter. Even after that, Jisoo didn’t forget about me and kept contacting me regularly, but when I ignored her, we lost touch about a year later. Throughout my life, I thought of Jisoo whenever things got tough, but I never dared to try contacting her again. Out of shame. And because I wasn’t living well enough to reach out again. I regretted cutting off contact in the first place many times. So how could I not be happy? To see my friend’s face again. “Sniff…” “What’s wrong? Did the homeroom teacher scold you?” “Han Jisoo. I’m going down first.” Seo Jaegyeom, who had been with Jisoo until I came out, looked back and forth between me and Jung Eunsung coming out of the classroom, then waved to Jisoo. “Enjoy your meal.” “You too, Seo Jaegyeom.” Before turning his back, Jaegyeom’s gaze briefly touched me, but I only looked at Jisoo. Who cares about Seo Jaegyeom? Han Jisoo is right in front of my eyes now. “Kang Da, are you okay?” “Yeah. I’m just hungry.” “What? Let’s go down too then.” “Okay.” “Let’s wipe your nose first.” “Do I look ugly?” “Yeah. Totally.” “Waaah.” Leaving Jisoo giggling behind, I quickly tore off some toilet paper in the bathroom and wiped my face. I linked arms with Jisoo, who didn’t complain once about wasting precious lunchtime. My friend. “I went to your class earlier this morning.” “Really?” “Yeah. But you weren’t there.” “Ah, I must have been at the school store when you came.” “I guess so.” “Why? Did you have something to tell me?” “Not really. I just wanted to see you.” “What’s with you suddenly? It’s creepy…” “Hehe. I’ll be good to you from now on, okay?” Regression is a good thing. I can meet my friend again like this. This time, I’ll never lose touch and stay close for life. God, Buddha, ancestors. I don’t know who you are, but thank you for letting me regress. I’ll live a good life from now on. As I was playing around, stuffing the used tissue into Jisoo’s uniform pocket, Jung Eunsung suddenly appeared behind us and walked past. Watching Eunsung’s back, which looked handsome even from behind, Jisoo whispered. “Is that Jung Eunsung?” “Yeah.” “Are you close with him?” “No?!” How could you say such a rude thing! “He’s a total weirdo!” “Really? When I saw you two from outside earlier, you looked like you were talking friendly.” “We were just telling each other to get lost.” “Really?” “Yeah. He and I aren’t on speaking terms. Because he’s bad luck.” “How can someone who looks like that be bad luck?” “I know, right? Jung Eunsung manages to achieve that difficult feat.” “Why? What happened?” “I’ll tell you all about it while we eat.” Because I’m hungry. Since we were late for being scolded by the homeroom teacher, we didn’t need to wait in line at the cafeteria. I read today’s menu written on the notice board while tapping my student ID at the entrance. -Brown rice -Beef and radish soup -Stir-fried octopus *Pickled radish -Mung bean jelly with seasoned seaweed -Kimchi -Red bean butter walnut cookie “Red bean butter walnut cookie?!” Are you kidding me?! “That sounds so delicious.” Is it okay for life to be this satisfying? I happily received my food, feeling elated. Instead of dried seaweed flakes, they gave out chives as a topping for the stir-fried octopus. Since the other kids didn’t take the chives, there was a lot left, so I took it all. “Kang Da, did you always like chives?” “I don’t think I liked them before… but I like them now. They’re good for liver health.” “Liver health…?” “Yeah. Let’s take a walk around the playground after eating. It’s important to manage your blood sugar after meals.” “Umm…?” “It might not feel real when you’re a teenager. But health should be maintained while you have it.” So you should take some chives too, Jisoo, I said as I piled a mountain of chives on Jisoo’s tray before turning around. As I wandered around looking for a seat in the already packed cafeteria… “…Why is the atmosphere like this?” It’s strangely quiet despite there being so many people. There’s a feeling of secret giggling or hushed observation. As I looked around in confusion, my eyes soon found the source. A girl with short hair was sitting alone at an 8-person table in the center, eating her meal. Everything around was bustling, but that table alone was conspicuously empty. Everyone was treating her like she was invisible, but conversely, all attention seemed focused on her. The group sitting at the table right next to the girl giggled. A voice deliberately raised to be heard reached my ears. “Wow. How can she eat alone?” “If it were me, I wouldn’t eat. I’d just starve.” “If it were me, I’d just drop out.” “Well, you need to have a face that thick to do… with Geography…” “Ah, I heard it wasn’t just with Geography! She also did… with Korean History. It’s unfair to only mention Geography, our Doyeon would be upset.” Despite the cheap-sounding conversation cimed at her, the girl sat alone, steadfastly eating her meal. Ah… How could I have forgotten about this?