"Have you slept well?"
As my consciousness was still drifting somewhere far away, I turned my head at the sound of a cheerful voice. There stood a girl with cat-like eyes and a slender frame, smiling brightly at me.
I stared at her blankly for a few seconds. With the same smile, she spoke again.
"Sorry, could you scoot over for a second? I need to push the desk back."
"Ah…"
It was Chaerin, our class vice president.
Only then did I snap out of it and look around with a dazed expression.
It was cleaning time after seventh period.
Inside the classroom, students were busy pushing and pulling desks, sweeping the floor. By the windows, several club members who had stayed up all night dealing with boarding house issues stood in a line, faces half-asleep—just like me.
Once cleaning was done, the homeroom teacher would give the final announcement, and then the competition would begin in the music room.
I stood up from my desk, still a little unsteady, my head heavy.
"S-sorry…"
"No worries~"
As I shifted aside, Chaerin pushed my desk back with that same bright smile.
With sluggish steps, still weighed down by drowsiness, I made my way toward the window where the club members were gathered.
When I reached them, Gyeongwon—who had also been spacing out—noticed me and greeted me.
"…President. Looks like we're in trouble."
"We didn't practice at all for the competition, did we?"
"…Seriously?"
I joined them in the middle, leaning my back against the window, and let out a long sigh.
Fuuuh.
Every time time reset, my condition returned to exactly this starting point. Because I had just woken up, my head still felt heavy and empty.
'…Once everything's over today, I'm not doing anything for the rest of the week.'
From the weekend until now, I'd already been through too many exhausting things. Today was Monday, so I wanted to spend the next six days doing nothing but rest.
There was CA (Creative Activity) on Friday to summarize everything that had happened, but that was mostly just analysis and reports—Gyeongwon would probably handle it anyway. Other than that, I figured I could fake being sick and skip a day somehow. This week, I needed to rest.
'…Alright. Time to start tying up loose ends.'
I slowly stretched to shake off the drowsiness and lethargy.
"Uuuggh…."
While yawning and stretching, I glanced at Hayoon standing across from Gyeongwon. She looked like she had just woken up too. She was leaning against the window with the rest of us, her face blank from still being half-asleep.
But unlike the rest of us—who looked genuinely disheveled and stupid from not being fully awake—Hayoon stood gracefully under the sunlight, her black hair gently swaying in the breeze from the open window. She looked like a goddess who had just risen from sleep.
I lowered my arms after checking the time through the status window.
'4:20 p.m.… The competition starts at 5. Only forty minutes left.'
I needed to tell Hayoon what was going to happen today as soon as possible. But the content was sensitive, so I couldn't speak openly in front of the others.
'Especially Sunah.'
Ever since she found out Hayoon was treated like a noble princess in the Dogma of the Void, Sunah's reactions had started becoming strange. Even with me and everyone else watching, she had still tried to kill Hayoon without hesitation.
'…What's going to happen after this?'
The competition was only minutes away, but did I still have a chance to talk to Hayoon alone?
While I was thinking and trying to recall the previous timeline, Yesul suddenly entered the classroom from outside, looking around as if searching for someone. When she spotted us lined up by the window, she hesitated before approaching and spoke awkwardly.
"…Aren't you guys supposed to be cleaning the science lab?"
"…?"
"I already started cleaning by myself, but no one showed up, so I came back up…"
Gyeongwon shot me a guilty glance.
I gave Yesul a small nod.
"I'm heading over now. Sorry."
"…Okay…"
Yesul immediately turned and hurried out of the classroom.
I slowly pushed myself off the window and stepped forward, speaking in a half-whisper.
"As far as I remember, Hayoon and I were supposed to take the shift. I'll go first."
"No, Prez. It's not Hayoon—it's me"
Gyeongwon, completely lacking any sense of the situation, immediately followed behind me.
I turned and looked at him with an slightly frustrated expression.
"Huh…? Isn't it Hayoon's turn, not yours…?"
I gave a subtle hand signal for him to leave, but as usual, Gyeongwon was completely oblivious and kept sticking to me like glue.
We walked a few steps together. I shot Hayoon a pleading look, hoping she would understand and help me out. Fortunately, she let out a long sigh and pushed off the window.
"Haaah… Yeah, that's right. Is Hayoon. Let's go."
"No, President, I'm pretty sure it's my turn."
Just as felt like slap Gyeongwon face who still clueless, Deokhun suddenly stood up from his seat near the window, patting his stomach.
"Eh, eh. Now that I think about it, it's probably my turn. Let's go~"
What the hell were they doing….
Thankfully, Hayoon walked over with a cold expression and gave them a sharp glare. The atmosphere instantly cooled.
Pressed by her stare, Gyeongwon and Deokhun immediately shrank back.
"Eh… Or maybe I was wrong." They quickly returned to their seats.
"Alright, we're going. You guys stay here and wake up properly."
"…Okay…"
Sunah, who had been half-asleep, just gave a lazy wave without even looking at who was leaving. Jinhee didn't react at all—her face remained completely flat.
Finally, I quickly headed toward the science laboratory on the upper floor with Hayoon.
***
After reaching the fourth floor, I peeked into the science lab and saw Yesul diligently sweeping the floor by herself.
I opened the door with a creak, walked in, and casually grabbed two whiteboard erasers.
"Wah~ This place is filthy. We'll clean these first, okay?"
Yesul stopped sweeping and stared at us in disbelief, as if thinking, Two people just to wash erasers?
I quickly handed one eraser to Hayoon and hurried back out of the room.
"Wah, it's seriously dirty. This is gonna take forever. Come on, Hayoon."
Without a word, Hayoon accepted the eraser and silently followed me.
Once we were far enough down the hallway, I checked our surroundings to make sure no one was around. Then I stopped and turned to her.
"…Hayoon. Starting now, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."
"..."
"Actually… I just died and came back here a moment ago…"
The yellowish afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows.
In the middle of the hallway, I stood there and told her everything while Hayoon listened in silence, her face calm and graceful.
While everyone else was busy cleaning the classroom, a male and female student in school uniforms stood in the middle of the school corridor, bathed in the afternoon light, speaking quietly. From the outside, it probably looked like a classic scene from a teenage movie.
But…
Unlike that melancholic, romantic image, the words coming out of my mouth were heavy and horrifying.
Monster.
Murder.
Weapons.
Suicide.
Pieces of flesh.
I told her everything—from how Ms. Choi Jungim would go berserk during the science competition, to how In Taesang, the leader of the Dogma of the Void, would appear and end it all. I told her about our agreement not to interfere with each other, and how they had promised to grant me one request.
I told her everything.
Hayoon, who still looked exhausted from staying up all night, listened quietly with drowsy eyes behind her thick double eyelids. When I finished, she simply stretched her neck once.
Unlike me, who liked to twist and stretch my whole body, she only extended her neck with elegant, light movements—like a graceful deer. The slender line of her collarbone became clearly visible beneath her pale skin.
Afterward, she looked back at me and gave a small smile.
"So you're going to do it that way, Joon?"
".....?"
"You really won't interfere with each other?"
I lowered my head for a moment, staring at the floor, then met Hayoon's clear eyes directly.
"…I don't know. On the surface, maybe not. But I think behind the scenes, they won't stay quiet."
"....."
"They'll definitely keep monitoring me… and I'll keep investigating them too."
That meant until something exploded again, we would have to continue this silent cold war.
At the same time, I gathered my courage and looked straight at Hayoon's beautiful, pale face.
" Since we're on the same subject...why don't you just tell everything yourself"
"...?"
"We're seem to have gotten pretty close now... don't you think?"
"....."
"You also… feel more comfortable here than there, don't you…?"
By 'there' meant the Dogma of the Void. And "here" meant our club.
Even after saying it, I still felt tense.
Was it true?
Did Hayoon really prefer us—prefer me—more than her own cult?
I had no idea what position she held in the Dogma of the Void, or what she had been thinking when she joined this club and started helping me. She had only gotten involved with me by chance after the "Dream within a Dream" ghost story at the beginning of the semester. Since she hadn't been accepted into any other club, I had invited her here. And ever since, she had stayed involved with us.
What would she say?
Hayoon slightly lowered her head and looked at me.
Unlike her usual neat and tidy appearance, her black hair today was a little messy and stuck to her cheeks from sleeping at her desk all day. Maybe because of fatigue, her eyelids looked thicker than usual.
With that slightly disheveled look and drowsy eyes, Hayoon seemed far more captivating than normal. She lowered her gaze and smiled faintly.
"Joon, he knows. If The moment their secrets start leaking."
"...I-if that's the case, before I die next time…"
I swallowed hard and spoke nervously.
"If you're going to die again… you can just tell me, okay? Because if time rewinds, that means you never told anyone anything…"
"'he find an out 'Through you,' Joon."
Hayoon lowered her head again, staring at the tips of my shoes, then smiled softly at the corners of her lips.
"You have to find out for yourself. Good luck."
"....."
My eyes widened.
'Through me, she knows…?'
Just like how Detective Park used to leak information through official channels before time rewound, I had assumed Hayoon would secretly pass me data without triggering any penalty.
But that wasn't it.
But instead, she said he finds out though me
Who told him the secret ?
'So… that's why.'
That was why Hayoon had firmly warned me not to mention her name when speaking to the Vice Principal…
She didn't want to be directly involved in the information handover process.
'She wants it to look like I found out through Vice Principal Jang Yeo-ok.'
But… what kind of ability did In Taesang actually possess to know things like that?
He had instantly aged Ms. Choi Jeong-im, made Hayoon's final shot repeat over and over…
Two years later he suddenly became president… and could even identify who leaked a secret if it happened?
"...!"
I suddenly flinched and looked away.
'What… don't tell me he's also… right now…!?'
Seeing me go silent so abruptly, Hayoon looked at me with a mysterious smile and stared deeply into my eyes.
"Why? You suddenly flinched. What are you thinking about?"
"…Nothing… I was just wondering… what if that person can read minds too."
Hearing that, Hayoon let out a soft, amused laugh, as if I had said something funny.
"If that were the case, why would he need me to deliver the message? He could just do it directly."
"Y-yeah… that's true…"
So what was that person's ability?
Every ghost story had one core structure and one core ability. Even I, the so-called "hero," only had three powers.
Even though In Taesang had done many things, I didn't think it was because he possessed multiple abilities.
Just one.
A single ability that could create all of this.
'What is it, really…?'
While I was still lost in thought, the sound of the science lab door opening echoed from down the hall. Yesul's head appeared, peeking toward us.
I quickly walked toward the lab, holding the still-dirty whiteboard eraser as if I had been heading there the whole time.
Soon Hayoon caught up from behind and asked in a low voice.
"So, how should I help you, Joon?"
"…Huh?"
" Grandfather will definitely find out eventually… so Will the Vice Principal and the others teacher too, Should I say I know everything myself? Or is it better if I just quietly heard it from you?"
Hayoon looked at me from the side as we walked, her gaze probing and faintly amused, as if waiting to see what decision I would make.
I suddenly remembered—in the upcoming revelation about Ms. Choi Jungim's betrayal, I had two choices:
First, claim that I was the one who discovered the truth.
Second, say that Hayoon had found out by chance.
If I chose the first option—admitting that I had uncovered everything because I was annoyed by Ms. Choi Jung-im's arrogant attitude and had been observing her—I could earn a bit of gratitude from them. After all, this was a major incident that could even drive Vice Principal Jang Yeo-ok to suicide.
Although… that was just my guess. Considering how they had acted so high-handedly even when criticized for shooting their own student—"What business is it of an outsider?" with those stone-wall faces—it was hard to expect real gratitude.
But at least I could hope for a little.
'But if I go this route, their suspicion toward me will probably increase.'
This was information even their own insiders didn't know. And the person they were already watching—me, Lee Joon—was the one who knew it. It was only natural that the spotlight on me would grow brighter after this.
On the other hand, if I chose the second option—making it seem like Hayoon had discovered it by chance—then it would become an internal matter handled internally by their side, without drawing outside attention. In that scenario, I could avoid the spotlight completely.
What should I choose?
As Yesul's shadow waiting in the science lab grew closer, I turned to Hayoon with a determined expression.
"Just say… that it was I who found it."
".....!"
"Say that because I was annoyed by Ms. Choi Jeong-im's arrogant attitude, I observed her for a few days. And that I managed to find a black bag containing dark plastic bags holding your spade totem—whether I peeked or rummaged through it, it was me who found it."
"....."
"Then say that you only happened to overhear the information from me and passed it on quietly. Everything from start to finish was the result of my investigation. You were just the messenger."
I would claim all the credit. I would make everything look like it was thanks to my own efforts.
After all, even if I tried to hide everything neatly, it would only fool their subordinates. The person at the top—Taesang—already knew everything about me anyway.
If that was the case, rather than trying to hide something that couldn't be hidden, it was better to be upfront and see their reaction directly.
Besides, since today I had reached a kind of agreement with them—not to interfere with each other—and I had indirectly saved them from a fatal mistake that could have shaken their position, this would at least soften the hostility some of their teachers felt toward me.
Just like how Taesang had tried various ways to reduce my hostility toward him earlier, now it was my turn to use similar tactics on those teachers.
"But beneath the surface… we'll keep watching each other!"
With the full spirit of a warrior fighting an evil organization from the shadows, I walked confidently past Yesul, who glanced at us curiously.
Without hesitation, I casually dropped the still-dirty whiteboard eraser onto the table.
'Be confident. Look confident!'
No need to be afraid.
Toward this cult called the Dogma of the Void, I would now face them with an open and confident attitude!
'Out of the way!'
I walked past Yesul—who was watching us suspiciously—with steady, confident steps. Leaving her to finish cleaning the science lab alone, I headed down the stairs with Hayoon.
Hayoon signaled for me to go first, then entered the teachers' room on the second floor.
I continued down to the first floor with full determination, as if I were ready to die if necessary, then bruk!—I threw open our classroom door loudly.
With a resolute expression, I walked straight to the center of the classroom where my friends had just finished cleaning and stood firmly in front of the club members, who were still leaning against the window, half-asleep.
With a sharp gaze, I said:
"Listen up, everyone. Be confident. Straighten your backs. Pull your shoulders back. Why do you all look like sick chickens? Stand properly."
"What the fuck, you bastard. You wanna die?"
"M-my bad…"
Seeing Jinhee—who was still half-asleep—immediately curse, I quickly changed my attitude and hurried over to lean against the window too.
Gyeongwon gave me a look that clearly said What were you doing , but I pretended not to notice.
Sunah, still sleepy, suddenly leaned toward me, so I slowly shifted my body aside to avoid her.
***
By the time the homeroom teacher finished homeroom, Hayoon still hadn't returned to the classroom.
After the middle-aged, balding homeroom teacher left with his usual half-hearted rambling…
Students began packing up. Chaerin and Yesul seemed to be discussing the competition from earlier.
Piiiii—
A high-frequency sound suddenly rang in my ears—very faint.
This was already the second time I had heard it today, after hearing it during class earlier.
That was when I finally realized something.
It was the sound signaling the arrival of the Dogma of the Void's leader—In Taesang.
It wasn't a sound coming from somewhere in the room. It appeared directly inside my own ears.
Because the situation had been so complicated, I was only realizing it now. The club members who were packing up and gathering around me seemed to be experiencing the same thing. But since they were already used to strange phenomena in daily life, they just patted their ears and continued chatting casually.
"Hey, Prez. Sometimes when you're sitting quietly, your ears suddenly go 'piii' like that… They say it's the sound when someone who had a connection with you in a past life dies, you know."
"Hey, I heard that it means someone born at the same time as you just died."
"I heard it's when a ghost passes through a person's body... it suddenly makes that sound...."
"You fools. You're making a 'mistake. Didn't we all experience it together, not just individually?"
"That's right. Since we all got that ringing in our ears at the same time, maybe there was a sudden change in air pressure inside the school."
"The air wasn't circulating... someone just suddenly opened a window..."
"Yoon Sunah, you idiot, would a pressure difference that significant really happen just from that?"
"Uhm, sorry..."
I hit Gyeongwon on the back for scolding Sunah, then looked at the playground through the window.
As if on cue, a private ambulance was pulling in through the main gate.
'Is that what they're loading her onto.'
I quickly led the members out into the hallway.
"An ambulance has entered the playground. It looks like someone's being taken away; let's go to the entrance and take a look."
"It's almost time for the competition, is it okay to go watch something like that, Prez? We only have about 20 minutes."
"Let's just take a quick look. Follow me."
I led the club members past the noisy crowd of students leaving school and walked to the main entrance.
Sure enough, Teacher Choi Jungim, with her whole body covered by a thick jacket, was seen being carried quickly down on a stretcher.
"Ughhhackeeergh.."
Science teacher Choi Jungim was being carried away, repeating meaningless mutterings like those of an elderly person with dementia.
They tried to cover her face, but her skin, revealed through the gaps in the jacket, was completely wrinkled and covered in age spots, like an old grandma.
"...?"
"Huh?"
The members tilted their heads in confusion, peering from behind me.
"Who is that?"
"Was there someone that old at our
school?"
"Maybe.....".
As we watched the private ambulance quickly load the teacher and drive away, Hayoon had silently joined us behind.
After confirming her arrival, I nodded and headed up the stairs for the science competition.
"Let's go."
"Okay!"
"Let's go, let's go."
***
In the Music Room, after handing the
file to Teacher Han Ari and sitting down to wait, the judges who opened the door and came in were only the Principal and the Vice Principal.
The seat in the judges' panel, which originally belonged to Teacher Choi Jungim, remained empty even after they sat down, and relying on my memory from the previous time period, I acted exactly the same, to an
excessive degree, in everything from the small talk with the club members to the presentation.
"Do you feel the difference? Actually, it's just an ordinary metal hinge."
Chaerin, the Vice Class President, blushed and said I see~ with a smile.
I finished my presentation safely and came down from the stage. The Chemistry Club seniors, who presented last, had no supervising teacher to cover for them and received harsh criticism from Teacher Han Ari.
"Why did you make it so difficult? There's no reason to write the content in such a complicated way, is there?"
This time, with no one to stop her, an
uninterrupted flow of harsh criticism followed from start to end.
In the previous timeline, the Vice Principal at least offered some praise, but in this timeline perhaps her mind was preoccupied with Teacher Choi Jungim's incident, she seemed barely to listen to the seniors' presentation and didn't even pick up the microphone during the Q&A session.
And so. the Bronze Prize went to the Chemistry Club, the Silver Prize to Chaerin and Yeseul. And the long-awaited Gold Prize went to.
"Alright, we will now announce the Gold Prize! The Gold Prize! The first place in today's cormpetition goes to none other than~! The Ghost Story Club! Congratulations~!"
The Principal announced the Gold Prize on stage in a booming voice, and we stood up from our seats to receive the award.
"The first-place Gold Prize goes to the Ghost Story Club with a perfect score! They won the award by unanimous decision from the judges! The Ghost Story Club team will be given the qualification to participate in the Clover Science Exhibition city competition, and as an additional prize, they will receive a 200,000 won cultural gift certificate~!"
The Principal, seemingly enjoying the
announcement himself, called out our names in a blooming voice, and applause and cheers erupted from all around.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap-
"Wow, but seriously, they totally deserved the perfect score. Even I could see they were on another level."
"They even brought a model and showed that it actually works, right? It seemed like they could just start selling it as a product right away."
"This is seriously insane. A first-year team sweeping past everyone and getting a unanimous perfect score from the judges. Is something really going on?"
"I don't think so. The way I see it, the
Chemistry Club seniors were of a higher quality. That Ghost Story Club thing, I found it too childish."
"Did the Ghost Story Club snatch your candy or something? When they do well, you should congratulate them too. Why are you being so sulky?"
"No, I just felt that way. Can't I even say-"
"Waaaaaah-"
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap-
"Go win an award at the main competition too- fighting!"
".....!?"
"Pheeewww."
"We're really rooting for your!"
Although there were a few people grumbling, their muttering was soon drowned out by the cheers of the other students.
Unlike the previous time period,because we won the award with a perfect unanimous decision without even a hint of controversy, the atmosphere became one where the
majority freely congratulated us.
In the midst of all that, even though I had participated in this competition as a tool for my own personal salvation, the cheers from people that I was receiving for the first time naturally made the corners of my mouth turn up.
'This feels good.'
So this is what it's like.
The feeling of being recognized by many people.
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap-
Soon, as we stood in a line on stage, the Principal held out the envelope of cultural gift certificates, as if to say one of us should come forward as a representative to receive it.
Everyone's gaze turned towards me, but I subtly pushed Gyeongwon, who was next to me, on the back.
"....!?"
The guy looked flustered, having been pushed by me.
I nodded.
"It's okay. You receive it."
".....!"
"You worked hard. You deserve it."
"Prez, Prez..!"
The guy made a tearful expression, as
if moved.
But as he hesitated, unable to step forward readily, soon Jinhee next to him shoved him forward.
And so, amidst the applause, Gyeongwon staggered out towards the Principal, who was laughing heartily.
"Yes, congratulations! You won the prize 200,000 won!"
"You all have worked so hard! sincerely hope our Ghost Story Club students go to the city competition and the national finals and bring back an award!"
Once again, a loud round of applause rang out, and Gyeongwon, after receiving the envelope, looked back at the audience with a stiff face.
There, in the very back row,Gyeongwon's father could be seen standing and giving a standing ovation.
"Yes~ you may go now"
"Pheeewww~"
Clap clap clap clap clap...
And so, amidst the cheers, the competition came to an end.
Among the students packing up their things and leaving, we gathered for a moment.
"What do you want to do? Want to have a celebration party or something?"
"No. I'm too tired, I just want to go home and rest, Prez."
"Me too..."
"Me too."
"Then let's just go home. Anyway, I'm planning to just rest for this whole week."
As we were chatting like that,Gyeongwon's father, from a short distance away, glanced this way.
Gyeongwon was albout to step away giving a nod of understanding, but I whispered a hint in his ear.
"Tell him you told me to present because I'm loud."
"...!"
Gyeongwon's father probably still thought Gyeongwon was the club president.
Gyeongwon hesitated for a moment, nodded, and then walked back to his father.
[Special ability Lip Reading has activated.]
["You really worked hard, Ahn Gyeongwon. This is how you were supposed to be from the start."]
["Yes."]
["But why didn't you do the presentation?"]
Gyeongwon glanced over at me with an apologetic expression.
["..I told him because he's loud."]
At that, Gyeongwon's father let out a hearty laugh, clearly pleased.
["Right. That's how it should be. It's not
about doing the work; the person who
gets others to do the work is the higher one."]
From what I heard during his argument with Teacher Choi Jungim in the previous timeline, his actual job Was a company executive.
Sure enough, in line with his university
professor-like appearance, he was a middle-aged man who gave off that rigid atmosphere of a highly educated person.
["Are your friends planning to have dinner together?"]
["No. They said they're all tired and will have the celebration party another day."]
[Then let's go in Dad's car. Say goodbye and come to the parking lot, I'll go ahead and wait."]
["Yes. I understand."]
Sunah was watching the process with an envious look.
I lightly patted Sunah on the back.
After finishing his greetings, Gyeongwon came back over to us, and we all stepped out of the bustling Music Room together, exchanging words of encouragement with one another.
"You've all worked so hard, Everyone
Spending the weekend at the boarding house while preparing for the competition, and then coming here after staying up all night to compete today. You've all really put in a lot of effort."
"Yeah, Joon... You too..."
"You worked the hardest, Prez."
"Oi, me' worked the hardest."
"Shut up. Ugh... F*ck, I have to go to work again."
"Jinhee, if you ever want to quit that night-shift job, just let me know anytime. We've got plenty of money in the clubroom."
"It's fine. I was just complaining."
"Just complaining? Like Teacher Choi
Jungim."
"Are you crazy?"
As we were chatting and going down the stairs like that, we ran into a familiar teacher who was coming up from the floor below in a hurry.
"Is it over!?"
"Puhaha.."
"Teacher, it's been ages since it ended.."
At the same timne, a message flashed before my eyes.
[You have come acrosS and survived a B-rank ghost story - The Thing of Flesh]
[You have earned 15 Ghost Story Points.]
[You have used your wits and succeeded in cremating the mass of flesh!]
[You have earned 70 Ghost Story Points.]
[You will receive an additional 10% bonus point for each contributing member.]
[Contributing Member (1 member): In Hayoon]
[You have received an additional 10% bonus points on the total of 85 points, 8 points.]
[Current Ghost Story Points: 711 +85+ 8]
Ping
[Current Ghost Story Points: 804]
'...So they cremated her.'
In the midst of Teacher Jang Hwaeun and the club members laughing and chatting away, I blankly stared at the message window floating in the air.
Just as that teacher tried to oppress us with the power of the school.
In the end, she herself met her demise under the authority of the Void cult.
As I was deeply lost in thought reading the message window like that, my eyes met Hayoon's, who was staring intently at me as I stared into space.
I gave her a small nod, and Hayoon nodded back.
It was Over.
From today onwards, I would never have to meet that teacher again.
'...Let's rest.'
From the weekend until that day, it had been the longest three days of my life.
Now, let's rest for a while.
With all my worries set aside, I laughed and chatted with Teacher Jang Hwaeun and the club members as I left school.
***
"Aren't you going?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah...."
Chaerin was blankly staring at the hinge in her hand, then, at her best friend Yeseul's call, she hurriedly stuffed it into her pocket.
She watched Lee Joon's figure descending the stairs in the distance, and her face turned red.
"L, let's go... You worked hard today, Yeseul. Thanks to your help, we were able to win the Silver Prize."
"No, not really. You did everything."
Chaerin, the Vice Class President, hastily offered praise to her friend while changing the subject, but both Chaerin, who was deflecting the topic like that, and Yeseul, who was playing along, had their gazes fixed in the same direction.
The president of the club that won first place today, walking ahead in the distance.
Lee Joon, a boy from the same class.