79 – Love (3)
079.
Whispers.
“Isn’t Lee Jinhyuk kinda cool?”
“Eh, his face is somewhat decent, I guess.”
“His grades are really good too. Totally brainy and sexy.”
“Girl, what are you talking about?”
Among the girls, Lee Jinhyuk’s popularity was quietly on the rise.
So much so that occasionally, Jin Soyeon caught glimpses of girls fawning over Lee Jinhyuk, stealing glances at his side.
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“Did you say something about Lee Jinhyuk being a loser last time?”
“No, when I talked to him, he seemed pretty cool.”
“Oh, really?”
Approaching as if pretending, subtly expressing favor or just playfully engaging in physical contact as friends?
Watching that scene from a distance, an unknown warmth spread gradually from deep within the chest.
“…When did they become interested in Jinhyuk?”
Jin Soyeon raised her eyebrows, forming a slightly awkward expression.
In the early days of Union enrollment, Lee Jinhyuk was one of those inconspicuous figures in the class. He had no significant presence.
Not particularly popular among girls, especially after breaking up with a beautiful girl like Jin Soyeon, he was only talked about for a few days.
Moreover, during middle school, he had low practical scores, no special abilities, and came from a not-so-affluent family, so he went unnoticed by girls.
But could the performance evaluation have been a turning point?
Despite being the only weak link in the Union team’s assessment, Lee Jinhyuk unexpectedly showed remarkable performance, surprising the kids.
Moreover, during the dungeon conquest in the midterms, Lee Jinhyuk’s team defeated formidable competitors like Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, Yoo Seolhyun, Baek Yurin, and others, securing an overwhelming first place.
Initially, there were negative opinions like luck or team play.
However, subsequent hostage rescue assessments, hero and villain evaluations, and excellent scores in written exams helped alleviate the controversies to some extent.
Crucially, during the Union attack incident, Lee Jinhyuk not only rescued several kids but also formed a group to confront the villains.
How many people owed their lives to Lee Jinhyuk at that time?
Including Jin Soyeon and Roksanne, dozens of people received help from Lee Jinhyuk. If Lee Jinhyuk and his team hadn’t come, the situation would have been so dire that lives might have been lost.
As a result, some security personnel and kids went to Lee Jinhyuk to express their gratitude.
Some female students even blushed and thanked him, saying he was cool.
In this way, Lee Jinhyuk’s popularity had risen to an unprecedented level.
Although he was certainly not at the level of Lee Siwoon and Kang Daehan, ironically, Lee Jinhyuk’s popularity was even stronger because he had some shortcomings compared to them. People thought, ‘Oh, if Lee Jinhyuk can do it, maybe I can too?’
In short, rather than foolishly staring at an unattainable tree, many girls began to choose a more approachable and decent tree.
“Do you know about that? I heard Lee Jinhyuk wears casual clothes, but they’re all luxury brands – clothes, shoes, watches, everything is from famous brands.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. He seems to have a lot of money, subtly.”
“Is he, like, a hidden chaebol heir?”
“Who knows. Anyway, it’s true.”
Money…
Yes, Lee Jinhyuk had a lot of money.
Thanks to the embezzled funds from Sung Yura, including stocks, his wealth now exceeded tens of billions.
Therefore, Lee Jinhyuk was enjoying the luxuries he couldn’t afford in his previous life.
For instance, he would buy luxury watches that he could only dream of in his past life, try on expensive designer clothes, purchase high-end sports cars, or even get a black card…
As a Union student treated as a quasi-adult in legal terms, he could obtain a driver’s license, own a car, and get a black card.
Well, it might seem like he was indulging in unnecessary extravagance, but considering the uncertain circumstances of life and death, it was Lee Jinhyuk’s way of relieving stress.
“It seems like I can get away with wearing flashy clothes.”
“Oh, I noticed too. I thought he was just a bookworm, but he dresses quite well.”
“When I passed him in the city, I thought he was a college oppa or something.”
“Well, his vibe is… different from other guys, a bit more mature.”
Having graduated from college and worked successfully in his past life, Lee Jinhyuk had a good sense of fashion, and despite trying to hide it, traces of his past life’s atmosphere subtly showed.
“How about confessing to him?”
“Huh? Seriously?”
“I think even someone like Jinhyuk would like me.”
“What are you saying? Hey, you’re on Kim Yuseong’s level.”
“Oh~ Stop it.”
“Why Kim Yuseong?”
“He looks rugged~. Not my type.”
The girls bantered with teasing suggestions about confessing.
When those words reached Jinsoyeon’s ears, she couldn’t help but bite her lip slightly. There was something unpleasant about them. Really.
Jinhyuk is not someone to take lightly, accepting confessions just for fun. So stop with those empty words.
Lately, Jinhyuk seems to be getting richer and more popular, so don’t pretend to be interested in him.
“…”
Jinsoyeon unconsciously clenched her fist.
Every time the girls showed favor to Jinhyuk, it didn’t sit well with her. It made her chest feel tight and uncomfortable.
“…Jealousy. Sigh. Jealousy.”
Suddenly, the thought crossed her mind: How was the past Jinhyuk? Did he feel these emotions back when he had a crush on Jinsoyeon?
Did he experience this frustration when maintaining the illusion of a fake relationship, or when he saw other guys approaching Jinsoyeon?
For several years.
Without saying a word.
Just silently gazing at Jin Soyeon?
“Ugh.”
A peculiar sense of guilt pricked Jin Soyeon’s heart.
Does Jin Soyeon have the right to like Ji Inhyuk now, after requesting a fake relationship without knowing that he secretly likes her, or after engaging in imaginary dates with other guys? She could only bite her lips in response.
Yes, the right.
Does Jin Soyeon really have the right to like Ji Inhyuk?
Would he have worried for a long time whether Jin Soyeon would accept confessions whenever she was with other guys, or whether she would start liking other boys?
Did he now realize that he had actually liked her, the topic that had long tormented Ji Inhyuk’s mind?
Really, it sounded like nonsense.
If she were a third party, she wondered if she would have shouted not to make a scene.
“…”
Jin Soyeon shook her head vigorously, dispelling negative fantasies.
Certainly, expressing affection, love, or emotions towards Ji Inhyuk at this point could be a big inconvenience.
But this feeling was too big to just bury.
Really, too big.
“Phew, it’s still okay, it’ll be okay.”
Jin Soyeon stole glances at the girls with mischief in her eyes.
Ji Inhyuk had an eye for such girls; he wasn’t oblivious.
Although saying this might seem like boasting, honestly, Ji Inhyuk, who grew up seeing the beautiful Jin Soyeon to the point of being slapped by celebrities several times, had a very high standard.
He had seen Jin Soyeon, a beauty beyond comparison, since he was young. Would he even notice ordinary girls?
No, probably not?
Jin Soyeon knew that she was pretty.
Since kindergarten, she had received confessions and affection from numerous guys. As someone who had been acknowledged for her beauty by countless men, she knew better than anyone else that she was pretty.
If there were girls comparable to Jin Soyeon, Yu Seolhyun? Seo Nari? Yuri?
They were all beautiful girls, but personally, Jin Soyeon seemed a bit superior.
… There was a hint of self-pride, but anyway!
“Since Inhyuk mentioned that he likes another girl, these girls shouldn’t expect their confessions to be accepted.”
There might be a slim chance that the girl Ji Inhyuk liked could confess, but the probability seemed infinitely low.
It was expected that Lee Jin-hyuk, who was known for having high standards for women, would not receive much attention from other attractive men if he found a woman pretty enough to his liking.
… That was definitely going to be the case.
“So, from now on, I have to build a better relationship with Jin-hyuk and confess my feelings… Ugh.”
Confession…
She had never thought about confessing or being in a relationship before, so her heart started to beat irregularly.
“Jin-hyuk might like someone else… but I’ll be confident. I’ll make him like me again.”
No girl would know Jin So-yeon as well as Jin-hyuk did.
Likes, dislikes, preferences, hobbies, memories, and more.
Besides, Jin So-yeon was pretty, too.
Although Jin-hyuk wasn’t the kind of man who liked any pretty woman, he was almost guaranteed to like a girl whose appearance was already well-assured, just like Jin So-yeon.
“W-What should I do then? Seduce him? Should I try to seduce him? But how do you seduce someone?”
Since she had never tried to seduce men before, Jin So-yeon was at a loss. She had even made the effort not to seduce men, so she was even more confused.
While she was thinking about these things regarding Jin-hyuk,
“Excuse me…”
Suddenly, a girl with pink hair entered the classroom.
“Sorry for coming late. I was wrapping up things at the church.”
She looked at Jin-hyuk with innocent, slender blue eyes, letting her beautiful hair hang down.
“I’m sorry, but do you have some time?”
Her soft and delicate voice had an unknown charm that appealed to men’s hearts.
“If you don’t have time now, maybe later.”
Roxanne Han.
As her name suggested, she was biracial and possessed the beauty of the West.
Unlike Yoo Seol-hyun and Jin So-yeon, she exuded innocence, purity, and elegance, befitting a religious person.
“Oh, no, it’s fine.”
“Do you want to step outside and talk for a bit?”
Jin-hyuk nodded gently and went outside with Roxanne.
As they left, the classroom became a bit noisy.
“Why is Jin-hyuk with Roxanne?”
“Is that Rock San? She’s so pretty. She must have been bullied because she’s so pretty.”
“Lee Jin-hyuk, you used to flirt with Yoo Seul-hyun, and now you’re onto Rock San?”
“Doesn’t he secretly go after girls? He dated Jin So-yeon, and he’s close with Yoo Seul-hyun and Seo Nari.”
“Damn, I’m jealous. Is that the life of an Alpha male?”
“Even if his abilities aren’t great, girls are attracted to him because of his looks. Damn.”
“His abilities might be better than yours, though. Do you know his mid-term grades?”
Beyond the chatter of the boys, Jin So-yeon thought to herself.
“Why did Rock San choose Jin-hyuk?”
She heard that Rock San had been a great help in rescuing her.
She had expressed her gratitude to him.
But wasn’t the problem already solved? Why did Jin-hyuk have something else to say?
“Uh…What should I do? I’m worried.”
Jin So-yeon hesitated, fidgeting with her hands.
She thought it was a bit unnecessary to chase after him for no reason, but she couldn’t stay still because she was also concerned.
Because Rock San was too impressive.
Especially that grotesque energy pouch. That’s just cheating! His face looks so innocent, but what is that massive lump?
Are they really students of the same age?
No, he’s much bigger than Yoo Seul-hyun, who is also a mixed blood. Is it because his heart is as broad as a clergyman’s? Ah, what strange thoughts. Ugh.
“I don’t know! It won’t work after all. Let’s just follow and see.”
After hesitating, Jin So-yeon stood up abruptly.
She secretly began to chase after Lee Jin-hyuk and Rock San who were walking in the distance.
And Yoo Seul-hyun, who had been silently watching their actions, tilted her head and contemplated Jin So-yeon’s strange behavior.
Ever since returning to the academy, she had been stealing glances at Jin-hyuk as if she was restless.
“Could it be Jin So-yeon?”
Hmm.
What’s up with Jin So-yeon?
Turns out she still has feelings for Jin-hyuk.
She pretended she didn’t, but she’s actually quite funny.
She must have missed him when she was hanging out with other guys, but now it’s a bit embarrassing to see her like this.
“Indeed, it’s not to my liking.”
True to the promise, Jinsoyeon wouldn’t torment her, but becoming close seems impossible, as expected, for Roksanne.
see? korean author always make “saintess” has a bigggg boobbs than average. and i like it.
the contradiction of “pure girl” and “sinful body” is too good.