244 – EP.10 Reverse-3
***
In front of the school gate. Inho, wearing a cast, moved his crutches awkwardly.
The crutches were uncomfortable even with both good arms, but with one arm in a cast, he looked even more uneasy.
He passed through the school gate with a waddling, unsteady step.
“I don’t think that’s possible… I’ll take you to class.”
Yun Si-ah, who was worse than him, stepped forward, but In-ho shook his head.
“It’s okay. There are a lot of kids at school who can help.”
“Not them?”
Yun Sia mentioned the group she always hung out with.
“Yes.”
The reason why he refused Yun Sia’s offer to help him because he felt in debt was not simply because he could do it on his own.
He is already a person with a lot on his shoulders.
He didn’t want to go through the trouble of helping children go to and from school.
“It’s Inho!”
Yun Si-ah calls In-ho back, who is slowly moving away.
“Yes?”
“You missed class yesterday.”
This is an unexpected class story.
When Inho nodded his head as if he was listening, Yoon Si-ah, who had gathered her thoughts, spoke.
“I’ll go tonight. Is that okay?”
“…I don’t mind. Are you okay?”
Are you okay?
This is a question with many meanings.
Yoon Shia also knew what he meant.
Gulp. She swallowed her saliva.
“Yes. Why not take a taxi?”
“I’ll give you transportation expenses.”
“No. I have to pay for this.”
“Because the cause lies with me, I’ll pay for the taxi fare separately. I won’t accept any objections.”
“You speak as if you are an adult.”
Yoon Si-ah muttered at In-ho’s sharp tone, and Kang In-ho felt a pang inside.
– Ding dong dang dong
The bell that ended class was delivered to them on the playground.
“I’ll see you. Good luck today too.”
Inho smiled and turned around again.
“Yes. Okay….”
She had a lot to do today.
She has school work to do, and soon she has to go take care of her father.
Nevertheless, she kept her eyes on Inho’s back as he slowly moved away.
The relationship has changed so drastically that it makes you wonder if it’s true that until recently, we treated each other as invisible people.
Although he shows the image of a steady student, at times it feels like he is talking to seniors a year or so above him.
Even though they talk like children these days, the words they often use make you think they are adults.
“Well… He’s an amazing kid.”
Yun Sia slowly turned around with a soft smile.
The sunlight hit her so hard that she couldn’t even remember what happened yesterday.
***
Going to school wearing a cast and crutches was, and still is, something that would attract attention.
What’s more, if the person involved is a person whose face and name is well-known through misconduct.
While walking down the hallway to the classroom, the encore of stares she received on her first day of school began.
An average person would be bothered by those gazes filled with suspicion, suspicion, and curiosity, but he did not hesitate and vigorously pushed on his crutches.
I opened the classroom door, entered, and sat down.
And look around. The gazes that had clearly been directed in this direction suddenly disappeared like cockroaches hiding.
“Hello?”
He greeted Jeong Sang-hoon sitting next to him.
Perhaps not expecting to be greeted, Jeong Sang-hoon nodded in surprise.
“If you have any notes from 1st and 2nd periods, can you show them later?”
“Handwriting?”
“Oh, I missed class because I went to the hospital.”
Inho laughed, raising his arms.
Sang-Hoon Jeong also laughed along, but it was extremely awkward.
“Rain, I’ll lend you it.”
When he rummaged through his bag and handed over the note, Inho tapped his shoulder and thanked him.
Sang-Hoon Jeong stood up, tilting his head as if he was dreaming.
“Ah… That….”
Sang-hoon Jeong, who was about to leave, called In-ho, who was looking at his notebook.
“Huh?”
“I’m going to the store. Should I buy you something?”
It was a situation where someone could misunderstand that they were calling themselves a bread shuttle.
Inho rolled his eyes for a moment, then searched the inside pocket of his school uniform.
What he took out was a wallet.
Kang In-ho took out a card and handed it to Jeong Sang-hoon.
“I need some chocolate milk. And buy something for you to eat with this.”
“Huh? Uh… Really? Why?”
Sanghoon Jeong suddenly took the card and looked at his face as if checking it again.
“Note value.”
He said as he fluttered open the notebook.
“Uh… Thank you?”
“If you scratch more than 10,000 won, you will die.”
Kang In-ho’s voice came from behind Sang-hoon Jeong, who was heading toward the cafeteria.
While Jeong Sang-hoon went to the canteen, someone came up next to In-ho.
“I… It’s Inho.”
It was Shin Jeong-ah.
“……”
Kang In-ho, who was still focused on his notebook, did not give Shin Jeong-ah a single glance.
“That… Inho.”
Shin Jeong-ah sat down next to her and called out to him.
A voice with the right mix of anxiety, nervousness, and fear rang in his ears.
“There, there is a seat.”
With his eyes still on the note, he spoke coldly.
Shin Jeong-ah bit her lower lip due to her cold attitude.
She slowly stretched out her hand and grabbed Inho’s sleeve.
“Hey, can we talk…?”
“……”
It was a pitiful voice, but Kang In-ho remained motionless.
“Huh? Inho. Huh? Huh?”
Shin Jeong-ah shook In-ho’s sleeve, which caused the notebook to shake violently.
Only after the note closed with a clicking sound was Shin Jeong-ah able to see Kang In-ho’s face.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
He looked like he was getting angry about something.
“Hey, this is Inho?”
“Hey.”
Her voice as cold as ice hit her.
At those words that contained not even a gram of affection, Shin Jeong-ah felt like the blood in her whole body was drying up.
“What are you doing, kid?”
“……”
Not knowing what he was talking about, Shin Jeong-ah remained silent and waited for his next words.
“I thought he was just a guy who smokes and drinks…”
Tsk, he clicked his tongue.
“There is no real answer, there is no answer.”
Opening her notebook again, when he tried to look away from her, Shin Jeong-ah clung to him.
“Hey, Inho….”
Please look at me with warm eyes.
That was her idea.
However, as always, the world went against expectations.
“If you do it one more time, I’ll beat you up.”
Her body stood still at the uncompromising declaration.
Different from the usual rejection, my instincts warn me that if I really get too close to him even a little bit more, I could get hit.
“…….”
She looked at his mood in an awkward state where she neither backed away nor approached him.
“Jintae Kim. Is he in school?”
It was Kim Jin-tae who left the group chat room due to an incident yesterday.
“Huh? Now, I’m not sure….”
She didn’t know because they weren’t in the same class, and Jintae Kim wasn’t very high on her list of priorities.
“I see. I understand.”
“…….”
And then silence again.
Shin Jeong-ah, who thought that the question she had just asked meant that his heart had relaxed, carefully placed her hand on his shoulder.
That was her wrong idea.
With a crashing sound, Shin Jeong-ah rolled on the classroom floor.
He shook his hand off her shoulder, and her posture was so unstable that she just fell to the floor.
All eyes in the classroom gathered here.
“Ah…”
Kang In-ho made an ‘oops’ expression for a moment, but then his face hardened again and he turned his face away from Shin Jeong-ah.
“I told you. Don’t touch it.”
“Ah… Yes… I’m sorry.”
Shin Jeong-ah couldn’t even think of getting up from the floor and she apologized.
“……”
She started to get goosebumps at the gaze being paid to her.
He didn’t look scared or avoidant like usual.
The gaze filled with thoughts of belittling, ignoring, and exhilaration were directed at the person lying on the floor.
From Noble mtl dot com
‘Ah….’
Shin Jeong-ah closed her eyes, recalling her old memories.
And she realized. That her own position was being reversed.