Transmigrated as the Side Top used as an Emotional Trash Can - Chapter 19.2
Everyone only laughed. No one seemed particularly fired up with a desire to win. They complained a little, but no one genuinely appeared hungry for a medal. They all worked hard, yet rather than holding expectations or hope, they seemed satisfied merely by the fact that they had ‘survived today’s training.’ It made me proud of them, but it also felt a little bitter.
I listened to the Swimming Club members chatter while resting my head against a pillar of the pavilion. At some point, I might have briefly dozed off.
Judging by how startled I was when the early summer breeze disturbed my bangs, I probably had. Even after regaining my senses, I kept my eyes closed. I simply felt like doing so.
Click.
While my eyes were closed, I heard a faint clicking sound from somewhere.
“?”
“Oh, Saint B opened his eyes.”
“Hey, come over here and clear this stage for me.”
I opened my eyes and looked around, and the boys playing a game on their phones called me over.
It was a turn-based game that had recently become popular. Since it was full of beautiful girls, it looked like nothing more than an otaku game, but its power balance was surprisingly delicate, making it fun to devise strategies. I hadn’t downloaded it or played it myself, but whenever they showed me the screen like this, I would choose functions and items for them, and luckily, they usually created good synergy.
“This bastard looks like he has no thoughts, but he’s fucking smart.”
“For real- I think his intelligence only drops when he’s with Kim Jihwan.”
“Hey, that’s a little….”
Ding-dong-.
At that moment, the bell signaling the end of first period rang.
I was already on the field, and Class 12 was close by. Perfect.
“I’m going to see my baby. Bye!”
Almost like Pavlov’s dog, I ran toward Class 12 to see Kim Jihwan.
The boys snickered and said, “See? I was right,” before returning to their game.
When I reached Class 12, I saw Kim Jihwan talking with some other students.
He usually sat there sullenly doing his academy homework, so I wondered why he was talking to people today and subtly joined the conversation.
“-I told you I didn’t do it.”
“Stop fucking around and apologize!”
“For what?”
When I asked what was going on, the conversation stopped for a moment. The two boys who had been talking with Jihwan were still breathing heavily, their faces full of lingering anger.
“Hey, Baek Hanrim, weren’t you the one who stole it?”
“Me? What did I steal?”
Their anger suddenly turned toward me. I didn’t even know what they had been talking about, yet now I was being treated like a thief.
What the hell happened?
“Are you fuckers trying to pin it on him after stealing it yourselves?”
Kim Jihwan became angry on my behalf and defended me when they tried to accuse me unfairly.
What is this? I’m touched-.
“This bastard isn’t interested in anything except eating.”
I marveled at Kim Jihwan’s magical mouth, which transformed me into a garbage-disposal errand boy the moment I tried to accept his defense.
“No, what was stolen? Should I call the teacher?”
Only after I mentioned the teacher did the boys calm down enough to explain what had happened. Someone had stolen Kim Jihwan’s gym uniform, dirtied it, and placed it inside the locker of the boy who had been arguing with him.
What a needlessly troublesome way to bully someone.
Who was it?
“We can just check the CCTV.”
I pointed toward the camera in one corner of the classroom.
“That’s a dummy. They probably don’t even turn it on because of student privacy.”
The narrative plausibility of this damn novel only worked when it was convenient. It activated perfectly for student privacy issues, yet during the Zombie Apocalypse and Death Game settings, neither the police nor the law worked at all. While we continued arguing, the bell for the next period rang.
“Ah, anyway, it wasn’t me, so move! We have gym class!”
“Hey! We’re locking the door, so hurry up and come out!”
It seemed Class 12 had physical education during second period. The students left the classroom, while Kim Jihwan remained standing there and glared in disbelief at the back of the boy he had been arguing with.
I cautiously watched Kim Jihwan’s expression and spoke.
“What are you going to do?”
At my question, Kim Jihwan remained silent for a moment with an extremely sulky expression, then finally spoke.
“I’m going to lie down in the infirmary.”
Good grief, the infirmary. Our school infirmary was less of an infirmary and more of a motel room. I knew because I had experienced it immediately before the Death Game. I absolutely couldn’t send him there.
“…I’ll lend you my gym uniform. I don’t have gym class today.”
I readily offered to lend Kim Jihwan my gym uniform. Then I grabbed the rolled-up uniform he was holding to take it from him, but Kim Jihwan refused to let go and held on tightly.
“Hm? Jihwan-ah, if you give that to me, I’ll take care of….”
Sticky….
A revolting sensation touched my hand.
When I released the gym uniform and checked, a half-dried, gel-like bodily stain had smeared onto my fingers.
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