Chapter 40 : Chapter 40

But unfortunately, I couldn't say something like, "I wanted to use this article to completely ruin the classroom atmosphere", in front of everyone.

Of course, the article didn't explicitly state that Ha-neul and I were dating.

It merely "implied" it through our attire, posture, and the atmosphere between us.

However, the article was effective enough that even my servants were watching my reactions, and the kids in this class couldn't take their eyes off us.

But I couldn't just tell the kids who believed the article, "Actually, we've never acted this way to make you believe in the article."

Of course, I didn't plan on openly declaring, "We're dating", either.

I had planned to dismiss anyone who asked later with, "What gave you that idea?"

…But it seemed things had gone a bit too far.

Yoo Ha-neul, sitting at her desk with her face flushed red and her head hanging low, seemed to think the same.

Not that Yoo Ha-neul misunderstood my intentions completely.

In fact, the problem was that she had understood everything too well, even without reading the article.

This wasn't really Yoo Ha-neul's fault.

It was also my fault for assuming she had read the article and acted accordingly, without providing her any information.

"..."

Well, whatever.

At least I had cleared my mind.

Knowing that Yoo Ha-neul didn't harbor any dark thoughts toward me while acting like that made me feel relieved.

Though it seemed like Ha-neul had gone a bit overboard midway, realizing it was just a misunderstanding put me at ease.

I could keep up my attention-seeking act for a while longer.

And, come to think of it, pushing things that far had shaken up the class as much as I wanted.

Even now, the kids were clearly stealing glances at me.

They weren't even trying to hide it.

I approached Yoo Ha-neul, who had returned to her seat.

Leaning close to her ear, I whispered softly.

"I've been thinking about it, and I don't think it's a bad idea to keep going like this."

With that, Yoo Ha-neul's face whipped toward me.

Lately, I had gotten somewhat used to it, but being so close to her glowing face all of a sudden was still overwhelming.

Squinting my eyes, I could see her extremely flustered expression.

To be honest, it was a little funny, so I let out a chuckle.

"There's no need to be so flustered after going that far just last class."

Whether the surrounding kids overheard or not, I could hear faint gasps from here and there.

Well, whatever.

As far as I was concerned, it was good that Yoo Ha-neul was cooperating so actively.

I had been worried when I didn't know her true intentions, but knowing there were no romantic feelings involved, I felt much more comfortable.

Besides, it's not like anyone would feel bad when such a beautiful girl casually initiates physical contact.

...

…No, no.

No matter what, that position we were in during the last class was definitely too much.

Yoo Ha-neul really went overboard.

I'll have to mention that later.

It's probably best to set some limits.

Just as I was wrapping up my thoughts, the school bell signaling the start of the next class rang.

Amusingly, not a single student in this class had moved from their seat during the break.

Did they not realize that even 'reactions like this' are still 'reactions'?

The classroom door slid open.

The teacher for the next class entered with her materials.

Did the teacher hear something from the teacher in the previous class?

She glanced at me, sitting next to Yoo Ha-neul after dragging my chair over, and then opened her mouth as if to say something to Ha-neul.

But I stood up immediately.

"..."

The teacher stared at me with her mouth still open.

Judging by the slight tremble in her eyes, she must have heard about what I did during the last class.

Well… I guess she has nothing to worry about now.

Yes, I originally had something else planned for the second period.

I pushed the chair back to its original position and lightly tapped Yoo Ha-neul on the shoulder.

"I have something to take care of, so I'll be stepping out for a bit. I'll be back before the class ends."

If I left Yoo Ha-neul alone, there was no telling what the other kids might do.

I might be invisible to them, but Ha-neul was just ignored.

And those two situations are distinctly different.

I could do anything without them getting mad, but Yoo Ha-neul's "being ignored" could easily turn into "physical bullying".

Not that Yoo Ha-neul was the type to just sit and take it… but there was one more issue.

Unlike the other kids, Yoo Ha-neul didn't have any solid background to rely on, having entered the school by passing the exam.

This isn't to belittle Ha-neul's family.

What I mean is, in terms of wealth and power, her family is severely lacking.

So, once the bullies actually start attacking her, there's no way out.

She would have no choice but to endure it helplessly.

Though, being the protagonist, she might be able to overcome such situations by herself, but I didn't want to see my friend subjected to such cruelty.

That's why I would finish my errand during class time when no one could bully her and then stick by Ha-neul again.

That was the best solution I could come up with.

"Oh, then I'll come with you…"

"No."

I placed my hand on Yoo Ha-neul's shoulder as she tried to stand.

She didn't resist, but froze in that position.

"I don't have to be here for attendance, but you need to 'stay' here."

It's not about necessity.

It's the difference between whether the others should deny this fact or not.

If Yoo Ha-neul followed me out, it would result in an absence or an early leave, which would hurt her grades.

Yoo Ha-neul seemed to have understood what I was implying.

She bit her lip in frustration and sat back down, which made me feel reassured.

"Okay, then. I'll be back soon."

With that, I walked out.

I could feel people's eyes sticking to my back like glue, but I didn't care.

After all, I was doing this for attention.

I walked confidently to the back door of the classroom and opened it wide.

Of course, I didn't close it.

I'll just say the wind blew it open.

Even though it's a sliding door, so that's impossible.

Now, let's see.

Which class was Lee Soo-ah in again?

*

Of course, I knew exactly which class Lee Soo-ah was in.

But finding her immediately wouldn't draw attention.

Right now, I was an attention-seeking maniac who thrived on the interest of others.

Naturally, I took my time, entering each class one by one.

I bent deeply at the waist, sticking my face close to the students' faces.

"Oh, she's not here either."

I left each class, leaving behind students frozen in shock at the sight of me—someone they'd never expected to see in their classroom—walking out with both doors wide open.

I did that for four classes.

Ha-neul and I were in Class 1, and Lee Soo-ah was in Class 6.

Of course, when I entered the last class, I found her.

Through the window in the door, I spotted Lee Soo-ah.

Sitting in the far back, in the corner, she had a slightly deflated look.

The atmosphere around her was different from when I usually saw her.

Just like in any other class in Hwayoung High School, only a few students in Class 6 were seriously listening to the lesson.

Most were just chatting amongst themselves to pass the time.

The ones who seemed to be paying attention were actually solving workbooks that were far ahead of the lesson, rather than focusing on the class.

Among those students, Lee Soo-ah sat as if isolated, with no one talking to her.

It seemed she was already facing some sort of disadvantage for being associated with me.

How could anyone talk to her without bringing me up in the conversation?

Of course, Lee Soo-ah's situation wasn't as precarious as Yoo Ha-neul's.

Lee Soo-ah came from one of the "wealthy families" in this school.

As long as my name wasn't mentioned, she might be able to reintegrate into the student body.

But knowing her personality, she likely wouldn't bother.

…As I expected, seeing it in person made me furious.

I deliberately flung the door open.

True to the expensive school's standards, the door slid smoothly, hitting the end with a loud bang.

The students, and the teacher writing something on the blackboard, flinched at the sound.

Then, when the teacher turned to look at me with an annoyed expression, she froze.

"…Sara?"

Only one person, in a faint voice, called my name.

Lee Soo-ah looked at me, wide-eyed in surprise.

I gave her a small smile.

Now, what should I do here?

Unfortunately, there were no empty seats in this class.

Had there been even a spare chair, I would have sat next to her, but this school managed its equipment thoroughly, even the furniture.

Since many students frequently transferred in and out due to their wealthy backgrounds, the school promptly added or removed furniture as needed.

They were quite strict about things like that.

Let's see how strict they are about ignoring me.

I confidently walked up to the teacher.

At this school, the perpetrators weren't just the students.

The teachers turned a blind eye, allowing students to isolate Ye Sara.

Who knows how much money they were paid to do such things.

Well, whatever the amount was, it was enough to allow Ye Sara to skip school without affecting her attendance.

When I stared up at the teacher, beads of sweat formed on her temple.

Of course, this was her first time in a situation like this.

Ye Sara only caused trouble in elementary school, when she still desperately craved attention.

Even then, she gave up shortly after accepting reality.

As a result, the teachers and students in middle and high school had never witnessed Ye Sara rebel.

This was the first time.

"Th-then, let's continue—"

The teacher tried to ignore me and proceed with the lesson.

But that's not going to happen.

How did Ye Sara rebel in elementary school?

According to her diary, she would scream, throw things, and storm out of the classroom.

But she was always ignored.

I also left the classroom earlier.

But my rebellion was going to be a little different from hers.

Moving slowly, like a comedian in a slapstick routine, I exaggeratedly reached for the blackboard eraser.

Then I began to slowly erase what was written on the board.

"Ah!"

The teacher shouted in response to my actions.

Why?

It's not like anyone was really paying attention.

When I looked back at the teacher, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand and looked away.

I stared at her for a moment, then turned back to the board and continued erasing.

"Ah…"

The teacher let out a pitiful sound, prompting me to whip my head around again.

The young teacher quickly covered her mouth once more.

"Snrk."

Someone made a noise, trying to stifle their laughter.

Of course, as soon as my eyes met theirs, they fell silent again.

Yes.

My rebellion took this approach.

Every time Yoo Ha-neul poked me in the side, someone would snicker.

After seeing that happen a few times, I realized something.

It's one thing to hold in your anger, but holding in laughter is much harder.

Did you know?

U.S. soldiers are trained to keep a straight face while looking at a crying rubber duck during training.

Starting today, I'm going to train these students in that very same way.

If they can't hold it in until the end?

Well, they'll have no choice but to do what I say.

I smiled as I looked up at the teacher.

Her face had turned pale.

Why are you so surprised?

It's only been an hour since I started.

Let's see how long they can withstand the attention-seeking acts I had carefully prepared all day Sunday.