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n.

nThere were only about a few minutes left until the end of lunchtime when the teacher suddenly came into the classroom. He then hysterically placed something on the teacher’s table with a thud and went back out.

nWhat was that…? Even the kids, who were talking loudly at the back, did not notice the teacher were here for a moment.

nYoon Jung In, whom we recently elected as class president despite Shin Suh Hyun’s earnest refusal of it, walked in front of the class and picked up the sheets of paper from the table. Oh, I was having a bad feeling about this… As I frowned my brows, Yoon Jung In turned back to speak to the class.

n“I see what this is. Do you guys know that we have the SAT grading machine? Our school is the first to grade the mock exam, so this is the result sheet. I’ll call your numbers. Come and take your papers once you heard your number.”

nOh my god, how could they give out the scores on the day after the exam? Some kids were muttering among themselves with agony deep in their eyes. I was like them as I looked in front with a stern expression.

nTo be honest, I only studied hard for the class placement test but not for the SAT mock exam. Besides, I never missed a day when Ban Yeo Ryung and the Four Heavenly Kings hanged-out together with me. However, unlike them, I was not a genius.

nThe class president called my number almost at the end, so my heart was pounding hard when I received the sheet. It was then when someone snatched Yi Ruda’s report card from her hands as she sat beside me. I looked at my side in surprise.

nThe boy who took Yi Ruda’s sheet was her close friend. He murmured with an excited face.

n“Yi Ruda, let’s see. Your English score would definitely be 100, right?”

n“Come on.”

nYi Ruda tried to take her report sheet back while showing a dumbfounded smile. The boy’s eyes then widened. He screamed out loud, looking at Yi Ruda in astonishment.

n“Wow, Yi Ruda! You almost scored perfect in other subjects! She’s also excellent in the Korean Language!”

n“Oh, come on, why are you telling them that?”

nYi Ruda then got up from her seat and put the boy in a headlock. Regardless of her action, the boy yelled out everywhere as if he just got the biggest scoop of the year.

n“Yi Ruda almost scored perfect in every subject! Holy cow!”

nAs I stared at them in a flurry, I heard a noise from the hallway. It seemed that they did not give the report cards only to our class. Soon, a boy ran into our classroom flapping his hair.

nHe strode toward Yoon Jung In as if he knew him well. Then he held Yoon Jung In’s shoulder and said out loud almost shouting.

n“Dude, someone in our class got a perfect score for the whole exam!”

n“W… hat?”

nThe boy’s voice was so loud that it was not only Yoon Jung In who heard his words. Everyone in our classroom gazed at the boy in bewilderment.

nI slowly hung my head down at a loss of words since it was obvious who the perfect scorer would be. Come on, who would it be?

n“You know that girl, Ban Yeo Ryung! That drop-dead gorgeous girl got perfect scores in all subjects!”

n“Wow.”

n“God has put everything on her.”

nI turned my head around as the kids talked like that with flabbergasted faces.

nYi Ruda also looked discombobulated. She then directed her eyes on me and whispered.

n“It would have taken a lot out of you.”

n“I’m used to it.”

nI replied while knitting my brows. It was already something familiar to me to hear how insanely distinguished Ban Yeo Ryung and the Four Heavenly Kings were. I dropped my gaze at my report card then shoved it inside my bag out of distress after thinking about Ban Yeo Ryung’s perfect test results.

nI did not hate that my best friend was doing well at school. Instead, it even made me feel good when she did well since we were friends; however, apart from that, it was not delightful to think she lived next door and both of our parents were close.

nI looked outside the window while pressing my temples with my fingers. It was still too early until sunset. Once I get back home, my parents would blast me to the brim of my soul. With that thought alone, I had a hunch that it would be a long day.

nIt was such a strange thing that the fact that I’m feeling under the weather delighted Yi Ruda. As I tried to bid farewell to her, I saw that the school entrance was abuzz again.

nBlack limos were probably around the entrance, and the men in black will soon come across the schoolyard.

nYi Ruda looked out the window as if she was measuring the distance around her then smiled in embarrassment when our eyes met. She told her last words jumping out of the window.

n“See you tomorrow!”

n“Okay! Adios!”

nYi Ruda now lowered her voice when talking to me to mimic a boy’s tone.

nHer sparkling gold-blond hair disappeared across the schoolyard. After watching her leave my sight, I stretched myself and tried to leave the classroom too. It was then when I saw someone leaning in front of the classroom.

nThe waist-length glossy black hair was something familiar to me, so I called her name immediately.

n“Hey, Ban Yeo Ryung!”

n“Oh, hi.”

n“Let’s go.”

nI wore my backpack and walked towards her; however, I noticed how Ban Yeo Ryung’s face looked a little strange. She should look bright after getting the perfect scores in all subjects, but I saw dark shades hanging under her eyes instead.

nDid she hear something bad? The fact that Ban Yeo Ryung had a pretty face and how she was overwhelming in every aspect would probably mean that she would hear some backbiting now and then. One of such cases was how Baek Yeo Min treated her during our freshman year in middle school. Everyone was full of smiles in front of Ban Yeo Ryung, but there existed some people who gossiped about her behind her back, which was something appalling the more I thought about it.

nI grabbed her hand to cheer her up and asked her in wonder.

n“Why? Did something happen?”

n“…”

nShe hid nothing to me, so I expected an immediate response, but she remained mute. She shook her head firmly while biting her cherry-red lip as she walked ahead of me with big strides.

nUm… what was going on? I chased her at a faster pace as I felt a bit confused. Ban Yeo Ryung’s black hair gently waved according to her steps.

nThen she suddenly stopped, which almost made me bump on her back and that would definitely force both of us to fall on the stairs. Ban Yeo Ryung’s eyes, which were looking at me, were full of tears. She then spoke to me as I stared at her in perplexity.

n“We were never in different classes until now.”

n“Um… huh?”

nDid we? I was 14 when I first came to this world, so I was not sure about what happened in elementary school.

nBan Yeo Ryung bit her lip again. I knew that it was something she did when she’s trying to fight back her tears. She continued speaking in a trembling voice.

n“I… I just…”

n“Yeah?”

n“Ugh, I shouldn’t say this.”

nCome on, stop stalling. As I stared at her with an absurd feeling, she quickly walked down the stairs with a blush indicating her embarrassment. Despite her fast pace, her moves were so seamless that I could grasp how athletic she was. However, it was useless at this moment. I followed her back with a smile.

nThe twilight laid thickly over the pale-yellow schoolyard. A bunch of students slowly walked across the field in groups.

nBan Yeo Ryung, who was standing in front of the shoe rack, still had a sullen face as she stared at me. I ended up asking her again.

n“Come on, what’s on your mind?”

n“It seems like I’m acting like a baby… so nevermind.”

n“…”

nI looked up at her in confusion. It was surprising to know that this beautiful and perfect girl had some unexpected sides. What a great day to find the hidden aspects lurking within a person’s heart.

nThe thought I had while holding my phone a few days ago finally turned into something unspoken. I wanted them to promise me to never leave me alone but it was such a childish thing that I considered it was a problem I have to deal with on my lonesome.

nThey will have no moments to behave like a baby with me. Ban Yeo Ryung, who had everything, was, however, cutting a frail figure in front of me.

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