SAV Chapter 15

It was strange that someone who worried about Choi Jeha enough to turn down a good school had taken no action despite hearing the false rumors spreading about him.

 

If Kim Juyoung were an outcast or bullied like Choi Jeha, I might understand…

 

Every student was looking at Kim Juyoung with envious eyes.

 

There wasn’t a single student who didn’t casually exchange a word or two when he passed by. Kim Juyoung seemed to be friendly with everyone in the class.

 

‘What is this? Something doesn’t add up.’

 

As I pieced together the synopsis puzzle, I had questions about the parts that didn’t quite fit. While I was lost in thought staring at Kim Juyoung’s face-the center of my doubts-his gaze suddenly turned toward me.

 

Startled, I quickly dropped my head. He must have felt my intense stare. The sound of slippers sliding across the floor approached, and Kim Juyoung’s feet stopped right next to me.

 

‘Why are you coming over just because I looked at you?’

 

The student sitting where Kim Juyoung stopped quickly gathered their bag and vacated the seat. I rolled my eyes slightly to peek at the side.

 

I could see his legs standing on the classroom floor. His feet were clad in trendy brand slippers with pristinely white socks. His pants seemed tailored to fit his legs perfectly, giving him a good style.

 

*Knock knock.*

 

Kim Juyoung sat in the naturally emptied chair and tapped my desk with his finger. His long, straight fingers gave a different impression than Choi Jeha’s. If Choi Jeha was like solid iron bars with no escape, Kim Juyoung was like smooth glass bars that you could easily slip through. When I turned my head, Kim Juyoung, who had been looking at me, smiled brightly.

 

“Why are you acting like you don’t know me?”

 

Damn, if there’s such thing as a divine smile, wouldn’t it feel like this?

 

Heat spread through my spine like an electric current and reached my heart. If I hadn’t known Kim Juyoung was a guy, I might have fallen for him-he was that pretty.

 

“You’re the only one who didn’t visit me at the hospital.”

 

Kim Juyoung leaned his head toward me and spoke in a disappointed tone.

 

‘What does he mean?’ Then I remembered that Kim Juyoung and Cha Eunseong were friends. Well, more like Cha Eunseong had a one-sided crush on Kim Juyoung.

 

To Kim Juyoung, all classmates seemed like friends, with no concept of who was closer or more distant. Of course, this was just my impression from the brief synopsis-only Kim Juyoung himself would know his true feelings.

 

Anyway, Cha Eunseong would naturally have visited Kim Juyoung in the hospital, but from Friday after school onward, that body had been occupied by me, Park Sejin. To be brutally honest, I had never even met the guy before, so even though I knew he was hospitalized, it never occurred to me that I should visit him.

 

Looking at Kim Juyoung’s disappointed face, though, I began to feel like I had done something wrong, and I felt like a total piece of trash.

 

His appearance was beautiful enough to move one’s conscience.

 

‘But wait. I was the only one who didn’t visit?’

 

That meant Choi Jeha had gone to visit Kim Juyoung in the hospital. Wow… that jerk. He’s so cold to me, but he made time in his busy schedule to see Kim Juyoung?

 

Feeling somewhat bitter, I whipped my head around and glared at him.

 

Choi Jeha had been looking this way, but when our eyes met, he turned his head, rested his chin on his hand at an angle, and lowered his gaze to his workbook. Because the movement was slow, I could read his expression, which looked somewhat displeased.

 

I didn’t need an explanation to understand why.

 

‘Are you jealous because Kim Juyoung is talking to me? Wow… Choi Jeha, were you that kind of character?’

 

I pouted as I faced forward again.

 

No matter how pretty he is, I’m not interested in guys. The only one interested here is you who has a crush on Kim Juyoung, you jerk. I wanted to whisper that in his ear.

 

“Ttolcha said he’d bring chicken, and I was so damn excited waiting…”

 

“Ttolcha” was the nickname Kim Juyoung used for Cha Eunseong, a combination of “crazy” and “Cha Eunseong.” His voice sounded so close that I turned to look at him with a “what?” but was startled and jerked my neck back.

 

 

Kim Juyoung pulled his desk toward mine and leaned in closely. Due to the proximity, I could see every detail of his facial features.

 

His eyelashes curled up beautifully as if they had been purposely styled while he spoke with a languid tone and lowered his eyes. His pupils, trembling slightly beneath, resembled glass marbles. As a dominant Omega, his physique was slightly better than mine, but in terms of looks, we were worlds apart.

 

“Wow… gorgeous.”

 

While staring blankly at his face, I accidentally blurted out my fanboy thoughts aloud. I quickly closed my mouth in embarrassment, but Kim Juyoung, having heard me, gave a subtle eye-smile and mouthed “you too.”

 

The thought ‘What’s with this guy?’ briefly crossed my mind, but it disappeared as class began.

 

The last period was P.E.

 

My mood lifted slightly at the return of practical classes, which had been eliminated in my world for taking away study time and energy. Of course, I wouldn’t have enjoyed them even if they hadn’t disappeared.

 

My heart fluttered at the feeling of reclaiming my lost high school memories, even if indirectly. Thanks to the realistic sensations, I wasn’t sure if “indirect experience” was the right term.

 

Anyway, since things had turned out this way, I decided to put aside the negative thought that I might never wake up from this dream. I might as well enjoy the school life I never got to experience here before returning to reality.

 

I took off my uniform shirt to change into gym clothes.

 

“Ah.”

 

I frowned at the stinging pain. It had been fine when I was still, but when I raised my arms to change, I felt a sharp pain where the flower pot had hit me.

 

Kim Juyoung, who had no way of knowing I was hurt, turned to look at me while changing his clothes.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

 

I didn’t give Kim Juyoung a proper explanation, thinking it wasn’t worth mentioning. As I turned to go toward the lockers, I made eye contact with Choi Jeha, who was standing blankly in the corner. I don’t know if it was because he was standing in the shadows, but his expression looked darker than usual.

 

“Jeha, let’s go tog-”

 

I was about to ask Choi Jeha to go together when-

 

“Choi Je, we’ll go down first!”

 

Kim Juyoung linked his arm with mine and called out brightly.

 

“Why? Let’s wait and go toget-”

 

Just as I was saying we should go with Choi Jeha, Kim Juyoung brought his mouth to my ear.

 

“He doesn’t like people seeing his body. So let’s step aside.”

 

His soft lips barely touched my ear before pulling away.

 

“Why are you whispering that in my ear? It’s creepy.”

 

I shuddered and brushed my ear with my hand.

 

“This is a secret only I know.”

 

Kim Juyoung placed his straight finger against his plump lips as if saying “shh, don’t tell anyone” and pulled on my arm.

 

“If you understand, let’s go.”

 

I glanced slightly at Choi Jeha. Was he really waiting for everyone to leave the classroom? He wasn’t even taking his gym clothes out of the locker.

 

“Right?”

 

Kim Juyoung blinked at me and smiled brightly.

 

Reluctantly, I turned my steps toward the hallway, and Kim Juyoung’s eye-smile deepened.

 

When we reached the field, teams were being assigned for a dodgeball game with Class 7, who shared our P.E. period.

 

I was in the first team.

 

 

When the PE teacher called my name, I got up from the stands and handed my gym jacket to Kim Juyoung, who was sitting next to me.

 

“Don’t think about coming back if you lose,” Kim Juyoung said as he rolled up the jacket.

 

In real life, I was pretty good at sports. But now, I wasn’t sure if this body performed the same as my original one, and my shoulder blade was aching, so I couldn’t promise anything.

 

And sure enough, I was the first one eliminated right after the game started, being too cautious with my movements. So much for reviving my lost high school memories-I was sent to be an outfielder before I could do anything properly.

 

Feeling awkward, I went to stand in the corner of the outfield area when I spotted Choi Jeha coming out of the main building.

 

Normally, Choi Jeha would have been the first one ready for class, but it seemed that, as Kim Juyoung had said, he didn’t want anyone to see his body.

 

‘Does he have some kind of complex he wants to hide?’

 

I don’t think I saw that in his character description.

 

Tilting my head in confusion, I watched Choi Jeha, who was known as the prettiest boy in this world, wearing his gym uniform. The outfit looked like a national team uniform on his well-built frame.

 

When Kim Juyoung noticed Choi Jeha approaching, he gestured for him to come over.

 

“Choi Je, over here!”

 

But he casually ignored Kim Juyoung’s call and sat down in a secluded corner where no one else was sitting. He treated Kim Juyoung rather coldly, perhaps worried that if he associated with him, Kim Juyoung might also become a target of bullying.

 

“Next group.”

 

Our team was so bad that the game ended in just ten minutes. Immediately, the PE teacher started calling out the names of students who would participate in the second group.

 

“Kim Juyoung.”

 

When his name was called, Kim Juyoung got up with a bright smile, ready to go out.

 

“I’ll wipe them all out,” he said proudly as he took off his jacket and tossed it aside. The next student names were called out one after another. Looking at how the teams were formed, I frowned.

 

“Lee Gyusung, Choi Jeha.”

 

Both Kim Juyoung’s and my gazes simultaneously shifted to Choi Jeha. I was concerned because it was obvious that Lee Gyusung would work with the others to bully Choi Jeha, and it seemed Kim Juyoung felt the same way.

 

“Teacher, I’m not feeling well today. Can I sit this one out?”

 

Choi Jeha raised his hand slightly as he spoke.

 

‘He’s sick?’

 

Having observed Choi Jeha all day, I hadn’t noticed any signs that he wasn’t feeling well. But looking at the team composition, I could guess. It wasn’t his body that was sick; it was his heart.

 

‘Wait a minute.’

 

Then I remembered how Choi Jeha’s mood had suddenly soured during lunch, causing him to get angry at me and walk away.

 

Could it be that his poor condition was because of me?

 

“Since Jeha says he’s not feeling well today and wants to sit out… let’s see… Is there anyone who can play instead of Choi Jeha?” the PE teacher asked, looking around at the students sitting in the stands.