Was it because So-hee was stimulated by being in the same class with us?
Ha-neul’s actions became much bolder.
Although physical contact seemed to have slightly decreased compared to before, apart from that, the vibe of “not caring about those around us” upgraded to the level of “completely ignoring others”.
For example, if So-hee tapped and shook desks to talk to people around her, Ha-neul had no hesitation in stealing someone’s chair to sit in front of or next to me.
It didn’t matter if someone was already sitting there, Ha-neul would squeeze between the chair and desk as if it was nothing, forcing the person sitting in the chair to voice their dissatisfaction or, taking advantage of their absence, simply claim the seat.
Of course, the prideful students of Hwayoung High School didn’t sit idly by without any resistance.
So-hee, who was clearly marked as someone below me, was naturally treated as invisible, but Ha-neul was merely seen as someone who was very close to me.
It wasn’t that they refused to acknowledge Ha-neul, they just didn’t feel the need to interact with her.
So, naturally—
“Hey.”
Seeing Ha-neul confidently taking their seat,
“That’s my seat.”
It’s understandable that they would be upset.
The problem was that Ha-neul, for some unknown reason, was also extremely irritated at that moment.
“So?”
Ha-neul’s response, as she looked up at the person who had spoken, showed eyes without any highlight.
…Well, maybe she wasn’t just irritated, she might have been closer to being outright angry.
…Could it be that she’s seriously mad at me for not studying?
“W-What?”
Perhaps they had never received such a cold stare before, because the original owner of the seat seemed slightly flustered by Ha-neul’s frosty response.
The kids standing nearby felt the same way.
At this school, everything is determined by money.
It’s not a formal rule, but it’s an unspoken one.
Those with less money can’t easily stand up to those with more.
If you’re marked once in school, that image sticks with you even after graduation.
In adulthood, when you’re actually working, those with more money can easily cut off those with less without regret.
After all, even if a few are let go, there are plenty of others waiting in line beneath them.
This school, in that sense, was both a land of opportunity and a filter.
You could get in line early and build a good image, but even a minor mistake could ruin relationships.
In that sense, Ha-neul was at the bottom of the food chain.
No matter how good her grades were, without money, she was just in a position to be hired.
As Yoon Da-ho mentioned to her before, under normal circumstances, Ha-neul’s best strategy would have been to be as polite as possible to the other students, graduate with top marks, get into a good university, and use the connections made here to land a job.
…If it weren’t for me, that is.
Well, no matter how things go, since Ha-neul is the protagonist of a dating sim, once she starts dating someone like Yoon Da-ho, no one will dare look down on her.
But considering how things are going, that probably won’t happen, so let’s not think too much about it.
The very idea of Ha-neul dating someone like him makes my stomach churn.
“I told you, I need to talk to Sara for a bit. Can’t you let me have the seat for a moment? If you really want to sit down, you can take my seat.”
Ha-neul confidently brought up my name.
This left the other party with only one possible reaction.
They would pretend like I didn’t exist and ask what she was talking about.
But that’s a very hard thing to do.
Because that “nonexistent” person was looking up at them with red eyes.
A person who earned trillions of won in a single year, spent tens of billions without a second thought, and casually gifted billions to her maid—someone who was the very essence of a conglomerate.
And sitting right next to her was a maid who stood out at a glance.
Although she wasn’t in her maid uniform right now.
She was tall, with sharp features, and gave off a vibe that made it seem like she’d be good at things like hanging out in shady places.
This maid worked for me, earning billions a year.
That very maid was also looking up at the student.
…Anyone could see it was a threat.
“…Whatever.”
In the end, the student’s eyes trembled, and they moved to the opposite side of the classroom to sit with their friends… probably friends, right?
Anyway, they quickly relocated.
“Wasn’t that a bit harsh?”
Well, I know that Ye Sara was always treated this way, but the atmosphere was strange.
It felt like everyone in the classroom was whispering and avoiding us.
As if they knew they couldn’t just talk to us, and that if they dared to offend us, something terrible would happen.
Because of the incident in the morning, the atmosphere surrounding the three of us had solidified like that.
It feels like I’ve completely become the villainess.
At first, I was determined to avoid becoming a villainess.
“Who are you to say that? Considering what you’ve been through, this is nothing.”
Ha-neul said something very reasonable.
Hearing that, the students sitting near us shuddered.
Did they think I would take revenge on them?
Of course, I would if necessary.
But right now, I had no intention of dealing with every single one of them.
I already had too many things to worry about, and paying attention to all of that would be exhausting.
…If the original Ye Sara were to return and wanted to stir things up, I might lend her a hand.
But would I still be here then?
I looked at Ha-neul, who was sitting across from me.
If the real Ye Sara comes back, what would happen to her relationship with these kids?
Would she turn back into the wicked villainess from the original story?
Could Ye Sara ever experience a normal and happy week?
…Well, I’ll know when the time comes.
“Let’s start studying.”
Seemingly satisfied with how things had calmed down, Ha-neul spoke.
I let out a long sigh.
…Do I really have to study during break time at my age?
*
“…”
“S-Sorry…”
I was diligently taking notes based on what Ha-neul said, but she didn’t seem pleased, so I hurriedly apologized.
That’s right, what I learned ten years ago was useless to me now.
I wasn’t exactly the type to study hard back then either, and obviously, I hadn’t looked at high school math since I entered college.
It was only natural that I couldn’t even understand half of what Ha-neul was explaining.
Naturally, I felt incredibly embarrassed.
Usually, when someone regresses, they use their past life memories to get good grades or something, but I guess that wasn’t an option for me.
“N-No, it’s not like that.”
Ha-neul, who had been glaring at my notes, waved her hand after hearing my apology.
Seeing my dejected expression, she seemed genuinely flustered, her gestures growing a bit hurried.
“What’s important is the effort to try. The results will follow.”
Unfortunately, sometimes, no matter how much effort you put in, the results don’t follow.
Especially in subjects like arts or math, where a specific type of brainpower is required.
I’ve heard that some people enjoy solving math problems, but I have no idea what kind of mindset you need to have to find math formulas fun.
Well, Ha-neul didn’t seem like that type.
In the original story, it wasn’t that she particularly enjoyed studying, but more that she was diligent.
Depending on the choices, she could have just given up on it.
Before I could respond, the bell signaling the end of break rang.
“Oh, we’ll set this aside for now and continue during the next break.”
“Continue…?”
“Of course.”
When I questioned her, Ha-neul responded as if it were obvious.
“We haven’t finished studying yet. Fortunately, it’s still early on, so if we dedicate a few days after school to studying, you’ll be able to catch up.”
But I couldn’t even remember a single thing from the last study session…?
“It’s fine! Don’t worry! Studying is all about repetition. The more you repeat it, the more it sticks in your head!”
So, it seemed Ha-neul was determined to keep making me study until something stuck in my brain.
Then, Ha-neul’s gaze turned to So-hee, who was sitting next to me.
“…”
So-hee subtly avoided her gaze, but—
“You’re the same. There’s nothing written in your notebook.”
Ha-neul placed her hands on her hips and spoke.
“And you should know even better. If Sara doesn’t understand, you should be teaching her, shouldn’t you?”
“Ugh…”
It seemed that’s exactly what she thought.
I didn’t really mind.
If Ha-neul, and then—though unlikely—So-hee also started trying to teach me, it would really feel like I was back in school again.
While outside of school, I might have thought about going back, the idea of having to face exams again, something I thought I’d never have to see, was nauseating.
But judging by Ha-neul’s determined eyes, it seemed that was my destined future.
…Well, I am actually attending school right now.
If nothing drastic happens that allows me to return to my own body, I guess I’ll be going to school until graduation.
I sighed deeply.
*
“…”
Even after class had started, Yoo Ha-neul couldn’t concentrate.
Though she had just told me to focus and review everything repeatedly, Yoo Ha-neul herself couldn’t focus on the class because she had seen my notebook a little while ago.
It wasn’t because of what was written in the notebook.
Well, actually, maybe it was.
Because seeing what I had written was what got her attention.
It wasn’t because I didn’t understand or because I was slacking off in my studies.
She had expected that.
The real reason Yoo Ha-neul was bothered—
It was because of the handwriting in Ye Sara’s notebook.
Yes, the handwriting itself.
The sharp, hurried scrawl, as if I wanted to finish writing as quickly as possible, looked very different from what Yoo Ha-neul remembered of “Sara’s” handwriting.
Right.
It felt very different from the handwriting on the will that Yang Hye-in had shown her.
…Could the mood of the handwriting really change that much, even if it was rushed?
Or could it be…
Yoo Ha-neul clenched her fists tightly.
The reason wasn’t clear yet.
It was too soon to jump to conclusions.
But if someone else had written that will instead of Sara, and they had planned to show it to her friends—Yoo Ha-neul, Lee Soo-ah, and Shin So-hee—
…Yoo Ha-neul resolved to verify that will as soon as possible.