Chapter 57
57. Sleeve Insertion (1)
1.
Today is Friday.
It’s Friday, there’s gym class, and the next day is the weekend, so it’s my favorite day. Today can be said to be a little more special day.
Because it’s Han Seunggi’s birthday.
Yesterday, Cheon Se-joon celebrated Han Seung-gi’s birthday and took care of his hair or adjusted his school uniform.
If it’s a close friend’s birthday, I should prepare something special as much as possible.
The situation was a little different with Cheon Se-joon.
Han Seung-gi told me his circumstances on Wednesday.
I was able to hear how they usually live their lives, and I could understand why they are so reluctant to receive anything from others.
I could guess why he was always cynical, and why he always drew a line from other kids.
I’m probably the only one who knows what’s going on around him.
In fact, he heard a little about it, so it’s hard to say that he knows everything inside.
Because I’m not such a great person.
Anyway.
Even so, I’m not in a position to just throw away something called a gift.
The wounds in Han Seung-gi’s heart were not the kind of thing that could be resolved just by approaching me roughly.
It’s obvious that if you’re careless for nothing, the relationship will become awkward.
Last time, I thought about that for a while.
Han Seung-gi, who said he hadn’t even thought about going on a school trip because of financial circumstances.
I’ll use the money I’ve saved up and force them to attend school trips.
I thought that just imagining a school trip without Han Seung-gi wouldn’t be fun, and beyond that, I felt bad.
I don’t like it when my best friend isn’t there.
The reason for not attending…… Because that’s it.
I felt depressed when I thought that a guy who lived such a hard life would be the only one sitting at school when all the first graders went to play.
The school trip is the biggest event in May, but it is also an important event during school days.
And it is also an event with only two left, freshmen and sophomores.
After all, there won’t be such an event when you become a senior in high school.
Students who opted out of school trips must continue to attend school.
You have to fill the time from the 1st period to the 7th period, but there are no classes.
I would go home after doing self-study all day.
I didn’t want Han Seung-gi to go through something like that.
You may have already experienced this in middle school, but…… , At least in the first year of high school next to me, I didn’t want that to happen.
In a way, you could say that I was selfish.
I thought that it would not be fun without Han Seung-gi on a school trip.
But apart from that.
It’s too hard to just stare at a friend’s misfortune.
I can get a rough idea of what he’s thinking, but I don’t know if it’s a good friend to just leave it as it is.
I live at a distance from people, and when I am alone, I embrace misfortune with all my body.
I don’t pay attention to events, and I just quietly study by myself while others are playing.
Leaving your friends to live like that is…….
Anyway, his absence.
The reason for the absence.
I kept creating uncomfortable feelings in my heart.
But there was nothing I could do.
In order to go on a school trip with Han Seung-gi, the money problem had to be resolved in the end.
A school trip cost of about 500,000 won is a problem.
I didn’t get an answer.
If I give you 500,000 Won as a birthday present, it’s obvious that Han Seung-gi will stubbornly refuse.
No, it’s fortunate that it ends with rejection. Could I be angry?
It wasn’t even possible to pass it indirectly.
Well, how to deliver something like a scholarship through a teacher?
It’s not a drama. Would that be possible?
I kept thinking like that from Wednesday and came to the best conclusion.
To put it in conclusion, give Han Seung-gi 500,000 won and have him attend the school trip.
Of course, I didn’t intend to approach you out of the blue.
I was thinking of making the most of his characteristics.
This is…… I hope it goes well…….
If everything goes the way I want, maybe there won’t be any bad results…….
No. I do not know.
Should I even pray?
2.
Today was my birthday that I didn’t even remember.
Something unusual at school……. There was.
It was quite inconvenient for the guys who confirmed my birthday on my kakaotalk profile to congratulate me.
I was also a person who didn’t pay much attention to birthdays in the first place.
It was awkward and thankful that he kept trying to do something for me for my birthday, but I didn’t really want to receive such a favor.
If I receive something from Min Ah-rin or Cheon Se-joon, it’s easier to give it back, but they’re not that close yet.
Anyway, by the way.
Things that Cheon Se-joon diligently managed yesterday.
Hair, glasses, even school uniform.
I don’t think I’ve changed that much, but in the eyes of the kids, it didn’t seem like that.
It was quite burdensome to receive more attention than usual.
To be honest, who cares so much just because a man’s appearance has changed a little?
I don’t mean to say that I have few friends, but that’s what I think.
Anyway, that reaction is also a reaction.
The more important thing is about Min Ah-rin.
Min Arin seemed to be making an appointment with me today.
It was because of that that I dared to receive Cheon Se-joon’s present yesterday.
But today, Min Ah-rin looked a bit awkward.
She talks to me a lot less often than usual, she seems to be thinking about something all the time, and she never even bothered to make an appointment.
I’m not the kind of person who would regret not having an appointment, but that’s strange.
Even during PE class, when Min Ah-rin’s tension was at its peak, such a flat appearance continued.
When I talked to them, they only threw strange noises.
From noble mtl dot com
‘Min Ah-rin, what’s wrong?’
‘Ah, Han Seung-gi. Maybe, during the final exam… Can I give you tutoring?’
‘Tutoring? Like midterm exams? It doesn’t matter… Why?’
‘Ah, okay.’
‘?’
In the end, I was able to hear about the promise only after the 7th period PE was over.
If there was anything unusual about that promise, it would be unique.
I was just asking if you could go over to my house today.
I also had something to notice, so at this point I could at least know that Min Ah-rin was hiding something.
If you think today is your birthday…… Maybe it’s like a gift.
What are you trying to give me by coming to my house?
Do I have to come to your house to give it to you? What do you mean?
What are you trying to give me in the first place?
Otherwise, you don’t have to come to my house.
Since he’s always been like that, I felt anxious as I wondered if he was trying to do something strange.
I told you not to give presents that are burdensome, and Min Ah-rin isn’t such a careless person either.
The ceremony has just ended and everyone is packing their bags and heading out, but Min Ah-rin is still lost in her thoughts.
“Min Ah-rin, let’s go. The ceremony is over.”
“Huh? Ah… that, that’s how it should be. Just sleep…”
3.
As expected, Min Ah-rin’s behavior was beyond imagination.
She was strange along today.
… ….
It is a 40-minute walk from school to my house.
If Min Ah-rin’s visit is a little inconvenient, it’s more about the bus fare to my house.
She’s spending money she shouldn’t have.
Even if I get bus fare from Min Ah-rin, it just adds to the burden.
By the way.
I don’t know what he was thinking, but he said let’s just walk to my house.
I am a person who knows Min Ah-rin’s usual behavior to some extent, but it was clear that she would have chosen a bus or a taxi.
And she said few people would suggest walking the 40-minute distance.
If you think about why she suddenly gave such a variation, the answer that comes out is…… About my home environment.
Among the people around me in this life, only Min Ah-rin knows the details of my situation.
I don’t know what the flow of thought was.
Anyway, nothing bad.
Although she doesn’t feel very comfortable walking down that street because of me.
If you don’t like riding the bus or walking, that’s a mental illness.
Anyway.
We arrived at our house after a 40-minute walk.
Min Ah-rin must have visited the place once, even on Wednesday, but she looked pretty awkward moving her steps as if she hadn’t adjusted yet.
I walked down the stairs of the semi-basement and took out her key, but before I could insert her key into the hole, I heard Min Ah-rin’s voice.
“Ha, Han Seung-gi!”
“Huh? Why?”
“This, this…!”
Stuttering her words, she took out a white paper bag.
An ordinary envelope usually used to deliver money or letters.
Looking at the thickness, it seemed like there was a lot of stuff in it.
When she opened the envelope.
… ….
I couldn’t say anything.
I was shocked.
“What is this?”
Inside it was a bunch of green bills.
An envelope full of ten thousand won bills.
At a glance, it seemed like it would be 500,000 won.
The amount didn’t shock me.
That was shocking too, but it wasn’t important right now.
What the heck was he thinking that he gave me something like this for my birthday?
I can’t even imagine what kind of thought process there was, and it came as quite a shock to me that a kid who was familiar with my tendencies presented this.
Where did you hear what I said?
Did you not pay attention to the way I looked?
I warned them not to give presents that were burdensome, but what kind of case is it that they explode when they can’t cross the line?
I started to get annoyed when he came out like that, as if he was making fun of me.
I know best that Min Ah-rin is not that kind of person, but the situation is the situation.
And since I live like a beggar, I’m about to come up with a bad feeling, wondering if I’m doing something wrong.
Minah Lin opened her mouth with a trembling voice.
“That…, Birthday present…, Tutoring expenses…, Friend expenses…, Lodging expenses… It’s the same thing… I-I can explain everything?!”
Well, the things I had thought of just before flew away in an instant.
I roughly understood the cost of tutoring.
What is the friend fee and lodging fee?
Why are you making such a firm expression?
I really don’t understand.