1st in class hides regression

“Hey, this…” “What?” 

At Bang Eun-ji’s double entendre, Kyung Shin didn’t flinch.

 

On the contrary, she held her head up steadfastly, as if she was getting even more heated.

 “Bang Eun-ji, aren’t you guys really going too far?” 

Shin chimed in from the side.

 “How long are the kids supposed to put up with your behavior?” 

Her voice was shaky, but that made her sound more sincere. From there, the complaints started to pour out.

 “Oh, come on, how long are you going to play dirty, aren’t we in high school?” “You think I’m avoiding you because I’m afraid of poop. I’m avoiding you because you’re dirty, you don’t know the extent of it.” “Isn’t there a sign that says you’re not allowed in our class, so why do you go into other people’s classes when no one is there?” “Is she responsible if something goes missing?” 

Bang Eun-ji cringed at the dozens of unflattering stares she received.

 

This wasn’t the kind of stare she was used to getting when she bullied and made noise.

 

Her ears reddened, she looked back at Kyung Shin, who was the first to step forward.

 “Hey, are you sure you can fix this?” “Stop! Eun-ji, what are you doing?” 

The stern-faced teacher interrupted.

 “Are you threatening your friend in front of the teacher?” 

The sternly reprimand teacher turned to her friend.

 “Shin, did you really just say that?” “Yes. Me and Hee-min saw it.” “Hee-min?” “Seventh class.” “You mean it was during club time?” “Yes.” “She didn’t come back to her room because she was sick during club time.” 

A boy from another class interrupted from outside the room. Bang Eun-ji looks at them, but they just say,

“What?”

and look away.

 

When one of the boys spoke up, the others who had been silent chimed in.

 “Bastard…” “That’s out of line.” “Oh, Kang Dahye, you shouldn’t lose your handwriting. I have to copy her.” “Is Kang Dahye going to show me?” “Crazy, I put the game console I bought at Jungna in my bag. Isn’t it gone too?” “Who takes that, dumbass.” “Uh-oh. I think it’s really gone.” “What?” “Hey, Bang Eun-ji, did you go through my bag?!” “No!” 

Sensing that the odds were stacked against her, Bang Eun-ji snapped.

 “You have no proof! Isn’t it too much to accuse a whole person based on the words of a few kids?!” 

That’s what you’ve been doing to Do-yeon all this time…

 “I didn’t do it!” 

You’ve been acting like you’re going to get hit, and now you’re saying you’re not. It was Jung Eun-sung who surprisingly drove a wedge into Bang Eun-ji’s shameless lie.

 “Teacher” 

Jung Eun-sung, who called the homeroom teacher in the same tone as when he said,

“Teacher, what is Kang Dahye doing?”

pointed to Bang Eun-ji with his eyes. He had a damp mop on his arm.

 “I saw her buying two strawberry milks at the canteen earlier.” “You did?” “Yes. The lady at the canteen said she forgot to order strawberry milk and there were only two strawberry milks available today, but she bought them all and I didn’t get any.” “…Really?” “Yes. And that milk is only sold in our store, it doesn’t come in the convenience store.” “That’s too bad.” “Sir, hurry up and look in my bag, my game console is worth 400,000 won!” “Sir, can you really check my bag? I think my wallet is empty.” 

No big deal…

 

I scratched my cheeks as I looked back at Bang Eun-ji.

 “It’s not really me!” “Let’s go downstairs.” “Bang Eun-ji, you can’t get away with this!” 

Bang Eun-ji is quickly accused of being a thief.

 

The teacher of her class and our teacher took her downstairs.

 

The boy who claimed to have lost the game console and his friend also went down.

 “Oh, really… Mr… Why don’t you believe me…” “I don’t believe you because you’re lying. Didn’t you know there’s CCTV in the hallway? I can see the back door of class 2 from there.” “You can’t get away with this. You have to get my parents.” 

There was even CCTV. Justice is alive and well.

 

The ceremony was over, and the kids sobered up, packed up their things, and started walking out of school.

 “Kangdaaaaah…” 

Jisoo, who had been fidgeting, was grabbed by her teacher and led back to the classroom.

 “Kids, you know you have literature homework… You have to write a book report by next Monday…” 

I wrote it a long time ago, and it’s all spoiled with milk, so I’ll have to rewrite it…

 

After shouting helplessly at the kids as they left the classroom, I grabbed the tissues again and squatted down in front of my locker.

 

It still smells like milk, even though I’ve cleaned it up.

 

I flip through my tattered books. The milk had smeared all the marks where I had once written down the teacher’s words from beginning to end.

 “Ah, nothing to salvage.” 

It’s okay.

 

I can’t remember what I wrote down 11 years ago anyway.

 “Let’s do it.” 

Do-yeon, who had just gotten some disinfectant from the lunchroom, squatted down next to me. 

 

She pushes me with her shoulder and wipes down my locker.

 “You’re going to get in my locker.” 

I joke, but she doesn’t respond. Do-yeon’s hands are shaking as she wipes off the remaining water.

 “…I’m sorry.” “Why are you?” “Because of me.” “It’s not you, it’s Bang Eun-ji’s bad character.” 

Poverty, parents, plain clothes. How can you just pick on teenage kids?

 

I thought back to what she had said to me and laughed in vain.

 

My bag!

 “Now that I think about it, I’m pissed. Why don’t they keep wearing the bag they used in elementary school? Do they disrespect elementary school kids?” 

They’re disrespecting the elementary school kids by skipping school every year on Children’s Day because of them.

 

You don’t get a day off on Children’s Day when you’re an adult. Ever!

 “Wait and see. I’m going to use this bag until it dies.” 

I’m at the forefront of environmental protection right now. I wiped the inside of the bag and winked at Do-yeon.

 

She looked like she was about to cry, but she ended up smiling.

 

Then she heard a voice behind her.

 “Hey, it’s Dahye.” “Huh?” 

I turned around.

 

Shin and Sua were standing behind us. They came closer and peered into my locker.

 “Are you okay? Ew, strawberry smell.” “What the hell…” “It’s okay, I cleaned it up. What about you, Sua? What did the teachers say?” “I just came because the CCTV showed all the evidence. Bang’s mom is coming to school. She was crying.” “Crying?” “Yeah. I heard her mom screaming at her on the phone in the staff room.” “Ugh.” 

I wince.

 

I greeted Shin and Sua, whose cheeks were still red from the excitement of earlier.

 “Thanks for stepping in earlier. I would have gotten in trouble if it wasn’t for you.” “Oh, come on. Even if it wasn’t for me, the CCTV would’ve found out anyway.” “Still.” 

I joke, and Sua laughs.

 

A few days ago, when she refused to ask Do-yeon about something she didn’t know, she seemed a little cranky, but not at all now.

 “You know what?” 

She hesitates, then says.

 “…The room wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I just panicked and couldn’t say anything when you barged in on me…” “Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking!” 

Shin rolled her eyes and agreed. Shin and Sua cursed at Bang Eun-ji like a person with a burst tongue.

 “Honestly, she crossed the line…” “You’re so cool…….” “I once wore an adious t-shirt when I was younger…” “If you don’t know, you might wear it…” “Cute.” 

I watched the giggling high school girls with a mom’s heart.

 “Do you want to go eat tteokbokki? My treat.” 

Well, technically, not me, but my mom.

  

– What high school girls need to get close to each other- 

  “Okay!” “Okay!” 

Sua replied coldly and looked back at Do-yeon, who was standing there awkwardly.

 

After coughing, Sua said hesitantly.

 “Do-yeon, you should come too. …If you don’t mind eating with us.” “…Of course I don’t mind.” “…I think I was a little harsh back then, I’m sorry.” “No…” “Hmph! Why are you crying!” 

For your information, Do-yeon didn’t cry.

 

I cried.

 “Huh…” 

These kids are so nice… The future of the country is bright…

 “Hehe…” “Kyung Shin, why are you crying again…” “I don’t know… Seeing Dahye crying makes me cry too…” “Don’t cry, really…” “Sorry…” “Thank you…” “Hunghung…” “But what about Dahye’s book….” “Oh, yeah. Right… Let’s cry because the book is wet…” 

The four of us hugged each other and cried like penguins.

 

Suddenly, a shadow fell in front of me as I looked up through my snotty nose.

 

It was Jung Eun-sung.

 “Didn’t you go?” 

I asked nervously.

 

Whether he did or not, when he saw my tear-streaked face, he shoved the mop he was holding away.

 

After thoroughly cleaning up the strawberry milk on the floor, he called out to me.

 “Hey.” “Huh?” “I don’t want to study; do you want my books?”