Chapter 14 (1/2)
Seeing that well-organised list, Seol's head automatically moved up and down in a nod. He had no idea who's child this unknown student could've been, but well, this was very well-organised, indeed.
‘Most likely a honour student, top of the cla.s.s and all that….' (Seol)
Now that he had leeway to spare, Seol no longer hurried and simply walked on the corridor in a relaxed gait. He found three, four people busily running around inside cla.s.sroom 3-2; he then spotted s.h.i.+n Sahng-Ah jumping up and down in joy while crying out ”Yaaaaay!!” inside 3-3. She then froze up like a deer in headlight as soon as she saw him staring at her through the corridor window.
Seol procured three coins by the window sill of cla.s.sroom 3-4, and entered the 3-5, only to run into someone he didn't expect to find so soon.
It was Yun Seo-Rah. She was in the middle of searching every nook and cranny. She only took a cursory glance when she heard the cla.s.sroom door slide open, before turning her attention back to the treasure hunt. She kept on opening and digging through every single desk in the cla.s.sroom.
Seeing that, Seol couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion.
‘Why is she searching every desk like that? Doesn't she already have a map?' (Seol)
Seol's thoughts were only half correct. They both possessed maps, but the level of information contained within were quite different.
For instance, the info shown on the diary of the unknown student's was as concise and precise as one could get, telling him to go to ‘cla.s.sroom 3-5, 2nd desk on the 3rd row, x1' or to ‘6th desk on the 5th row, x4'. However, Yun Seo-Rah's map only displayed vague hints such as, ‘cla.s.sroom 3-4, inside a desk'.
Unless it was something like a teacher's podium, which there would only ever be one in a cla.s.sroom, she'd have to roll up her sleeve and do some hard labour when the coins were hidden inside one of the many lockers or desks there.
Yun Seo-Rah finally found a single coin and became rather pleased with the result. She then dropped it inside her bag and turned around.
Then, she spotted Seol casually finding four coins that were hidden inside a desk near the door. Her eyes blinked several times in shock.
‘Alright, let's see. Next is….' (Seol)
Next, Seol headed to the cla.s.sroom 3-6. By the time Yun Seo-Rah recovered from her shock and belatedly followed him, Seol had already swept the place clean.
‘Too easy. Way too easy.' (Seol)
Seol whistled and happily went about his task. He was deeply worried before, yet now that a path had opened up for him all of a sudden, he couldn't help but feel very happy and motivated here.
And so, he ransacked the cla.s.sroom 3-7 in the same manner. But, as he was exiting the room, his steps came to an abrupt halt. Yun Seo-Rah was standing in front of the doorway.
Her gaze alternated between the wide-open door of a locker and her map, before s.h.i.+fting her gaze upwards to Seol. Although her face still more or less remained impa.s.sive as before, her eyes kept blinking nonstop. Inexplicably, Seol felt a wee bit scared, all of a sudden.
”…….”
”…….”
For some unknown reason, he even felt like he did something he shouldn't have and had become a criminal in the process.
‘….Maybe, I should leave 3-8 alone….' (Seol)
He carefully sidestepped past Yun Seo-Rah and headed off to 3-9. His steps were quick and urgent, as the feeling of apologetic guilt p.r.i.c.ked him.
However, while walking past 3-8…. He couldn't understand why Yun Seo-Rah chose to follow him, instead of stopping by the cla.s.sroom.
Seol was now beset with a sense of awkwardness and began to run. Sure enough, he could hear the hurried footsteps following him from behind. Now genuinely fl.u.s.tered, Seol quickly entered cla.s.sroom 3-9.
[Cla.s.sroom 3-9, on top of the teacher's podium, x3] [Cla.s.sroom 3-9, above the TV cabinet, x1]
While Seol was pocketing the coins on the podium, Yun Seo-Rah charged forward as fast as an infantryman attacking his enemy and pounced on the TV cabinet. By the time Seol s.h.i.+fted his gaze towards her direction, her arm was already shooting up towards the top of the cabinet.
”….Ah.” (Yun Seo-Rah)
Unfortunately for her, her hand couldn't quite reach up there.
The TV cabinet itself was rather huge, and it easily exceeded two metres in height. In other words, it was tall enough to nearly touch the ceiling. It was obvious that Yun Seo-Rah and her height of around the middle of 160 cm would never reach up there.
….Even when she tried to stand on one foot,
….Even when she stood on tiptoes, both of her heels leaving the ground,
….Even when she jumped up and down on her not-so-new shoes. (TL note at the end)
….Her hand only swung around the empty air, so close and yet so far.
She kept doing that for a while. She could've just used a desk or a chair to stand higher, but….
Seol found her gasping and sweating while struggling like that very funny and adorable, and a short laughter broke out from his lips.
”Fu…. Ahahaha….” (Seol)
Her movements came to a stand still.
Seol hurriedly covered his mouth up, but it was too late by then. Yun Seo-Rah's head robotically turned around to face him, her expression dazed and lost.
Seol felt incredibly apologetic once more. He had no excuses to offer - even though his personality might be on the wrong side of being blunt, he still knew he had made a big mistake just now.
Indeed, he knew that very well, yet…..
Seol had to summon every ounce of willpower to suppress the laughter trying to explode out of his mouth. Should he say that the dam had been well and truly burst open? Her reactions of now were utterly, comically different to her normally indifferent expressions, and he found it incredibly funny.
Didn't one of the old sayings go along the line of, ‘laughter would get progressively harder to block the more you try to?'
‘What should I do now?' (Seol)
Seol felt like he'd explode in a fit of laughter if he tried to say something now. He gulped in lots of air, and while suppressing his laughter in the same way one would hold his breath, walked to the TV cabinet. He retrieved the coin and took a quick glance at her.
‘What now? Why is she being so resentful like that?' (Seol)
Seol carefully presented the recovered coin to her. She briefly looked at it resting on his palm, before staring at him without saying anything. However, she seemed to be implying, ‘Are you pitying me right now?'
”………”
”………”
A strange but definitely awkward silence flowed between them. Seol was this close to breaking down, though - she needed to either take the d.a.m.n coin or not - she needed to make up her mind right now and leave the cla.s.sroom, so he'd get to finally break down and laugh his head off. Trying to suppress this laughter was killing him inside.
”T, take it….” (Seol)
In the end, Seol couldn't endure it and opened his mouth with a lot of difficulty. However….
”…..A, gah, gah, ahahahahahaha!!!”
The laughter exploded out of his mouth, even though he inwardly went Oh, c.r.a.p!
”No, wait! I mean, no! Gah, hahahaha….” (Seol)
Yun Seo-Rah's complexion, visible through his desperately waving hands, was incomparably pale.
Now that he finally let the unstoppable laughter out of his system, the unavoidable reality hit him.
Yun Seo-Rah seemed rather nonplussed. Although her gaze was slightly lowered, she maintained that impa.s.sive expression of hers.
‘She's feeling okay, I guess?' (Seol)
Just as Seol was feeling relieved inwardly…
Sniff.
….He could hear her softly sniff through her nose. Although the amount was small, her upturned eyes were wet with tears.
It seemed that, perhaps her pride had been wounded - her breathing became imperceptibly faster, and her facial muscles began twitching as well. Now that Seol took a closer look, she was biting her lips ever so slightly, too.
She eventually wiped her eyes and turned on her heels to leave.
”Uhm….” (Seol)
Seol continued to watch the silently departing back of Yun Seo-Rah, the coin still resting on top of his palm.
On the fifth floor, just after the treasure hunt commenced.
Kahng Seok directed his followers into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.
”What's the matter? ….Is it urgent? We gotta find those coins quickly, you know!” (Lee Hyung-Sik)
Hearing Lee Hyung-Sik's words, Kahng Seok's lips formed a wry smile.
”What are you so worried about? We can start looking for them later. Or just take it from those who have found some already.” (Kahng Seok)
”You want to steal them?” (Lee Hyung-Sik)
”Obviously.” (Kahng Seok)
After hearing Kahng Seok's declaration, Lee Hyung-Sik rubbed his nose. Perhaps still feeling the brunt of the pain experienced not too long ago, a low groan leaked out of his lips. Jeong Min-Woo's complexion wasn't so good, either.
”That b*stard wouldn't sit still, though….” (Lee Hyung-Sik)
”That's right. I think it'll be better for us to collect them the normal way.” (Jeong Min-Woo)
Kahng Seok raised his voice in anger after hearing the two's pathetic replies.
”F*ck me, you get hit only once and are now s.h.i.+vering like some scared cats? Why don't you chop off your b.a.l.l.s right now or something? Idiots.” (Kahng Seok)
”…..”
”Eh? What's the matter with you two? Are you going to take that sh*t lying down? Really now?” (Kahng Seok)
”B, but….!”
”I can't let this sh*t go. I gotta pay him back with interest. Ten times, no, 100 times more. Isn't that how human nature works?” (Kahng Seok)
”….You have a plan or something?” (Jeong Min-Woo)
Jeong Min-Woo asked, still sounding not entirely convinced. Kahng Seok licked his lips in a rather ominous manner, rechecked that the door was locked, and then, beckoned his lackeys to come closer.
”Come on, closer.” (Kahng Seok)
Lee Hyung-Sik and Jeong Min-Woo came closer and paid attention.
”We will also go and collect those coins. We will do our best, right until midnight. Got it?” (Kahng Seok)
”Uhm?”
”Keep listening, because this is where it'll get interesting.” (Kahng Seok)
Kahng Seok lowered his voice to a whisper and explained his plan to the two.
”W, what did you say?” (Lee Hyung-Sik)
Lee Hyung-Sik's mouth opened up wide in surprise.
”What the? But, if that happens….” (Lee Hyung-Sik)
”Keep your mouth shut.” (Kahng Seok)
Kahng Seok growled menacingly, causing Lee Hyung-Sik to promptly slam his lips shut.
”….Is there a reason for us to go this far?” (Jeong Min-Woo)