Chapter 428: Chapter 428
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âThanks for coming. Nice to see you again after a long time.â
âHaha, the apple doesnât fall far from the tree. Your other son that I didnât see last time also looks very handsome just like you. I thought all of you were actors stepping into the restaurant.â
Receiving an enthusiastic welcome from both Yeo Ryungâs father and my father, Mr. Ian replied in fluent Korean, âI am also very grateful to see you again. This is my wife and business partner, Jenny Yi. And these are my sons.â
âNice to meet you, sir!â greeted Lucas flaunting a decent smile. He was standing straight behind Yi Jenny. Looking at his current behavior, I could hardly believe that he was the same person as the one who had made a fuss in front of our school entrance.
Both my father and Yeo Ryungâs father might have seen all kinds of weird hair colors throughout their lives; however, they couldnât take their eyes off Lucasâ hair. Inside the restaurant where everything was almost red, Lucasâs hair especially boasted an impressive existence.
Since the adults ordered clear rice wine from the beginning, our tables were soon divided into the grownupsâ and ours. Thus, Yeo Ryung, Yeo Dan oppa, Ruda, and I sat at the same table.
Waiting for Lucas if he would come to our table, I soon realized something while watching Lucas receiving a glass of liquor.
âRight, he turned twenty-five this year. He always looks so youngâŠâ I murmured and turned my head to the table again. The menu we ordered was the same as those from last year: Yangjangpi, mixed vegetables and seafood in mustard sauce; yusanseul, stir-fried three ingredients dish; and jaengban jjajang, stir-fried noodles in black bean sauce.
Not only the location but also the dishes we ordered and the people here were the same as last year, which felt like the time had stopped for a moment. It seemed like not a minute or second had passed from this day a year ago. The only thing that made me realize the sense of reality was the overlapped hands under the table. That was why I could barely acknowledge that today was different from the day a year ago.
Once the dishes came out, Yeo Dan oppa and I were able to release our hands to avoid any suspicion. Watching was doing that action, Ruda showed a look of disgust.
Picking up the deep-fried food with her chopsticks, Yeo Ryung detached her lips.
âHow was school today, oppa? Youâre now a senior in high school. Itâd be completely different from so far.â
Even the female main character in a web novel thought that being a senior in high school was something extraordinary. âThat was such a normal question after a while, Ban Yeo Ryung,â I thought while showing a look of surprise on my face.
However, Yeo Dan oppaâs response was the same as usual.
âNothing special,â he replied.
Having expected that remark, Yeo Ryung and I both had the same expressions on our faces. If Yeo Dan oppa uttered that something special had happened to him, it would only be something like doomsday or apocalypse.
The moment I rambled those things in mind, Yeo Dan oppa tossed a question.
âWhat about you?â
âHuh? Ah, me?â replied Yeo Ryung while picking the tip of her lips with her chopsticks.
I also paid attention to her words. Her clear and beautiful voice blended into the noise in the restaurant.
âI became classmates again with those four. Geez, I have no idea why. Besides, Donnie isnât in our class, this time too! Since things keep going this way, there seems to be another reason, not a coincidence.â
âAha, haâŠâ I couldnât help but laugh instinctively. Others then threw doubtful glances at me. Shaking my head, I quickly shoved my head onto the dish and cursed the author, âSo, you must have not put everyone in one class, which makes even the slow-witted Ban Yeo Ryung notice that somethingâs going strange!â
Swirling the foods absentmindedly, Ban Yeo Ryung continued, âYeah, other than that, nothing special though. Other kids are all kind that I can soon get close to them⊠Ah, the kid sitting beside me seems nice too!â
Yi Ruda suddenly intervened in her words apathetically, âIs there anyone on earth you view negatively? You do have eyes to judge others, so stop seeing others so positively. Didnât you have a good first impression on Choi Yuri, did you?â
âHey!â
âRuda!â
As both Ban Yeo Ryung and I shouted in astonishment, Ruda looked flustered for a moment but soon showed an expression that he had made a mistake. Now I had come to think of it, we didnât tell Ruda beforehand that the things with Choi Yuri were kept as a secret to our families.
Ruda tried to handle the situation immediately.
â⊠And⊠she was just like your first impression.â
ââŠâ
âShe left as a sincere friend till the end⊠haha⊠haâŠâ
Watching Yi Ruda smiling awkwardly, I touched my forehead. Yeo Dan oppa had been looking Ruda suspiciously from beside me.
âRuda, you arenât a good liar when it isnât intended,â I sighed and decided to switch the topic. Just in time, there was something to talk about.
I asked, âRuda, what do you think our class would be from now on?â Squinting my eyes, I carefully added, âIn my point of view, there seem to be a few kids that Iâm concerned aboutâŠâ
âOh, ah⊠you mean that thing?â he replied.
Thankfully, he understood what I was trying to say. Slightly glancing at the adultsâ table, Ruda lowered his voice and said, âPerhaps, something must happen to settle things out.â
I asked back, âSomething must happen?â then trembled. If something should happen in school, it would definitely be like an inspection of our belongings. However, since those words escaped from Rudaâs mouth, it sounded quite serious.
Ruda whispered yet with a low voice, which made Yeo Ryung, Yeo Dan oppa, and I lean our bodies low toward Yi Ruda.
âDid you know that many kids in our grade entered our school by donation admission?â
âDonation admission?â
Looking at each other shortly, Ban Yeo Ryung and I blurted out at the same time, âYou mean, Eun Jiho?â
When it came to donation admission, only Eun Jiho flashed through our minds. I seemed to have heard that one of his relatives was the chairman of the board of our school; his family was super wealthy and famous too.
Ruda looked immediately dumbfounded. He uttered, âThough I ainât his friend, he would feel very unfair. Why would he make a donation to get admitted to our school when heâs that smart and excels in everything?â
âAh, that makes sense though,â I agreed to his response right away. According to Eun Jihoâs excellent academic performance of taking second place in the nationwide college mock exams, he would get admitted to every selective institution in this country, not only just our school.
âBecause of his fancy background, I forgot the definite fact!â I said to myself.
The next person that came across our heads was, of course, the one who also had a great background but seldom showed himself studying.
Ban Yeo Ryung asked, âThen⊠Yoo Chun Young?â
âIs he not good at studying?â Ruda uttered while twinkling his eyes as if he had found new information.
Thinking for a second, Ban Yeo Ryung and I shook our heads at the same time.
âHmm, no heâs not.â
After Ban Yeo Ryung, I also replied, âYeah, now I come to think of it, heâs also excellent.â
During middle school when Yoo Chun Young wasnât working as a model, he and I had similar grades; his test scores still seemed to be kept on a mid-upper level even now. Well, he was able to make those academic performances since he was also one of the Four Heavenly Kings who just took classes in school but achieved outstanding results anyway.
Clicking his tongue, Ruda leaned forward to the table. Lowering his voice than before, he whispered, âAlthough both of them didnât enter our school by donation, they could have been the reason for the increased donation admission.â
Opening our eyes wide, Ban Yeo Ryung and I shouted, âWhat?â We had no idea what he was talking out.
âYou know it isnât that bad to get along with the successor of Hanwool Group and the apple of Balhae Group chairmanâs eye,â replied Ruda.
âOhâŠ!â
âPerhaps our grade has the most kids whoâve got admitted to our school by making big donations. Thatâs why we get to see a lot of suspicious kids who donât look that good in academic performances or so. Most of them are, unfortunately, gathered in our class.â
Listening to Yi Rudaâs inference, I thought, âBut you also look like you have never studied for gradesâŠâ However, I should better leave these words unspoken.
Resting my chin on my palm quietly, I heard Yi Rudaâs following remark.
âAnyway, thankfully, no one among them seemed to have achieved their goals. You know Eun Jiho and Yoo Chun Young never make anyone get too close to them except for Kwon Eun Hyung and Woo Jooin, the dual personality⊠those who have been close friends to them since childhood.â
âAh, thatâs very true,â I agreed quietly.
In fact, every time we welcomed the new school year, I made new friends in class; however, the Four Heavenly Kings didnât, which made me wonder what were they gonna do if the four boys got split into different classes.
Thus, I just concluded that they were quite picky about meeting new people and no one really suited them. However, was I wrong?
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