Chapter 11

School hours had finally come to an end. Unlike when I arrived and found my desk broken, nothing particularly notable happened afterward.

After reaching an agreement with my seatmate, I took the desk next to me with Yoon Inna, known as the queen of the school. Up until the end of the lessons, she didn’t take any actions that could torment me. It might be because it’s barely been the first day I’ve been here, and she simply chose not to intervene further.

While I found myself lost in the satisfaction of making it through my first day at school without incident, my homeroom teacher, during the closing remarks, gave me a piercing look.

“Well, that’s it for today. Those who signed up for clubs, go to your activities. And Erica, please come to the staff room.”

I thought, skipping these days, she hadn’t called me out for the three days I was absent, hoping it would just be let go easily.

Sigh.

I sighed while getting up to head to the staff room, while my classmates began their goodbyes and prepared to leave school with much laughter.

“Hey, you going to the video game place today?”

“We arranged a soccer match with Danseong High School.”

“If you had a prior engagement, there’s nothing to be done. Let’s play together next time.”

Students who were setting up game schedules to go home.

“Are you going to your private tutoring again?”

“Yeah, my parents are too strict about it.”

“I’m going to a study room!”

“I also have to go to cram school although I had fun yesterday…”

“It is what it is. Next time, when there isn’t a private tutoring slot, let’s hang out together! This time with Inna too!”

“Sure!”

Students who were leaving to study after school ended.

“…”

And those who silently went to wherever they were headed without saying a word.

As most people left the classroom, Yoon Inna remained seated, waving goodbye to me as I headed to the staff room.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have any other invitations—there were several girls in what I named “The Yoon Inna Posse”—but she had personally declined their invitations, refusing to join them and opting to come with me.

Recalling her declaration to come along with me when I went home, I left a message: “I’ll wait for you,” before heading towards the staff room.

The route to the staff room was already familiar from the earlier explanation I had after claiming memory loss. Thus, even though the homeroom teacher had left ahead of me, I had no trouble finding it on my own.

I knocked gently on the door of the staff room, a place I thought I’d never visit again in my life, and entered to see not only the teachers from class today but some unfamiliar faces as well.

All teachers had faces, yet in this romantic visual novel, I’d realized during class that not all teachers were black humans—they looked regular. So, seeing extras with faces didn’t surprise me as I sat down in the chair beside the homeroom teacher.

The homeroom teacher for 2-A — or rather, my second homeroom teacher in 2nd year — looked much younger than the other teachers. Her youthful appearance suggested a relatively shorter teaching career, although given that she was an event character and one of the heroines, this was understandable.

Even though she was young, her ability to clear the national teacher’s exam was proof of her competence. Whether that would benefit or harm me was yet to be determined.

“Would you like a coffee? Or perhaps a beverage?”

“No, my friend is waiting for me.”

My curt response implied an intention to wrap up the conversation quickly and return to the classroom where Inna awaited. The homeroom teacher, clearly inexperienced yet perceptive, took a deep breath before speaking.

“Is there anything troubling you?”

“If I were to say it, should I be saying it here?”

This was a place where conversations could be overheard by other teachers, and recalling my high school days — a battlefield where betrayal could occur any time — I knew better than to speak frankly here.

Students eavesdropping in the corridors or teachers casually sharing details with friends were also possibilities. Not everyone who was allowed to be a teacher necessarily had both ability and integrity.

“Aah, if that’s the case, let’s head somewhere else. Let’s go with your friend who’s waiting.”

Understanding my experience in navigating such tricky waters, the teacher grabbed her car keys and handbag, standing ready.

There are no real secrets in a school.

Because I wanted my conversation to be confidential, I suggested moving elsewhere — my intention being to involve Yoon Inna, who knew my situation best. While I hadn’t explicitly said so, she likely understood this need partially.

The teacher, believing I simply didn’t feel like discussing anything at school, accepted that and decided to head out, possibly thinking to involve my friend Inna.

Taking my hand, the homeroom teacher led me out of the staff room.

I felt a peculiar sensation at being guided by a younger woman who’s “adult” form indicated authority but shook off the feeling. Once we’d walked far enough from the staff room, the teacher turned to me.

“I’ll wait at the parking lot, so go gather your things with your friend and come down. Actually, even without a bag, just come comfortably.”

I nodded, realizing she had remembered at the last moment that I hadn’t brought a bag to school today. If she hadn’t corrected herself, I could have easily said I had a bag because Inna’s bag itself could have justified that, but I let it pass.

*

Not all students who are bullied are weak.

This was especially evident with Kang Yoo-jin, the homeroom teacher of 2-A, who could identify Erica, the student in her class with a foreign name and appearance.

With an otherworldly aura and striking white hair that resembled a fairy, Erica carried an almost ethereal presence, setting her apart from the mundane. Since middle school, Yoon Inna had vouched for Erica as her one and only best friend.

Consequently, at the start of the first grade, all the students in Erica’s class were desperate to befriend her. And even as their teacher, Kang Yoo-jin could not resist the urge to be close to Erica.

However, this friendly attention was short-lived. Erica’s response to their efforts was an absolute disregard. Even Yoon Inna, her childhood friend, was dismissed, which infuriated Inna’s acquaintances who were trying their best to reach out. Naturally, others followed.

Erica had isolated herself from everyone else.

As a result, her peers decided to treat her the same way she treated them.

Of course, this didn’t escalate into severe bullying, thanks largely to the fact that any attempts to h*rass Erica were mysteriously reflected back onto the tormentors.

Erasers thrown at her hair would come back and hit the thrower; punches or kicks aimed at her ricochet to injure the attacker instead. It was a bizarre situation, and while the exact cause of her supernatural abilities was unknown to her teacher, Kang Yoo-jin, this was clearly why Erica remained untouched.

As Erica gradually began showing interest in others after the first summer break following her self-imposed isolation, she seemed to be integrating back into the class by the start of the second year.

If not for the sudden news about Kim Ha-neul’s romantic relationship, which triggered Erica’s irrational reactions like demanding a breakup and even threatening s*icide, she might have successfully blended back in with the group.

This was why Kang Yoo-jin believed that with the right counseling, Erica could return to the positive path she had been on a few days ago.

The three days of absence were indeed worthy of a consultation, but her ultimate goal was to help Erica overcome this new emotional turmoil and continue progressing as a person.

To prepare, Kang Yoo-jin had read books and watched videos to ensure the session would be effective. She even invited Yoon Inna, who had been helping by delivering Erica’s missed schoolwork, to help ease any potential uneasiness Erica might feel during the counseling.

As they gathered for what was to be the decisive session, the homeroom teacher internally shed silent tears when observing the white-haired girl, who had magically joined, accompanied by a girl with emerald-green hair and Han Ye-seul, who was currently active as an idol.

“How did it come to this?”

According to Erica, she’d been instructed to bring the student waiting for her, a mandate that saw both Yoon Inna and Han Ye-seul rise to join her, even though Han Ye-seul was currently on break from a busy schedule.

Perhaps sensing the homeroom teacher’s discomfort, Erica offered to send one of them back if requested, but she decided against this and allowed both of them to come.

“Isn’t it obvious that the friend I was asked to bring isn’t one of you?” Kang Yoo-jin’s subtle reproach was lost in the chaos of seating arrangements.

With all three seated in the back seat of the car, feeling more like a chauffeur than anything else, she suggested one could take the front seat, but was immediately met with Erica’s prompt offer to sit upfront. However, this required consent from the other two who both resisted strongly.

“Shouldn’t the celebrity take the more comfy front seat? Honestly, you’re on a completely different level.”

“No, I appreciate the suggestion, but the most comfortable spot for me is wherever my friend Erica is. It would be better if Yoon Inna took the front seat.”

An intense psychological battle ensued, with both trying to outmaneuver each other.

“Perhaps counseling wasn’t necessary after all?”

Kang Yoo-jin thought silently. With two people already showing such a deep care for Erica, was the consultation really needed?

“It’s definitely not because the students lack manners and only want to stay in the back seat.”

“…Let me go upfront then.”

““No!””

Listening to the girls’ strong protests about Erica sitting in front, Kang Yoo-jin surrendered.

“Alright, kids. Stay there as you are.”

As she declared her defeat, the car carrying her students slowly drove off.