34-35

Chapter 35 

“Jungwoo!” 

The moment she entered the classroom, a girl in full gyaru fashion called out my name. 

‘...Who is that?’ 

Did we even have a girl like that in our class? 

‘...No.’ 

Looking around, I saw that the others also seemed to have no idea who she was. 

“I missed you, Jungwoo!” 

The gyaru girl ran over and tried to hug me, but I quickly dodged her. 

She acted hurt, pretending to cry. 

“...Hmph.” 

“Um... who are you, and why are you running at me like this...?” 

“Don’t you know me?” 

I didn’t. This was the first time I’d ever seen a gyaru in real life, and I was sure I’d never been involved with one before. 

“I’m Kim Minji!” 

‘Kim Minji?’ 

The Kim Minji I knew was overweight, gloomy, timid, and had been absent from school for a week. 

“Yeah, I’m the one you’re thinking of, Jungwoo.” 

She spoke as if she knew everything. 

“Wait... you’re the Kim Minji who hasn’t been at school for a week...?” 

“Yup!” 

“...No way.” 

This girl was supposed to be that Kim Minji? She had to be someone else. 

  Whoa, no way. 

  At least make your lies believable. 

The students eavesdropping on our conversation reacted the same way I did. 

Who would believe it? In just a week, she looked like she’d lost 50kg, her skin was flawless, and she looked like she could be an idol. 

“Jungwoo, what do you think? I changed my appearance so you’d look at me.” 

“....” 

‘Wait... wait a minute.’ 

Honestly, I was experiencing cognitive dissonance. 

Her personality, her looks everything had changed. And now she was saying, “I’m Kim Minji! I changed because I like you!” and expected me to believe it? 

Even if what she said was true and sincere... 

‘It’s just too sudden!’ 

I couldn’t keep up. 

‘Why does she even like me?’ 

Because I saved her? 

Okay, let’s accept that. 

‘But how did she change her appearance in just a week?’ 

Exercise? Losing 50kg in a week would set a world record. 

Plastic surgery? If there were a technique that could heal without scars or side effects in just a week, it’d be world-famous. 

Logically, the Kim Minji who hadn’t been at school and the girl claiming to be her were two different people. 

But this was a world where superpowers existed, even if they couldn’t be explained. 

This was a school for ordinary people, so there shouldn’t be any superpowered students... 

‘Is Kim Minji secretly a superpowered person?’ 

No, if that were true, she wouldn’t have been able to enroll here... 

‘Is she just hiding her power?’ 

Why? And why reveal it so suddenly? 

“...Sigh. You really don’t look like you believe me. I get it.” 

“....” 

“You saved me back in elementary school, Jungwoo.” 

“Ah...” 

That was the incident I called my “dark past.” 

‘I never told anyone at this school about that...’ 

It was just a silly moment when I wanted to be a hero. 

But it must have been an unforgettable memory for someone. 

‘Of course, it’s unforgettable for me too, but for embarrassing reasons...’ 

“I like you. I changed myself so you’d look at me. Honestly, does it matter who I was before?” 

“...But ” 

‘...This isn’t good.’ 

This was the moment my ordinary school life started to crack. 

‘Well, I guess I’m not so ordinary after fighting with the delinquents...’ 

But I, Ha Jungwoo, am just an ordinary guy. 

If someone this unusual gets involved in my life, I might not be able to handle it. 

“...Can I give you my answer later? This is all too sudden...” 

It was best not to answer right away. 

If I accepted, we’d instantly be the school’s first official couple. 

Just a month into the semester, and with the most uniquely dressed girl in school! 

If I refused, I’d be known as the guy who turned down the only gyaru in school. 

For someone who wanted to quietly get through school, both options were a nightmare. 

‘Even just the fact that a gyaru confessed would spread rumors...’ 

That’s fine. As long as I’m not the focus. But the moment I answer, all eyes will be on me. 

It’s best to answer quietly when the attention has died down. 

But the girl in front of me didn’t seem to like my answer. 

“...Do you not like me?” 

Kim Minji (or so she claimed) looked up at me with sparkling eyes. 

“...No, it’s not that.” 

  Boo! Making a girl cry! 

  She confessed first, just say yes! 

The guys around us booed. 

A pretty girl’s tears have a mysterious power over boys. 

Especially teenage boys! 

‘...They say there are no friends in front of a girl.’ 

Do these guys have any idea how complicated this is for me? 

While I was hesitating, not knowing what to do... 

“Hehe, Jungwoo. Then... give me a good answer, okay? I’ll be waiting...” 

She smiled at me, supporting my non-answer. 

“....” 

I couldn’t say anything back. 

‘I finally told Jungwoo how I feel....’ 

She didn’t think Jungwoo would reject her. 

Her confidence was overflowing more than ever before. 

‘Thank you, Jinwoo-nim.’ 

Without him, she wouldn’t have been able to confess to Jungwoo. 

And she wouldn’t have seen him blush at her today. 

“...He was cute.” 

She’d always remembered his back as he protected her, so she’d never really looked at his face. 

Objectively, Ha Jungwoo wasn’t especially handsome or ugly just average. 

But Kim Minji, head over heels, liked his face too. 

It would be silly to dislike him over looks now. 

She was walking through school in a great mood when... 

  Whoa, she’s so hot. 

  Should I go talk to her? 

  Dude, you think you have a shot? Lol 

  Shut up and watch me. 

Kim Minji ran into some delinquents. 

“Hey!” 

“Huh?” 

She looked around no one else was nearby. 

‘...Are they talking to me?’ 

“Are you a transfer? Haven’t seen you before.” 

A strange boy walked straight toward her. 

“No...” 

‘What’s with this guy...’ 

He looked her up and down, his gaze lewd and appraising. 

Since her transformation, this was the look she got most often. 

“Sorry, I have somewhere to be...” 

She tried to leave quickly, 

Grab! 

“Where are you going? I’m talking to you.” 

The boy grabbed her wrist hard. 

“Let go...!” 

Whack! 

Kim Minji shook off his hand. 

Normally, she wouldn’t have had the strength, but... 

Thanks to Lee Jinwoo’s power, she now had the same physical strength as a boy her age. 

More than twice as strong as before! 

“...How are you so strong?!” 

The boy was shocked to have his hand thrown off. 

She used the chance to run away. 

  Knew it, no way you could pull her. 

  Told you your looks wouldn’t cut it. 

  That bitch... 

The boy, angry at being rejected, trembled with frustration, 

But Kim Minji didn’t see it. 

She just walked away quickly without looking back. 

‘...Jungwoo, I’ve become a girl everyone wants! Don’t you like me better now?’ 

She only had eyes for Ha Jungwoo. 

No one could have predicted how this would snowball. 

“Sigh ” 

“Hey, why are you sighing so much?” 

“Shut up.” 

Ha Jungwoo was now facing the biggest dilemma of his life. 

All because of the gyaru’s confession just moments ago! 

Word spread quickly, and even friends from other classes came to talk to him. 

“Hm, my theory is that Ha Jungwoo only accepts girls who are either virgins or bitches...” 

“Ugh, you degenerate, what are you talking about?” 

“What?! This is a conclusion reached by subculture experts worldwide...” 

“So, are you going to accept her confession or not?” 

“...I’m still thinking.” 

But the people around him didn’t like that answer and started giving their own opinions. 

“Are you serious? Of course you should say yes.” 

“Jujeolmeok (if she gives, bow and eat)” 

“Ugh, stop with your weird words.” 

“But her fashion’s insane... Jungwoo’s gonna be whipped now.” 

“She seems pretty strong-willed.” 

“Shut up! You’re giving me a headache!” 

There was no one around Ha Jungwoo who was any help at all.