"Congratulations on your admission to Sungwoon High School. The freshman representative will come out and take the oath of admission. Please welcome him with applause," a loud voice said from the speakers.
Thereafter, a thunderous applause could be heard. Due to being the successor of Sungwoon, I was appointed as the freshman representative and stood on the podium across from everyone.
When I went up and glanced down, all grades of students, including the freshmen, were looking at me. Most of the students were children of influential people in the political and business world, so they probably knew who I was.
Perhaps that was why they were whispering to each other.
"Admission oath, representative Ki Yoon Jae. This year, Ki Yoon Jae and 384 others entered Sungwoon High School…"
"Welcome to Sungwoon High School."
As I stood up after reading the contents of the oath with my hand raised, the principal replied and placed the school badge directly on my collar. The principal's eyes seemed glued to me. It looked like there was more he wanted to say, but with the entrance ceremony still underway, he said he would see me next time and sent me away.
Huh?
As I got down from the platform and went back to my seat again across the crowd, I saw someone.
No way… it wasn't possible. It can't be. That can't possibly be him.
However, he waved his hand lightly in greeting as though he had recognised me. I turned my head away unconsciously.
I don't think that's him. I mean… it must be someone else who looks like him.
There was no such setting in the original novel. I couldn't hide my bewilderment when I returned to my seat due to that.
"What's wrong?"
Jung Yi Joon, who sat next to me, saw my expression and raised his eyebrows. I said it was nothing, but he didn't believe me.
But he didn't press the issue because I didn't want to talk. After the boring entrance ceremony was over, I looked back at the place I had seen him earlier. But I couldn't find him. As expected, I must have been mistaken.
"Where's the classroom?"
"Because I'm in 1st grade – class 3… It's on the first floor of the main building."
Since I was not familiar with the school's layout yet, I looked up the map of the school in the pamphlet I received at the entrance ceremony. Jung Yi Joon was in the same class as me, so naturally, we walked together. When I got to class, I saw some of the students already sitting.
"Oh! Yoon Jae!"
Some of the students sitting at the back of the classroom smiled broadly at me. They glanced at Jung Yi Joon before returning their attention to me, smiling as though they hadn't just side-eyed him.
"I knew you'd come to Sungwoon High School, but I didn't know we'd be in the same class."
"That's really great."
"I told you so."
These students, who were obviously ignoring Jung Yi Joon, were children of political and business tycoons. In particular, the first person to ignore Jung Yi Joon and lead the other students was the grandson of the World Party's president.
Just as the Sungwoon name was passed down by the Ki family from generation to generation, the position of the World Party president was as well.
I think he was close to Ki Yoon Jae to some extent…
What should I do? I nodded while contemplating.
"Yes, I'm glad to see you."
I chose this attitude because I didn't want to increase the number of enemies I had.
When I sat roughly in an empty seat, Jung Yi Joon sat naturally next to me. When the grandson of the World Party president, who was talking to me, sat down at a nearby desk, another student, who had come with him, began to speak.
"In a few days it will be Inhyuk's birthday, so we decided to rent a club and have a party. At Odyssey in Sinsa-dong. Yoon Jae, do you want to come?"
"Well, depending on the time."
"I really hope you can come. There are so many students who want to see you."
"Umm…"
There was something a little strange about the conversation. Jung Yi Joon was uninvolved in the conversation and just listened silently whilst the rest of the students talked regardless of Jung Yi Joon.
I felt like Jung Yi Joon was left out.
Are they not close?
Ki Yoon Jae's memory was really limited. In fact, because of Ki Yoon Jae's personality, he didn't pay close attention to his surroundings, so I couldn't tell whether the relationship between Jung Yi Joon and the rest of the students was good, bad, or downright ugly.
Well, even at the start when I first possessed this body, Jung Yi Joon was not on good terms with Ki Yoon Jae… If these were Ki Yoon Jae's friends, then they would have been on bad terms with him.
I thought Jung Yi Joon himself wasn't fussed about being involved, but it seemed like he pretended not to notice the intentional exclusion instead, thinking it was better to maintain the status quo rather than involve me.
While spending time like that, someone approached me and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Hi?"
When I looked back, what I saw was curly hair. I thought I was mistaken in the auditorium earlier, but I guess my eyes weren't wrong. The face that smiled kindly at me was a face that I really didn't want to see.
"Why are you…?"
Why was the main character here? The main character and Ki Yoon Jae were in the same class in high school? No, then Ki Yoon Jae was trying to steal his classmate's pet?
I was amazed by the things that didn't appear in the original novel. Even though Ki Yoon Jae took no notice of the people around him, he and the main character were in the same class!
How come you both didn't talk to each other in high school?
Wasn't this something you'd mention if so? You haven't changed at all since high school, have you? Something like this! I used to act like an idiot in high school, but now I'm pretty confident. It really was a complete surprise. That's not very good either!
"Who are you?"
"It's my first time seeing you…"
Whether Jung Yi Joon remembered the brief encounter at that time or not, he was not interested in Jang Eui Yeol. Rather, it was the people who were talking with me that became interested. I was startled by his sudden approach and couldn't properly control my expression. This probably caught their attention.
"Hi, what's your name?"
"Huh? I'm Jang Eui Yeol."
"Jang Eui Yeol… Who are you?"
"Joon Tae Hyung's little brother said he's overseas… Is it him?"
"No, he's two years younger than us."
They talked among themselves about whether anyone knew about Jang Eeui Yeol's family before asking if I remembered anything directly.
"Where are you from?"
"My house?"
"Where do you live?"
"I live in Gaun-dong…"
The more they asked, the greater the confusion they were left in, asking, 'Where is Gaun-dong?' and 'What is there?' I guess they expected him to hail from a great family since I originally failed to control my expression well.
"Which company are you from?"
"Company? I don't have anything like that…"
And eventually, the main character told the truth brightly. I had a bad feeling about the stupefied expressions that overcame their faces.
"Stop…"
I tried to stop them by making them shut their mouths, but it was too late. With contempt on their faces, they muttered and sneered,
"Ha, what is this…I was wondering if he was an amazing guy. But he was just a bum."
Those who were originally just bastards 1, 2, and 3 with wealthy parents have now evolved into bastards 1, 2, and 3 who will later suffer ruin at the hands of the main character.
I had no choice but to rub my forehead at the wretchedness of the situation.
That's too bad, bad guys… No, these bad guys, I didn't expect them to stir up trouble so soon…
They had just caused a big problem. A crime against the main character of this world in the future. Ki Yoon Jae avoided that fate due to my possession, but unfortunately, they didn't have such luck.
He had a good personality, but he seemed angry at being mocked openly. His face turned red and I could see him biting his lips.
"Though I'm… a little poor, is it a sin to say hello? We're in the same school and class."
And then he looked into my eyes. Shit! No way…
Am I going to be dragged into this and swept away with them for sharing in the same 'crime'?
Nothing good comes from getting involved with the bad guys.1…
The mood suddenly turned cold.
Cutting ties, cutting ties with them is the only answer…! When I was looking for an opportunity to break into the conversation, the man who had been acting like the leader laughed and poked Jang Eui Yeol's chest with his finger.
"Hey, do you think because we're in the same class that we're on the same level?"
"…"
"You can follow and meet the young master and go on to a company to serve him, but you can't be that young master."
"That…"
"You're the lowest rung on the ladder. Don't delude yourself into thinking you're more than that because you were lucky enough to enter Sungwoon High School. Huh?"
Poke. Poke. Poke. That finger kept poking Jang Eui Yeol's chest. And his words were deeply instilled into Jang Eui Yeol's body.
When I saw Jang Eui Yeol's face turning red with disgrace, I felt as if I were shrivelling. He's bursting… he's going to burst… If I don't cut them off here, I'll be considered an accomplice…!
I leaned deeply on a chair, pretending to be calm, and opened my mouth.
"It's noisy."
"…Huh?"
His face turned silly, as if surprised that I was talking to him now. Jang Eui Yeol and Jung Yi Joon's eyes were also firmly planted on me. I had to speak well. That's the only way I could live…!
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Footnotes
Literal TL: "I'd be struck by lightning while standing next to a tough guy." A metaphorical saying that if you get close to a bad guy, you will inevitably get hurt.