The Way to Save the Crazy Returnees Chapter 10 - Lee Yoo-seong (3)

 

 

Ah. Our eyes met.

 

I smiled at Lee Yoo-seong, who looked startled before quickly lowering his head—probably out of embarrassment.

 

That’s when the classroom erupted.

 

“Whoa! Teacher, you’re so handsome!”

 

“You’ve got to be the best-looking teacher in the whole school!”

 

“Can we call you Hyung?!”

 

Hyung? If anything, I’m closer to ajusshi than hyung. Yeah, that’s not happening.

 

I shook my head as the students’ cheers echoed through the room.

 

How did I end up here?

 

‘Seo Do-hwan, you damn bastard.’

 

This was all because he didn’t take care of his teeth.

 

Originally, it was supposed to be him infiltrating Cheongha High School. That was the plan from the start.

 

“Ouch! I cwan’t go to shchool wike this!”

 

With both cheeks puffed up like balloons, Seo Do-hwan declared a full-blown strike. That’s why I had no choice but to step in as his replacement.

 

His face had swelled up so much because of candy. Specifically, vitamin D candy—which he crunched on dozens of times a day. Eventually, he developed cavities. If he had just eaten them in moderation—or, I don’t know, brushed his teeth—none of this would’ve happened.

 

But no, he kept whining about how much it hurt, so I took him to the dentist. Turns out, he needed root canals. To make matters worse, his X-ray showed impacted wisdom teeth too.

 

So I had them all removed. And naturally, his cheeks swelled up even more.

 

And that’s how I ended up here at Cheongha High School.

 

Not as the P.E. teacher, like we originally intended—I’m terrible at sports and could never teach it. So I came in as the English teacher instead.

 

I didn’t want to hand this job off to someone else. It was important.

 

My grandfather already knows about it. I had planned to ask him to handle Seo Do-hwan’s situation from the start, so I had no choice but to tell him now.

 

But I kept Lee Yoo-seong’s situation completely to myself.

 

As far as my grandfather knows, I’m infiltrating Cheongha High to get a better understanding of the next generation of T.U.’s customer base.

 

Anyway,

 

“Then, Teacher Kwak Yoon-ho,” the homeroom teacher said, “since your class is first, I’ll leave the students in your care.”

 

“Yes, teacher.”

 

Once the homeroom teacher left, I turned to face the class again.

 

“Hi, everyone. Like I mentioned earlier, I’ll be your assistant homeroom teacher for Class 3-A. I probably won’t be doing much, but I’m looking forward to working with you.”

 

“Yes, teacher!”

 

Right on cue, the bell rang—the chime marking the start of first period.

 

I opened the English textbook I’d brought with me, and like it was some kind of signal, the students immediately started chatting again.

 

“Teacher! Tell us about your first love!”

 

“Yeah! First love story, please!”

 

“Were you popular back in school?”

 

I was wondering when they’d bring that up.

 

I gave a soft smile.

 

“Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t really have a ‘first love’ story to tell. And honestly, I wasn’t very popular either.”

 

“Liar!”

 

“No way, you’re too handsome!”

 

Well… the “not popular” part was a lie. But the lack of love stories? Sadly, true. Back in school, I was too focused on studying to bother with dating.

 

There was one person I considered getting close to—for AMA’s sake—but still.

 

“So, how old are you, teacher?”

 

“Twenty-seven.”

 

“Whoa! You don’t look at it at all!”

 

I smiled, amused.

 

“How old do I look, then?”

 

“Twenty-three!”

 

“Mid-twenties, tops!”

 

What sweet kids.

 

People always say today’s students are rough and rude, but maybe that’s just a stereotype. The smile on my face deepened slightly.

 

“All right, all right. Since it’s our first class together, let’s take attendance.”

 

I began calling roll, feeling surprisingly lighthearted.

 

Starting from number one, I went through the list until I hit double digits.

 

“Number ten, Lee Si-yeon.”

 

“Here!”

 

“Number eleven, Lee Yoo-seong.”

 

No answer.

 

I called again.

 

“Lee Yoo-seong?”

 

When I looked up, I saw Lee Yoo-seong staring at me nervously. Behind him sat Lee Jin-hyuk, grinning crookedly as he leaned forward and muttered something toward Lee Yoo-seong. Then, with a smug look, he shot his hand into the air.

 

“He’s here! Guess he thinks he doesn’t need to answer to a temp teacher.”

 

Says the guy who was ignoring me.

 

Still, I smiled and replied calmly.

 

“Is that so? Well, I still have a lot to learn as a teacher. I’ll do my best to earn Lee Yoo-seong’s respect.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Lee Yoo-seong parted his lips slightly, then quickly lowered his head. Behind him, Lee Jin-hyuk snickered.

 

My mouth twitched, but I kept my expression neutral and resumed the roll call.

 

Once I reached student number twenty-one, I moved on to the lesson.

 

“All right, let’s have number twelve solve this problem. Who’s number twelve?”

 

“That’s Lee Jin-hyuk!”

 

Of course, I already knew that.

 

Jin-hyuk dragged himself up to the board, visibly annoyed, and began solving the problem.

 

“Correct.”

 

I’d hoped he’d get it wrong. But no such luck. This was Cheongha High School—a prestigious private academy known for sending more students to S University than any other.

 

I gave him a bland compliment and moved on.

 

“Shall we have student number twelve solve the next one, too? Jin-hyuk?”

 

“Teacher, don’t you think you’re calling on me a bit too much?”

 

“I’ve only called on you twice.”

 

“Still.”

 

Lee Jin-hyuk pouted, his expression sulky—then suddenly brightened with a grin.

 

“Why not let Lee Yoo-seong try this one? He’s pretty smart too!”

 

“Really? Then, Yoo-seong, would you like to give it a try?”

 

“Ah… y-yes…”

 

Lee Yoo-seong hesitated as he rose from his seat.

 

But before he could even reach the blackboard, he stumbled and fell hard with a loud crash.

 

“What are you doing, Lee Yoo-seong?”

 

“Hey! The teacher’s waiting!”

 

“Hurry up and get up!”

 

“Teacher, maybe Yoo-seong doesn’t want to solve the problem?”

 

The students snickered, but my expression darkened.

 

I had clearly seen a student in the front row stick out their foot to trip Lee Yoo-seong.

 

As soon as I hardened my face without saying a word, the laughter quickly died down, replaced by uneasy silence.

 

Only then did I speak.

 

“Yoo-seong, are you alright?”

 

“Huh? Y-yeah, I’m okay.”

 

As if this sort of thing was familiar, Lee Yoo-seong quietly dusted off his knees, stood, and approached the board. But for some reason, he couldn’t solve the question. It was challenging, yes—but not something a Cheongha High student couldn’t handle.

 

I glanced over at Lee Jin-hyuk, who was sitting with a smug grin, clearly mocking him. From the look of it, he’d pressured Lee Yoo-seong into staying quiet. How nasty.

 

I curled my lip slightly.

 

“Looks like that one was a little too tricky for Yoo-seong. Jin-hyuk, why don’t you help him out?”

 

“Me?”

 

The grin vanished from his face instantly.

 

“Was it too difficult for you too, Jin-hyuk?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

Lee Jin-hyuk got up with a scowl and walked to the board.

 

“Step aside.”

 

You little shit.

 

Even though he muttered it under his breath, I heard it loud and clear. I debated calling him out then and there—but held back. If I did, Lee Yoo-seong might end up paying the price.

 

Besides, I’d have plenty of chances to deal with Lee Jin-hyuk—and his family—later.

 

“Here.”

 

While I was lost in thought, Lee Jin-hyuk finished solving the problem.

 

“That’s correct.”

 

I gave him another empty nod of praise and continued the lesson.

 

How much time passed?

 

―♬♩♪♬!

 

The cheerful chime of the school bell echoed through the room, signaling the end of class.

 

“All right, that’s it for today. Good job, everyone.”

 

As soon as I spoke, the students relaxed and stretched at their desks.

 

It must’ve been a long class for them.

 

I’d kept it deliberately light since it was our first session. Maybe I should lower the difficulty even more? As I closed the textbook, I gave it some thought and then said,

 

“Yoo-seong, could you come with me for a moment?”

 

“Huh? Ah, yes.”

 

His shoulders drooped as he stood. Just like when he tripped earlier, he looked all too familiar with this kind of treatment.

 

I led him straight to the teachers’ office.

 

Earlier that morning, I’d already met the other teachers, and they’d been surprisingly welcoming.

 

“Teacher Kwak, how was your first class?”

 

“You had Class 3-A, right? They’re good kids—though one of them can be a bit of a problem.”

 

They were all being so kind right now. But what caught my attention—

 

“A student with issues?”

 

“Yes, a student named Lee Yoo-seong…”

 

Right then, Lee Yoo-seong—who had been trailing a few steps behind—entered the office. The math teacher who had mentioned him frowned upon seeing him.

 

“Yoo-seong, what’s going on?”

 

“Well—”

 

“I called him,” I interjected, then turned to Lee Yoo-seong.

 

“Yoo-seong, could you wait in the counseling room for a moment?”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

Nodding quickly, Lee Yoo-seong made his way to the counseling room. Once he was gone, I turned back to the math teacher and asked,

 

“Is something going on with him?”

 

“There’s a lot going on.”

 

The math teacher sighed and pressed her lips together.

 

“He doesn’t respond when called, and his test scores are a disaster.”

 

“Really? But isn’t he in Class 3-A?”

 

“Exactly! That’s what’s so strange. Some of us even joked he must’ve cheated to get in.”

 

At Cheongha High School, students were placed into Classes A, B, or C every quarter based on their performance—Class A being for the highest scorers.

 

It was said that everyone in Class A made it into S University.

 

“And his cousin, Jin-hyuk? That boy’s polite, hardworking, a model student. It just doesn’t add up.”

 

“I see.”

 

Funny. I feel like I already understand after just one day.

 

“In any case, I’ll talk to him a bit. You’re teaching the next period, right? Is it okay if he’s a little late?”

 

“Of course. Sigh… I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this on your first day.”

 

“Not at all.”

 

I gave the math teacher a polite smile, retrieved the paper bag I’d left under the desk, and headed toward the counseling room.

 

As I pushed open the creaking door, I saw Lee Yoo-seong sitting stiffly, like an anxious puppy. He shot up the moment I entered.

 

“Um, Teacher…”

 

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

 

“Huh?”

 

He blinked in confusion. Maybe he wasn’t expecting me to speak to him so casually. I smiled and sat down across from him.

 

“At the department store. Remember?”

 

“Ah, um… yes. I remember.”

 

Lee Yoo-seong lowered his head. I watched him in silence for a moment before speaking again.

 

“Lift your head, Lee Yoo-seong.”

 

He flinched slightly, then quickly looked up. I met his eyes.

 

“Why are you acting like you’ve done something wrong?”

 

“I, uh…”

 

“No ‘uh’s. No vague answers.”

 

He closed his mouth.

 

“Sit down. No need to just stand there and wear out your legs.”

 

“Ah, yes.”

 

As soon as he sat down, I handed him the paper bag I brought.

 

“Here. It’s a gift.”

 

“A… gift?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

He hesitated, then slowly pulled a box out of the bag.

 

“Uh, Teacher… this is…”

 

“It’s a personal safety stun gun. The smaller box next to it is pepper spray.”

 

Lee Yoo-seong stared at me, wide-eyed in disbelief. I gave him a gentle smile.

 

“Yoo-seong… is coming to school really that hard for you?”