Lie Again! Chapter 58

<Chapter 58. Crumbling (1)> 

 

Jin stared at the counselor with a hard expression as she casually mentioned that it had already been entered into the system without even confirming with her. 

 

“…You didn’t tell me that.”

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to choose the more complicated route. Besides, Mr. Wayne’s class is already full, so it would’ve been difficult to fit you in anyway.”

 

Jin could protest all she wanted, but Ms. Smith was far more preoccupied with her nails. Ah, it looks like they got a little smudged when I touched the papers just now.

 

“But, Miss…”

 

“You know as well as I do, Mr. Wayne teaches really well. There are kids who want to take his class but can’t, you know.”

 

“….”

 

In her gaze, which seemed to say, “It’s not like I didn’t do anything for you. I got you into a popular class, didn’t I? I put in this much effort, so maybe you should just let it go,” Jin was left speechless, simply staring at her counselor.

 

“Anything else you want to say? If not, have a good day. Make sure to close the door properly when you leave.”

 

While Jin was at a loss for words, her counselor flashed a sly smile and dismissed her.

 

Thud.

 

The door slammed shut. The sound carried with it the emotions Jin hadn’t managed to control.

 

Jin stood holding the doorknob, quietly exhaling. She had to summon all her strength just to avoid crouching down embarrassingly and burying her face.  

 

The semester hadn’t started well. It had been really bad.

 

Suppressing the urge to run home immediately, Jin closed her eyes tightly and then opened them. From afar, she heard a cheerful voice calling her name. Just as she was about to take a step, she paused and turned her head.

 

“Hey, Jin!”

 

Across the playground, a head of dark hair, nicely tanned, waved at her. It was Jonathan Hanson.

 

“….”

 

Jin’s expression hardened at the sight of his face.

 

She was the one who asked him to make time, but why did it have to be now of all times?

 

But Jin forced her reluctant feet to turn and headed toward Hanson. As she strode forward, the words from his recent phone call with him brushed past her ears.

 

-Why? Is it because of the bet?

 

‘…What bet?’

 

She had something to ask him.

 

A sense of unease was creeping up from beneath her feet.

 

* * *

 

“Jin, didn’t you already finish setting up your schedule?”

 

Ruth, joining the table a little late, interrupted Jin, who was staring blankly at her schedule with a sandwich in her mouth.

 

He put down the tray in his hand and snatched up the schedule Jin had angrily scribbled on.

 

“Geography? Why are you taking this now?”

 

“They said I didn’t take a Geography class in Korea. And this morning, Miss Smith notified me about it.”

 

In a strangely drained voice, Jin explained what had happened that morning.

 

Jin’s face was streaked with anger, fatigue, and a hint of helplessness and resignation. Ruth, unable to pry into the details, looked at his friend with concern.

 

“…”

 

“…Ah.”

 

Jin noticed him belatedly. Today, her reactions were a beat slower than usual.

 

Jin, looking exhausted, lifted the corners of her mouth slightly and added a concise explanation of what had happened with her counselor. Ruth patted her shoulder with a sympathetic expression.

 

“Cheer up.”

 

“If you hate it that much, can’t you just postpone it until next year?”

 

Joey, stabbing a meatball with her fork, asked cheerfully. It was exactly the kind of tempting idea that made Jin’s eyes lock onto her. 

 

But Amanda, silently clearing her plate as if to say that wasn’t an option, joined the conversation.

 

“If it’s a class you have to take anyway, it’s better to take it now. Starting next year, you’ll have midterm reports to deal with and SAT prep. Just taking AP classes alone will be overwhelming.”

 

“That’s true. But taking it as a senior makes even less sense.”

 

When even Ruth agreed with Amanda, Jin nodded quietly, as if resigned.

 

Then, she had no choice but to take Mrs. Thompson’s Geography class during fifth period, just as originally planned. She had been tossed around by the counselor that morning, but she wasn’t about to follow orders so meekly this time.

 

It was also why Jin was determined to redo her schedule. She planned to present a perfect timetable that Miss Smith wouldn’t be able to argue with.

 

Just as Jin was about to make that decision, Amanda, as if reading her mind, spoke up.

 

“Still, it’s not like they ignored Mr. Wayne’s class. Moore’s class is practically torture, and Thompson’s is a complete waste of time.”

 

At her comment, Joey shrugged and said, “I actually thought Mrs. Thompson’s Geography game was fun.” Dustin nodded in agreement, but Amanda pretended not to hear them.

 

“Trust me. That’s just a waste of time. Even among 9th graders, Mr. Wayne’s class is fiercely competitive.”

 

“…I don’t really like Mr. Wayne.”

 

Watching Amanda enthusiastically recommend Mr. Wayne’s class, Jin hesitated for a moment before finally sharing her honest feelings.

 

Amanda raised an eyebrow in surprise at this, and Jin briefly shared what had happened with Wayne over the past semester.

 

“So… I want to avoid Mr. Wayne’s class.”

 

Jin shrugged weakly.

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

A brief silence fell over the table.

 

Jin could feel the others glancing around, unsure of what to say.

 

It was just then, as Jin regretted her words and tried to lighten the mood with an awkward smile.

 

“I don’t like Wayne either. He’s way too strict.”

 

Dustin scraped the bottom of his foil pasta tray with his fork and spoke nonchalantly. Joey, brightening at his words, quickly chimed in.

 

“That’s right, that teacher was kind of weird! Didn’t he say something to you, Dustin… about your natural limits? Or your family lineage? Anyway, he told you not to be lazy, right?” 

 

“…To be exact, he said it would be good if I just corrected my laziness so he wouldn’t be able to have prejudices.”

 

“Isn’t that basically… what he meant?”

 

“Yeah, if you don’t like him, it’s better not to take his class. Mrs. Thompson’s class is a bit light, but it’s not bad.”

 

Ruth shook his head at the two who weren’t being helpful and instead offered Jin some comfort.

 

But as Jin listened to Dustin and Joey’s conversation, she let out a small laugh. For the first time today, it wasn’t a forced smile.

 

Jin thought that maybe this was why people shared their worries with others.

 

Jin knew well that her pain was hers alone, and that for others, simply listening to it was already an exhausting task. That was why, most of the time, she chose silence. When she swallowed everything on her own, the hard things eventually eroded in her memory, worn away with time.

 

Bringing up Mr. Wayne was somewhat impulsive. Maybe, deep down, she had wanted this. No matter the situation, the comfort of friends who took her side.

 

Jin felt the weight on her mind that had pressed down all morning start to lift, even if just a little.

 

Whether it was about Evan, the counselor, or Mr. Wayne, whenever swallowing it all became too much to handle, she knew she had friends who would invite her to a tea party and listen. They would pat her on the shoulder and chat cheerfully. With that, it seemed she could endure even the hardest things.

 

The current situation was certainly…

 

“Well… I hate to say it, Jin, but isn’t this just your insecurity? He’s not that kind of teacher.”

 

Amanda, who had remained silent until now, spoke in a cold voice that cut through Jin’s misunderstanding. Bang—it was as if a hammer had dropped on Jin’s head.