Ex Rank Supporting Role's Replay in a Prestigious School

The dorm cafeteria after the morning training session.

This morning’s menu was Korean-style and Western-style breakfast.

The Korean style was bulgogi* with steamed taro and egg served in a ttukbaegi**.

The Western-style breakfast was toast with strawberry and peppermint cream cheese spread in a checkered pattern.

Korean style was fine, but the Western-style wasn’t.

*bulgogi: a Korean traditional dish made with marinated meat.

**ttukbaegi: a Korean traditional pot. When bulgogi is served in this pot, people abbreviate it into ‘Ttuk-bul’.

‘Why does it have both on, can’t we choose between strawberry and mint……’

After a short thought, I chose Korean food and stood in line.

I heard conversations here and there.

The students were mainly talking about Jae-in Kwon’s performance in Korea yesterday.

“I heard that senior Jae-in Kwon will stay in Korea for the time being.”

“I wish she could perform again! This time at Sang-in building…!”

“They said the first song on the show yesterday was a new song. When will the album be released?”

I was worried that the message sent by the butterfly spirit would become a hot topic, but thankfully no one from the audience saw it.

“Those who are as sensitive as an Original clan may have noticed, but ····.”

It’ll be fine if Jae-in Kwon covers it up as a part of her concert’s special effects or something.

I put a ttukbaegi bulgogi and a ttukbaegi steamed egg on my plate and looked around.

Over there, Hyo-don Maeng was sitting alone.

“Hey, what’s up.”

“……Oh, hey. Vice prez.”

Hyo-don looked busy looking into the hologram.

It looked like something important enough to do while eating.

I decided to ask.

“What’cha watchin’?”

“Choosing presents for my teachers on Teacher’s day.”

He said teachers, so he must mean Geunhyung Ham and his homeroom teacher who taught math or something in his middle school third-grade year.

“Present, huh. What’cha have in mind?”

“A watch or a bag? I don’t have anywhere to spend money anyway, so I’m just going to spend all my money from part-time jobs and prize money.”

Hyo-don really seemed like he was going to spend all the money he earned from part-time working scholarships and the prize money he earned from assassinating Enemies at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Children’s Day.

When I glanced at the hologram, I saw a catalog with an average amount of 10 million won(9000 US dollars).

‘Yup, he’s really going to spend all his money.’

He had good intentions and a warm heart, but unfortunately, if he gets that gift, both the giver and the recipient will be caught by the police.

“That’s against the anti-bribery law. Don’t buy it.”

”What’s that?”

I explained to Mr. Knucklehead Hyo-don about the law on the prohibition of illegal solicitation and bribery for about five minutes in a way he could understand easily.

In Geunhyung Ham’s case, he evaluates and guides Hyo-don, so they have a clear job-related relationship. Therefore, it is difficult to give each other gifts because it may be bribery related to Geunhyung’s job.

“······For this reason, as long as Geun-hyung Ham is your homeroom teacher, personal gifts are not allowed regardless of the price.”

Upon hearing the explanation, Hyo-don scowled and turned off the hologram.

“This is stupid. It took me fucking hours to choose the presents!”

“And your middle school is a public school. If your 3rd-grade homeroom teacher is a public official, you can’t give expensive gifts even if you’re not connected to him. If it’s over a million won, you’ll definitely get caught.”

“Aw, shit.”

Hyo-don, who was eating slowly before talking to me, now spooned vigorously, filled with anger.

He seemed to be very disappointed that he can’t buy a present for Teacher’s Day.

“So, what’s good today?”

“……The bean sprouts in the ttuk-bul. It’s perfectly cooked and perfectly soaked in the bulgogi sauce. Don’t eat the toast, though. The peppermint scent is so strong that it doesn’t taste like strawberry cream cheese at all. It’s like toothpaste.”

I guess he remembered the taste all the while choosing presents.

“Hello! Is there a seat next to you?”

As I was listening to the gourmet, Hyo-don, Se-eum Sawol greeted us.

I nodded and Se-eum took a seat next to me.

On his plate, there were four of the toasts that Hyo-don criticized a moment ago.

“What, eating Western today, too?”

“Huh? Yeah, the color is pretty and it looks delicious!”

“I’ve never seen you eat Korean food.”

Hyo-don made an odd face, but Se-eum gobbled up his toasts happily one by one.

He made it look so delicious that I asked Sawol Seeum to cut half of it, but as Hyo-don said, it only tasted like toothpaste.

“Let’s go to class together today!”

“Sure.”

“I’m gonna eat another ttuk-bul, though.”

We decided to finish our meal slowly and go to school together because we had time until morning attendance.

Home room of first-grade class 0.

Inside the classroom, Yuri Kim and Lenna Lee were soothing Han-yi, who was depressed.

“Since I started my working scholarship at Eun-kwang high this year, I thought that I would be able to give him a good present……I wanted to give Teacher Chung-hwon Kong a new suit.”

Han-yi and Chung-hwon Kong have known each other for a long time because Chung-hwon was an educational volunteer at the nursery where Han-yi grew up.

Han-yi wanted to spend the money he saved from his working scholarship to buy a present for Chung-hwon on teacher’s day.

However, Mr. Kong became a full-time teacher at Eun-kwang High School starting this year, and is a teacher in charge of introductory energy aesthetics, a class that Han-yi was in, and the advisor of the Tae Ho-kwon club.

It was against the law to deliver even small gifts.

“Mr. Kong will be happy even with a carnation!”

“Right. I heard that Mr. Kong got offers from Entertainment agencies and pro player’s teams, but always stayed as a teacher. He’s not the materialistic type, so he might feel uncomfortable if you give him something expensive.”

Hyo-don, who is in a similar situation, also made a complicated face while listening to them.

Mr. Ham and Hyo-don’s middle school teacher won’t be materialistic, either.

‘All they’d want from Hyo-don and Han-yi is for them to be healthy.’

Because of people like Pyun-deuk Choi, the anti-bribery law was enforced and it became difficult to give gifts, but being able to express gratitude without buying anything at such events was, I guess, a positive thing.

I also wanted to give Mr. Ham something, even if it had nothing to do with money.

‘This Friday is Teacher’s Day, and Green Min hasn’t contacted yet. Mr. Ham will like it if she came to school just for one day.’

”Hey, Ui-shin.”

While the class was chatting around Han-yi, Jiho suddenly spoke to me.

“Come after class.”

It was without context, but I immediately understood it.

Looking at Jiho’s expression, Jae-in Kwon must have told quite an important story.

*    *    *

Myung-ho Hwang’s mansion after school club activities.

As soon as the front gate opened, Olmu ran towards us.

Arf arf-!

“Hey, Olmu. How are you?”

Olmu looked up at me, as if understanding what I said, and rubbed her head at my feet.

Arf arf, woof!

I knew she meant ‘I was well’ and wanted me to pet her.

Or maybe not, but I petted her anyway because I wanted to.

Olmu was happy that I petted her head.

So, I guess I was right.

“Yeah, you must be doing fine. Did you get along with the tigers?”

Jiho Hwang was looking at me like I was absurd.

Olmu, who was peering at Jiho, made a feeble sound.