NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12
Even though I got home later than usual, a big black car was parked in front of the school gates. And, naturally, standing in front of it was Yang Hye-in.
Ah, right. She was waiting like this yesterday too. And it’s pretty clear she’ll do it again in the future.
“…Did you wait long?”
“No, not at all.”
In response to my question, Yang Hye-in politely bowed. Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah, who were with me, were staring with their mouths agape. I mean, who would expect to see a real maid dressed in a traditional maid outfit in modern South Korea?
And considering her sophisticated demeanor, it was even more shocking.
Of course, I wasn’t someone who usually had people serving me. The only time I held a position of authority in my life was when I was a squad leader in the military. In fact, I’d only recently started grappling with the complexities of social life, having been more of a follower than a leader.
It meant I was too timid to lead someone without feeling guilty.
It felt a bit odd to say that right after I’d just threatened an employee under me, but I really never intended to carry through with it.
I turned to Lee Soo-ah and Yoo Ha-neul and said, “I think we’ll have to part ways here today.”
“Uh, okay.”
Yoo Ha-neul, probably flabbergasted since it was her first time seeing a maid that looked like she stepped out of a painting, responded clumsily.
“See you tomorrow.”
While Lee Soo-ah, who had probably seen this kind of scene a few times, responded a bit less flustered.
After giving a quick nod to both, I climbed into the back seat of the large black sedan.
The luxury sedan set off smoothly. With a car this expensive, it hardly made a sound. I could probably whisper in the car without the person next to me hearing. Honestly, it felt awkward to even take such a luxurious vehicle for this short distance; I could walk it in what felt like five minutes. With traffic, walking might be more efficient.
Of course, making me ride instead of walking must be the chairwoman’s idea.
“Are you planning to join an extracurricular activity?”
As I gazed outside, Yang Hye-in gently asked. She must’ve been worried since Ye Sara, who’d been sitting there like a doll, suddenly started doing something unexpected. Whether that worry was genuinely for Ye Sara or something else entirely, I couldn’t tell.
“If I say I am, do you have to report it to the chairwoman?”
“…”
Yang Hye-in couldn’t really provide an answer. I mean, could she directly say, “Everything you do is reported back to the chairwoman”?
I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. Not because it was funny, but more out of disbelief. Usually, people who get transported to different worlds have some sort of reason, right? Sure, those reasons aren’t always scientific, but still… Like maybe they complained about a novel or thought they could do a better job than a character in the story, or they were too engrossed in a game until the servers shut down.
But I genuinely didn’t have any recollection of doing anything. Honestly, if someone who genuinely appreciated this game ended up here, wouldn’t they feel a lot more satisfied? I just dozed off on my way home from work and suddenly found myself inside the body of a villainess?! I’d been here for three months already and still couldn’t wrap my head around it.
“…”
Yang Hye-in kept her mouth shut until the mansion came into view.
“I haven’t officially joined an extracurricular yet.”
I felt the car’s speed slow down gradually. Indeed, I couldn’t say I’d joined that club. Nam Da-un was merely helping me with my exercises. I still had no idea what had gotten into him.
“But there might be days I’m late due to ‘hanging out with other kids’ at school.”
“Is that so?”
Yang Hye-in replied softly.
“This talk will reach the chairwoman, right?”
I turned my head towards her and asked. Yang Hye-in bit her lip and after a few seconds of hesitation, nodded slightly.
Was it because she was the only one who had been talking to Ye Sara continuously in this mansion? At least she didn’t seem openly hostile towards me. She acted more mechanically, almost as if she were a piece of furniture in the mansion, unlike the other employees who rarely responded to me.
The car came to a complete stop.
“…”
The driver got out without a word and immediately opened the car door for me. He bowed slightly, waiting for me to step out.
I stepped out of the car silently. Yang Hye-in did the same.
We both returned to the mansion in silence.
*
Hwayoung High School is an amazing place.
The school has every facility a student could need to learn something. There’s even a real grass soccer field, a swimming pool, and science labs nearly on par with universities, as well as a music room fit for a concert and an audiovisual room that could be turned into a theater. Naturally, the buildings were also constructed at a high cost, reflecting the school’s expensive fee.
And let’s not forget the impressive teaching staff.
I wondered just how much money was spent to have such a faculty teaching at a high school. Yet, honestly? The lessons felt no different from my own high school days.
No matter how engaging the lectures were, if the students don’t pay attention, the teacher’s skills are meaningless. Throughout the lesson, students were sleeping, glued to their smartphones, or chatting away with their neighbors. Claims about a good learning atmosphere turned out to be just packaging.
But I couldn’t blame them. Virtually all the students here had studied under tutors who cost more than the school’s teachers. Many probably found it silly to follow the regular curriculum. Some were even openly solving problem sets.
In fact, I was just as guilty of slipping into that less-than-ideal study atmosphere.
I wasn’t lying on the desk because I was doing well in my studies during high school. Most of what was being said went over my head. If I wanted to keep up, I’d have to take meticulous notes from the enthusiastic teacher.
But so what?
What does it matter if I come in last place or don’t attend university?
My inheritance is worth more than the entire market capitalization of the second-largest conglomerate in South Korea.
Of course, the current chairwoman seemed to be scheming to take that wealth, but I wasn’t about to make it easy for her. No way, I was going to snag that fortune and live lavishly for the rest of my life. That was my life goal now—since I couldn’t return to my original world.
…Honestly, to be frank, I was in no state to focus on studying right now.
Just yesterday, I’d done high-intensity exercise for the first time—exercise that the original owner of this body had probably never done in her life. My thighs and calves felt like they’d been set on fire. My chest was sore, and my shoulders were killing me from all that running and flailing my arms around.
So yeah, I had zero motivation to study in this state.
As I lay my exhausted body on the desk, trying to mentally check out of studying—
“Ugh?”
Someone suddenly poked me in the side. I involuntarily let out a strange sound, but thankfully it didn’t seem loud enough for anyone to notice. …Or maybe they just chose to ignore it since it came from me.
Well, if someone poked me in the side, this classroom had only one likely culprit.
I turned my head to the right and saw Yoo Ha-neul, holding a pen, probably having used the blunt end to jab me in the side.
‘Why?’
I mouthed the words, and Yoo Ha-neul seemed to frown, mouthing back the same.
‘In class.’
That’s what it looked like. I couldn’t be certain without sound, but it seemed to be the gist.
“…”
I quickly shot her a glance before resting my head down on the desk again.
“Ugh?”
Almost immediately, another jab came in, and I sat up again to glare at Yoo Ha-neul. I wasn’t squinting because of the brightness—I was genuinely glowering, the fierce looking Ye Sara was being serious in giving her a death stare.
I could hear others in the room holding their breath. …It seemed they were curious about our strange noises and wondering what we were up to.
Yet oddly enough, Yoo Ha-neul, who was right there receiving the glare, continued to look at me with a stern gaze.
‘Study.’
That’s what she seemed to be saying again. Another guess based only on lip reading.
“…”
I glared at Yoo Ha-neul for a moment before finally sighing dramatically and opening my textbook. As I exaggeratedly displayed my textbook, Yoo Ha-neul finally nodded in satisfaction and turned her focus back to the lesson.
“Cough.”
Huh?
What was that? I just heard someone trying to stifle a laugh.
But looking around, I didn’t see anyone laughing. The students who were genuinely interested in the lesson were still focused, while everyone else seemed to be doing their own thing.
Well, it wouldn’t make sense for anyone to laugh at me. No one laughs at invisible humans.
I decided to chalk it up to my imagination.