Love for love's sake [ENG TRANS]

Chapter 2

[Tae Myeongha's POV]

"Huh?"

"Nothing. I mean, Cha Yeowoon. I'm looking for Cha Yeowoon."

When I hurriedly corrected myself, Glasses, who had called out to me, blinked again with a vacant expression. On top of my already bad reputation, at this rate I might even hear rumors that I had slightly lost my mind.

"But class is about to start..."

Indeed. As soon as Glasses finished speaking, the school bell rang suddenly.

Triiing–Triiing–

It sounded just like the high school bell from my memory.

If I was really 19, I might have ignored the start of class and rushed out of the classroom, but I was 29 years old.

Unlike my days as a hot-blooded youth, I had become more familiar with the endless cycle of going to work, leaving work, going to work again, taking a brief break on weekends, and welcoming another dreaded weekday.

Reminiscent of the spinning daily life of a working adult, I sat obediently in my seat like a well-behaved servant...or so I tried.

"By the way, buddy. Where's my seat?"

Glasses stared at me as if I was strange and pointed to the corner by the window.

Wasn't that the typical spot where the troublemakers sat? How absent-minded could I have been? Earlier, I sat there and solved problems without even realizing if I was by the window or in the center.

Just as I settled into the perfect spot to doze off, the wind blew in from the slightly open window, causing the curtains to flutter. It felt like a scene from a youth drama.

The white curtains gently fluttered and settled. The sight of the classroom came into view again.

A blackboard and teacher desk, and the timetable and handouts attached next to them. Backs of children sitting amongst the rows. The smell of dust in the classroom gave rise to a strange sense of nostalgia.

Memories surged back like fishes swimming against the current.

I noticed the grooves that had been cut into my desk with a utility knife. When I scratched the part where the wood had splintered with my fingernail, the wooden splinter pricked my skin, causing a sharp pain.

Red droplets formed in a round shape at my fingertip. It hurt, and it was bleeding. The pain sobered me in a straightforward manner.

I was here now. My worst 19.

To change Cha Yeowoon's 18.

* * *

High school classes I hadn't taken in a long time made me drowsy. Of all things, there was also the addition of English class. In my sluggishness, coming down to the 2nd year students' hallway wasn't easy. Everyone subtly avoided me, perhaps fearing we might make eye contact. I couldn't follow the children into their classrooms, so I barely managed to grab someone who was dragging their feet.

"Do you know which class Cha Yeowoon is in?"

I got straight to the point as soon as I grabbed the child. The student I had detained was very timid and seemed to be already looking for a chance to escape.

"He's in my class."

"Really? Where is he?"

I was wondering if I should at least explain that I wasn't going to hit him, but it would be strange to say such a thing without being prompted. I also had the thought of letting him go quickly. At least, if I could find Cha Yeowoon.