Chapter 183: School Life
It was a quiet afternoon.
A black van entered Minjeong Elementary School.
Although they were wearing a hat and a mask, their tall stature caught the guard’s attention, who poked his head out to look at them.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah, I’m here to see my younger sibling. Delivering snacks.”
“Which grade and class?”
“Fifth grade, I think?”
“For upper grades, you can go to the opposite building.”
“Okay, thank you. It’s hot, so please take this while you work.”
Muyoung handed the guard a cold drink and some snacks.
Ko Gyeongmin, arms full of snacks, struggled forward. Muyoung was also loaded down with items in both hands.
“Why are you here today? The festival is in two days.”
“I just wanted to see Yuna’s face sooner. And there will be a lot of visitors at the school then, so it’ll be chaotic.”
Following the guard’s directions, Muyoung walked through the school grounds. As expected of a private elementary school, the atmosphere was neat and tidy.
The school was known for its good academic district, and the vibe of the campus itself felt different.
“Even a real older brother wouldn’t take care of her this much.”
“Since I’m not her real brother, I have to do this much to see her face.”
“What does Yuna’s mother say?”
“She’s just grateful, I guess.”
It was a surprise for Yuna alone. Her mother had offered to contribute to the snack money, but Muyoung refused, wanting it to be purely his gift.
“Oh!”
“Huh? Is that Yuna’s homeroom teacher?”
“Hello~ Oh my!”
Yuna’s homeroom teacher, having received a call, was already waiting. She recognized Muyoung and was at a loss for words, exclaiming in surprise.
“I really enjoyed your drama. Not just me, but my whole family are your fans.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to disturb you when you’re busy.”
“No, not at all. These days, with festival preparations, the kids handle everything themselves. The school values autonomy. It’s like a vacation for us.”
She led the two into the classroom.
Chatting away, she introduced the school and didn’t forget to praise how smart and capable Yuna was.
“Maybe it’s because she has real-world experience, but she’s truly exceptional. She’s also very intelligent.”
“Her parents must be proud.”
“There’s a parent-teacher consultation soon, so I’ll see them then. Here it is, 5th grade, Class 2. Just a moment.”
The homeroom teacher playfully gestured and slipped into the classroom. The scene visible through the small window was quite chaotic. The desks had been pushed aside, and the children were making stage props in the open space.
“Alright, everyone, you’re all doing great!”
“Teacher! Kim Minchan keeps cutting the boxes!”
“Look at this! Isn’t the color just beautiful?”
“Wow, you did a great job. And now, I have a special treat for you all today.”
As the homeroom teacher clapped to get the children’s attention, Muyoung, feeling shy, peeked in through the door.
“Hello.”
“Huh? It’s Ha Muyoung!”
“It’s Ha Muyoung!”
“Wowww!”
“No way!”
Some children, recognizing him immediately, screamed in excitement. In an instant, the room was filled with noisy commotion. The children, amazed, crowded around to get a closer look. Ko Gyeongmin entered, holding out the snack bags.
“Yuna, hi.”
Even while dealing with the children, Muyoung waved to Yuna. Startled, Yuna dropped her scissors. Muyoung, detaching a child who was climbing up his torso, said,
“Yuna, I missed you so much I came early.”
The children immediately retorted.
They were shouting so loudly that his ears hurt a little.
“He’s not Yuna’s real brother, you know?”
“Huh? But we’re that close.”
“Are you really close with Yuna? Are you acting?”
“No? Why do you think that?”
“Because Yuna’s an actress!”
“Right, she’s good at lying~”
It was a bit confusing. The homeroom teacher rang a bell on the desk to calm the children, but they didn’t settle down easily.
Only when Ko Gyeongmin started handing out snacks did they finally disperse.
Smack!
Yuna silently ran over and hugged Muyoung.
She seemed definitely bigger than when they filmed The Plague. Kids grow up in the blink of an eye, just as they say.
Yuna rubbed her head against Muyoung’s waist and greeted him with a very cheerful voice,
“Oppa, I missed you so much.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Then Yuna turned around and mumbled, as if speaking to no one in particular,
“See? I’m really close with Muyoung oppa.”
Her tone was quiet but sharp. No one responded, and Yuna held onto Muyoung’s arm even tighter.
Something felt off. The atmosphere of Yuna’s school life seemed different from what Muyoung had expected.
“……Yuna, have some snacks too. I brought your favorites.”
“Uncle, can I have your autograph?”
“My grandma’s a huge fan. She watches historical dramas all the time and won’t give up the remote!”
“Can we take a picture?”
“Hey! Did you hand in your phone?”
The children swarmed around Muyoung again. Yuna seemed frustrated, biting her lips. Muyoung gestured to Yuna, signaling,
‘Let’s go together after this. I’ll take you home.’
Yuna, understanding, quietly stepped back.
Since it was free time for festival preparations, children from neighboring classes gradually joined in.
Muyoung, standing in place, signed autographs and took photos with his young fans. Only when the homeroom teacher said it was time for the end-of-day ceremony could he finally leave.
“Alright, that’s enough!”
“Ah, Teacher, I still haven’t taken a picture!”
“That’s it! Ha Muyoung is a very busy person, so he has to go now, right?”
Wink wink.
At the teacher’s words, Muyoung waved with both hands.
“Yeah, sorry. See you at the festival. Enjoy the snacks, and everyone, keep up the good work!”
“Keep up the good work!”
“Wowww!”
Creak.
Thud.
After closing the school gate, Muyoung took a deep breath. Ko Gyeongmin did the same. Being swarmed by the children was truly exhausting.
“Are you tired, hyung?”
“Huh? No, not at all.”
“Go rest in the car first. Yuna’s house is nearby, so I’ll drop her off and come back.”
“Oh, okay.”
Ko Gyeongmin wiped away his cold sweat and smiled.
He turned back and headed to the parking lot, while Muyoung strolled through the now quiet school grounds, taking in the scenery.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
It was a truly heartwarming sound.
As Muyoung sat on the school grounds waiting for Yuna’s message, he overheard children chatting behind him.
“Was that Ha Muyoung in Class 2 earlier?”
“What? Really? I didn’t see him! Why was he here?”
“I guess he came to see Yuna.”
“Wow, they really are close, just like they said.”
“Right. Sae-im openly said it was a lie, so she must be embarrassed.”
Muyoung frowned and tilted his head in confusion.
Everyone at school must know that Muyoung and Yuna had filmed a movie together, so why would they think that?
“They’re the same. Yuna always said she’d win awards, but she hasn’t won any. And she bragged about being in a drama, but that was a lie too.”
It’s common for casting to fall through during the drama selection process.
Yuna must have shared her daily life, but to her friends, it must have sounded like lies.
“Anyway, I don’t like Yuna. She always talks down to people. Who does she think she is?”
“A lot of kids wanted the lead role in the play, but the teacher gave it to Yuna.”
“Ugh, I’m glad I’m not in the same class as Yuna. Seriously.”
Muyoung let out an involuntary sigh of pity.
Unlike her professional life, Yuna’s school life didn’t seem to be going smoothly. The homeroom teacher didn’t seem to notice, but what about her parents?
Vrrrr.
[Oppa, I’m done now. Where are you?]
[Sitting by the sink near the back gate.]
After Muyoung replied, Yuna soon came running with her bag on.
Her face was no longer the same as in the classroom. The lively and sparkling Yuna had returned.
“Oppa-!”
She rushed into his arms, just as always.
Muyoung tidied Yuna’s hair and asked,
“Are you all done?”
“Yeah. Usually, Mom picks me up every day!”
“Today, I’ll take you home.”
“Yay!”
Yuna smiled, vigorously shaking Muyoung’s hand.
“How’s the festival preparation going? Do you think you’ll do well tomorrow?”
“……Well, you know how kids are.”
“You’re a kid too, you know?”
“……”
When the festival was mentioned, the child’s energy noticeably dropped. The two walked home quietly. Finally, Yuna spoke up.
“Why did you bring snacks?”
“You’re supposed to bring snacks when you visit a school.”
“It’s just a waste, feeding those kids.”
“Those kids? Your friends?”
“They’re not friends, just classmates.”
The child looked up at Muyoung quietly.
“I don’t like them eating the snacks oppa bought. It’s annoying.”
Her words carried not just negativity but outright hostility.
Muyoung looked around and spotted a small café. He smiled at Yuna and asked,
“Then, shall we eat something just between us?”
In front of Yuna was a chocolate parfait, and in front of Muyoung was an Americano. The child looked at it and asked,
“Oppa, you never drink coffee.”
“I didn’t used to, but with work, I can’t help it now.”
“……Thanks for coming even though you’re busy.”
“I hadn’t seen Yuna in so long. I couldn’t wait any longer.”
The two fell silent for a long time. The child seemed to want to say something, and Muyoung seemed to want to hear it, but it felt like an invisible wall was blocking them.
“Do you get along well with the other kids?”
Muyoung couldn’t help but ask first.
Yuna shook her head immediately.
“No, they’re all so stupid I don’t even want to talk to them.”
“Why?”
“They ask all sorts of questions, and when I answer, they always complain later. They call me a liar. The drama casting was real…… the production was just delayed.”
“I know. That happens a lot.”
“And I guess they don’t like that I’m too successful.”
At her blunt words, Muyoung struggled to respond. But the child didn’t seem to care about his answer, pouring out her pent-up frustration.
“They said I’m ugly, so I can’t be an actress in the future.”
“Who said that? They don’t know anything.”
“Exactly! They said I got lucky and will be forgotten soon. I haven’t even graduated from school yet, what nonsense! And they said I got the lead role in the festival because I’m a celebrity.”
Tears welled up in Yuna’s eyes.
She bit her lip firmly, trying to hold back, but once emotions are stirred, they’re hard to contain.
“They said I can’t act.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“When they act like that, how can I perform well? And it’s not my fault that Kim Minjae likes me. I wouldn’t take someone like that even if he was given to me!”
“Wow, Yuna’s popular.”
“They hid my indoor shoes and put trash in my bag…… It’s so childish. And when I said I’m close with oppa, no one believed me…… They said my mom’s money-hungry…… I’m doing this because I want to……”
Finally, big tears rolled down her cheeks.
The child sniffled, her face scrunched up, as if crying itself was embarrassing. Muyoung gently fed her a spoonful of parfait.
“Don’t cry. It’s okay.”
“Stupid-! Idiots! Waaaaah!”
“Aww, your pretty face is ruined.”
Being among adults on set is better.
At school, she has to spend half a day with children her age, which must be tough even for Yuna.
And has it only been a day or two?
“I want to graduate quickly. Mom said she’d homeschool me in middle school.”
Muyoung silently continued to pat the child’s back. Yuna glared with bright eyes and mumbled,
“Being among stupid people makes me feel stupid too.”
It’s tough, but her spirit isn’t broken.
Muyoung felt both proud and sorry for the child. He fed her more parfait and asked. Even as tears streamed down her face, she chewed determinedly, looking quite cute.
“You’ve been holding this in, haven’t you?”
“What’s the point of talking? They’re stupid.”
Yuna wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
“The stupider they are, the more you have to speak up. Yuna should have said she’s not that kind of person. You must have been so frustrated.”
“……It felt like my heart was clogged, and I couldn’t breathe.”
Saying that, Yuna began devouring the parfait aggressively. Watching her with his chin resting on his hand, Muyoung casually asked,
“Should I come to school again tomorrow? To help with festival preparations?”
“……How?”
At the child’s words, Muyoung smiled.
“It’s a secret.”