Home/For some reason, the male leads avoid my guiding/ch 9

Chapter 9. There Was Never a Grade G (9)

As she'd wanted, Sua ended up sitting in the very back row. Though the person who would soon sit beside her was one she'd never wanted.

'Still, at least he didn't come to school today, thank goodness...'

Even now that fifth period had started, Ki Woo-sol hadn't shown up. She hoped he'd stay away forever.

Just as Sua was glaring sideways at Ki Woo-sol's empty seat, the classroom's front door opened.

And Sua remembered the crucial matter she'd briefly forgotten while drawing her seat.

"Today, before we head to the training room, we're going to do introductions."

Teacher Kim Yi-ro-un, now standing at the podium, spoke.

According to Ji-hyun, during Awakened training, they wore training clothes and mostly went outside.

Sua fiddled with the sleeve end of her navy-blue tracksuit—which had originally been a PE uniform but had been demoted to training wear.

'It probably won't be today, but when the next pump session comes, I'll have to reveal what class I awakened as...'

She carried this worry with her.

But Sua soon realized how leisurely she'd been thinking.

It wasn't "probably not today."

"Starting from the front of the first row, say your name, dream, hobby, whether you've awakened, and if you have, what class you awakened as."

Sua doubted what she'd just heard.

'...What?'

Unless she was hearing things, he'd definitely said "awakening class." Even revealing whether she'd awakened was a nerve-wracking, reluctant thing to do.

'So they're telling me to reveal I'm a guide right now...?'

She'd thought it would come eventually, but she never expected it to be today.

While Sua's eyes were wavering, Teacher Kim Yi-ro-un added.

"For reference, I've also heard news about a student who awakened recently, so this will be a meaningful introduction."

As he said this, Kim Yi-ro-un's gaze was fixed on Sua. Her mouth went dry.

After that, the students started speculating about who had awakened.

The complaints about having to say things they'd already said before quietly faded away.

Eventually, they even said they needed to quickly find out who it was, so the introductions should hurry up.

'Ah... I wish I could regress.'

She'd reincarnated into a novel she'd read, but couldn't she regress too?

Sua's mouth fell open slightly without her realizing. It looked like her soul was about to escape through that open mouth.

Meanwhile, the introductions had begun.

"My name is Kim Cheol-su. My dream is to be a teacher. My hobby is working out. E-rank tanker."

"Cheol-su, you're always so consistent. These days, do you still spend three hours at the gym after school?"

"Yes. I'm consistently doing pump training."

The male student called Cheol-su had an unusually bulky physique, which seemed to be due to his gym obsession.

People around him jeered, saying how could he go to the gym every day, asking if he was even human.

'Right. Buying a three-month gym membership and only going for a week is the unwritten rule.'

Just as Sua was clicking her tongue at that, the female student sitting next to Cheol-su shot up.

'Ah, right. This isn't the time to be spacing out.'

She needed to figure out what class she should say she'd awakened as to make it convincing.

Sua quickly rubbed her suddenly sweaty palms together and forced her mind to work.

"Lee Young-hee. Cheol-su's future girlfriend. Dream is to be a good wife and mother. Non-awakened."

"Haha. Young-hee, you're the same as always."

Even as the classmates burst into laughter at the girl who introduced herself as Young-hee, Sua couldn't laugh.

'G... G...'

What kind of awakened should she say a Grade G is? She had to squeeze something out somehow.

The student sitting in the next row noticed Sua's pale face and asked if she was okay, but Sua couldn't honestly say she was fine with a straight face.

"I-I'm fine."

The introductions were progressing quickly, and soon it reached the student sitting right in front of Sua.

"My name is Kim..."

She felt bad to the students introducing themselves, but it barely registered in her ears. Her vision was spinning without rest.

"What? Bong-suk? So it was her."

Eventually, at those words from someone, Sua's time stopped.

Ever since they'd heard Kim Yi-ro-un's announcement that a new Awakened had appeared, the students had been expressing disappointments like "Hmm, not them either?"

They looked like little detectives who hadn't found the culprit.

Little kids who didn't realize how cruelly they were speculating.

Everyone's gaze fixed on Sua. Sua scanned their eyes, forgetting even to breathe.

"......"

When Sua didn't start her introduction right away, Kim Yi-ro-un eventually spoke.

"Sua. You're last. They say the main character goes last—what a coincidence."

Teacher. I'm not the main character at all. I'm just an extra. One who dies before the main character even appears, at that.

And if I reveal I'm a guide right here, I'm an extra who could end up in danger of dying.

Sua pressed down her unspoken words somewhere near her diaphragm and opened her mouth.

"I am..."

The gazes of the students looking at her felt familiar. The same expectant eyes she'd received from Kim Yi-ro-un just moments ago.

Looking up at the ceiling, she could see the fan, crooked since mid-April, spinning round and round.

Watching it quietly, her chaotic mind settled as if by magic. Truly, like magic.

"My name is Bong Sua. My nickname is Bong-suk, but don't call me that. My dream is to survive long and thin. My hobby is breathing. My awakening is..."

Haha.

"Grade G."

Sua laughed like a monk who'd reached enlightenment.

"Grade G for Ghost."

......

A sudden silence settled.

Sua's head, which had been tilted toward the ceiling, slowly returned to its original position.

The intense tension that had been building before her introduction vanished like a lie.

Because of that, Sua could see the students' faces. Each one held different emotions in their expressions.

Surprise, disbelief, amusement, and so on.

Even though these reactions were caused by her own words, she watched as if she were a third party.

Finally, Sua's gaze landed on Kim Yi-ro-un.

Kim Yi-ro-un, like the students, had a surprised face, but then showed a thoughtful expression as if contemplating something.

Then he cautiously opened his mouth.

"If it's Ghost... could you tell me what method it uses? As the teacher for Awakened training, I think I need to consider the training curriculum."

At his question, Sua's mouth opened without hesitation.

Like an actor who already had their lines prepared.

"It's just as you're thinking. I only found out recently myself, but apparently my great-grandmother was a shaman. I've seen a lot of spirits since I was young."

Ah, I really should have taken acting lessons.

She'd cleanly sold out her great-grandmother, whose face she'd never even seen, but surely her grandmother would understand.

There was no basis for this, but she just wanted to believe that. She hoped her great-grandmother wouldn't get upset and send misfortune her way.

"Hmm, I see. Understood. I'll keep that in mind."

Kim Yi-ro-un made an even more troubled face and slowly nodded.

What kind of amazing curriculum are you trying to plan, teacher? Just do it casually, casually.

While she was thinking this, a voice from her left pierced through.

"Ah, so that's why..."

The student who'd been worried about her complexion earlier muttered as if realizing something.

"That's why your face was so pale earlier..."

Sua's gaze turned back toward the fan on the ceiling.

---

---

The aftermath was tremendous.

Students from other classes even came to see Sua. Even now, during dismissal, she could feel gazes following her through the hallway.

But Sua held her head high. She walked with a face that had sold her shame to the devil.

With Baek Cheol-yeon on her left and Ahn Ji-hyun on her right.

"Pfft-haha! Bong Sua? For real?"

"Yeah. I had no idea, you know? It's surprising enough that she awakened, but a Grade G Ghost..."

And the two of them were having a conversation using her as their entertaining topic, completely excluding her.

Even though Sua was between them, she couldn't join the conversation at all. Unlike them, the topic wasn't fun for her, and she had nothing to say.

Just then, Ahn Ji-hyun seemed to remember something and opened her mouth again.

"Oh, by the way, was your great-grandmother really a shaman?"

"Excuse me?"

Whoa. She's bringing that up.

Ahn Ji-hyun's question was directed at Baek Cheol-yeon, not Sua.

Sua quickly turned her head to look at Baek Cheol-yeon.

Because depending on how Baek Cheol-yeon answered, Ahn Ji-hyun's suspicion would follow.

'Say yes.'

Sua demanded with her eyes.

There was no way Baek Cheol-yeon, who was quick-witted, wouldn't catch this.

In that sense, Baek Cheol-yeon would soon realize that what she'd said was a lie.

But having a blood relative find out a secret versus a stranger finding out were on completely different scales.

While she was demanding with her eyes, she also grew worried. What excuse would she give him later?

'Why are there only sharp-eyed people around me?'

Both Ahn Ji-hyun and Baek Cheol-yeon were perceptive.

There should be some people who just let things slide. This world is full of such high-strung people.

Still, somehow, her intentions seemed to have been conveyed to Baek Cheol-yeon.

Baek Cheol-yeon stared at Sua with a displeased face before opening his mouth.

"Yeah. I think she said that."

"Hmm. Is that so?"

Even at Baek Cheol-yeon's words, Ahn Ji-hyun showed a hint of suspicion. The way she looked at Sua with half-lidded eyes said it all.

Sua deliberately averted her gaze elsewhere and was grateful when they reached the school gate.

"You're going the opposite direction from us, right? Bye!"

After pushing Ahn Ji-hyun's back, she quickly walked off with Baek Cheol-yeon. Despite grumbling from behind, Baek Cheol-yeon followed diligently.

As they walked, they ended up at a crosswalk, and soon the expected question came flying.

"Why are you lying?"

"About what."

Sua tried to play dumb.

But Baek Cheol-yeon wouldn't let it slide.

"Answer me properly while I'm asking nicely."

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