May, the month of family, comes, leaving behind the news of military service that I don’t even want to see.
On the first day of May,
most parents and workers are enjoying a break for Labor Day.
However, for students who don’t fall into either of those categories, it’s just another day to go to school.
Passing through the station entrance on the way to school,
the place that is usually packed with people looking like they’re about to die tomorrow during school hours is incredibly quiet today.
I shouldn’t be envious of those who work even on weekends, but damn it.
Can’t magical girls be recognized as workers and skip going to school?
‘Of course not, yes….’
Since I’m technically still a student, that’s nonsense.
After finishing a self-questioning game with an answer I already knew, I walk quietly down the path.
Even though it’s barely school time, the desire to go back home is creeping up.
I spit out the desire that has risen to my throat.
“I want to go home.”
“Me too.”
The morning commute is empty except for students.
Shiyeon, who was walking beside me, chimes in.
We never really had any intentions of going to school in the first place.
But dropping out and getting a middle school dropout label doesn’t look good either.
Even if I’m told to take the equivalency test, that means I’ll have to study for that too, which is annoying.
I’m just waiting for time to solve everything on its own.
High school students who don’t have night study sessions are surprisingly free.
“Ah! I really don’t want to do night study.”
It’s barely been a week since the exams ended, during the break right after the morning assembly.
Among the classmates gathering nearby like it’s a planned meeting, a female student suddenly vents her frustrations.
It’s still not even lunchtime or the first period, yet she already brings up night study and makes herself miserable.
Since it’s not the kind of atmosphere where we’re forced like before, another student responds to her complaints with a blink of an eye.
“Well, don’t do it then.”
“What can I do when my mom makes me?”
“Then you have to do it.”
Even if the school atmosphere isn’t pressuring them, in this case, it’s forced by ‘home.’
In any case, the kids who don’t study aren’t going to be pushed to do anything, but the parents have a carefree mindset thinking that if they just keep them in school long enough, they’ll do something.
“Ugh, this is so annoying…”
Even with complaints, the responses from friends are predictable.
Especially in situations like this, where it’s not the old atmosphere of being forced to do night study.
In our class, maybe only ten people are doing it anyway.
There aren’t many friends who will sympathize or be angry with her.
What can be done when feeling irritated? I can’t assert my independence either, so I’ll just do as I’m told.
“What’s the first period?”
After a moment of annoyance, I realize it’s pointless and change the subject.
The female students are asking what the first period is, but none of them think of checking the bulletin board next to the blackboard.
“It’s probably Korean.”
“Ugh, that’s really the worst.”
“Is the Korean teacher not changing?”
As soon as the announcement of the first period being Korean is heard, they openly complain in unison.
They might seem like psychopaths not able to empathize with each other, but when it comes to badmouthing a disliked teacher, they’re of one mind.
Should I consider this a good sense of unity or just a strong ability to gang up on one person?
Listening to their complaints among themselves like this, it’s just the usual—making us wake up during class, giving us a lot of homework…
From the teacher’s perspective, they’re just doing their job, yet somehow they’ve become the public enemy of our class.
Honestly, a book report assignment that should only come once every three months or during vacation is being assigned biweekly.
For high school students stuck in night study and academy instead of having time to leisurely read a novel, it’s undeniably harsh.
Well, I’m not doing night study or going to an academy, but can’t they just assign it once a month?
I’m starting to run out of ideas to write for my previous life’s book reports…
‘Should I stop by the library for once?’
I don’t feel inclined to go all the way to the bookstore and buy books with my own money just for a book report.
As I was contemplating whether I should go to the school library, a thought popped up.
“Alright, the book report assignment is due next week-”
Before the first period bell even rings, the Korean teacher at the teacher’s desk shows her unusual habit of assigning homework instead of greetings.
“Ugh, teacher, seriously….”
“What do you mean seriously? Reading more books is so good for you.”
‘I guess I have to go.’
Naturally, boos and complaints erupt from the classroom.
She tries to shove it down with the reasoning that reading more books is beneficial, but in the minds of my classmates, the Korean teacher’s evaluation has already hit rock bottom.
Similarly, I promise to stop by the library after lunch and rest my head on my desk carelessly.
Time passes, and after finishing today’s lunch, which had mini sweet and sour pork as the main dish,
I settle into a seat at the surprisingly bustling school library and start looking for a book that seems suitable for writing a book report.
After having lunch with my classmates, the one who followed me to the library is undoubtedly Shiyeon.
Since I’ve never had any ties with the library in my school life so far, Shiyeon curiously asks me.
“Why the library?”
“For the book report.”
I whisper quietly in a much lower voice.
There are even manga books, though they’re rare in the library.
Students who prefer quiet over playing with friends gather here, exploring the limited manga collection.
In the meantime, quietly, I grab a book with a title that seems to slur out a decent lesson and open to any page.
For a book report, there’s no need to deeply appreciate the book from start to finish.
If it’s a serious book, there’s likely a part where the author, feeling proud, mutters a life lesson.
I just need to point that part out, write it down in my report, and say I was somewhat impressed and gained a lesson from it.
Isn’t that too careless?
But I can’t write in my report without a filter, “You’ve never experienced pain being born with a silver spoon, so what do you know about youth…”
If someone is capable of sincerely empathizing and gaining profound lessons from someone else’s serious experiences, they must be someone who can handle anything anyway.
Having finished next week’s book report assignment, I close the book and return it to its place as Shiyeon, still at her spot, sees me return from the bookshelf and asks.
“Did you finish already?”
“Yeah, not yet?”
I nonchalantly nod my head at Shiyeon’s question about whether I’ve finished.
Since we came together, it feels better to leave together, so I sit beside her without bringing a book and say in a low voice.
“I haven’t even read it…”
She tilts her head as if to say that she still has a long way to read while pointing out the beginning of the book.
She intended to read it thoroughly before writing the report.
How naïve, as a life senior, I drop a sweet tip.
“Just read the last part of the book and pretend you got a lesson from it.”
“Ah…?”
“Why read the whole thing so naïvely?”
The incredulous tone in her one-liner makes me exhale through my nose.
After all, in a book, whether good or bad, the impression remains in the latter part.
If I only read the latter half of the book, then the contents of the front may not matter.
Isn’t it like how you only read the finished endings of manga when you get bored with the middle?
After Shiyeon understood my handy tip, she too finished her book report assignment in less than ten minutes.
Having already finished the next week’s homework, after returning to our respective classrooms with no worries,
I lay down heavily on my desk, filling the remaining lunch time with sleep.
After lunch, classes 5, 6, and 7 ended one after another, and I meet up with Shiyeon to head home.
“Ha-eum.”
I cover my mouth and let out a light yawn while walking along the asphalt road.
The path to the school gate filled with students coming out from school was noisy.
The amount of commotion at dinner time is something I couldn’t have imagined just ten years ago.
Pretending to be sleepy again, I lean on the sturdy body next to me and feel Shiyeon lightly wrap her arm around my shoulder.
Pat, pat, it’s just a joke, but her soft touch is warm like a mom.
I want to take a nap like this.
“Are you still sleepy?”
“A little.”
Momentarily putting aside the jokes, I blink my sleepy eyes and start walking on my own feet.
Even if I fall asleep, I have to make it home first, so I trek out the gate with a stagger.
At that moment, bang! startled by the honk coming from nearby, I turn my gaze to where it came from.
A vehicle was parked right in front of the gate.
After standing still, it suddenly honked, causing me to think, ‘What the heck is wrong with this person?’ and look at the front window…
“Senior Jiun?”
“Both of you get in quickly, we’re going for dinner.”
Upon hearing her familiar face and voice, the anger that had surged up to my forehead dissipated.
The action power of a holiday worker is something else.
