Chapter 490

“Hello, this is Haru TV! Today, I’m going to film a vlog of our school trip to Jeju Island!”

“Wow, Iharu is filming a vlog? Veevee.”

“V? Veee? Oh Seoyuna, you have no sense! It should be the other way around. Gyaru peace!”

“Yeah, whatever TV Haru.”

“Alright, today we have a very special guest. Now, please take off your mask and reveal your identity!”

“Namae isn’t wearing a mask, right? Then do I have to take off my skin?”

“Hahaha. Namae, please reveal your identity by taking off your skin!”

“Ugh, leave me alone, you guys.”

Friends on both sides are pulling at my cheeks.

I really can’t tell if this is relaxation or childcare.

“Heehee, how cute Namae is! You guys, don’t you think? Have you ever seen cheeks this chewy and soft? Only available here at the special price of 100 won!”

The school trip hasn’t even started yet.

We’re just waiting for the plane, but I’m already feeling drained.

Using the hour we had left, we roamed around the airport.

While I was leaning against a wall to rest, my friends suddenly handed me a Pororo juice they bought from the convenience store.

“Are you thirsty? Here you go.”

“Uh, thanks.”

Chugging the drink, Yuna and Haru stepped beside me.

Then they posed the same way I did and took the same drink, gulping it down.

“Ugh, it’s bitter, Namae. Is this the bitter taste of life? Yuck.”

“You’re 10 years old.”

Yuna tried various model poses.

Even drinking a beverage was quite the performance.

Haru stifled his laughter and zoomed the camera all the way in.

Yuna’s nostrils flared in the shot.

She didn’t seem to realize it and continued to maintain her striking poses.

“Oooh, Seoyuna, that’s totally a moody angle! Yuna, don’t you feel the gazes!”

“Not at all! Drinking this makes me feel awesome!”

“Hahaha! Look at her nostrils.”

“Hey, what are you filming?”

“Guys! Let’s line up to get on the plane now.”

At our homeroom teacher’s call, all the Academy friends scattered around the airport gathered lazily.

We lined up in front of the boarding gate.

There were many travelers headed to Jeju Island besides just the academy students.

As soon as I took off my hat and sunglasses, I felt numerous gazes pierce through me.

In the meantime, Yuna put her arm around my shoulder and hummed a pop song.

“Wow-wow-wow~ Painting downtown in light~ Yeah yeah blazing our own trail~ Making chaos in a world!”

“I don’t know them.”

I was too embarrassed and just nodded to greet them.

“Haha, it’s okay. You’re cute anyway.”

“Do you think we’re cute? Thank you!”

“Just move ahead quickly. The line is breaking.”

Gathered in groups in front of the plane, we managed to step inside safely.

Thankfully, my friends, who received proper etiquette education, didn’t cause a ruckus even inside the plane.

“Phew, finally, I can rest a bit.”

Fortunately, my seat was at the very end of the last row.

I put on my sleep mask and reclined the seat back.

“Namae, Namae! Look here, peekaboo!”

A whisper close to my ear.

Peeking slightly under the mask, I saw the demon-like girls on either side giggling.

The camera got closer to my face.

Now it was my turn.

“Please show us your cute side, Namae.”

“What’s a cute side?”

I threw up a casual peace sign.

“The cute pose you always do!”

“When have I ever done that? I can’t even do it!”

I made a finger heart to show.

“Noo! Do something cuter fast!”

“Like how? Like this?”

I timidly tapped my index finger against my cheek.

“Aw, so cute!”

Only then did the girls fasten their seatbelts with satisfied expressions.

Anyway, it’s tough to keep up with them.

Once we boarded the plane, we started chatting through hologram messaging.

[Seviron Academy Class 4-A]

[Yuna: Namae just did aegyo alone LOL]

[Hyejeong: Hurry, send a picture]

[Han Seori: Oh sh*t, is today the day the plane crashes? Guys, you’ve worked hard for 3 years, let’s meet and laugh later.]

“Hey, you guys told me to do it.”

“Giggle.”

Are they plotting against me since I’m not in that group chat?

I poked Yuna’s sides and thighs, teasing her.

I made sure to cover her mouth so she couldn’t make noise.

Yuna stuck her tongue out between her parted lips, tickling my palm.

“Ah, spit!”

“Ewww, it tastes bad.”

“When we get off the plane, just wait.”

“Ahaha… Namae, just look at me once. Oh right, I’ll invite you to the group chat.”

[Seviron Academy Class 4-A]

[Namae has been invited.]

[Iharu: Hello hello]

[Yohan: Hi]

[Hong Jun: Tyrant has arrived]

[Han Gyeol Kim: Why is a first grader here? Entry forbidden below 130 cm.]

[Namae: I can’t just make you 120 cm though.]

[Han Gyeol Kim: ヾ( •́д•̀ ;)ﾉ]

[Han Seori: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

It had been a while since I chatted closely with my classmates.

Of course, the topic we couldn’t miss was the National Exchange Competition.

Are we preparing well? Are you hurt anywhere? Will we really be able to beat the Americans? How are we going to hit their heads, etc.

I succinctly summarized my answer to all these questions into one.

[Namae: Can you still imagine me losing? That’s strange; it shouldn’t be like that…]

[Han Seori: ヾ( •́д•̀ ;)ﾉ]

[Gyeongwon: ヾ( •́д•̀ ;)ﾉ]

[Ji Hye: ヾ( •́д•̀ ;)ﾉ]

As I cracked my knuckles, my friends collectively shuddered.

* * *

Once we arrived in Jeju Island, we immediately decided to go have lunch.

The menu included cold noodles and pork cutlet.

The kids dragged their heavy suitcases on both hands to the bus.

Han Seori lifted her suitcase without any help from the driver and tossed it inside.

“Oh, so strong?”

“Hehe, actually it’s super light.”

“What’s inside?”

“Just a bunch of cup noodles and snacks, haha!”

Han Seori laughed proudly, while Ji Hye, who was watching from the side, clicked her tongue.

Inside the bus, chaos soon unfolded.

This was because there was a karaoke machine and a disco ball.

Friends who thought they could sing or rap willingly erupted into song.

I only supported them from a distance, shaking a tambourine.

“Three bears live in one house, Daddy bear, Mommy bear, Namae bear.”

As the familiar children’s song flowed out, the kids liked it even more.

“Namae bear tears people apart! It’s so scary!”

“Seoyuna, come here. I’ll really tear you apart!”

“Ahhh! Teacher, help! Help!”

“Yuna, if you’ve teased her enough, you should just give it back.”

Unfortunately, just before a bloody incident could occur, the bus stopped.

“Phew, I survived…!”

“Tch. Be thankful you’re lucky.”

The enticing aroma of black pig pork cutlet buffet wafted in, stirring the kids’ hungry bellies.

“Welcome, this is Miraso! Is it a group reservation for Seviron Academy… huh?”

As the staff at the entrance glanced my way and raised both arms in excitement.

“I’ve seen Namae! Now, I must worship you.”

“Ah… Please don’t say that outside. The kids are all here…!”

Why is it that my fans seem to be so eager to make my life difficult?

“What’s worship?”

“Nothing. Let’s go in quickly, Ji Hye. Aren’t you really hungry?”

“Uh-huh.”

This was unexpectedly embarrassing.

I kept my head low and hid behind Ji Hye as we entered.

I took an empty plate and sat down first at the table.

Soon after, my friends came back with whatever they wanted on their plates.

“Hmm? Namae, why didn’t you get anything?”

“Have you ever heard of sample extraction?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

“If a population is made up of similar elements, a small sample can maintain the representativeness of the entire population, that’s what it means.”

Quickly, I moved my chopsticks and started snatching delicious-looking food from my friends’ plates one by one.

“Waaah, no!”

“Wow, Namae, you punk!”

“Tch, but there’s way too much salad. I hope you guys focus more on pork cutlets and spaghetti next time. Nom.”

“Exposing the real Namae. This is bound to get a million views, isn’t it?”

“Why? Because you don’t eat vegetables?”

People can live just by eating meat.

“I don’t understand what’s wrong at all…!”

“Is the food tasty, Namae?”

“Mm. Other people’s pork cutlets really do taste better.”

Because I have a small appetite, I couldn’t keep eating.

This was also the reason I couldn’t do mukbang broadcasts, no matter how much I tried.

After only eating the meat I snatched from my friends, I neatly placed my chopsticks on my plate.

“Phew, I’m full. I usually don’t eat this much at this time.”

Hearing my words, my friends all looked displeased.

“If you came to a buffet, you should eat more, Namae.”

“No, if I eat more here, the utility will actually decrease.”

“Namae, I’ll give you some salad, ahh.”

“No. Why should I eat greens?”

“If you eat this, you’ll win the National Exchange Competition, you know?”

“Yeah, I’ll win even without eating.”

“You’ll even grow taller to 170 cm!”

I reluctantly shut my eyes tight and opened my mouth.

Seori’s chopsticks went right into my mouth.

The red vegetable called radicchio tumbled around my tongue.

The bitter taste lingered on the tip of my tongue.

“I lost my taste. Glug.”

I desperately gathered saliva from my salivary glands and barely swallowed.

I leaned over the table and watched the kids eat.

The boys were all focused on their meals without saying a word, while the girls kept chattering and their laughter never ceased.

I truly felt that the kids had grown a lot in less than half a year.

When I recalled how they were when they first entered the Academy, they seemed so much younger back then.

They blossomed into various topics of conversations based on their interests in fashion, makeup, and idols.

At the previous academy I attended in my past life, students spent their breaks talking about dresses, jewels, and engagements.

However, unlike back then, I didn’t feel left out even if I was not in the conversation.

“Namae!”

“Yeah?”

“You said you finished your food, right? Let’s go see that dog in front of the store. Do you want to watch the staff give it food?”

“Hey, are you guys going without me? I want to go too!”

“Namae, come on! I’m scared of the dog, so you have to protect me.”

“If you’re scared, why do you want to go see it?”

“Because it’s cute, even if I’m scared…!”

“Ha, fine. Let’s go.”

I intertwined my pinky with Yuna and headed outside the store.

On the way, I snatched a slice of tangerine from Han Gyeol’s plate.

I waved goodbye to the boy who was ready to burst from frustration.

It was somewhat childish, but sometimes I didn’t mind engaging in such childish behavior.