Short story.ZIP
Apple flavored side
During my school days, no matter how long I went to school, there was one thing I could never get used to: exams.
Although there are several exams per year and semester, it is difficult to shake off the unpleasant feeling every time I take them.
As a result, my academic stress level increased. Thinking that I had failed the test, I thought about going to a karaoke room alone to cheer myself up.
The reason I went alone was because I had a lot of friends to go with, but they were no match for me.
Although they are children who have grown up together since childhood, they have already become my enemies due to the unavoidable educational methods of the Republic of Korea.
It got to the point where I couldn't trust anyone.
I cursed and resented my country every day, but what I got in return was the price I paid for it.
The more I cursed my country, the more I lost, and in the end I had to accept it. No, I had to at least pretend to accept it.
If the country was going to die, I had to pretend to die so I could survive.
김여주
"... after."
I had nothing to say.
Only a deep sigh that came out without me knowing expressed my feelings.
김여주
“I wonder how much it will break this time-.”
Weren't there kids like that in school? The lower class that supports the upper-middle class. Those kids who are three or four in a class.
One of them was the heroine.
Oh, there is a type of female protagonist that I dislike.
Unlucky kids who are terrible at studying but also have good personalities, so they get favored by their teachers.
For example, top student in the school, top student in the class, class president.
Yeoju has never run in class officer elections since she was in elementary school.
In elementary school, she was a girl who hit the ball.
So, I had been receiving recommendations from teachers and parents to run for class president.
The heroine was very sociable.
Well, in elementary school, class officer elections are mostly popularity votes.
While thinking about this and that, I kicked the poor stone and it ended up hitting something.
It was quite hard and gave me a headache, but it didn't feel as hard as a tree or a telephone pole.
When I looked in front of my eyes, I saw a male student smoking a cigarette.
It was our school uniform.
A familiar name appeared on the name tag.
When I came to my senses and looked in front of me, it was a face I was tired of seeing.
김여주
“...Class president?”
박지민
“...?”
김여주
“You smoke? You’re the class president...!”
박지민
"however?"
김여주
"... what?"
박지민
“What, you think I’m some kind, teddy bear?”
박지민
“I’m just doing this so I can go to college and be treated like a human being.”
박지민
“This world only cares about money and college.”
박지민
“You know. Poor kids like me aren’t even treated like human beings.”
김여주
“...”
박지민
“Are you done with what you wanted to say? Then would you please just get out of here?”
김여주
"however?"
박지민
"what?"
김여주
“Are you protesting by secretly smoking a cigarette alone because you’re not even treated like a human being?”
김여주
“That won’t change anything. Your health will only get worse.”
With those words, Yeoju snatched the cigarette that Jimin was smoking and stepped on it with her white sneakers.
The soles of the sneakers were covered in ash.
김여주
“I’ll pay for the laundry if you quit smoking and accept my candy!”
The heroine took out a small lollipop, forced it into Jimin's hand, wrapped it around him, and ran in the opposite direction.
박지민
“... What is this?”
박지민
“...Your tastes are very similar.”
Jimin opened the wrapper of the apple-flavored candy and put it in his mouth, looking at where the female lead had left.