Chapter 8

After class, Kim Soo-young called out Lee Sang-hyuk and they came to the office together.

"Sang-hyuk, you must be very tired from your part-time job recently. At your age, you're still growing, so you need to take care of your rest. If you have any difficulties, remember to talk to your teacher," Kim Soo-young said, sitting at her desk, somewhat worried. "Also, don't take your classmates' opinions too seriously. You're so smart; as long as you work hard, I believe you won't be any worse than any of them in the future."

"It's fine, teacher. I don't really care about those things," Lee Sang-hyuk said with a faint smile.

Kim Soo-young looked up at the most talented student in the class and noticed that he had indeed changed compared to before.

In her memory, although Lee Sang-hyuk didn't care much about others' opinions in the past, it was because he buried himself in his studies and cut off communication with the outside world, more like a form of avoidance.

But now, seeing Lee Sang-hyuk's bright smile, although Kim Soo-young didn't know the reason, with her years of teaching experience, she could clearly sense the change in Lee Sang-hyuk's mindset. His indifference to others' opinions was truly a genuine lack of concern, not the self-isolation of the past.

"That's good. If you need any help, remember to talk to your teacher," Kim Soo-young said.

"Okay, thank you, Ms. Kim. I'll go back to the classroom now," Lee Sang-hyuk said, about to turn around.

"Right, Sang-hyuk, wait a moment. I heard from Soo-jung that you're the only one in our class who hasn't joined a club. I know you're busy with your studies, but you also need to balance work and rest," Kim Soo-young suddenly called out to Lee Sang-hyuk. "Don't boys like esports? I think that's a good choice."

"Uh, okay, I'll register with the class president when I get back," Lee Sang-hyuk said, feeling a bit speechless. It was probably only in this parallel world's Korea that a teacher would encourage a student to play esports.

During the lunch break, most of the students in the classroom went to the cafeteria for lunch. Lee Sang-hyuk walked to Jung Soo-jung's desk and placed the application to join the esports club under her book.

"Hey, what's that? It's not a love letter, is it?" Kim Dong-min, who was sitting in the back row watching an esports live stream with Choi Kyung-phil, happened to see this and nudged Choi Kyung-phil with his elbow.

"Huh?" Choi Kyung-phil, who had just been fully engrossed in the live stream, looked up, a bit puzzled.

"Lee Sang-hyuk, I just saw him put a piece of paper under Soo-jung's book. Do you think it's a love letter?" Kim Dong-min gestured towards Lee Sang-hyuk.

"That bookworm, hah, does he dare? A toad lusting after a swan," Choi Kyung-phil said, taking off his headphones and walking to Jung Soo-jung's desk, where he pulled out the application form.

"Hey, bookworm," Choi Kyung-phil walked up to Lee Sang-hyuk, holding up the form and sneering, then said in a mockingly polite tone, "Oh, sorry, is that an impolite way to address you? Should I call you a part-time worker? Or a socially concerned person?"

"Excuse me, do you have something to say? I'm not interested in how you address me," Lee Sang-hyuk put down his book and said with a faint smile.

"Brat, so cocky? Tell me, can you even play esports?" Choi Kyung-phil waved the application form in his hand, mocking.

"Choi Kyung-phil! You, you're bullying someone again!" Jung Soo-jung, who had just walked to the door, saw this and shouted at Choi Kyung-phil, somewhat angrily.

"Soo-jung? Ah, no, I'm not bullying him, really, how could I bully a classmate?" Choi Kyung-phil quickly turned to Jung Soo-jung with a smile, then patted Lee Sang-hyuk's shoulder and whispered, "Right, Sang-hyuk, I was just telling you the time for the esports club activities, right?"

"No, he just called me a bookworm and said I was part of the socially concerned group. Oh, and he also mocked me for joining the esports club when I can't play," Lee Sang-hyuk suddenly changed his demeanor and said with a look of委屈 (grievance).

Choi Kyung-phil was being clever. If a child was bullied, they might complain to a teacher or parent, but at this age, boys' self-esteem is very strong. Being bullied, they wouldn't even complain to a teacher, let alone a class president, especially when the class president is a girl.

Lee Sang-hyuk found Choi Kyung-phil's behavior amusing and, looking at Jung Soo-jung, he understood that Choi Kyung-phil had a crush on her, so he decided to tease him a bit.

"Choi Kyung-phil, it's almost time for the lunch break. Can you please go back to your seat?" Jung Soo-jung glared at Choi Kyung-phil and said.

"Okay, my bad. Here's Lee Sang-hyuk's application form. You take it. I'll go back now," Choi Kyung-phil said with a grin, slowly retreating to the back of the classroom and whispering to Lee Sang-hyuk, "Brat, you're tough!"

"Lee Sang-hyuk, are you joining the esports club?" Jung Soo-jung looked at the application form and asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, someone reported me to the class president, so I have no choice," the look of委屈 (grievance) on Lee Sang-hyuk's face disappeared, and he shrugged casually as he opened his book.

Jung Soo-jung blushed and said in a somewhat awkward tone, "Then remember to come to the esports club activity room on the fifth floor after school."

Watching Jung Soo-jung walk back to her seat with a red face, Lee Sang-hyuk shook his head, finding it a bit amusing. He thought this girl was a bit too shy.

The afternoon classes ended quickly, and Lee Sang-hyuk, carrying his shoulder bag, came to the fifth floor as agreed.

"Lee Sang-hyuk?" As soon as he entered the activity room, he heard a voice filled with surprise and joy.

"Cha Soo-hyun?" Based on the memories of the previous owner of this body, Lee Sang-hyuk quickly recognized the lively and beautiful girl in front of him as one of his few friends in this school.

"Why are you here? Are you joining the esports club too?" Cha Soo-hyun asked, surprised.

"Why can't I join the esports club?" Lee Sang-hyuk asked with a smile.

"No, no, it's just that you seem a bit different," Cha Soo-hyun said, looking at him curiously. Suddenly, she glanced at the door and pushed Lee Sang-hyuk in a panic, "Ah, don't look, don't look back."

Lee Sang-hyuk turned his head curiously, and two young people, a man and a woman, holding hands and laughing, walked in.

However, the moment the long-haired girl saw Lee Sang-hyuk, her laughter abruptly stopped.

"Sang... Sang-hyuk?" The girl was stunned for a moment, then asked, somewhat surprised and flustered.

"Yes, it's me." At that moment, Lee Sang-hyuk remembered the identity of the girl in front of him and everything about her. The memories were too vivid, and the girl standing in front of him was none other than his childhood sweetheart and ex-girlfriend, Han Yeo-jin, who had broken up with him two months ago.

In his memories, they lived close to each other when they were young, and their families often visited each other. They went to the same school in elementary school. Before graduating from elementary school, Han Yeo-jin's father became successful in business and moved to a new place, quickly arranging for Han Yeo-jin to transfer schools.

Unexpectedly, they met again in middle school. Due to the common early romantic relationships in Korean schools, the two naturally became a couple. At that time, despite the significant difference in their family backgrounds, Han Yeo-jin was still a teenager, and Lee Sang-hyuk, with his good looks and outstanding academic achievements, was a source of pride for any girl.

In high school, they attended the same school as they had agreed in junior high. However, at some point, the environment and people's hearts began to change. Han Yeo-jin gradually realized that what she and her female classmates compared in secret was no longer their grades or the honors their boyfriends won at school, but the brands of their clothes and bags, and the prices of the gifts their boyfriends gave them. Even their families' businesses, which were still far from them, occasionally became topics of conversation.

The original Lee Sang-hyuk, however, remained the same, only focused on his studies and doing part-time jobs after school. He was not romantic and did not give small gifts, and this gradually made Han Yeo-jin's heart, which had once been full of romantic aspirations, waver. Finally, two months ago, she brought a Japanese exchange student, Aikawa Kiyoshi, who was a year older than her, to Lee Sang-hyuk and broke up with him.

The original Lee Sang-hyuk, though seemingly dull, had a very sensitive sense of self-respect. After his girlfriend of four years broke up with him in front of him with another boy, his sensitive heart became so fragile that he wanted to commit suicide. He actually carried out this action, which led to the soul of the other-worldly Lee Sang-hyuk, who had lost his father and was in a daze, mysteriously possessing the body of the Lee Sang-hyuk who had committed suicide in this parallel world.

Looking at the couple at the door, Lee Sang-hyuk was certain that the real him had no special feelings for this girl named Han Yeo-jin. However, at that moment, his heart felt a strange pain.

"Is this, your regret?" Lee Sang-hyuk smiled lightly, speaking to some indescribable existence in his mind, "Then, I'll help you."

"Hello, I'm Lee Sang-hyuk." Lee Sang-hyuk extended his hand to Aikawa Kiyoshi, who was standing next to Han Yeo-jin, and took a careful look at the boy in front of him.

Objectively speaking, Aikawa Kiyoshi, with his medium-length hair and a face that resembled the famous Japanese idol Kimura Takuya, was indeed very attractive to girls.

On the other hand, as an exchange student, he must have come from a good family, at least not needing to do part-time jobs after school like Lee Sang-hyuk.

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(Continuing with three updates today, a small climax is coming soon. Please click, recommend, and collect!—)

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