She was no different from a beast

Chapter 38

—–CROW—– 

“Well, even though I said it went bankrupt, it’s not like we’re completely broke.”

I get my uniform from the school, tuition is free, and so are meals.

Going to school doesn’t cost anything, and I eat my fill during the week thanks to school lunches, so I don’t have to worry about food expenses.

I use the small allowance I get from home each month for clothes and gym fees.  There’s even some left over, which I secretly slip to Yerin Unnie whenever she’s struggling with the household budget.

It’s been a year since I came to the mainland and started living with Yerin Unnie in a two-room apartment in Seoul. Now I’m 15.

And yeah, it went bankrupt. The flower shop went down in flames.

It wasn’t because Yerin Unnie was bad at running the business or because she was stubborn and lost customers.

Actually, it was booming at first.

I even helped out during busy weekends.

A pretty, fit high school girl charming customers, and a young, 20-something owner smiling and giving each customer individual attention? It was a recipe for success.

But Unnie underestimated Seoul.

The landlord, seeing how well the business was doing, got greedy and jacked up the rent and maintenance fees. Unnie tried to hold on, but eventually, she had to close down.

So, are we out of a job? Nope.

Thanks to my experience in my past life, I suggested we take custom orders online until we could open a new shop, and we’re making enough to get by.

‘And in a few months, we’ll have enough money to open a new shop, not in some run-down mall, but somewhere like Hongdae.’

I still get pissed thinking about it.

That slimy old landlord, who swore he wouldn’t raise the rent.  He didn’t even know about my relationship with Yerin Unnie, and as soon as she moved out, he had the nerve to ask me if I wanted to work there.

For minimum wage, no less.

Trying to hire a highly skilled, energetic, and beautiful worker like me for minimum wage?  The audacity!

*Bursts in*

“Unnie, I’m home~”

“Oh, Yuna, you’re back? Have you eaten?”

“Heehee, not yet~ I bought tteokbokki from the place down the street, so we can eat together~”

I still put any leftover money into crypto, but I’ve invested enough that I can afford to splurge on snacks sometimes.

I smiled, shaking the black plastic bag filled with fried food, sundae, and two servings of tteokbokki.  Yerin Unnie, who was sitting at the table making flower boxes, smiled back.

“I don’t even want to imagine what I would do without you… Yuna, let’s live together forever, okay?”

“Pfft, are you proposing?”

“I’d marry you if I could~”

Yerin Unnie hugged me tightly as I took off my shoes and came in, burying her face in my ample bosom.

Come to think of it, isn’t Yerin Unnie about the age to get married?

Well, maybe marriage is a bit early, but she should be dating.  But she’s always cooped up at home because of work; I’ve never seen her go out and meet people.

“You should find a nice guy and get married~ With your looks, you’d have men lining up.”

“…”

Yerin Unnie’s lips twitched slightly at my words.

Well, who’s fault is it that she doesn’t have a boyfriend?

Yerin Unnie is a naturally beautiful woman who also works hard to maintain her looks.

She manages her weight, always wears sunscreen, uses face masks before bed, and takes good care of her skin. But she’s no match for her younger “sister.”

She might feel confident looking in the mirror, but standing next to Yuna, she feels like a dried-up squid. How could any man be interested?

I have naturally fair and smooth skin, delicate and well-defined features, a cute and pretty face, a toned physique with defined muscles and abs, thanks to regular workouts, and a moderately petite height of 158cm, which looks more like 165cm thanks to my good proportions.  With a practically perfect woman like me next to her, how could she attract any male attention?

“W-well, you don’t have a boyfriend either~”

“I have plenty of guys around me.”

That’s true.  Maybe not at school, but I’ve become close with many of the guys at the gym who show interest in me when I’m lifting weights.

At school…hmm, except for a few real weirdos, it’s more like…

They want to talk to me, but they’re too shy and just keep glancing at me.

Or maybe they’re just full of lust and want to get close, but I’m not interested in their advances, so they naturally keep their distance.

I only really talk to guys during P.E. class when we’re playing soccer or basketball.

I cleared the flowers piled on the table and started munching on the tteokbokki.

“Sigh, this isn’t how I imagined things would be…”

“Well~ Life never goes as planned, does it?  I’ll buy you a nice new shop and a new place to live when I make some money!”

“…Thanks for the thought.”

I mean it, though.

Yerin Unnie responded with a wry smile, looking at me like I was a gambling addict.

She’s seen me pour my money into crypto for over a year, and she probably thinks, ‘Well, at least she’s a kind kid, even if she’s throwing her money away.’

Hmph, just you wait. In a few months, crypto prices will skyrocket, and I’ll be a winner of capitalism, proving that patience is key!

My parents yell at me every time we talk on the phone, telling me to sell, sell, sell! But it’s going to get even more expensive!

Three more months.

Three months from now, when winter break starts, my current 3 million won investment will balloon to 20 million won.

I’ll sell it all then, and when it drops back down to around 3 million won, I’ll buy again, and in a few years, my money will have multiplied.

And if Bitcoin doesn’t work out, I’ll just invest in US stocks!

Making money is so easy~

“But Yuna…how…how were your midterms?”

“Heh, what do you think?”

“R-right?  You never missed first place in elementary school…”

“I proudly placed 200th this time!”

“…”

Who cares about grades when I’m going to be rich!

I put my hands on my hips, puffed out my chest, and declared this proudly.  Yerin Unnie clutched her head and trembled.

Honestly, I thought middle school would be a piece of cake with my knowledge, but I was wrong.

I can only handle simple geometry and arithmetic.  Anything with graphs or memorizing formulas is just…wow.

My grades are a disaster.

“Please~ Yuna!! I-I feel so sorry and embarrassed every time I tell your parents about your grades! I’m not asking for first place, just try to be average! Please?!”

“…It’s too late.”

Sorry, Unnie. I’ve been sleeping through classes since the first grade, so I can’t keep up.

Goeun Middle School.

An ordinary school located on the outskirts of Seoul…except it’s a bit famous online for its pretty uniform.

“Teacher~ I collected everyone’s homework~!”

“Oh, thank you. I really like you, Yuna~”

“Oh my, are you hitting on your student?”

“It would be even better if you didn’t say such nonsense and paid attention in class.”

“Heehee.”

“And fix your uniform. You’re a young lady; are the buttons just for decoration?”

“But if I button it all the way, it feels too tight~”

“…”

A famous student, known by name to both students and faculty.

Famous since the first day of school, for the rumors that she came from Ulleungdo and for her striking beauty.

A few confident, or perhaps overly confident, boys had tried to approach her, but she’d rejected them all with a smile.

She was also friendly and sociable, so she got along with most people, except for the boys harboring ulterior motives.

Yuna smiled bashfully, scratched her head, and avoided his gaze. The male teacher sighed and shook his head.

Perhaps those ulterior motives stemmed not only from her beauty but also from the buttons of her shirt, which were always straining against her growing chest.

“Then at least wear your uniform properly.  Where’s your blazer and vest?  You’re only wearing a cardigan?”

“The vest and blazer are too tight~ I can’t breathe if I wear the vest!”

“…”

As a teacher, it was hard to reprimand her for such reasons.

Her skirt, which showed off her thighs, wasn’t altered; it just looked that way because of her good proportions. She’d received a standard-sized uniform based on her waist measurement.

And since she was going through puberty, her body was…well, developing, so she couldn’t wear the vest or blazer. What could he say?

“But I don’t cause any trouble~”

“Sigh, that’s true. That’s why it’s even more frustrating; there’s nothing to scold you for.”

“Heehee.”

Yes, she didn’t wear her uniform properly, and she dozed off and even slept through classes, but she never caused any trouble. In fact, she often took care of tasks that others found bothersome, so it was hard to dislike her.

While well-behaved, quiet, and studious students might be favored, teachers are also human.

They naturally interact more with sociable students who are easy to talk to.

In that sense, although Yuna’s classroom behavior and attire were problematic, she wasn’t disobedient, and aside from her clothing and sleeping in class, she was a good student.

“Oh, right, Teacher. Why haven’t you been coming to the gym lately?”

“…I was busy with exams until a few days ago.”

“Well~ You could come after work at night~ I waited for you until 8 o’clock yesterday~”

“Hey! I’m human too! Human! Can’t you be a little more considerate?! I feel like I’m dying the next day after working out with you!”

“What?! You asked me to help you get ripped!  Are we going to the gym together today? You know you still have a month left on your membership, right?! I even brought my gym clothes!”

“Aaaaagh!!”

The surrounding teachers chuckled at the casual banter between the male teacher and the student.

After all, there was no one else in the school as considerate and well-mannered as Yuna.

“You promised, right?! I’ll be waiting after class! I even turned down my friends’ invitation to the PC bang, so we’re definitely going!”

As the bell rang, signaling the start of class, Yuna bowed politely but couldn’t suppress her smile. Her homeroom teacher, the male teacher, sighed in exasperation.

Ignoring him, Yuna ran over to a middle-aged teacher, greeted him, and they both chuckled as they walked down the hallway.

“It must be nice~ Mr. Yong-chul.  You get to monopolize Yuna, who’s so popular with everyone else.”

“…Ms. Da-young, would you like to go to the gym in my place?  That kid turns into a beast at the gym.”

“Oh my, I’d be in the hospital tomorrow if I worked out with Yuna.”

Although they said it must be nice to monopolize her, they were secretly intimidated by the prospect of spending time outside of school with the pretty and charming young student.

—–CROW—– 

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