World Rank 0, Please Stop! - Chapter 76

“Okay, I understand. So there won’t be any problem even if I leave, right?”

[Yes! 〉ㅁ〈 I’ll take responsibility and handle it!]

It was clearly meant to tell me not to worry, but I felt a bit uncomfortable in a corner of my heart.

However, for some reason, I didn’t want to delve deeper into that feeling, so I tried hard to push the thought out of my mind.

“Alright. Then I guess I don’t have to worry anymore.”

Yeah, what’s there to feel strange about? It’s rather a good thing. It means I don’t have to care about anything else.

I quickly regained my composure.

“Now, I need to find Seon Woo Jin…”

How should I find him?

Then it suddenly dawned on me.

“Ah, right.”

The map.

“Yeah, there was a map.”

I turned the system back on and used the ‘Map’ function.

‘I forgot about it since I didn’t really have a reason to use it.’

Usually, there was always at least one person by my side without having to go look for anyone, so this was the first time I used the ‘Map’ function since I saw Seol Yu Hwa in the neighborhood last time.

When I pressed ‘Map’, a huge school map appeared before my eyes.

Now the question was…

“…Which one of those four is Seon Woo Jin?”

I had forgotten that I didn’t register any characters other than Seol Yu Hwa on the map.

That’s right. This damn system was analog in unnecessary ways.

‘You have to meet them in person once to register them, what a hassle.’

I grumbled as I walked towards the closest red dot.

“Can’t you just tell me?”

[No can do!]

Ah, seriously, don’t make things so bothersome.

‘I’ll have to make sure to register everyone this time.’

So I don’t have to go through this trouble later. I pouted my lips in displeasure.

‘But with four dots, who could they be?’

Which characters were still at school right now?

Seol Yu Hwa was already registered, excluding Sung Ji Chan and Yoo Hee Na who should be at the hospital right now. Seon Woo Jin is probably at school, so included. Then two are left…

And the moment I turned the corner, I could immediately identify one of the answers.

‘Ah.’

It was Han Ye Won.

Han Ye Won, who ran into me head-on, had a very startled expression.

As soon as she saw my face, Han Ye Won openly showed her surprise and hurriedly turned around, disappearing in the other direction.

I blankly stared at Han Ye Won’s receding back.

‘What’s with her, did she commit a sin against me or something?’

Although Han Ye Won played the role of the male lead’s ex-girlfriend with an innocent image, she wasn’t the type to be timid, so her current reaction was a bit unexpected.

‘Did I treat her that badly last time?’

No way. It shouldn’t be because of that.

‘…She left before I could even register her.’

Well, at least I know who she is now.

Now if I visit the other two spots except for that red dot and Seol Yu Hwa, I should be good.

Without thinking too deeply, I started walking again.

The second closest red dot was Seol Yu Hwa.

I didn’t intend to go looking for Seol Yu Hwa, but I ended up running into her as she was on the way.

This time too, Seol Yu Hwa was with other kids. To be exact, she was being bullied by the kids.

‘Hmm… I did tell her last time not to intervene.’

I looked at Seol Yu Hwa and pondered for a moment what to do. Meanwhile, the kids were still yelling at Seol Yu Hwa about something.

‘Alright. I have something to ask Seol Yu Hwa anyway.’

Let’s intervene just this once.

Having made up my mind, I spoke to the kids.

“Hey, I have something to say to that kid over there.”

At my words, the kids flinched and exchanged glances with each other, watching my reaction. I drove the point home.

“If you have nothing to say, could you please leave?”

Only then did the kids whisper among themselves and disappear. As they passed by, they glanced at me, making me wonder if they were talking badly about me behind my back.

‘Well, it can’t be helped.’

If I pay attention to every single thing like that, I won’t be able to do anything.

After the kids cleared out, I approached Seol Yu Hwa.

“Are you okay?”

Then Seol Yu Hwa spoke through clenched teeth.

“…I told you not to intervene.”

Ah, I knew it.

I should have just stayed still.

I trembled inwardly at Seol Yu Hwa’s fierce gaze.

“Sorry, but I have something to ask you.”

I spoke quietly, worried that other passing kids might hear.

“Can we go somewhere else first?”

Seol Yu Hwa glared at me for a moment, then nodded.

The place we went to was the gym storage room.

‘…Here again.’

But there was no better place to have a secret conversation than here. I sighed and entered the storage room. Of course, I didn’t forget to leave the door open.

“So… what did you want to ask?”

At Seol Yu Hwa’s question, I hurriedly opened my mouth.

“Ah, it’s about Sung Ji Chan. I heard he was hospitalized. Did something happen yesterday?”

When I asked, Seol Yu Hwa answered indifferently.

“Nothing happened.”

“Huh?”

“I said nothing happened.”

Then why was Sung Ji Chan hospitalized? Was it unrelated to Seol Yu Hwa?

Just as I thought that, Seol Yu Hwa spoke again.

“I was annoyed that he kept taking up my bed, so I just sent him to the hospital.”

Seol Yu Hwa raised her fist with a blank expression.

“It seemed ambiguous to just send him to the hospital, so I made it clear for him.”

“…”

Are you saying you beat him up? Seol Yu Hwa chuckled at my frozen expression.

“I’m joking.”

Please don’t joke about such things. It sounds like the truth when you say it!

“It’s true that nothing much happened. When I returned home, that boy was already preparing to leave. He probably went to the hospital after leaving my house. I didn’t even know he was hospitalized until just now.”

In other words, Seol Yu Hwa and Sung Ji Chan were unrelated.

‘Then what on earth happened in between?’

Well, anyway, that’s not important.

“Okay, thanks.”

“Is that all you were curious about?”

I nodded.

After saying goodbye to Seol Yu Hwa, I stepped out of the gym storage room.

‘Now there are two people left, I think.’

The third closest dot was near the school store.

It was lunchtime now. It’s the time when there are the most kids around, even on a regular day…

‘It definitely won’t be there.’

Seon Woo Jin hates crowds, so there’s no way he’d be at the school store at this hour. Maybe during class time, but not now.

‘But I still need to register who it is, so let’s go and see.’

I headed towards the school store.

When I finally arrived at the destination, I spotted a familiar face.

“Ju Eun, hello.”

It was Ji Seung Hyun.

‘Right. He was also a character.’

One of the people to watch out for, for the sake of my happy ending.

Ji Seung Hyun was smiling as always.

Ji Seung Hyun, who greeted me, bowed his head in greeting. I waved back.

“Hi.”

“Are you going to the school store?”

No, I came to see you.

But it seemed like it would be a bit ridiculous to say that in this situation, so I just nodded.

Ji Seung Hyun spoke with a concerned expression.

“Why aren’t you eating lunch?”

He’s worried about my lunch. As expected, you’re the only decent person in this neighborhood. I was touched every time I saw Ji Seung Hyun.

“I have something urgent to do.”

“Really?”

His kind voice was warm.

“Then should I buy you something?”

“No, it’s okay.”

At that moment, someone called Ji Seung Hyun from far away. It seemed to be a friend.

Ji Seung Hyun spoke gently.

“Sorry, I think I have to go.”

Yeah. I can’t keep holding onto a popular person.

If the Three Greats were like school idols, Ji Seung Hyun had a more friendly image. So unlike the kids who only admired the Three Greats from afar, they approached Ji Seung Hyun without hesitation.

“Okay, go ahead.”

Ji Seung Hyun gave an eye smile instead of a goodbye.

With that, I let Ji Seung Hyun go. As I watched his receding back, I absentmindedly thought.

‘Ah, since I’m at the school store, I should buy some bread.’

My lunch. I quickly stopped by the school store and took a bite of a chocolate roll bread before moving again.

Now all that’s left is that dot, right?

I glared at the glowing red dot in the old school building.

Damn, I was hoping it wouldn’t be there.

The reason I didn’t want to go to the old school building was simple. It was too far from the classroom. In other words, it’s a hassle to go and come back.

‘I thought I wouldn’t have to go there today of all days.’

He probably can’t even enter the infirmary, so why is Seon Woo Jin there again?

Moreover, looking closely at the map, it seemed he was outside the old school building, not inside. Isn’t that just a grassy field? Why is he in a place like that?

‘He’s not even moving.’

I had no idea what he could be doing.

I started walking towards the red dot presumed to be Seon Woo Jin.

As expected from looking at the map, the place where the dot was located was the mountain behind the school. To be exact, the foot of the mountain.

It was filled with trees like a forest.

‘Is it here?’

I looked at the map and found the exact location. And finally, I arrived at the destination.

‘Inside here.’

I lowered my head and peered inside.

A place hidden by trees.

In the small, empty grass field within, Seon Woo Jin was leaning against a tree, asleep.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

What should I call this? Sleeping prince in the woods?

‘This is absurd.’

I never imagined he’d be sleeping in a place like this. I had all sorts of imaginations about what he could be doing. I was half dumbfounded.

‘Where did the mat even come from?’

He was always so thoroughly prepared for these things.

Come to think of it, why does a place like this even exist at school? It was a bit funny to see a space that seemed to be moderately created as if to serve as a hideout. Is this also God’s arrangement for the female and male leads?

Now that I think about it, I have seen such an arrangement before. A female and male lead sharing a secret space like this at school. I think the female lead climbed up a tree… Well, enough of that story.

‘I can wake him up, right?’

I approached Seon Woo Jin to wake him up.

And I sat down beside Seon Woo Jin. Before shaking his body, I absentmindedly looked at Seon Woo Jin’s face.

His eyelashes are longer than I thought. A sudden impression came to me.

He usually always has a sullen expression, so I had forgotten for a while, but seeing his peacefully sleeping face, I thought he was handsome.

Flawless white skin. A high and straight nose bridge. As I gazed at Seon Woo Jin’s face as if enchanted, my eyes suddenly fell on his lips.

At that moment, Seon Woo Jin opened his eyes.