A gloomy expression sat on Jinhee's face while she carried her tray, searching for an empty to sit at. The cafeteria appeared full today, adding on to Jinhee's annoyance.
Last night, she was unable to get a decent rest, and now, with sleepiness clouding her mind, even the smallest thing manage to agitated her mind.
Her lack of sleep these days caused Jinhee's complexion to turn pale and sickly. Using her droopy eyes, Jinhee scanned her eyes over the crowd, and she felt relief when she finally spotted an empty, peaceful seat.
Jinhee's mind was troubled with how to carry on her plans, and coupled with Taehee's strange behaviour, Jinhee's worries intensified tenfold.
Although the plan Jinhee laid out to Lee Dowon appeared flawless, it was actually filled with holes and had to be carefully executed. There were many possibilities of 'what if' in her plan.
One example was what if Dowon was killed earlier in this life by Minjoon due to the shift of plans. This could ruin everything Jinhee had in mind, and although the security around Dowon was strong, the chances of Minjoon murdering Dowon was not zero. For an extremely ambitious man like Minjoon, the extent he could go to was incredible.
Pulling out the chair, Jinhee took the seat opposite to the spectacled girl. Although Jinhee was not familiar with the female, she wasn't oblivious to her existence either.
Her black hair was styled into two neat braids, and her eyes stared at the book in her left hand. Holding the pair of chopsticks using her right hand, she picked up the piece of vegetable and placed it inside her mouth.
The third place in school examination belonged to Ahn Chaewon, and compared to other students, her family background was much more humble, causing her to be either bullied or ignored.
Chaewon was a silent figure who sat at the back of the class, and her presence was hardly noticed. She preferred keeping to herself and rarely acquainted herself with others. She was the perfect one for Jinhee to befriend and turn over to her side.
In her last life, Chaewon had immense talent when it came to dealing with coding, and many renowned university sought out for her. Nevertheless, as Jinhee was privy of this fact, she'd definitely take in Chaewon to her side tactfully.
Other than her aptitude, Jinhee was fond of how Chaewon carried herself and her mien. Her actions were not made to impress her fellow peers, and she did not interfere in female gossips.
However, in her past life, Chaewon was not able to attend any of the universities for her family business went down immediately after her graduation. She had to work hard to support her family since her father passed away from a brain stroke, and her mother was too sickly to earn for Chaewon and her twelve years old brother. On top of that, debts left by her father amounted to a lot, and all of their assets could not cover them.
The school lunches differed in accordance to one's status. For those who belonged to a family a low status, the lunch would usually contain rice and vegetables only, and occasionally some fruits.
On the other hand, students from family like Jinhee had a variety of dishes to choose from, and meat dishes were an option, which was rarely present for students' from low status.
Wearing a smiling expression, Jinhee picked up a piece of meat from her plate and placed it on top of Chaewon's rice. Utmost care was taken to prepare their meals for the chefs did not want to offend someone they shouldn't, and therefore, the beef tasted chewy and mouthwatering.
Chaewon raised her head up, and Jinhee felt that her presence was finally acknowledged. Staring at Jinhee suspiciously, Chaewon spoke out, "I don't need your pity."
As Chaewon was about to pick up the piece of meat with her chopsticks, Jinhee efficiently used her chopsticks to push it down on the rice, and she smiled cheekily.
Jinhee shook her head. "Can't you see that I'm doing these to get at your good side?"
Creases appeared in between of Chaewon's eyebrows, indicating the confusion she felt, and she removed her hold on the piece of meat.
"What do you mean?" Chaewon asked— her voice holding carefulness.
Even though Jinhee was not one of those who enjoyed tormenting her, it would not take her much long to become a new one. After all, she was not unfamiliar to them approaching her amiably and turning their back on her when she trusts them.
"Don't worry! I have no intentions to bully you. We both have pretty much the same status at school. Haven't you heard of the saying that birds of a feather flock together? When you get bullied, I'll help you, and when I get bullied, you can help me." A hopeful glint appeared on Jinhee's eyes.
There was no proof that Jinhee's words were true. It could be that she was dared to do so by someone, and once she succeeded in it, she too would be promoted to a higher status. This was not unlike something Chaewon had experienced before.
Even though Jinhee was deemed as worthless in everyone's eyes, many did not dare offend her due to her grandfather's favour on her. Only a handful few had the courage to confront her face to face.
"Find someone else," Chaewon voiced out, getting up from the seat whilst holding both the tray and book. The piece of meat sat on top of the rice uneaten.
A despondent sigh was let out by Chaewon, but she was not the one to lose hope that easily. After all, it was her relentless pursuit that allowed her to get close to Taehee and Jaehyun in her last life.
"If Jinhee-ah were to give that piece of meat to me, I'd be much more appreciative."