Yes, It’s Me. The Obsessive Side Top

#015

When I appeared at school, the atmosphere literally froze. How shocked they must have been to see the heir of Korea’s top group showing up with a conspicuous facial injury. Ironically, the wound made my excuse about being sick believably accepted. It seemed like no one would question my make-up exam, almost as if it had been part of Father’s grand plan.

“Ha Jin! What’s this? What happened after you didn’t show up for the exam?” 

Kim Shin was making a huge fuss over me. At the noise, I pulled my cap down even further. Not that it would hide the wound on my face. While Kim Shin continued noisily asking about my well-being, I made eye contact with Sun Woo, who had turned around from his seat in front. He looked at me for a moment before turning back.

Well, he had called me disgusting. Having studied together with Sun Woo, I found myself missing being near him. I pretended everything was fine and took the business administration exam—one that I had no real connection with.

The exam questions were identical, down to the last letter, to the ones the professor had given me. Though I felt guilty for remembering the questions I’d already seen, I had no choice. If I didn’t take the remaining exams, I felt my life might truly be threatened by Father. Despite feeling uneasy, I consoled myself that I hadn’t looked at the answers and wrote down what I had studied with Sun Woo.

—

By Friday, after all the exams were finished, the classroom was bustling. It seemed like there was a group gathering planned, with people constantly mentioning times and places. Amid the noise, I quietly watched Sun Woo’s back as he packed his things. Though he might have turned around at least once given my gaze, Sun Woo left the classroom without ever looking back.

Recently, the stitches had been removed, and only a thin dressing bandage remained on my face. With exams over, I felt a rare sense of liberation. Since I had promised to study on my own, I had thrown myself into studying without proper sleep. I wondered if I’d ever worked this hard in my life. I hadn’t even put this much effort into my college entrance exams.

Damn… you worked hard trying to fill Ha Jin’s empty head.

Just as I was about to leave, Kim Shin grabbed my hand.

“Ha Jin, won’t you come to the department gathering with me?”

What is this?

Everyone around us also stared at Kim Shin in shock. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who found it strange. Kim Shin was speaking in the same rhythm as Anna calling for Elsa in Frozen.

“What are you doing?”

“Ha Jin, our exams are over, and you haven’t hung out with me at all lately. The others are renting a pub today to celebrate—let’s go together. I want to get closer to our classmates too.”

“Then go. Who’s stopping you?”

“You know I’m shy. I can’t say a word to others without you there.”

Unbelievable. It wasn’t that Kim Shin couldn’t speak—he just chose not to talk to others. He kept spouting nonsense, trying to convince me to go to the pub. Suddenly, the class representative appeared and joined Kim Shin in his persuasion.

“Ha Jin oppa, let’s go.”

The class rep was Mi-eun, a kind and cheerful person. She had neat, shoulder-length hair, and despite her model-student appearance, she was full of energy and had a strong voice. Though most of our classmates came from wealthy families and were likely hard to manage, Mi-eun showed exceptional leadership, skillfully guiding them. She was a true example of a leader, always socially adept when dealing with people. She even dared to joke with Ha Jin—though that was probably because I wasn’t acting like the original Ha Jin.

At Mi-eun’s use of “oppa,” I tried to correct her. 

“I’m the same age as you.”

“Yeah, I know. But if you’re handsome, you’re oppa.”

Class rep Mi-eun called me oppa with a smile. Somehow, the atmosphere around Ha Jin had completely transformed. In the webtoon, Ha Jin was always surrounded by a suffocating silence. Everyone was too busy being wary of him. When I first took over Ha Jin’s body, people became awkward, and the mood turned cold even if I simply returned their greetings.

I guess the shift in atmosphere had to do with my quiet attendance in class. Ha Jin’s usual gang, who used to occupy the back seats, had disbanded because I no longer hung out with them. Who would’ve thought Ha Jin quietly attending classes would become a reality?

You’ve become human, Ha Jin. Well done, well done.

In this new, friendlier atmosphere, Sun Woo would have fit in well too. But he always rushed out of class, probably because of his part-time job. Still, Mi-eun made sure to look after him.

It drove me crazy how much I worried about Sun Woo, almost as if I had truly been possessed by Ha Jin’s spirit.

—

In the noisy pub, Kim Shin sharply smacked Mi-eun’s hand away as she tried to offer me a drink. “No way. Ha Jin can’t drink until his facial wound heals.”

Mi-eun, her eyes already unfocused, pouted and whined. 

“Whyyyyy! And Kim Shin, get out of here. Just give us some space! We want to get closer to Ha Jin too.”

“You think I’ll give up my spot that I’ve invested over ten years in?”  

“Crazy. That’s some serious obsession.”  

Mi-eun glared at Kim Shin with a frown. Considering they hadn’t talked much before, the two had become friends remarkably fast. Mi-eun’s indiscriminate friendliness played a big part, and Kim Shin’s sly personality matched well with hers. Even so, Kim Shin’s overly protective behavior made it hard for me to start conversations with other people.

“Ah! Then we can just ignore Kim Shin and talk to Ha Jin.” Mi-eun turned to me with a mischievous grin. “Ha Jin, you look pretty even with the wound. Who did this? I’ll go kill them right now.”  

I burst out laughing, unable to contain myself. Seeing Mi-eun switch from sweet to suddenly vengeful was hilarious. Her gentle appearance paired with such harsh words was too funny to handle.

At the same time, I imagined Mi-eun confronting my father—the person she’d threatened to kill. I could picture her standing firm, speaking boldly, while my father wore his mask of civility, laughing hollowly while seething inside. The image was oddly entertaining.  

“Oh? You’re laughing? Ha Jin, are you trying to seduce me right now?” Mi-eun teased. “My goodness, seducing me without even saying a word? Our Ha Jin is amazing!”  

She smiled brightly, clearly pleased, then downed a shot of soju in one go. Letting out a satisfied “Whew—,” she narrowed her eyes slightly, and I mirrored her expression, imagining the taste of soju.  

Kim Shin waved his hands in front of Mi-eun, trying to shoo her away, before moving closer to me. “There’s no non-alcoholic drinks here. What should we do?” he whispered in my ear. It seemed he knew even about Ha Jin’s inability to drink, probably from being around him so much. Kim Shin and Ha Jin must have been pretty close.  

“It’s fine,” I replied. Since I’d imposed a drinking ban on Ha Jin, he wasn’t touching anything with alcohol, not even non-alcoholic drinks.  

“But everyone else is drinking.”  

“Like you said, I can use my facial wound as an excuse.”  

“Ha Jin, it upsets me every time I see your wound.”  

“It’s almost healed now.”  

“Huh? Why are you two whispering?” Mi-eun narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious.  

“This won’t do,” she declared, standing up with a determined expression. Then she shouted in a voice that drowned out the pub’s music:  

“Hey! Let’s mix up the tables! No sitting at the same table for more than thirty minutes!”  

“Mi-eun, you should leave that table first. You’ve been there the whole time. The class rep should set an example,” someone called out.  

“Huh, who’s that?” Mi-eun demanded. “Who dares to talk nonsense? Ah, Min-ho, are you crazy? You dare talk back to the class rep? Then why don’t you be the class rep!”  

Mi-eun immediately started making her rounds, patting people on the back and urging them to switch up their seating. The students, who stood up reluctantly, kept glancing at my table with a mix of curiosity and nervousness. This marked the beginning of Ha Jin’s transformation from outcast to insider.

Even as everyone shuffled about chaotically, I stayed put. Kim Shin was dragged to another table by Mi-eun, and suddenly, my table filled up with classmates I’d never spoken to before.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but some of them actually started talking to me first, which made things less awkward. The general consensus seemed to be: “Ha Jin is better than we thought?” Or, put more bluntly, “He’s not the bastard the rumors made him out to be?”

The atmosphere grew livelier as more people lost their inhibitions. Just as I was settling in, someone captivating appeared at the entrance to the pub. For a brief moment, the entire room seemed to fall silent before the chatter resumed. How could someone’s entrance be so protagonist-like?

Sun Woo’s gaze lingered on me for a second before Mi-eun’s energetic wave drew his attention.  

“Oh? Sun Woo’s here? Come over here!” she called, practically glowing with excitement.  

When Sun Woo tried to sit at another table, Mi-eun sprang up, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him over to my side. After seating him next to me, she announced dramatically, “Hey, this is our department, you know? Where else can you find a university like this? It’s thrilling! I’m so glad I studied here. I love it! I’m so happy!”  

A chorus of cheers erupted around us. Mi-eun laughed joyfully, and when Sun Woo tried to stand, she pushed him back down, saying, “Stay here. Neither of you move from these seats. Class rep’s orders.” Even though her words were already slurred from drinking, she spoke with authority and kept looking back at us as she walked away, making sure we stayed put.

In the now slightly awkward silence, I figured I should at least greet Sun Woo, given that he’d just arrived.  

“Sun Woo, you’re late?” I said.

As expected, there was no response. I had anticipated the cold shoulder, but it still left a small scratch on my heart.