Chapter 27

Chapter 27 is the twenty seventh chapter of Weak Hero.

It is the second part of **Gray and Stephen's Backstory**.

## Synopsis

Two Byuksan Middle School students are late to school and one brings up how the class rep is going to nag about paying the tardy fee. The second student says that his class doesn’t do that stuff because Stephen covers all class expenses through winning academic competitions and donating the prize money.

After the next monthly exam, Stephen is no longer first place and is back to his usual ranking in the twenties. Gray notes that Stephen seems to see school as nothing more than a playground. The two continue to hang out with each other and Gray begins to be influenced by Stephen without realizing it.

Stephen is asking his homeroom teacher to sign off on district supported business application, but Mr. Bang thinks it’s worthless and a waste of time. Stephen says the class already qualifies for it and he’s already filled out all the necessary papers except for the teacher’s signature. Ms. Lee offers to sign it instead.

Gray and Stephen are at Gray’s house playing Takkan. Gray easily beats Stephen and reveals that he memorized the entire manual. Stephen says it was random character luck but Gray smiles and says that luck is part of skill too.

Ms. Lee informs Mr. Bang that the district experimental support program Stephen applied to was approved. Another staff member congratulates Mr. Bang despite not believing it wouldn’t work and not being the one to sign it off.

Stephen shows Gray a mattress pin and demonstrates that by clipping it onto his pants, his pants don’t drop even without a belt. Gray asks Stephen what he’s trying to do by donating all his prize money and getting all kinds of support from the district program. Stephen says that since it makes everyone happy, it makes him happy, and that it was some kind of self-satisfaction. He tells Gray that he can tell him all about it because he feels like he’s the only one who could understand all of him for who he is.

Gray realizes that Stephen, who had the maturity and impartiality unlike any other middle schooler, was the one who completely filled the hole in his heart.

Gray and Stephen are watching students from other classes getting scolded for not paying lunch fees. Stephen tells Gray that there are a lot of kids that are tight on money. Gray mentions that there aren’t any in their class, but a flashback shows Stephen requesting his prize money and financial support for class expenses including overdue lunch fees.

Mr. Bang has an antipathy for Stephen and sees Stephen helping out his classmates as just annoying extra work. Stephen’s background wasn’t the kind the teacher felt he’d benefit from if he helped him compared to the other students with wealthy parents.

During lunch, as Gray and Stephen grab their food and are looking for a table, Stephen asks Gray if he’s entering the Olympiad to which Gray confirms. Gray inquires as to why Stephen isn’t signing up and Stephen says there’s no prize money. Stephen notices Bryce Oh sitting alone and says they should sit there. Stephen happily greets Bryce and says they should eat together.

## Appearing Characters

***Note:** Characters who are listed in bold and italics are appearing for the first time. List is ordered by appearance.*

* Stephen Ahn
* Gray Yeon
* ***Bryce Oh***