Chapter 2
Chapter 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: The Junior Still Hiding Her True Colors
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If there's one notification sound that terrifies Korean college students the most, it's probably the group chat invite.
⚙ GROUP CHAT INVITE ⚙ [Read!] You've been invited to the 'Consumer Behavior Theory Group 3' room. The moment I saw the alert pop up on my phone screen, my brows furrowed involuntarily.
The gates of hell had opened.
I dragged myself up from the bed with a deep sigh.
After yesterday's class ended, under the professor's pressure and Yoon Seo-ah's lead, the remaining members had hastily formed a group.
The lineup was as follows.
Me (Kang Minwoo, Fossil Returning Student),
Yoon Seo-ah (Business School Goddess),
Im Dong-hoon (20th Class, booze-reeking social insider type),
Choi Ji-eun (21st Class, textbook queen bee type).
Damn... Avengers?
The instant I scanned the roster, my gut told me everything.
This semester, my lifespan would shrink by at least three years, and my patience would hit rock bottom.
💬 Group 3 Chat — Yoon Seo-ah Senior! Thanks for the invite hehe. Looking forward to working with everyone! — Yoon Seo-ah (Heart-exploding bunny emoticon) The room had barely been created when Yoon Seo-ah fired off replies like clockwork.
Her profile pic was a fresh cafe selfie. Status message: [♥ing].
It screamed lovestruck college girl in pink.
Her personality really is great. Lives up to the hype on her looks.
Group project chats are usually a brutal game of chicken—who speaks first, who reads and ghosts.
But Yoon Seo-ah skipped the power plays and naturally took the lead.
Grateful, I tapped out a reply.
— Kang Minwoo Yeah. Let's make it through the semester. Group projects aren't a walk in the park.
The '1' had vanished early, but the other two stayed radio silent.
Thirty minutes passed. An hour. No replies.
"Ha... these guys gonna ghost?"
Classic free-rider warning signs.
Were they dissing the returning student, or figuring Yoon Seo-ah would carry them so they could slack?
Irritation bubbling, I rubbed my brow—then my phone buzzed. Private message.
— Yoon Seo-ah Senior, looks like the others are busy ㅠㅠ How about we meet tomorrow just us and pick a topic? I know a cute cafe right by school! The message hit right as I was stewing, like she had a sixth sense.
I pondered, then hit OK. Someone had to step up anyway. Better to wrap it quick than waste energy on drama.
— Kang Minwoo Sure. 1 PM tomorrow? — Yoon Seo-ah Perfect! See you tomorrow, senior ♥ That last heart felt oddly ticklish, but relief washed over me too.
At least one sane, reasonable teammate among the group.
Ten minutes early for the meetup.
I arrived at Blue Moon cafe by the school gate.
Military habits die hard—always early. I pushed open the door.
Ding-a-ling.
"Oh? Senior! Over here!"
Deepest window seat by the sunlight. Yoon Seo-ah, back to the room, spotted me and waved.
Today: light pink cardigan, white skirt. I could feel the guys in the cafe sneaking glances her way. Not bad having a girl like that waiting for me.
"You're early? Wasn't it 1?"
"Can't keep my senior waiting. And... I missed you, so I rushed over right after class."
Yoon Seo-ah beamed, pointing to the iced Americano in front of me. Ice clinking.
"Iced Americano, extra shot. Right?"
"Huh? Yeah... thanks. But how'd you know my taste?"
I rarely drink coffee without an extra shot—it's too bland. Had I mentioned it? We'd only met two days ago.
"Saw your tumbler in the lecture hall last time. Super dark brew, so figured extra shot."
"Sharp eyes."
No wonder she's so popular—great instincts.
I sipped without suspicion. Bitter caffeine slid down.
Yoon Seo-ah propped her chin, staring intently as I drank. Crystal-clear eyes, almost too pure.
"Even the way you drink coffee is cool, senior."
"Quit teasing. Teasing a returning student brings bad karma."
"It's true..."
She pouted. Adorably enough that I chuckled despite myself.
The vibe was good. No—honestly, great.
One-on-one cafe with the school's top beauty... not a date, a meeting. The pathetic me from two years back couldn't have dreamed it.
But the peace didn't last.
Ding-a-ling.
"Ah, sorry sorry. Late, right? Traffic was nuts."
The door flew open roughly, rowdy voices heralding unwanted guests.
Im Dong-hoon and Choi Ji-eun.
Twenty minutes late, zero remorse. Traffic my ass—five-minute walk from school.
"Yo, Yoon Seo-ah! You're legit pretty. Way better than your profile pic?"
Dong-hoon plopped right next to her, leaning in. Thick cheap cologne hit like a wave.
Choi dumped her logo-plastered luxury bag across from me and whipped out her phone.
"Oppa, we're not late, right? Lunch had a long wait."
Oppa?
First meeting and 'oppa'? Ballsy or rude? I schooled my face and nodded.
"You're here now. Let's pick a topic."
"Ah, I got decision paralysis. Can't you and Seo-ah just decide?"
Choi propped her chin, bored. Dong-hoon upped the ante.
"Bro, I'm slammed with part-time this semester? I'll handle research, you and Seo-ah do PPT and presenting? Fossil bro's got the experience for that."
Unbelievable.
Research is the easiest part—they knew it. And straight-up 'fossil bro' to offload the grind.
Should I snap?
Reciting military patience mantras to tamp my temper—
"Senior."
Yoon Seo-ah lightly tugged my sleeve.
I turned. She gazed up, the picture of worry and apology.
"Dong-hoon and Ji-eun must be swamped. Shall we just do it ourselves? I'll handle PPT and research. You just help organize."
"You doing it all alone? That's..."
"It's fine! I like this stuff. Call it learning. But..."
She leaned to whisper in my ear.
Sweet peach scent brushed my nose.
"Buy me dinner later. Something really expensive."
"......"
Couldn't say no.
Watching her angelic self-sacrifice, raging now would make me the petty jerk.
Obvious she'd just get dragged down with these clowns.
I sighed deeply and nodded.
"Fine. But you two present. Deal?"
"Yes! Senior's the coolest. Count on ya!"
"Oppa rocks! Work hard, Seo-ah~"
Dong-hoon and Choi high-fived, grabbed takeout coffees, and ebbed out like the tide for next class.
Quiet returned to the cafe. Like after a storm.
"Sorry. Leader fail—I couldn't rein them in, now you're stuck with the load."
I apologized sincerely. Yoon Seo-ah shook her head, grinning wide.
"No way. I prefer doing it just with you, senior. No distractions."
"Distractions?"
"Ah, no! Better focus. Hehe."
She stuck out her tongue like she'd slipped up.
I just found it cute.
Yeah, good people exist. Lucky to have her as a teammate this semester.
"One sec, senior. Bathroom break!"
She grabbed her phone and stood.
I watched her back as she left, finishing my coffee.
Unaware she was faking the bathroom trip, slipping to a hallway corner to call someone.
Her face 180 from the cafe—cold, trash-staring glare.
That night.
Home, showered, in bed—I opened the school community app, Camper.
My thumb paused on the hot board.
🔥 Real-Time Hot Posts 📱 Hot (52 Comments) Business Major 20th Class I.D.H. caught selling booze to minors at part-time gig, fired lmao 📱 Hot (38 Comments) 21st Class C.J.E. proxy attendance proof dropped. Time to cough up that scholarship? "Huh?"
I rubbed my eyes, checked again.
Familiar initials.
I.D.H., C.J.E.
Had to be Im Dong-hoon and Choi Ji-eun from earlier.
The details were brutal.
Dong-hoon got snitched on to his bar boss, instant fire, plus exposed for ghosting loans from dept buddies.
Choi: proxy attendance pics leaked last semester, eyewitnesses said dept office summoned her.
"Whoa... what the hell?"
Chills.
Just hours ago, strutting out of the cafe. Half a day later, total rock bottom?
Karma's real.
⚙ NEW MESSAGE ⚙ [Read!] — Yoon Seo-ah Senior! You up? Working on PPT draft now, but Dong-hoon and Ji-eun say they might take a leave ㅠㅠ Something happened... Looks like just us two? You okay with that? Her messages dripped concern.
So sweet. Worried even for the ones who'd treated her like a sucker.
Bitter smile, I replied.
— Kang Minwoo Something came up for them, huh. Don't worry about it. Better just us anyway. — Kang Minwoo Late—don't push too hard, sleep. — Yoon Seo-ah Yes! Goodnight, senior ♥ Dream of me! I shut off the screen, stared at the ceiling.
The troublemakers self-destructed. Left with an angel junior for the project.
Perfect ending?
Light heart, eyes closed.
Darkness. One last quiet buzz from the chat.
But drifting to sleep, I missed it.
In the dark, only my phone screen glowed.
Camper flooded with Im Dong-hoon and Choi Ji-eun's downfall.
I hummed a tune. Cheap price for dumping work on my person.
— Kang Minwoo Late—don't push too hard, sleep. — Yoon Seo-ah Yes! Goodnight, senior ♥ Dream of me! His sweet reply made my heart race wildly.
I wanted praise. For clearing out the bugs tormenting my senior.
Mesmerized, I sent:
— Yoon Seo-ah Now it's all clean. Oh no.
I frantically hit delete.
Not yet. Senior's too kind—he'd freak.
[Message deleted.] I kissed the dark screen, whispering.
"Goodnight, Minwoo senior."
Now, only I'm by his side.
Perfect.