Chapter 146: Dormitory Gathering
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 146: Dormitory Gathering
The dormitory interview itself wasn't particularly difficult.
There wasn't much to say, and it felt less like they were trying to fail people and more like they were just filtering out the obvious "landmines."
It’s definitely different from other universities.
I’d heard that at other schools, getting into a dorm after freshman year was a Herculean task. Apparently, at some places, getting into the dorms was harder than getting into the university itself.
Compared to those, Gahyeon University was certainly convenient. I remembered seeing a video on Neutube introducing Gahyeon University as a school with an excellent dormitory system.
Still, I hadn't expected it to be this easy.
When I stepped outside, Senior Ju-hee and Dae-ho Hyung were still sitting in the same spot. The atmosphere felt a bit heavy, and Dae-ho Hyung was keeping his eyes glued to the floor.
Well, she is Captain Ju, after all.
How many people could actually look Senior Ju-hee in the eye while sitting next to her?
"I'm done. The vibe was good, so I think I'll pass!"
I smiled and expressed my thanks to the two of them.
"Really? Congratulations."
Dae-ho Hyung welcomed my return enthusiastically and offered his congratulations. However...
"..."
For a split second, Senior Ju-hee shot me a sharp, piercing glare. I instinctively flinched and almost took a step back.
"That's good. What a relief."
But she quickly returned to her usual expression and gave me a few hearty thumps on the back.
"Gah! Se-Senior... that hurts."
"Oh? Sorry!"
Whack!
She gave me one more slap on the back for good measure.
As expected of her—she was bold and sturdy enough to be a general.
...Something feels off, though.
It was a feeling I couldn't quite ignore.
Is it because of what happened last time?
I wondered if she was upset because I hadn't mentioned it, but then again, if I brought it up, I’d probably just get beaten up even more.
Hmm.
While I was debating what to do, it became Senior Ju-hee's turn, and she went in for her interview.
"Did something happen with Senior Ju-hee?"
Taking the opportunity, I immediately asked Dae-ho Hyung, but he just shrugged, looking just as clueless.
"More importantly, Woo-jin. A few of us who used to live in the dorms are going out for drinks. Want to come along?"
"Huh? So suddenly?"
He had been looking at his phone with his head down earlier; it seemed a plan had been made then.
"Yeah, it's a gathering for the kids moving back into the dorms this time to get along. You'll be seeing them often if you live there."
"..."
To be honest, I wasn't really feeling it. I didn't particularly want to drink, nor did I want to go to a gathering and socialize.
"You don't look so good, that's why I'm asking."
Dae-sang Hyung patted my shoulder and offered some advice.
"You look like you're struggling with something, unlike when we were at Gold One. When that happens, thinking things over is good, but sometimes just downing a few drinks without a care in the world isn't bad either."
"..."
My head had been a mess ever since Oh Yun-ji's visit, but I hadn't touched a drop of alcohol. Hearing his seasoned advice, which reflected his age...
"Sure, why not."
What the hell, I decided to go. It would be good to get to know some faces beforehand if I wanted to get along with people in the dorms.
"But what if someone we meet there fails the interview?"
"Then well, that's just unfortunate for them."
I realized there was a chance I’d meet people there today whom I’d never see again.
As we were chatting about various dormitory-related things, Senior Ju-hee returned. She looked fine, so she must have breezed through the interview.
Dae-sang Hyung stood up to take his turn, almost like they were switching shifts.
"I'll be off then. I'll contact you later. It'll probably be around 7:00, Woo-jin."
"Okay, Hyung. Let me know."
I bowed slightly and saw him off to his interview.
Maybe it was because I liked the gentle buzz of the surrounding crowd, but I decided to stay for a moment.
As I sat there, Senior Ju-hee, who was sitting next to me, stared at me intently and asked, "Did you make plans?"
"Yes, a few people moving into the dorms are getting together for drinks. I figured I'd go and get to know some faces."
"..."
"Would you like to come too, Senior?"
I suggested it since she quite enjoyed drinking, but...
"No thanks, I'm not a fan of those kinds of gatherings."
Surprisingly, Senior Ju-hee waved her hand in refusal.
"Woo-jin, since it's a college dorm, a lot of incidents and accidents tend to happen, you know?"
Then came her advice.
"There's no need to try and be friends with everyone at a drinking party. You need to know how to draw a line when necessary."
"...You sound like you know something?"
Her tone left a strange lingering feeling, so I asked. She scratched her cheek and replied.
"Well, it's not like I know everything. Go see for yourself and judge."
"Got it."
As expected of her. Her cool and straightforward advice was impressive.
"...Or maybe not. Maybe you're the one with bad character."
"Pardon?"
She muttered something under her breath while giving me a suspicious squint.
"Whatever, I'm leaving."
Thwack!
"Oof!"
She hit me on the back again as she left. Seeing how she couldn't control her strength, she really needed to go do some sports or something.
I should probably get going too.
I stood up, thinking it was about time to head out.
* * *
To start with the conclusion: it became a massive pain in the ass.
Sitting at home, the thought of drinking felt like a chore, and meeting new people felt even more tedious. However, since I’d told Dae-sang Hyung I’d go, I forced myself out the door.
Even though it was a first meeting, I didn't bother dressing up. I just pulled on a cap, threw on a jacket, and headed toward the restaurant address on my phone.
The name is... Bul-gyeopsal? Korean BBQ? What is this?
Isn't it just a pork belly place? They were having a gathering at a place with a weird name.
I was about to put my phone away since it was just a straight walk, but a message came in.
It was a group chat consisting of me, Yoo Ah-rin, Seo Ye-rin, and Choi I-seo. I thought the group chat was a bit awkward, but I had mentioned earlier that I had a gathering today.
Yoo Ah-rin was immediately hurling insults because I had postponed drinking with them only to go drink somewhere else.
This girl...
The atmosphere had been strangely awkward lately, but after I sent that one text about the gathering, she was back to her usual self as if nothing had happened.
Honestly, I couldn't even feel wronged. What could I do about my drinking habits? In fact, that was exactly why those three had ended up sleeping over at my place before.
It's so chaotic.
Why do they talk so much?
The scattered conversation was a bit of a headache, but a small smile had found its way onto my lips.
I soon arrived at the meat restaurant. I was right on time, but there weren't many people yet.
"Dae-sang Hyung."
"Woo-jin, you're here."
Thanks to Dae-sang Hyung being there, I sat next to him and started chatting. It wasn't just students from Food & Culinary Arts; there were students from various departments, and especially the freshmen moving into the dorms had joined through senior introductions.
The male-to-female ratio was decent. The girls had been giving me looks before I came here, but there weren't so many women that it warranted that kind of suspicion.
I shared drinks with Dae-sang Hyung while talking about our time at Gold One.
"Sigh."
I thought drinking might make me feel better. But the lump in my chest wouldn't dissolve with just a bit of alcohol.
How should I put it? It felt like I was re-experiencing the heartbreak I felt during the break after the first semester.
This sucks.
I was trying to drown my gloom in alcohol, but...
"You're drinking pretty hard all by yourself, aren't you?"
Before I knew it, a woman with a familiar face was sitting in the spot where Dae-sang Hyung had been.
Her hair had grown a bit longer. She still wore the same glasses and had that smirking mouth.
The "fossil" of the Physical Therapy Department and a devotee of the Sex Master.
Anonymous 90 from the Bamboo Forest.
It was Lee Eun-woo, who was now a graduate student and a teaching assistant.
"Are you still living in the dorms?"
She was a fourth-year, so shouldn't she be out by now?
"I got my own place. I just came to hang out today."
Well, she was a fossil of the Physical Therapy Department who had been rooted in the dorms for four years. She probably knew a lot of people there.
"Then please, carry on."
"Aren't you managing the Bamboo Forest anymore? The managers have been posting like crazy."
So Yoo Ah-rin was doing it all by herself. I felt a bit bad.
"I have to. I was just taking a break."
"Aha, I thought you were handing it over to a successor."
"Are you still spamming the board?"
I remembered Seo Ye-rin being furious because her "Sex Master" title had been taken. I also remembered her being happy about reclaiming the title while spamming during our time at Gold One. I didn't know why that was so important.
"...A little?"
"Psh, it's definitely not just 'a little.'"
I could tell just by looking at her that she was doing it more than usual.
"You came here today to hook a guy, didn't you?"
"...Sharp as ever."
She really was boy-crazy.
"I like freshmen. They're fresh and enthusiastic, you know? Both during the day and at night."
"Keep it down. Don't go messing up the kids' relationships."
My eyes drifted to the table where the freshmen were gathered. Many of them were tipsy and weren't hiding their attraction to each other.
"Tsk, am I just an old lady to those kids? Then will the Manager keep me company today?"
"There you go again. I'll introduce you to a good guy, want to meet him?"
"Who?"
"Senior Oh Dae-sang."
"Not my type."
She was damn picky. Dae-sang Hyung was a reliable, good man.
"I saw a few English major freshmen over there; have you talked to them?"
"Eh?"
Why didn't I know that?
"Looks like they followed their friends. Go say hi."
"No thanks. They'll probably hate it if some stranger comes up acting like a senior."
How annoying would it be if someone they'd never seen before started acting like their senior?
Ah, should I just go?
I had come with the intention of getting to know the people I'd be living with and making friends. But in reality, I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone while drinking.
I felt a bit different earlier.
Before entering the restaurant, when I was texting the girls, it felt like things were back to normal. My heart had felt lighter then. But now, it was heavy again.
...Even if I asked them to come, they probably wouldn't.
Since we were supposed to drink tomorrow, I thought I should head out and manage my condition for then. But just as I was about to stand up...
The restaurant door opened, and a woman walked in. It was obvious she had put a lot of effort into her look for a late night, and the soft lighting of the restaurant enhanced her aura.
She naturally possessed a charm that drew everyone's gaze.
"Seo... Ye-rin?"
Why was she here? Various thoughts raced through my mind, but Seo Ye-rin, ignoring the stares of others, found me immediately and approached.
"Woo-jin, I texted you. Why aren't you checking?"
She smiled elegantly and pointed at her phone.
"Wow."
"That—that senior is her, right? The Gold One Bakery Goddess."
"She's so pure-looking, exactly your type."
"I know, right."
Voices drifted in from all around. It was the same at Gold One, but being among other students, Seo Ye-rin truly shone even brighter. Looking at her, so clear, bright, and pure...
Right, this is how she usually is.
I had only seen her "Sex Master" side for a while, so this version of Seo Ye-rin felt almost foreign.
"Hmm? Woo-jin."
Seo Ye-rin urged me with a smile that reached her eyes. I blankly checked my phone.
I had a private message from her.
One was a photo of her in only panties, covering her breasts with both hands. The other was a photo of her wearing only a dress shirt, covering her lower half with her hands. Both were definitely Seo Ye-rin herself.
"...You came all the way here just to ask this?"
Dumbfounded, I stared at her and asked.
"Yep. Which one do you like?"
She asked me with a smile that was as clear and refreshing as a summer day.