Chapter 147: Moving Preparation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: Moving Preparation
Seo Ye-rin sat down next to me with a bright smile.
She wasn't even moving into the dormitory, yet she acted so natural that I was caught off guard, and the people around us began to whisper.
"Huh? What's your type?"
"Hey, more importantly, this is a gathering for people moving into the dorms."
I wanted to prevent the others from getting their hopes up that she might be moving in too.
"Oh, right. I forgot."
Look at her, pretending to be innocently surprised when she already knew.
"Then let's go drink somewhere else."
Ye-rin stood up immediately, looking like she was about to drag me away.
"No, no! Eat here. It’s fine. I’m not a dorm resident either, but I’m just hanging out," Lee Eun-woo said, hurriedly catching her. It seemed the others didn't want her to leave either.
'So this is what it feels like.'
I’d heard that if you’re handsome or pretty enough, you never have to pay for drinks in college, and it turned out to be true.
"Thank you."
Ye-rin sat back down with a flirtatious eye-smile. She stuck close to my side and snatched the glass I was holding.
"Woo-jin, you’re done for tonight."
"Why?"
"It’s hard for me to deal with you when you drink too much."
"I don't drink enough to get drunk."
"How many glasses have you had so far?"
"Um—about one bottle?"
"That’s plenty."
"You know I don't get drunk easily on beer or soju."
"And yet you keep drinking until you eventually do get drunk."
As we bickered over the glass, I felt eyes on us.
I glanced around and realized everyone was staring intently at our table. It was a bit embarrassing.
'This is always the problem when I'm with Seo Ye-rin.'
She had the kind of looks that made even movie actors want to scout her on the spot. Her beauty stood out even among professionals; there was no way she wouldn't draw attention among ordinary people. Some of the guys were already gulping, unable to hide their desire.
"Don't you carry a mask or something? Put one on."
I told her to cover her face, but she just confidently ran her hand through her hair.
"I dressed up on purpose."
"Listen to her, calling herself pretty."
"So, am I not?"
"…Why did you come here looking like that?"
"Come on. Answer me. Am I pretty?"
Is she really this oblivious? Everyone is watching.
"Sigh, yes, you're pretty. What else are you good for besides being pretty?"
"Hehe, I'm glad I'm pretty. Thanks, Mom and Dad."
Give me a break.
"You know, a lot of 'accidents' happen in college dorms. People two-timing, being promiscuous..."
"..."
"So I came to give them a heads-up. This guy already has a girl, so don't touch him."
Ye-rin smiled, poking my cheek with her finger. Her smile was a perfect blend of sly and innocent.
"If you add any more, Woo-jin, you'll be four-timing."
She whispered this into my ear before pinching my cheek. My back stiffened involuntarily as tension shot through me. It felt a bit ridiculous to hear her talk about dormitory promiscuity or "incidents" given my current situation.
"And I could tell you’ve been in a bad mood lately, so you’re probably not mingling and just playing the 'loner' role."
"Hey."
"I dressed up to boost your ego, okay? How is it? Do you feel a sense of superiority?"
"..."
It wasn't that I didn't feel a sense of superiority. But I didn't like the feeling of "consuming" Ye-rin just for the sake of a petty ego boost.
"Don't do this next time. Got it?"
As if reading my mind, she gave a radiant smile, nodded, and rubbed her face against my shoulder. She had long since started ignoring everyone else's gaze.
'Whatever, I give up.'
Since my glass had been confiscated by Ye-rin, I just focused on eating the meat.
"Ah, hello, Seniors! I'm Kim Cheol-su, a freshman in the English Department!"
"I'm Choi Young-hee, also a freshman!"
Cheol-su and Young-hee?
The other students behind them bowed and introduced themselves as well. They hadn't spared me a single glance when I was alone, but the moment Seo Ye-rin showed up, they came over to pay their respects.
'I guess they might not have even known I was in the English Department.'
I did tend to keep a very low profile, after all.
"Hi, guys. I'm Seo Ye-rin, a sophomore. This is Kim Woo-jin, also a sophomore."
"Yes! Seniors, would it be alright if we poured you a drink?"
Cheol-su immediately held out a bottle.
"No, he can't have any more. He'll get drunk."
"Hey, I told you I'm not drunk."
"Yeees, Woo-jin isn't drunk at all~. You guys don't have to worry about us, just enjoy yourselves."
She teased me again, pinching my cheek. From her tone to her expression, she seemed kind to the freshmen, but I could see right through her. She just found dealing with them tedious.
Once the freshmen returned to their table, Ye-rin asked with a puzzled look.
"Did they not say hello to you earlier?"
I nodded as I stuffed a piece of meat into my mouth.
"Why would they? They probably didn't even know I was in the department."
"Huh? There's no way they didn't know."
What was she talking about?
"Of course they could. Who lives a quieter college life than me?"
"..."
I was stuck drinking cider since my alcohol was restricted, and Ye-rin was staring at me as if I’d said something absurd.
"What?"
"Woo-jin, who lives a louder college life than you?"
"What are you talking about?"
How was I loud?
"Don't you remember the karaoke bar? The fight with Senior Han-gang? You even got called out on the Bamboo Forest for that."
"..."
"And at the gopchang place, you were shouting at the 3rd-year seniors. You got called out on the Bamboo Forest then, too. That’s two snipes already."
Wait, wasn't Ye-rin absent back then? I’d told Chan-woo to take her home before I went back in.
"The freshmen probably already have rumors about you. 'The #1 Senior to Avoid: Kim Woo-jin!'"
"..."
"And yet you think you're living a quiet life? Is this some kind of 'rich man's perspective' or something?"
"Hey, I'm not rich. I have to start working a part-time job now."
"What kind of job?"
"I don't know. But since I did well at Gold One, maybe something in that field?"
"Something you're good at? You're going to work at an 'establishment'?"
I immediately reached out, grabbed both her cheeks, and pulled. Ye-rin just giggled.
"Ahaha! It's a joke! A joke! It hurts!"
"You're losing your mind. Why are you crossing the line so much?"
"You cross it toooo!"
I sighed and let go of her cheeks. Ye-rin took a sip of the drink she’d stolen from me and let out a heavy, lingering breath.
"But Woo-jin."
"What now?"
Ye-rin leaned her head on my shoulder and whispered so only I could hear.
"You know you were really cool back then, right?"
"When?"
"When you helped me."
"I've helped you so many times."
"Hehe, true. You have."
I’d said it as a joke, but she took it seriously. She even slipped her arm through mine. Her full chest pressed softly against my arm.
"At the karaoke bar, at the gopchang place... and this time at the casino. You kept saving me."
"..."
Was she getting sentimental? To be honest, I’d just been heated and acting on impulse at the time, and thinking back on it usually made me feel a bit embarrassed. But for Ye-rin, it was different.
"Thinking about it makes me horny."
"...Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a nice, nostalgic moment?"
"I think I'm wet. Touch me."
"We're in a restaurant. There are people everywhere."
In fact, quite a few people were still stealing glances at Ye-rin. I’d already given up on caring about that, though.
"Isn't that what makes it exciting?"
"Do you want to ruin your college reputation?"
"Yours is already ruined."
"..."
That truth hurt a little.
I realized this conversation was heading in a dangerous direction, so I looked away. My eyes met Lee Eun-woo’s, who had been watching us from the next table with an envious look.
'Come to think of it...'
Lee Eun-woo and Seo Ye-rin had their own connection.
As Anonymous 69 and Anonymous 90.
Should I tell them?
Eun-woo didn't know Ye-rin's identity yet, and Ye-rin didn't know Eun-woo was Anonymous 90.
I considered it for a moment but decided against it. There was a reason for anonymity. And if I told Ye-rin...
'...She’d probably demand an IRL fight immediately.'
She was the "Sex Master" of the Bamboo Forest, after all, and she viewed Anonymous 90 as her rival.
"But how is having three girls around 'ruining' your college life?"
At Ye-rin's grumbled whisper, I stuffed a lettuce wrap into her mouth.
* * *
"..."
Min Ju-hee, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her dragon padded jacket, stared at the ground and exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke.
She was standing in the smoking booth in front of the meat restaurant where the dormitory dinner was being held. A lot of time had passed since she arrived, but the fact that she hadn't gone inside meant she was struggling with her thoughts.
'Phew, I really have to go in now.'
Ju-hee didn't particularly enjoy dormitory gatherings, but she had come for one reason.
She wanted to talk to Kim Woo-jin.
Since it was a drinking party, he’d likely be tipsy, making it easier to hear his honest thoughts. That was her plan.
But despite her resolve, she was paralyzed by anxiety, doing nothing but smoking in front of the restaurant.
Just then.
The restaurant door opened, and two people walked out.
"Ah."
It was Kim Woo-jin and Seo Ye-rin.
The dinner wasn't over yet, but it seemed the two of them were leaving early.
"What am I supposed to do if you get drunk?"
"I'm not drunk!"
Woo-jin was supporting Ye-rin, who was swaying as if she were intoxicated. Ju-hee stared at them blankly.
"Woo-jin, are we going to your house?"
"I'm taking you home."
"Whyyy? I want to sleep at your place!"
"No."
"Then you sleep at my place."
"Oh, right. I can't take you all the way to your door. It’ll be awkward if I run into your mom."
"Whoa, I’m suddenly stone-cold sober, Woo-jin."
The two of them walked away, engaged in intimate conversation. Min Ju-hee, hidden in the smoking booth, watched their retreating figures until they disappeared. She put out her cigarette.
"..."
With her shoulders slumped, she decided to just go home.
* * *
The day of moving into the dormitory.
I was in the middle of clearing out the room I’d lived in for a year and moving all my belongings. There wasn't enough stuff to justify hiring movers, and thanks to Dae-sang Hyung offering to move everything in his car, I just had to carry the boxes to my new room.
Apparently, there were some vacancies in the dorms this time, so some people got single rooms. I was one of the lucky ones.
'Total jackpot.'
The first floor of the dormitory was buzzing with people moving in, just like me. It was so crowded and chaotic that I was considering waiting a bit before starting.
Tap, tap.
"Hmm?"
Someone poked my back. I turned around to find Choi I-seo standing there in a navy blue jersey.
"Choi I-seo?"
Classes hadn't even started yet, so I wondered why she was here. I-seo gave me a bright smile.
"I'll help you move."