Chapter 177: Big Shot
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177: Big Shot
— I’ll pick you up tomorrow.
When I asked why, Yun-ji simply replied that she missed me.
Even though I had initiated the breakup, she told me she was coming to get me anyway.
I wasn't exactly dense. Her words implied that our relationship hadn't reached its final destination yet. Before I knew it, I found myself simply agreeing.
"I don't even know what's what anymore."
It was just complicated.
It would have been easier if they were only after my money; then I wouldn't have cared. But I knew that wasn't the case. Seeing them reject my rejection only left me feeling confused.
“…….”
I felt like I was being dragged along. It didn't feel like me.
I needed to settle these relationships clearly before the MT ended. In my state of ambiguity, I let out a sigh, wishing I had someone to talk to. I was scrolling through my contacts to see if there was anyone I could call when—
"What are you doing?"
Kim Gyu-a slunk up beside me. I wondered why the 1st-year class representative was out here.
"I just felt like coming out," she answered, even though I hadn't asked.
"The restroom is that way."
"……You really have no manners, do you?"
What other reason would she have to be out here? She was obviously heading to the restroom. I figured she’d leave if I stayed quiet, but Gyu-a remained by my side.
"What?"
When I asked what the problem was, Gyu-a finally couldn't hold it back anymore.
"You told the seniors today, didn't you? That you wanted to end things."
"……How did you know?"
"I heard Senior I-seo and Senior Ah-rin talking about it earlier while we were eating meat."
She had sharp ears. That meant she probably knew what their responses were, too. The dilemma was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't want to vent to Gyu-a. I just wanted her to go on her way.
But Gyu-a apparently had other ideas.
"How could you do that?" she asked, looking at me as if she couldn't understand. "In the end, you were three-timing them. You're not that different from me."
"……Did you come here to pick a fight?"
"But I'm asking how it's possible. When I get caught, I get dumped immediately, called a bitch, or in the worst cases, I've even been hit."
Seeing how she still hadn't given up on dating multiple guys despite that, she was certainly resilient.
"Somehow... somehow, I'm really frustrated."
"Frustrated about what?"
"It's just... looking at those seniors." Gyu-a hesitated for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and kicked a pebble. "It makes everything I've done until now feel so stupid."
“…….”
"So I kind of hate it. I don't want to get close to them anymore."
"Then go."
Without a word, Gyu-a spun around and walked away. Just a moment ago, she was grumbling about how we were the same kind of person. But seeing me get rejected after trying to break up made her feel the difference. She was uncomfortable, and she was jealous.
'Is that so?'
We weren't in a normal relationship.
Realizing that made my head feel a little clearer.
'Let's head back for now.'
I went back into the hall to watch the rest of the talent show. It seemed to be a break or perhaps the start of a new game, as several people were crowding toward the front. Among them was Senior Ju-hee. When she spotted me, she looked relieved and quickly pulled me along.
"Help me out for a second, Woo-jin."
"Huh?"
I wasn't sure what was happening, but it turned out they were playing a game during the break, and Senior Ju-hee had been half-forced into participating.
"It's probably just answering some quizzes or something."
"Ah, well. I can do that much."
It didn't seem too difficult, so I stood at the front with her. I noticed everyone else was paired up as male-female couples; Senior Ju-hee must have been in a bind because she didn't have a guy to go with.
'Senior Ju-hee is a bit intimidating, after all.'
Even Han-gang tended to be scared of her.
"Alright, the next game we're going to play is the Newspaper Dance Game!"
The Newspaper Game?
Ahn Hyun-ho, holding the microphone and hyping up the crowd, handed a sheet of newspaper to each team.
"The team that stays on the newspaper the longest wins! As time goes on, we'll fold the newspaper to make the area smaller."
I'd heard that people at MTs often mimicked games they saw on variety shows. Since it was a game I'd seen on TV, it wasn't hard to understand. At first, the paper was wide enough for both of us to stand on with both feet.
"This is simpler than I thought," I said with a smile. Senior Ju-hee bit her lip, looking uncertain.
"I didn't think we'd be playing this kind of game."
I didn't catch her meaning at first, but as I watched the newspaper get smaller and smaller, I began to understand.
'Ah.'
This was getting much smaller than expected. Before I knew it, I was pressed right up against her. Naturally, I had to hold her shoulders to stay balanced, and we were stuck together.
The position was essentially an embrace.
Perhaps that was why.
Can you hold me just once?
The request Senior Ju-hee had made to me that day echoed in my ears like a ghost.
I want to confirm whether I'm delusional or not, just like you said.
Senior Ju-hee, who still didn't know much about love, wanted a clear answer for her emotions. It was a request typical of her straightforward nature.
But I had refused.
"Ha... if I knew it was this kind of game, I wouldn't have called you," Senior Ju-hee muttered irritably, her head bowed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable in front of the kids."
She tried to act like it was nothing. Yes, she seemed like her usual self, but...
Her breathing was heavy. Her eyes kept darting away, avoiding mine.
"Senior?"
When I cautiously called out to her, she tilted her head to look at me, having been hiding her face. Seeing her flushed expression, the words Yun-ji had just told me came back to mind.
That love isn't something you fall into instantly. It's something you realize.
As I said before, by refusing to hug Senior Ju-hee, I had prevented her from finding the answer to her feelings. But now, in this unintended situation, she had realized the answer.
Whether it was luck or misfortune, I realized it along with her.
This woman was in love with me.
* * *
The next morning.
My head was throbbing. I was already suffering from a massive hangover the moment I opened my eyes. I’d heard that drinking your brains out was the national rule of MTs, but I never imagined it would be to this extent.
Besides, since I had things on my mind, I had overindulged with the narrow-minded thought that being drunk would make me feel better. I don't usually get drunk on soju or beer, but my memory ended with me being completely wasted and sprawled out in the 2nd and 3rd-year guys' room.
I hadn't interacted with the girls separately. At first, we were all drinking together naturally, but at some point, the groups split into men and women.
"Ah, damn. What is this?"
"I thought I'd finally get close to the girls."
Indeed, because of that, the 2nd and 3rd-year guys were grumbling with disheveled faces since early morning. The men were huddled together eating cup ramen for breakfast and as a hangover cure. Sitting in a circle like that, the gloomy atmosphere felt exactly like being back in the military.
"Hey, you okay?"
Ahn Hyun-ho, who was sitting next to me eating ramen, asked casually. His hair was sticking up in every direction, which made me chuckle despite the morning gloom.
"About what?"
"What do you mean 'what'? You drank like a fish yesterday. I heard from the guys that even after everyone else went to sleep, you were drinking by yourself."
"Ah, was I?"
I knew I drank a lot, but I didn't really talk to anyone; I just drank alone, so I wasn't sure.
"I don't know. I just drank."
"Sigh, I was going to try and head out with Gyu-a yesterday, but she just kept drinking until she passed out and went to bed."
“…….”
When I stared at Ahn Hyun-ho, he stopped eating his ramen, looked back at me, and clicked his tongue.
"What, are you telling me not to get close to Gyu-a? At least give me a reason."
"……Go ask her yourself."
I felt like the current Gyu-a might actually give him an answer. So I just let it slide and ate my ramen.
After finishing the ramen and feeling my stomach settle, it was time to wash up. There were plenty of bathrooms, and since everyone finished quickly, I was able to get clean without much trouble. My cluttered mind felt refreshed.
While everyone was packing up to leave, I spotted Yoo Ah-rin on the first floor, moving luggage while wearing a hoodie. She looked half-asleep, loading bags onto the bus with groggy eyes.
"Yoo Ah-rin."
When I walked up and called her name, she stared at me and clicked her tongue.
"Where the hell were you drinking yesterday? I couldn't find you anywhere."
"In the guys' room. We all drank together, but I basically drank alone."
"Well, I guess that's for the best. If you'd said you were drinking with other girls, I would've killed you."
"……Let's talk for a second."
"What now? I thought we were done talking."
"We're not."
When I spoke seriously, Yoo Ah-rin followed me with an uncertain expression. I sent a text to Seo Ye-rin on the way and ran into Choi I-seo, bringing her along as well.
Eventually, the three of them stood before me behind the empty pension. Whether they had their hands in their pockets or their arms crossed, they were all eyeing each other warily, anxious about why I had called them together.
"It's kind of embarrassing, all of us being gathered like this."
"……Agreed."
At Yoo Ah-rin's grumbling, Choi I-seo gave a small nod. Seo Ye-rin let out a long yawn as if she were sleepy, but her gaze was fixed sharply on me.
"Why did you call us? We have to get on the bus soon."
At Seo Ye-rin's question, everyone's attention shifted back to me. My heart was pounding. My palms were sweating, and my breath felt like it might hitch, but I clenched my fists and spoke while facing the three of them.
"My father told me this. That after breaking up with Yun-ji, I was just going around meeting other women to satisfy my own greed."
"……Your father said that?"
At Yoo Ah-rin's choice of title, the other two glared at her, but I ignored it and continued.
"He said I was selfish and greedy. That that's the kind of person I am. So, to prove him wrong, I tried to choose just one of you—"
But I failed. I couldn't choose just one. So, conversely, I had made up my mind to let everyone go. Because that was the exact opposite of the person my father thought I was.
At my words, they all glanced at each other. They didn't seem to have any idea what I was trying to say.
"But then I thought... isn't even that just dancing in the palm of my father's hand? I wondered if I was just being the Kim Woo-jin he had already read."
My father's words had burrowed into me like seeds and grown rapidly.
"But after you all rejected my attempt to end things yesterday..."
I clenched my fists tight. I felt something burning fiercely inside my chest. Should I describe it as breaking out of a shell? I felt the shackles my father had placed on me finally falling away.
"I realized that trying to deny my father's words wasn't the right way for me."
So, I'm going to go the opposite way. I'll be even more than what my father imagined.
"More greedy, and more selfish."
A bright smile spread across my lips. I was truly curious to see what kind of face my father would make when he realized his son was a big shot who far exceeded his expectations. And once I felt that conviction, I finally felt like I was wearing clothes that actually fit the person I was.
"So."
I reached out my hand. It wasn't directed at any one of the three, but my hand, extended clearly toward all of them, contained my resolve and will.
"I love all three of you, sincerely."
Now I could finally say it. The bright smile on my face held a sense of relief I couldn't quite explain.
* * *
When I slowly opened my eyes, the first thing that greeted me was a throbbing pain throughout my entire body.
'What is this?'
I squinted and looked around to see people in hospital gowns and nurses. I wasn't hooked up to an IV or anything, so I slowly sat up, and a nurse happened to walk over.
"Oh, you're awake? The doctor will be in to explain, but there's nothing specifically wrong with your body, so don't worry too much."
“…….”
Ah, I remember now.
I got the absolute shit kicked out of me.