Chapter 191: Min Ju-hee
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 191: Min Ju-hee
The World's Best Penis Contest.
Despite a brief accident, the contest ended in a resounding success.
Just as one returns to reality after a festival leaves its lingering afterglow, we too were forced back into the reality of midterm exams at Gahyeon University.
"I'm still having nightmares."
Jeong Chan-woo sighed and muttered as we waited for the coffee we ordered at the campus cafe.
I didn't even need to ask what kind of nightmares they were. I’d had similar ones myself.
"I didn't know a bald guy could get that... steadfast... for another man."
"Ugh, stop talking about it."
"No, I mean, it’s fascinating. How is that even possible?"
"...I think I finally understand how girls feel when they’re sexually harassed. It feels genuinely disgusting."
Chan-woo made a gagging gesture, grabbed his coffees, and turned to leave. He was carrying two cups, saying he had to appease his girlfriend, Min Se-rin, who was still upset about the contest.
But does he even know what his girlfriend likes to drink?
It’s always a bit awkward when you buy someone a drink they don't even like.
"Wait, Chan-woo."
Knowing how he’d treated his previous girlfriend, I called out to him just in case.
"What? You gonna talk about that old man again?"
"No. That coffee. Do you actually know what your girlfriend’s preference is?"
Chan-woo frowned at my question, looking like he had no idea what I was talking about.
"How should I know? Look at how many items are on the menu. Do you know what Ah-rin likes?"
"She likes Chocomong more than anything at a cafe. But it’s not just that she likes sweet things; she specifically likes Chocomong. So at cafes, she usually gets a latte."
"…You really know your stuff."
Chan-woo looked flustered, clearly not expecting me to have an answer.
Regardless, shouldn't you at least know the coffee preference of the person you're dating?
"So, did you buy it knowing her taste? Or did you just get something safe?"
Honestly, if you don't know, most people are happy with a standard Iced Americano.
"Don't worry. I don't know what she likes, so I just got an Iced Americano."
"Oh."
"And I was even considerate enough to get it decaf."
...Huh?
"Why?"
Decaf isn't bad, but quite a few people actually dislike it. When I asked why he chose that, Chan-woo replied with a smile.
"She might not be able to handle caffeine. Buying something anyone can drink is what you call being considerate."
"……."
I think he overthought this one.
They must have gone to cafes together plenty of times while dating; it was frustrating that he still didn't know her preference.
"Chan-woo, just drink that yourself. For your girlfriend—"
"Ah, forget it. I'll handle it. You're just trying to tease me again like you did with the bald guy."
…….
In the end, Chan-woo walked away.
I had a strong feeling she was going to hate it. Moreover, that choice of drink felt like glaring evidence that Chan-woo wasn't paying attention to her. I could already see him getting chewed out for it.
"Good luck."
I truly hoped luck was on his side. I hoped his girlfriend was the type who only drank decaf.
I picked up my own coffee and headed to the lecture hall.
Exams started next week. I sipped my coffee to stay awake, vowing to get good grades this semester.
Inside the lecture hall, there were many people just like me. Students were preparing for the lecture with coffees tucked beside them.
I joined their ranks and started getting ready when a familiar face appeared in the seat next to me.
"Is this seat taken?"
It was Senior Min Ju-hee, wearing her Dragon Padded Jacket.
"You sit next to me every lecture. You don't even have to ask anymore, do you?"
"I should still ask."
Senior Ju-hee was the only person in this class I was close enough to talk to. I had specifically picked this elective after seeing which one she signed up for.
I’d heard that thanks to her wide social circle, she only took classes where it was easy to get high marks.
The trusted 'Captain Ju' pick.
In fact, I was quite satisfied with the course so far.
"Have you been studying much?"
"I'm trying. I'm so tired lately I feel like I'm dying."
Indeed, Senior Ju-hee looked haggard, and her complexion wasn't great.
"Here, have some of this."
When I offered her the coffee I’d just bought, she hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
"No, it's okay. Maybe it's because I've been working at a cafe lately, but I'm sick of the sight of coffee."
Instead, she pulled an energy drink out of her bag.
"Huh? Senior, you have a part-time job?"
This was news to me.
I knew she was desperate for scholarships because she couldn't get financial support from home, but...
Wasn't it too much to aim for a full scholarship while working a job at the same time?
"Yeah. Now that I'm a junior, the number of classes has dropped a bit."
Senior Ju-hee said as she pulled out a pair of glasses. Even though I’d seen her wear them a few times, a simple pair of glasses always created a completely different atmosphere.
"Freshman and sophomore years were harder. It's much easier now compared to then. That's why I can manage a part-time job."
But even if college life got easier, wouldn't adding a job just bring the stress level back to where it was? If anything, she’d be even more exhausted.
"Where are you working? I'm thinking of getting a job after midterms too."
"You know Anzu Coffee by the intersection? I'm there."
"Wow, that place is always packed. You must be busy."
"The hourly wage is better than other places."
Classic Captain Ju. She was a literal iron woman.
Seeing her like this made me admire her in many ways. Honestly, her physique wasn't that different from other girls, but she must be packed with pure, functional muscle.
She's so reliable.
If she were a guy, I definitely would have begged her to enlist in the military with me.
"……Senior, you're not planning on joining the military, are you?"
"As a female officer? I thought about it. But they don't take you if you have a criminal record."
"What?! You have a criminal record?!"
I stared at her in shock. She let out a chuckle and patted my shoulder.
"I'm joking. What criminal record? I want a job that makes a lot of money, and the military doesn't really offer that kind of dramatic income."
That was true. But then again, that applied to most office jobs.
"Phew, right? You really scared me."
"……It actually kind of hurts my feelings that you believed me so easily."
Well, I couldn't help it. Given the displays of power I’d seen from her, it was a logical misunderstanding. The image of her beating President Hwang with a baseball bat was still vividly etched into my brain.
Just then, the professor arrived.
Without needing to be told, we stopped chatting and began to focus on the lecture.
I really can do it if I try.
Seeing how I could understand the lectures I usually ignored once I actually focused, I realized I really did share my father's bloodline.
Not that it was fun, though.
People say studying can be fun once you get into it, but I felt none of that.
It was just like exercise. I did it because I had to.
I was putting in the effort because there was someone I wanted to impress. The thought of Choi I-seo being happy when I showed her my good grades made my heart swell with pride.
I was immersed in my studies when...
Thud.
A strange sound came from beside me.
Before I knew it, Senior Ju-hee had slumped over onto her desk, asleep.
"Senior?"
She looked tired, but for the iron-willed Captain Ju to doze off during a lecture!
I was bewildered by a situation that defied my common sense, but then—
"……!"
The moment I saw red blood staining her notebook, I jumped up instinctively and called her name.
"Senior! Senior Ju-hee!"
Seeing her unconscious with a nosebleed, I felt possessed by a sense of urgency as I hoisted her onto my back.
* * *
Simple exhaustion.
She had collapsed from accumulated fatigue.
Inside the emergency room.
Watching Senior Ju-hee sleep in the hospital bed while hooked up to an IV, I fell into a strange mood.
Captain Ju.
The senior I first met during a group project had left such a bold and intense impression that she had naturally become 'The Captain' in my mind.
She was always proactive, confident in herself, dignified, and strong.
But the person lying in the hospital bed now was just a small girl. She didn't look like anything more or less than that.
……Had I been looking at her through a lens of prejudice without realizing it?
One of the reasons I had rejected her confession was because I didn't see her as a woman.
She was pretty, steadfast, and dignified, but because of those traits, her feminine side hadn't been emphasized. To me, Senior Ju-hee was just 'The Captain.'
"Sigh."
As I stared blankly at her, seeing her collapsed like this felt so out of character.
My mind was a mess of complicated thoughts when—
"Huh? Isn't that Woo-jin?"
A familiar voice called out from behind me.
"Little Hyung?"
My pot-bellied second older brother and my sister-in-law with her flashy hairstyle were standing there.
It was such an unexpected encounter that I wondered what was going on. At the same time, I felt a sudden pang of worry that my brother might be sick.
"He's pregnant."
The Second Sister-in-law laughed as she stroked my brother's belly.
"……What?"
As I stood there dazed, wondering what on earth that meant, Little Hyung rubbed his own stomach and grinned foolishly.
"Haha, I'm pregnant. There's an OB-GYN department here too."
"You mean Sister-in-law is pregnant?"
"Well, obviously."
"The Young Master is quite funny."
"Then why are you talking while rubbing Little Hyung's belly?"
It was clear to me that they were both acting like that on purpose to mess with me. Seeing them joking around made me feel a bit more at ease.
"Congratulations."
"Haha, I'm having a kid before Big Hyung. What are we going to do about that?"
Big Hyung was probably busy enjoying his office roleplay while working hard to produce a 'Big Hyung Junior.'
"What about the broadcasts? Should I take this chance to retire?"
The news that the Second Sister-in-law, a famous internet broadcaster, was pregnant would surely cause a huge stir.
"If you want to retire, do it. If not, don't."
The two of them suddenly started discussing their future right then and there. Honestly, I wanted to congratulate them on the pregnancy, but there was someone lying unconscious right next to us.
"Aren't you two leaving? Why are you chatting in the ER anyway?"
"A friend of mine is an associate professor in emergency medicine here. I was going to talk to him."
"……Hyung, this is my friend. Pay her hospital bill for me."
"Tsk, your voice only gets soft when you're trying to squeeze something out of me."
"She just got an IV for exhaustion. It won't be much—"
Just then, Senior Ju-hee's phone rang.
The vibration continued in her pocket, but she showed no signs of waking up.
"I'm sorry."
I offered a quiet apology as I slipped the phone out. The caller ID read 'Cafe Owner.'
"Hello?"
— Hello? Is this Ju-hee's phone?
"Yes, it is. I'm a junior who knows her. Actually, right now—"
After a brief explanation, the cafe owner let out a deep sigh. From the sounds of it, the place was busy, but he couldn't exactly blame her for collapsing from overwork.
During the awkward silence that followed, I stood up abruptly.
"If it's alright with you, I'll go and help out in her place."
I signaled to Little Hyung and the Second Sister-in-law to look after Senior Ju-hee, then called the cafe owner back on my own phone as I ran out the door.