Chapter 20: Way to School
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20: Way to School
"Ugh."
The surrounding noise forced my eyes open against my will. It wasn't anything major; it was just that the middle-aged man snoring nearby was being way too loud.
Rubbing my eyes, I glanced to my side and saw Choi I-seo fast asleep.
Usually, in a manga or anime, a scene like this would involve disheveled clothes or the girl inching closer until you could feel her breath on your skin.
She’s sleeping so primly.
Her posture was perfectly neat, her clothes weren't even wrinkled, and she was breathing softly and quietly.
I checked the time; it was only 7:30 AM. Since we both had morning lectures today, we needed to be at school by 10:00.
There’s still some time left.
But then again, if Choi I-seo took as long to wash up as she did yesterday, we might be cutting it close. As I debated whether or not to wake her, I checked my phone to find quite a few inquiries waiting for me.
They were from Anonymous 69, who had been quiet over the weekend.
"I guess I should admire the consistency."
I let out a sigh of disbelief, yet I felt a bit more at ease.
With all the recent incidents of people using the Bamboo Forest to snipe others, I actually preferred seeing someone use it so blatantly and honestly for their own desires.
Even when I try to think well of this person...
I thought we might be able to have a normal conversation after last time, but Seo Ye-rin hadn't changed a bit in her Anonymous 69 persona.
It was getting a little annoying.
I felt a bit bad for Choi I-seo, but it wasn't a lie.
There was no reply for a moment after I sent that.
It was an obvious attempt to change the subject. A smirk played on my lips.
Seo Ye-rin was used to spitting out lewd comments herself, but she seemed awkward when she was on the receiving end of them.
"Heh."
I was curious to see what kind of face Seo Ye-rin was making right now. Seeing her flustered felt great.
I thought for a moment before replying.
That was actually around the time I fell asleep. I’d woken up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep for a while.
For the record, Choi I-seo had fallen asleep around 1:00 AM.
Since I didn't specify who went to sleep when, it wasn't a lie.
We’d eaten a late dinner, and while waiting for it to digest, we’d gone back and forth between the sauna and the ice room, talking about all sorts of things.
The most shocking truth was that Choi I-seo didn't actually like exercising; she just did it because she hated being at home.
Seeing Seo Ye-rin silenced again, a mischievous laugh escaped me.
It felt like sweet revenge after she’d teased me every single day.
I didn't say what we did, and she didn't ask. I was just letting her misunderstand on her own, and now there was no reply from her side.
What? Did she just run away?
Thinking it ended a bit anticlimactically, I was about to go read some webtoons.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
Seo Ye-rin aside, would Anonymous 69 really tuck tail and run here?
This cyber-phantom who possessed the holy trinity of being a sex parrot, a spammer, and an attention seeker?
A sudden wave of dread hit me. I rushed to the board and found a post Anonymous 69 had written about 30 seconds ago.
"This crazy woman!"
I shouted without thinking and frantically deleted the post.
I immediately slapped her with a 72-hour ban and ignored her inquiries. I wished there was a way to block inquiries too, but unfortunately, that feature didn't exist.
Huffing in frustration, I closed my phone.
"What are you doing?"
Choi I-seo was lying there, looking at me with a pathetic expression.
"You... you're awake?"
"Yeah, because you screamed."
"......"
"What are you doing with your phone that makes you so dynamic?"
"Nothing. I was just talking to a weirdo."
"You actually have friends?"
"......"
Everyone was ganging up on me today.
"You said you have a 10:00 lecture. Let's get washed up."
"Ugh."
Choi I-seo grumbled about not wanting to get up and checked her phone.
"Ah, it's 8:00. Let's just lie here for ten more minutes."
"Suit yourself."
I thought she’d try to squeeze in a ten-minute nap, but she just lay there sprawled out, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Woo-jin."
Then, she softly called my name.
I didn't answer, but she knew I was listening and continued.
"What are you going to do about Min-ji?"
"Starting the morning with something heavy, are we?"
The topic was a bit heavy, but she clearly wanted to know my plan.
"I don't know. I have no intention of letting her off the hook for the mess she caused with Oh Yun-ji."
After all the trouble I went through, I couldn't just leave the culprit alone.
"She's not a bad person."
I nodded at Choi I-seo's darkened expression.
"I know. That's why you're still friends with her."
At my words, Choi I-seo sat up slightly. She seemed to be feeling a whirlwind of emotions. Maybe she didn't expect me to trust her this much?
Ever since I found out Anonymous 287 was Choi I-seo, my trust in her had grown significantly.
"I don't think you're a bad judge of character. She must have been a good person back in high school when you were close."
"After we got to college... I think she changed after she started dating that guy. I heard they broke up, but she's seemed sensitive ever since."
"Fine, I'll at least talk to her. I'm only doing it because she's your friend."
If she wasn't, I wouldn't even bother talking to her.
"But from spreading false rumors about me to soliciting a crime... I'm sorry, but I don't plan on being lenient."
I wasn't that soft.
I'm sorry, but it's the way of the world: if you commit a crime, you pay the price.
"I won't let it slide. And since you're her friend, please don't ask me for any favors regarding her."
That was the right path for a girl like Min-ji. Simply letting her off wouldn't solve anything.
However...
"Like I said, I'll talk to her. I'll listen to what her problem was and why she changed. I'll hear her out on why she did this to someone she doesn't even know."
That was the extent of my mercy.
Sniff.
Choi I-seo's eyes welled up, and she buried her face in her knees.
Seeing her reaction, I could tell how precious that friend was to her, but...
"Just like Senior Min Ju-hee showed us at the police station yesterday."
I scooted over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
It almost looked like an embrace, but Choi I-seo didn't pull away or struggle.
I didn't have any ulterior motives either.
I just felt like I needed to hold her so she wouldn't crumble.
"If you really care about your friend, don't do anything. Just watch. You just need to show her that you haven't given up on her yet."
She pays for her crimes.
And then you show her that you can be friends again. That would be enough.
"Hic... ugh!"
Choi I-seo trembled as she wept.
"I'll... I'll try."
She firmly stated she would do what she had to do.
"Yeah, hang in there."
There was nothing else I could do but cheer her on.
* * *
The scene this morning felt like something out of a drama, but since life isn't a drama...
"Ahem."
An awkward air flowed between us as we headed to the university.
I intentionally spoke to Choi I-seo, who was avoiding my gaze with a flushed face.
"It's a relief the school bus stop is nearby, right?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeah... right."
Seeing how flustered she was, she must have been embarrassed about crying earlier. It wasn't really something to be ashamed of, though.
In times like this, I needed to be a witty man and break the tension.
"You know, when you were crying earlier, you kind of sounded like a dolphin?"
I gave her a wink, and Choi I-seo's expression immediately soured.
The way she looked at me like I was literal trash told me I’d said the wrong thing.
Okay, let's try a magic trick this time.
"Want me to guess what you're thinking right now?"
"Did this bastard hit his head or something?"
"...So that's what you were thinking."
As I slumped my shoulders and acted discouraged, Choi I-seo nudged me with her elbow and sighed.
"Fine, guess. What am I thinking?"
"You were thinking, 'Why does this guy have a 10:00 lecture and make things so awkward?' right?"
When I said that with a grin, Choi I-seo stared at me blankly before letting out a chuckle.
"I was thinking I can't tell if this idiot is perceptive or just completely clueless."
Still, the atmosphere had lightened up considerably. It seemed my frontal assault on the awkwardness had worked.
The school bus arrived just then, and we hopped on.
Since we were near the start of the route, the bus was empty enough for us to sit together.
"I couldn't eat breakfast, so I'm going to have a huge lunch."
I was thinking of going for Spicy Stir-fried Pork or Pork Cutlet when Choi I-seo chimed in.
"My lecture ends at 12:00. Let's eat together."
"Mine ends at 1:00."
"...Should I wait for you?"
We usually ate lunch or dinner together if the opportunity arose, but this was the first time she’d offered to wait for me.
Our relationship had definitely grown closer after yesterday's incident.
"I'm going to have Spicy Stir-fried Pork or Pork Cutlet, though."
"Are those the only two things on your menu?"
"Gukbap."
That made three.
If I rotated through those three, I could live in an infinite cycle of satisfaction.
"Sigh, if I'm the one waiting, can't I pick the menu?"
"Go eat with someone else then."
When I waved her off, she immediately pinched my thigh.
"Agh!"
"Seriously! Have some consideration! I said I'd wait an hour!"
"No, I'm saying you can just go eat with other people. I like eating alone! I've been eating alone all through the second semester!"
"That's why you...!"
Choi I-seo bit her lip, stopping herself from saying something. She turned her head toward the window and rested her chin on her hand.
"That's why what?"
"......"
"That's why what, you punk? That's why I broke up with Oh Yun-ji? That's why I'm a loner? That's why I get sniped?"
"I didn't say that!"
"Shut up! Your eyes already said it! As punishment, you're eating Spicy Stir-fried Pork twice."
"No! I told you I'm doing a body profile shoot!"
"What's the point? You don't even have anyone to show it to! It's not like you have a boyfriend anyway!"
"It's not just for a boyfriend! How can you...!"
Choi I-seo's mouth snapped shut. Her gaze froze.
Wondering what was wrong, I turned my head. There stood Ahn Hyun-ho, who had just boarded the bus, staring at us with a look of pure shock.
"......"
"......"
A moment of silence.
We looked back and forth at each other, but fortunately, a student behind Ahn Hyun-ho told him to move along, so he headed to the back of the bus.
"Ha, damn it."
Choi I-seo glanced at me, clearly thinking he’d misunderstood again.
She was already worrying that Ahn Hyun-ho might try to mess with me because of her.
She really was Anonymous 287.
She was actually pretty good at imitating Ahn Hyun-ho.
She’d captured his crude and vulgar way of speaking perfectly.
Ahn Hyun-ho seemed to have sat right behind us. Choi I-seo intentionally tried to avoid talking to me, but...
"Want me to get rid of Ahn Hyun-ho for you?"
I whispered into her ear. Choi I-seo perked up and looked at me.
"How?"
"I have my ways. Just trust me."
As Choi I-seo looked at me with a worried frown, I smiled, took a deep breath, and spoke up.
"Man, I-seo was fucking amazing in bed last night—"
Thwack!
"Gah!"
He hit my solar plexus!
"You bastard! I knew you were going to do something like that!"
I barely managed to stop Choi I-seo as she huffed and tried to land a few more hits.