Chapter 211: Popular Thing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 211: Popular Thing
“Woo-jin, what do you think?”
The first-floor lounge of the dormitory.
When I used to see Choi I-seo and the other freshmen huddled here, I thought this place would never have anything to do with me.
In reality, it still didn't.
I was basically dragged here against my will.
“What do I think? It’s up to you to make it work.”
Resting my chin on my hand, I took a sip of the sweet coffee he’d brought as an offering.
Usually, I just buy an Iced Americano—not because I particularly like it, but because I have no reason to drink anything else.
But this was surprisingly good.
What was it called? A Dalgona Latte?
Even for someone like me who isn't fond of sweets, it wasn't half bad.
Or maybe I’m just tired and craving sugar.
Well, it could be that, too.
“Please, help me out. Huh? Based on what Min-su told me last time, you’re a total pro at this.”
“What pro? I can’t even handle my own love life right now.”
The guy lived in the room next to mine.
He was a fellow sophomore, and since we started living in the same dorm, we’d chatted a few times.
Right now, he was asking me what he should do about his girlfriend.
He gave me a sly look and nudged my shoulder.
“Come on, is there anyone in this dorm who doesn't know how popular you are? Girls are always coming to see you. And only the pretty ones, too.”
“Sigh.”
He wasn't wrong.
He wasn't wrong, but...
After getting beaten up by Yoo Ah-rin yesterday and almost having my dick ripped off, I was starting to doubt if "popular" was the right word for my situation.
“Just give me some advice. Please? My girlfriend’s been looking at me weird lately.”
In the end, I listened to his story and gave him whatever advice came to mind.
He seemed thrilled, calling it a brilliant idea, but we’d have to wait and see if it actually worked out.
* * *
“Lately... the kids have been looking for you a lot.”
It was the same path I took every day to my part-time job.
Midterms were over, the sports festival was finished, and I was supposed to be enjoying a peaceful college life.
Instead, a rather peculiar trial had found me.
“The word even reached you, Senior?”
Senior Ju-hee was also on her way to work, so we were walking together.
For Senior Ju-hee—who usually didn't pay much attention to other students' business—to say that, the rumors must have spread quite far.
“What was it? They’re calling you a dating expert. I heard some couples got back on good terms and others actually started dating because of your advice?”
“The ones who got back on good terms just had a small spat and made up. The ones who started dating liked each other from the start.”
I didn't feel like I’d done anything incredible. I just gave them a little push of courage.
Take the first guy, for example.
I just gave him the courage to use toys during sex.
Things like that.
If it sounded like they just needed to confess, I told them to confess. If it sounded like they were in the wrong, I told them to apologize.
That was really it.
“I just told them to do the things they were too afraid to do themselves. It’s nothing special.”
It was a hassle.
A real, annoying hassle.
As the rumors kept spreading, I’d been chasing away anyone who came to ask, telling them to stop bothering me.
But since there were no major school events right now, everyone seemed to have nothing better to talk about than romance.
Meanwhile, I’m not even officially dating any of them.
I’d confessed to all three, so I couldn't exactly complain, but a confession is just a confession.
The current situation wasn't bad, per se.
Still, I found myself wishing for some actual progress.
They’ve already gotten used to this.
If more time passed, there was a chance we’d just settle into this ambiguous relationship forever.
Should I be more aggressive?
Since I’d already decided to be sincere starting with Seo Ye-rin, it seemed necessary to make a definitive move.
While I was worrying about my own love life instead of everyone else's, Senior Ju-hee, who was walking beside me, spoke up softly.
“Want me to bring you some coffee?”
“Huh? Oh...”
Now that I thought about it, she’d done that before.
The cafe where she worked wasn't that far from my shop.
However...
“No, it’s okay. I’m not that tired. If I want some, I’ll go there myself.”
“You don't have to feel pressured.”
“Having a senior act as my coffee shuttle is a huge pressure.”
I scratched my neck and brushed it off gently.
It’s probably not a good idea to stay too close to her, either.
I had to be careful not to do anything that could cause unnecessary misunderstandings with the girls.
Even when they weren't watching, I needed to watch my behavior.
“...Right, okay.”
She looked strangely disappointed.
But I feigned ignorance and headed straight for the shop.
* * *
Min Ju-hee.
A junior in the English Department at Gahyeon University.
She had entered college a year late, making her a year older than her peers.
It wasn't uncommon in college, so it wasn't particularly strange.
If anyone asked why she was late...
It was because she’d jumped straight into the workforce after graduating high school.
Her mother had been gone since she was young. Her father was sickly and always bedridden.
The reason he wasn't hospitalized was the cliché of dramas but the cruelty of reality: they had no money for hospital bills.
The only reason Min Ju-hee had been a delinquent in high school was her twin siblings.
Since their father was weak, Min Ju-hee had to be strong.
Especially given the nature of schools, having a powerful older sister meant the younger ones could have a peaceful school life.
Shabby clothes, unpaid school lunches, an outdated phone, a scruffy appearance.
In school, there were always kids looking for reasons to hate others, and Min Ju-hee’s younger brother and sister were tempting prey.
But because a demon named Min Ju-hee was always looming behind them...
No one dared to touch them.
Funny enough.
Back then, Min Ju-hee felt full of confidence, thinking she was fulfilling her father’s role.
She thought she could just live as the strong older sister in place of her frail father.
But...
After graduating high school, she realized she was just a twisted girl with no power or ability.
Society was neither as kind nor as one-dimensional as school; you couldn't protect your siblings with just your fists.
— Sis?
“Oh, yeah?”
During a brief lull at work, Min Ju-hee snapped back to reality while on the phone with her siblings.
Why had she suddenly thought of that?
Regardless, she continued the call.
Her siblings had also graduated.
They were working at a factory, earning the money for their own college tuition.
Just as Min Ju-hee had done.
And because she wanted to support them as much as possible, she’d forced herself to take on this part-time job.
— Are you at work? I heard junior year is hard because of the workload.
— What, are you still working that job, Sis? I told you to quit! You have us!
“My classes decreased this semester, so it’s fine. Midterms are over, so I’m just doing it in my spare time.”
Hearing her siblings worry about her brought an involuntary smile to her face.
These kids were the driving force of her life.
— Sis, you should just play at times like this. Enjoy college life a bit.
— Yeah, do you think we’d want to go to college after seeing you? All you do is study-work-study-work.
“...”
Is that so?
Am I failing to motivate them?
Min Ju-hee tilted her head, a cigarette between her lips.
“But everyone in college lives like this.”
— Don't lie! Don't you have anyone you like, Sis?
— Exactly. If you have a boyfriend, you can push through the hard times.
— Look at this guy, acting like he knows everything just because he got a girlfriend at work.
— Hey, you were even worse!
“You... you have a girlfriend?”
What was this now?
Her younger siblings already had dating experience?
Dumbfounded, Min Ju-hee forgot to light her cigarette. Her mouth hung open, and the cigarette fell out.
— Love blooms regardless of money or circumstances.
— She kept flirting with me, saying she liked me even like this, asking me to go out with her—!
“...”
It was always good to hear that her siblings were doing well.
But...
“It’s time for me to work. I’m hanging up.”
For Min Ju-hee, who could only think of one person when the topic of boyfriends or dating came up, it wasn't a pleasant subject.
“Phew.”
All three siblings were working.
They had their late father’s life insurance money.
The household finances weren't as precarious as they were when she worked at the factory.
And yet, a sense of anxiety still followed her like a shadow.
“Dating, huh.”
To think she’d tried to date in a situation like this.
Looking back, it was absurd.
To become interested in a man after seeing him have sex with three women.
Interest had turned into a crush, and the crush had become love before she even realized it.
It was an abnormal path, but the result was the same.
However, Min Ju-hee had tried to fold those feelings away.
Kim Woo-jin already had plenty of women, and he was busy enough taking care of them.
Just like today.
He’d rejected even a simple cup of coffee.
That was how strictly he was drawing a line between them.
He might walk with her since they worked nearby, but he wouldn't go out of his way to spend personal time with her.
It’s bitter.
The scent of coffee in the cafe felt exceptionally bitter today.
Was that why?
She’d lost herself in her work until her shift ended.
And before she knew it, Min Ju-hee was walking toward the shop where Kim Woo-jin worked.
Did she want to see him?
Did she have something to say?
Was there still a lingering lump in her chest?
It was probably all three.
She wanted to argue that they were seniors and juniors, so why draw such a line?
She wanted to tell him that his distancing hurt her feelings.
At that moment.
The shop door opened.
A beauty who exuded a mature, middle-aged aura but looked incredibly young for her age stepped out, looking bashful.
“Take care, Ma’am!”
Ma’am?
Hearing him say that, she looked a bit like someone Ju-hee knew.
But the important thing was...
“Oh?”
Her eyes met Kim Woo-jin’s as he stepped outside to see the woman off.
A moment of silence.
What excuse should she make?
It was the opposite direction of the school, so she couldn't say she was on her way back to the dorms.
If she’d known this would happen, she would have at least brought a cup of coffee.
“Ah, Se-Senior. Haha. I guess you were just passing by.”
Kim Woo-jin laughed awkwardly and took a step back. Seeing him about to close the door—
Fine, let’s just be honest.
A surge of irritation flared up.
“No.”
Thud!
Min Ju-hee grabbed the closing door and stepped inside.
“I came to buy something.”
It was a pathetic excuse, but it wasn't bad.
“...Here?”
The problem was that Kim Woo-jin worked at an adult store.
“Ah.”
The moment she stepped inside, a colorful array of pornographic items filled her vision.
Her face turned as red as if a crimson spotlight were shining on her.
But having come this far, could she really give up?
“The... the most...”
Min Ju-hee, who used to beat up guys with nothing but grit and her fists in high school, summoned her courage once again.
“What’s the most popular item?”