Chapter 23: Min-ji
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Min-ji
"Ye-rin, your pork cutlet is going to get cold!"
Coming out of the restroom, Seo Ye-rin hurried toward her friends at their call.
Her face was flushed bright red. Even after sitting down, she barely touched her food, staring intently at her phone instead.
Why isn't he answering?
She was certain he would at least send a reply. Why was the Administrator staying silent?
D-did he go to... take care of it?!
The mere thought sent a thrill through her body. Regardless of the reason, she felt a strange sense of accomplishment in knowing she had stimulated a man’s sexual desire.
She forced her attention back to the pork cutlet and began to eat, catching snippets of her friends' conversation.
"By the way, Woo-jin and I-seo finished and left pretty fast, didn't they? It looked like they ordered about the same amount as us."
"Choi I-seo probably ate fast because she didn't want to stay long."
"Hey, you think I-seo is like you? She’s actually polite to the people in our department."
"Because she’s the Class Rep?"
Listening to them chatter, Seo Ye-rin peeked around. Indeed, Choi I-seo and Kim Woo-jin were already gone.
"..."
Now that they were gone, she felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted.
At the same time, she began to coolly reflect on why she had felt so anxious just moments ago.
Under the sudden spike of stress, she had impulsively vented it toward the Administrator. But then, talking to the Administrator had stressed her out even more, and in a fit of pique, she had ended up taking those erotic photos right there in the pork cutlet restaurant.
Even if the Administrator hadn't replied yet.
"Ye-rin, you said you have a lecture with Kim Woo-jin and I-seo, right? That’s going to be a nightmare."
"Yeah. Tomorrow..."
Right, tomorrow.
The 9:00 AM lecture where they had eaten stir-fried pork together last week.
Ah, was that why?
If Kim Woo-jin had confessed to Choi I-seo, it would naturally make things awkward for her, the friend caught in the middle.
In particular, Kim Woo-jin was her only PC Bang buddy. If she kept hanging out with him, she’d feel bad for Choi I-seo, who would likely be uncomfortable with it.
What a shame...
Choi I-seo didn't play games, but the time they had spent together at the PC Bang had been quite fun. It was a pity she wouldn't be able to experience that again.
Woo-jin, you idiot.
Why did he have to go and confess?
From what she could see, Choi I-seo didn't seem to have those kinds of feelings for him at all. If he had just asked her for advice, she would have talked him out of it.
"Sigh."
In the end, Seo Ye-rin could only poke at her pork cutlet and grumble to herself.
*
Since it was a Monday with late lectures, it was already evening by the time I left campus.
Choi I-seo’s classes had ended three hours ago. She’d said she was going to a cafe to kill time, but I was worried after what happened with those seniors Min-ji had sent after her. I ended up just giving her the key to my studio apartment.
I wonder if she’s at my place now.
I’d sent her the address, so she was probably waiting inside. It wasn't like I had anything weird lying around, and I kept the place reasonably clean. I had nothing to be embarrassed about and certainly nothing worth stealing, so I didn't mind her being there.
In a way, it was a sign of how much I trusted her.
I should head straight back.
I was hungry since my last meal had worn off during the lecture, but after the chaos at lunch, I wasn't sure if I could stomach much. I picked up two iced Americanos from the cafe in front of the building and headed inside.
"Hey, I'm back."
I was about to joke that we felt like a cohabitating couple, but the memory of living here with Oh Yun-ji during the first semester flashed through my mind, and my expression soured.
"O-oh? You're here!"
For some reason, Choi I-seo looked incredibly tense. I sighed, seeing her department jacket zipped all the way up to her chin.
"Good grief. Here, have some coffee."
"Huh?! Oh, thanks!"
I handed the coffee to the needlessly nervous I-seo. Even then, she avoided my eyes and just sipped the drink through the straw.
"I'm not turned on by you—"
"You want to die? Seriously."
"...I'm suing you first."
The spot where she hit me earlier still hurt.
"Phew."
Perhaps the joke helped her relax, as Choi I-seo slowly stood up and steeled herself.
"Let's go."
Judging by her solemn declaration, she seemed to have rehearsed what she wanted to say. I followed behind her without a word.
"It's closer than I thought."
"I was surprised too."
The villa where Choi I-seo and Min-ji lived wasn't far at all. No wonder we always ran into each other when we went out to exercise.
"Deep breaths."
I watched Choi I-seo take a nervous breath and gave her a small smirk.
"If things get shitty, you can just beat her up."
"I-I don't do that!"
"You hit me, though."
"That's because you only say weird things!"
After snapping at me, she seemed to feel a bit better. She opened the door and stepped inside, and I followed close behind.
Since it was a place where only girls lived, the air smelled quite fresh. They must use a good diffuser.
However, despite the pleasant scent, the interior was a total disaster.
A laptop lay snapped in half, and clothes were shredded and scattered everywhere, looking like they’d been through a literal war zone. I could feel clumps of torn-out hair under my feet, and there were even spots of blood.
"...Blood?"
Without thinking, I pushed Choi I-seo aside and rushed further in.
"W-Woo-jin?!"
Choi I-seo, who hadn't noticed the blood yet, was flustered, but I threw open the doors one by one to check the rooms.
The bathroom.
There was a woman in a state of total disarray, holding a razor over a sink full of water.
"Huh?"
She froze in shock when she saw me, but I moved faster. I snatched the razor from her hand and hurled it to the floor.
"What are you trying to do with this? Dammit, you'd have to scrape at yourself all day to die with this thing!"
"What?"
"You crazy bitch, you're only in your twenties! How can you just give up like this? You piece of shit, if you committed a crime, then take your punishment! Repent and live as a new person! Who said they wouldn't forgive you?!"
"T-that's..."
"You have friends! Even if you go to the police station, your crime is petty and the damage is minor, so you'll only get a slap on the wrist! Just think of it as taking a semester off for some mental discipline!"
"Ah, uh..."
"Why are you trying to be the perpetrator until the very end?!"
"..."
"This... this isn't right."
I gripped her trembling shoulders firmly. She looked like she might shatter at any moment, and even my own resolve felt like it was crumbling.
"Later on... you'll realize this wasn't that big of a deal."
I whispered, almost pleading, my grip tightening as I urged her not to give up.
Min-ji stared up at me blankly for a moment, then slowly pointed toward a bottle of shaving gel sitting next to the sink.
"I... I was just going to shave because my leg hair was getting long..."
"..."
"I-I guess it could have looked weird. I fill the sink with water and use that because I'm worried about the water bill..."
"What about the blood outside?"
"I-it's that time of the month."
"Ah. I see."
I gave a bright smile, nodded, and said:
"Could everyone please leave? I'd like to be alone."
"This is my house, where are we supposed to go?"
Choi I-seo chided me from behind, her face full of relief. Still holding Min-ji’s shoulders, I shoved her out of the bathroom, slammed the door, and locked it.
"Hey! Kim Woo-jin! What are you doing!"
"Shut up! I'm going to die! I can't live with this embarrassment anymore!"
"Why are you suddenly staging a protest in our bathroom?! What is wrong with you!"
"I'm going to die! I'll kill myself with the razor!"
"You said it would take all day to die with that!"
"Shut up!"
"Why are you trying to be the perpetrator until the very end?!"
"I told you to shut uuuuuuuup!"
*
"Aw, man. Why Malatang?"
Kim Woo-jin immediately started grumbling the moment he heard they’d ordered Malatang.
Back when Oh Yun-ji liked it, he’d eaten it so many times he felt like he’d turned into someone from Sichuan.
"You wouldn't come out of the bathroom. You should've come out when we were picking the menu."
"Even I needed some time."
Woo-jin considered himself to have a pretty strong psyche, but even he needed a moment of solitude after a situation like that. He’d probably be tossing and turning in agony when he tried to sleep tonight.
"Phew. The atmosphere was definitely serious for a second there."
Thanks to Kim Woo-jin’s sudden outburst, the tension had eased significantly. They had ordered Malatang for Min-ji, who hadn't been able to eat since yesterday.
"But is Malatang really the right move on an empty stomach?"
"Min-ji said she wanted it."
Sitting on the floor with her legs pulled to her chest, Min-ji stole a glance at Kim Woo-jin.
"No, shouldn't I, the victim, get to pick what I want to eat? Why are we ordering what the perpetrator wants?"
Choi I-seo let out a small smile at Woo-jin’s grumbling.
"And yet you were screaming your head off earlier trying to save her."
"Gaaah!"
Woo-jin immediately clutched his head with both hands. Min-ji spoke to him with genuine sincerity.
"U-um... thank you."
"Don't thank me! Just get ready to go to the police station as soon as you finish eating!"
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang, signaling the food had arrived. Seeing his chance, Woo-jin bolted toward the front door.
That left Choi I-seo and Min-ji alone.
There was a lot to say, but first:
"I'm sorry..."
Min-ji apologized honestly for her mistake. It seemed she finally realized the terrible thing she had done to her friend.
"I wanted to... pass off what happened to me as something that happened to someone else. If I thought it was Yun-ji who suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend instead of me, it felt a bit more bearable."
"I see."
"But seeing him... it made me realize I really did something awful. He seems like a good person."
To be honest.
Min-ji couldn't say the thought of actually using the razor hadn't crossed her mind earlier. She just hadn't had the courage and was lost in her own head.
"I got a call from Yun-ji, and I met Kim Woo-jin in person. I feel like I've finally woken up to reality."
"..."
"Let's eat this. Then I'll apologize to Kim Woo-jin and we'll go to the police station. I'll confess everything I did and pay for my crimes."
"Min-ji."
With tears in her eyes, Choi I-seo pulled Min-ji into a hug. Just as they were mourning how things had come to this and feeling that it was finally over...
"Paying for your crimes is one thing."
Woo-jin, who had brought the food in, stood before the two women looking irritated.
"What is this? It tastes like my tongue is splitting in half. Do you both want your heads split open too?"
"..."
"And whoever set the payment to 'pay on delivery,' step forward. Thanks to you, I had to swipe my own card to buy this monstrosity."
When Min-ji timidly raised her hand...
"Okay. You're getting your head split by me before you face the judgment of the law."
Woo-jin started rolling up his sleeves, ready to charge.