Chapter 333: Presentation
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 333: Presentation
I expected there to be pushback.
They had worked hard in their own way, so being told to suddenly pivot to a different topic now...
Naturally, it brought a massive amount of fatigue along with a sense of loss.
I knew someone would suggest quitting like that.
However, I didn't even need to be the one to speak up.
What a mess.
Watching them tear into each other actually makes me feel a bit more at ease.
Is this what it feels like to watch animals fight?
Surprisingly, a corner of my heart is filled with a sense of satisfaction that isn't half bad.
People, naturally, do not want to be the villain.
Once the criticism became this blatant and he realized the decision rested solely on him—
Hwang In-woo eventually had no choice but to give in.
Since our relationship was already fractured, we were able to pour out blunt words to each other without any hesitation.
Like this.
A journey began where no one wanted to be there, everyone hated each other, but they were all bound together by the leash called "grades."
* * *
If there’s one thing that changed since I took the helm, it’s that the vocabulary we use in the group chat has become significantly more aggressive.
Even as feelings get hurt, we keep moving forward. As long as we’re moving forward, that’s all that matters, right?
-
* * *
“Are you kidding me? If you make the font size this small, who the fuck is supposed to be able to read it?!”
I grabbed the back of Im Dong-gyu’s head and shoved it closer to the laptop screen.
“Look at this. Can you see it? Can you?! Now that I’ve done this, you can see it, right? Do you think this is okay?”
“……No.”
“You said you’ve made PPTs before. But what is this? Is this right? Huh?! Do you want to relearn what a PPT is?! And the template, fuck, where did you even find such a piece of garbage—!”
After raising my voice and letting it all out, I looked at Bang Da-ye and Hwang In-woo, who were sitting across from me doing research on their tablets and laptops.
A row of empty energy drink cans was lined up next to them.
“Did you find the data? I told you to bring the good stuff.”
“Well…… Leader, the topic is so obscure that it’s a bit—”
Hwang In-woo began to grumble with a pout.
“Is it my fault again?! Again! Again?! Then you should have done it right from the start! Huh?! You didn't do shit when I was being nice and encouraging. Am I right or wrong?”
“……I’m sorry.”
“Um, Leader.”
Bang Da-ye, sitting next to him, cautiously raised her hand. Wearing thick-rimmed glasses with her hoodie pulled up, she looked exactly like a typical college student.
“Speak.”
“I found what you asked for, but the material is all in English…….”
“And?”
“……I don't really know English that well.”
“Aren't you a Creative Writing major? You should be decent at English.”
“No, not everyone is. Aren't you an English Literature major, Leader?”
“So what? You’re the one doing the research.”
“…….”
“Use a translator or something.”
Bang Da-ye grumbled but started diligently using a translator to interpret the text. I wondered why she even asked me when she already knew the solution.
I checked the time again.
We were already 30 minutes past our reserved time for the library meeting room.
“Why isn't Shin Se-rim here yet?!”
Just as I barked out the question, Shin Se-rim arrived as if she had been waiting for her cue.
With a bright, eye-smiling grin, she walked straight to me and held out some snacks.
“I’m so sorry, Leader! My agency said there was something they needed to check, so I was late because I was on the phone with them!”
She acted cute, rubbing her chest against my arm.
Hwang In-woo looked on enviously, while Heo Jeong-ah clicked her tongue.
This girl still hasn't snapped out of it.
I realized I needed to show her the gap between us.
It was just about the time she said she’d come.
The door opened again.
A fully dolled-up Seo Ye-rin walked in with a bright smile, carrying coffee carriers in both hands.
“Hello! My name is Seo Ye-rin!”
“Whoa…….”
“Holy shit.”
Everyone was overwhelmed by her stunning appearance.
Even the otaku, Im Dong-gyu, stared at Seo Ye-rin with his mouth agape.
It was as if a goddess had descended.
“Woo-jini looked so tired lately, so I bought some coffee to cheer him up!”
Seo Ye-rin handed out the coffees one by one.
She smiled as she handed the last coffee to Shin Se-rim, who was standing next to me.
“Ah, you must be the one from the agency Woo-jini mentioned! I can tell just by looking at you!”
“Ah, yes…….”
Look at her, so intimidated she can’t even speak properly.
Shin Se-rim’s eyes instinctively drifted downward, but they bounced off Seo Ye-rin’s voluminous chest and shot back up.
“Which agency are you with? I’m currently working at YS Ent!”
“Ah, I’m…… with a small startup called Marimo.”
“I’m sure we’ll run into each other while working later!”
I couldn't tell if Seo Ye-rin was acting or if she actually meant it.
At this point, even I couldn't distinguish between the two.
“Woo-jini might have a bit of a foul mouth, but he’s incredibly kind to people who are good to him! Though he might be a bit difficult if you go the other way.”
The team members all nodded slightly as if they deeply empathized.
“Anyway, hang in there! Fighting! Woo-jina, I’ll text you later, okay?”
“Yeah, go on.”
The door closed.
It felt like the fresh air that had just filled the room was being polluted again.
I took a sip of my coffee through the straw and asked Shin Se-rim.
“So, what were you doing and where?”
“……It’s nothing.”
“Right. Let’s practice the presentation. Jeong-ah, where’s the script?”
“Ah, here. I’ve put together a draft for now.”
Heo Jeong-ah quickly brought the script to me. As I read through it, I couldn't help but scowl.
“Why are there so many typos? You even got basic grammar wrong. Are you some author writing daily serials? No? Then why are there so many typos! Is it that hard to write this short thing?!”
“N-no.”
“Did you run it through a spellchecker?”
“……No. It looked fine to me.”
“Of course it would to you! Run this through a spellchecker right now and fix the grammar! And there are way too many repetitive words, so fix those too!”
“Ah, yes.”
Despite my words, I immediately handed the script to Shin Se-rim.
“Read this.”
Shin Se-rim took the script and began to read calmly.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“'Huh?' Fuck, 'huh?' Do you think this is a joke? Is that how you’re going to present? Even elementary schoolers don't do it like that these days!”
“…….”
“Put some power into your core! You’re supposed to be a celebrity, is that all the vocal projection you have? Straighten your back! Don't just look at the script, make eye contact with the audience! Add some gestures too!”
“Ah, yes.”
“Vocal projection, damn it!”
“Yes, sir!”
Now she’s finally acting like a human being.
While listening to Shin Se-rim read the script, I checked a text that arrived on my phone.
“Good grief.”
Regardless, I was grateful she came by to help me set the tone today.
“Um, Leader. Please take a look at the PPT.”
“Bring it here.”
I flicked my finger while remaining seated, and Im Dong-gyu brought his laptop over.
As I scrolled through the PPT, it was significantly better than before.
“It’s improved a lot.”
“Right?”
“Yeah. Looking at this, I see room for it to be even better.”
“……Pardon?”
“Over here, the presenter mentions things one by one. Can you add animations to make them move like this?”
“It’s possible…… but that looks like a lot of work.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we have plenty of time left.”
“…….”
“If you do this, I’ll let you put one character you like in the PPT.”
“Really?!”
“Do you think I’m serious? Get to work right now! This guy still hasn't snapped out of it!”
“…….”
Im Dong-gyu went back to his seat and started tinkering with the PPT again.
As I was sipping my coffee and playing a mobile game, another text arrived.
After checking the photo and the text, I let out a sigh.
Because I sighed so openly, everyone started walking on eggshells.
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing.”
“……?”
“Why?”
“Are we taking a break?”
Break, my ass.
“The person who posted on the Bamboo Forest saying, ‘Our Humanities group project leader is a fucking tyrant. I hope that piece of shit gets hit by a car and dies,’ step forward.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
* * *
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
The sound of people’s applause felt like it was comforting me.
The group project presentations were all over. As I said my final goodbyes to the members of Group F, I hoped our paths would never cross again for the rest of our lives.
After the applause died down.
The professor’s feedback poured in.
“Well done. Truly well done. Especially since I said I wouldn't care much about the content, I didn't expect you to bring such an obscure and complex topic and explain it so perfectly.”
Professor Jeong also expressed admiration, saying he didn't expect it to be this good.
“The chemistry between the team members was also great. Answering so precisely like machines was very impressive.”
Of course it was.
I didn't let them go home until I’d hammered it into their heads.
Not like it mattered to me, since I live in the dormitory.
“The research materials were also excellent. Comparing the original language and critiquing the definitions and the Korean translations, as well as pointing out cultural differences, was superb.”
Of course it was.
I made the researchers keep digging even after the PPT was finished.
I scraped the bottom of the barrel to ensure we had high-quality data.
“The PPT was clean too. Did you refer to Steve Jobs' videos? It felt like you were going for that kind of vibe.”
Of course it was.
I made them watch Neutube videos of PPT presentations over and over, and even made them chip in their own money to buy a premium template.
“Especially the presenter, she was very good. No slurred pronunciation, good eye contact, and appropriate gestures.”
Of course she was.
Shin Se-rim cried once.
I don't know how many times I pushed her, telling her that if the presenter wasn't perfect, we were all fucked.
“Overall, it was very impressive. I hope the other groups follow their example when preparing for other assignments.”
After receiving the professor’s high praise—
“Fuck, it’s finally over.”
“Let’s never see each other again, you pieces of shit.”
“Group F. Fucking, fucking, fucking, fucking.”
“Should I take a leave of absence?”
To a man, they were all muttering curses to themselves with haggard faces.
There were no goodbyes among us.
Returning to my seat, I locked eyes with Choi I-seo.
Choi I-seo gave me a thumbs up and praised me, saying it was the best.
That’s it. This is enough.
With a satisfied smile, I said one last thing to my team members.
“Everyone, I have a confession to make in good conscience.”
The team members looked at me, wondering what could possibly be left now that the presentation was over.
I told them calmly and honestly.
“There was no such thing as a submitted report.”
Silence.
In the midst of everyone’s stunned silence, Bang Da-ye, who had managed to keep her wits about her, raised her hand and asked.
“W-what…… do you mean by that?”
“The leader said he couldn't do anything else because of the report submission, right? Actually, that was a lie.”
So.
There was no need to change the topic.
And the professor wouldn't have thought the team members were at odds.
“Then…… what did you do, Leader?”
“I grilled you guys. While grilling you, I played some mobile games. Drank coffee, took some naps. Texted girls, things like that.”
I really blew off some steam.
Regardless of what it was, if you reject it with a few insults, don't they always bring back a better result?
“Still, since we gave the best presentation, I felt like I had to say something about your hard work.”
To the team members who were staring at me with blank expressions, I gave a bright smile and a thumbs up.
“Thanks for the carry.”