Chapter 349: Late-night Snack Mate
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 349: Late-night Snack Mate
— Have you been studying this whole time?
"I told you. I feel like my head is splitting open."
— That’s impressive.
Choi I-seo’s voice over the phone was laced with genuine admiration.
She knew I was studying hard since it was midterm season, but she seemingly hadn't expected me to keep at it until this late into the early morning.
— Still, don't overdo it. When you're tired, sometimes it's better to just sleep and pick it up tomorrow.
"You think so?"
— Yeah, so don't push yourself to the point where it affects your health. Especially late-night snacks—it's better not to eat them.
"……."
— It’d be fine if you could eat and then keep studying, but usually, eating makes you drowsy. A lot of kids just end up falling asleep right after eating a late-night snack. Min-ji is a prime example.
"……."
— In those cases, sleeping is just better. Got it?
"Yes, Mother."
— I told you I’d kill you if you called me 'Mother' one more time.
"Then stop mothering me! How much are you going to nag me when we eventually live together if you're already like this!?"
— L-live together?
Flustered, Choi I-seo began to stammer, unable to form a proper response.
Finding her reaction adorable, I decided to press the issue further.
"What, are we not going to live together? Don't tell me you're the type to nag about leaving clothes lying around."
— ……You should put them in the washing machine properly. And make sure they aren't inside out.
"What about taking out the trash? Should we set a schedule for that?"
— Shouldn't the person heading out just take it? Why set a schedule for that?
"And the dishes?"
— I’ll probably end up doing them. I don't think you'd do a good job.
"I'll do them if you tell me to."
— Forget it. It’d be easier for me to just do it myself than to watch you struggle.
"Let's do a rotation then."
— Is there even enough to rotate?
"If you, me, Seo Ye-rin, and Yoo Ah-rin all take turns—"
— Where are you right now? No, wait, we have a lecture together tomorrow, right? You better watch your back.
"……."
— Because you're going to be in a lot of pain tomorrow.
Though she said it playfully, there was a strange hint of sincerity in her voice that was actually a bit scary.
Regardless, chatting about nothing with Choi I-seo helped clear my head.
"Nnnngh!"
I stretched my limbs and looked out the window.
I had been focused on my studies while watching the sunset, but when I looked up again, the night sky had fully taken over.
It was a view with only a solitary moon hanging in the air, devoid of stars.
As I opened the window, a sharp gust of wind rushed in, making me feel surprisingly refreshed.
Choi I-seo told me not to study too late, but it was already 1:00 AM.
Seeing as she was still awake to take my call, she must have been studying this whole time too.
'Should I do a bit more?'
I felt a surge of motivation. Calling Choi I-seo was definitely the right move.
Knock, knock.
"Woo-jin ssi~"
A tiny voice interrupted my motivation.
The voice drifted in on the wind, as if someone was calling me through the crack in the door from outside.
"Woo-jin ssiii~"
I debated ignoring it, but eventually, I opened the door.
There stood Choi Jin-ah, dressed exactly as she had been last time, wearing a bright smile.
"How about a hamburger today?"
"I-seo told me to stop eating late-night snacks."
"Are you really not going to eat? Let's eat together. I was planning on ordering the new menu item for you, Woo-jin ssi."
"Why order it for me? You can just order it for yourself, Jin-ah ssi."
"Because I'm going to eat a Big Mac."
"……."
"……."
So, she basically wanted to use me as a test subject for the new menu.
"Tsk. Why is someone like this unable to say a single word in front of her father?"
"It's because I'm comfortable around you, Woo-jin ssi. I can't act this shamelessly with other people."
"I'm sure."
If she acted like this anywhere else, she’d get slapped. I know because I’ve been slapped plenty.
"So, are you having a burger or not?"
"……Get me a Zero Coke and size up the fries."
"Yes, sir!"
She seemed genuinely happy that I agreed to eat with her.
Humming a tune, she ordered the burgers and naturally strolled into my room.
"Shall we eat in your room, Woo-jin ssi?"
"……."
"Hmm? You don't want to?"
"No, let's do that."
If we ate in the first-floor lounge, we might get caught again. Choi Jin-ah sat on the edge of my bed and scrolled through her phone.
Though I wasn't entirely thrilled about it, I sat back down at my desk and picked up my pen.
I intended to focus on my studies until the food arrived, but a few minutes later, I felt a presence behind me.
Choi Jin-ah was staring intently at me from right behind my back.
"What is it?"
"Oh, it's just unexpected. I didn't think you were the type to study, Woo-jin ssi."
"What do you mean, 'the type to study'?"
"You barely studied back in elementary school. You were the type who somehow got good grades without trying."
Well, my grades weren't exactly terrible.
"Aren't you going to study, Jin-ah ssi? You're in college too."
"I took a leave of absence this semester. I'm in a cold war with my father; if I go to campus, I'll be caught in no time."
"Man."
She certainly leads an interesting life.
"So, why are you studying?"
"Pardon?"
"Your brother is taking over the company anyway. I didn't think you'd bother studying unless you absolutely had to."
Well, she wasn't wrong.
Since I could grasp financial freedom whenever I wanted, I didn't have much motivation to strive for anything.
Maybe that’s why I don't usually talk about this with others.
To them, I was born with the very things they desperately craved.
However, Choi Jin-ah was in the same boat as me.
Perhaps that’s why it felt comfortable talking to her. The slight distance maintained by our formal speech probably played a part as well.
"Originally, I studied because of my girlfriend."
"Girlfriend's', plural?"
"Ahem, you don't necessarily have to correct me."
"And? You studied because of your girlfriends?"
"Yeah. I felt like I needed to become someone they could rely on. Especially for I-seo."
"……."
"I wanted to show her that even though I'm a chaebol, I have other exceptional qualities. That's how much I wanted to keep the three of them by my side."
I wanted to be a dependable man.
The easiest way to demonstrate that was through studying—or to be blunt, through my grades.
"But it's a bit different now."
My desire to give them a reason to trust me remained the same. But that wasn't the only reason anymore.
"I want to be faithful to the present."
"What?"
"Because I don't have much time left……."
I whispered it softly, but Choi Jin-ah must have heard me. She was about to ask what on earth that meant, but—
"Ah, the delivery."
A text arrived right on time saying the food was here, so she couldn't ask anything and went down to pick up the burgers.
And then.
The look in Choi Jin-ah's eyes as she brought the burgers back was quite sharp.
"That 'not much time left' thing. It's not for some special reason, it's just because of the military, right?"
"What do you mean, 'not a special reason'? Did you just belittle the men of Korea!?"
"Belittle?! No, you just said it so tragically, like you were terminally ill, so I was worried it was something serious!"
"It is serious! I'm going to dedicate myself to the service of my country!"
"I know, I know! I'm not trying to ignore that! But you sounded like someone with a fatal disease—"
"My early twenties are dying!"
"Fine, fine, just eat your burger. Ugh, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry!"
We sat on the floor facing each other and ate our burgers.
"Can I have just one bite of that?"
Choi Jin-ah seemed curious about the new menu item.
"Only if you give me a cheese stick."
"……."
She hesitated but eventually slid a cheese stick toward me.
"Mmm? The taste isn't as bad as I thought? But it's a bit salty."
"It's not bad with the coke. I don't think I'd order it again, though."
"How harsh."
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
Just then, my phone vibrated.
I wondered who would be calling at this hour, and saw it was Big Hyung.
'What's going on?'
He wasn't the type to call at a time like this. I put down my burger and answered.
"Hello?"
— You were awake.
"Yeah, it's midterm season."
— Are you actually studying?
"Why wouldn't I? I'm a student too."
— Heh.
A satisfied chuckle.
It seemed he wasn't displeased to hear that his scoundrel of a younger brother was actually studying.
"Why did you call? You're usually asleep by now, Hyung."
Even at my question, Hyung hesitated for a moment. Knowing he had something to say but was finding it difficult to bring up, I waited in silence.
Meanwhile, I slapped the back of Choi Jin-ah's hand as she tried to sneakily reach for my cheese stick.
"Ouch."
'You want to die?'
— Woo-jin.
"Yeah?"
— When do your exams end?
"The week after next. Why?"
— Sigh. I'll send you an address via Tok. Start reporting for work there from that day on.
"What?"
What kind of nonsense was this?
I was about to protest against such an absurd demand, but the atmosphere coming from Hyung was unusual.
— There won't be any major issues, and even if you go, they won't give you anything difficult to do. It'll just be organizing or running coffee errands at most.
"No, wait. Hyung, I'm a college student. It's not even summer break, just the end of midterms."
— Right. Once you're done with your lectures for the day, you can head straight to work.
"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?! Is this about the succession thing again? After the incident with Yun-ji, Father told me to take my time and think about it until I graduate!"
— Father is the one who ordered this.
"Father did?"
— It seems he decided it would be best for you to start learning the ropes and gaining experience now.
"Father changed his mind?"
My brow furrowed.
Hyung must know too.
That Father suddenly going back on his word like this was not a good signal.
"Hyung, is Father…… is he sick or something?"
When I asked cautiously, Big Hyung fell silent for a moment.
"We're family. Don't hide it from me."
At my plea, Big Hyung sighed and answered honestly.
— I didn't think Father would make such an unreasonable demand so suddenly either.
"……."
— That's why I'm looking into it.
"Okay. If you find out anything, make sure to tell me."
— Woo-jin.
"Yeah?"
— Work hard.
"……."
Click.
The call ended.
I stared down at the phone I had pulled away from my ear.
His words left a strange, lingering weight behind.