Chapter 392: Bucket List
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 392: Bucket List
"Yawn."
Lately, my days have been nothing but leisurely.
Ever since I got back from playing around with the girls at the pool villa, it’s been like this.
There was only one reason.
Enlistment.
"Is there really a point in working hard?"
I won't even be here by mid-January anyway.
As I sat there slumped over, Ahn Hyun-ho and Jeong Chan-woo, who were having lunch with me, let out a heavy sigh.
"Here he goes again."
"I guess everyone going into the military is the same. Senior Han-gang and Jin-ho were like that too."
Should I call it a sort of mannerism?
If I had to be precise, it was more like lethargy.
Once I started questioning if I really needed to try hard in university, everything just became a chore.
Even though I felt like I should do something more because my time in society was precious, that didn't necessarily mean I wanted to study hard at school.
"Hey, but aren't you guys going to the military?"
When I asked, the two of them answered in unison.
"We have to."
"We got our draft notices too."
"When was it?"
"Us? Early January."
What the hell is with these guys?
They’re going before me.
"But why do you look so unfazed? Shouldn't you be, like, miserable as hell?"
"We're doing a joint enlistment, so it's a bit better."
"We already had our heart-to-heart. For now, we decided to focus on our studies until we go."
"……."
Something.
Something feels a bit… something.
I enjoy hanging out with these guys, but I didn't think they were that important to me.
Yet, finding out just now that these bastards were doing a joint enlistment without me made me feel a bit annoyed.
And hearing that they hung out together without me made me feel strangely left out.
"Are you guys ostracizing me?"
When I asked out of sheer absurdity, the two of them scowled deeply.
The way they looked at me, as if I were the one in the wrong, was incredibly irritating.
"What are you staring at?"
"Crazy bastard."
"Should I kill him?"
"It just slipped out."
I covered my mouth with my hand and nodded for them to keep talking.
"It's because you were busy with the company, you prick."
"Exactly. Every time we contacted you, you said you were at the company and couldn't make it."
"Ah……."
Right, that did happen.
Back when I was frequently going to Uju Global, I didn't have time to hang out no matter how much they called.
In the first place, it was even hard to find time to play with my girls back then.
"Not anymore. I quit the company."
"Must be nice being a gold spoon, doing whatever you want."
"Then let's grab a drink later. We should at least get together and hang out before we enlist."
That sounds good, but...
"Just in case, let me say this. Keep it simple. Just the three of us meeting at a pork belly place, having a toast, and parting ways."
I still get dizzy thinking about the disaster Kang Han-gang and Pyo Jin-ho caused.
I didn't want to go through that twice, and the other two seemed to agree as they nodded.
"Of course."
"Just the three of us, definitely."
After making that solemn vow, we continued our lunch.
Lunch was spicy stir-fried pork.
Originally, I was going to meet up with my girls instead of these guys, but they were all too busy.
"Hey, did you get letters from the seniors? Wow, I never imagined they’d actually send me letters."
"They told me to send lots of electronic letters. With pictures of girls copy-pasted in."
"I threw mine away as soon as I got it."
"I probably would too."
"Woo-jin is the wise one here."
It might be our future, but we’ll worry about that when the time comes.
Just then, Ahn Hyun-ho's phone rang.
Checking it, his grin widened so much his face practically split in half.
"Ah, Gyu-a sent a coffee coupon because she felt bad about not being able to have lunch together. Let's go to a cafe after this."
"……."
"……."
Look at this guy bragging.
It felt like only yesterday he was crying at a meeting because he thought Gyu-a was cheating on him.
I quietly sent a message to our group chat.
"……."
No one’s reading it.
"Hey, doesn't your girlfriend send you anything?"
Feeling awkward for no reason, I asked Chan-woo next to me. Chan-woo’s expression crumpled, and he immediately flipped me the bird.
"I don't have a girlfriend, okay?"
"Really? You? Why?"
"Hey, hey, he told us last time."
Ahn Hyun-ho stepped in to mediate.
I had heard at the pension that Chan-woo didn't have a girlfriend, but I didn't think he still wouldn't have one.
"I mean, you're the guy who swaps girls out like Gundam parts. I naturally thought you’d have a new one by now."
"……."
"You seemed to love being surrounded by girls at the pension, too. I thought you’d have picked one and started dating by now."
"Sigh, I'm trying to settle down. I think I've been dating too indiscriminately until now."
"You're realizing that just now?"
"Dumbass."
When we cursed at him, he pouted his lips, looking sulky.
If a girl did that, I’d call it cute, but seeing a guy do it made me want to kill him.
"Anyway, being handsome is the problem. If you do that, girls probably go 'Kyaa! So cute!' and want to bite you."
"Ah, you piece of shit. That's disgusting. You really belong right next to that Uncle."
"If you mention that Uncle one more time, I will seriously kill you both."
Jeong Chan-woo immediately radiated a murderous aura. Just then, a reply to my coffee text arrived, so I checked it.
Hmph, just as expected.
Look at her, prioritizing a lecture over me.
What is Ye-rin doing?
She checked it, but there was no reply.
Usually, Seo Ye-rin would reply the moment she saw it.
Of course, a reply could be a bit late, but it was rare for her to leave me on read for this long, so I felt a bit flustered.
"He's been staring at his phone since we were eating."
"Are you texting the girls?"
Even after finishing the pork and stepping out of the restaurant, there was no reply from Ye-rin.
Even though I called out to her several times via text.
Just as I was starting to worry about what was going on...
Vroooom!
A heavy engine sound.
Beyond the guys who were picking red pepper flakes out of their teeth with toothpicks, a heavy black van was approaching.
"Isn't that...?"
"Ah, Ye-rin?"
Ahn Hyun-ho and Jeong Chan-woo also knew Seo Ye-rin was an actress, so they caught on immediately.
As I hurried toward the road, the van pulled up right in front of me.
Slide!
The door opened, and Seo Ye-rin reached out her hand.
"Get in! I'll explain later!"
What?
Before I knew it, I was grabbing Seo Ye-rin's hand and climbing inside.
"Whoa, whoa, what's with this guy? Hey! Where are you going!"
"Hey, you prick! You lost rock-paper-scissors, you were supposed to buy bread at the cafe!"
I heard Ahn Hyun-ho and Jeong Chan-woo's voices from behind, but I had already boarded as if possessed, and the van took off.
"What is it? What's going on?"
Only then did I snap out of it and awkwardly take a seat. Seo Ye-rin, smiling mischievously, shouted.
"Tomorrow is the weekend!"
"Uh-huh, right."
"We have to fulfill your bucket list, Woo-jin! You don't have much time left!"
"Well, that's true."
It was already December.
Strictly speaking, I had about a month left.
Thinking about it that way, there really wasn't much time.
But a bucket list?
What was she going to fulfill?
When I looked at her curiously, Seo Ye-rin puffed out her chest confidently and shouted.
"We're going to Gold!"
Gold?
"The game?"
Ah, Gold tier?
The game we play, LOF.
Seo Ye-rin and I were both in Bronze tier.
To get to Gold, we had to go through Silver.
In other words, we had to climb two ranks.
From what I knew, if you won every single game from Bronze to Gold, it would take about 30 matches.
So, at least 30 matches.
If each game lasted about 30 minutes, 30 matches would be 900 minutes.
That’s 15 hours.
But could we really just win every single game?
Considering losses, I couldn't even estimate how much longer it would take.
"Uh, Ye-rin?"
"Yeah! Don't worry! I've practiced a ton!"
Seo Ye-rin's phone was lying on the seat, and it was playing videos of famous pro players.
"……."
"Unni! Please go straight to the PC Bang! I already reserved a couple's seat, Woo-jin! We're going full throttle all weekend!"
"Ahem, Ye-rin? I don't necessarily have to do that."
I needed to calm down the overexcited Seo Ye-rin first.
Furthermore, it seemed necessary to completely revise this insane plan.
Because...
If I play with Ye-rin, we'll never rank up.
Seo Ye-rin's reckless personality was even more apparent in games.
"Gold? Ah, I don't really need to go there."
"……."
"More importantly, let's just go to a cafe. I found a nice one I wanted to go to with you guys. Manager Noona, to that—!"
Grab!
I tried to ask to change the destination, but Seo Ye-rin grabbed the back of my neck and warned me.
"Stay still, Kim Woo-jin."
"……."
"We are going to go, win, and reach Gold. Got it?"
"……Yes, ma'am."
"Good!"
Yoo Ah-rin often called Seo Ye-rin a crazy bitch, and right now, I felt like I could relate.
The Manager Noona eventually dropped us off in front of a PC Bang.
"Oh yeah! This is great! It's been a while since I've been to a PC Bang!"
Leaving Seo Ye-rin, who was hopping inside with excitement, the Manager Noona called out to me.
"Um, Woo-jin? Ye-rin cleared her entire schedule until next week."
"……Because of this?"
"Do you think it's just this? She cleared everything until mid-January, except for the absolutely essential stuff. You know why, right?"
"Ahem, I'm sorry."
"I'm not trying to blame you. It's not like Ye-rin was forced to clear it; she just crammed all her work in advance."
"……."
"She pushed herself because she wanted to be with you, so please treat her well. Okay? Gold? Try to do well in that too. She didn't say it, but she's been looking forward to this a lot."
"Ahem, I understand."
"Yes, good. Then I'll be going. You two have fun."
Maybe it was because of what the Manager Noona said.
Hearing that Seo Ye-rin had worked so hard for my sake made my heart ache with a strange warmth.
'Ah, whatever.'
Fine, let's do it.
The time was currently Friday, 1:00 PM.
Currently, Ye-rin and I were in Bronze.
With the determination to finish this crazy Gold run over the weekend, the moment I stepped inside...
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
"Ah, what now?"
The phone vibration killed the mood.
"Woo-jinnnn! Hurry up! The blood of the noble General inside me is boiling!"
"I know. Just wait a second."
— Choi Jin-ah -
It was an unexpected call from Choi Jin-ah.
"Hello?"
— Where are you?
"Huh? Why all of a sudden?"
— Hmm... just because?
What is it? Is she bored again?
"I'm at a PC Bang. I came to play games with Ye-rin."
At my words, Choi Jin-ah replied instantly.
— Send me the address. I want to play too. I'm bored.
"Is there any PC game you play? From what I saw, you didn't really do much on my computer either."
At that, Choi Jin-ah chuckled and replied.
— Well, since when did I need to know what I was doing to follow you, Woo-jin?
"Excuse me?"
— Forget it, just send the address.
"I have to ask Ye-rin first."
— …….
"This is our date."
— Che.
She said that, and I was about to hang up when...
— Ah, wait a minute.
"Yes?"
Choi Jin-ah called out urgently.
Then she asked something that seemed quite important to her.
— If it's a PC Bang, it's that place, right? The one with tons of snacks?
"……."
— I saw BJ Popo's mukbang last time, and I've always wanted to go.
"Alright. I'm hanging up now."
— Make sure to tell Ye-rin. That I really want to go just once.
"Ah, I got it. I'm hanging up, okay?"
— Promise? I won't get in the way. I'll just sit next to you and eat Sotteok-sotteok and ramyeon.
"I got it, you piggy."
— What?!
Click.
After hanging up, I immediately went into the PC Bang.
Before I knew it, Ye-rin, who had already put on a hat and mask from her bag, was waiting for me with a headset on.
"What was that? Who called? I-seo? Ah-rin?"
"No, a voice phisher."
"Aha?"