Chapter 45: Apology
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: Apology
“Ah.”
Seo Ye-rin felt a deep sense of disappointment as she looked at the reply that had finally arrived after several hours.
Her heart, which had been fluttering at the thought of perhaps heading over to Kim Woo-jin’s place, settled into a heavy, lingering regret.
It was already almost time for dinner, making it feel as though the day was already slipping away.
‘Maybe... maybe I should go get a drink.’
Wanting to soothe her lonely heart, Ye-rin—uncharacteristically—was about to text a friend to see if they wanted to grab a drink.
‘Huh? Ah-rin changed her profile picture.’
She noticed Yoo Ah-rin’s profile picture had been updated and took a quick peek.
“What?”
The exclamation escaped her lips involuntarily. There, along with the status message ‘Just lounging at a friend’s place,’ was Yoo Ah-rin sitting on a very familiar mattress.
“Is that Woo-jin’s house...?”
No matter how she looked at it, it was Kim Woo-jin’s place. Although the background was slightly blurred, the specific atmosphere and that mattress were unmistakable.
After all, she had slept there once herself.
Her face flushed at the memory, but she quickly cooled down.
She checked Kim Woo-jin’s message again, then looked back at Yoo Ah-rin’s profile picture.
“So this was the ‘busy’ thing.”
Grit.
Without realizing it, she clenched her teeth. The corners of her mouth curled upward, but it wasn't a smile of joy.
After shouting like that for her sake yesterday, had he really gone to eat gopchang and then spent time with Yoo Ah-rin?
Or had he already made plans to meet her separately this weekend?
All sorts of delusions swirled in her head, and a foul mood settled deep in her chest.
She tried venting her rage on the Bamboo Forest, but it didn't help one bit.
Eventually, still wanting that drink, Ye-rin reached out to her friends again.
- Ssori, I’m with my boyfriend.
One friend turned her down, saying she was with her boyfriend.
She immediately contacted another friend.
- Hu—huuuh! Oh? Ye-rin! What’s up?
The voice sounded incredibly urgent. Between the heavy breathing and the way she seemed desperate to hang up...
For some reason, this felt like a situation she’d seen before.
“Are you with a guy?”
Click.
The call ended the moment she asked. It seemed she’d been caught.
‘Everyone’s got a boyfriend now.’
Out of the four friends who had come up together from high school, two had boyfriends, and one was presumably with Kim Woo-jin.
She thought about asking a classmate to meet up, but after what happened yesterday, meeting people from her department felt awkward.
‘Ah, should I ask I-seo?’
She had become close enough with the Department Representative, Choi I-seo. I-seo must have had a hard time cleaning up the mess from yesterday, so Ye-rin called her to say thanks and see if she was free.
“Ye-rin?”
For some reason, I-seo also sounded quite upset. However, Ye-rin could tell it wasn't because of her, but for some other reason.
Skipping the pleasantries, she got straight to the point.
“Want to grab a drink?”
“...Where should we meet?”
The two were perfectly in sync.
* * *
It was 6 PM by the time I met Senior Min Ju-hee. Since I’d eaten dinner a bit early, it was a good time to meet someone.
Senior Min Ju-hee arrived wearing that same jacket with the dragon on it. With her long black hair fluttering and her hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets, she looked exactly like someone heading into a brawl.
“Have you eaten, Senior?”
When I asked politely, Ju-hee gave me a sidelong glance and replied.
“It’s easier to beat someone up on an empty stomach.”
“I see.”
I felt like I’d heard something I shouldn't have, but I certainly understood her resolve.
Beside her, Yoo Ah-rin was giggling for some reason, and finally...
“Ju-hee, try to settle this with words as much as possible.”
There was Senior Han-gang, who had come to see us off.
Apparently, all the 2nd-year female seniors were at a noraebang. Han-gang, who had been with them, seemed worried about Ju-hee going on a rampage.
“Only if they’re in the mood to talk.”
Ju-hee walked right past Han-gang and into the noraebang. After explaining the situation to the owner, she marched straight into Room 4.
“Turn off the music.”
Her icy voice instantly silenced the loud accompaniment.
The female seniors, who had been happily singing, dropped their microphones and braced themselves, their expressions hardening.
Ju-hee spoke first.
“Look, I want to settle this with words too, okay? If this were a PPT presentation, I would’ve just sucked it up and done it all myself. But the professor said everyone except the editor has to show up for the short film shoot.”
She’d already checked with the professor about what would happen if she did the assignment without those three.
As expected, she was always quick to handle business.
“You guys don’t want to tank your grades either. Do you really want to take the same class again next year? If the assignment is a short film again, do you think you’ll find another group leader like me?”
On top of that, she had total confidence in herself. It was true—you wouldn't find a group leader like Captain Ju anywhere else.
“I’ll give you roles with the least amount of screen time, so let’s just do it. If we just do it, it’s a guaranteed A at least.”
Contrary to the explosive atmosphere, Ju-hee was calmly offering a negotiation.
Even Senior Han-gang, who had followed us in, looked surprised by how logical she was being.
“How funny.”
But it seemed the other side wasn't interested in hearing it.
In fact, seeing me walk in behind her, they were radiating pure hostility.
“We said we don’t want to. Because of him.”
“We don’t care if we have to retake the class. It doesn't matter to us at all.”
Seeing them act so bold, I wondered if I should stop Ju-hee, but then...
“I’m asking you. I need good grades so I can get my scholarship.”
I couldn't help but be shocked.
Because Senior Min Ju-hee...
The same Min Ju-hee who acted so tough and looked ready to throw hands, actually bowed her head.
“I know we’re in the same year, but I’m a year older than you because I retook the entrance exam. I don’t have time to retake classes.”
So she was a year older than the other 2nd-years. That was news to me.
I wondered if someone as strong-willed as Min Ju-hee going this far would cause a change of heart in them, but...
“He’s the one who should be apologizing.”
The seniors declared, pointing at me.
“Dumping cigarette ash on his seniors, accusing us of badmouthing people...”
“And then acting all high and mighty, shouting at us to hand over our phones! Who does he think he is?!”
Once they started, the insults directed at me poured out like vomit. Their sheer audacity was nauseating.
But seeing Min Ju-hee standing there with her head bowed made my heart waver.
‘The scholarship.’
I wondered why she was so obsessed with the assignment; it turned out she desperately needed the grades for her scholarship.
‘If I just bow my head here...’
I still didn't think I had done anything wrong. I didn't have a shred of desire to apologize to those people.
However, seeing Min Ju-hee standing there so helplessly...
‘She’s a cool person.’
Just this once.
I thought it wouldn't hurt to bow my head for her sake.
“Whew.”
I really didn't want to do it, but just as I was about to bow and offer a hollow apology...
Grab!
I felt a sharp pressure on my head.
I glanced sideways to see Senior Min Ju-hee glaring at me, her hand gripping my hair as if she were trying to rip it out to stop me from bowing.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Huh?”
“You were going to apologize, weren't you?”
“Uh, yeah...”
Seeing how desperate she was for the scholarship, I had assumed she was struggling financially.
Yank!
She pulled my hair back, forcing me to stay upright. She used so much force that I was staring at the ceiling, and my neck and scalp stung.
Then.
“You fucking bitches!”
Crash!
The sound of a table being kicked echoed through the room along with Ju-hee’s roar.
“I try to be nice and you really think you’re in the right! Forget it! Fuck! Just forget it, you crazy bitches!”
“You! You...!”
“It should’ve been enough that I bowed my head! You really wanted to hear an apology from a junior too? I heard the whole story of what happened yesterday before I came to see you, you hags!”
The three of them were speechless, unable to find words even as they tried to shout back.
“The one who’s thirsty digs the well, so I bowed to you because I need the grades. But why the hell should a kid who did nothing wrong and needs nothing from you bow his head?!”
“Ju—Ju-hee!”
My neck was still bent back so I couldn't see, but it sounded like she had grabbed a microphone and was about to hit them with it.
I saw Senior Han-gang frantically trying to restrain her.
“Se—Senior! Calm down!”
I also grabbed the hand she had on my head with both of mine and pulled her back.
“You pieces of shit! Don’t you dare let me catch you on campus! I’m going to burn a hole in each of your heads with a cigarette, you selfish cunts!”
Even with a man holding her on each side, she was thrashing around and spewing insults until the very end. She really was general material.
Eventually, we made it out of the noraebang.
Min Ju-hee let go of me and, unable to contain her rage, pulled out a cigarette and put it in her mouth.
“Lighter, dammit.”
“Sigh, control your temper, Min Ju-hee.”
As Han-gang lit it for her, Ju-hee took a deep drag and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Han-gang started smoking as well.
“Ah, Woo-jin, sorry. You don’t smoke, do you?”
“It’s fine.”
I told him I didn't mind and tried to fix my messy hair.
“Come here. I’ll do it.”
Yoo Ah-rin, who was the last to leave the noraebang, pulled at my hair and started fixing it, so I just let her.
“But Senior, what about your grades?”
“Psh, I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to the professor.”
Still, for the sake of fairness with the other groups, there would likely be a point deduction.
“I’ll just have to get high marks in other areas. Like the story and acting. And I’ll do a great job with the editing.”
“I’ll work really hard on the editing.”
“I’ll help with the story too.”
Even though she wasn't in our group, Yoo Ah-rin raised her hand to join in on the script. The one from last time was still unfinished and needed more work.
“The important thing is the cast. Ye-rin and I are the only girls.”
“Let’s have Woo-jin cross-dress.”
“Bullshit.”
I retorted to Ah-rin’s nonsense, but feeling a sense of déjà vu, I asked her.
“Why aren't you smoking?”
“I don’t smoke.”
“...When we went to the chicken place with the others last time, you went out with Jeong Chan-woo to smoke.”
“I went out to scold Chan-woo. Because he asked you for that weird favor.”
Sorry, Chan-woo.
“Ugh, I feel like shit. I want to drink. Hey, everyone follow me! Han-gang’s buying tonight.”
“...I’m with their group, though?”
When Han-gang, who had been hanging out with the noraebang seniors, answered awkwardly, Ju-hee annoyedly grabbed Yoo Ah-rin and put her arm around her shoulder.
“For a guy like you who’s always thinking with his dick, pretty girls come first! And we’re way prettier than them!”
She was so worked up she had no filter.
But I joined in.
“I agree about Senior Ju-hee. But Yoo Ah-rin looks like an organic pudding that’s past its expiration date.”
The moment I chimed in, Yoo Ah-rin immediately flipped me off with a grin.
“Drop dead, you cockroach larva.”
“Yeah, well, you look like something that didn't sell at a convenience store, so now you’re covered in dust and mold.”
“Oh yeah? You look like a cockroach that got accidentally stepped on and squashed.”
“Aaaargh! I don’t care! This sucks, so just follow me and pay! Or just give me your wallet!”
Regardless of whether we were fighting or not, Ju-hee was busy shaking down Han-gang. In the end, Han-gang ended up coming along to drink with us.
The moment we stepped into a place she said was good...
“Oh?! It’s Woo-jin!”
An all-too-familiar voice called out to me.