Chapter 494: Memories of That Day(2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 494: Memories of That Day(2)
[The customer you are calling cannot be reached—.]
“Seriously, what is his deal?”
I tried calling again, but he hung up immediately. When I tried a third time, the call didn't even go through—it seemed he’d blocked me.
As I sat there, dumbfounded by the absurdity of it all, Senior Ju-hee, who was sitting across from me eating hangover soup, tilted her head.
“What’s up? Who was it?”
“Well, you see...”
I gave her a brief rundown of what I’d just heard from Ahn Hyun-ho. Her eyes narrowed.
“So, you met some girls?”
“...That’s not the important part right now.”
“No, it is. It’s the most important part.”
“...”
“Sigh. Woo-jin.”
“Yes?”
What was this?
I suddenly felt a strange sense of nostalgia. To be precise, it felt like I’d been transported back to the second semester of my freshman year.
Back to that period of storm and stress. Back to the days of 'Captain Ju,' when I truly believed a person could be murdered over a single group project.
“Did you meet some girls?”
“No... It wasn't me. It was the other guys.”
My voice grew smaller and smaller.
Ju-hee Sunbae didn't seem to care for my excuse. She let out a scoffing laugh and tapped the rim of her soup bowl with her spoon.
“You know I’ve been working on my temper lately, right?”
“Oh, of course. I know your personality better than anyone, Captain.”
Where would that temper go—the one that made her hunt down and destroy anyone who messed up a group project?
Coincidentally, she was wearing her dragon padded jacket today. Personally, I considered that jacket her trademark. In certain back alleys, wasn't she known as 'Paeryong,' the legendary brawler?
“Right. Woo-jin, let’s play nice. Even I have a pure heart, you punk.”
“Did you watch a movie or something?”
“Yeah, with Jin-ah. Since a certain someone has been so busy taking care of the pregnant ladies lately, we’ve just been hanging out among ourselves.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. I mean, I’m a little hurt, but it’s only natural for you to look after them. My head understands, it’s just my heart that’s being petty.”
Ju-hee Sunbae was definitely cool-headed. Her expression was refreshed, as if she’d just shaken off those feelings by speaking them aloud.
Watching her, I took a bite of my soup and made a suggestion.
“Sunbae, do you want to go on a date today?”
“Suddenly? Won’t the other girls be mad if you don’t come back?”
“It should be fine for one day. Can’t you just... talk to them for me?”
“...”
Ju-hee Sunbae’s hand drifted toward her phone. My offer must have been quite tempting, as she seemed to be debating what excuse to use.
“...Well, that’s certainly direct.”
“I couldn't think of any other way to win.”
Well, she wasn't wrong.
“But what kind of date? What are we doing?”
“I called it a date, but it’s actually a personal matter of mine. Is that okay?”
“Will it just be the two of us?”
“I suppose so?”
“Then that’s enough.”
Ju-hee Sunbae grinned, and her spoon began moving much faster. Seeing her rush to finish her meal made me smile as I finished mine as well.
After eating, we stopped by a nearby cafe for some takeout coffee. While there, I tried calling Kang Han-gang.
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
“...”
He wasn't picking up. I couldn't tell if he was intentionally ignoring me or if he was still passed out from the alcohol.
“So, what’s the plan?”
Sunbae took the coffee I handed her and took a sip.
“Remember when we had to hunt down Kang Han-gang back in the day? When he messed up the group project and we chased him?”
“Oh, right. When he suddenly claimed he was enlisting.”
“It’s similar to that. We’re going to find those guys and figure out exactly what happened yesterday.”
I wondered if this was okay for something I’d called a 'date,' but...
“Sounds fun.”
Ju-hee Sunbae took a sip of her coffee, shoved her free hand into the pocket of her dragon jacket, and smirked.
I was glad she was on board. Honestly, if she hadn't been, I would have just given up and spent the day hanging out with her.
“That leaves Jin-ho Hyung.”
I tried calling again.
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
— Hello?
A raspy voice. It sounded like he’d just woken up.
“Jin-ho Hyung, where are you? Let’s talk.”
— ...You’re calling me? You want to die?
What was with him now?
“Why are you mad at me? Shouldn't you be mad at Chan-woo?”
— Shut up. Everything is ruined because of you guys. You son of a bitch.
“What’s with the attitude? If I have something to apologize for, I will, so just explain it to me.”
— Bullshit.
“If you’re going to be like this, I’ll have no choice but to get aggressive.”
— Ha, come over if you’ve got the balls.
He then rattled off his address.
“Fine. Don’t regret it.”
I wonder what kind of face you’ll make when the human weapon sipping coffee next to me shows up at your door.
“I wonder how long he’ll last.”
*
“WE’RE SORRYYYYYYY!”
It took three seconds.
That was the exact amount of time it took for Pyo Jin-ho and Kang Han-gang to drop their weapons and drop to their knees in apology the moment they saw Ju-hee Sunbae.
It seemed the two of them had been together.
“Whoa, you even had a baseball bat ready? Are you guys insane?!”
As I shouted in disbelief, the two of them turned their indignation back on me, pointing fingers.
“You brought Min Ju-hee?! You crazy bastard?!”
“We’re fighting with BB guns, so why the hell did you bring a nuclear warhead, you lunatic?!”
“Of course the chaebol’s scale is on a whole different level!”
“Why are you taking a WWE match so seriously?!”
“...”
Ju-hee Sunbae actually looked a bit taken aback. Being compared to a nuclear warhead seemed to leave her speechless.
She didn't say anything, but I found myself agreeing. The power gap between a baseball bat and Ju-hee Sunbae at full strength was almost embarrassing to compare. I’d personally seen her snap a bat in half, so you can take my word for it.
“So, what exactly happened?”
I sighed and tried to assess the situation. There had been some commotion, but I needed to know the facts.
In response to my question, the two of them sighed and answered.
“How should we know? You and Jeong Chan-woo ditched us.”
“You bastards. How could you do that?”
“...What now?”
What was this about? It felt like every time I dug, a new horror story emerged. Yesterday’s Kim Woo-jin was truly on another level.
“Think about it. Hyun-ho went home first, right? And do you remember Jin-ho’s crush suddenly acting like she was interested in Jeong Chan-woo?”
“I heard about that.”
Kang Han-gang began a brief explanation.
“There were six girls in total. Six! And they all liked us. You could practically see the hearts in their eyes.”
“Wait.”
My back felt itchy. I didn't know how hard Ju-hee Sunbae was glaring at me, but seeing Pyo Jin-ho instantly avert his eyes in terror gave me a good idea.
“If this story goes any further, am I in danger?”
When I asked just in case, Kang Han-gang glanced at Ju-hee Sunbae and nodded.
“You’re going to get your balls ripped off.”
“I swear, if I ever drink again, I’m a dead man! Argh! Kim Woo-jin! Why did you drink so much?!”
I slapped my forehead in self-reproach. I’d learned somewhere that if you make a huge fuss about how wrong you were before anyone else can, people tend to go easier on you.
“Want me to help?”
“...No.”
Apparently, it didn't work. At Sunbae’s offer, I immediately shut my mouth and looked back at Kang Han-gang.
“Ahem, anyway, the mood was great. It was at the point where they were suggesting we all go to a hotel together.”
“Isn't that a bit of a leap?”
This was insane. And Ju-hee Sunbae’s grip was insane too. I felt like my shoulder was going to break.
“I’m telling you, they said it! They were really strange girls. How should I put it... it’s like their views on sex were different from normal people? Right, Jin-ho?”
“Yeah. That’s why when Da-jeong was hitting on Chan-woo, I felt like my heart was being ripped out.”
So the crush’s name was Da-jeong.
“But the other girls immediately swarmed me to comfort me, and I melted pretty fast.”
Dumbass.
Kang Han-gang looked at Pyo Jin-ho with the same expression I had, then continued.
“Anyway, they suggested going to a hotel. But then the mood suddenly went cold. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
I felt like a panelist on one of those variety shows where they listen to crazy stories.
“Because that piece of shit Ahn Hyun-ho used the numbers he got to send those girls photos of us making ahegao faces! That bastard!”
“...”
“Dammit! And he told them you and Jeong Chan-woo were gay! That you enlisted together because of it!”
“...”
“So suddenly the girls started screaming about how they can’t stand homosexuality and how it’s a sin and all that bullshit! They dumped us and dragged you two off to the hotel instead!”
“Oh.”
So, six women took me and Jeong Chan-woo to a hotel.
“Ugh! I thought I was finally going to fulfill my lifelong dream of a threesome!”
“Aargh! You bastards! Was it good? Was it good having three women on each arm?!”
“Aaaagh! Su-Sunbae, it hurts!”
The grip on my shoulder tightened even more. It felt like it was truly going to shatter, so I cried out in tears.
“It’s not like that! It’s not! If that had happened, I would have woken up in the hotel!”
“...That’s true.”
Sunbae slowly released her grip. However, she still looked confused.
“Then why the hell were you sleeping on a walking trail?”
“How should I know?”
I glanced at the two guys, and they both answered with indignant expressions.
“How should we know, you prick?!”
“Did you guys do it outdoors?! You bastard!”
“Thanks to you, I realized why I need to make money!”
“Ugh! That jerk! When you end up in prison later, I’m not even going to visit you.”
“I’m going to do an interview with my face pixelated and talk about how I knew this would happen!”
“I’ll go on a tour of all the drama-mongering Neutube channels and expose every single one of your hideous deeds!”
Why was me going to prison being treated as a foregone conclusion?
Anyway, I had the general gist of it now.
Ahn Hyun-ho was mad at us for snitching to his girlfriend that he was meeting other women. Kang Han-gang and Pyo Jin-ho were mad at us for making them look gay and kicking away their first chance at a threesome.
Now, for the final piece.
What about Jeong Chan-woo?
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
— Jeong Chan-woo -
The phone rang right on cue. He hadn't picked up when I called earlier; had he just woken up?
“Hello?”
— Why did you call?
Chan-woo asked with a sigh. He didn't sound particularly angry with me.
“Chan-woo, what happened yesterday? My memory is a bit fuzzy.”
“Ask him if the sex was good!”
“I hope you get erectile dysfunction, you bastard!”
“From what I saw, nobody could be satisfied by Jeong Chan-woo’s size!”
“Guys with pretty faces always have weak lower bodies!”
After the noisy idiots next to me were cleanly suppressed by Ju-hee Sunbae...
In the finally quieted atmosphere, Jeong Chan-woo sighed and got to the point.
— Do you remember leaving the cafe with them yesterday?
“I don’t remember, but that’s what I’m told.”
— ...I’ll tell you now, so don’t be shocked.
“Yeah?”
— They were a cult.
“...Huh?”
Huh?
Wait, what?
“AAAAAAAAAAAH!”
The memories that had been submerged in alcohol began to float to the surface.
‘Dammit! Do you bitches know who I am, dragging me all the way here?!’
‘A cult? Stop talking shit! Everyone, get in the push-up position!’
‘You want to die?! Huh? Bring out your leader! Who do you think you’re touching! Bring your cult leader here right now!’
‘How dare you try to lay a hand on a man who’s already taken! Dammit! Heads on the ground!’
‘PT Exercise Number 8, begin!’
‘Did I hear a shout on the last rep?! Again!’
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
I remembered!
Yesterday.
Against a group of cultists.
I had power-tripped.
Well...
...A righteous power trip.