Chapter 501: College Life
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 501: College Life
University life.
I remember having my own romanticized vision of it a few years back.
I was quite excited then; I had just become an adult, and my level of freedom had skyrocketed.
If I had to put it in gaming terms, it was like a massive expansion pack. It felt like the number of options in my life had suddenly multiplied.
It would have been hard to deny that it was the starting point of a brand-new life.
‘Well, back then, I never imagined it would be this much of a new beginning.’
My life had changed so much that I could barely remember what it was like before university.
If I told my freshman self that he would soon be the husband of six women and the father of three children, he would never have believed it.
In fact, there was a high chance he would have just hurled a string of curses at me.
Anyway.
To get back to the point.
Looking at the freshmen passing by me now, I figured they were probably thinking the exact same things I did back then.
Sip.
As I sat in the cafe drinking my coffee, the conversations of the passing freshmen kept drifting into my ears.
“Whoa, there’s even a cafe inside?”
“I heard from a senior that the signature menu here is amazing.”
“The vibe is great. It finally feels like I’m actually a college student.”
The freshmen were chatting away with bright, beaming faces. A faint smile played on my lips as I watched how fresh and full of life they were.
‘Ha, I had a time like that too.’
I still remember how excited I was, looking around at everything. Back then, I had just moved out of my house, so everything looked brand new to me.
“There he goes again.”
Just then, a third-year student who looked a bit past her "expiration date" walked through the cafe entrance, weaving through the crowd of freshmen.
Oh Yun-ji clicked her tongue at me in annoyance.
“Are you spacing out again, trying to seduce more girls? Ye-rin said if you add any more to the count, we’re just going to split you up and take our shares.”
“...Split what?”
“You, obviously. Ye-rin said she’s taking the dick, so the rest of us can figure out which parts we want for ourselves.”
“Did she really say that?”
“It was half-joking.”
Which means the other half was serious.
“I was just watching the freshmen. They look so fresh. Then I looked at you and thought you smelled a bit stale—Ack?! I’m kidding!”
I was immediately sentenced to a painful ear-pulling.
“Sigh, we’re already juniors. Time really flies.”
“Our years finally matched up because of the military.”
Oh Yun-ji had taken a leave of absence because of a bet with her father, and mine was delayed because of my service. Naturally, we ended up in the same year.
Seo Ye-rin, Choi I-seo, and Yoo Ah-rin all took a leave of absence this year to focus on raising the kids. So, in the end, we’ll all be spending our senior year together.
For the record, Senior Ju-hee has already graduated, and Choi Jin-ah goes to a different university. I heard Jin-ah is supposed to graduate next year too.
“Is this your first time coming to campus since you got back from the military?”
“I came by during the break for some business. But it feels different now.”
Back then, the campus was deserted because of the vacation. Seeing it packed like this makes it feel like I’ve truly returned to my daily life.
“But what are you doing here? Today is just Orientation, weren’t you going to skip and leave? What was it you said? That as a chaebol, you’d start by giving your GPA a handicap?”
It’s nice that classes end early on the first day after a brief OT, but the gaps between classes are awkward.
Originally, I was going to give up on my grades and just stay home with the kids. But Choi I-seo was so adamant about pushing me out the door that I ended up coming.
After taking a sip of coffee, I grumbled.
“I-seo said she’d kill me if I came home before 3:00 PM.”
“...”
“So I just decided to stay for the lectures. Besides, there’s someone I need to see.”
“Someone you need to see?”
Oh Yun-ji stole a sip of my coffee. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted two men entering the cafe.
It was Jeong Chan-woo and Kang Han-gang.
“Those guys? You really seem to like hanging out with them.”
“You’re gravely mistaken. First of all, and most insultingly, I do not like hanging out with them.”
“But you hang out with them all the time.”
“That’s only because they’re the only ones available to hang out with.”
“...”
“And second, they aren’t the ones I was waiting for.”
Kang Han-gang and Jeong Chan-woo spotted us and approached with scowls on their faces.
“If you hate it so much, why’d you even come?”
I decided to strike first. It was a sort of instinct I had developed. It wasn't my fault.
“I was looking for you, but seeing your face just ruined my mood.”
“Ah, dammit.”
“You were looking for me? Why?”
Remembering that nothing good ever happened when these guys came looking for me, I figured this wouldn't be great either.
“That bastard Ahn Hyun-ho ditched us to have lunch with his girlfriend. But looking at you, it seems like you’re about to ditch us too.”
Wow.
“That’s a bit unfair.”
I pounded my chest in frustration as I replied.
“How can I ditch you when I never picked you up in the first place? I never had any intention of putting food in my mouth while looking at your faces.”
At my words, both of them flipped me the bird and headed straight to the counter to order.
“...I think I see why you guys are friends.”
I heard a strangely offensive comment from beside me. Oh Yun-ji gave a sly smile, sipped her coffee, and held out her phone.
On the screen was the Bamboo Forest, which I hadn't seen in a long time.
“Are you not going to take this back?”
“...”
“I mean, I can keep doing it like I have been, but it’s honestly getting a bit overwhelming. I am running a company, after all.”
Come to think of it, she really had been doing an incredible amount of work. Running a company, managing the Bamboo Forest, and even maintaining her grades while attending university.
“I thought Choi I-seo was the real-life Hermione, but the true version was right here.”
When I asked with an incredulous expression, Oh Yun-ji chuckled.
“I only did the bare minimum for my grades, and I mostly left the Bamboo Forest on autopilot. I strictly just maintained it until you came back.”
“Right...”
Somehow, taking it back didn't seem like a bad idea.
Of course, I was busy with childcare and other things, but the Bamboo Forest had played a huge role in making me who I am today.
“I’ll do it. You’ve worked hard.”
Just as I was about to log in with the administrator ID for the first time in a while, another woman entered the cafe. Seeing her, Oh Yun-ji nodded as if she understood.
“So she’s the one you were waiting for?”
After scanning the cafe, Choi I-hyun—Choi I-seo’s younger sister—spotted us and came running over. She had been accepted into Gahyeon University as a freshman, so we agreed to meet today.
“Brother-in-law! Unni!”
Choi I-hyun greeted us brightly as she sat down.
I immediately frowned and corrected her.
“You shouldn't call me brother-in-law here. Call me Oppa.”
“Ah, right. Yes, Senior!”
Why not Oppa?
“'Oppa,' my ass.”
Beside me, Oh Yun-ji poked me in the ribs with her elbow, looking exasperated. Then, she turned to Choi I-hyun with a natural smile and asked.
“I-hyun, what’s your major?”
“I’m in Architectural Engineering!”
“...”
“...”
Both of our mouths shut tight.
A brief silence followed.
Choi I-hyun tilted her head, sensing the atmosphere, and I asked cautiously.
“Uh, why?”
“Huh? Why CE? Oh, I just ended up there after being waitlisted for other things.”
‘She’s I-seo’s sister, but I guess she’s not great at studying.’
Oh Yun-ji must have been thinking the same thing, as she glanced at me and remained silent.
“CE is great! The competition is surprisingly fierce! I heard the seniors were sad because someone named Popo graduated, but they were so happy when they saw me!”
I could already see it—the guys in that department probably made a huge fuss about the arrival of a new "CE Goddess."
I pulled up the Bamboo Forest on my phone to check, and sure enough, guys who seemed to be from the CE department were already going wild.
‘Good grief.’
I’m glad I’m back to managing the Bamboo Forest.
“Don’t worry, sister-in-law. I’ll protect you.”
“...Pardon?”
I don’t engage in keyboard battles.
I just ban them.
The opponent will feel a profound sense of helplessness. I once asked Jung Min-ji how she felt when I banned her while she was drunk. She told me it was absolutely infuriating and tried to tackle me on the spot.
“Anyway, I like the CE department. The seniors are so kind and take such good care of me. Look at this.”
She held out the latest model phone from a rival company that I had bought for her recently. Her chat apps were overflowing with messages from people offering to buy her lunch.
“Wow, I wonder how Popo would react if she saw this.”
Oh Yun-ji clicked her tongue as she watched from the side with a look of pity.
Apparently, when Popo graduated, people made a huge scene saying there was no reason to attend school without her. But the moment a fresh new student arrived, the graduate was already forgotten.
The list of chat rooms looked like a literal mud pit. It was a display of sheer willpower, everyone trying to snatch Choi I-hyun away before anyone else could.
I could clearly see the guys gritting their teeth and playing mind games to get close to her at the upcoming CE membership training.
You might ask how I could know so specifically, but having seen it all before, how could I not? I was the one who fought off and defeated all the guys in the English department who were desperately trying to get close to Seo Ye-rin.
‘I’m worried, but at the same time, I feel like she’ll handle herself just fine.’
She is Choi I-seo’s sister, after all.
So, I decided not to worry too much. I already have plenty of people to worry about.
“Sister-in-law, come over and see your nephews and niece sometime. They’re adorable.”
“I saw them just last week. My sister told me not to come over too often and to just focus on my studies.”
“...”
Well, she’s not wrong. Freshman year is when most students study the hardest.
“Oh, what’s this?”
Just then, Kang Han-gang and Jeong Chan-woo returned with their coffee.
“Is it Kim Woo-jin again?”
“This guy is a menace to society.”
“No, I’m not, you punks.”
Come to think of it, Chan-woo is in the CE department. Does he know?
“Whoa.”
Choi I-hyun looked at the two of them with an impressed expression. It made sense, as both were famous for being the handsome guys of their respective departments.
‘She didn’t have that reaction for me.’
I felt a little slighted.
“Hey, Jeong Chan-woo. This is I-seo’s sister, Choi I-hyun. She’s in your department, so take good care of her.”
“Oh? You’re in CE? Nice to meet you. I’m Jeong Chan-woo, a returning student.”
“Jeong... Chan-woo...? Are you Chan-woo Oppa?!”
Choi I-hyun jumped up in surprise, a bright smile on her face.
“Hello! I’m Choi I-hyun, a freshman in CE! Wow, I heard a senior who looks like an actor was returning this semester, and it was actually true?!”
“Thanks.”
Look at that guy. He’s heard he’s handsome so many times that he doesn’t even blink anymore.
“I-seo’s sister? Hi, I’m Kang Han-gang.”
“He’s making a move.”
Look at that crazy bastard Kang Han-gang putting on his most refreshing smile. He’s been complaining about not having a girlfriend lately and saying he’s going to seduce someone, and of all people, he’s trying it on Choi I-hyun.
I was about to warn him immediately.
But I had misunderstood.
“I-hyun, we’re about to go tease a guy who once called your sister eighty times before getting blocked and dumped. Want to come along?”
‘This guy is a literal demon.’
Look at him bringing up Ahn Hyun-ho’s past, even though Hyun-ho is happily dating Lee Gyu-a now.
“Tsk.”
But...
“That actually sounds kind of fun.”
The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Oh Yun-ji immediately stomped on my foot to bring me back to my senses.