Chapter 68: After-party
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 68: After-party
Vibrate!
Vibrate!
Vibrate!
I slowly opened my eyes to the rhythmic buzzing. I saw the familiar ceiling and the well-known sights of my room.
The terror I felt when I’d woken up in Seo Ye-rin’s room just a short while ago was still vivid enough to send a chill down my spine. Relieved, I reached for my vibrating phone.
— Choi I-seo —
“…….”
The moment I saw her name, my heart dropped. It felt like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn't have.
I gulped and carefully swiped the screen to answer.
— What took you so long to pick up?
The moment I heard I-seo’s usual voice and tone, a sense of peace settled in a corner of my heart.
“What time is it?”
— Were you still sleeping? Even for a weekend, that’s a bit much.
“Why are you raining on my peaceful weekend parade?”
— Sigh. I was going to ask if you wanted to work out, but I guess that’s a no?
“……I worked out hard yesterday.”
— Liar. You were at the pub and then just disappeared.
It’s the truth.
I’m exhausted because I exercised for the first time in a while.
But since I couldn't exactly say that, I just brushed it off without a real answer.
— Have you eaten dinner?
“It’s already dinner time?”
It was already six?
I pulled the phone away from my ear to check, and sure enough, it was evening.
Realizing I was more tired than I thought, I let out a yawn as I replied.
“Hwaaa-am! I wanna sjeep more.”
— What are you even saying?
“I said I want to sleep more.”
— Suit yourself. You’re coming tomorrow, right?
Tomorrow?
“What’s tomorrow?”
— We agreed to have an after-party to celebrate the end of the festival. I even posted the announcement in the department group chat.
I tilted my head, feeling a bit puzzled.
“We drank at the pub on the last day. Wasn't that enough?”
— That was with the professors and all the seniors. This time, it’s just the people who actually worked the pub. The 3rd-year seniors aren't coming.
In other words, she was telling me not to worry about the people I found uncomfortable.
“Drinking all day, every day,” I muttered with an exasperated sigh. Surprisingly, I-seo agreed.
— ……To be honest, I don’t really want to go either.
I guess I-seo didn't seem to enjoy drinking parties all that much herself.
— Anyway, you have to come. A lot of people think better of you now after what happened, so it’ll be good for you. Just show your face.
“Are you my mom?”
— More like wifely devotion.
“…….”
— …….
A sudden silence fell over the line.
I was momentarily speechless, and it seemed she was in the same boat.
“Don’t say stuff like that if you’re just going to get embarrassed.”
When I teased her bluntly, I-seo’s voice jumped an octave.
— I-it was a joke!
I could practically see her eyes spinning in panic.
“Why did you call me just to commit social suicide?”
— Fine! Whatever! Hang up! You better show up! If you don’t, we’re moving the second round to your house!
Click.
She hung up just like that.
That last threat was actually terrifying, so I figured I should at least drop by and show my face.
‘Does that mean I’ll see Seo Ye-rin again?’
That felt a bit awkward.
Ye-rin had acted like nothing was wrong when we talked on the phone earlier, but I suspected that as time passed, she’d be too embarrassed to even speak.
‘She’s the type who can’t even say the word "sex" in real life.’
I bet she’ll turn bright red and avoid me the moment our eyes meet.
I didn't know how many days that would last, but I just hoped she’d handle it well enough so people wouldn't get suspicious.
‘I’m beat.’
Maybe it was because I’d used my body so intensely for the first time in a while, but a wave of fatigue washed over me.
I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep.
* * *
The next day, Sunday.
It broke my heart that my entire Saturday had been deleted, but if someone asked if I had anything better to do, I wouldn't have an answer.
‘Now that I think about it, this sucks.’
I originally had a Friday free period, but I’d ended up going to school because of the festival. That made me a little annoyed.
There are few things that make a college student angrier than having to go to campus during a free period.
Currently, I was on my way to a PC Bang. I wasn't going with anyone in particular, but I did have plans.
“Hey.”
“You’re here?”
I was there to meet Jeong Chan-woo, who spent his entire weekend working part-time.
He’d randomly messaged me this morning asking if I could come by the PC Bang, so I did.
I was bored anyway, and since I had to go to the after-party later, I didn't mind the trip.
“What do you want to eat?”
Our boy Chan-woo immediately offered me a "service" bowl of ramyeon. Even if I wanted to hate this guy, I just couldn't.
“Fried Udon.”
“Find a seat. I’ll whip it up for you.”
I grabbed a seat in the corner and was scrolling through webtoons when Chan-woo brought over the food.
Fried Udon, a hot bar, and even dumplings.
“Whoa, I didn't order all this.”
“It’s on the house. Service.”
“Ha.”
From this moment on, Jeong Chan-woo’s enemies are my enemies. Chan-woo and I are one soul; Yoo Ah-rin, you better watch out.
I slurped the noodles while stealing glances at Chan-woo. Sitting in the chair next to mine, he looked like he had something to say but was struggling with how to start.
“You went home with Yoo Ah-rin the other night. How’d it go?”
“…….”
Since he seemed to be struggling, I spoke up for him. Chan-woo let out an awkward, hollow laugh.
I watched him while eating my ramyeon, and he finally opened his mouth while scratching his cheek.
“I confessed to Ah-rin.”
“Whoa…….”
That was bolder than I expected. There’s a saying on the internet, isn't there?
That a confession isn't a challenge; it’s a confirmation.
But that only applies to ordinary people.
For a commoner like me, the hurdle to a confession is incredibly high. It’s hard to be certain if a girl actually likes you.
But look at Chan-woo’s face.
If he grabbed any random person on the street and asked for their number, nine out of ten would give it to him.
For Chan-woo, a confession wasn't a challenge or a confirmation—it was a notification.
A direct statement: Date me.
And yet.
“I got rejected.”
‘Why did it have to be her?’
Why did he have to go and confess to the one out of ten? It was frustrating, but I knew the human heart doesn't always work the way you want it to.
“That’s rough, man.”
I set down my cup ramyeon and patted Chan-woo on the shoulder. But his eyes were still full of longing.
“I’m not giving up.”
“…….”
“I want things to work out with Ah-rin. I’m serious.”
At this point, wasn't it bordering on obsession? Yoo Ah-rin is basically a female lead living in a romance fantasy novel. If a guy like this is obsessed with her…
“Woo-jin, help me out. I heard you had a girlfriend back in the first semester.”
Like that was some big deal.
I let out a sigh, but there was one thing I wanted to clarify first.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Yeah?”
“I heard Yoo Ah-rin confessed to you back in high school.”
Chan-woo flinched at my words.
It was something Ah-rin had told me before, and he clearly didn't expect me to know.
“Was it one of those things where you didn't like her then, but after she confessed, you suddenly started seeing her as a girl?”
Otherwise, there was no reason for Chan-woo to have rejected her.
“No.”
“Huh?”
But his answer was completely unexpected.
“I’ve liked Ah-rin since we were kids. Only her.”
“Wait, am I hearing this right?”
I dug a finger into my ear and asked him to repeat that. Jeong Chan-woo ran a hand through his bangs and hunched his shoulders.
“You might not believe me, but it’s true. I’ve only ever liked Ah-rin. Rejecting her confession back then… that wasn't my intention.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I just… I just made a mistake.”
“…….”
Chan-woo didn't seem to want to say anything more. Calling it a "dark past" felt too light for the look on his face.
‘Guilt?’
Seeing him carry that weight made me feel bad for him. At the same time, I wondered if I should really be meddling here.
‘I want to hear Ah-rin’s side of the story.’
Even if Ah-rin and I were close enough to share secrets, I started to feel hesitant about actively trying to push her toward Chan-woo.
“Sorry, Chan-woo, but I—”
Just as I was about to turn him down.
Vibrate!
My phone went off.
I took a quick look. As if on cue, it was a message from Yoo Ah-rin.
And the content was so alarming that I couldn't help but scowl.
“What?”
I felt bad for Chan-woo sitting right there, but my skin crawled as I hurriedly opened the Bamboo Forest app.
‘Who? Who is it?’
The only people who knew my identity were Anonymous 69 (Seo Ye-rin), Anonymous 90 (the Physical Therapy fossil, Lee Eun-woo), and Yoo Ah-rin.
The senior who handed the Manager position over to me had already graduated, so he was out of the question.
Anyway, I entered the Bamboo Forest.
The post revealing the identity was written by Yoo Ah-rin, and it featured a photo of an orangutan.
“That little shi—!”
“Phew.”
“Woo-jin, is something wrong?”
Chan-woo looked startled by my sudden heavy breathing. I told him to wait a second and immediately messaged Ah-rin.
She was probably doing this because I’d made her go with Jeong Chan-woo on the last day of the festival.