The Business Major Wants to Dispose of Defective Inventory - Part 2
The senior gave me an apologetic look.
"It's awkward to just disband the club, but it's also a burden for you to keep it running alone. It's up to you to decide. Even if we don't disband it right now, if no new members join during the second semester, it'll automatically shut down anyway."
"……."
I thought it over for a moment.
Honestly, I didn't have much attachment to the club. I'd only joined it in the first place to pad my resume with one extra line.
Still, something about simply disbanding it felt off. The seniors before me had kept it going for years.
And above all else—
'I could have the club room all to myself.'
That thought flashed through my mind.
A quiet corner on the fifth floor. A club room where no one ever came.
The perfect place to laze around alone during free periods.
"……I'll try to keep it going for now."
The words left my mouth before I could stop them.
"Even if it's just me."
"Really?"
The senior's eyes widened.
"You don't have to if it's too much. Seriously."
"It's fine. I need somewhere to stay during my free periods anyway."
"……Thanks, Chaewon."
The senior looked genuinely relieved.
"If you need anything, just tell me. I'll help however I can."
"Yes, thank you."
As I turned to leave the department office, Senior Kim Minwoo called out to me.
"Ah, Chaewon. One more thing."
"Yes?"
"You know about the mentorship system, right?"
The mentorship system.
I'd heard of it. No—I'd experienced it myself.
"The one I did back in my first year?"
"Yeah, that one."
The senior clicked through the monitor a few times and checked something.
"Since you're a third-year now, you have to counsel a first-year instead."
"……Ah."
Only then did it click.
The mentorship system was a school-run matching program. One third-year was paired with one first-year for advice on school life or major studies. It was supposedly meant to help freshmen adjust to the department.
"You've already been matched. This is your mentee."
"Already?"
"Yeah. It's assigned automatically at the start of the semester, by student number order."
The senior pointed at the screen. Next to my name was one I didn't recognize.
Mentor: Seo Chaewon (3rd year)
Mentee: Jang Eunbi (1st year)
Jang Eunbi.
A name I'd never heard before. Of course.
"You just need to complete ten hours of counseling sessions before the semester ends. It's nothing major."
"Ten hours?"
"Yeah. Ten hours over one semester is easy. Even meeting once a week for an hour would leave you with plenty of time. Don't overthink it."
The senior spoke lightly.
Back when I was a first-year, I'd had a mentor too—a third-year guy whose name I barely remembered. We met once at the beginning of the semester for a meal, exchanged some stiff small talk about school life and classes for about an hour, and that was it. After that, we never saw or contacted each other again, both of us hiding behind the excuse of being busy.
Honestly, it had just been a hassle for both of us. We knew we were supposed to fill ten hours, but it felt like we just faked it on paper—or maybe didn't even bother. Since it was such a formal system, most people handled it that way.
"You can find their contact info on the department homepage under the mentorship system board. Contact them first and set up a time."
"……Understood."
"And you'll need to write up a counseling log and submit it. The form is on the homepage."
"Yes, got it."
One more annoying task added to the pile.
Still, I figured I could just meet them once on the first day and coast through the rest. Everyone did it that way.
This time, I finally left the department office.
Walking down the hallway, I pulled out my phone and logged into the department homepage. After digging around for a while, I found the mentorship system board.
My mentee's information was posted there. The phone number was hidden at first, but after I completed the identity verification, it appeared on the screen.
Jang Eunbi.
Business major, first-year.
Contact: 010-XXXX-XXXX
……Wait.
Business major?
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. It definitely said business major.
That was strange. Wasn't the mentorship system supposed to match people within the same department? Shouldn't a third-year in chemical and biological engineering be paired with a first-year from the same major?
It had to be some kind of system error.
But going back to the department office felt like too much trouble.
Well, since it was all just a formality anyway, the major didn't really matter. We could meet once, grab a meal, and call it done.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and headed for the club room.
Even though it was only the first day, it was better to get this annoying chore out of the way early. The longer I put it off, the more of a headache it would become. That was a lesson I'd learned the hard way during my third year of entrance exam prep.
Finishing what you have to do quickly is better for your peace of mind.
Let's just meet once.
Say hello, buy them a meal, snap one proof photo, and be done. After that, I could just write on the form that we'd met for ten hours without actually seeing them again. Everyone did it that way.
Sitting in the club room chair, I took out my phone and pulled up the number I'd saved earlier.
Jang Eunbi. 010-XXXX-XXXX.
My finger hovered over the call button.
……I really didn't want to call.
Calling someone I'd never met before—especially a girl—always made me nervous. I didn't know what to say or how they'd react. I tried running a mental simulation, but it didn't help.
Screw it.
I took a deep breath and pressed the button.
Ring. Ring.
The phone rang twice before connecting. She picked up faster than expected, as if she'd been waiting.
"Hello?"
Her voice was bright—energetic, high-pitched, and clear.
"Uh……"
My mouth went stiff.
"Um, excuse me……"
Why was this happening? The words wouldn't come out. My habit of stuttering when nervous had kicked in.
"Is this Jang Eunbi……?"
I barely managed to get the words out.
"Yes~ Who is this?"
Her voice remained cheerful. Even though it was an unknown number, she didn't sound wary at all.
"Ah, yes……. I, um……"
My fingers unconsciously rubbed at my thigh—another nervous habit.
"I'm Seo Chaewon from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering……"
"Yes, yes."
"By any chance, do you know about the mentorship system?"
"Ah~"
She caught on immediately.
"That outdated system the school made where seniors are supposed to counsel juniors?"
……Outdated.
It was blunt, but not wrong.
"Uh, are you my mentor by any chance?"
"Yes, yes. Though it's not really about counseling worries or anything……"
I added that last part like an excuse.
"Anyway, it looks like we need to meet at least once. Is now a good time?"
"Now?"
There was a short pause. I was already wondering if she'd say she was busy and I'd have to reschedule.
"Now's fine!"
Her answer came back instantly, her voice rising a notch.
"I'll head over right away!"
"Ah, okay. Then come to the Career Counseling Club room on the fifth floor of the engineering building."
"The engineering building? You mean Rich Science Hall, right?"
"Yes."
"Got it! Wait for me!"
Her reply was full of energy. Then she added one more thing.
"Don't run away, okay!"
Click.
The call ended abruptly.
"……"
I stared blankly at my phone.
……Haa.
A sigh slipped out on its own.
This was bad.
It was only the first call, but I already felt drained.
Just from her voice, I could tell—she was the energetic type. Talkative, proactive, and completely shameless. The exact opposite of me.
Which made her the hardest kind of person to deal with.
'Don't run away, okay!' Who says something like that so casually to someone they've never even met?
Normal people don't. At least, I definitely couldn't.
More than anything, it felt strange. The way she spoke made it seem like she already knew me somehow.
Was this just how popular people talked?
Leaning back in the chair, I stared up at the ceiling.
I should've just not called and pushed it to next week.
Regret hit me, but it was too late.
Right now, at this very moment, the first-year named Jang Eunbi was probably already on her way here. How long would it take from the business building? Ten minutes? No—with that kind of energy, she might sprint and make it in five.
Anyway.
I needed to mentally prepare myself.
Alone in the club room with the old fan humming, I sat in the quiet before the storm.
About ten minutes later, the club room door burst open without so much as a knock.
"Is this the right place?!"
Her voice arrived before the sound of the door. It was the same energetic tone from the phone call.
I reflexively looked up—and froze.
Standing in the doorway was a woman.
Sharp, upturned eyes. Cool, piercing pupils. A high nose bridge and thin lips. Long, jet-black hair that reached her waist shimmered under the fluorescent lights. Her skin was fair and flawless, the cool tone making her dark hair stand out even more.
She had striking features and a perfect model-like figure.
There were plenty of good-looking girls on campus, but standing in front of her, everything else seemed to fade into the background.
Jang Eunbi's first impression was the very definition of a devastating beauty.
Her feminine looks made you unconsciously lower your guard, yet there was a refined elegance to her.
She was strikingly pretty. With a face like that, she looked like she'd get scouted just walking down the street. You'd believe it if someone said she was a celebrity.
But there was something else that drew my eyes even more than her face.
Her chest…… was huge. I couldn't look away from those large, soft curves.
It was still early September and the weather was hot, so Jang Eunbi was dressed for midsummer—an off-shoulder top and short shorts that left plenty of pale skin exposed.
Her long legs caught my attention too, but my gaze kept drifting back to her chest.
Not knowing where to look, I ended up staring at the floor.
"You're the senior who called earlier, right?"
Jang Eunbi asked as she strode straight toward me. Her voice was just as bright and lively as it had been on the phone.
It didn't match her appearance at all. How could such a fresh, cheerful voice come out of that slightly intimidating face?
"Yeah, well……"
I answered vaguely, my voice shrinking.
"Wow, so you really are the senior!"
Jang Eunbi stopped right in front of me and smiled brightly.
When she smiled, her entire expression changed.
Her eyes curved like crescent moons, her cheeks puffed up like peaches, and the cold, unapproachable aura from moments ago vanished completely. It was like she had become a different person.