#51. MT
#51. MT
The weather is sunny. The breeze is cool. Midterms are over.
It's the perfect weather for an MT.
The romantic-looking train, which seems to have seen better days, moves slowly but steadily toward Gangjin Station in Gangwon-do.
The rattling movement of the train is more than enough to get college students heading to an MT excited.
Since the arrival time is set, you can see college students, seniors and juniors from the same department, in the train car heading to the destination.
Well then, what do college students do on a train to Gangjin Station?
"Snore-!"
"Pfft-hehehe~!"
They sleep. They're fucking sleeping like crazy.
Well, they had to gather at 8 AM. And not on campus, but in front of Gangjin Station.
As is typical for university students, especially the guys, they drank until dawn before getting on the train, so the smell of alcohol is overwhelming.
Female college students are no different. Once lumped into the same category of 'college student,' gender is no longer an issue.
The freshman girls put on heavy makeup for their first MT, but they have no time.
The senior girls are wearing sloppy sweatpants, ball caps, and masks, not wearing any makeup, and sleeping just like the male classmates next to them.
Ah. However, like 20-somethings and 21st-century citizens, they do engage in social interaction.
"Jin-hyung~, favorite~, random game~!"
It started quietly, but it's a golden rule that the volume gradually increases.
Our train car only had our department, but word got out, and students from other cars flocked over.
It got packed, and now it's pure chaos—sleeping, gaming, screaming, listening to music, all sorts of people.
And the 21st-century scholar freshmen find even this fascinating.
Especially Ina.
Ina nibbles on fruit slices she brought and watches the seniors and classmates playing.
"Ina-yang, you can join if you want. Should I ask them?"
When I asked because she seemed to want to, Ina shook her head.
"I feel like if I go over there, I won't be able to get out."
Hmm. Not wrong. Once you go in, you can't get out until you get off at Gangjin Station.
<♬♬♪♬>
The train's characteristic friendly alarm sounds, and we arrive at Gangjin Station.
It's only a 2-night, 3-day trip, but some packed like they were evacuating for 23 days, while others came like they were going for a 2-minute, 3-second stroll... College students, a hybrid species like shorts with a padded jacket, just like the Korean autumn, pour out.
"You bastards...! You actually made it by 8! Discipline...!"
The seniors who made the plan, reported it, got it approved, and prepared it were moved by the simple fact that the time promise was kept.
Ah. Naturally, the number of students gathered like this is pitifully small compared to the whole department.
Like Schrödinger's cat explaining quantum mechanics, you can't know if the students will gather or not until the time comes.
To conclude, college students are cats.
Even if they gather early at the meeting place, they disappear, and there are plenty of people who are late but wait for hours at the meeting place.
"Alright! Soldiers! It's 8 o'clock, so we start immediately!"
The department representatives gathered and stated the first plan.
"Load the luggage into the cars of the department friends who pooled them, and we're going straight to ride ATVs!"
I don't think this was the original plan.
I checked the schedule again, but at first, it was definitely supposed to be everyone gathering and proceeding with the schedule at the accommodation...
"Weren't we going to the accommodation?"
At someone's question, the department representative struck a pose and said,
"There are guests who arrived early at the accommodation! We have to hold out until 11 o'clock, which is checkout time!"
Huh? Didn't we rent the whole place?
But it didn't matter.
"Therefore! We're riding the four-wheeled motorcycles first!"
We went to enjoy activities starting at 8 AM. Is this open at this hour? It's open.
You just have to call the owner and add some money. Since it's peak season, the owners show flexibility because they need to make money during the busy season.
Things related to safety like zip lines or water activities are impossible even if you add money, but small business owners like ATV four-wheelers or survival games will usually do it if you call and add a tip.
Because for the owner, it's too much money to refuse a group.
And... it's genuinely fun.
We enjoyed it like crazy.
We got to the accommodation around lunch, unpacked, and that's when it really started.
Since we enjoyed all the activities we were supposed to do in the afternoon in the morning, we pulled forward the things we were supposed to do tomorrow.
♬♬♪♬
─ The sea where the rain and wind blew~, when it becomes calm~.
We sat in a circle on the grass in front of the accommodation, clapping and singing "Yeonga" (Love Song).
We play traditional games like "Pass the Towel" or various others. It's a game that would be embarrassing and cringe-worthy in middle or high school, but thanks to the romance of a university MT, it's fucking fun.
I glanced over, and Ina was already gathered with friends she made at university, laughing and enjoying herself.
Thud.
That's when Hana placed a large bottle of soju and a big beer bottle in the middle of our circle.
"Everyone gathered here. You can tell by looking at their faces."
Only then did I examine the faces of our group gathered in a circle.
Hana, Do-jin, Jin-hyung, and others who always gathered at the <Neighborhood Lodge> on University Street. From a few freshmen to old-timers who have been around so long you'd wonder if they were elves.
"Ah."
I'm fucked.
"Hehehehe."
Hana lets out a laugh. With such a pure and bright laugh, and skin that shines as if she sucked the 'energy' out of someone.
It seems they did more separately after it ended yesterday, not just my semen. Of course, since Hana can't do skinship directly, it's just an onahole, but anyway, Do-jin's joy is Hana's happiness.
"Warriors! Drink up!"
Hana hands out 500ml paper cups and pours soju and beer 1:1, filling them to the brim.
Isn't this just a hiking club meeting for people who are only young in age?
Other groups have alcohol, but they mostly drink beverages, but this is a group of heavy drinkers who drink alcohol like water.
Why am I here? I should have known when Ina was slipping away earlier.
Suddenly, the department representative became the MC and shouted,
"One person from each group who dances the best! The person who dances the worst, come here-!"
The MC said this while pouring soju, beer, and even Jim Beam, which I don't know where they got, into something like a water jug.
"That group drinks the Friendship Liquor!"
Everyone laughed and chatted, pointing out the best dancers, and our group pointed at me.
"Huh? Me? Why? I'm a stiff board. You know I can't dance... Right. You... pointed at me because you knew! You bastards!"
That's right. To explain again, our group pointed out the bastards who like alcohol among the college students who like alcohol.
"Alright! I'll show you my skills!"
I went out to the middle of the lawn representing our group and confidently brought the liquor.
No, everyone is busy studying, so where on earth did they learn to dance so well?
Ina, who saw my dance, covers her face in embarrassment. No, she's my girlfriend. She's my wife I'm marrying next month. Shouldn't she like it?
But it was too bad to say that.
"Eunghanghang-!"
Hana is lying on her back like a dog, laughing her ass off. I definitely have to make her pop out my kids one after another.
"As expected! It's In-mok!"
Jin-hyung follows, splitting his sides and admiring me.
"Wow, how can you dance like that? I'd say you'd dance better even if you just stood still."
Damn. It's humiliating.
"Alright! Drink it all! The one who gets caught drinks last!"
And our group drank the alcohol like crazy without anyone saying anything, so there was almost none left when I drank.
Crazy bastards.
Usually, if you drink like this, you get drunk. That's right. In less than an hour, our group was wasted.
"The next game is a tone-deaf battle for the person who sings the worst! Point out the person who sings the worst and come out!"
At the MC's words, the person pointed out is, of course, me.
"Stiff body and tone-deaf. You're disgusting."
Hana mocks me with a face full of laughter, but no way. I'll show you.
"East Sea water~, and Baekdusan Mountain~."
─ Wooo~!
I'm not afraid of criticism. That's how I confidently got the second water jug.
Fucking hell!
"He's the pride of our department, In-mok!"
Hana mocks me like crazy. I'll make sure you carry my kids, ten of them.
"The next game is to spin ten times with an elephant nose and then eat a rice cake with your mouth!"
Even such childish games are fun enough if it's alcohol and college students.
This time, Jin-hyung was pointed out.
"Uweeeek-!"
"Kyaaa!"
As expected. It's Jin-hyung. He doesn't disappoint us.
As soon as he spins ten times, he spews it out like Mount Baekdu erupting.
The freshmen were horrified, but the seniors and classmates who had already survived this hell were laughing and splitting their sides.
And Jin-hyung proudly took 1st place.
We ate grilled meat and played, and the sun set quickly.
"Who was the kid who said they sang well earlier? 1st place gets a free time pass tomorrow!"
At the words 'free time', kids who were confident stood up one by one.
Various prizes came out, and soon,
"If you get the popularity award for being funny......!"
The department representative brought out a crate and even meat to be used as snacks.
"If you want, I'll give you the remaining meat and alcohol! Find it! All the world is here!"
Haa. To think they'd make such a provocation.
Jin-hyung and I made eye contact and immediately raised our hands.
"Is a duet allowed?"
"Of course!"
Okay, then.
Jin-hyung and I went up on stage wearing swimsuits, swim caps, and even goggles we had prepared in advance.
"Kyaaaak!"
"Uuu! Gross!"
It doesn't matter. The song we're going to sing is Im Jae-bum's "Gohae" (Confession).
And we confidently won the popularity award and died in the alcohol pit before midnight.
"Crazy bastards."
The next day.
The department representative praises us highly. My liver had already left a dying message saying 'I'm going to die' and passed away long ago, so I was a patient all morning and couldn't participate in the MT schedule.
"They said they went to some museum in the morning......"
"......That's a sweet deal."
Our group was all absent and took a nap. It's actually a sweet deal.
Professors who couldn't come on the 2nd day also came, and we enjoyed treasure hunts and various other programs together before leaving in the evening.
"Ugh, I can't drink alcohol today?"
Since you have to receive higher education to enter university, naturally, I also learned irony.
We drank like crazy.
The weather was clear, so we all lay on the lawn to look at the constellations, and it's university student-like romance to look at the constellations while drinking beverages or simple cocktails and alcohol.
But how did we drink like crazy while looking at the constellations?
"Ah, that's the Cassiopeia constellation. There are five stars, so it means five cups."
"Ah, that's the Big Dipper. There are seven stars."
Hana and Jin-hyung are drinking alcohol according to the number of stars in the constellations.
I had no intention of going along with the games of these crazy bastards, so,
"That's the North Star. There's one star. It means drinking from a bowl."
I drank only one cup.
The memory of the MT only left alcohol.
Even Ina, who should be actively loving me according to the contract, said this at the smell of alcohol that was vibrating.
"Sunbae-nim...... I really love you. I love you, but. I can't be here."
Like a war-torn ambulance train, they shoved the hungover college students into one train car and went to another car.
"Water......"
"Even in the Sungkyunkwan of the Joseon Dynasty, they wouldn't have done such a bad custom."
"Gweeeek. I'm seasick."
"MT is a bad custom of the 21st century."
The kids who say this will be looking for alcohol again in a few days like they look for water.
If you unfold MT, it's Membership Training. It can be seen as a short trip for friendship among members.
Overlapping with the spring cherry blossom season and the autumn foliage season, the MT season is also a time that manufactures countless couples.
Couples who became couples knowingly or unknowingly catch my eye here and there.
"Sunbae-nim. Drink this. It's honey tea. They were selling it at the train vending machine over there."
And I also had a girlfriend who took care of me.
Ina stepped on the foot of her older sister, Hana, and came in to hand me the honey tea.
"Tteuheuk!"
Seeing that, Jin-hyung cries out in envy. He showed vomiting as the price for taking 1st place, and of course, there's no way he'd become a couple.
Let alone standing on the lawn in a swimsuit and goggles singing. Who would date him?
Me? If you were jealous, you should have seen the hashtag 101 ending.
It's a truly unfortunate thing for Jin-hyung.
"Baek Jin-hyung sunbae-nim."
Ina, who gave me the honey tea, hesitated and continued to Jin-hyung.
"That...... So-young says she's very burdened by you contacting her privately."
"Tteuheuheuk!"
When did you bother a freshman again?
He's also an amazing bastard in a different sense. However......
The seniors and classmates who were listening cried together. Since there are people who are sad together like this, Jin-hyung won't be lonely just yet.
The MT ended leaving only the smell of alcohol.