Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: A Subtle War of Nerves
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The final day of midterms for the first semester had arrived.
As the bell signaling the end rang out and the test papers were collected, Classroom 1 of the first-year students erupted in a massive wave of liberation.
"Woooah! It's over!"
"Hey! Grab your bags right now!"
The group of eight slowly escaped the rowdy school and headed straight to a barbecue joint in the bustling street in front of it.
They pushed two tables together lengthwise, then started grilling thick slices of pork belly on the griddles with sizzling sounds.
Glasses filled with cider and cola instead of beer clinked loudly together.
"Cheers! Everyone worked hard!"
At Juwon's hearty lead, everyone cheered in response.
Siwoo was right there in the mix, clinking his cider glass and grinning like an idiot.
Even though he'd been tormented by Hyunsu throughout the entire exam period, he'd grown a little closer to Iseol, and though it came with some uneasy favors, he'd even gotten encouragement from Juwon.
Peeking at Iseol's face as she indifferently sipped her cola through the haze of grilling smoke, Siwoo had a good feeling that his school life from here on out would go smoothly.
"Hey, the meat's burning! What are you doing, Im Hyunsu?!"
At Chaerin’s shriek, Hyunsu—who had been using his phone as a mirror to fuss with his bangs—hurriedly grabbed the tongs.
A few pieces of pork belly were charring black on the griddle.
"Ah, hold on. Pork's supposed to be a little crispy on the outside to taste good."
"Bullshit, you trying to get cancer and die? Give me the tongs."
Finally fed up with Hyunsu's nonsense, Park Geon snatched the tongs away.
With movements surprisingly delicate for his size, the meat finally started turning golden brown and glossy.
Hyunsu rubbed his nose awkwardly and chugged his cola.
"Alright, it's done! Eat up!"
No sooner had Park Geon spoken than chopsticks swarmed mercilessly toward the griddle.
Compared to the table with Park Geon, Siwoo's table was much quieter.
Iseol, Juwon, Jiyoon, and Siwoo.
Juwon was busy hopping between the two tables to liven up the mood, while Jiyoon and Iseol were staring at their phones for their own reasons while eating, so no one spoke up first.
Feeling the awkwardness, Siwoo had naturally picked up the tongs and scissors the moment he sat down, volunteering to grill.
He diligently flipped the meat to keep it from burning, sliced the perfectly cooked pieces into bite-sized chunks, and carefully moved them to the edge of the griddle so they wouldn't overcook.
That's when Hyunsu, who had slinked over to their table unnoticed, thrust his chopsticks out like he'd been waiting.
"Here, our Iseol. You worked hard studying all through exams, so eat this."
Hyunsu picked up the largest, fattiest piece from the meat Siwoo had grilled and plopped it onto Iseol's side plate.
It was a gesture full of smugness, as if he'd grilled it himself.
Siwoo swallowed the injustice rising to his chin.
"..."
Iseol paused her scrolling on her phone screen and stared blankly at the meat on her plate.
Then, with a slight furrow of her brow, she pushed it to the corner with the tip of her chopsticks.
"You eat it. I hate fat."
"Huh? Oh, really? Sorry, didn't know."
Hyunsu's hand hovered awkwardly in the air at Iseol's curt, icy rejection.
"W-well, then let me get you a lean piece..."
As Hyunsu fumbled in panic and reached for the griddle again, Siwoo quietly placed a piece of meat on top of Iseol's rice bowl.
"Hey, she hates fat—"
Before Hyunsu could finish, Iseol naturally picked up the meat Siwoo had given her and popped it into her mouth.
"..."
Hyunsu's chopsticks froze in midair, lost.
Siwoo's heart pounded.
'Why did I do that?'
He wasn't the type to step up over something trivial, but seeing Hyunsu smugly take credit for the meat he'd grilled and offer it to Iseol—it was unbearably annoying today.
Hyunsu's face crumpled like a sheet of paper in an instant.
It was as if Siwoo could hear his pride cracking.
"Hey, Nam the Loser. You grill pretty well. Could work at a BBQ joint."
Siwoo awkwardly wiped sweat from his brow and laughed at Hyunsu's words.
"Haha... It'd be a waste if it burned. Gotta pay attention."
"Yeah, grill hard and eat a ton. Good job."
Hyunsu tossed a piece of undercooked, bloody meat onto Siwoo's plate, then stormed back to his own table in a huff.
As the mood settled and Jiyoon and Iseol finally put down their phones to chat happily,
"No way, so I met that jerk and..."
"For real? Wow, he's something else."
Siwoo didn't know the topic, but he enjoyed overhearing bits of their normal daily lives up close like this.
And since it was a world he knew nothing about, he listened even more intently.
That's when Park Geon, stuffing a lettuce wrap into his mouth, suddenly asked Siwoo.
"Hey, Nam the Loser. What'd you do in middle school? Spill some stories."
The curious gazes of the group, deep in conversation, turned to Siwoo.
"Oh? I was curious too! You seem like the... quiet type?"
"Yeah. Probably spent more time at the library than karaoke or PC bangs."
Listening to Dasom and Chaerin giggle, Siwoo quietly recalled his gray middle school days.
There was nothing special. Since he didn't go to cram school, he spent his free time reading books or hanging out at PC bangs with friends.
"Me? Just... ordinary. Nothing much."
As he mumbled vaguely out of embarrassment and averted his eyes, Hyunsu, who'd been listening, chimed in with a malicious smirk.
"Ordinary? You mean you lived like a total nobody loser with zero presence."
In an instant, the lively table fell silent, like cold water had been poured over it.
Juwon's brow furrowed sharply, but Hyunsu ignored it and kept laughing.
"Hey, be real. You ever been to a billiard hall? Ever gone to a valley with friends and grilled meat?"
Even as the mood chilled, with no one strongly stepping in, Hyunsu got more excited and raised his voice.
"Hey, Im Hyunsu. Watch your—"
"Yeah. Never been to either."
Just as Juwon tried to cut off Hyunsu's rudeness, Siwoo lifted his head sharply—for the first time ever, he looked Hyunsu straight in the eye and answered clearly, word for word.
Hyunsu's words had stabbed right at Siwoo's sore spot.
Normally, he would've just laughed it off like an idiot to avoid ruining the mood or out of fear.
But not today.
Iseol sitting across from him, watching.
And his friends, led by Juwon, who treated him like one of them.
In front of them, he didn't want to be a pathetic loser anymore.
For the first time, a spark of defiance ignited in his fragile pride.
Meeting Siwoo's unwavering gaze, Hyunsu was the one who faltered.
"Wh-what... Acting like never going is a flex, punk."
"Not going isn't a crime. Must be nice that you have. I'm jealous."
Hyunsu and Siwoo's eyes locked in a tense standoff.
As the frozen atmosphere held, and flustered Park Geon was about to step in,
"Never been to a valley either."
Iseol, quietly sipping her cider across the table, spoke up first.
Her dry, flat voice shattered the sharp tension in an instant.
"Huh? Iseol, but last year you..."
Chaerin, who'd started to speak, suddenly clapped as if remembering.
"Right. You couldn't go back then because of family stuff."
Iseol nodded expressionlessly, then glanced at Siwoo and added indifferently.
"Another one's here who hasn't been. So am I a loser too?"
"N-no! Iseol, you had unavoidable circumstances that time..."
Hyunsu paled and waved his hands desperately.
He'd thrown a boomerang to cut Siwoo down and gotten smacked in the back of the head with it.
Then, quick-witted Dasom brightened the mood with a suggestion.
"Then how about the valley this summer break? Iseol missed it last year too!"
"Valley sounds good! I'm in for sure!"
"Hey, we'll buy watermelon too. Grill meat!"
With Dasom's proposal, the heavy air vanished in a flash, and the kids started chattering excitedly again.
"Yeah, Nam the Loser has to come too this time."
Juwon smiled in agreement and clapped Siwoo on the shoulder for support.
One by one, people said they'd go, and finally, all eyes turned to Iseol and Siwoo.
"...Gotta ask at home first."
"M-me too, I'll talk to my parents..."
At Iseol's vague response, echoed by Siwoo, groans rose from the group.
"Aww~ If we can't go together this year either, when will we ever go full squad~"
"Hey, without you and Nam the Loser, it'll suck! Same old crew again!"
At the flood of cute complaints, a faint smile crept onto Iseol's usually impassive lips, and she coolly raised her glass.
"Still, I'll think about it positively as much as I can."
Her answer thankfully eased the mood back to normal.
As laughter bloomed again among them, Hyunsu spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Hey, guys, let's hit the bathroom."
"Why go together mid-meal? Scared to go alone?"
Juwon grumbled curtly, but reading the seriousness in Hyunsu's eyes, he set down his chopsticks.
"Ah, come on. Got something to say."
With Hyunsu insisting that much, Juwon stood, and Park Geon and Siwoo also got up, pausing their grilling.
And so the four guys headed to the bathroom en masse.
"What's with them? Suddenly acting all serious."
"Dunno. They do this all the time. Let's just finish the leftovers."
As the bathroom door closed, the noisy barbecue joint sounds cut off, leaving only the hum of the fan.
"What is it? Spit it out. Meat's burning."
Park Geon grumbled, leaning on the sink.
Hyunsu roughly swept back his bangs in the mirror, then glanced at Siwoo's reflection.
"Ahem. Nam the Loser, sorry about earlier. I'm just a bit on edge right now."
Hyunsu cleared his throat awkwardly, as if apologizing.
But that apology was less sincere regret and more setup for what he was about to say.
"What? Something up?"
Juwon asked, shaking water from his hands. Hyunsu looked in the mirror, then met eyes with Juwon, Park Geon, and Siwoo in turn via their reflections.
"I like Baek Iseol."