Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Club
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Thud thud-!
"Alright, starting this Friday, the last two periods of the day will be for club activities. They say some budget suddenly got allocated or whatever. Check out the club list here and sign up for whatever you want."
During homeroom at the end of the day, Ha Taemu banged his attendance book on the lectern and handed the stack of application forms to the student in the front row.
The students, who had been staring with dead-fish eyes from the exhausting classes, suddenly lit up.
It looked a hundred—no, a thousand—times better than boring self-study or another dull lesson. It was basically legalized playtime.
"Oh, clubs! What're you gonna do?"
Juwon, who had been slumped over asleep next to him, had sat up at some point and was excitedly scanning the club list he'd received.
"Uh... I'm..."
Siwoo stared at the densely packed list, pondering for a long time.
Sports clubs where guys like Juwon or Park Geon ran around? He lacked the stamina and the confidence to fit in.
But band or dance clubs, the hangouts of the popular crowd? Just imagining it made him suffocate.
As his finger trailed down the list, Siwoo's eyes landed on one club that seemed perfect.
"Reading and Writing Club... Maybe this one."
The name alone screamed quiet.
It felt like a place tucked in a corner where you could read print without anyone watching and scribble away at some writing.
Without hesitation, Siwoo neatly printed "Reading and Writing Club" on the application form.
"Ugh... Reading and Writing Club? Sounds boring as hell just from the name. Me? Soccer club seems fun. Park Geon that jerk's probably joining too."
Juwon scrawled "Soccer Club" in huge letters on his form and let out a hearty laugh.
Ding-dong-daeng-dong.
Before the bell had even finished ringing, a racket of thudding footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Class 1's back door flew open.
"Hey, Seo Juwon! Soccer club?"
Park Geon burst in, eyes brimming with anticipation, but instead of a cheerful reply, he got a heavy thwack.
Thwack-!
"Don't run around like a wild animal in the halls—walk. And don't just barge into other people's classrooms."
Ha Taemu, who had been walking by with a thick plastic binder, smacked Park Geon on the head hard enough to make a sound.
Park Geon clutched the back of his head and yelped.
"Ow! Teacher, that was too hard..."
He started to protest out of injustice, but one look at Ha Taemu's glare made him tuck tail immediately.
"Ah, no, sir. Sorry. Won't happen again."
The moment Ha Taemu clicked his tongue and disappeared from view, Park Geon darted into the classroom like a shot.
"Hey, soccer club?"
"Obviously, man. Who else is gonna make the soccer club run without you and me?"
Siwoo watched them from behind with a laugh as they bumped fists in a high-five.
That's when he spotted the friends entering the classroom.
Everything was the same as usual, except for one thing: the distance between Iseol and Hyunsu.
Ever since Hyunsu had confessed his feelings to the guys, he'd been sticking to her side relentlessly, trying to close that gap.
As a result, Iseol—who had been openly annoyed—seemed to have either given up or was starting to warm up a little. At any rate...
Now, even when Hyunsu walked right next to her, shoulders brushing, she showed no particular reaction.
That seemingly natural two-shot made Siwoo's insides twist uncomfortably.
"Hey! You guys joining soccer club again? What's the big deal with that anyway..."
As Dasom approached Juwon and Park Geon, Park Geon snorted.
"And what about you girls? Movie Appreciation Club again? Always turning off the lights just to sleep..."
While Park Geon and Dasom bickered, Siwoo's gaze locked onto Iseol, who was leaning against the wall with her bag slung over her shoulder.
Her face was as expressionless as ever, but she looked subtly fatigued.
"Iseol, you signed up for Movie Appreciation too, right? What're we watching?"
In the midst of the noisy atmosphere, Chaerin sidled up to Iseol, linking arms as she asked.
Iseol, who had been leaning against the wall waiting for them, gave a slight smile at the excitement in Chaerin's voice.
"Hmm. Jiyoon likes romance, right? How about that new Taiwanese romance flick?"
"Oh, really? That's new for you. You usually hate those cringey romances."
"If you guys wanna watch it, I don't mind."
All the girls must have joined Movie Appreciation Club, because the four of them soon clustered together, chattering noisily as they left the classroom.
"Hey, where'd you sign up?"
Park Geon tapped Hyunsu on the back.
Hyunsu glanced at Iseol's swaying ponytail as she walked ahead, flashing a sleazy grin.
"Me? Movie Appreciation Club. So I can sit next to her during the movie."
A dark audiovisual room. Hyunsu and Iseol side by side. A romance film.
Siwoo's heart plummeted at the mere thought, and he clenched his fists tight.
"...Hey, we should head out too."
The perceptive Juwon, who had been glancing back and forth between Hyunsu and Siwoo, hurriedly grabbed his bag and took the lead to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, let's go!"
The rest of them, who had stayed behind in the classroom, followed Juwon out of school.
For some reason, Siwoo's footsteps felt much heavier than usual, his shadow stretching dark and long.
Friday afternoon.
The bell signaling the end of fifth period rang out unusually long.
Normally, the hallways would fill with the sounds of students preparing for the next boring class, but today they buzzed with kids heading to their classrooms or club rooms for the start of club activities.
"Hey, Namjjin! We're heading out first! We'll text if we score!"
Juwon and Park Geon, already changed into gym clothes with a soccer ball tucked under their arms, vanished down the hall like the wind.
The classroom was filled with the clamor of kids getting ready to move to their own rooms or club spaces.
Siwoo grabbed his bag from the corner and glanced at the back door.
The four girls, led by Iseol, were passing by the classroom, with Hyunsu trailing right behind.
'...Let's go. Don't think about it.'
With a bitter expression, Siwoo stood blankly until their figures completely vanished around the corner of the hall. Then he dragged his heavy feet toward the quiet library on the fourth floor of the old building across the way.
The library, tucked at the far end of the fourth floor, was enveloped in a profound silence.
Creak—
As he pushed open the door and stepped in, the scent of old paper and a cool blast of air conditioning greeted Siwoo.
"Here for club? Write your class and name on the list here, then pick an empty seat and read comfortably."
The elderly librarian, who also served as the club advisor, peered over her glasses and welcomed him warmly.
There were only a handful of people in the library.
More than half of those already seated had thick books as pillows and were deep in sweet slumber, faces down.
Following the teacher's instructions, Siwoo wrote his name on the list and quietly took a seat by the window with a clear view of the sports field.
Faint shouts from the soccer club kids and whistle blasts drifted up from the field below.
Looking out, he could see Juwon and Park Geon kicking the ball around to warm up, their energetic figures tiny like miniatures.
'Everyone looks like they're having fun.'
Siwoo pulled his gaze away from them and opened the book he'd grabbed from the shelves along with his notebook.
But before he could even write the first sentence, his eyes kept drifting toward the Movie Appreciation room on the third floor of the building across the way.
'I wonder what movie they're watching.'
Were they watching that romance like they'd talked about before? Or maybe one of her favorites.
Come to think of it, what genre did Iseol even like?
And in that dark room, was Hyunsu sitting next to her, slyly bumping her shoulder or striking up a conversation?
As Siwoo zoned out staring out the window with those thoughts, the sound of the door opening reached his ears.
Creak—
"Hm? I thought everyone was here already. You here for club too?"
"Ah, yes! I turned in my application a bit late, so I guess I'm not on the printed list. Sorry about that."
The bright, clear high tone instantly freshened the dim library air.
Even the kids who had been sleeping face-down stirred and turned their heads.
Siwoo turned around too at the soft voice, and there stood a female student.
She had thick, wavy light-brown hair that fell just past her shoulders.
Behind her large, round glasses, her eyes crinkled into a smile, giving her an incredibly endearing impression.
"No worries at all. Go ahead and add your name here, then find a comfy spot."
At the teacher's kind words, she bowed sharply at a perfect ninety degrees, then looked around for a seat.
Ignoring the sea of empty spots, her footsteps headed straight toward Siwoo's cramped corner.
"Um, excuse me—is this seat taken? Anyone sitting next to you?"
Siwoo startled at her sudden approach, stammered in surprise.
"Huh? Oh, no one's... uh, yeah, it's empty."
"Then, mind if I sit here?"
She pulled out the chair with a bright crescent-moon eye smile and plopped right down next to Siwoo.
The moment she sat, a sweet, fresh peach scent wafted over.
As if fully aware this was a library, she settled in beside Siwoo and began chatting softly and cautiously.
"Bet that surprised you, huh? Sorry about that. Truth is, I love reading while spacing out and watching the scenery outside. So when I came in, this spot looked perfect..."
Her attitude was so bold and friendly toward a complete stranger—a guy no less—with zero walls up.
Siwoo, struggling to keep up with her energy, was starting to break a cold sweat.
"Ah, yeah... Good thing it's open."
"Oh, right—I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Min Arin. You're Nam Siwoo, right?"
"Huh? How'd you know me?"
As Siwoo looked at her in surprise, Arin propped her chin on her hand with a playful smile.
"How could I not? You're kinda famous among the first-years. 'Cause you hang out with them."
Siwoo nodded slowly at her words.
Lately, when he'd been walking alone, he'd felt prickles on the back of his neck or heard faint whispers.
He'd thought he was hidden in their shadow, but apparently, an ordinary guy like him wedged in among them stood out even more.
"Well, whatever—who cares about that. We're clubmates now, so let's get along!"
Arin said with a radiant smile.
The afternoon sunlight pouring through the window glittered off her glasses and soft hair strands, dazzlingly bright.