Start of Semester (8)
Start of Semester (8)
Ttal-rang.
As I opened the door, a wave of warm air hit me.
The Sajang-nim, who was sitting in the corner turning pages of a book, glanced at us over his glasses. His indifferent gaze lingered for a moment before returning to his book.
We put our bags down and headed to the counter.
"What do you want to drink? It's on me."
Ga-young naturally opened her wallet. I thought I had made it clear back in the lecture hall that I would pay, but she was determined to treat me. However, I shook my head.
"No. I'm buying."
"Huh? I said I'd treat you."
"I'm the one getting help, so I'd feel uneasy if I even got a free coffee. That's why."
I pulled my card out of my pocket.
It's better to keep these things clear. It's a hassle when a reason to pay someone back—whether with a meal or drinks—is created later.
Ga-young stared at me for a moment, then shrugged and stepped back.
"...Really? Then I'll enjoy the drink."
"What are you having? You can order something expensive."
"Hmm... I'll just have an Iced Americano."
"Really? You can have something else."
"No. I've always liked Iced Americanos."
Her tastes are certainly firm.
I nodded and stood before the counter. The Sajang-nim placed a bookmark in his book and slowly stood up.
"One Iced Americano and one strawberry yogurt smoothie, please."
While paying, I felt a gaze from the side. She seemed surprised that a big guy like me was ordering a pink smoothie.
'So what...'
I was confident. Real men wear pink. Besides, my sugar levels were dropping; there was no reason to drink something bitter.
A moment later, the buzzer vibrated, and I picked up the drinks. As soon as Ga-young sat down, she pulled a laptop out of her bag.
Tadak-tadak. Her fingers moved quickly as she typed in her password.
"Here, look."
A Hangeul file appeared on the screen. I leaned toward the monitor with the straw in my mouth.
Honestly, I was planning to just take the file and leave. Since it was my major, I figured I could scrape by if I just memorized everything.
It felt like a nuisance to take up a busy person's time, and I wanted to go home and lie down as soon as possible.
But the moment I saw the monitor, my mouth stopped mid-sip.
[ 1. Understanding Structure (Core) -> Deriving Dilemma ]
[ ※ Professor's Emphasis: 3rd Case (Exam) ]
[ Social Cost vs. Individual Desire ]
The background was white and the letters were black, but I had no damn clue what it meant. It seemed she had summarized it in real-time during the lecture because the subjects and predicates were all cut off.
It was no different from a secret code that only she could understand. From my perspective—having not listened (having slept)—it was impossible to decode.
If I just took this as it was, I'd clearly be tearing my hair out at home.
As I narrowed my eyes and glared at the screen, Ga-young grabbed the mouse and spoke.
"You probably won't get it just by looking, right? You didn't listen to the lecture."
"...Yeah. It's a bit difficult. I thought it was just a summary."
"I'll explain it to you. I only picked out the things the professor emphasized as important."
She scrolled down and highlighted sentences on the screen.
"First, this is the core of today's lecture. There's a high probability this structure the professor mentioned at the beginning will be on the midterm. The assignment has to be written in connection with this, too."
Her tone was concise. Pointing out only the necessary information without any fluff, she had the air of someone experienced in teaching others.
"And you probably didn't hear it because you were dozing off, but there's an example the professor mentioned in passing, right? You absolutely have to memorize that."
She pointed to a specific part of the screen with her finger. Certainly, it was much faster to understand this way than struggling alone.
I quietly sucked up the strawberry smoothie through the straw and nodded. A Jjok sound echoed as I scraped the bottom of the cup.
'I was going to just take the file and go, but this is a more proper tutoring session than I expected.'
"Right? And this part here is also important..."
Ga-young pulled her chair closer as she pointed at the monitor. For a moment, a faint scent wafted over, but instead of letting my mind wander, I focused on the screen as much as possible.
"...So that's why this dilemma occurs, and the professor will like it if you write about it by reflecting on your own experiences."
The explanation was incredible. She was much better than some clumsy teaching assistant. Honestly, it was almost goosebump-inducing.
'What is she?'
At first, I just thought she was a kind Gwa-dae. But this was at the level of setting the table and spoon-feeding me.
No matter how good she was at studying, how could a first-year student who just enrolled see through a professor's exam tendencies like this?
'Is she on her second life or something?'
Unless she had regressed, this level of insight was inexplicable. Well, whether the truth was her third life or tenth, what did I care? Thanks to her, the lecture content that felt like an alien language was starting to fit together like a puzzle in my head.
I just needed to reap the rewards.
"How is it? Do you understand a bit?"
"Yeah. It's perfect. You're really good at organizing."
It wasn't empty praise. If I had opened the textbook and banged my head against the wall alone, it would have taken forever, but since she pointed out the core points, they stuck in my head well. I guess not just anyone can be the Gwa-dae.
"That's a relief. You shouldn't have any problems writing the assignment with this."
Tak.
She closed the laptop with a crisp sound. A sense of lethargy seeped through as she stretched her stiff body.
"Well, I'll be going now. I have a student council meeting."
"Ah, really? You're busy."
She packed her bag and stood up. Then, she suddenly stopped, her lips twitching as if she had something left to say.
"Yeah, I'm going... Ah... right. Um... could we exchange numbers, by any chance?"
"Numbers?"
When I asked back, her gaze wandered through the air for a moment.
"Yeah. If I have your contact info, you can reach out whenever you have questions."
I wondered if there would really be a reason for questions to arise, but I didn't say that out loud.
"Ah... hold on."
I took the Gwa-dae's phone, typed in my number, and handed it back. She saved the number with practiced fingers and pressed the call button.
Ji-ing.
A short vibration rang in my pocket. She immediately ended the call and waved her phone.
"Done. Save it and contact me whenever you're curious about something. Calling is fine, and CocoaTalk is okay too."
She was speaking a bit faster than usual. Her voice sounded strangely excited.
"Yeah, thanks. Get back safely."
After receiving my farewell, she spun around. Her earlobes, visible through her swaying hair, were flushed red like ripe apples.
Ttogak-ttogak.
Her receding footsteps were hurried. I stared blankly at the closed door. A thin cardigan and a fluttering skirt. Isn't that outfit too cold for this weather?
I don't know.
I emptied the remaining ice from the cup into my mouth and stood up.
I should head home now, too.
As I stepped outside, a cold wind hit me. The warmth of the cafe evaporated instantly, and the chilly air seeped inside my collar.
'...I'm glad my place is close.'
I walked through the familiar alleyway with my hands shoved in my pockets.
As I moved my feet blankly, my mind emptied out. A time where no thoughts or calculations were needed. I quite liked this quiet rest.
After unlocking the door and entering my home, a familiar silence greeted me.
I tossed my bag into the corner of the bed and was changing my clothes when I felt a dull vibration above my head.
Kung, kung.
It seemed like someone had moved in upstairs recently, and lately, they've been asserting their presence intermittently. Still, it wasn't enough noise to justify grabbing a tool and going up there.
Just enough living noise to confirm that another living being was residing above my head.
I looked away from the ceiling and picked up my phone from the desk. A CocoaTalk notification was on the screen.
[Shin Ga-young (Gwa-dae)]
: Ask me whenever you have questions
: See you tomorrow
Looking at the screen, a chuckle escaped me.
'...She really is kind.'
Excellent grades, smooth peer relationships, and even being the Gwa-dae who takes on the dirty work. She's so flawless it's unrealistic. At this rate, she either built up a lot of merit in her past life, or she really is on her second life.
Instead of replying, I turned off the screen and threw myself onto the bed. The mattress caught me softly.
As for the assignment, well, the future me will take care of it.
This time spent counting the patterns on the ceiling wallpaper. It might look boring to others, but for me, it's the best healing.
If I were an extrovert overflowing with energy, I wouldn't have been able to stand this silence and would have called a friend. But I loved this boredom right now.
I considered turning on the computer for a moment, but even that became a hassle.
I picked up my phone again and unlocked the screen.
Seol Ji-hye.
I decided to lightly ignore her message for now and check the one from Omma.
Kwang...! Kwang....!!
My hand stopped at the sudden impact echoing through the ceiling.
Tadadadak.
Following that was the sound of someone violently pounding on a keyboard.
And then.
—No! Why would you go in there!
A sharp shout flowed down the walls. It was a voice practicing the art of blaming others very fluently.
"......"
I stared blankly up at the ceiling.
A strange person had moved in upstairs.
'I'm fucked...'
That was the conclusion I reached after careful consideration just now.
What should I do? Should I go up right now and ring the doorbell with a smile, saying, 'I'm from the unit right below you ^^'?
'...No.'
Hasty actions are forbidden. It's best to just watch the situation for now rather than poking a hornet's nest.
I tried to ignore the noise from the ceiling and scrolled through my chat list.
[ Hoyeon University Male Student Association (102) ]
At least this was a place where I could ask questions comfortably.
[Me]
: Hello, Sunbae-nims. Could you recommend a club that isn't too intense and is manageable?
One minute, two minutes. The number of unread messages decreased, but there was no reply. Intermittent sounds of shotgunning desks still came from the ceiling.
Only after a long while did a notification pop up.
[Class of '17 Lee Min-hyuk]
: Hey, then join [Utopia].
: The name is grand, but there's zero activity. All the members are guys. It's just used for sleeping during breaks or ordering delivery in the club room.
Oh. There's a place like that.
[Me]
: Thank you. I'll check it out sometime soon.
I checked the reply and turned off the screen.
'...Keep it on the list for now.'
The conditions are perfect. But you never know.
Since it's only guys, the club room might reek of bachelor musk, or the sofa might be as hard as a rock. If there's anything that might interfere with my precious nap time, I have to boldly filter it out.
I should look for other places besides Utopia, too.
I am a university student, after all. It wouldn't be bad to scout out my own hideout instead of following the obvious path everyone else takes.
Of course, if it gets too bothersome, I'll probably just crawl into Utopia.
—Aaaagh!! No!!
My musings were shattered by a scream piercing through the ceiling.
My brow furrowed instinctively.
That piece of shit...
I almost reached for the toy hammer buried deep in my drawer, but I hesitated.
'...Let's endure.'
I must endure.
Everyone has their circumstances.
Right now might be a promotion match with their life on the line. Or their team's mid-laner Hasegi might be taking a stroll through the Rift while going 0/5/0.
As a fellow gamer, it's not like I don't understand that feeling.
'...Yeah. As long as they don't do that at night.'
During the day, well, a person can be a bit energetic.
I consoled myself that way.
Until then, I still believed in human common sense.
And then.
That night.
I stood in front of the door to Room 703.