Midterms (2)
"......"
The deserted club room was utterly quiet. Lee Soo-min stared blankly into space, her eyes half-lidded and unfocused. She didn't look good at all.
And the reason she was like this? She'd fallen right into Kang Min-jun's devious trap.
It was supposed to be just a quick one or two rounds of the game before heading out. But Min-jun had sweet-talked her with, "Just one more round, and I bet you'll get first place." One or two rounds turned into three, then four... and before she knew it, they'd played six full games. By the time she snapped out of it and ended the session, the sky outside was already darkening.
With an exam the next morning, an all-nighter was inevitable.
"You okay?"
"......"
At my cautious words of comfort, she glanced up at me with hollow eyes before dropping her head again. Dark circles shadowed her face. She'd probably pulled an all-nighter.
For the record, I hadn't. I'd trusted my thorough first read-through and gotten a solid night's sleep. After getting home from gaming, I'd skimmed my summary notes once and called it a day. That was it. I'd done my absolute best on the exam, and I had no regrets. Regretting it now wouldn't change anything anyway.
"I'm such an idiot......"
Normally, I'd sit beside her and say something like, "I pulled an all-nighter too and bombed it," to build some camaraderie. But this time, I held my tongue.
The results would tell, but if things went south later, I didn't want her glaring at me with betrayal in her eyes. Kim Seo-yeon was close enough that I could smooth things over with a date invite, but Lee Soo-min and I weren't that tight. If our relationship soured even a little, I had no idea how to fix it.
Part of me thought just leaving her here might be the smart move... but I'd gotten her help recently, and we'd gamed together yesterday, so my conscience was nagging at me a bit.
"Not heading home?"
"Exam tomorrow......"
She shook her head at my question. From the look of her, she had another exam in the morning. After tanking today's, she clearly had zero motivation to go home. Sounded like she planned to crash at school overnight. Not a bad idea.
My place was close by, so I never had to pull all-nighters at school, but students living farther out often did during back-to-back exam days. Plus, there were showers on campus, so roughing it for a day or two wasn't a big deal.
Still...
"How about crashing in the Baekgi nap rooms for a bit? Better than half-assed sleep—get some real rest and recover properly."
"......Yeah, maybe."
No matter how I looked at it, her condition was shot. With her agreement, I took her limp hand and pulled her up. Her small hand fit perfectly in mine. Her face was pale, but her skin was surprisingly soft and warm.
First time touching Lee Soo-min's hand. Maybe because of her quiet, cool demeanor, the warmth felt even more striking.
I glanced at her face. Blank expression, no sign of resistance in her grip. She was probably too exhausted to think straight.
Baekjuneum Memorial Hall—aka Baekgi—was a five-minute walk from the student union where the club rooms were. The first floor had a reading room with high ceilings and a prime location, so even outside exam season, it was always packed with people prepping for professional certs.
"Of course it's full......"
The moment we stepped in, my breath caught—that thick, CO2-heavy air you feel in stuffy rooms. The silently packed seats and stale atmosphere made my chest tighten for no reason. Studying here would just make me drowsy; I could already tell I wouldn't focus.
Definitely not my style. Time to dump her in a nap room and bail.
I led her to the nap rooms in the corner of the reading room. Not some flimsy recliner—these had actual beds. I'd never slept here myself, but with the air this thick, you'd pass out in no time.
"Sleep well."
"Mm......"
She shuffled inside like a zombie.
* * *
"Phew—thought I was gonna suffocate."
The second she was in the nap room, I bolted out of the reading room. Fresh air hit me like a wave, lifting the weight off my shoulders.
"Jun-woo! How'd the exam go yesterday?"
"Gah!"
I was zoning out in front of Baekgi, catching my breath, when a massive figure ambushed me from the side. A yelp escaped before I could stop it.
"Why so jumpy? See a ghost or something?"
Han Ji-soo noona smirked, hands on her hips, looking mildly offended.
We'd been a bit awkward before, but after drinking together and gaming yesterday, things had warmed up. Once we got close, her affectionate side really shone. Like an energetic, athletic type.
"I'd freak out too if a Viking charged me from the side."
"...Don't call me a Viking."
Viking was the nickname Min-jun slapped on her during yesterday's game. She never held back, always charging straight into enemy clusters. Looked just like a Viking berserker. Naturally, she hated it.
Min-jun got away with a slight pout from her, but...
"Haha, uncle!"
"Quit acting tough when you're still wet behind the ears."
I flailed and tapped out; she let go. Her headlock felt like my face was in a vice. Must be all that CrossFit—her arms were insanely strong. My face still tingled even after she released me.
Wait, Min-jun took it without a fuss last time. Felt unfair, but I chalked it up to favoritism and moved on.
"Anyway, you here to study, noona?"
"Yep. You?"
"Same. But the reading room's too stuffy, so I'm hitting a nearby café."
"Wanna go together?"
"With you?"
Her casual offer caught me off guard, and words tumbled out.
"Oh. Might be weird?"
"Nah, sounds perfect. I was stressing about studying alone and losing focus. Great timing."
She hesitated, looking sheepish at my words. I quickly backpedaled. No way was I passing up a free event.
Your life has been extended by 1 day.
Remaining life: 51 days
The chime rang right on cue.
Again...
Min-jun's gift yesterday, and ever since that date with Seo-yeon, even simple events like this were triggering life extensions more often. Not just food tributes anymore.
What had changed? I racked my brain, but nothing clicked.
"Jun-woo? You okay?"
Ah, got lost in thought. I shook my head at her concerned gaze.
"Yeah, fine."
"You looked spaced out. Maybe skip studying and rest?"
"Pfft, I'm full of energy!"
I flexed my arm, showing off nonexistent muscles.
"Hmm......"
Ji-soo noona eyed my arm intently, her expression dubious. Bad vibes.
"Jun-woo, you really need to work out. I'll train you after exams."
"Ugh."
Anything else, and I'd have jumped at it—but exercise? No thanks.
I'd never been into working out, past life or this one. Low appetite and daily walks kept me from getting fat, but I wasn't ripped either. Just a lean, squishy average build.
"Won't go too hard. Trust me?"
She gripped my shoulder tight, her strength radiating through.
"...Sure."
I nodded gingerly.
* * *
"Ugh... beat."
Dragging my exhausted body home, I changed and collapsed into bed. Over ten straight hours of studying, minus meal breaks—no rest. First real cram session since high school; body and mind were wrecked.
"Didn't peg her for that......"
Athletic types usually slack on studies, right? But Ji-soo noona's focus and tenacity blew past my expectations.
Not a single glance away. And if I zoned out even a little, she'd notice and nudge me right back.
A couple hours, fine—but her stamina turned it into a steam-packed marathon.
Avoid her next time unless it's exam eve.
Liberal arts campus was segregated from engineering, thankfully. As long as she stuck to her electives or didn't hit our reading rooms...
"Just a quick scroll before bed."
Lying down, sleep wouldn't come. Phone nearby; I grabbed it and fired up shorts. Swiped till something caught my eye.
Quick challenges flew by. Those AI-voiced "Shakal!" vids made me think, Could I make one? Seemed simple enough.
I'd filmed a few helping childhood friend Kim Ye-eun, but never edited.
"No time even to type back."
Muttering, I pondered. Not a date, obviously—just needed a filming buddy.
Bit annoying...
Monday exam, but Ji-soo noona had me covered. Could learn editing from the day's footage. No reason to say no.
Han Ji-soo Working Out (Image)
