Midterms (6): Bone Broth and Fragile Truces
The hearty aroma filled the gamjatang restaurant, packed to the brim and shouldering the hangover recovery for every student nearby.
By the time I returned from a quick bathroom break, the food had arrived. A steaming bowl of bone haejangguk sat before us, white vapor rising invitingly, practically begging to be devoured.
"……."
But no one at the table touched their spoon.
The awkward silence that had started on the way out of the house dragged on.
Kim Ye-eun was glancing back and forth between us, chopsticks dangling from her mouth as she gauged the mood.
We couldn't just sit like this forever.
"Ye-eun's friend, I'm really sorry."
"Oh, no, it's fine. Ye-eun told me everything. I didn't come out here planning to do anything specific—just thought we could all loosen up the atmosphere a bit. You must be exhausted from carrying this drunken mess last night, and then that incident on top of it."
"Ha-rin……."
"I told you to drink in moderation. A lightweight like you."
"Sorry…… I won't do it again."
She turned her head away, so I couldn't see clearly, but her expression looked fierce. Kim Ye-eun hung her head like a scolded puppy. Her face already looked hollow from the hangover, and now it seemed even more pitiful.
"Shall we eat before it gets cold?"
"Yeah, let's."
I nodded at her suggestion, delivered with a gentle smile. Thankfully, she didn't seem too upset. It looked like she'd talked things out with Ye-eun while I was in the room that morning.
Really. Really. What a relief.
This meant I was completely in the clear from any jail cell drama.
The tightness in my chest eased. The bone haejangguk went down smooth, soothing the burn from last night's harsh booze. Rich broth, tender meat, and a sauce infused with wasabi's sharp kick. It lived up to its fame as a popular hangover spot for local college kids.
"Ugh……."
Kim Ye-eun, on the other hand, managed only a few spoonfuls before letting out a faint groan and setting her spoon down. The hangover was hitting her harder than expected. She looked like she needed to be tucked straight back into bed.
A quick glance ahead showed her friend had finished eating and put her spoon down too.
"If you're done with rice, shall we head back? Ye-eun needs to lie down. I'll carry her, so…… if it's not too much trouble, could you grab some hangover relief meds?"
"Sure. Yeah, we should get going."
We settled the bill roughly, and I hoisted Kim Ye-eun up.
"Kuhhh……."
A faint groan, accompanied by the thick stench of alcohol. It was strong enough to get me buzzed just from the smell.
"Huuu……."
The rapid thump of a heartbeat against my ear. Climbing that hill again with a clear head was pure torture. No exaggeration—if you commuted this way daily, you'd never need extra cardio.
Someone had joked that my stamina had improved noticeably since starting college and hanging with Kim Ye-eun.
"Ah, cold!"
A sudden chill on my cheek made me flinch and shrink back.
"Your reaction's quicker than I expected?"
Kim Ye-eun's friend, now back in the room. She held something in her hand—melon-flavored ice cream, famous for its taste.
"Ice cream?"
"Grabbed it as dessert from the convenience store. You like it?"
Who hates ice cream? I took it, still a bit dazed.
"Oh, drink this first before that."
It was that hangover drink popping up in ads lately—effective but notoriously bitter.
"…Thanks. Cheers."
The instant I chugged it, bile rose in my throat. I ripped open the ice cream wrapper and shoveled in a big bite.
A battle of bitter versus sweet. No matter how intense the bitterness, it couldn't beat the ice cream's sugary bliss.
She'd bought the ice cream knowing the drink's taste—thoughtful, especially for a friend of the perpetually scatterbrained Kim Ye-eun. I could picture their dynamic.
Meanwhile, she'd gone into the room to give Ye-eun her dose. I heard gagging sounds—urp, hack, cough—so unlike me, Ye-eun got it straight, no chaser.
"Ye-eun looks like she'll crash again. Want to grab a coffee?"
Staying home felt awkward, but leaving without chatting felt off too. I nodded.
The cafe was just down from the house, up on the high hill, so the vibe was serene. Would business be good in a spot like this? The thought crossed my mind.
"Oh?"
"Not bad, right? The coffee."
"Yeah. Really good."
One sip, and I realized my worry was pointless. Nothing like the cheap college cafe brews costing a few thousand won. It had that light sweetness typical of budget coffee, but after swallowing, a thick, bittersweet chocolate note lingered on the palate.
Maybe I should try brewing my own sometime?
Cookie-making had started feeling repetitive lately. With good beans plus my Cooking Perk boost, it could turn out great. I'd struggled plenty with my first batch, so results would vary, but worth a shot.
"By the way, we haven't even exchanged names yet?"
"Oh, right. Things were hectic……. I'm Lee Jun-woo. Went to elementary, middle, and high with Ye-eun."
"I'm Jang Ha-rin. Same school as Ye-eun, and we're roommates. We're the same age, right? Wanna drop the formalities?"
She dove right in post-intro, bold as brass. Reminded me of Kim Ye-eun. She'd probably heard plenty about me from her.
No big deal switching to casual.
"…Sure. Yeah, cool."
Satisfied with my reply, she flashed a faint smile.
"I was a bit thrown off yesterday, but it's nice meeting like this."
"What is?"
"I was curious. Ye-eun's childhood friend. She'd talked about you a ton."
"Really?"
More than I thought. She wasn't one to gossip about friends to strangers.
Surprising.
"Yeah. I even knew your name."
"She didn't mention other friends?"
"Well……. With that Kang Min-jun guy, it's obvious at a glance……."
She averted her eyes.
Ah, right. That was how to tell us apart.
"Oh, no, Jun-woo, you're not invisible or anything……."
"……."
The more she spoke, the more awkward it got. She trailed off, tapping the table awkwardly.
"It's fine. My bad too."
"Yeah. Water under the bridge."
Silent agreement. We sipped our coffee in sync, like toasting with shots.
What a packed weekend. After that, midterm week flew by surprisingly smoothly.
Maybe because I'd studied ahead amid all the chaos, unlike usual. Even the night before my last three major exams didn't feel rushed. I got a full eight hours of sleep.
No all-nighter before exams? Felt weirdly off, being so fresh.
Usually, fatigue kept me laser-focused on one problem at a time. With mental leeway, random thoughts intruded, making it harder to concentrate.
"Ugh, finally over."
Back in my dorm after the last exam, I flopped onto the bed.
Customarily, you'd hit the town post-exams, but Kang Min-jun and Lee Soo-min still had theirs. Had to wait at least two days to party together.
"Ah……."
The group project replacing midterms, due next week. Message from the student handling research. Presentation prep and delivery were on me.
Originally not my part, but dropouts forced me into it. Classic campus drama: a CC couple breakup leading to military leave. That dopamine-rush gossip happened right in my group.
Hilarious in rumors, tragic up close.
Headache just thinking about it. I'd deal later—future me could plan.
"Oh yeah, gotta enlist soon……."
A problem I'd ignored till now.
In my past life, I'd done public service. Poor family, skinny from malnutrition, chronic minor ailments—no way for active duty.
But now? Wealthy background, sturdy build from good eating, no health issues. Active duty it was.
My first-semester physical came back Grade 1.
Two years in the army? No biggie for this second chance at a good life.
The real issue: this damn life counter.
Hovering around 50 days—body decline at 30, plus two weeks buffer. Enlist with this? Instant death.
I'd shrugged it off, confusing it with my past public service. Clear-headed now, it was a massive problem.
Needed to extend it by years, at minimum.
But how? If it were easy, I'd have done it already.
Cookies via Cooking Perk weren't enough anymore.
Needed something new, like that 15-day boost after meeting Kim Seo-yeon.
…….
I'd been denying it, but vaguely suspected why.
My phone buzzed sharply.
Kim Seo-yeon's message.
Flustered Jang Ha-rin (Image)
