Course Registration
Course Registration
"Drive safely..."
"I got it, so don't worry, okay? You're the one who needs to watch her drinking, noona."
As I was about to leave the house, A-ra came out to the front door,
straightening my clothes with the expression of a mother sending her son off.
Since A-ra apparently had plans with her group members today,
and I figured I'd go meet up with some friends, I ended up heading out first.
"Your noona doesn't drink until she passes out, unlike you."
"Ugh..."
To think she'd dredge up a memory I was gradually trying to forget.
It seemed A-ra was the type to hold a grudge a little longer than I'd expected.
"Then, take care."
"I'll see you later."
I gave A-ra a light kiss on the lips.
It was a daily routine, but because I left first and A-ra would follow later, we were facing opposite directions, which gave it a slightly different feeling.
After our lips parted, I saw her wave one hand lazily, and only then did I open the front door and step outside.
Maybe it was because it was already late August, but the weather was murderously hot. Although it wouldn't have bothered me a bit until last year, this year I just couldn't seem to adjust.
Was it because I only ever stayed in air-conditioned spaces?
Just thinking about turning on the AC when I got to the car later already made my heart flutter.
I had bought the car to live comfortably, so I should make good use of it.
With a wide smile, I got on the elevator and pressed the button for the underground parking garage.
***
I stopped the car where the two were waiting and rolled down the window.
When I rolled down the window, I couldn't help but find their blank, staring expressions truly remarkable.
Was it because a guy who had just gotten his license a month ago had driven up? And in a brand new car, to boot.
To mess with them even more as they stared with those funny expressions, I decided to copy what Eun-ji had done before.
"Hey, get in."
"What's a guy doing going 'hey, get in'."
Jeong-hwan chuckled and opened the passenger door, getting in.
Lee Min-ho looked around the entire car with curiosity before climbing into the back seat.
"What kind of 20-year-old buys a Porsche..."
"Huh? This is a Porsche?"
"It's a Porsche Cayenne..."
Jeong-hwan seemed to have little interest in cars.
Come to think of it, I'd been pretty shocked too when I found out Porsche made SUVs. And apparently, it was the dutiful daughter that kept the company alive on the brink of bankruptcy.
"Your insurance premiums must be insane, right?"
"Probably. I don't know the exact amount though."
"...Right. You're rich."
"Not me, my wife is the rich one. Buckle up."
When I told the two to buckle up because we were leaving, I soon heard the 'click' of the buckles.
The basics of driving started with buckling your seatbelt.
"Is the missus at home?"
"She went out a while ago, said she's drinking with the members today."
Not sure what the occasion was, but she got calls from Yeji noona and Eun-ji in succession, then left saying she might be a bit late today.
Since she told me not to worry because her manager would be with her and she didn't need a pickup, I just made a quick check-in call and headed out too.
Because, you know, she might have told a white lie so I wouldn't worry for nothing.
"Come to think of it, didn't you say Hwa-young was flying back in today after finishing her schedule?"
"Hwa-young? She's coming back today?"
"You don't even know when your own wife's group member is coming back?"
Lee Min-ho laughed wryly and flicked my forehead, calling me undutiful.
I was about to set off, but the spot hurt so much I let go of the steering wheel.
Hwa-young was one of the four members of Queens and the same age as A-ra.
I knew she was A-ra's best friend since kindergarten, and that she became an idol together with A-ra, who came up to the city from the countryside.
They were especially close, so even when we were dating before marriage, I saw her often at A-ra's place... or did I?
Anyway, she had left the country before A-ra and I registered our marriage, for an overseas movie shoot or something like that, and was only now returning after about five months.
"Lee Min-ho. Recite Hwa-young's profile for me."
"Subjective or objective?"
"Objective."
"Seong Hwa-young, born in 1996, Year of the Rat. Graduated from Geumjeong Elementary, Geumjeong Middle, dropped out of Geumjeong High, passed the qualification exam.... (omitted) Starred as the lead in the Hollywood film 'Devenge'...."
"Did you memorize the whole profile?"
Jeong-hwan stared at Lee Min-ho with a horrified expression from beside him.
There couldn't be many idol otaku like that. How did he find all that out from the little information shown on internet broadcasts or TV shows? The internet really was a scary place.
"Want me to recite A-ra-nim's too? The first part is similar."
"No."
I should know my wife the best. What would I do with her profile?
"Let's get going now."
"Ooh..."
And so, chatting noisily, we headed to our first destination.
***
The first place we arrived at was a large PC bang near the school.
With a capacity of 300 seats, this large PC bang was very popular because its computers were good and its internet was fast.
On top of that, the hourly rate was cheap, and the food you could order was plentiful, inexpensive, and delicious.
I used to come here often, dragged by Jeong-hwan and Lee Min-ho during our breaks between classes.
Normally, I would have ended up watching Qtube since I had no games to play, but today I came with a purpose.
"What electives are you taking?"
"I'm taking the mandatory English, Japanese, and... Introduction to Masculinity Studies?"
"What on earth is that?"
"You don't know? It's a 3-credit class, but the class time is short, and I heard they grade generously, so I'm thinking of signing up."
Since there was still time left before course registration, I was rearranging the lectures I wanted to take.
Credits outside of my major amounted to 9.
Excluding the 1-credit mandatory and the 2-credit English, that left 6 credits, so I needed to take about three general electives.
I had checked Japanese for now, but what was this Introduction to Masculinity Studies?
Was it like the Women's Studies courses from that other world?
"There's no condition like only men can take it, right?"
"That's not what Introduction to Masculinity Studies is."
Lee Min-ho started explaining precisely what it was.
Simply put, it was an academic field that explored the fundamental differences between men and women from a historical perspective.
That sounds interesting in its own way. I had been curious about what kind of upbringing the women in this world had that allowed them to exert such strength with so little muscle.
"Then I should take Introduction to Masculinity Studies too."
"It's super popular, so you have to find it first and add it right away."
"Is it that bad?"
"The credits are high, they grade well, and classes are short. Plus, they don't even take electronic attendance, so it's popular."
"Where do you even find out about this stuff?"
"From my upperclassmen?"
Lee Min-ho shrugged his shoulders.
Maybe it was because he was close with his seniors that he'd heard so many useful things. He knew everything from exam archives to honey tips, which honestly made him seem a little impressive.
"What's impressive? He's just a guy following women around, drinking with them and such."
"You make it sound weird saying it like that."
"You are weird, you know."
"Hey, don't fight in front of everyone."
How could these guys have so little shame? Before I knew it, people's eyes were converging on the two who had gotten loud, and on me, who was with them.
"What are you going to do if you get posted on a community site as 'PC bang nuisance guys'?!"
"Don't worry, don't worry. On course registration day, guys can be a little bit of a nuisance and it's okay. Look over there."
In the direction Lee Min-ho pointed, a few guys were standing around, looking lost and glancing about.
They seemed to have no idea what to do or how to do it.
"There are guys here for the first time at a PC bang because of course registration, so who's going to say anything just because we talked a bit?"
"Well, PC bangs are kind of a girl thing. Guys don't usually come together."
"Then what are we?"
"Guys who are like girls?"
Lee Min-ho chuckled, as if he found his own joke funny.
In contrast, Jeong-hwan pressed his hand to his forehead, as if holding back a headache, and let out a sigh.
"*Sigh*... More importantly, the server's about to open, so get ready."
"Already?"
The clock had definitely pointed to 1 o'clock when we came in, but now it was pointing to 2:25.
Since my first-semester schedule had been pre-arranged, this was my first time doing course registration itself, so I felt a bit nervous and on edge.
'What happens if I mess up my timetable?'
"You take a leave of absence."
"Seriously?"
"...Well, I guess you'll be fine since you have a car."
"Ah, because of the lecture halls..."
Because the campus is so vast, for students' convenience, elective classes tended to be clustered in one area and major classes in another. But apparently, if you were careless in making your schedule, you could end up with lectures in rooms you couldn't physically reach during the break time.
That was why seniors supposedly called those people 'Time Wizards' with all due respect.
"I'm telling you, it's not something to laugh about."
"Krhmm...."
But it was still funny. 'With all due respect,' my ass. It was 100% mockery.
"You two, make sure to log in in advance. I hear sometimes the login server crashes and you can't even connect before it's all over."
"*Sigh*... I'm nervous..."
After that, I sat still in my seat, watching the server clock and quietly waiting for each passing second.
Likewise, the previously noisy interior of the PC bang fell quiet, with only the clicking of mice and keyboards echoing throughout.
In the short moments ahead, the shape of my next half-year would be decided. Just thinking about it made me gulp nervously, and I began to feel an overwhelming pressure, like my brain was going to melt.
Hoo... Hoo...