Chapter 72: Exam Period (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: Exam Period (3)
“Let’s wrap up the lesson here...”
With about ten minutes left in class, the teacher tapped his book against the lectern and continued.
“For your performance assessment, the second-year students will be producing a short film.”
The moment had finally come. The reaction from the class was more or less uniform—everyone had been expecting this.
“Form your teams and submit the list before class ends. This will weigh heavily on your grades, so prepare thoroughly.”
With that, the teacher sat in the chair beside the lectern, signaling he wouldn’t be getting involved any further. One by one, the students stood up and began wandering around in search of teammates.
“Seung-ho, you’ll do it with me, right?”
Shin A-young quickly approached my side.
“Yeah.”
Naturally, I accepted. It wasn’t like I had anyone else to work with. As I was forming a team with her...
— “Ugh, she’s with Lee Seung-ho again. I was going to try and team up with her this time.”
— “Wait, are those two... dating...? No way, right...?”
I could hear the grumbling thoughts of the boys in the other rows. By now, I was used to it enough to ignore them calmly.
“Hmm...” Shin A-young trailed off for a moment.
— “I’m fine with just us, but... it’ll be hard on Seung-ho if it’s just the two of us.”
As she thought, there were only two of us in the group. This was a major-specific class, so Ji Nuri, who was in Practical Music, and Lee Sol, who was in Acting and Modeling, weren't here.
“Wait here. I’ll go find some other teammates.”
As if on autopilot, Shin A-young took the lead. Watching her, I realized something: this was actually quite convenient. Teammates were gathering even if I just stayed still.
“I brought some people.”
Shin A-young returned in no time.
‘...That was fast.’
She had walked off, exchanged a few words, and brought back two others.
“This is Kim Jimin, and this is Choi Hyun-woo. They’re both from Class 1. They’re in the Drama Club with me,” Shin A-young introduced them.
No wonder she was so fast; she must have been able to recruit them quickly because they were acquaintances. The two of them gave me a polite nod.
— “...Plus, those two are dating.”
Shin A-young’s Mini-Me nodded with a satisfied smile, as if that was the most important detail.
“...”
I checked the time. There were about five minutes left.
“Since we’re all here, should we divide the roles?”
Since time was short, I decided we should at least settle that much.
“...Actually, there isn’t much to divide, but let’s just get it organized.”
The fact that the people she brought were from the Drama Club meant their roles were practically set.
“You two are the actors.”
The two nodded as if they expected it. It seemed they had no intention of doing anything else.
“I’ll handle the camera and directing, and the script will be—”
“I’ll do it.”
Shin A-young raised her hand. I nodded.
“That settles it, then?”
Surprisingly, Shin A-young was good at writing. I heard she hadn't entered the school as an actor during admissions. That made sense, considering she was an aspiring scriptwriter, not an actress.
‘I was a bit surprised when I first found out...’
But thinking about it now, it was only natural. Shin A-young felt burdened by the attention of others. There was no way she could be an actress. She said she joined the Drama Club specifically because she wanted to write scripts.
‘...The team composition is actually pretty good.’
I nodded, feeling inwardly satisfied. This was more than enough.
Back home, I was looking through a video editing program when...
“...Huh?”
Something went wrong with the computer. The screen flickered strangely before shutting off completely.
“Ah, crap...”
Thump, thump. I tried tapping the case, but it wouldn't turn on. The PC, which had finally given up the ghost, lost all function and reached the end of its life.
“I know I've used it for a long time, but...”
It was so old I couldn't even remember when I bought it. Still, I didn't expect it to just die like this. It was a flustering situation.
‘I guess I’ll have to go to a PC cafe to work on the project.’
There was no other choice. Even if I could handle the assignment that way for now, I needed to get a new computer.
‘If I’m getting one, I want to upgrade to something good.’
Video editing was a task that required significant performance.
‘Let’s see...’
I checked my bank balance on my phone. I had earned a decent amount from the event last time, but it was a bit short of what I needed for a high-spec computer.
‘Is there anyone I can borrow money from...’
Only one person came to mind.
‘It has to be Lee Seung-ah.’
My expression hardened as I thought of her. My parents wouldn't give me money for just anything. They were basically hands-off parents; they didn't interfere much, but in return, they expected us to handle things on our own.
This was the only way.
“...”
Knock, knock—
I knocked on Lee Seung-ah’s door. I called out to her in the softest tone possible.
“...Seung-ah, do you have a minute?”
— Come in.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
“...”
Sitting at her desk, Lee Seung-ah spun her chair around.
“What?”
Her brow was furrowed. She didn't look like she was in a very good mood. It was probably because I had worked her hard at the gym yesterday.
— “...I can tell just by looking at him that he wants a favor.”
Her Mini-Me let out a huff of laughter, its expression immediately turning smug. Sharp little thing.
“Ahem...”
I cleared my throat and asked tentatively.
“...Could you maybe lend me some money?”
“No.”
That was a very fast and firm answer.
— “Wow, look at him being so bold about it.”
Her tone was full of disbelief. I figured she’d say that. It was an expected response, to some extent. However, I couldn't just back down like this.
“I’ll definitely pay you back by next month. Is there any way?”
“Hmm...”
— “I kind of don't want to lend it to him.”
The Mini-Me scratched its belly with a dissatisfied face. It looked completely uninterested. It didn't look like this would work. I had no choice but to offer a deal.
“I’ll let you skip one more day of exercise a week.”
“...”
A spark of interest instantly appeared in Lee Seung-ah’s eyes.
“...When?”
“Every Monday.”
Since Sunday was a regular rest day, including Monday would make it two days in a row.
“...”
Lee Seung-ah tilted her head slightly. She seemed to be weighing the offer.
— “That’s not bad.”
The Mini-Me nodded in satisfaction.
“So, how much do you need?”
Lee Seung-ah leaned her chin on her hand leisurely. She spoke with the kind of expression you’d see in a noir film.
— “I’ve always wanted to try doing something like this.”
I guess this was something she’d always wanted to do.
......
“Sigh.”
I sat cross-legged on my bed, lost in thought. Now that I’d borrowed the money, I had to work.
‘Finding a part-time job isn’t easy.’
It was even harder because I was a high school student.
“Ah.”
I finally found a part-time job I could do: a fast-food restaurant. They said they didn't care about age. I already had a health certificate from a previous job, so that was fine. This was the only job I could get near here right now. There were no other options.
‘It’s a bit of a distance from home, but...’
It wasn't a big deal. I could just think of it as exercise and run there. I immediately contacted them.
— Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.
[Part-time Job]
An alarm with that name went off. Ha Seo-rim turned off the alarm while putting on her shoes. It was her usual routine.
“I put dinner in the fridge, so heat it up and eat. Don’t just eat ramen again like last time just because you’re alone, okay?”
“Ugh, I get it already!”
Ha Seo-rim’s two younger brothers grumbled for her to stop nagging. But her nagging didn't end. How could she not be worried about kids who were only in their first year of middle school?
Her parents weren't home because they both worked, and she came home late every evening because of her part-time job. She couldn't help but worry.
“Finish all your homework today.”
“We said we get it. Just go already.”
“Fine, keep an eye on the house.”
Ha Seo-rim stepped out the front door.
— Beep-beep. Beep-beep.
At that moment, the digital door lock let out a low battery warning.
‘...I’ll have to change the batteries too.’
She’d have to tell them later. She could practically hear her parents’ voices complaining about how there were so many things to spend money on.
“Whew...”
She let out a light breath. Ha Seo-rim ran toward her workplace as usual. She did it because she wanted to save on bus fare; using the bus all the time added up to a significant amount. Besides, running like this was good exercise.
“Huff, huff...!”
Ha Seo-rim slowed her pace as she neared her destination. Her breathing was a bit heavy.
“...”
She pulled out her phone to check her bank balance. It was her way of recharging her energy before starting work. Looking at it, a satisfied smile naturally formed on her face.
‘Almost there.’
She had saved almost all the money she wanted. She was working this job because she wanted to buy a new bass guitar. To be honest, her family’s financial situation wasn't great. She couldn't bring herself to ask her parents for money.
‘But I’ve almost saved enough.’
This would be over soon.
“Mate Ha Seo-rim, checking in for duty~!”
Ha Seo-rim entered through the back door and greeted the staff inside energetically. It was the standard greeting for the store where she worked.
“Oh, Seo-rim. You’re early today?”
The manager, who was moving boxes inside, greeted her.
“I wanted to take over the shift early. Was it busy today?”
“A bit?”
She figured it would be, since it was Friday evening.
‘...The older girl must be completely exhausted.’
She could easily imagine the face of the girl working the shift before her. It was better to head in quickly. Ha Seo-rim gave him a polite bow.
“I’ll head in now.”
“Right, good luck~”
The manager was about to go on his way when he stopped. He called Ha Seo-rim back, saying he’d forgotten something.
“A new hire is coming today. When he arrives, show him the ropes.”
“Huh? Is it a girl?”
“No. Not a girl. They’re thinking of putting him in the front hall later once he gets used to things.”
The fact that they were thinking of putting him in the hall meant he was likely quite good-looking.
“Of course, not right away. But since you’re in the hall too, I wanted you to know.”
“Got it!”
Ha Seo-rim answered energetically. Even if she didn't feel that way, she made sure to act like it.
“Hello~”
Clomp, clomp— Ha Seo-rim changed into her uniform in the break room and came out. As she passed the trays and headed into the hall, she saw the older girl there, looking like she was about to collapse.
“Seo-rim, you’re here...?”
She looked back at Ha Seo-rim with a weary smile.
“Nothing special happened today, right?”
“Yeah, no issues.”
“Confirmed.”
After finishing the handover process, Ha Seo-rim took her place in the hall.
“Ugh— phew, finally I can rest.”
“Good work today.”
“I’m heading out then, good luck~”
“Yes, good work!”
Ha Seo-rim watched her leave with a slightly envious look. Even though she had just clocked in, she felt that way.
‘Let’s see...’
There weren't many customers yet. She decided to clean the hall before the rush started and was wiping the tables when...
“Hi, Seo-rim.”
A male senior coworker approached with a subtle smile. He was a year older and attended a high school nearby. He must have just arrived, as he was still in his street clothes.
“...Hello.”
Ha Seo-rim gave a slightly troubled smile.
“I’m going to go buy some coffee before I start. What do you want?”
“Ah... I don't really like coffee.”
At some point, he had started trying to make small talk while she was working, which was exhausting. It made her lose focus, and she’d end up getting scolded by the manager for no reason. Ha Seo-rim looked away and scrubbed the table hard. It was a signal for him not to talk to her right now.
“Really? Then something else is fine too.”
He continued to ask, oblivious.
“I’m really okay.”
“Is there really nothing you like? I’m buying.”
He was persistent. If she accepted a favor like this, he would definitely use it as an excuse to ask her to buy him a drink next time. She also didn't like being indebted to others.
“Mate Ha Seo-rim?”
Just then, the manager called her.
“Yes, coming!”
Ha Seo-rim scurried over. She didn't miss the chance to escape.
“Oh, you’re here.”
The manager gave Ha Seo-rim a kind smile. He pointed behind him with his thumb.
“This is the guy who’s starting today.”
“Hello. My name is Lee Seung-ho. I look forward to working with you.”
“Ah, me too...”
She was about to greet him naturally when...
“?”
Her head snapped up. Ha Seo-rim’s mouth hung open silently.
“...Oh.”
“...”
It was the same for the other person. Lee Seung-ho faced her with a strange expression.
...Sigh.
Ha Seo-rim barely managed to suppress the sigh that was about to escape.
Seriously, what was with today?