16. A Sudden D-Day
16. A Sudden D-Day
"......That concludes our presentation. Thank you for listening."
With Ryu Baek-seol's final remarks, Han So-jeong and Choi Ha-na, who were standing beside her, bowed together in greeting.
Clap-clap-clap-
Listening to the somewhat mechanical-sounding applause, the three returned to their seats and sat down.
"Phew."
Baek-seol slumped back in her chair and let out a short sigh.
"You did great, unnie~"
"You worked hard, Baek-seol-ah."
So-jeong and Ha-na, both looking visibly tired, each added a comment.
They had anticipated it to some extent and had prepared accordingly.
Nevertheless, doing a group project presentation right after a week of midterms was quite a forced march.
"You two worked hard too."
Even Baek-seol, who always had a cool expression, said this while gently pressing her slightly puffy eyelids with her hand.
Since the trio's presentation was almost the last item on the agenda, the atmosphere in the lecture hall was gradually becoming restless.
In just a few more minutes, they could fully surrender their bodies to the warm spring sunlight. Free from worries about exams, assignments, and grades (at least for a little while).
Taking advantage of the classroom atmosphere, brimming with hope and expectation like dandelion seeds, So-jeong, Baek-seol, and Ha-na conversed in low voices while the next presenters prepared their PowerPoint.
"So, are your midterms completely over now, unnies?"
"Yeah. Ugh~ What a hassle this sudden group project was. Originally, we could have started resting since last weekend."
So-jeong melted onto the desk as she sighed.
"Hehe. But since we finished the presentation well, let's just think about having fun now. What are you guys doing after this? Want to go hang out together?"
"I'm going to sleep first. I feel like I haven't slept properly for the last few days."
As she said this, So-jeong vaguely planned to go home and masturbate all day, something she hadn't been able to do lately.
Baek-seol glanced sideways at So-jeong and Ha-na, who were chattering amiably.
Choi Ha-na was someone they met through this sudden group project.
Usually, people you meet through group projects return to being strangers (or worse) once the project is over, but Ha-na would probably want to stay close with So-jeong even after the project ended.
So-jeong seemed to like Ha-na too, and Baek-seol didn't dislike her either. Thanks to Ha-na constantly hanging out and talking to So-jeong, So-jeong had recently become brighter and more proactive in her interactions with both Ha-na and Baek-seol. It was something Baek-seol, given her personality, hadn't been very good at.
In conclusion, they could say they had made an unusually good connection through this group project. They probably wouldn't meet as often as they did during the project, but they would still hang out occasionally.
Thinking thoughts befitting the last day of summer camp, Baek-seol turned her eyes to the campus scenery outside the window.
The view outside was the very peak of spring. The bleak chill of winter had completely receded, and vibrant green was gradually filling its place. It was a sight that could make even someone like Baek-seol feel a little excited.
Time passed relentlessly in a daydream tinged with fatigue, and before they knew it, the professor was back on the podium instead of a presenting student.
"Alright. Everyone, you've worked hard. It was a rather sudden group project, but I'm pleased you all prepared so well."
'Then why did you assign it in the first place?'
But now it's over. Once the professor's boring and meaningless closing remarks are done, they would be free from all academic stress for a while.
"That concludes today's class. And,"
......But sometimes the world presents a reality so far from expectations it feels downright unfair.
"Han So-jeong, Ryu Baek-seol, and Choi Ha-na, could you see me for a moment after class?"
The daydream vanished like smoke, along with a sinking feeling in her chest.
***
There are a few situations one wants to avoid in university life.
And a professor calling out a student's name and singling them out is probably the least desirable of all those situations.
"......"
Han So-jeong watched the students streaming out of the lecture hall and wondered why she couldn't be among that crowd.
"Ah, you three."
When the person responsible for this finally spoke, three pairs of eyes, filled with confusion and resentment, turned toward him.
"The reason I called you aside is simply because your presentation was particularly better than the other students'."
"Ah, yes......"
Ha-na awkwardly tried to respond, but all three of them knew.
The professor hadn't called them just to offer praise.
"So, about that, I'd like to recommend an academic conference to you three. It could be a great opportunity."
So that's it.
Hearing the professor get to the main point, Ryu Baek-seol let out a deep, heavy sigh inwardly.
"This conference is a very prestigious one being held jointly by several academic societies and companies this time, and I was lucky enough to receive a recommendation slot for one team. It's a conference with considerable scale and recognition, so if you participate and achieve good results, it will definitely be a huge help in building your careers in this field......"
The professor continued to emphasize how beneficial participating in this conference would be, but none of it registered in the three students' minds.
"Um, Professor."
Baek-seol spoke up, as if making a final resistance.
"We appreciate the offer, but our schedules......"
"Hmm? But midterms are over, and the conference is on the weekend, so it should be fine, right?"
Anyone with a bit of university experience could tell by now.
That this professor would absolutely not back down.
Eventually, the three of them trudged out of the classroom, holding the conference pamphlets they'd been given. Not a speck of the hope and expectation from earlier remained.
"......Is that professor always that pushy?"
Once they were far enough from the classroom for the professor not to hear, Ha-na suddenly spoke up.
"Ahaha, he's not usually like that, but he's being particularly intense today."
"He says it's a good opportunity for us. He probably just wants to use us to move to a better position himself."
Baek-seol said this while crumpling the pamphlet in her hand and stuffing it into her bag.
"And the conference date is so soon too."
"There's not enough time to prepare anything new now, so let's just use the presentation we did today. Even if we win a prize, it won't be that much of a merit, contrary to what the professor said. It's not like winning a prize will make us lawyers, right?"
"Ahaha. Right?"
"I agree with Baek-seol. So for now, let's just rest, no matter what."
***
Being forced to participate in an academic conference right after midterms was truly misfortune upon misfortune, but Han So-jeong, Ryu Baek-seol, and Choi Ha-na, upon arriving at the conference venue, did manage to find one pretty good thing.
"This is our accommodation? Seriously?"
Ha-na muttered with her mouth agape, as if she couldn't believe it, and for a while, even So-jeong and Baek-seol couldn't help but doubt if they had come to the right address.
The academic conference, as the professor had said, was quite a large-scale event, spanning an overnight stay. The school provided accommodation for the three students representing the university.
So-jeong and Ha-na had initially joked that they'd be happy as long as they weren't sleeping on the street, but the accommodation they arrived at had an incredibly luxurious atmosphere.
"Wow, unnies, it says there's a hot spring here too!"
Ha-na, who had scurried ahead to look at the information board, shouted in an excited voice.
"......Does our school usually spend this much money?"
So-jeong asked Baek-seol, who was standing beside her, in a dazed voice.
"Or maybe that professor was just really desperate for this conference."
They didn't know the hidden circumstances, but pleased at the fact they could stay in such a nice place for free, the three checked in, dropped off their luggage, and headed to the conference venue.
Since their presentation was scheduled for the next day, on the first day at the venue, the trio were mostly busy being dragged around by the professor they met there, greeting people whose names they didn't know.
After barely finishing this task, which was perhaps even more exhausting than presenting, So-jeong and Ha-na returned to the accommodation completely worn out and collapsed on the floor.
"I'm never taking that professor's class again......"
"I feel the same......"
"So-jeong-ah, this is your last class with that professor, isn't it?"
"Oh yeah, that's right......"
They didn't even have the energy to eat dinner, but Ha-na mustered a superhuman will and got back up.
"If we just suffer like this and don't even enjoy the facilities and food at this nice accommodation, it's such a waste!"
Placing her hands on her hips, Ha-na declared loudly.
"So, let's go to the hot spring together!"
"Hot spring?"
At Ha-na's words, something suddenly occurred to So-jeong.
She had forgotten about its existence for a while due to the sudden academic conference, but it was a presence too weighty to simply ignore.
'Ah.'
A shudder of unease ran through her as So-jeong lamented inwardly.
'I can't go in with the two of them.'