They're Super Hyped, Gulping It Down
They were super hyped, swallowing hard.
He drove a Porsche and wore a Rolex—Park Woojin had taken notice because he was obsessed with that stuff. 'He's... in a whole different league.' Only then did Park Woojin spot the watch wrapped around Shin Jaewoo's wrist. 'That's... a Patek Philippe!'
It wasn't just the car overwhelming him. Rolex held the top spot in popular recognition among luxury men's watches. But even Rolex had to bow its head before the brand of that Patek Philippe up ahead.
Completely KO'd. He realized he'd misjudged him.
'It's not just that he's good-looking.' Now he got why a woman like Moon Sojeong was watching his every move. A reaction totally opposite to the couple(?) Kim Sohyeon and Park Woojin.
"So, Sohyeon, you're a senior?"
"Yeah. Next year, I'll have to graduate, but I'm worried. Honestly, our university isn't that well-known..."
The reason for Korea's intense education fever. Even now in Korea, companies often looked at the school name when hiring. Emphasis on school ties, regional ties, blood ties. And in that mix, the university on one's final degree became crucial.
'Everything changes based on the university.'
It wasn't unreasonable for Kim Sohyeon to speak bitterly.
"Honestly, to get into a good company, you have to go to Seoul... Even with a Baekje University name tag in Daejeon, landing a job in Seoul is tough."
Not even a provincial national university—if it was a private one, the world dismissed it outright. She let out a sigh.
"Sigh. But even within Daejeon, Baekje University isn't really acknowledged well."
Shin Jaewoo knew that vibe all too well. He'd been the same way.
"It's worse for us. The foundation's a total mess right now, and there are rumors that our students caused that fire at the school..."
The tail end of what she added was the biggest issue. The foundation director embezzling was one thing, and the school being poor was fine. That was the school's problem.
'But if students set the school on fire...'
Students who committed arson. Which company would want to hire them?
"...That's fatal. So, is the rumor true?"
"It is. They didn't play with fire or anything, but cigarettes were the problem. Not putting it out properly was bad enough, but then tossing it in the trash..."
"And that trash can was the ignition point?"
"Yeah. Lots of paper and stuff, so the cigarette ember spread, or whatever... Why smoke indoors in the first place?"
From her tone, Kim Sohyeon didn't smoke. Anyway, that explained why she studied at the library every day.
"So, I'm prepping for the civil service exam..."
The best job a Baekje University student could aim for. The upper ranks led straight to national or local government.
But even that had issues.
"Sigh. I'm not that great at studying, though."
Layer upon layer of mountains. If she'd been smart, she wouldn't have ended up at Baekje University in the first place.
'Her situation's serious.'
With graduation looming for Kim Sohyeon, all her worries circled back to jobs. Her heart had already left the school.
Even so, Shin Jaewoo asked once more.
"Anything else about the school that bugs you?"
A pretty direct question from Shin Jaewoo.
"The school? Well... the scholarships are way too small."
Listening to her, he could tell. 'She's a total penny-pincher.'
Shin Jaewoo nodded. That explained why she was eating at the school cafeteria now.
Once the dam broke, she poured it all out.
"And who puts a cafeteria right above the library?"
"That inconvenient?"
"The soundproofing sucks."
"With all those stairs, I figured inter-floor noise wouldn't be bad..."
Kim Sohyeon chuckled at Shin Jaewoo's words. The answer came from beside him.
"...When you're in the library, you hear students heading to the cafeteria a lot. You hear some noise from above too, but meal times are the worst—it's super rowdy."
Meal times meant a rush to the cafeteria. And that atmosphere wasn't quiet.
"Ah."
Shin Jaewoo let out a sound of realization.
Students chatting and laughing on their way. That noise leaking into the library.
"And there's more inter-floor noise than you'd think. Not sure if it's from the ceiling or windows, but the clanging from food prep and dishwashing seeps into the library bit by bit."
This time from Kim Sohyeon.
'Lots to fix.'
First off, separate the library and cafeteria. Shin Jaewoo nodded as he listened.
'Demolish the kitchen entirely, turn the cafeteria into... a reading room?'
The building itself was way too outdated anyway. Shin Jaewoo glanced around.
He wanted to just tear down to the library and rebuild. But everything had its order.
'Games make this easy.'
In games, pay money and instant build. Not in reality.
"Honestly, the cafeteria's filthy and worn out too."
Park Woojin, who'd been quiet till then, chimed in.
"If the interior was nicer, it'd actually feel good to use it... What is this?"
He loved showing off. That personality shone through now.
'Hmm.'
Shin Jaewoo nodded at his words. He'd thought the same earlier.
"Anything else on your mind?"
"The biggest issue is around here. You saw on the way, hyungnim? Nothing's here."
Kim Sohyeon shot her hand up at that.
"Right. The buses to school suck too."
"...No buses?"
"There are. But how many do you think run from Daejeon to here a day?"
Buses from Gongju city or Daejeon to Baekje University.
"Only one from Daejeon to Baekje University. And the interval's 98 minutes..."
One hour forty minutes between buses.
'Whoa.'
Hard not to feel inconvenienced.
"Or go to Gongju and transfer. More buses from there, but you're still looping back... Takes the same time."
Mountain after mountain. This showed exactly why Baekje University lacked popularity.
'Departments exist, but no professors for the majors.'
Moon Sojeong's words still shocked him. And what these two students said.
"A college town needs stuff, right? That's the romance of college life..."
Park Woojin's barren surroundings around campus. Kim Sohyeon's few bus lines, cafeteria messing up library use, etc.
'Can't exactly add bus lines myself...'
There were ways. Shin Jaewoo's lips curved up.
'Run a shuttle bus.'
Free for any student or staff. Time to plan those routes. And gather that many buses.
'Buy good ones.'
Plenty of empty land around. Perfect for university expansion. Greenbelt restrictions might apply, but a parking lot for buses should be fine.
'Still, campus expansion seems necessary...'
No convenience facilities, really. Or maybe because they're young college kids.
"No fun spots around school. No bars, karaoke, bowling, billiards..."
No PC bangs, no karaoke, no bowling alleys. No bars either. Everything lacking.
Not the school's job exactly, but worth a shot.
'A cafe at least...'
Discuss with everyone. Need to check the area first. But he got their pain points.
"Okay. If something new popped up at school first, what would you want?"
"Eh, like that'd happen?"
"You never know."
Moon Sojeong was on leave already, Kim Sohyeon graduating soon. Park Woojin was the one who'd benefit.
"Well... Honestly, a place to drink, but since you said school..."
He pondered. Funny guy.
'Dropped the hint, but he won't say it outright.'
He'd started calling him 'hyungnim' first. Shin Jaewoo had casually gone informal with Park Woojin since then.
And what Park Woojin said.
"Too many things I want to be honest... But I always wanted to try a club in college."
"Club?"
"Yeah. Y'know in Japanese manga, all those 'something club' things? No clubs in high school, so I figured college would have more, more active ones."
Shin Jaewoo nodded vigorously. Park Woojin was outgoing and social. Made sense.
"Club rooms and activity funds? Stuff like that."
Club rooms as facilities.
"Oh, and rebuild the cafeteria nicer. More upscale vibe?"
"Agreed. Separate it from the library."
Kim Sohyeon backed him up.
"What... Us ranting here won't make it happen."
Shin Jaewoo smiled. 'I can make it happen.'
What was so hard?
"I see..."
"And tear down that eyesore performance hall outside ASAP."
'They're super hyped.'
Moon Sojeong felt a bit frustrated. Shin Jaewoo was enjoying chatting with the two (Kim Sohyeon and Park Woojin).
Even during the meal, same deal. Especially with Park Woojin—they were suddenly thick as thieves, spouting wild ideas.
"How about this? Build one big structure—pool in the basement, then on ground level, cram in cafeteria, cafes, PC bang, bowling, karaoke, movie theater, everything."
"Hahaha. That'd be awesome? Wow, even one building like that at our uni would make it less suffocating."
"Right?"
How much to build one building like that, and who'd foot the bill? Pure fantasy.
"The performance hall... Don't leave it as an eyesore—tear it down, rebuild as a museum or art gallery."
"Kuh. Honestly, over something static like that, I'd take a gym."
"Oh, gym's good too. New library."
Their fantasy list kept going.
"Hyungnim, how about this? Instead of just a pool, stick a water park in that spot you mentioned."
"Hmm. Not bad. Separate pool elsewhere, water park in there too."
Totally insane conversation.