The Freshman Boot Camp
Seongsam Group headquarters, main conference room.
Silence fell after the head of the Future Innovation Office made his proposal, but Vice Chairman Lee Jaeyoung quickly made up his mind.
“I’ll report Mr. Kim’s points to Chairman Lee and seek his approval. I’ll also bring up Another Technology. For now, though, we’re dealing with Google, so the rest of you should prepare the practical side.”
“Yes, sir!”
It was the moment South Korea’s number one company swallowed its pride and decided to join hands with Google for the sake of survival.
How long the negotiations would take, however, was still something no one knew.
Mid-February.
I finally received the acceptance letter I’d been waiting for from Hankuk University.
It was only natural, given that I’d scored a perfect mark on the CSAT, but my parents were overjoyed.
They even framed the acceptance letter and hung it in the most visible spot in the living room.
While I hadn’t been especially busy, Zero and Vincent had been working hard.
Vincent came to Korea with an interpreter and wrapped up the purchase process for the Gangnam building, and the hiring of the early employees Zero had selected was also completed.
The staff had been chosen strictly for ability and reputation.
Skill in the field, not school pedigree.
At the same time, we were preparing to launch features like stickers and emojis on FreeChat.
For now, we planned to focus on the Japanese market rather than North America or Europe.
Oh, and in between, there was graduation, though nothing particularly notable happened.
Probably because I’d gotten a perfect score on the CSAT, I received my diploma as the representative graduate, and that was about it—aside from the fact that Geum Taeyeong, my only friend, didn’t even show up to graduation.
Anyway, after all that—after winter passed while I kept up my now-habitual routine of working out and keeping an eye on the business—I was finally standing before my first official university event.
It was the pre-enrollment MT, the freshman orientation camp, called the “Freshman Boot Camp.”
“Son, did you pack everything properly? You didn’t forget anything, right?”
Just as I was heading out the front door, my mother asked me.
I patted the bag slung over my shoulder and answered.
It was the bag I used when I went to the gym—a surprisingly spacious one for its size, since it could hold a lot of things.
“It’s just a two-night, three-day trip. I didn’t really need to pack much.”
“Still, check again. You packed shampoo and a toothbrush, right?”
“I packed everything.”
When I smiled as I spoke, my mother finally nodded.
“And don’t drink too much at the MT. Don’t just take whatever the upperclassmen hand you.”
“Don’t worry. I don’t really drink much.”
From my mother’s point of view, it probably felt unsettling to send off her son to his first MT.
Seohee, standing beside her, muttered, “...Aren’t the university girls more dangerous than the alcohol?”
“What was that?”
“...Nothing.”
She said it with a strangely aloof expression, but still smiled and added one last thing.
“Have a safe trip, Oppa! And like Mom said, don’t get too drunk!”
“Yeah, I’ll be back. I’m heading out.”
“Have a good trip!”
Click.
I closed the door, went outside, and pressed the elevator button.
Then I opened my phone and checked the text message that had come in for me.
It was about the freshman orientation MT.
[omitted]
Be sure to bring sneakers!
The rest of the message wasn’t anything special either.
All it said was that this year’s freshman orientation would be held for two nights and three days at a resort in Gangwon Province, and that everyone would gather at the College of Engineering sports field before departing together.
The only thing that seemed a little unusual was... the insistence on bringing sneakers.
I had no idea why they wanted sneakers specifically.
Maybe they were planning some kind of games at the MT.
I’d never met this upperclassman named Lee Jinwoo, but just from the text alone, he seemed cheerful enough.
If he was the student president, he probably had plenty of popularity, too.
Ding.
I got off the elevator, left the apartment complex, and took a taxi from the main road.
“Hankuk University, please.”
It took about two hours to get from my house to the school.
That was because traffic was heavy on a weekday morning.
Zero, you were right. It was a good idea to leave a little early. Thanks.
「Thank you, Master.」
I got out of the taxi and walked to the College of Engineering sports field, the designated meeting point.
Thankfully, the taxi driver let me off near the field, so I had no trouble finding it, but...
...Something about this feels off.
This “Freshman Boot Camp” was an MT for new students.
So I’d expected a bright, lively atmosphere.
I’d even been looking forward to those subtle glances exchanged between male and female freshmen.
But.
A sea of black padded jackets filled the field.
Wherever I looked, there were men. Men here, men there.
“Brr, it’s cold.”
“Ugh...”
“Can we get on the bus?”
“Hurry up and move that soju! We’re leaving in a minute!”
“Hey, there’s no room for the beer crates!”
“Who are you gonna sit on your knees? You carry it yourself!”
“Huh?”
...This is the MT? Not basic training?
As expected of an engineering college, the place was wall-to-wall men.
There were a few female students here and there, but they were truly a handful.
「Master. This year, the male-to-female ratio among freshmen at Hankuk University’s College of Engineering is 43:1. This is a year with an especially large gender imbalance compared to the average.」
...43:1?
「Yes. And in the Department of Computer Science, which you belong to, there is exactly one female student among sixty freshmen. However, she is not attending this event.」
...So our department is all men?
「That is correct. Except for the vice student president.」
Whoosh.
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
Of course, I hadn’t come to the MT expecting romance.
Getting swept into some love story on the first day of a school event was the kind of thing that only happened in novels, wasn’t it?
But this was a little too much.
Well... maybe there’s some charm in hanging out with guys, too.
I decided to stay positive.
Steeling myself, I headed toward the bus marked Computer Science Department.
At the bus.
Standing by the entrance was a female student wearing a department jacket that said “Computer Science Student Council.”
When I noticed the number “07” on her shoulder, I figured she must be a senior from the Class of 07.
“Hello, senior.”
“!”
When I greeted her, the girl flinched and looked back.
“G-Geez, you startled me.”
“Oh... sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Round glasses, a ponytail, and a small, cute appearance—she was the kind of senior who only came up to around my chest in height. If it hadn’t been for the “07” on her jacket, I would never have guessed she was a senior.
When I bowed my head, she waved a hand and said, “No, it’s okay! Are you a freshman in Computer Science, Class of 09?”
“Yes. I’m Kim Dohyun.”
“Kim Dohyun? ...Oh, you’re the one who got a perfect score on the CSAT!”
Perfect score?
Everyone at Hankuk University had probably studied hard enough to make a name for themselves, so the way she said it made it sound like perfect scorers were still pretty rare.
“Nice to meet you! I’m An Seohee, vice student president, Class of 07. Here, take your name tag. You can get on this bus!”
“Yes, thank you.”
An Seohee stepped aside, and I boarded the bus.
Tap. Tap.
The bus was quiet.
...
...
...
...
...
The male students filling the seats either stared awkwardly into space, played on their phones, or looked blankly out the window.
Even the air itself felt heavy—a textbook silence of a male-dominated group.
...This really does feel like the army.
I sat down in an empty seat.
Somehow, it felt like the college life I’d imagined was slipping further and further away from me.
“Uh... can I sit next to you?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
— That was the only conversation I had on the bus.
I said it to a glasses-wearing classmate who asked to sit beside me.
The guy beside me hesitated for a moment, then started playing a game on his phone.
Just like that, my first MT looked like it was off to a pretty lousy start.
But then, an unexpected savior appeared.
Rattle—!
The front door of the bus opened, and a broad-shouldered student climbed aboard.
Short hair, thick eyebrows, and sharp eyes.
He looked more like a physical education major than an engineering student—like someone who trained hard all the time.
He stood in the middle of the aisle and grabbed the microphone.
“Ahem, microphone testttt! Can everybody hear meeee!”
“...?”
“...?”
“...?”
“...?”
At that booming voice, the students slowly lifted their heads and came back to life.
“Hello! I’m Lee Jinwoo, Class of 06, student president of the 2009 Computer Science Department!”
His powerful voice shook the whole bus.
“...Hello.”
“Hello...”
When the freshmen answered in barely audible voices, Lee Jinwoo frowned and shook his head.
“Huh?! Why is everyone so dead? It’s your first college MT—you should be a little more excited!”
“...”
“Haha! Fine, I get it. You’re all awkward because it’s the first time meeting, and there aren’t any girls, so you’re disappointed, right? I know that feeling. I was the same way! Hahahaha!”
At his words, little bursts of laughter rippled through the bus.
The mood seemed to lighten a bit.
“First, before we set off, I’m going to briefly explain the schedule for this two-night, three-day Freshman Boot Camp, so listen up. First day is...”
Lee Jinwoo’s explanation of the first day’s itinerary was simple.
After arriving at the resort, they’d check attendance, go to the main auditorium for safety training, listen to a lecture from the dean, then have dinner.
After dinner, they’d watch club performances—honestly, it sounded like a painfully boring schedule.
“After the club performances, we’ll drink! But on the first day, the professors are still here, so we’re keeping it light. This year’s theme is ‘Safety, Health, Clean Campus.’”
“...”
“Pretty lame theme, right? I think so too. But what can I do? The dean is pushing it hard.”
Lee Jinwoo paused for a moment, then raised his voice.
“But the real fun starts on day two! After the professors leave and it’s just us! That’s when we start all sorts of department bonding games. There are several, but the main event is by far the one you’ve all been waiting for!”
“...?”
“The Engineering Freshman Mini Soccer Tournament!”
Soccer.
At that word, a few of the male students’ eyes lit up.
So that’s why he told us to bring sneakers.
But most of the students still didn’t react much, even to the word “soccer.”
Just like in school gym class, some guys wanted to play soccer, and others just wanted to fool around as they pleased.
Maybe sensing that mood, Lee Jinwoo pressed on with even more energy in his voice.
“The department bonding games have points! And soccer has the highest point value of them all! On top of that, the prize for winning the bonding competition is a whole ten bottles of premium liquor!”
“Oh...”
“Liquor?”
“I’ve never even had any.”
“There’s something even more important than liquor! Namely...”
With a grave expression, Lee Jinwoo clenched his fist.
“Do you know what other college is coming to Daeseong Resort this time besides the Engineering College?!”
“Who’s coming?”
“The College of Fine Arts! The complete opposite of us engineering guys—a total women-dominated campus!!!”
“!”
“Oh...”
“The art students?!”
“That’s right, the art students! And according to my information, this year’s freshmen in Fine Arts are seriously top-tier!!!”
The bus started to stir.
Color began returning to the dull eyes of my classmates.
“There’s a basketball court next to the soccer field! And on that basketball court, the art students are holding a dodgeball tournament! Do you understand what that means?!”
“!”
“It means the girls from the College of Fine Arts will be watching you live as you score goals and run your hearts out in sweat and glory!”
“Ooooh!”
Cheers exploded.
“How about it? Feeling fired up yet?!”
“Yes!!”
“And one more thing! We’re staying on the fifth floor of Building A. But the fifth-floor hallway connects to Building B. Do you know who’s on the fifth floor of Building B?”
“The art students, maybe...?”
When a few students asked in eager voices,
“Exactly! While the other engineering departments are sitting around drinking with just other guys, we’ll be able to naturally cross over to the other building and mingle with the art students!”
“Ohhh!”
“You know who got us that fifth-floor lodging? Me. Your student president, Lee Jinwoo! I fought tooth and nail with the student presidents of the other departments to get that fifth floor!”
“Ooooh!”
“On the second day, we’ll burn through the night with the art girls and youth itself!”
“Waaah!”
In an instant, the mood flipped completely.
Then again, since it was a bunch of guys, it made sense that something so simple and primal could electrify them that fast.
This is fun.
Before I knew it, I was honestly enjoying the atmosphere too.
“So make sure you manage your condition on day one! You’ve got to be ready to die for day two! Got it?!”
“Yes! Understood!”
“And if you played even a little soccer in high school, make sure you tell the student council or me!”
That seemed like it would be the end of it.
But it looked like Lee Jinwoo still had one more gift prepared for us.
“Last thing—I really love soccer. I liked it long before Park Ji-sung went to the EPL! So I really want to see our department win the ball sports tournament. If our department wins, or even if we don’t but I spot an MVP in this bus...”
“If you do?”
“I’ll personally make sure that guy gets set up with department mixers for the entire first semester! You came to college—you should at least try dating! Right?!”
“Waaaah!”
“Lee Jinwoo! Lee Jinwoo! Lee Jinwoo!”
“That’s right! Praise me!”
“Lee Jinwoo! Lee Jinwoo!”
By then, the bus was already in full festival mode.
I was shouting “Lee Jinwoo,” too.
As expected, we men were simple.
Talk sports, talk girls, and we’d become one in no time.
Then Zero spoke.
「Master. What attitude will you take at this MT?」
My attitude?
「Yes. I am asking whether you will remain a bystander or take an active role.」
I thought about it for a moment.
Back when I was in college in my previous life... I was basically a ghost.
I had no money and no confidence, so I either skipped events like this altogether or, if I did show up, I just lurked in a corner.
That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Everyone has a different personality and different circumstances, so for some people, living like a ghost is simply easier.
But I didn’t want that.
I didn’t want to spend this college life like a ghost again.
This life had to be different.
I want to enjoy it.
A brilliantly shining youth.
I wanted to stand on stage and become the protagonist, just like the student president up front, receiving cheers.
And for that, this MT was the best chance I was going to get.
The fastest, surest way to prove yourself in a world full of men was—
sports, of course.
My eyes lit up as I gave Zero an order.
Zero. Download soccer ability.
「Whose data would you like me to download, Master?」
Without hesitation, I thought of the name of the player I had admired most.
Ronaldinho.
The wizard of the pitch, the man they called an “alien.”
In my opinion, his abilities were perfect for my dazzling debut.