Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Study Group #2
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"Seo Ijin! Got any spare pajama pants lying around?"
I was in the middle of tearing open a bag of snacks when Hong Yeonseo's question made me turn to look at her.
"Pajama pants out of nowhere?"
"Ugh, no sense of style! Look at us. These skirts are so uncomfortable. Right?"
Hong Yeonseo's finger pointed downward.
Following her gesture, I glanced at the girls' outfits and nodded with an "Ah."
With guys around, sitting on the floor in short school uniform skirts must feel awkward. And staying like that would make their legs sore.
I stood up from my seat and asked her,
"Just pants okay?"
"Yup~"
"Don't the others need some too?"
All the girls nodded at my question.
I pulled four pairs of soft, free-size pajama pants from my room and handed them out.
"These are what I usually wear. That cool?"
They weren't ones I'd worn and tossed aside, of course—just freshly laundered spares. Should be fine.
Hong Yeonseo grinned mischievously at my words.
"Even better!"
What’s so great about that?
The four of them snatched the pants eagerly—no one was competing for them—and headed into the master bedroom, currently empty since its owner was away.
Even just changing into a pair of pants had the girls giggling and making a racket.
It was like a scene straight out of an anime...
You know those common tropes where the heroines gather to change clothes or take a bath...
Hmm. This is youth, alright.
"Yoon Jiu, want some comfy clothes too?"
"Nah... I'm good."
His response came in a tone that felt oddly cool.
Ever since yesterday's incident, Yoon Jiu's attitude toward me had shifted subtly.
"...Suit yourself. I should change too."
I quickly swapped into something comfortable and came back out.
Hong Yeonseo emerged first from the room, flapping her pants around.
"Phew. Much better now."
Her top was still the school uniform, but the mismatched pajama bottoms were kinda cute in a funny way.
No skirts in their hands meant they'd left them behind, so I peeked into the master bedroom—and froze at the sight.
Four school uniform skirts lined up neatly on the bed.
Never thought I'd live to see four skirts laid out like that.
I shut the master bedroom door and returned to the living room.
Everyone had settled in comfortably, chatting away.
Then Hong Yeonseo grabbed a bag of snacks and flopped into the massage chair.
"Ooooh~ Feels amazing."
Sprawled out like some middle-aged uncle grunting away—how is she even a high school girl?
Thanks to the pants, her legs were splayed wide open.
Sure, she looked like a pretty girl on the outside, but her actions screamed thirty-something dude.
"If you drop crumbs eating snacks in there, you'll have to clean the whole seat. It's my go-to chair, so eat carefully."
"Got it, got it~ Huh? Does it feel extra good 'cause it's Ijin's favorite massage chair~?"
She said it all nonchalant-like.
And then she tilted her head, sniffing at the seat near her neck...
"Hey! Why are you smelling that?!"
"Hehe. Got you flustered?"
She flashed a little devil of a smile.
Lately, it felt like she was teasing me more often.
Playful pranks, just like a kid.
Ah, right—she is a kid.
"Ahh~ I wanna live at home instead of the dorms too."
"Your family's in Seoul, right?"
"Yeah. I'm the only one stuck here for school..."
She trailed off, munching on snacks with a wistful crunch.
Hong Yeonseo might come off as spunky usually, but she seemed pretty prone to loneliness.
Me? With my adult mindset and plenty of solo living experience from my past life, being alone was no big deal.
But she was just your typical high school girl that age. Feeling lonely made sense.
"Ijin's place is huge anyway—why not let me crash here? I fight with my dorm roommate all the time."
...No, that's a hard pass.
"No way!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Obviously not."
My words overlapped with someone else's, so I glanced sideways.
Lee Sea and Lee Soyun, eyes meeting mine, quickly looked away.
...Still, Hong Yeonseo—with her sweet personality—having roommate trouble? That's intriguing.
Hong Yeonseo kept talking, staring at me.
"Why not? You'd get bored living alone too."
"I mean, yeah, it gets boring sometimes, but are you seriously asking...?"
Sensing everyone's dumbfounded stares—including mine—she slyly averted her gaze.
"Psh, just kidding. Kidding."
She waved it off dismissively.
I shifted my eyes from her to the window outside. The sun was starting to set.
"Anyway, when are we gonna study like this? And head home?"
"Yeah, guess we should get started soon."
Lee Sea checked the clock and began clearing the table strewn with half-eaten snack bags.
Seong Yurin and Lee Soyun hurried over to help.
"Where should I toss the trash?"
"Yeah, plastics and stuff—put 'em back in those bags from earlier. Gotta sort for recycling."
I pointed out the spots for Seong Yurin.
Figured a girl with a maid at home might avoid getting her hands dirty, but she stepped up proactively.
I stashed the leftover juice in the fridge and came back.
"You guys help out too."
I nudged Yoon Jiu—who was dawdling on the couch, clearly dreading study time—with my foot.
He grumbled as he shuffled toward where he'd dumped his bag.
"You too—get up, Hong Yeonseo."
"Fiiiiiineeeee."
Her words shook as the massager rumbled against her back mid-reply.
It was so cute and hilarious I couldn't help but chuckle, which made her bristle.
"Dooon't laaaaugh."
She hauled herself up, barely switching off the chair.
Stretching out the stiffness, she patted the massager fondly.
"This thing's awesome. Gotta get one for home later."
There was a reason I used it so much.
"It's pricey, though."
"My family's loaded too, y'know."
Hong Yeonseo had mentioned her mom was a super famous handball player.
The others freaked out just hearing the name, but I wasn't into that scene, so it flew under my radar.
While we bantered, Lee Sea fetched preservation containers from the kitchen.
She gathered the remaining snacks, sealed them up tight.
"For later. If any left, Ijin, you can have 'em."
Yoon Jiu, who'd been quiet as we prepped to study, piped up.
"Hey, what about dinner?"
......
Well, yeah... it was dinner time, even if a bit early.
But the way he said it just sounded like study avoidance.
"Sigh. Fine. Better to eat first and study long after instead of breaking momentum midway. Wanna order something?"
My words barely landed before two hands shot up.
"Me me~ Chicken!"
"Pizza!"
Hong Yeonseo and Yoon Jiu, excitedly calling out orders. Again, you two.
No objections from the rest, so chicken and pizza it was.
"Order both—six people here. Anywhere fine? I'll cover the bill."
I went to order delivery right away, but with six mouths, menu debates were inevitable.
Lee Sea said boneless or bone-in didn't matter,
but boneless fans (me, Lee Soyun, Seong Yurin) clashed briefly with bone-in fans (Yoon Jiu, Hong Yeonseo).
After heated debate, majority ruled: three boneless chickens, one bone-in.
Pizza: safe bet with bulgogi and potato...
Wait, do kids these days want premium pizzas?
I hesitated, then stuck with bulgogi.
'Cause I like it.
As I tapped away on the delivery app, Lee Sea suggested,
"Hmm. Should we make a group account or something? It's a hassle every time figuring out who pays."
Not that anyone dodged paying—we all fought to cover it.
Lee Soyun chimed in agreement.
"Sounds good..."
Seong Yurin nodded too.
"Yeah, that'd be convenient."
The girls huddled, phones out, setting up some group fund account.
Never imagined something so "in-crowd" in my life.
"Mmkay. I'll apply next week, bring the card when it arrives."
Too late for weekday hours now, plus weekend in between, Lee Sea explained.
She used to need me handling everything as a kid. Grown into such a meticulous person now.
I sat a bit apart, watching them chat.
The girls clustered cozily on the long sofa, Yoon Jiu squeezed out to a single-seater.
And me, dragging over a dining chair to sit at a distance.
This physical gap felt like a metaphor for our emotional distance.
Guess I'm just not the type to jump in and laugh along with that stuff.
Legs crossed, playing a mobile game, when a bunch of notifications popped up.
Transfers from the girls.
I looked up, and they winked back.
Sheesh. I said I'd cover it.
I let out a half-laugh, half-smile, and they all beamed back. Made my heart warm for no reason.
These little things—they're thinking of me. That's where it shows.
...Yeah. Maybe from now on, I can start closing this distance little by little.