Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Heart Rate Measurement Game
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As I plugged the power cord into the wall outlet.
Bip!
The karaoke machine powered on and displayed a list of the latest hit songs.
"Wow."
Baek Sang-a sunbae's lips twitched awkwardly.
The fact that she'd been yelling "Help me, Juji-mong!" without even plugging in the cord made her look utterly embarrassed!!!
Go ahead and be embarrassed!!!
You totally deserve it!!!!!!!
Anyway, with the karaoke machine fixed, Baek Sang-a sunbae shot a grin at Eum-a for her help.
"Showing such an embarrassing side in front of a junior. Thanks, Eum-a."
"Ah, nooo."
"If I have to make an excuse, I swear I remember plugging it in earlier. But who knew it'd gotten unplugged! Did someone yank it out by mistake?"
"Th-that can happen! I'm gl-glad I could help!"
Our bashful bunny Eum-a flashed a shy smile after helping out!
Even as she cupped her flushed cheeks with both hands, her tail quivering like crazy couldn't be hidden.
Having gotten a taste of Eum-a's adorableness, Baek Sang-a sunbae grinned wide, baring her snow-white teeth like a bowl of pho—no, like a great white shark.
"Hahaha! I'd been wondering what kind of girl the one Jihyeok dept head always has glued to his side was, but she's this cute?!"
"L-later...! N-no!"
"She's reaaaally so cute."
"Ji-Jihyeok-ah...!"
Look at this adorable reaction!!
How could anyone not find this cute!!
"Right? Super cute."
"She could model for kids, no problem."
"Dunno about that."
"You have no eye for talent."
"Toss her in daycare—no one'd bat an eye."
"Yeah, that's fair."
Hahaha.
Kekekeke.
"Uuu...!"
We're perfectly in sync!!
As Baek Sang-a sunbae and I cackled evilly while teasing her, our daycare-destined baby bunny Choi Eum-a trembled like she might die of shame!!
'No shame-deaths allowed!'
The only death permitted for Eum-a is happy-death!!!
Everything else strictly forbidden!!!!!!!
"...What? Jihyeok. Why the sudden serious face?"
"Time to stop teasing my girlfriend."
"And why the weird speech?"
"Ehhem. No questions asked!"
"Playing army? Draft notice come in?"
"Kaaaaak!! Such horrifying words!!!!"
I'd just wanted to protect my girlfriend... how did such awful words come up...!
The manly Joo Ji-hyeok.
As I wiped away tears thinking of the draft notice that'd someday arrive, Eum-a spoke up.
"I-it's fine! M-military... I can wait for you!"
Wah!!
She'd even wear rubber shoes for me!!!
Was I handling both left and right rudders on the turtle ship in my past life?!
The tears of draft-notice terror turned to tears ofemotion!!
"Dwaaaaah!"
"D-don't cryyy."
Don't cry?
Then I'll cry even louder!
"Dwaaaaaaaaah!!!!"
"Hey!! You, human!! Quiet down!!"
"Yessir."
Awkward.
Stars began twinkling faintly over the lush mountain.
With full night now upon us.
The students had gathered at the outdoor stage behind the lodging.
Why?
Recreation time!
Baek Sang-a sunbae grabbed the mic on stage.
"A, a—everyone here? Professors in the back too. Students, big applause for the profs who came all this way."
Kicking off by dooming the professors who'd shown up to the young bloods' turf, the recreation got underway.
We hadn't hired a pro MC or anything, so it was all on Baek Sang-a sunbae!
Kim Daram-i sunbae—niece of the Acorn Village owner—handled the minor stage setups, so the rest of us dept heads and vice heads didn't have to lift a finger!
Convenient. So convenient!
"Alright then, Jihyeok. Wanna come up here?"
"Sure."
Not... convenient anymore?
Baek Sang-a sunbae calling me out in front of every student!
Every eye locked on me... what the—!!! Their gazes are gleaming ferociously!!!
Maybe 'cause it's night!!!
Still scary!!!
Joo-hyuk so scared!!!
With all those flashy stares wrapping around me, I felt total resistance to stepping onstage!
"M-me?"
"Yeah! Jihyeok! Hurry up!"
"D-does it have to be me?"
No need to overthink.
She clearly wanted to burn the visual design dept's one and only human as recreation fuel!
I racked my brain for any excuse, but no dice.
"Obey your sunbae, Jihyeok."
Jju-kkiya!!!!!
Li-life! My life just flickered out...!
Her eyes went totally lifeless like a real shark...!
Sensing mortal danger, I shakily climbed onstage.
"Ji-Jihyeok-ah."
Eum-a's pitiful call from behind tugged at my heart.
Felt like a slave being marched to auction!
Stiff with tension as I got onstage, the pale-eyed Baek Sang-a sunbae suddenly beamed with vibrant energy!
"Hahaha! Jihyeok dept head! Why so rigid?"
"E-everyone's eyes are scary..."
My honest answer set off roaring laughter from the crowd below.
I meant it for real... this funny? Huh? Funny to you psychopaths?!
Funny, huh!!!!
"Look how stiff."
"Dude's scared of everything."
From onstage, all I saw were gleaming eyes everywhere.
Couldn't tell if this was reality or a horror game cutscene!
Baek Sang-a sunbae raised a hand to the crowd, mic in the other.
"Jihyeok seems pretty timid, so how about a game? Everyone cool? Okay."
Cheers erupted from below.
Game? Sounds good!
But where the hell's my vote!!
In my bafflement, Baek Sang-a sunbae went to the corner and hauled out... a chair and something watch-like, Apple Watch-ish but not quite!
Baek Sang-a sunbae announced.
"We're doing a heart rate measurement game now."
"What."
So that Apple Watch lookalike's a heart rate monitor...?!
'This sunbae's got that karaoke machine vibe—where does she keep getting this stuff?!'
Come to think of it, didn't she say she shelled out a huge settlement once?! She's got a car, mostly brand clothes!!
'Ri-rich kid?!'
Makes no sense otherwise... wait, no! Not the point right now!
"Baek Sang-a sunbaenim...!"
"Hm?"
Soft call, and she whipped around instantly!
I fidgeted as I griped.
"How's this even a game! Just dragging out the campus's sole human for a public execution... heuk."
"What're you on about, Jihyeok."
She listened quietly, lowered her mic hand, and whispered just for me.
Forcing me into the chair by pressing my shoulder!!!
"We're just at an MT playing games. Right?"
"Th-that true?!"
"Yup, yup."
"Ah, no... wait, yeah it is! Feels right!"
"See? Smart thinking."
I parroted back like hypnotized, and she beamed.
'Ki-killing intent.'
I felt it just now.
Before those pale eyes promising to chase me to the ocean floor if I bolted, escape was impossible.
All I could do was lament inwardly!
'Damn it! Getting screwed 'cause I'm human! Human!'
Baek Sang-a sunbae grabbed the mic again.
"Highest heart rate wins a prize, so any confident girls, come on up!"
'What about me? Where's my prize?'
I'm the sacrificial lamb at the festival, but the goodies go to others.
Unfair! So unfair!
Movement below stage.
Female students eager to spike the frail human's heart rate.
Too dark to ID them clearly, but watching sparked some optimism.
'...This a reward in disguise?'
Prize on offer, and girls working to rev my heart rate with their charms.
Public shaming stings... but decent tradeoff?!
'Eum-a'd hate it though... where'd she go.'
She'd been right below, gazing worriedly at me moments ago—now gone.
Where really?
Cranning my neck for Eum-a, someone climbed onstage.
"H-huhet."
It was Eum-a, face beet red!
Why's she up here!
Panicking, I whisper-yelled.
"What're you doing? Why come up!"
"C-can't just watch other girls tail-wag at Jihyeok...!"
"Noble reason... but..."
This okay...?
Recalled usual Eum-a.
'Eum-a trying to seduce me?'
Won't jack my heart rate—hers'll spike, nosebleed incoming.
Then eyes roll back in excitement!
Good thing she doesn't masturbate onstage!
"Hey, you..."
Was about to shoo her off.
Two more hopped up.
"Mo Myo-mi and Hati-ho sunbae?"
"Figured it'd be awkward with too few, so we filled spots. Grateful?"
"......"
Hati-ho sunbae, fine. But Mo Myo-mi? Baffling.
She's been clingy lately—repaying that market favor maybe—but a heart rate game? Why!!
What's her angle!!
'She was at the walkway earlier too!'
Girl who might've spectated me and Eum-a going at it, now onstage—my gut twisted!
And Eum-a's the same!
"Eut, huhet... hwe...?"
See! She's glitching again!
'Our Eum-a's such a massive perv, she's in heat even here!!!'
If she turns succubus queen Choi Eum-a onstage, you owning that?! Mo Myo-miiii!!!!!