Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Only Human in Beastkin Academy Gets Obsessed Over
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"You're here?... Huh? D-Darling...?"
"Yeah, baby."
I casually called her "baby," and Eum-a's face went puff! bright red. She doesn't hate it! Heh heh! Me too!
"Eek!"
I tugged on Eum-a's ear. Even though I grabbed her sensitive spot gently, she flinched! Does she like it or hate it?!
But now was the time for a serious talk.
I whispered to her.
"Mo Myo-mi found out."
"F-Found out? About what...?"
"The bathroom earlier. That bitch was peeping while munching on Churu."
"Eek...?!"
"Anyway, I told her we're a thing to throw her off. If she pries about it, just go along and say yeah."
"A-A thing...?! H-Hoeeek...!"
"It's not real, just a cover story. Hey, why are you like this!"
Suddenly, Eum-a flopped sideways onto the floor! Her body trembled just like that three-second rabbit GIF I'd seen somewhere!!
"J-Ji-hyeok-ie and me... a thing..."
"Uh... anyway, that's how it is, so act like you know..."
"Ji-hyeok-ie... a thing..."
She's not listening to a word I'm saying.
"Anyway, if things get dicey, I'll come clean and say I told her it's okay for you to touch me. She's got a weird personality and will totally assume you're the victim. I feel like I'll get hit with a #MeToo. Scary."
"Y-Yeah! Got it...!"
Eum-a snapped out of it and jumped to her feet. Her dazed eyes focused as she cupped her cheeks and promised.
"J-Ji-hyeok-ie... Eum-a will protect you...!"
Solid! Choi Eum-a!
The lecture hall door flew open as TA Gyeon Nari came rushing in, fresh from demolishing some cafeteria food. Being a dog beastkin must make a difference—she didn't look winded at all despite sprinting over at insane speed.
The lecture started soon after, and Mo Myo-mi kept shooting suspicious glares between me and Eum-a the whole time.
Honestly... it's a reasonable suspicion, so I can't say much. Ke ke ke.
After class ended, Eum-a tilted her head in the dorm elevator with me.
"J-Ji-hyeok-ah. Ramen again for dinner tonight?"
"Nah?"
"Th-Then?"
"Gonna eat two packs. Lunch was just kimchi fried rice."
"Aha. Gotcha. W-Wanna eat together?"
Huh? Is this... an invite to my place for ramen? Is that it?
Nice try, Miss Eum-a. No dice.
"I'm good. Eating alone tonight."
"A-Ah..."
"It's a solo dinner mood today."
"Hing... Yeah... Got it..."
Is it that disappointing?!
The dejected Eum-a shuffled off to her room the second the elevator doors opened. Sorry, but I headed to mine too. Can't be helped. I really want to eat alone today. Being around you just drains my energy!
"Ugh. What ramen tonight... Huh? Na Min-seo?"
I was picking out flavors when a KakaoTalk from Na Min-seo popped up.
I exchanged a few quick messages with Na Min-seo and turned off my phone.
Time for ramen! Hee hee!
No way I'm telling her I hooked up with the voyeur girl and now we're at hip-shaking-on-dick-buddies level.
That evening.
A notice went up in the Visual Design Department group chat.
Em!
Ti!
What's MT? It's the bonding trip where the whole department from all years goes to build camaraderie! The flower of freshman life!!! (Note: MT ≠ motel, don't get it twisted!!!)
Everyone confirmed right up to me.
But one was late.
The lingering "1" finally vanished, followed by her reply.
'What a rude jerk.'
Hmm. If I'm eating with seniors tomorrow, does that mean Eum-a eats alone? We've been stuck together constantly since semester started, so switching to others feels weird.
Right on cue, Eum-a messaged.
Homework? Looks more like she wants to do something else. Am I imagining it?
'As if!'
Homework at this hour? Her ulterior motives are plain as day. We don't even have homework!
...No need to go "ah ah" in chat too, right?
The next day.
"J-Ji-hyeok-ahhh. Good m-morning."
Eum-a greeted me with a good morning, but her under-eyes were pitch black.
"Didn't sleep?"
"Yeah... Th-Thinking about Ji-hyeok-ie..."
Means she stayed up late fantasizing about me, right?
Imagining Eum-a using me as jerk-off material made Jju-ji throb first thing in the morning.
But I stayed cool.
I'm the sweet guy who runs Serene in support even in the rift.
"You're on your own for lunch today."
"Huh...? Suddenly...?"
Of course she planned to eat together.
"Dept head meeting today, then lunch with the sunbaenim."
"Th-Then... if I wait 'til it's over... we can eat together...?"
"Miss Eum-a. What part of that didn't you get? It's with the sunbaenim. A mere classmate like Choi Eum-a can't join!!"
"Huiing...! So mean...!"
Her long ears drooped straight down. No ramen together last night, no lunch today. Eum-a grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"This isn't what a thing is...!"
It was just to fool Mo Myo-mi—why take it so seriously?
After that, Eum-a zoned out through morning lecture, staying gloomy. When it ended, she bolted up alone.
"I'm going...!"
"Yeah. See ya."
"N-Not even grabbing me...!"
Eum-a started to dash out of the lecture hall with a teary face—then glanced back at me.
"Hing...!"
I didn't grab her, so she really ran out crying. She's not a kid!
The other freshmen cleared out for food, leaving just me and Mo Myo-mi. Alone with her, I killed time messing around, wary of incoming snark—then Eum-a messaged.
Sheesh! Acting all cute!
I was chuckling at Eum-a's texts when the lecture hall door opened. In came the 22nd- and 23rd-year sunbaenim.
'All beastkin, huh. Everyone's got such distinct looks.'
Four beastkin entered the freshman hall. The short one in front flashed axe-eyes in a grin, revealing triangular teeth! Teeth like that exist?! Dental bills must be insane!
The blue-gray bob-cut senior with nightmare dental costs welcomed us warmly!
"You must be Myo-mi and Ji-hyeok-ie! Nice to meet you!"
"Whoa! Shark teeth!"
"Cool, right? I'm a great white shark beastkin!"
"Whoa! Great white!"
Badass!
But... wait. Great white shark beastkin? Sang-a?
"No way, Senior Baek Sang-a?!"
"Ding ding ding! 21st-year dept head Baek Sang-a! You're Joo Ji-hyeok?"
"Yes! 23rd-year dept head Joo Ji-hyeok reporting!"
"Wow! A human in our dept—the one rare slot every year! Don't drop out—stick it out all three years and graduate! No troublemaking!"
"Yes!!"
What blessings! Unlike her shark self, Senior Baek Sang-a was petite and skinny. Her one massive shark-like feature? Boobs?
'But great whites die out of water, right? How's she alive?'
"You must be Myo-mi! You're so pretty!"
"..."
Daring to just nod at sunbaenim?! Rude!!!
"Hahaha! Classic cat beastkin!"
Senior Baek Sang-a just laughed it off like a sage.
How can someone be so kind? Gasp. Is she going easy because one chomp from her could end it? No need!
Senior Baek Sang-a took the podium, and the rest sat up front. She introduced the others.
21st-year vice head Senior Yang Hwa-bin was a rare black goat beastkin. 22nd-year heads were fox beastkin Hati-ho and squirrel beastkin Kim Daram-i... wait, what kind of names are those?
Except Yang Hwa-bin, all the names are nuts? Even Baek Sang-a sounds normal by comparison.
'Hati-ho senior seems like she'd laugh "hati hati hati-ho," and Kim Daram-i sounds like a deep-sea pineapple dweller's buddy—no way I can call her cute even politely.'
"Pl-Please take care of us!"
"Sure thing! Nice to meet ya! Seeing a human student makes me so happy—hati hati hati-ho!"
"You better listen and follow... RAMJU THUNDER!!"
"Nice to meeeeet you."
They're all crazy!!!
In the chaos, Senior Baek Sang-a clapped.
"Quiet down! Our MT's tentatively Thursday to Friday next week—1 night, 2 days. Any place requests?"
Kim Daram-i senior shot her hand up like a kid.
"How 'bout Acorn Village?"
I quick-searched Acorn Village—looks like a herb village vibe. Pretty scenery, clean air. Only downside: middle of nowhere countryside?
Senior Baek Sang-a tilted her head.
"Weren't we there last year?"
"Owner lady's my auntie~ Said she'd hook us up cheap again~"
"Oh yeah? Acorn Village it is. Can squeeze some savings."
"...?"
What? Squeeze savings? Witnessing dept head embezzlement up close!
"...How much for my share?"
"Our newbie dept head. You're cute. Won't short you—don't worry."
"Yes!! Thank you!!"
Long live dept head!
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