Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: School
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Even I, who finds everything a hassle, have to step outside on weekdays. No way around it. College students might be free, but they're still students at the end of the day. Classes have to be attended.
Monday afternoon.
I grabbed the pouch with my laptop inside and headed out. The spring breeze was thick in the air. Hmm, far from lifting my spirits, it made me want to turn right back around and go home.
It was about ten minutes from here to the school back gate. Any farther, and I'd have taken a cab. As it was, the distance felt awkwardly in-between.
The closer I got, the more I saw groups of people chattering noisily as they wandered around. They were probably on their way back to campus after grabbing a late lunch.
I weaved through them, passed through the back gate, and made my way to the building where the lecture was.
I set my laptop down on the desk and let out a sigh.
"Oh, you're here."
My one and only friend spoke up.
"Yeah, I'm here. Why?"
"I was about to text you. Thought you might've starved to death."
What a thoughtful friend, actually worrying about my well-being. Probably.
"I'm good. No need to fret anymore."
"Did you buy a ramen cooker?"
"No. And no matter how lazy I get, I can boil ramen on my own."
"Huh."
He shot back in a tone dripping with disinterest, then started rummaging through his bag.
"What's that about, then?"
"I hired a housekeeper."
My friend's hand froze mid-motion.
"Wait, for real?"
"Yeah. For real."
"I was just tossing that out there, but you actually went and did it? You're moving fast—not like you at all."
"Thought it over, and it didn't seem half bad. Housework's a total drag anyway, and I figured I should eat a bit more variety."
"Fair point. If you've got the cash, better to dump it all on someone else."
My friend shrugged.
"So? How much are you paying her?"
I unzipped the pouch, pulled out my laptop, and answered.
"Five hundred thousand a month."
"Hmm... What? Five hundred thousand a month?"
"Yeah."
I nodded casually, and he scrunched up his face like I'd just spouted nonsense.
"What's with the face?"
"What's with it? Five hundred thousand a month? That's a steal."
"Still, no commute—she lives at my place—so it's basically twenty-four-hour work. Times thirty days? That's under minimum wage, right?"
"You've got sleep time, so you can't math it like that... Wait, she lives at your place?"
"Yeah."
"..."
He was even at a loss for words. His reactions were extra dramatic today.
Soon enough, he asked with a sudden realization dawning on him.
"Just to be sure... the person you hired—she's not a woman, is she?"
"Yeah, she is."
"Well, that's a problem."
He stared at me with utter disbelief. Keep staring like that, and it'll hurt an antisocial guy's feelings. I turned my gaze to the laptop screen before it stung worse.
My friend let out a hollow chuckle.
"What to even say. You shatter social conventions without a second thought."
"Kinda feels that way..."
Starting a live-in situation with a woman I'd just met wasn't exactly normal. I knew that much.
"And you're out here turning profits on investments with setups like this... Makes you wonder how the economy even ticks."
"I basically code programs for my investments, so it's all just numbers to me."
"Right. Don't quite get it, but sure. But a female housekeeper, living at your place?"
"Yeah."
"You're bold, but she's got some guts too."
True enough. If she were a total stranger, no way she'd agree to move into my house.
But she'd been keeping tabs on me from afar. She knew I wasn't the type to lay a hand on her.
"Well, she's from our department..."
I started to say she was Yoo Si-eun, the Student Council President in Computer Science, but clamped my mouth shut.
It was no big deal for me, but she might want to keep it under wraps. Spilling it now probably wasn't the smartest move.
"Our department?"
"Uh, she said she graduated from Computer Science like us."
"...Huh."
My friend looked skeptical for a split second, but then.
"Eh, beats opening a chicken joint after CS."
He bought it. Whew, dodged that.
Right at that moment.
I spotted Yoo Si-eun walking in through the classroom entrance.
Her glossy black hair swaying with every step, a bright smile lighting up her face, exchanging greetings with every student she passed.
Just the picture of her usual self.
Worlds apart from the housekeeper I'd run into. Made me wonder if the girl from yesterday was some secret twin sister.
"You're staring holes through her."
"Huh?"
"Yoo Si-eun."
I turned to my friend. He met my eyes with a smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth.
Then he opened his mouth in that teasing way.
"You got a thing for her?"
"No."
"They say you deny it hardest when you've got something to hide."
"You'd deny it even without anything to hide."
"What's wrong with it? She's top-tier pretty at our school. Great personality, killer grades. Hands-down the most popular girl."
"I'll pass that along to your girlfriend."
"You don't even have her number."
Even as he said it, he tacked on, "My girlfriend's a hundred times prettier anyway." Fair enough—I'd heard the rumors about his girl too. They'd been together since high school, I think.
My friend stretched his arms.
"You should get yourself a girlfriend. Yoo Si-eun... might be a stretch. A big one."
"Feels like I need to make actual friends first."
"Can't argue there."
He barked a laugh and nodded along.
"Get to know her, though—she's a riot. Just a little quirky."
"Square pegs get the hammer."
"But she's not bad-looking. Decent body too, for a shut-in. You could probably snag her easy if you tried."
He tossed it out casually, girlfriend or no. I kept my mouth shut, so he gave my shoulder a couple pats.
"You even hired a maid. Time to get cozy with some girls."
"Housekeeper, not maid."
"Isn't it 'maid' in English anyway?"
"Is it?"
"Who cares about the formal name? 'Maid' rolls off the tongue better. Sounds sexier too."
Not sure about sexier, but yeah, easier to say.
"Youth's priceless—you can't buy it. Gotta date to know what it's like, right?"
"Time's priceless too. I'd rather sleep than deal with the hassle of dating."
"Knew you'd say that... Anyway, just think about it."
"Mm."
I mumbled a vague reply, and he flashed a wry smile before heading off.
My friend was the model student type. Always sat up front-ish for lectures.
Me? Dead last row. Planting myself here was basically declaring I wasn't listening.
Meanwhile, super-achiever Yoo Si-eun predictably claimed the prime seat right in front of the professor. Talk about dedication.
I watched her in a daze, half-impressed, when suddenly she whipped around.
Glanced around like she was looking for someone, then her eyes locked onto mine.
She snapped her head back forward and sat down.
What was that?
Her inexplicable move threw me for a loop, but it was probably nothing. I decided not to dwell and shifted my eyes to the laptop screen.