Eating Out
Homeroom time.
“N-no detours, okay? Just go straight home… if you can? Please don’t evolve into a full-blown delinquent. Sob! Even one is too much for me!”
Han Hyun-joo’s words were some vague mix of order and plea.
…
Hold on. Who’s this one delinquent you’re talking about?
“No bad stuff, got it? No smoking, no drinking, no throwing during games! Stealing the ADC’s minions is bad!”
Guess she got her minions stolen yesterday.
“A-alright then… Be careful on your way home, kids!”
Homeroom ended. The students started grabbing their bags one by one.
“Ahh…”
Seon-ha slumped over her desk in exhaustion, her cheek deflating like a wrinkled balloon with a sad pffft.
“Yeon-woo… Why is the day so short…? Sob sob.”
The day’s short…?
To me, it felt like five straight days of being chased by a T-Rex.
Smart head, great prep, loaded with cash, killer acting, even packs bombs in her bag—this T-Rex has it all.
If Seon-ha had been born in the Cretaceous, dinosaurs never would’ve lost to some puny meteor.
“Oh no, Yeon-woo! Big trouble! Look at this!”
Seon-ha shoved her phone in my face.
“……Nah. Pass.”
“It’s a bunny girl Seon-ha pic.”
“Not looking.”
“Glow-in-the-dark dinosaur.”
—Swish
I fell for the sneaky bait and glanced at her phone. How does she read people so well?
—Click!
The second I looked, she snapped the shutter. Our faces were captured at a terrible angle. Mine came out kinda ugly, but Seon-ha? Honestly pretty. Some people look good from any angle.
“Thanks. You look handsome too, Yeon-woo.”
……No way she can read minds too…? Gotta believe she can’t… Please don’t get any stronger.
“Delete the photo.”
“Why?”
“Portrait rights violation.”
“See you in court. If Seon-ha wins, I keep the pic. Confident I’d win without a lawyer.”
“Delete it and I’ll show you a pic of Hyun-jik changing.”
“Deleted! Deleted! Yup, gone. Hurry up.”
“Here.”
“……Yeon-woo? What’s this garbage?”
“Snapped it while the pro was changing.”
We grabbed our bags and headed out the back door.
—What the hell? Who stuck gum on my chair!? Argh!
Hyun-jik, who’d been tailing me, scratched furiously at the gum on his uniform pants. Mystery solved on what Seon-ha had been chewing earlier.
Han Hyun-joo stopped me as I exited the back door.
“Ah, Y-Yeon-woo…! Got a sec? Something to talk about…”
Of course. Not here—let’s grab some tea somewhere…
“What’s it about?”
Seon-ha blocked her with a smiling face.
“Uh, w-well… It’s something just for Yeon-woo…”
“Official business, right?”
“……Y-yeah? Kinda…?”
“Fine. Permission granted.”
Why are you the one granting permission?
Han Hyun-joo’s reason for calling me to the staff room was pie-in-the-sky nonsense.
“Pardon? A fight?”
“Y-yeah… Someone saw a fight in front of the cafeteria…”
Turned out it was from lunch line-cutting drama earlier. Not a real fight—just the usual new-semester posturing. And I wasn’t even the one involved.
……
Guess my tough-guy look twisted the story into me fighting.
I gave a quick rundown of the line-cutting incident.
“……That’s what happened. No big deal, right?”
“Hwaaa! I’m alive! Not a fight—thank goodness! Really thank goodness…!”
“……That serious?”
“Y-yeah! I was about to give up on you, Yeon-woo!”
……Isn’t it a bit early to give up on a student…? It’s only been two days.
“Um, Teacher.”
“Yeah?”
“Think you’ve got the wrong idea… I’m not that bad of a student.”
“Really…? Not even that bad?”
“Nope.”
“No drugs then…”
How bad did she think I was?
“Thanks for making time, Yeon-woo.”
“No problem.”
“And thanks for not hitting teacher today…”
“Uh, yeah, you’re welcome.”
“What’s for dinner at your place?”
“……Probably the curry from breakfast.”
“Curry…? Prf… Mine’s tonkatsu… Cheese tonkatsu…”
……What am I supposed to do with that? Pity party?
“W-well, off you go! See you tomor… Ha… Guess tomorrow too… Our… Uuugh…”
Don’t look so down at this timing—you’ll hurt my feelings…
The teacher clearly couldn’t stand the sight of me. Seon-ha’s masterpiece, complete in just two days.
……
Through the staff room window, I spotted Seon-ha’s hand. Four fingers folded—only one left. Hurry up.
‘Step by step…’
No rushing like last year… Don’t complain to Seon-ha… Take it slow.
“Eek—!”
Han Hyun-joo shrieked as she tried to stand. Gum on her skirt.
Seon-ha… When did you even stick that…?
“……”
“Wasn’t me with the soda yesterday, and not this time either.”
*
Time to head home.
I left the school building.
—Yeon-woo. Summer or winter?
I gave a casual reply to her disguised everyday question as we crossed the sports field.
Suddenly, Seon-ha nodded toward the field.
—Wham!
A soccer ball came flying—kicked hard. Straight at Seon-ha. Fast.
“Kyaaah!”
Her terrified shoulder plastered against mine. Hands over her face.
Of course it’s an act. Her calm eyes peeked through her fingers, watching my reaction. Probably the [Block the Incoming Soccer Ball] event.
—Whoooosh!
Block it or not?
Even if I don’t, worst case is a bump on her forehead and the next World Cup delayed four years. But not knowing how she’d react later has me overthinking as the ball closes in.
“Ugh!”
No need to decide anymore.
Hyun-jik, running up from behind, took the hit by chance.
“……”
Seon-ha dropped her scared high school girl mask, shooting Hyun-jik a murderous glare…
Hyun-jik… Appreciate the assist, but…
Take it easy… You’re one red card away in my book…
—Hey! Kick the ball back!
At the request from the field, cold-faced Seon-ha unleashed a long-range rocket that ripped the net.
*
“I’m home.”
House was empty. I turned on the lights in the living room and kitchen, then my room, dropped my bag. Checked under the bed. Seon-ha-free, thankfully.
‘Kinda hungry…’
Washed my hands and hit the kitchen. Lifted the lid on the stove pot. Morning curry.
‘…Curry again…’
Dinner last night: curry. Breakfast: curry. Lunch: curry… Wait, flounder curry.
Not in a position to complain about sides, but curry gets old fast. One more helping and my life gets even more miserable.
‘Maybe eat out for once?’
Got allowance the other day—wallet’s decent. Even if it weren’t, no way I’d leech off Seon-ha’s sponsorship.
Changed into comfy clothes and stepped out. Sun dipping low. Past the residential streets to the main road.
“……What to eat.”
I wandered between shops welcoming rush-hour crowds.
Han Hyun-joo’s tonkatsu brag popped into my head.
‘Tonkatsu sounds good.’
Too lazy to search on my phone, I picked a random spot and went in. Amateurish Japanese-style Korean diner. Empty inside.
‘Bounce.’
A shop with no customers this hour? About as likely to be good as a visual novel vet like me turning Casanova overnight.
“First day on the job? Relax, no need to stress.”
“Y-yes…!”
“Customer’s here.”
“Ah, yes! Welcome… Uh…?”
I turned to leave quietly, but locked eyes with the server.
Call it bad luck—I’m cursed. How bad? The name tag on the server at this random joint reads Ban Gyu-ri.
“Y-you…… Yoooou…! Grr…!”
“Huh? Friends with Gyu-ri?”
At the boss lady’s question, Gyu-ri maxed out her patience and barely replied.
“……Y-yeah… Friends…”
Gyu-ri raised her hand. Thought she was grabbing a ladle—flinched—but nah, just a wave.
‘…’
Reading the intent, I waved back.
*
What now.
Wanna just turn and bolt.
‘But then what happens to her…’
I just called her a friend myself.
If I bail the second I see her? On her first day? Her rep with the boss tanks.
Checked Gyu-ri’s face.
“…”
Weird mix of hate and worry.
……Yeah, leaving now would screw her over good.
‘…’
Ordered pork cutlet rice bowl at the kiosk and sat.
—Clack clack clack
—Thud!
“…” “…”
Staff here slams water glasses like pros.
I eyed the brown twin tails without looking up. No confidence to meet her gaze… Keep head down. Three bites of tonkatsu then out… Nah, grab and go.
—Sizzle
Missed the door chime over the frying oil. Someone entered.
Another customer besides me. Newcomer approached the boss.
“Two cheese tonkatsu, please!”
“Sure~ Lotsa sauce?”
“Yup!”
Regular, huh. So chipper.
“Didja scold that bad student from yesterday like the customer said?”
“Yup! Gave ‘em a real talking-to! I’m the tiger teacher at that school!”
Her eyes met mine as she walked in.
“Teacher?”
“…………Eh……”