Only Extroverts Think Parties Are Fun #2

I had asked Seo Gaeul out on a date, but it was put on hold. Not a rejection—a hold. She told me she would give her answer at a party happening tomorrow night at a place called the headquarters.

“Well then, Ha Namjin? We need to finish our meal too, so shall we end the conversation here?”

“Good. Meals should be eaten on time.”

I slowly backed away from Seo Gaeul and returned to my original spot. Choi Changsik, who must have been watching the whole thing, flailed around in exaggerated shock.

“Asking the Seo Gaeul out on a date in public! You’ve gone completely insane! My friend, I’m dying to know where that kind of courage even comes from!”

“In… incredible…”

Even the usually quiet Oh Deokhui was staring at me in awe. The only one who looked genuinely serious was Geum Taeseong, who had always been friendly toward me since we first met. He shook his head.

“That didn’t seem like a very good move. Look over there. See those guys?”

He gave a small jerk of his chin.

“That’s Prince Hyun’s crew from Class F. From what I know, Prince Hyun confessed to Seo Gaeul last week and got rejected. If you keep approaching her and they mark you as an enemy, it could get annoying in all sorts of ways.”

When I turned my head, I saw a group of boys clustered in the middle of the cafeteria, glaring at us like they wanted to devour us alive. I returned the favor with the exact same look. That was when Baek Yeoul frowned and spoke up with clear irritation.

“Ha Namjin, are you coming to my house or not? You’re the only one left.”

Baek Yeoul’s house? Who cared about that right now! Seo Gaeul had basically said, “Every time I look at this handkerchief I’ll think of you. Want to get married? We can even have kids.” And the fact that she invited me to her party in front of everyone had to mean she was planning to announce our marriage!

The meal ended like that. While I was completely lost in thought about what had just happened, the rest of the group chatted away cheerfully. The main topic was their abilities.

“I’ve never once gotten a ball into the goal since I grew up. Not in basketball or soccer. It’s because I have bad luck…”

“For real? You can’t even toss this empty can into the trash?”

With a smooth flick, Geum Taeseong crumpled the can and sank it perfectly into the bin. The arc he made showed he clearly had some basketball experience.

“I want to try too!”

Baek Yeoul, apparently ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠provoked, rummaged through the trash can, determined to give it a shot. She seemed to be recycling the same can we had just thrown away.

“Huh? This is…”

Baek Yeoul pulled something out of the bin. In her hand was a handkerchief embroidered with a heart pattern.

“Ha Namjin, isn’t this the one you were touching and sniffing like a pervert all day?”

“That’s the one I gave to Seo Gaeul?”

What? Why was the item I had returned to Seo Gaeul in the trash? Something was clearly wrong. As I thought that, Baek Yeoul let out a small sigh.

“There she goes again…”

Again? What did that mean?

“What do you mean, ‘again’?”

Baek Yeoul and I had made a deal. In exchange for me being in the same group as her, she would give me information about Seo Gaeul. She glanced around before whispering in a voice quiet enough that the others couldn’t hear.

“What? Sex? Bread Butt, what the hell are you saying into my ear?”

“I-I never said that!!! If you come to my house today, I’ll tell you what I know! But there’s a condition! You have to pretend to be my c-close friend and act like it when you meet my mom and dad.”

So even Bread Butt wanted to make her own deal. The condition was just a bit awkward to accept.

“Pretend to be your friend? Weren’t we already friends? We’ve seen each other’s panties, after all.”

“When did we see each other’s panties! You were the only one who—”

Baek Yeoul shrieked like she was having a hysterical fit. Then her face suddenly flushed as if she had remembered something.

“D-don’t tell me… back then at the c-crosswalk?”

“Obviously.”

“Yaaaaaaaack!!!!”

Baek Yeoul clenched both fists and charged at me. But in her excitement she failed to see the rock at her feet. She tripped and staggered forward like she was about to fall.

What an idiot!

“Bread Butt, are you stupid? Puhahaha!”

I was laughing my head off when the stumbling Baek Yeoul toppled forward and her fist slammed straight into my nose.

Thud!

“Guaaaak!”

Baek Yeoul’s house was located a short distance from the center of D City. It was the kind of place you often saw in movies and dramas—a house with high walls. Beyond those walls lay a lawn-covered garden, and the terrace off the living room that overlooked it bathed in sunlight, quietly raising the satisfaction of living there. The interior was built in a modern minimalist style with a Swiss kitchen of some sort. It looked like the kind of place where a plump housekeeper would always be ready to peel fruit for you.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been inside such a large house. I knew Miss Yeoul came from money, but I had no idea she was the daughter of such a wealthy family!”

“It really is amazing. Even if I worked my part-time jobs for the rest of my life, I’d never be able to buy a house like this.”

“…It looks like the house from the movie Parasite.”

Everyone in Team “No Leftovers” was impressed. I, however, couldn’t hide my honest disappointment. I had expected the home of a semi-chaebol family famous for desserts to look like the candy house from a fairy tale, but there was nothing but concrete, cement, and stone.

“Wait here just a moment! I’ll bring my parents! Mom! Dad!”

Baek Yeoul kicked off her shoes and dashed upstairs. She soon came back down with a middle-aged couple who appeared to be her mother and father.

“Our Yeoul brought friends over! It’s been years since this last happened!”

“Nice to meet you all! I’m Yeoul’s father.”

The woman had a gentle, graceful appearance like a refined lady, while the man was a CEO type with slightly thinning hair. They guided us to a large dining table and piled it high with food—bright red lobster, beef that I had no idea how to eat, and more.

“M-mom. Isn’t this too much?”

Baek Yeoul asked cautiously, watching her mother’s reaction. The lady covered her mouth and laughed warmly, gently stroking Baek Yeoul’s back.

“How could I stay still when my daughter is bringing friends home? I put my skills to use today. Eat as much as you want. There’s plenty more, so don’t hold back.”

“……”

“……”

The sophisticated atmosphere of the upper-class dinner table seemed to overwhelm everyone; they could only glance around nervously. I decided this was my chance.

“Ma’am, if there are any leftovers, could I take some home?”

When I pulled a food container from my bag, the lady burst out laughing as if she found it delightful.

“If you want more, this lady will pack some separately for you!”

Her laughter loosened the stiff atmosphere, and everyone finally began to eat. The CEO seemed like a man of few words, but the lady was a whirlwind of energy who kept the conversation going so that silence never had a chance to settle.

“Our daughter is a good child, but she can be a little dense, so I always worry—”

“Mom!”

“I’ve always worried about whether she makes friends well at school or if she might be getting bullied. So how is our Yeoul at school? At home she’s a total troublemaker.”

How was Baek Yeoul at school? I recalled how everyone had been scolding her, but before I could open my mouth, Baek Yeoul jumped in first.

“I have lots of friends! Everyone wants to be in the same group as me!”

I see. Her parents didn’t seem to know how she actually lived at school. She must have chosen not to tell them. The meal grew slightly awkward because of Baek Yeoul’s clumsy lie, but the food itself was truly delicious.

Crunch. Crunch.

“Hey! How can you eat the crayfish shell and all! You’ll get sick!”

“Ma’am, your cooking is really excellent.”

“Pfft, really? What about your parents? Does your mother cook well?”

“Uh, Mom—”

Baek Yeoul looked extremely flustered.

Baek Yeoul began glancing around anxiously. Everyone turned to me with question marks floating above their heads, so I answered simply.

“My mom isn’t exactly good at cooking. She only ever made weird stuff. Like throwing ssamjang and ketchup into kimchi stew.”

“Oh my, she sounds like a very interesting person. A person’s personality always comes through in their cooking, you know.”

The meal was going fairly harmoniously when suddenly—

Thud thud thud.

Men in black suits burst into the house. I thought they might be preparing some kind of surprise event, but the way the lady, the CEO, and even Baek Yeoul all looked utterly shocked made it clear this wasn’t staged.

“W-who are you people?”

“CEO, we are from the National Tax Service. The taxes past their due date have not been paid. We have no choice but to proceed with compulsory enforcement. We apologize for the inconvenience, but seizure will be carried out according to legal procedures. We ask for your understanding.”

The men in black began slapping yellow stickers everywhere throughout the house. They even stuck one on the dining table where we were eating. They put them on the bowls containing the food too!

Both the CEO and his wife were so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shocked they lost their words and could only open and close their mouths like fish. Everyone just looked at each other. Baek Yeoul frowned deeply, clenched her fists tightly, and trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked like an angry raccoon with rabies; I was genuinely worried she might do something reckless.

If she caused a scene now, it would turn into a total disaster. I had no choice.

I grabbed Baek Yeoul’s wrist.

“Hey, the adults are busy. Let’s give them some space.”

“……”

When I dragged Baek Yeoul out, the others—who had been overwhelmed by the situation—silently followed behind me. We put on our shoes, left the garden, and climbed over the high wall. It felt like everything that had just happened was a dream.

Everyone’s expressions were complicated. They probably weren’t feeling great.

“It’s because of me…”

Baek Yeoul finally scrunched up her face and burst into tears. She somehow looked even uglier when she cried.

“It’s because I have Bad Luck that our family fell on hard times. Mom and Dad get hurt often too. It’s all because of me…”

So the Baek family’s fortunes weren’t as solid as they appeared? That explained why she couldn’t get her cracked phone screen fixed right away. It seemed she believed it was all caused by her Bad Luck.

But like I had told her before, luck is like a seesaw. When one side goes up, the other goes down. When one side goes down, the other goes up.

“Hey, you guys are actually incredibly lucky today. Because from now on you’re going to eat something really delicious. Let’s go!”

I led everyone to my house. After passing through an alley piled high with trash and scrap, we entered. They all looked surprised.

“This is your house? The neighborhood is really quiet.”

Geum Taeseong marveled at the serene atmosphere. Choi Changsik looked a little concerned.

“My friend, isn’t it rude if we all barge in without telling your parents?”

“It’s fine. My mom and dad aren’t home. This is my place. Come on in, everyone. If you want indoor slippers, you can wear them.”

I led my hesitant friends—who were acting like broken cats—inside and immediately went to the kitchen to boil water. I threw in the side dishes I had packed, the ramen powder I had been saving, ssamjang, and ketchup. Soon a delicious smell began to bubble up from the pot.

“Here. This is my original creation ramen.”

The thick broth already looked tasty. As everyone started drooling, they eyed it nervously.

“…Is this really okay to eat? Why did you mix everything together?”

A tense ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Geum Taeseong asked. The dish looked so good that his body had gone rigid.

“Why did I mix it? Once it’s in your stomach it all ends up the same anyway. Everyone with an IQ over 140 eats it like this.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“…I’ll try it. I was taught not to leave any food behind, no matter what it is.”

The first one to pick up a spoon was Baek Yeoul, who was still sniffling. She scooped up some broth, put it in her mouth, and her expression shifted through a rainbow of emotions.

“It… it’s delicious…!?”

“Miss Yeoul, is that true! This twisted, hellish broth is actually delicious? Then this body shall taste it as well! Mm, th-this flavor is—bleeegh…”

It must have been too much for Choi Changsik; he couldn’t handle it and ran straight to the bathroom.

“Haha, Namjin. Sorry, but I can’t eat this.”

“This isn’t food, it’s poison…”

Geum Taeseong and the quiet Oh Deokhui both took one spoonful and gave up. Only Baek Yeoul kept scooping up the broth and slurping down the contents with her chopsticks.

“…W-why is this good? It shouldn’t taste good! Why? Why does this taste good! I-I can’t accept this!”

The revolutionary flavor seemed to have made Baek Yeoul completely forget the sadness that had been crushing her just moments ago. In the end, only she and I finished the entire pot. She actually ate a bit more than me, which annoyed me, but since I had received food from her mother, I decided to forgive her.

“Look at this! There’s a mantis in the yard! A golden mantis!”

Just as I was about to clean up the dishes, Choi Changsik suddenly shouted from the yard. Excited at the thought of seeing a golden mantis, I dashed outside. Geum Taeseong, who had followed me out, tapped my shoulder.

“Namjin, you’re a much cooler guy than I thought.”

Suddenly? Did my cooking make me look even more handsome? It was entirely possible. This was an era where men who cook well look cool, after all.

In the end, I never saw the golden mantis. It had flown away before we came out. Missing a rare golden mantis—what terrible luck. Instead, Baek Yeoul, who had followed us out, was fidgeting in a way that made me laugh.

“Are you imitating the golden mantis right now?”

“…No I’m not! You! You said you were going to the party Seo Gaeul is hosting. The one at the headquarters.”

“Yeah. I did.”

“Don’t go. It’s a trap. I fell for it once too…”

It looked like Baek Yeoul had a lot she wanted to say about Seo Gaeul.