Chapter 59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: These Days' Kids
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Lee Ha-yeon]: This...
[Lee Ha-yeon]: Did you just record this?
[Lee Ha-yeon]: Hehe
[Lee Ha-yeon]: Totally awful
[Me]: Hurt
It felt like Lee Ha-yeon herself—poking me lightly by my side while stifling her giggles—was about to pop up any second.
Ruthless girl.
After firing off that curt reply, all the energy drained out of me, and I slumped over in my chair. Time to check out the second theme assignment piece too. I'd whip up a summary quick and dive into some serious practice.
As I furrowed my brows, burning the on-screen performer's image into my brain, my sidelined phone started buzzing.
It was a call from Lee Ha-yeon. I cocked my head and scooped it up.
"Hello?"
[…….]
"Hello— what's up?"
After a long silence, Lee Ha-yeon finally spoke up, her voice quivering just a bit.
[……You mad?]
Far from mad, I was utterly flustered and couldn't spit out a decent response right away.
"Huh?"
[Look, I was just messing around...]
"Messing around?"
[No, I mean, yeah, 'cause you said you were hurt...]
Where the hell did this conversation derail? I calmly pieced the timeline back together and had to explain it all in the gentlest tone I could muster.
That those four little words—'hurt'—weren't sincere at all. Just like she'd been joking, so had I. A straight-out-of-morals-textbook rundown.
It was so ridiculous picturing myself earnestly unpacking this that I kept bursting into laughs mid-explanation.
"I'd have been pissed if you'd praised my playing and told you not to pity me."
[Phew, thank goodness. I thought you meant it.]
Innocent? Clueless? Take your pick.
Still, glad she got it. I let out a wry chuckle and asked,
"Who you with right now? Kids at the library?"
[Nah, on a break during my lesson.]
She'd been cutting piano time to cram hard, and here she was taking a lesson today. Her schedule must be jammed.
"Exam's day after tomorrow, and you're doing lessons?"
[Yeah, it worked out that way. Ju-hee wanted to hit the library.]
Lee Ha-yeon let regret slip through with an awkward laugh.
Splitting her time like that for practice must be why she's where she is now. Every rose has its thorn, right?
"You can grind studies in third year or whatever. Catch you next week."
Not all that weird, so I hung up and snapped right back to the assignment piece.
The classroom was a total zoo. First-day exam morning vibes had to be this chaotic—pure nostalgia fodder with the classic chatter and milling about.
"Uwaaa... Didn't study a lick. Totally screwed."
Kim Ju-hee smooshed her cheek on my desk, whimpering out some grotesque sigh.
I plucked a few strands of that golden hair draping the desk. Pretended my fingers were an Airwrap and twirled away. Then asked her,
"Why not munch some walnuts while you studied?"
"That quiet trick? Doesn't work on me anymore."
Looked like her intelligence stat had leveled up a notch, no cap.
Lost in fiddling with her hair and those nagging doubts, Kim Ju-hee suddenly sprang up.
"Seong-hyuk, you study at all?"
"Would I? Just goofed off at home all weekend. Disaster."
"For real? Not fibbing after cramming?"
"Wish it were so..."
Then what the hell was that at the dorm last night?
Watching the same crew fire laser glares, sizing each other up—it was almost heartwarming.
"Yo, Ju-hee, don't buy it. Saw this punk grinding till like 4 a.m. yesterday."
Lee Seong-hyuk flinched at my spineless secret spill, propped his chin, and whipped his head to the window. Kim Ju-hee popped up humming triumphantly—like she'd nailed him—and closed in.
"Hmmm... Guess my real skills scare ya? Resorting to such obvious lies."
"Ju-hee, dark circles first. Then talk."
"This? Oh, switched eyeshadow shades. No personal color sense?"
"You don't even wear eyeshadow."
"Hey! Kwon Do-hyun, whose team you on?"
"Winners' side."
I shrugged, soaking in the idiots' squabble. Classic: the study-slackers pulling all-nighters eve-of-exam, slamming energy drinks like soup bowls.
Up front, Lee Ha-yeon eyed the spectacle like it was some rare exhibit.
I turned to her. She caught my gaze, shoulders twitching, eyes locking.
Then bam—pupils hardening into a death glare outta nowhere.
"What's with the death stare? Duel?"
She smoothed her scowl in a flash, shaking her head wildly like she'd never dream it.
Then wordlessly balled a fist and whisper-yelled,
"Ace the exam."
"Uh... You too. Fighting."
Front, back—nothing but weirdos.
10 minutes until exam begins. Students not yet in classrooms...
Speaker blared the settle-down nag. Supervisor teacher rolling up right on cue.
"Ah, not done yet..."
"Hey, anyone got the last math handout?!"
"Dunno... Bubble recommendations?"
I savored my friends' dying wails, fishing ballpoint and scantron pens from my drawer.
Four-day exam gauntlet: done.
Real treat for me. Solved everything in 20 flat, nap city. Lunch, then straight practice room bliss.
Weekend vibes, basically. Empty rooms, half-days hammering keys—pure joy loop.
Today, post-exams, my desk swarm central. Buzz with a twist from day one.
"...Prez, again today?"
"German one's iffy. Rest feel solid."
"Perfect score then? That myth exam gold."
"Can't even flop! Infuriating."
Kim Ju-hee and Lee Seong-hyuk clutched my sheets, unleashing every freakout in the book.
Arts high quirk? Freshman leniency? Exams were cakewalk.
Music theory aside. Piano practicals stayed brutal as ever.
"Don't peek answers though. Just jinxes ya."
"Scores only."
"Deal."
They'd side-bet scores behind my back, probs.
Lee Seong-hyuk snatched my papers newspaper-style, neatened 'em.
What piece today? Daily happy dilemma. Ten assignments—no eval burnout. Win.
"Phew... Where to later?"
Kim Ju-hee flopped, voice limp.
"Say what?"
"We planned hangout post-exams."
Crucial: never signed up for that.
"Practice planned. Schumann Toccata. Domestic players today. College recitals kinda fun, no? Watch later?"
"Sigh."
Kim Ju-hee desk-hands, squat-gawk up at me.
"Worryin'. Youth squanderer much?"
Opera-level dramatics: arms sky-wide bold.
I blank-stared down.
Youth. Shiny dog-apricot vibes.
"And how's Miss Kim Ju-hee savoring hers?"
"Scope my Insta. Drop likes. Story shares. Account for decor?"
Her feed? Last peek: eat-outs galore. Food snaps, cafe selfies, booth glossies.
Squat-zoned-out Kim Ju-hee piped up sudden.
"Prez, hobby?"
"Classical listening."
Straight facts. Pre- or post-regress: unchanged.
Bland reply, yet Kim Ju-hee and Lee Seong-hyuk faces twisted grossed-out.
"Bore life central."
"Dorm same."
"Hey, days packed happy. Why hate?"
Protest? Vaporized.
"Seong-hyuk?"
"Ye-rim Arts history dives."
Now Kim Ju-hee plus Lee Ha-yeon terror-faced.
Me too—chilling my bud's that psycho.
"Yo, ditch him. Dad: no crazy pals."
"Shocked too... That deep, Seong-hyuk?"
"Why me?"
Skipped his "I'm normal" BS, eyed Kim Ju-hee.
"Your hobby then, Kim Ju-hee."
Waited-for cue: fingers folding deliberate.
"Insta... YT binge, shop clothes, outing?"
"Minus outing: time-burn joy."
"Harsh!"
"Ha-yeon, you?"
Three heads swiveled to her blank perch.
Gaze overload? She dodged eyes, mumbled faint,
"Uh, nothing specific."
"No way!"
"None?"
"Wild."
No hobbies.
Question barrage on Lee Ha-yeon; I mulled.
Middle school: no tight crew, no outings, study meh. Piano solo grind?
'Nah, hobby void? Life red alert.'
My take, 100%. Time-filler mystery.
Her past/my present growth arc? No deep-dive window.
"C'mon, school suck-out quick."
Kim Ju-hee arm-yanked me, shoved classroom exile.
"Outing pass?"
"Exam week: nah. Hustle!"
Her nag-drag crossed schoolfront boulevard. Epic spot? Nah, chain cafe.
Class yak or here? Same diff...
"Folds sans Ye-rim kids. Sales savior duty."
Patriotic AF.
True: two-floor joint, Ye-rim uniforms everywhere. Elder tables sprinkled.
Kim Ju-hee whipped phone, proud flex,
"My treat! Loaded points."
Counter creep: menu scan.
"Drink? Me: new spring limited Blossom Lilac Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher. Cherry blossoms afloat!"
Shoulder-poke-push frenzy.
Era menus: infinite sprawl. Order hell? Blossoms chow-legal?
"Blonde Americano. Iced."
"Bore sip."
"Coffee fun vs dud?"
"Eyeroll nojam."
"Earl Grey."
"Ha-yeon?"
Kim Ju-hee beam-back. Lee Ha-yeon micro-awkward, faint smile.
"Dunno. You pick, Ju-hee."
"Sweet!"
Window seat freebie: plop, chill for drinks.
Gals phone-chatter watch; hit Lee Seong-hyuk,
"No coffee? Never witnessed."
"Yeah, teas only."
Fancy pants. Leg-cross survey, double-down,
"Cafes? Teabag slop. Easy profit pump, skipped. Nada tempted."
Leaf-brew daily? Facepalm query,
"Faux posh why. No survey."
"Figurative."
"Ajusshi hours..."
"Teacher dips too?"
"Vibe alert!"
Kim Ju-hee glee-snag buzzer-tray haul.
Straw-rip sip prep; smack-stop, glare assault. Eyes-open terror...
"What? Boomerang first."
"Boomerang?"
"Yup. V-wave stat."
"Boomerang... Trended yeah."
"No weird, now."
Kid trends: whiplash. Me: retro recall lag.
Grudge-gather four cups, hand-wave voodoo. Future anthro: '20s beverage cult relics.'
"Good, sip! Story drop."
Lee Ha-yeon awkward-sync, pro now. Ju-hee osmosis study.
Kim Ju-hee straw-pack torture, no-taste mutter,
"Later whereto..."
"Seo Ye-ri skip?"
"You Ye-ri probe sometimes? She's swamped solo, Ha-yeon hangs. Weekend syncs."
Daily face-time, prez-busy chit-chat drought. No epic texts.
"Plus, coaching Ha-yeon funsies."
Menu match confirmed. Lee Ha-yeon sip-crumple,
"Eek...!"
Cough-fit. Rare freak-out vintage.
"Issue?"
"Choke?"
"...Sour bomb. Gross."
"Rude! My pick!"
Glare at her Blossom Lilac whatevs. Subtle salt-mine face.
Sudden reach: swap my iced Americano hers.
"Hey."
"Coffee me."
"No long-cutesy. Your spit-back too."
"That one's yum."
"Said gross tho..."
Grace queen usual, me-bulldozer special. Recent practice shoulder-ram.
Prior Ju-hee dessert snap intrigue: pretty-food fan? Nope.
Waste nix: straw-swirl, test sip.
'...Yum tho?'
Spring new: tang perfection.
"Ah, anyway. Play plan?"
Chatter peak, Ju-hee core-dump. Sad: age-fit plays? PC bang, pool hall sum.
Adult 'play'? Booze fest eternal.
"You norm play?"
"Hm... Noraebang, cafe, shop, snap, chow..."
"Routine day two: bore-fix?"
"Gasp, Ha-yeon echo."
Ju-hee palm-mouth, saucer-eyes. Straw-suck Ha-yeon beam. Friendless-buds unite.
"You two: concept reboot today. Bore-life cope?"
"Bore-labeler's thrill level?"
"Hush."
Grouch-trust swagger follow-me; Ju-hee phone-tap frenzy.
"Ahh~ blast! Tired tho..."
"Ju-hee, cash hemorrhage."
"Want overload."
Full routine purge. Plenty? Nah, her 'play' checklist unchecked.
"Next week redo!"
"3rd eval dodge?"
"Grind keys blah ugh."
"My bad."
Preface nofun-geezer gripes: sorry hack unlocked.
Lunch-early out, dusk drop. Half-day torched—practice dash.
"School dread..."
"Tomorrow bye, weekend hi."
"Oh yeah."
Kid-stroll: school turf. Pocket buzz-hand.
[Gyuri sunbae]: Yo exams done
[Gyuri sunbae]: Headin out to chill b4 home, free?
[Gyuri sunbae]: Link?
...Practice count?
"Do-hyun, dorm direct? Mart snack pitstop."
"Starvin-ish. Practice tho..."
"Prez, c'mon!"
"Recital gig calls."
"...Practice too? React-o-meter broke."
Snickered at her ditz head-tilt.
"Told ya: walnut stock."
"Argh, fr!"