Chapter 20: Starstagram Star Hwang Ye-seul
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 20: Starstagram Star Hwang Ye-seul
‘1,000 points?’
Just hearing the number was overwhelming.
Even when I worked my ass off to complete a workout, I only got 10 points. To think I’d get a thousand just for registering a regular member.
I blinked blankly without realizing it.
Giving out that much just for a registration meant one thing: it was going to be that much harder to pull off.
And it wasn't just a temporary registration; it had to be a regular one.
‘It means I have to invite her and then get her to fully commit to the gym.’
Easier said than done.
I looked at Hwang Ye-seul. There wasn't a hint of friendliness in her eyes as she glared at me with a scowl.
And I was supposed to get her to register?
‘A text message won't even come close.’
I’d have to put in the work to build some rapport first. It was going to take quite a while.
But that was fine.
A thousand points wasn't pocket change. It was well worth the time and effort.
Perhaps I had been staring too long. At that moment, my eyes met Hwang Ye-seul’s.
"Hmph!"
Ye-seul snorted and turned her head away. I wasn't sure why, but it was clear she disliked me quite a bit.
"Anyway, I should get going for my class. Where are you two headed?"
"We're going to Building 3," Miju replied.
"Building 3 Lecture Hall?"
"Yes!"
That was where I was going, too. My first class was a general elective held in Building 3.
I glanced at Hwang Ye-seul. She seemed uncomfortable, so...
"Then let's part ways here. Contact me at lunchtime. If you can't make it, just send me a text in advance."
"Yes! Got it!"
Miju answered, stealing a quick glance at Ye-seul. She seemed brimming with confidence that she could persuade her friend.
I’m sure she’ll handle it.
With that thought, I parted ways with Miju.
Wait a second.
‘Do I even have Miju’s contact info?’
I didn't think we had exchanged numbers.
Well, it’ll work out somehow. If I can't reach her, I’ll just make up an excuse later.
After leaving Miju, I took a different path toward Building 3.
I thought that was the end of it, but...
"Oh?"
"Huh? Oppa, what are you doing here?"
As luck would have it, we were in the same class.
*
"……And so, in this lesson……."
The professor was teaching with great passion, even though it was the first day.
That was uncomfortable in its own right, but more than anything...
The fact that Miju, sitting right next to me, was pouting was even more uncomfortable. She kept glancing at me with a face full of dissatisfaction.
"Oppa, is it uncomfortable for you to walk with me on campus?"
"Wh-what?"
She whispered so the professor wouldn't hear, making it hard for me to catch.
"You had class in Building 3 too, so why did you say we should go separately? It doesn't even look like you have any friends to sit with."
"Ah, well, you see……."
"It’s not because I’m a burden or anything, right?"
"It’s definitely not that."
A burden? How could Miju be a burden?
Even though I usually struggled to talk to women, I had shared quite a few conversations with Miju. By now, there wasn't a single thing about her that made me uncomfortable.
It was just because of Hwang Ye-seul, who was sitting on the other side of her. She had been shooting me unpleasant glares before finally losing interest.
"Really?"
"Of course. Why else would I have sat next to you?"
"Hmm…… okay."
Miju nodded.
"Since you're a returning student, I guess freshmen could be a bit much. I understand. I learned what kind of person you are while working at the part-time job."
I almost choked on my breakfast.
I thought I had smoothed things over, but then...
"……Based on today’s lecture, I will be giving you an assignment. I’d like you to form groups of three for a project. A month from now, during the fifth week, we will replace the lecture with your presentations."
Wait a minute, Professor.
A group project right from the start?
Are you playing games with me from the very first round?
Isn't that a bit too cruel for a returning student with zero friends?
"Jae-ho Oppa."
In the midst of my despair, I heard Miju’s voice. Her previous sulkiness was gone, replaced by eyes sparkling with a suggestion.
"Let’s form a group, the three of us. What do you think?"
In that moment, she looked like an angel.
You have no idea how grateful those words sounded to a returning student.
The only catch was Hwang Ye-seul, but...
‘Better than being in a team with total strangers…….’
It was better to have at least one person I knew.
"Sure. Let's do it."
At my answer, Miju suddenly started clapping like a seal.
"I’ve always wanted to do a group project with a senior from my department!"
If that’s her idea of a dream, she’s at a good age.
The class ended along with the professor’s shocking announcement.
The total class time was an hour and a half. He had definitely let us out earlier than scheduled.
"There’s more than an hour left until lunch."
The timing was awkward. It wasn't like I was hungry yet, either.
I was debating whether to go find a place to sneak in a workout when Miju spoke up.
"Ah, in that case, do you mind if I head over to the faculty office for a bit? I’m the class rep, and the seniors asked me to do something."
Miju was talking to me. It was probably about lunch, but I wondered if she had managed to persuade her friend yet.
"Are you two going together?"
"No. I'm going by myself."
"Huh?"
"What?"
Both Ye-seul and I looked at Miju at the same time.
What was she talking about? She was going to leave the two of us alone in this awkward atmosphere?
Just as I was panicking, Hwang Ye-seul grabbed the hem of Miju’s shirt.
"Hey, don't go. You're going to leave the two of us alone like this?"
" I’ll be right back. You know the professor keeps looking for me because I’m the class rep. Besides, Oppa isn't a bad person. Have you ever seen me get close to someone bad?"
"Well, that’s true, but……."
Ye-seul nodded at Miju’s words.
"So don't worry too much. Oppa, please look after Ye-seul."
"Look after... what?"
"She’s just shy, but she’s a good kid."
Miju whispered so only I could hear.
"I emphasized how good of a person you are several times on the way here. Just talk to her so it’s not too overwhelming. And……."
Miju continued, looking at the flustered Hwang Ye-seul.
"Ye-seul loves it when people compliment her phone case. Try talking to her about that. Oh, but don't compliment her looks. That’s a no-go."
"Mi-Miju……."
"Well then, I’m off!"
Miju sprang up and dashed out of the room.
Is she really leaving us like this?
I looked at Hwang Ye-seul. Her expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief. There seemed to be a hint of annoyance too... or was there?
"Um, Ye-seul…… ssi?"
I cleared my throat to break the ice.
However.
"……."
She only glared at me and didn't respond.
"I’m Choi Jae-ho, Computer Engineering, Class of 2017. Nice to meet you."
"We already introduced ourselves earlier."
"Ah, sorry. I’m a bit nervous."
What was I supposed to say?
I hadn't dealt with many people this cold... wait, that wasn't true.
There was Yeojin from the part-time job, and plenty of others.
"I’m going to the restroom for a moment."
"Ah, okay. The other students have all left anyway, so I’ll wait here."
I didn't feel like going outside for no reason. It was hot. The September sun was not something to be trifled with.
Click, clack.
Only after Hwang Ye-seul left the lecture hall did I finally let out a breath.
"Phew……."
I thought I was going to die. It was so awkward. The chilly atmosphere felt like it was crushing my chest.
"Might as well exercise."
When my heart feels heavy or I’m annoyed, there’s nothing like exercise. Since no one was around, I figured I’d do some bodyweight squats.
To me right now, even that was an extreme sport.
"Whew, whew, whew!"
I took my stance and bent my knees.
I’m not sure how long I had been going up and down while maintaining my form as best as I could, but sweat was already dripping after just a short while.
I felt a stinging gaze from behind and turned around.
"Oh."
Hwang Ye-seul had returned at some point and was watching me.
"Wh-when did you get back?"
"Just now."
"Ah……."
Wow. I almost fainted. My head spun from the sheer embarrassment.
"Ahem!"
"You can keep going."
"No, it’s fine. I was just loosening up since you stepped out for a bit."
"……."
An awkward silence settled in.
"You seem to…… exercise a lot."
"It hasn't been that long."
The awkwardness was suffocating.
"Aha. Your form looked quite good. Where did you learn?"
"Ah, yes. I’m learning from someone I know."
"I see……."
Silence again.
Hwang Ye-seul twirled her hair with her finger. She slightly avoided my gaze. Then, as if she had run out of things to say, she pulled out her phone.
She didn't seem to have much to do. She was probably texting Miju.
Her phone was pretty. It was decorated all over with sparkling accessories. Was she the type who liked flashy things?
I gave it a quick glance and looked away.
In that split second, I remembered what Miju had told me. That she loved it when people complimented her phone case.
I thought it was a bit unique, but seeing how much effort she put into it, I could see why she’d like the compliment.
"Your phone is really pretty."
The words slipped out of my mouth. It was a sincere compliment without a hint of pretense.
Tastes might vary, but objectively speaking, it was beautifully decorated. Especially the rose-gold trim; it was the kind of look that would tempt even people who didn't care about cases.
"This?"
"Where did you buy it? It’s really beautiful."
"Re……ally? Most guys don't seem to like it much."
"I mean it. Did you custom-make it yourself? Or did you buy it somewhere?"
"You can find a lot of these in the station's underground shopping mall."
"Did you go around looking for it yourself?"
"Yes. There aren't as many of these products as you’d think, so you have to walk around in person to find them rather than looking online."
Perhaps because it was her area of interest, Hwang Ye-seul’s guard began to drop, and she started talking.
"There are some you can custom-make, but those are hard to get right. I’m not very good with my hands."
She really must love them. Her previous bluntness was gone, replaced by a bright smile as she explained the case.
‘I’ve seen this somewhere before…….’
It reminded me of a shy junior back in the military who would start rambling the moment his favorite game was mentioned.
She was a geek. A phone case geek.
I listened quietly to her explanation and then asked her a question.
"Want me to take a photo for you?"
"Huh?"
"Ah, not of you, Ye-seul, but of your case. I thought it might be nice to have a shot of it being held. It’s hard to take a good photo of your own phone while you're using it."
Since I had to get close to her somehow, I forced the words out. I don't know how many times I rehearsed that sentence in my head before saying it.
I waited for her answer.
"That’s true."
"I’ll take it for you. I’m actually pretty good at taking photos."
I held up my phone. It was an Apple Phone. That alone should explain everything.
"Th-then, please."
The cold expression she had just moments ago had almost completely vanished. Maybe I was making progress?
I raised the camera to take a photo of Hwang Ye-seul’s hand holding the phone. I paid close attention to the angle and lighting to ensure the harmony between her hand, the phone, and the case was perfect.
"That pose is good. Let me take one like that."
Click!
The light grazed the case. Thanks to that light, the case sparkled like a jewel.
"Wow! What is this? It looks so different from the ones I take!"
Hwang Ye-seul’s eyes and mouth hung open as she looked back and forth between me and the phone.
"Is it okay?"
"Is it okay? It’s the best! Wow……."
Ye-seul covered her mouth with both hands as she admired the photo.
"Didn't you say you were a senior in Computer Engineering? How do you take photos like this……?"
"I did it as a hobby for a while. Because of that, I kept getting called out whenever there was a need for photos in the military."
"That’s amazing…… truly……."
She couldn't seem to stop looking at the phone. She was so focused on the photo that she didn't seem to realize she had placed her hand on the back of mine.
Her hand, covering mine, was warm.
"Could you take more?"
"Of course. It doesn't cost anything."
I took photos of the case from various angles. Every time a new result came out, she marveled at it.
Her defensiveness had long since melted away. Before I knew it, she was sticking close to me to look at the photos.
Does she not realize what she's doing?
"I’ll send all the photos I took to you."
"Really?"
"I’ll need your contact info for that…… is that okay?"
"Of course!"
A conversation where I naturally asked for a phone number! The old me could never have done this.
Hwang Ye-seul held out her phone.
"Please put your number in!"
I caught a glimpse of her wallpaper; it was a photo of another phone case. She really was a hardcore geek.
I typed my number into her phone.
Vrrr!
A call came through immediately.
"That’s my number."
I saved her number right away.
"I’ll send them to you now, Ye-seul."
"You can just call me Ye-seul comfortably, Senior."
"Sh-should I?"
The ice was broken. I sent the original photos to Ye-seul immediately.
"Thank you! Senior!"
She gave a deep bow with a bright, blooming smile. Her short hair swayed with the movement.
[You have obtained the contact information of a potential member.]
[The probability of promotion has increased.]
*
"Ah, sorry. I’m a bit lat—"
Miju, who had rushed back to the lecture hall, saw the two of them chatting and laughing. They had been so awkward earlier, but they seemed to have become close in the blink of an eye.
‘I knew it would work.’
Ye-seul was naturally very shy. Because of her shyness, she didn't talk much and often gave off a gaze that made it seem like she was wary of others.
Everyone misunderstood her because of that, but she was actually quite a timid person.
The reason she was a Starstagram star was because of the phone cases she photographed and the occasional—very occasional—photos she posted of herself wearing a mask.
She had said she couldn't bring herself to show her face because she was too embarrassed.
Miju had left them alone, thinking Jae-ho was a kind person who would handle her well, and clearly...
‘They’ve gotten close.’
It almost seemed like she was more comfortable with him than with Miju herself. The two were even looking at each other's phones and laughing out loud.
‘What is this?’
A corner of her chest felt a strange sting. A discomfort she had never felt before took root in her heart.
Was it because she felt left out?
‘Kang Mi-ju, get it together. You left them alone because you wanted them to get close.’
Right. There was nothing strange about it. It was what she wanted, and it turned out well.
But why was she so uncomfortable?
Miju quickly stepped between the two.
"What were you two talking about so happily?"
She asked with a smile, pretending nothing was wrong.
"Ye-seul really likes phone cases. I was taking some photos of it for her."
"Miju, Jae-ho Senior is really good at taking photos. It’s no joke."
"Aha. Is that so?"
Jae-ho Oppa taking photos?
"Ah, I have some experience doing it as a hobby."
"Is. That. So?"
The atmosphere turned strangely chilly.
Snapping back to her senses, Miju waved her hands.
"Sorry. I guess I got stressed out from talking to the professor so much. We're having lunch together, right? I’m starting to get hungry. Ye-seul, is it okay? It might be a bit uncomfortable for you."
"It’s fine. Let’s eat."
"Are you really okay?"
Seeing her friend agree so readily made Miju feel annoyed for some reason.
‘Why am I being like this?’