[Let’s go out to play after exams are over]
[I fucked up the midterms ㅠ I really need to do well this time]
[Kim Eorin, you’re good at studying, carry me a bit ㅠㅠㅜㅠㅠ]
[A lion pushes its beloved cubs off a cliff haha]
[Ya, you bad bastard ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜ]
[Chiwon-ah, you’re good at studying too, you’re the only one I can rely on now ㅠㅠㅠ]
[I don’t think I can teach as well as Eorin though]
When I was about to write “but if that’s okay,” the chat screen disappeared and a call notification popped up. It was Eorin.
“Yeah, Eorin-ah.”
—…
“Eorin-ah?”
—No, just… wondering what you’re doing.
“I was texting with you guys.”
How silly. I let out a small laugh. We’d been together just an hour ago, and yet hearing his voice before bed made me so happy.
—You seem in a good mood.
“Hm?”
—Seeing you laugh… That’s a relief. You seemed a bit depressed lately.
“Really?”
Was it that obvious…? I rubbed my face.
“I’m okay. Now.”
—Really?
“Really. Everyone doesn’t seem to believe me when I say I’m okay.”
—That’s because you only ever say you’re okay.
“Well, it’s because I am okay…”
—Talk to me before you’re okay. Don’t bottle it up alone and then become okay.
I couldn’t promise that. Instead of lying, I changed the subject.
“What should we have for lunch tomorrow?”
—There’s a Ross Burger in front, have you been there?
“No.”
—Then let’s tell the kids to go there. If it’s burgers, it won’t take long to eat, so we can eat quickly and study again.
“No matter how I think about it, I think we’ll end up playing tomorrow.”
—The picture’s pretty clear, right?
I could hear Eorin laughing quietly through the phone. At the excitement that struck without warning, I drew in a breath.
“But we have to study. I need to make up for ethics too…”
—If the kids say they want to play, let’s just ditch them at Ross Burger.
“Is that okay?”
—A lion pushes its beloved cubs off a cliff, remember?
Eorin and I giggled together.
—You know, during vacation.
“Hm?”
—Where are you going during vacation?
“No, I don’t think I’m going anywhere.”
—Then do you want to go somewhere with me?
“All together?”
—All together is good too. Let’s go somewhere and stay for a few nights. They said vacation supplementary classes are 2 weeks, so we can play for 1 week.
“Ah, our vacation is only 3 weeks?”
—Yeah.
“If supplementary classes are 2 weeks out of that… it’s just a long weekend. Not a vacation.”
—Can you go on a trip?
“Um… I’ll try asking for permission. But money…”
What if I don’t have money, will that be okay? I was about to say that but swallowed it. What if it sounds like I’m asking for money? I couldn’t bring myself to say it and was anxiously hesitating, and though it probably wasn’t for my sake, Eorin pretended not to hear and answered.
—There’s a pension my family went to before, I should be able to rent it. The owner knows my father, and he’s not doing it to make money, he’s running the pension because he wants to rest with his spouse in a place with good air, so he said he’d lend it to us anytime. Let’s go eat meat and play and come back. If the teacher is worried, uh… tell her I said I’ll take full responsibility. If she still doesn’t trust us, um.
“If she still doesn’t trust us?”
—If she still doesn’t trust us… what should we do…
Eorin groaned. I almost burst out laughing but held it in. My younger siblings were sleeping in the next room.
“I’ll try asking her earnestly. It sounds fun.”
—Right?
After exchanging a few more words, the call ended with good night wishes. I fiddled with my mostly dry hair, then turned off the light and lay down.
[Chiwon-ah, where did you go]
[Chiwon-ah ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜ]
[Kim Eorin, come out]
[He disappeared too]
[Looks like Kim Eorin went to appease Chiwon]
[This wicked bastard]
[Give Chiwon back!]
Messages had piled up while I was on the phone. When I sent a monkey emoji covering its mouth with a smile, the kids cried “boo hoo” and cursed at Eorin. I laughed quietly under the thin blanket and fell asleep.
Since there definitely wouldn’t be any seats in the reading room with exams approaching, we decided to meet in front of the library at 9 AM when the reading room opened. But Junsu overslept as always, and Hyeonho and one of Hyeonho’s friends, Kim Sejin, also overslept, so we saved three seats and started studying. However, since we had to go outside the quiet reading room to teach Woojin, Park Jeongmin, and Park Giwon when they asked questions, we ended up at the table benches on the outdoor terrace next to the reading room. At first it was a space made for eating packed lunches and resting, but after a new cafeteria opened in the basement, it was rarely used. It was also hot, so we were the only ones who came outside, giving up air conditioning.
“Wow, I’m dying from the heat.”
“Hyeonho said he’s sorry and will buy us ice cream.”
“Oh, nice.”
When Eorin sat in the middle, opened his book, and started summarizing the main points, the kids gathered around and listened intently to his explanations while taking notes. Park Giwon’s textbook, which was supposedly the most serious case, was almost clean because he’d been hospitalized after an accident not long after the retreat ended, so he couldn’t attend classes. He said he borrowed Kim Sejin’s notebook to look at it, but Kim Sejin was smart, not good at taking notes or teaching others, so it was difficult, Park Giwon cried. I smiled a little watching Eorin, who’d been saying things like a lion pushes its cubs off a cliff, teach diligently.
“Ah, I’m starting to get it now.”
“Eorin is good because he doesn’t get angry. That Sejin guy doesn’t understand that I don’t understand…”
“When did you call him a bad bastard?”
“Hehe.”
“I want to try solving it alone.”
When Woojin said that and started solving practice problems, Park Giwon and Park Jeongmin also buried their noses in their textbooks. Seeing Eorin let out a small sigh and lower his shoulders, I handed him the iced tea I’d brought. Perhaps not wanting to break the concentration of the kids who were working hard for once, Eorin took the tumbler and smiled at me quietly.
Not long after, the kids who’d overslept also arrived at the reading room. But by then it was already close to lunchtime, and the kids’ concentration was running out, so we went straight to the burger place.
While eating burgers, Eorin brought it up. That thing about the trip from yesterday.
“My father said we can rent the pension, so let’s go play.”
“Really?”
“Ah, I can’t… I’m going on a family trip then.”
“I don’t think I can either. I promised to hang out with Jinhyeong during vacation.”
Kim Sejin had a girlfriend at another school. When everyone jeered, Kim Sejin laughed “hehe” and held his nose high.
“Damn, I’m jealous. Why don’t I have someone?”
“Didn’t you say you like someone?”
At Park Jeongmin’s words, Hyeonho’s face turned bright red. Since we didn’t really talk about these things among ourselves, attention instantly focused on him.
“Who is it?”
“Ah, never mind. Just eat your burger.”
“Ah, who is it?”
“There is! Where?!”
When Hyeonho shouted sharply, the kids giggled. Without realizing it, I kept glancing at Eorin. I’d never thought about it, but maybe Eorin also has someone he likes?
But perhaps feeling my gaze, Eorin glanced at me. Startled, I lowered my eyes, and there were the chicken nuggets Eorin had ordered. Thinking something about my gaze, Eorin picked up a chicken nugget, dipped it in mustard sauce, and held it out to me.
“Here. Say ah.”
“…Thanks.”
Since he gave it to me, I gratefully accepted it. I hadn’t wanted to eat it, but it was delicious. As I chewed the chicken nugget, something touched the corner of my mouth again.
“Our Chiwon, eat this too.”
It was a cheese-flavored french fry that Woojin held out. Since there was chicken nugget inside, it was a bit awkward to open my mouth, so I hurriedly chewed and swallowed, then put the french fry in my mouth.
“Chiwon is…”
“Hm?”
“The more I see him, the more his image changes…”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The way he looks isn’t like that though…”
“Right?”
When I looked at the kids with a bewildered face, Hyeonho, who’d been shaking his head, picked up his french fries and started popping them into the kids’ mouths one by one.
“Just eat.”
“…But it is comfortable being fed, Chiwon-ah.”
When Park Jeongmin said that, Park Giwon next to him nodded, then opened his mouth and gestured for more. The kids giggled at Hyeonho’s choked expression.
Exams were rapidly approaching. After taking the midterms, perhaps feeling it was somewhat dangerous, the kids in our class also started studying hard as if fire had fallen on their feet. During the week before exams, the classroom was so full during evening self-study that there was no space.
Eorin was caught during every break to answer the kids’ questions, but of course it wasn’t free. The kids diligently bought and offered Eorin snacks, drinks, ice cream and such from the school store. Eorin accepted them without the slightest refusal and stowed them in his stomach. He often fed some to me too, and feeling guilty, I helped teach the kids alongside Eorin. I don’t think I was much help though… Seeing us study hard for the first time after a whole semester had passed, the homeroom teacher dabbed away tears and muttered that he could place some hope in this bulgogi bet.
To conclude, the homeroom teacher had to buy bulgogi.
“How can there be a school-wide first place in our class and yet the average is second from the bottom…?”
“Averages are originally dragged way down by low scores, teacher.”
Roh Jinho, one of the main culprits dragging it down, made a pitying expression as if consoling him.
“Cheer up.”
“You little bastards…”
The teacher sobbed and stroked his wallet.
“You know there’s still 2 weeks left until vacation, right? Even during vacation, you can’t go anywhere. Apply for all the vacation supplementary classes! Just try not doing it! I’ll come to your house with the application form!”
“Aigo, teacher. I have a family trip planned.”
“What, are you going on a family trip for 2 weeks, 3 weeks?!”
“It’s my first overseas trip…”
“Ugh…”
“My parents… are a weekend couple… they’re taking a long vacation together for the first time…”
“Ah, ah, ah…”
The teacher covered his face. Here and there, sounds of snickering could be heard.
“We have to finish the curriculum before vacation, so there won’t be many teachers giving self-study time during class. Let’s study ahead for next semester, okay? Kids. I said let’s just keep our hearts pure…”
“Teacher, isn’t there something more important than that?”
“What?”
“There’s the Sports Festival in September!”
“Ohhhhh!”
The kids’ eyes lit up, instantly excited. The teacher’s mouth dropped open, then he immediately lowered his head in defeat.
