# Chapter 28
After quite some time had passed, Kwak Junhee, who had gone out to eat, returned. Thinking that it had taken longer than expected, I watched his reflection in the window briefly before taking a sip of my now lukewarm cinnamon ssanghwacha. Discovering me still sitting obediently in my seat, Kwak Junhee approached with gleaming eyes.
“Oh? You still haven’t finished your drink?”
Kwak Junhee asked with a puzzled expression as he checked the amount of ssanghwacha left in the mug I had set down. I was about to tell him that I had already finished the one he bought me and this was one I purchased myself, but I just nodded instead.
“I’m drinking it slowly.”
That was half true. Ssanghwacha is best when it’s hot, but now that it had cooled down, it didn’t taste as good and was harder to swallow.
“So? Have you decided to use your dinner ticket today?”
“…Yes.”
Kwak Junhee plopped down across from me rather than going upstairs, and upon hearing my affirmative answer, he smiled with satisfaction. I stared blankly at his wavelike, stretched lips before taking a sip of my tea. I didn’t understand why he was so pleased that I was staying. However, the thought that Kwak Junhee would also be attending tonight’s dinner made me feel a bit annoyed.
“Aren’t you busy with student council work?”
I was indirectly asking why he wasn’t going back upstairs and was sitting across from me. Kwak Junhee smiled with his mouth closed, then slumped back against his chair.
“I’m not busy. The meeting is already over, and I just need to help the others with their studying a bit.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Taeho, don’t you study? The month-end evaluation is next week. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I can teach you.”
Month-end evaluation. If I take the test like this, I’ll definitely fail, right? Though it doesn’t count toward my school record, it affects my Class level, so I couldn’t afford to mess it up.
Kwak Junhee, befitting his top-tier Class, ranked among the best in the school. He was actually ranked first in the entire school. It might be prejudice, but even Byeon Seungha, who didn’t seem like he would do well academically based on his character, had good grades. Well, that’s why they’re High Class.
If I received help from Kwak Junhee, even in my current state, I could definitely get good grades. It was tempting, but spending time with this guy seemed likely to create only headaches.
Should I risk getting the worst grades and affecting my Class rank? Or should I accept Kwak Junhee’s help to maintain my Class while taking a step closer to the main characters and Moon Seoheon?
I disliked both options. It would be better to ask Yoon Taean instead. Though I’m not sure if he’d help willingly.
“…That’s okay.”
Somehow I felt like I was always saying “that’s okay” to this guy. Seeing my halfhearted response, Kwak Junhee raised the corner of his mouth as if he had expected it and nodded.
Oh, now he backs off readily when I say no. I’m not sure if this is the right context for the saying, but they say no tree will stand after being struck ten times—it seemed like all those moments of rejection were finally paying off.
“Are you confident, then?”
Just when I thought this topic was finished and was taking a sip of my tea, Kwak Junhee persisted, making my lips twist in displeasure. Not only was it annoying, but I genuinely wasn’t confident.
“Just… yeah, I am.”
I answered vaguely without thinking, then stood up when I saw Yoon Taean coming in. I gave Kwak Junhee, who was looking up at me with a puzzled expression, a glance indicating I’d be excusing myself for a moment, then rushed over to Yoon Taean.
“Yoon Taean.”
Yoon Taean stopped when he saw me approaching. After spotting Kwak Junhee sitting behind me and giving him a slight bow, he looked at me as if asking what was up.
“Do you use a locker here too?”
“Yes, what about it?”
I approached him one step closer with an awkward smile to get to the main point.
“I’ve forgotten my locker password. I was wondering if you might know it.”
Hearing my words, Yoon Taean looked at me with an incredulous expression, then let out a deep sigh.
“How did you forget that? …Let’s go.”
Yoon Taean retraced his steps and headed toward the locker room by the entrance. Thankfully, he seemed to know it, so I swallowed a sigh of relief and followed him.
Entering the locker room, Yoon Taean went to the right corner to check the number. The locker where Yoon Taean stopped had the number ‘7942’ engraved on it. Watching his fingers as he reached out to enter the code, I memorized the password. It was ‘0242’.
As the lock released with a beeping sound, Yoon Taean turned his head toward me.
“Did you see it?”
“Yes.”
“You memorized it?”
When I nodded, he asked what it was, and I recited the number. With an admonition not to forget it again, Yoon Taean left, and as I watched his retreating back, I opened the locker wide. Inside, it was densely packed with workbooks and notebooks.
As expected, there was a variety of subject materials, indicating he had been studying here. When I pulled out one of the workbooks, I could see evidence of diligent studying. He must have worked hard on taking notes too, as the numerous notebooks were all worn and faded.
Along with a feeling of surprise, I sank into worry. If he worked this hard but still didn’t get good grades, does that mean he isn’t smart? For someone who got into Imperial High, he should have the basics down. The more I learn about Yoon Taeho, I sometimes feel resentful, but seeing things like this makes me feel sympathetic as well.
“Oh, looks like you’re working hard.”
“Ah!”
As I was scanning through the organized notes, a low voice settled over my shoulder. I rubbed my right ear which felt ticklish, and turned my head. Kwak Junhee was leaning in, looking down at the notebook I had opened.
“…Hmm.”
Goodness, that scared me. Is approaching without making a sound a skill that main characters possess? Calming my startled heart at the face so close in front of me, I straightened my head and casually closed the notebook, then took out other notebooks from the locker.
Since I couldn’t move with Kwak Junhee standing so closely behind me, I sidled out. Seeing me moving furtively, Kwak Junhee stepped back significantly.
That bastard definitely has some kind of mysophobia.
I confirmed the locker was locked and turned around. Passing by Kwak Junhee, who was standing still with a gentle smile, I left the locker room first, with him following behind.
I returned to my seat, checked the mug that had been carefully placed on the table, and stacked the notebooks I had collected next to it. I planned to review my notes here until nightfall. Wondering if Kwak Junhee would sit across from me again, I looked up, and he made a gesture with his palm up, indicating he would go upstairs.
Yes, go on up quickly. I nodded in acknowledgment to his signal that we’d see each other later, then grabbed the notebook on top and opened it.
* * *
While reading the third notebook, I felt the interior light dimming. When I looked up, the lighting was changing. As the white lights that had brightly illuminated the surroundings turned off, orange lights came on, and soft yellow indirect lighting gently lit the inside.
Looking around the space, which now had an even more antique feel, I checked the time. Exactly 5 PM. The time marked on the ticket.
“Looks like it’s starting.”
I organized my notebooks and stood up. I wasn’t the only one doing so; it seemed like an unspoken rule to either move to a different seat or stand up at this time.
Coincidentally, even the staff at the counter had changed. The employee was checking those who were still seated and going over to them, seemingly asking for their understanding.
I took out the ticket from my pocket and checked what was written. First floor, so this was right, but where was Section C?
After putting the notebooks in the locker and coming out, I looked around from the corner and saw the staff moving busily, setting up the tables. Dark teal tablecloths were being laid, and simple patterned plates with gleaming gold cutlery sets were being neatly placed on top.
Despite many people, including myself, openly watching, the staff’s hands moved professionally. In the blink of an eye, the tables were properly set up. I briefly took in the sight, then quickly scanned the surroundings to find my seat, watching where others were sitting.
Wait, where the heck is Section C? Since the table positions were the same as when it was a café, I couldn’t gauge where I should sit.
As I stood awkwardly watching people take their seats, Yoon Taean approached me.
“What are you doing, hyung? Not sitting down?”
I was about to ask him where I should sit out of gladness to see him, but remembering the locker password incident, I closed my mouth. While I was wondering what to say if he found it strange, a loud bustling noise could be heard.
Turning my head, I saw a group that looked like students from our school pouring in. As the commotion pushed us into a corner, Yoon Taean, who was guiding me, slipped through the crowd and led me to a specific spot.
“Sit.”
“Ah, okay.”
I awkwardly sat down and quickly looked around. The place where I sat was right in the center. It wasn’t a suitable position for examining the interior, and sitting there alone made me feel uncomfortable. The only good thing was that Yoon Taean was sitting next to me. With nothing to do, I was just sitting there blankly when someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.
I turned my head in surprise and came face-to-face with Moon Seoheon. I already knew he was coming because I’d heard about it, but his sudden appearance made my eyes widen, and Moon Seoheon tilted his head slightly.
“Hello, sunbae.”
“Yeah. Hi.”
Was it because our last meeting had been awkward? Before I could say anything, Yoon Taean, who was sitting on my left, turned his head and greeted Moon Seoheon with me in the middle. Moon Seoheon raised his hand to return the greeting, then soon sat down in front of me.
“Um… you’re here too?”
“Yes.”
Moon Seoheon took out a ticket from his jeans pocket and showed it to me. It was a dinner ticket with exactly the same text as mine.
I just nodded, and Moon Seoheon leaned back in his chair, turning his head toward the window. Then he rested his chin in his hand, gazing absently at the still-bright sky. When I glanced to my left, Yoon Taean was also looking outside.
Is it just me who feels awkward?
I put my elbows on the table and interlaced my fingers for no particular reason. Since the atmosphere was still unsettled, I decided to look around at people, moving only my eyeballs, and just then, I saw Kwak Junhee coming down.
After coming down the stairs, Kwak Junhee came straight to where we were without looking around and sat across from me. So he was sitting here too?!
I felt uneasy, but it was probably better than being with just these two the whole time. As Kwak Junhee sat down and opened his mouth, the suffocatingly quiet table atmosphere became much softer.
“The other kids said they can’t come. That’s a shame.”
By other kids, he must mean the main characters, right? That was a relief. If the rest of those guys had been here, I would have probably gotten up immediately, saying I didn’t need any exemption ticket.
Feeling my constricted chest ease, I asked in a light tone.
“By the way, was there a standard for dividing the sections?”
Come to think of it, in the animation, students sat wherever they wanted. I remembered characters sitting in a corner who would move to another table where their friends were sitting, creating a free atmosphere like an after-party.
At my words, Kwak Junhee stared at me for a moment, then answered.
“It’s called Section C because it’s the center. Section I is inside, Section O is outside. You can only move around within your section.”
“…Oh, right.”
Damn, I swallowed the curse that almost escaped and just smiled awkwardly. Seeing me like this, Kwak Junhee smiled faintly in response.
“You said you hadn’t come once this year, so I guess you forgot. You need to do well on the month-end evaluation and raise your Class.”
“…Yes, I should.”
“Or I could get another ticket for you.”
Huh? Wondering what he meant, I stared at Kwak Junhee before turning my head toward Yoon Taean. Wasn’t it you who got this for me? As I gave him a look, Yoon Taean calmly said.
“It was Junhee sunbae who gave me that ticket.”
