# Chapter 26
When I arrived at the address Yoon Taean had sent me, I was a bit surprised by the exterior of the building. I thought it was a little strange to enter through a narrow alleyway, but the dilapidated appearance made me wonder if this was really the right place.
According to the address, this was indeed the right place. The building, which appeared to be a four-story neighborhood residential building despite its worn appearance, had its shutters pulled down. Wondering if I could even get inside, I went around the back and found a wide-open entrance. Next to it was a small sign with the crude lettering ‘ACE’.
“Do I just go in?”
Since I couldn’t see the interior clearly, I considered calling Yoon Taean, but decided to go in first. After passing through a dark corridor and turning a corner, I paused momentarily at the bright space that suddenly appeared.
I had been wondering what kind of place this was, but it turned out to be a café. Contrary to the shabby exterior, the interior was elegantly decorated in warm colors, with paintings hanging on every wall like an exhibition hall. Various sculptures displayed throughout also made for good viewing.
Is this a café or an art museum?
As I was quietly looking around, I made eye contact with an employee at the counter. They must have been watching me standing there without sitting down. I quickly looked around for Yoon Taean.
Since I couldn’t see him on the first floor, I thought he might be upstairs, so I called him while climbing the stairs. The call connected and Yoon Taean immediately answered, asking if I had arrived.
“Yeah. I came inside, but I don’t see you, so I’m heading up to the second floor.”
—Ah, then come up to Room 1. I’m there.
“…Alright.”
After hanging up and going upstairs, the second floor that came into view had a more serene feeling than the first. Although there were students studying downstairs as well, this place felt more like a reading room. Of course, various artworks were displayed throughout, maintaining a unified theme with the floor below.
The atmosphere was too quiet for sightseeing, so I moved silently, looking for what was called Room 1.
Going to the corner on the left, I noticed glass walls with dark tinting. Since even the door was covered, the interior wasn’t visible from outside. Judging by the size, it seemed like a place meant for groups rather than individuals.
After checking the number plates attached to the doorways, I carefully opened the door marked with a ‘1’. As the door opened, everyone inside turned to look at me, and I nearly bit my tongue in surprise.
“Oh, Taeho’s here.”
Inside were three people I knew: Yoon Taean, Lee Jinyoung, and Kwak Junhee. There were also a few other familiar faces, making it appear like a student council gathering. It didn’t seem to be an official meeting, but seeing them meet separately even on weekends, I wondered if they were having a study session.
I bowed my head to Lee Jinyoung and Kwak Junhee, who greeted me, and handed the tablet I had brought to Yoon Taean.
Yoon Taean thanked me as he took the tablet and asked me to wait a moment while he grabbed something.
“Here, dinner tickets.”
What Yoon Taean handed me was exactly what he said—a blue ticket with a clean design that caught the eye. One side had a perforated tear-off section, and glancing at it, I saw ‘ACE’ in bold letters with ‘5 PM, 1st Floor, Section C’ written below it.
What is this? A concert ticket? Seeing “ACE” engraved on it, it seems to be used here.
Swallowing my curiosity, I took the ticket. I was about to leave since my business was done, but Kwak Junhee stopped me.
“Taeho, have you had lunch?”
“…Yes.”
“Really? That’s too bad. It would have been nice to eat together.”
Are you trying to make me sick? I expressed my regret at not being able to do so while maintaining proper etiquette. Just then, as if everyone was about to go eat, Kwak Junhee stood up and spoke.
“Then shall we all eat separately and come back? Let’s return by two o’clock.”
“Yes.”
I hadn’t noticed while he was sitting down, but Kwak Junhee, dressed in casual clothes rather than his school uniform, looked almost like an adult at a glance. He would be an adult next year, but even though he was just wearing a simple t-shirt with a jacket over it, it felt like seeing a director at a company.
Seeing everyone getting up to leave, I said goodbye and went outside. I thought I could just go back home now, but Kwak Junhee called out to me again from behind.
“Taeho, just a moment.”
“…What is it?”
Hiding my uncomfortable feelings, I looked at Kwak Junhee, who smiled at me.
“Where are you going?”
“Well… home.”
“What? You’re going home?!”
With a puzzled expression, he led me downstairs.
“Why? If you’re going to use the ticket, it would be more convenient to spend time here.”
Heading straight to the counter, Kwak Junhee pulled out a menu from the corner and handed it to me, which I accepted in a daze.
“Choose something you’d like to drink, I’ll treat you.”
“Huh? No, that’s okay.”
As I handed the menu back and declined, he folded his arms and blocked my path by standing where the menu had been placed.
“If you’re going to stay here, you need to choose something to drink. If you don’t like the beverages, you can have dessert instead. Ah, are you watching your diet?”
He added that last part as if remembering what he’d heard about my dieting. Since I had no such intention, I began to speak but then realized my mistake.
“It’s not about that… but really, I’m fine.”
Maybe I should have just declined by saying I was dieting. Although I politely declined, this stubborn guy from before asked me again, preventing me from leaving.
“Are you rejecting me again because it makes you uncomfortable? If you keep refusing, even I might get hurt.”
Seeing Kwak Junhee drooping his eyes as if he was genuinely hurt, I opened my mouth slightly, then closed it. Fine, having a free drink is good for me anyway. Besides, I had something to say to him, so this moment alone with Kwak Junhee was perfect.
“Then I’ll enjoy it. I’ll have…”
First, I looked at the menu to decide what to choose. I quickly scanned the coffee options that were immediately visible, but finding nothing suitable, I went down to the bottom. Then I decided on a menu item in the second-to-last row.
“I’ll have this.”
When I pointed at a specific place on the menu, Kwak Junhee gave me a meaningful smile. What I had chosen was cinnamon ssanghwacha (Korean medicinal tea).
“Alright. Hot, right?”
“Yes.”
I actually like ssanghwacha and drink it often, and I like cinnamon too, but my favorite is jujube ssanghwacha. However, since only cinnamon ssanghwacha was listed, that’s what I chose.
Kwak Junhee soon approached the counter staff and ordered what I had selected. I was looking for a suitable place to sit when I saw that he had finished paying, so I brought up what I wanted to say.
“Sunbae, I have something to tell you.”
“Oh, what is it?”
As if finding it unexpected, Kwak Junhee raised his eyebrows and asked with upturned lips.
“About the presentation you suggested last time. I don’t think I can participate with you after all.”
At my words, Kwak Junhee’s raised lips immediately dropped.
“As I mentioned before, it’s burdensome and a bit uncomfortable for me. …I didn’t get to say it then, but I was originally planning to work with some other students.”
The last part was a lie, but I actually did have people to work with now. After rejecting him this strongly, please just accept it this time. Did he properly sense my determination? Kwak Junhee easily gave an acquiescent response.
“I see. It seems I was too pushy. If you don’t want to do it, you shouldn’t. I don’t intend to force you.”
Huh? I felt a bit dazed when he agreed so readily. I thought he would insist that I think about it more. Looking at his expression, he didn’t seem particularly upset either. It felt suspicious, but I decided to take it as a positive outcome since things had gone as I wanted.
“Ah, looks like it’s ready.”
As the vibrating buzzer sounded on the table, I started to get up, but Kwak Junhee grabbed my shoulder and slowly pressed down with force. With that, I sat back on the sofa, and making eye contact with me, Kwak Junhee said.
“I’ll go get it.”
He stood up and strode to the counter, bringing back a tray with the cinnamon ssanghwacha. As I reached out, saying I’d enjoy it, Kwak Junhee first grabbed the mug’s handle and with his other hand, held my hand while passing it to me. The warmth of his palm covering the back of my hand as I held the mug seemed to envelop my entire body.
Wondering what he was doing, I looked at Kwak Junhee, who just smiled brightly before removing his hand. Snapping out of my momentary daze, I took a sip, and the warm feeling in my stomach was pleasant.
The spicy cinnamon flavor blended with the bittersweet taste of ssanghwacha, making it feel like a hangover cure. If only they added an egg yolk, it would be perfect. I remembered once, after drinking alcohol, following the advice to add an egg yolk to ssanghwacha and gulping it down at the end—it was incredibly delicious.
Emerging from the past memories I had momentarily drifted into, I took a few more sips and then spoke to Kwak Junhee, who was still watching me.
“Aren’t you going to eat lunch?”
“I should. But I’m not sure what to eat.”
Lunch menus are indeed a dilemma. It’s not like at school where it’s predetermined. After being lost in thought for a moment with his arms crossed, Kwak Junhee suddenly blurted out.
“Taeho, could you recommend something for me to eat?”
I wondered why he was asking me, but since he seemed genuinely unable to think of what he wanted, I started to consider it seriously. Since he’d be studying hard later, it would be good for him to have something substantial, right?
As I thought about menus, I remembered a noticeable restaurant I had seen on my way here. It seemed like a fusion Japanese restaurant, and from what I could see from the outside, the clean interior was calm and sophisticated, which seemed like something Kwak Junhee would appreciate. Plus, all the food pictures looked delicious, so it should be good.
“There’s a fusion Japanese restaurant nearby, you could try there. It looked delicious.”
“A Japanese restaurant? Hmm…”
Seeing his somewhat dissatisfied expression, I wondered if he didn’t like it and asked.
“You don’t like it? I couldn’t think of any specific menu, so I chose a place that seemed to suit you.”
At my words, Kwak Junhee opened his eyes wide and asked in a voice tinged with amusement.
“You think it suits me? What kind of place was it?”
“Um… the interior wasn’t tacky at all, but very clean. I thought it would be better than just going anywhere.”
“…Really?”
Kwak Junhee, wiping his lips while drawing out his words, nodded as if he understood.
“Then shall we go there? I was feeling a bit deflated because you spoke more plainly than I expected.”
“…”
Plain? What did he expect from me? Did he want me to suggest some luxurious menu? He probably knows better about those things than I do. I was so dumbfounded that I almost laughed, and to hide it, I picked up my cup and drank the cinnamon ssanghwacha.
Soon, Kwak Junhee stood up with a satisfied smile and said he would be going. I thought I should finish my drink and leave, but as I took another sip, Kwak Junhee made an “ah” sound and turned around with a meaningful expression.
“That ticket is only valid for today, so you’d better use it. If you win the drawing, you can use the fourth floor, and it’s the last week, right? This time it’s chicken.”
Glancing at the pocket containing the ticket after his humorous remark, I suddenly realized something and flinched.
“After all, since you’re Low Class, you probably don’t have many opportunities.”
At Kwak Junhee’s words, which seemed to be confirming my suspicions, I inwardly sighed. Ace—I now understood what this place was.
Although used as a café during the day, in the evening, the basement and first floor transformed into a restaurant. This dinner ticket allowed you to sit in the building where the atmosphere completely changed in the evening. It was also a voucher that let you eat a meal and enter a drawing once per ticket.
On the fourth floor, there were several rooms with beds, like a hotel, and if you won the drawing, you could stay there for a night. Naturally, the food was free, and because the facilities were good, it was popular among students, but with a limited number of winning tickets, the probability was low.
Moon Seoheon used to win all the time though. I recalled the extras in the animation talking about wanting to win.
The number of tickets distributed increases with higher Class, so I don’t have many chances. I wasn’t uninterested, but I didn’t particularly want to use it.
I had been wondering where these high school kids were staying that felt like a hotel—it must have been here.
