Wrong Meal 27

Lost in thought, Kwak Junhee called out my name. When I lifted my head at his gentle yet firm voice, Kwak Junhee was staring intently at me.

“Ah…….”

After composing my dazed expression, I signaled him with my eyes to hurry and go eat. At my gesture, Kwak Junhee slightly raised his eyebrows before lowering them, then soon left his seat with a face that showed he didn’t particularly care.

I was watching his retreating figure heading toward the entrance I’d come through without much thought. But the moment Kwak Junhee turned the corner, he looked back at me, causing our eyes to meet once more.

As I unconsciously squeezed the mug that had cooled to just the right temperature, Kwak Junhee grinned and disappeared. Only after his figure was no longer visible did I quickly gulp down the remaining cinnamon ssanghwa tea and slowly stood up.

Although I’d planned to leave right away, while bringing back the empty cup, I looked around as if touring the interior. This was because I honestly liked the atmosphere of this place currently being used as a café. The moderately quiet and warm ambiance seemed good for both resting comfortably and studying.

I observed the students sitting around me.

Most were students in casual clothes, but a few were mixed in wearing Imperial High’s uniform. Looking at how they sat together or chatted quietly, there was a high probability those kids were students from the same school as me. Other than them, there were only about three groups that seemed completely unrelated…….

Since the location was inside an alley and even the exterior wall looked like an ordinary building, it was clear that people unfamiliar with this place would find it difficult to locate. Even I hadn’t thought there would be a café in such a place until I came inside.

I needlessly took out the ticket in my pocket to check it once before putting it back in. The dinner ticket was literally a ticket that could be used at Ace when it transformed into a restaurant during dinner time, which seemed to be why students called it that.

Since it was a ticket given by the school, and it was a system similar to receiving points on student IDs according to class, this place must not be completely unconnected to the school.

Since the setting was that it’s a school established by a corporation, even considering the university, its influence must be truly substantial. This could be seen from the fact that there was a hideout-like space mainly used enough for events targeting Imperial High students to be held like this.

After looking around completely, I was heading toward the entrance when I discovered a passageway I hadn’t noticed before. Thinking it might be a bathroom in the small space, I cautiously poked my face in to check. The space I’d thought was a bathroom was a locker room densely installed with gray-colored lockers.

“There are lockers too.”

No wonder there were many students studying. Just as I was nodding, thinking it was a nice feature, I heard a familiar voice calling me from behind.

“Taeho, what are you doing?”

When I turned around, Lee Jinyoung was standing there holding a notebook with a puzzled expression. Since I’d inadvertently ended up blocking the way, I quickly moved aside.

“Ah, sorry.”

“It’s okay. I thought you’d already left, but are you studying too?”

“Huh? …No. I was just looking around for a bit.”

At my words, Lee Jinyoung answered “Really?” and went to one side of the lockers and entered a password. After putting the notebook inside the locker that opened with a click and closing it, Lee Jinyoung turned around as if she’d finished what she needed to do and said.

“Taeho, was your locker usage up until this month?”

Was Yoon Taeho also using a locker here? Recalling the second floor that had resembled a library, I thought he might have studied here. No wonder there wasn’t even a common notebook visible in the room—he must have been storing most things here.

After scanning the lockers that only had numbers engraved on the outside, making it impossible to tell which one was mine, I vaguely drawled, “Yes, yes.”

“Then you’ll need to apply for an extension before next month.”

“Well… I’ll think about it.”

At my words, Lee Jinyoung opened her eyes wide as if surprised, then soon nodded. And as she was passing by me, she stopped as if remembering something.

“Ah, you didn’t take the vinegar we all made together last time? Did you forget?”

I scratched my head for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and said.

“They said I didn’t particularly need to take it. I’ll pick it up next week.”

“Okay, well… it’s not urgent. Then I’ll go eat too.”

“Yes. See you later.”

I returned the greeting to Lee Jinyoung, who was waving her hand slightly, and was about to exit the locker room to follow her out. Just then, my shoulder bumped into a group coming inside, so I stepped back and bowed my head out of courtesy…….

“Hey, is Moon Seoheon really coming?”

The guy next to the one who’d lightly frowned after bumping into me asked. At the familiar name, I turned my head to look at them. They were all wearing casual clothes, but their young faces seemed to be around my age. They were probably students from the same school with high probability.

“I’m telling you he is. Plus, today’s the last week. He’ll come to get the exemption ticket.”

“He wouldn’t even need it, so why does he always come on the last week? Even if he loses, he won’t be much affected thanks to The Four anyway.”

“He probably wants to use the 4th floor. When else would he comfortably rest in a place like that if not with a dinner ticket? The sports festival aside, it’s ridiculous that he does both the presentation and two clubs.”

They seemed to have complaints about Moon Seoheon, but my steps that I’d taken to ignore them and just leave stopped with a screech. While it was true I’d paused momentarily at Moon Seoheon’s name, what caught my ear was a different word. An exemption ticket—that looks very useful, doesn’t it? Can that also be obtained at Ace?

Even if Ace transforms into a restaurant during dinner time, that’s only the basement and first floor. The floors above could still be used like a study room or café. However, the 4th floor wasn’t something anyone could use—you had to win it, which is why they were envious like that. But as someone who knew that was precisely the difference between a protagonist and extras, I clicked my tongue internally.

More than that, I wanted to know more details about this exemption ticket thing. While I was still standing there listening intently to what they were saying, one of the group who’d noticed looked at me with a suspicious expression. I had no choice but to return to the seat I’d been sitting in just before.

Before long, the group that had approached in my direction passed by while talking to each other. Pretending to gaze out the window lost in thought with my chin propped up, I perked up my ears.

“But I think there’ll be a lot of participants today. It’s chicken.”

“…It’s still a special meal either way.”

“True… there’ll be guys throwing up again while eating, right?”

To that question, the guy who gave the answer “Probably” added that it should be okay since it’s chicken anyway. After that, their conversation ended there as they looked around to secure seats.

Let me organize this.

Besides the dinner ticket that lets you eat for free at the restaurant when the time comes and use the 4th floor, it seems there’s also an opportunity every last week to obtain a benefit called an exemption ticket.

I don’t know exactly what it exempts you from, but judging by the comment that it’s okay even if you lose because you have The Four, it must be related to class, right? A test is… too extreme, and the most likely thing would be assignments. Or maybe it exempts you from tardiness or absence penalties.

If I could wish for something, I’d want it to be like a participation opt-out ticket for events. Maybe that’s too much abuse. Anyway, it seemed anyone could participate in the event to win that exemption ticket, and judging by the chicken talk, the game format seemed to involve eating.

The word “special meal” was concerning. It reminded me of the school rule that higher classes are given opportunities to receive special meals at the cafeteria.

Come to think of it, Kwak Junhee had also said it was chicken this week. Only now did I understand why Kwak Junhee’s expression when he spoke to me had been meaningful. It’s not just simple chicken, it seems.

I don’t know how it will turn out. Perhaps I might just tire myself out without gaining anything and go home, but a premonition—or intuition—flooded in that I’d regret it if I just left like this. After spacing out for a while, I swallowed a sigh and decided to stay here.

Looking at the time, I’d have to wait three hours before I could use the ticket. If I ordered another cup of tea and drank it, it was enough time to wait. For now, thinking I’d see how things flow, I returned to the counter.

The staff member looked at me with momentary puzzlement at the sight of me, who had just finished drinking and was leaving, coming back to order, but soon composed their expression and took my order.

Having ordered the same menu again, this time I sipped the tea slowly. I drained all the strength from my body while appreciating the paintings hung on each wall one by one. Then, a peace I hadn’t felt when I’d roughly gulped it down earlier to finish quickly enveloped me, and my tense heart gradually softened.

After being like that for a moment, a group sitting not too far from me started chatting again, perhaps bored after only studying quietly. Not caring about the people around them at all, the inconsiderate guys’ conversation was loud enough to naturally slip into my ears if I listened.

“But I heard Moon Seoheon almost got attacked by someone in the back garden last time?”

“Yeah. That’s actually why Byeon Seungha’s been searching with fire in his eyes.”

“Who did it?”

“Yeah.”

The tea I’d been holding in my mouth almost dribbled out, so I quickly swallowed it. Because of that, my throat burned hot and I even let out a shallow cough. I lowered my head in embarrassment, and feeling the guys’ gazes looking this way, I pretended not to notice and cleared my throat with a cough before picking up my phone.

When I pretended to look at my phone while doing something else, the guys who’d lost interest soon started talking among themselves again.

“So how did Moon Seoheon get out of it? Wasn’t it planned by High Class students?”

“They said no.”

“Then?”

The guy who was about to answer the question lowered his voice this time. I leaned my body as much as possible toward them to hear what he was saying, but I couldn’t hear well. Instead, when I concentrated, the result of catching and combining specific words from the conversation I heard bits and pieces of was this:

Byeon Seungha got backstabbed by Middle Class? No, it must be the opposite.

Thinking I’d heard wrong, I sipped my tea. Judging by the fact that the words “Byeon Seungha” and “Middle Class” definitely came up, something must have clashed between them……. I recalled Son Gyucheon threatening me to bring Moon Seoheon and swallowed hard.

Should I just hand that bastard over to Byeon Seungha? After considering it, I gave up, thinking that was too dangerous.

Anyway, Moon Seoheon—they said he has many guys picking fights with him, and the kids really won’t leave him alone. Though I already knew it wouldn’t be much different from the animation, I shook my head side to side, feeling sorry all the same, thinking that he too has a hard time going to school.