# Chapter 38
“It’s Junwoo. What brings you here?”
“Just, well…”
The Middle Class guy called Junwoo was about to answer, but when he saw me taking a bottle of vinegar, he frowned. I didn’t know what he was displeased about, but I didn’t think too deeply about it and turned to Lee Jinyoung.
“Sunbae, I’ll be going then. Thank you for this. And what about that?”
“Ah, here it is. Thank you for coming quickly during lunch today… I appreciate it.”
“It was nothing.”
I smiled, pulling up the corners of my mouth as if it wasn’t much effort at all, then reached out my hand to receive the black bag that Lee Jinyoung was handing me. As expected, it was filled with the energy drinks I had seen before.
“Is this it? Isn’t this too much?”
“Everyone else took about this much.”
“Ah… I’ll take it then.”
The moment I accepted the bag, I involuntarily let out a breath as I felt its weight. As I turned to leave the club room, the Middle Class guy standing right in front of me noticed the bag I was holding, quickly looked around, and then stepped in my way, blocking me.
“Hey, why are you taking that?”
I was about to get annoyed at him for blocking my way, but I was so dumbfounded by what came out of his mouth that I just stared at him blankly. When I couldn’t respond due to the absurdity of the situation, Lee Jinyoung, who was behind me, spoke up instead.
“Taeho couldn’t get his share last week, so he’s taking it today.”
“What? …Then what about the leftovers?”
The guy’s expression softened slightly at those words, but he still asked with a displeased look, to which Lee Jinyoung responded with confusion.
“There aren’t any leftovers now. Junwoo, didn’t you take yours last week?”
“Ah, well… you said we could take as many as we wanted from what was left.”
What the hell, he already took some and was trying to get more? No conscience at all. As I stared at him, he seemed to feel awkward too and shuffled his feet, kicking at the floor.
I lowered my gaze to check his name tag. Kim Junwoo. A name I hadn’t noticed in detail at that time.
I jerked my chin at Kim Junwoo, gesturing for him to move aside as if asking if I could leave now. Seeing my half-hearted gesture, he let out a low “Huh” as if he found it ridiculous, but instead of moving aside, he raised his chin at an angle as if to show me up. My eyes narrowed at his cocky attitude, acting like I was the one in the wrong.
It was an irritating attitude, but I didn’t want to cause a scene here, so I decided to step aside. Am I avoiding the shit because I’m afraid of it? No, I’m avoiding it because it’s dirty.
Swallowing a sigh that was about to escape, I went around Kim Junwoo and opened the club room door. Just as I was about to leave, I was going to bow my head to Lee Jinyoung, with whom I’d made eye contact, to say goodbye, when I heard an unexpected question from Kim Junwoo.
“Hey, I heard you took the Ace’s special challenge twice yesterday?”
“Oh, really?”
Lee Jinyoung turned to me, seemingly surprised by Kim Junwoo’s words. Was that bastard there too? Thinking it wasn’t a big deal, I answered indifferently, without even closing the open door.
“So what?”
“And you succeeded both times.”
“What, for real?”
I briefly looked at Lee Jinyoung, who had an even more surprised expression than before, then turned back to Kim Junwoo. His body, which had been showing only his back, slowly turned, revealing his profile. Kim Junwoo pulled up one corner of his mouth in a nasty smile and said.
“Then you must have two exemption passes.”
Seeing him repeat exactly what my classmates had said this morning, a sigh escaped me this time. Unlike my classmate who spoke with a playful tone, Kim Junwoo’s attitude, openly revealing he was after the exemption passes, made me feel extremely unpleasant.
Kim Junwoo, noticing my involuntarily furrowed brow, giggled and told me to relax my face. Finding it so ridiculous that I judged it not worth responding to, I looked at Lee Jinyoung.
“Sunbae, I’ll be going now.”
“Okay. Take care.”
Lee Jinyoung, sensing the chilly atmosphere, quickly gestured for me to go ahead. I briefly wondered if it was okay to leave her with Kim Junwoo, but I figured that no matter how rude he was, he wouldn’t take out his frustrations on her, so I just left.
After the door closed, I stood outside it for a moment, concerned that I might hear cursing or angry voices. But although I couldn’t make out what they were saying, I heard them talking in low voices, which reassured me, and I turned to leave.
I adjusted my grip on the heavy glass bottle of vinegar to make sure I wouldn’t drop it and put it in my bag. Taking a slight sniff, I could detect a hint of apple scent amid the strong, sour smell. Should I just mix this with water to drink it? Since she said she made it herself, it must be naturally fermented.
I wasn’t planning to diet, but it would be good for my health, so I left school with a satisfied feeling. I thought I’d try drinking it while studying.
* * *
While solving practice problems, I got thirsty and mixed the vinegar with water. Not knowing what ratio to use, I poured an appropriate amount, tasting it as I diluted it. Once it reached a concentration that suited my taste, I stopped pouring and took a long sip. Having added ice, the refreshing and cool liquid made my mouth feel fresh.
As I wiped my mouth after letting out an involuntary sound of satisfaction, I heard the sound of the lock being undone and the door opening. I went out to the living room with the cup I was drinking from still in my hand.
I made eye contact with Yoon Taean, who was taking off his shoes as he came in, and was about to raise my hand to greet him by asking if he was back, but he brushed past me with a swoosh and went into his room. As I lowered my awkwardly raised hand, I lifted the other hand holding the cup and took another small sip.
Looking at his firmly closed door, I inwardly swallowed a sigh and went back to my room. I would talk with Yoon Taean later; finishing what was important came first. The monthly assessment was now just three days away.
When I felt I had studied enough, I put down my pen and stretched. Looking at the clock on the wall, the hour hand was approaching 12. In the dead-silent atmosphere, when I casually turned my neck, a loud cracking sound of bones came from it.
“…Wow.”
Startled by the sound, I exhaled as if sighing. I got up from my seat, did some light stretching, and lay down on the bed. I must have been tired, because as soon as I turned off the lights with the remote and the room darkened, I closed my eyes and immediately fell asleep.
A dark space. As I blinked my eyes, I felt no sensation, and after wondering what was happening, I realized this was a familiar feeling and relaxed my body.
‘This is a dream.’
Like last time, it was a dream where I was conscious of being someone else. The owner of those small, chubby white hands. That must be Yoon Taeho, right?
Wondering what would happen this time, I looked around quickly. But there was nothing but darkness, and with nothing changing, I flopped down on the floor.
Thinking what a strange dream this was, suddenly I felt my body sinking downward, and the floor began to collapse. It was like being sucked into a black hole as my body fell.
“Ah!”
I sprang up with a shout before I knew it. As soon as I came to my senses, I bent my arm to feel my back, which was completely fine. After touching my stomach, legs, and even my face, I was finally able to shake off the eerie sensation that had given me goosebumps.
“What the… a nightmare?”
The back of my neck felt chilly, so I raised my hand and lightly rubbed it. I wanted to dismiss it as just a bad dream, but the vividness of it left me feeling unsettled.
Just as I let out a small sigh, the door burst open. Yoon Taean stared at me with wide eyes, then frowned when he saw me sitting there as if nothing had happened. He must have come in surprised by the shout I’d let out when waking from the dream.
Yesterday he’d ignored me so coldly when he went into his room, but now he was worried something might have happened? I didn’t hide the smile that was about to escape and opened my mouth to show him I was fine.
“Good morning.”
It wasn’t exactly a good morning due to the unsettling dream, but since I couldn’t think of any other ordinary and neutral morning greeting, I said it flatly.
“…Ha!”
Yoon Taean let out a sigh as if he found it ridiculous, then slammed the door shut and left. It was a cold response, but I was somewhat satisfied that at least he wasn’t treating me as if I didn’t exist, and got up from the bed.
After eating breakfast and coming out, Moon Seoheon was waiting again. Inwardly, I clicked my tongue, thinking he really does come out early. Come to think of it, since he’s an athlete, he probably doesn’t sleep in much. Ah, is this another stereotype?
Then, remembering that he goes to practice every day after school, I asked.
“By the way, don’t you have soccer practice in the morning?”
“No.”
“Oh… I see? I guess you don’t practice in the morning.”
Most athletes don’t they practice early in the morning? It was funny that I was asking this only now, but it was also something I casually asked based on the way of thinking I had from where I came from, finding it difficult to understand.
“There are activities in the morning too. I just don’t participate.”
“Eh, why not?”
“I exercise separately before coming.”
Ah, I see. I nodded my head a few times, then quickly asked while looking at him.
“What time do you wake up?”
“Hmm… around five?”
Moon Seoheon chuckled at my spontaneous exclamation.
“Didn’t I mention this before?”
“Ah… I tend to be a bit forgetful.”
When I answered nonchalantly, Moon Seoheon raised his eyebrows while looking at me, then soon turned to face forward.
As soon as I reached the classroom, I took a step back without entering through the door because of what I saw. Moon Seoheon noticed my behavior and grabbed my bag strap. Surprised, I turned my head, and a monotone voice reached me.
“I already received an apology and explained that it was a misunderstanding.”
“No, but still…!”
Unable to protest properly, I was pulled into the classroom, staggering as the expressionless Moon Seoheon held onto me.
Damn it. I wondered why he was acting this way, but I lowered my head deeply because of Byeon Seungha and Jung Hyoin, who were gradually approaching. I could feel their gazes shifting from Moon Seoheon, who was dragging me, to me.
“…I came to go to the school store together.”
Byeon Seungha stopped mid-sentence. Wait, was that all he had to say? I was about to glance at him when our eyes met, and I deliberately looked elsewhere, pretending to look at something else.
“Do you want to come too?”
“No.”
I immediately answered Moon Seoheon’s question as he looked at me. I pulled on my bag, asking him to let go, and he soon released the strap, casually dropping his own bag and saying indifferently.
“Alright.”
Then he moved toward Byeon Seungha and Jung Hyoin as if suggesting they should go. Seeing Moon Seoheon, the two also turned to leave. However, unlike Byeon Seungha who strode off, Jung Hyoin stopped midway and stared blankly at something.
Wondering why he, of all people, wasn’t leaving and was acting that way, I followed Jung Hyoin’s gaze and lowered my head, but soon let out an embarrassed sigh.
Because Moon Seoheon had been dragging me, my shirt had shifted to one side and was wrinkled. That was fine, but one button in the middle had come undone, perhaps caught on my bag. Through the naturally opened gap, my underwear was visible, and since the weather had gotten warmer, I was wearing a thin sleeveless undershirt, and my skin was showing through the clinging cotton fabric.
“Ahem.”
Trying to act as if nothing was wrong, I hurriedly buttoned up and smoothed out my uniform, also fixing my crooked tie to adjust my appearance.
