# Chapter 40
The next day in the afternoon, even after all classes had ended and the closing ceremony was over, the students in the class remained seated with gloomy faces. This was because the monthly assessment was scheduled for tomorrow.
Furthermore, today was Wednesday, which meant club activities were also scheduled. Everyone was expressing their dissatisfaction at not being able to study, either by staying at school or going home, to prepare for tomorrow’s test.
“Fuck, I’m screwed. I still have so much to memorize…”
“Hey! I haven’t even looked at Korean Literature yet.”
The ones who talk like this always do well. As I watched the students who were listing their concerns about tomorrow’s assessment leave one by one, I checked my phone.
I wanted to confirm the notice that had arrived from the Food and Cooking Club in the morning.
[Today’s activity is free time! Bring your study materials.]
Although it was called free time, the fact that we were told to bring study materials indicated that this decision was made with tomorrow’s assessment in mind. I’m not sure about other clubs, but seeing this decision, it seems Teacher Jaewon or Lee Jinyoung had shown flexibility for the club members.
I felt relieved that I could study there instead of participating in activities whose nature I didn’t know. Fortunately, I had brought my organized notes that I’d planned to review occasionally, just in case.
Moon Seoheon, seeing me picking up my notes and packing my bag, asked.
“Are you going to study properly in the club room today?”
“Huh? …Yeah.”
“Alright. Good luck.”
After casually replying, Moon Seoheon packed his bag and went out of the classroom. I scratched around my neck with an uneasy feeling as I headed to the club room.
It appears that clubs generally allow free time during the week leading up to the monthly assessment. Since it was free time anyway, Yoon Taeho probably studied somewhere other than the club room.
In fact, there were more students remaining in the classrooms compared to last week. Recalling how unusually quiet the classroom was today, it seemed everyone was truly serious about getting good scores. Was it that if their scores were above average, their grade would go up? Naturally, they would want to raise their class ranking.
Walking quickly to the club room, I approached Oh Seulbi who was already seated. Noticing me, Oh Seulbi signaled with her eyes as if she was glad to see me. I sat down across from Oh Seulbi and put down my bag.
“Are you going to study here?”
“Well, yeah. I thought it would be better than… studying somewhere else.”
I was about to ask if it was okay to study elsewhere, but I realized my wording might sound strange, so I answered vaguely. Hmm, Oh Seulbi sighed softly and looked at me as if wondering what was going on, but soon lost interest and focused on her book.
While taking out my notes from my bag, I casually asked, wondering if Kim Junwoo and other Middle Class students would show up.
“I wonder if not many people will come?”
“Probably not. It would be more comfortable to study in the library or classroom. The chairs here are uncomfortable for studying, you know.”
Oh Seulbi straightened her posture, which had been slouched, and put strength into her waist. The chairs in the club room were makeshift chairs with low backrests. The round cushions were soft, but as Oh Seulbi said, they weren’t comfortable for studying.
Since the activity time would end in two hours anyway, I felt a bit of regret thinking I might have come here unnecessarily. As I sat down in the chair, thinking there was nothing I could do since I was already here, Kim Yuna came in.
“Oh, Taeho sunbae, you’re studying here too?”
“Yes.”
As I answered calmly while keeping my eyes on my notes, Kim Yuna spoke in a suspicious tone.
“Don’t tell me you came down here to eat snacks together today?”
“Ah, is that why you came?”
I was momentarily perplexed by Oh Seulbi’s question, who joined in with wide eyes as if she had realized something, but my curiosity was piqued, so I gave an evasive answer.
“Well, partly that… and I also just wanted to try studying here…”
At my words, Kim Yuna nodded and sat down next to Oh Seulbi, taking out her phone. The way she tapped the screen here and there with her thumb showed she was quite proficient at it—her skill was evident. After seemingly finishing what she needed to do, she removed her fingers and showed us her phone with a slightly flushed face.
“I was thinking of ordering sandwiches as snacks, what do you think of this? Jinyoung sunbae already said it’s good.”
While listening to Kim Yuna’s excited voice, which clearly showed her enthusiasm, I examined the screen. What appeared to be a delivery app had a beautifully taken photo of a sandwich fixed at the top. Although it’s natural for all photos to be taken beautifully when uploaded, the state of the sandwich filled with various ingredients looked very fresh and appetizing.
“It looks good.”
“Really? What about you, sunbae?”
“I like it too. But, Yoon Taeho, are you really going to eat it?”
“…If I’m offered some, of course I will.”
I was surprised that they could order delivery, but I answered awkwardly, wondering if it was appropriate to eat snacks now. Kim Yuna seemed to take it as confirmation and said she would order right away.
“Sunbae, what kind would you like? Their egg sandwich is the tastiest…”
“I’ll have that one.”
“Okay!”
As Kim Yuna was handling her phone again, I asked, just to make sure.
“You’re not paying for this yourself, are you?”
“Haha, of course not. Teacher Jaewon is treating us.”
I was relieved that it was different from what I had thought. Although being treated to something was fine—I could always return the favor later—I felt a bit guilty when I glanced at the quantity she was ordering.
As I was smiling with inner satisfaction, the door opened and someone came in, accompanied by an irritated voice.
“It’s so noisy, really. How loudly are you talking for it to be heard all the way outside?”
It was Kim Junwoo. That jerk seems dissatisfied with everything. I looked at his face, which seemed even more on edge than when I had seen him before, but decided to focus on my own tasks. Oh Seulbi and Kim Yuna must have felt the same way, as they both turned their heads back from the noise.
“What’s he picking a fight about again?”
Though Oh Seulbi muttered softly, Kim Junwoo either didn’t hear or ignored it as he sat on the opposite side and ran his hand through his hair. After briefly watching his irritating gesture, I dismissed it, thinking his personality was truly prickly.
“But why did Kim Junwoo sunbae come?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to know either.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the whispers between Kim Yuna and Oh Seulbi. Yoon Taeho must have been just as prickly, but I was glad they seemed to get along well enough that they didn’t openly push him away.
Soon, other club members and Lee Jinyoung entered. The teacher, coming in a bit later, greeted everyone as he looked around the surprisingly full room.
“Not many students decided to study elsewhere today. It’s good that I bought plenty of ice cream.”
The teacher placed the bags he was holding in both hands on the table as he looked around at the club members. He had promised to buy us ice cream during club time, and he certainly bought a lot.
I felt grateful that he kept the promise that had been postponed due to lack of time, and I was also pleased about the new snacks. However, seeing the Middle Class guys, who weren’t there that day, each taking one made me a bit resentful.
I glanced at Kim Yuna, who had helped that day, to see how she felt, but saw her happily humming with an ice cream in her mouth. I turned my attention back to my notes, feeling a bit embarrassed for being the only petty one, not knowing if she was just kind or positive.
After finishing the ice cream and focusing on studying, how much time had passed? Kim Yuna stood up from her seat and said.
“It seems to have arrived. I’ll go out and bring it in.”
“Want me to go with you?”
“No, I arranged to go with the teacher.”
I nodded in understanding, and Kim Yuna approached the teacher who had been typing on his laptop. Seeing the teacher quietly stand up and leave with Kim Yuna, I paused my studying and massaged my stiff shoulders.
“I heard you helped with transplanting seedlings on the rooftop garden the day before yesterday?”
“Yeah.”
Oh Seulbi asked me in a small voice while keeping her eyes fixed on her book. I stopped gently rotating my shoulders and confirmed it, to which Oh Seulbi’s expression became enigmatic. That face resembled exactly the expression she had when she saw me receiving all those cakes, so I looked at her as if asking why.
Oh Seulbi raised her upper body, which had been bent over while studying, stared at me for a moment, hesitated, and finally spoke.
“Recently, you’re kind of like… a puppy.”
“What?”
Is that an insult? Thinking she might be unable to use crude expressions and thus spoke that way, my brow furrowed slightly. Seeing this, Oh Seulbi shook her head as if she had made a mistake and said.
“No, my wording was a bit strange. I’ve gotten used to saying you act like a cat normally. Anyway, I was just asking because your speech seems to have changed too, but just ignore it.”
“…Alright. Can I take that as a compliment?”
“Yeah. …I meant to say you’ve become a bit more mature. It’s a compliment.”
Looking at Oh Seulbi speaking with the corners of her mouth drooping, I smiled awkwardly and then looked around the interior, which had emptied somewhat. Though some people remained, there were definitely fewer than at the beginning. Oh Seulbi, who had turned around as if feeling my gaze, scoffed and said.
“Why did they even come if they were just going to leave like this?”
I was about to curl up the corners of my mouth in agreement when I saw Kim Yuna and the teacher coming in, and I stood up from my seat.
I thought the teacher had bought a lot of ice cream, but either he was just generous or the plastic shopping bags he was carrying were quite large—there were three of them. Thinking it would take quite a while just to take out the packaged sandwiches, I went forward to help.
As I was placing the appetizing sandwiches on the table, Kim Yuna suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot to prepare drinks.”
To Kim Yuna, who answered dejectedly, Lee Jinyoung said it was fine and headed toward the refrigerator in the corner. It had been something I was curious about since I first saw it, so I glanced at it, and to my surprise, Lee Jinyoung opened the refrigerator and took out a liter-plus bottle of juice.
“Since not everyone is here now, let’s just drink this one for now.”
Indeed, there seemed to be quite a few unseen club members, so one bottle of juice should be enough. I gave a side glance at the club members who were just sitting there without helping, and then took my portion of egg sandwich. Watching everyone take one and eat, I took a bite of mine and then asked Lee Jinyoung, just in case.
“Sunbae, is there wasabi in the refrigerator?”
“Wasabi? Yeah… there should be? Just a moment…”
Lee Jinyoung, who had been looking at me as if wondering why I was asking for such a thing, opened the refrigerator and checked inside upon seeing me scratch my cheek. Fortunately, she quickly found the wasabi and asked if I needed it while showing it to me. I quickly nodded and received the wasabi, opening the cap.
As I squeezed it directly into the egg sandwich, I heard a low sigh. When I looked up, Lee Jinyoung and the teacher were staring at the sandwich I was holding. Oh Seulbi and Kim Yuna, who had been staring at the wasabi neatly spread over the yellow ingredients for a while, soon lost interest and focused on eating their snacks.
“Please eat.”
When I told them not to mind me, as they were just standing there without eating, the two smiled awkwardly and picked up their portions of sandwiches. As a bonus, Lee Jinyoung muttered softly while unwrapping the packaging.
“So it’s true that you got two exemption passes.”
