NOVEL NEXT WORLD #022
#022
If Sun Woo had only said that much, I really would have been so surprised I passed out, but he added,
“Ha Jin isn’t a kid, so stop comforting him.”
“Ah, uh. Okay.”
With creaking movements, Beom-jun retracted the hand that had been patting me. Once Beom-jun withdrew his hand, Sun Woo turned his head. How much does Sun Woo dislike me that he finds even his friend’s consolation distasteful?
“Many people post date photos. There won’t be anything special about it.”
Sun Woo calmly asked a question. What? Is everyone serious about the presentation while I’m getting too swept up in personal feelings? Since Sun Woo wasn’t rejecting it that much, I decided not to protest further either. Actually, the reason I protested was because Sun Woo disliked me, so I stepped up in his place.
“Of course. I’ll write a post. It’s a restaurant that hasn’t opened yet. If we post date photos on SNS and tag that restaurant, people will come check the post I wrote, right? We’ll investigate the number of views on that post and search volume for the restaurant name, and present on how much influence SNS has on the economy.”
“Wow, our department president is no joke.”
“Hoho, I just get a flood of ideas looking at you two. Go on a date tomorrow and give me the photos. I’ll make a new SNS account and post them.”
“How can we suddenly go tomorrow? Sun Woo, don’t you have a part-time job?”
“I don’t on Fridays.”
At Sun Woo’s answer, Mi-eun smiled like she already knew. At this point, it feels like the three of them are in on it to tease me.
“Go eat dinner after school tomorrow. I’ll talk to the restaurant.”
“Didn’t you say it hasn’t opened yet?”
“It’s my older sister’s restaurant. She said she’d do that much for me. Look at this. I’m showing you reference photos, so you need to take pictures with this composition. If you take weird photos, be prepared to go on another date.”
The photos Mi-eun showed were a few date pictures of couples. A photo of two people close together with bright smiles, a photo of the food set on the table, and a solo shot of each person looking at the camera.
“You need to take a total of four. Try your best to take flattering shots.”
“Even the first photo?”
“That’s the most important. We’ll use it as the cover photo, so smile brightly and affectionately, got it?”
Ah… I don’t think it’ll work out?
I did see Sun Woo smiling a bit when we studied together briefly, but even that was just a slight smile. I don’t know if we can really take a photo smiling affectionately like that picture.
As if reading my mind, Mi-eun warns me again.
“If I’m not satisfied, you’re going on another date. Let’s finish it in one go. That way we can quickly organize the data too.”
Looking uncomfortable doing nothing, Beom-jun scratched the back of his head and asked,
“Should I go with them if they’re awkward?”
“The two of us will do it.”
Sun Woo immediately refused.
Beom-jun received Mi-eun’s fierce glare and weakly replied, “Alright, got it.”
I knew Sun Woo was obsessed with getting an A+ because of his grades scholarship. But to the point he’d go on a date with me whom he dislikes so much?
“Whew, Beom-jun. Don’t butt in for no reason.”
“Ah, but I want to eat with Ha Jin too.”
“Are you crazy? We can all go eat together after finishing the assignment.”
“But I don’t want to eat with you…”
“What did you say?”
“Oh, you heard? Guess my true feelings slipped out.”
Beom-jun spoke teasingly and quickly grabbed his bag to escape. Mi-eun made a murderous expression and said, “Do it properly,” before going to catch Beom-jun. Left alone, I awkwardly smiled.
“Let’s hang in there for just one day tomorrow, Sun Woo.”
There was no response.
‘Damn, should I really transfer… Business administration doesn’t suit me at all.’
* * *
A date. And with Sun Woo of all people!
I was picking out clothes in the dressing room when I fell into contemplation. Should I wear a t-shirt and pants like usual? Or should I dress up a bit?
Thinking about it, Ha Jin always wore suits in the webtoon. Seeing how Kim Shin also always comes to school in a suit, it doesn’t seem to be an outfit that stands out much… After mulling it over for a while, I gave up and took out the clothes I got from the department store with my mother not long ago. Since I’m dressing up, I tied my hair up to show my forehead too.
When I came out to the living room to go to school, the housekeeper saw me and grinned.
“Ha Jin, it’s been a while. Seeing you in that style.”
“I’m putting in a bit of effort because I have something important today.”
“What important thing? A date?”
“Ah, yes…”
“Oh my, the other person will totally fall for you. Looking closely, Ha Jin has great features.”
No. There’s absolutely no way the other person will fall for me. Because…
“Ah, that friend who had good features too hasn’t come by at all lately? Was it Sun Woo?”
The person I’m going on a date with is Sun Woo.
‘I’m going on a date with that friend today…’
* * *
“What’s with you today, Ha Jin?”
As soon as Kim Shin saw me, he stuck to me more than usual with a grin.
“As expected, this style suits you well. Hmm, what, are you trying to make me fall for you again?”
“Gross. Don’t stick to me.”
“Want to go to Sky Bar after school today? Let’s drink the non-alcoholic cocktails you like. I can’t let you go home like this.”
Clicking my tongue at Kim Shin and calling it nonsense, I entered the lecture hall. Kim Shin followed behind me, persistently clinging and begging me to hang out with him today. Entering the lecture hall, Sun Woo sitting in the front immediately caught my eye. Sun Woo was in his usual attire, so I felt embarrassed for getting excited by myself. I’m the only one who got hyped up.
“Eek! Ha Jin oppa, you’re insane today! Why are you so sexy today? Huh?”
“Because you told me to do something.”
At Mi-eun’s exaggerated admiration, I playfully pinched her cheek and headed to the back seats, but she touched her cheek and followed me with a laugh.
“Ah, Ha Jin oppa. Why are you touching me? Don’t come on so strong. You’re making my heart flutter.”
“What did Mi-eun tell you to do? Mi-eun, what did you make Ha Jin do?”
“Ah, Kim Shin, you don’t need to know. It’s our secret.”
“What kind of secret do you two have?”
“Can you mind your own business? Kim Shin, when are you going to leave Ha Jin’s side?”
Since Mi-eun’s voice was so loud, Beom-jun who was sitting in the front turned around and fiddled with his ear.
“Mi-eun. Let’s lower the decibels a bit. I can’t hear soft sounds these days because of you.”
“Then wear a hearing aid or something!”
“If I wear a hearing aid, I think my eardrums will burst from your voice. Do you want to become an eardrum girlfriend or an eardrum punching woman?”
“How about a woman who punches you?”
“Ah, sorry. I’ll quietly shrivel up.”
Beom-jun put his tail down and as he turned his body forward, he said to me in a small voice.
“Have a good date today.”
Right then, the professor entered and the small commotion quickly died down. Kim Shin must have heard what Beom-jun said softly because he leaned towards me during class.
“You’re going on a date? With who? Have you been seeing someone lately?”
“It’s not like that.”
“What do you mean, Ha Jin? I’m hurt. You used to tell me everything.”
“It’s because it’s not a real date.”
“What does that mean, not a real date?”
Kim Shin kept asking curiously, but I just ignored him so he didn’t bother me anymore. After the lecture ended, even Min-ha came to me saying this kind of atmosphere is nice too and chattered on for a while before leaving. The other kids also complimented my style in passing. It was surprising that I was somehow maintaining friendships with my classmates. To think Ha Jin is having such an ordinary college life. Of course, the relationship with Sun Woo was the same as in the webtoon.
* * *
The store Mi-eun told us about was a distance that required driving from the school, so Sun Woo and I decided to take my car. After finishing classes, I went to the car first and was sitting in it when Sun Woo got in not long after.
“Hi Sun Woo.”
My greeting was very naturally ignored. I wasn’t expecting a response anyway.
I started the car and put on soft music. If there wasn’t even a small noise, it felt like I wouldn’t be able to breathe properly. The road was very congested as it overlapped with rush hour. It moved extremely slowly as if crawling, jammed like the relationship between me and Sun Woo. The road conditions were better in comparison. Sun Woo and I had no movement at all. While waiting at a red light, I turned my head to look at Sun Woo. Barely suppressing the instinctive urge to just shut up and go, I attempted conversation for the sake of my smooth school life.
“Are you hungry? Aren’t you excited about what food will come out? I’m curious what kind of personality the restaurant owner who is Mi-eun’s older sister will have. They say between sisters, if one is lively, the other is usually quiet.”
Sun Woo turned his head at my words and stared at me intently.
If you’re going to ignore me then ignore me, if you’re going to talk then talk, why are you just looking? It’s embarrassing. I wanted him to at least curse at me instead.
“Mi-eun has really good leadership, right? I think they chose the department president well. Her ideas seem quite innovative too.”
Sun Woo was still silent. Having already started talking, I couldn’t stop halfway.
“Isn’t Beom-jun extremely laid-back? No matter what Mi-eun says, he just accepts it without batting an eye. He seems good-natured.”
As I chattered on by myself, Sun Woo, who had been keeping silent until then, spoke in a voice oozing with a chilly air.
“Ha Jin, do you bring up other people as a topic during dates? It doesn’t seem courteous to your date.”
“Huh?”
What kind of bullshit is that? It’s not even a real date…
Is Sun Woo really such a slave to grades? He immerses himself to this extent for grades?
“Ah, sorry.”
I did apologize first, but I had nothing more to say after that.
In the suffocating silence, was he trying to say if not other people, we should talk about each other’s recent happenings? While I was pondering what topic to bring up, Sun Woo spoke to me first.
“What’s with the scar on your face?”
Sun Woo’s voice was as cold as the air conditioner turned on in the car. Sun Woo was asking about the scar that had already disappeared without a trace. He sure asks fast.
“I had a bit of a fight. It got scratched.”
“With who?”
Should I say it was father? It wasn’t a pleasant family matter so I didn’t want to reveal it. With no answer from me, Sun Woo added,
“Girlfriend?”
How does he interpret my silence like that? I shook my head with a bitter smile. As if I have time to date right now.
Then Sun Woo spoke again as if mocking me.
“Or is it a boyfriend?”
Ha, seriously. I’m dumbfounded.