episode_0008

The school lunches were never consistently delicious.

Various reasons such as the limitations of mass cooking, errors in ingredient procurement, and inexperienced cooking skills contributed to this, a sentiment that was common even at the prestigious Garam High School.

“Today’s lunch menu was amazing….”

Though no one responded, I shared a similar thought with Lee Soo-bin.

How could the menu consist of spicy cod, stir-fried eggplant, and dung soup….

I shook my head in disbelief and took a big bite of the pizza bread. The sweet tomato paste flavor paired perfectly with the savory sausage taste.

And when washed down with a latte, creating a moist sensation in the mouth, it was pure bliss. It was hard to believe that it was cheaper than using meal tickets.

As a smile crept onto my lips, Soo-bin, who had been watching me, beamed with satisfaction.

“Didn’t I tell you? The pizza bread from the cafeteria is so good.”

“Not bad.”

“See?! I’ve said it before, but the cafeteria is my turf~ If you stick to what I recommend, there’s a zero percent chance of failure~.”

“Are you sure the failure rate is zero?”

I gestured towards the bread she was holding. This year’s new product, the Spicy Pepper Cherry Blossom Taco Cream Bread, was clearly a culinary experiment gone wrong.

As expected, Soo-bin’s expression soured.

“No… I wanted to get a rice ball and an Americano. But this little guy here caught my eye right in the middle of the new product list. It was shining brightly, you know? So he seduced me first….”

“You got played by a low-quality item.”

“That’s right…. Especially this taco, the quality is terrible. It’s tough, has a strong aftertaste, and is just not good.”

While grumbling, Soo-bin reluctantly ate the bread. She seemed determined to take responsibility for her food choice until the end.

Soo-bin, who occasionally displayed mature behavior, was unexpectedly responsible.

I shook my head as I paused eating the bread – why was I having lunch with Soo-bin again?

I asked her, furrowing my brow, “But Soo-bin, why do you follow me for lunch every day?”

At some point, Soo-bin had always been by my side during lunchtime.

I had let it slide until now, but after over a week had passed, curiosity got the better of me.

“Huh? You’re still curious about that now…?”

“Yeah. Should’ve asked earlier, shouldn’t I?”

“Please ask earlier. If you wait over a week to ask, I might forget why I’m eating with you! Seriously….”

She hesitated for a moment, clouding her words, then answered, “It’s because of Do-ji, the senior puppy~ When he bought me a ciabatta sandwich and an Americano at the cafeteria. The food tasted subtly better when I ate with him.”

“Because it’s food someone else bought….”

“That’s true! But really, the food tastes better! If I had eaten this bread alone, I wouldn’t have been able to handle it.”

“So…. Are you saying I emit frequencies that make the food taste better?”

“Yes. And it’s nice with the senior too. Since I don’t have any friends, I used to eat alone, but now a pretty junior keeps me company.”

That’s true.

I shrugged and finished the remaining bread.

At the same pace, Soo-bin swiftly swallowed the rest of her bread.

“Ready to go already?”

“I should start heading back to sleep.”

“Suddenly, I have a complaint about the senior. Why don’t you allocate at least half your lunchtime to eating? Can’t you slow down a bit?”

“Soo-bin, where’s the luxury in wasting time? Ten minutes is enough for eating, and I even added 20 more minutes because of you. Isn’t it a bit unreasonable to be dissatisfied…?”

“B-b-b-but! Why are you suddenly speaking logically? Just empathize with me. I’m your junior, right? Right. Damn right I am!”

I let Soo-bin’s tantrum flow through one ear.

“Well, since you’re a pure T, let’s get going.”

“Soo-bin will remember this.”

Despite her sulky voice and pouting face, she dutifully followed behind me.

It felt like raising a stubborn daughter. Is this some joyless responsibility or something?

Adoption seemed unappealing to others.

“Is being a room parent bad…?”

Yeah, this dad will discipline and raise you.

“What’s this? Just now, I felt a tingling discomfort. What’s this? Who’s talking about my height and chest?”

“If they did, so what?”

“I won’t do anything. But won’t my sacred chest and height activate an automatic defense system, casting a 9-circle Grand Magic Meteor?”

“Luckily, I didn’t touch your chest and height.”

“Doji-senpai, that’s sexual harassment~ Should I draw a red line in your record book?”

“Sorry.”

Isu Bin nodded.

“A 3-second apology is accepted.”

The arrival at the main gate, amidst gossip, was unusually noisy.

“What event is happening today?”

“I don’t know?”

“You’re on the student council and don’t know this?”

“You’re also on the student council, Doji-senpai.”

“I’m in charge of culture, you’re in accounting. Different roles.”

“Oh.”

A realization brought a subtle sigh.

Muttering under his breath, he wandered around.

Fortunately, he spotted the familiar back of the president nearby.

I led Isu Bin towards him.

“President, hello.”

“Hmm…. It’s you two. Enjoying lunch, I see.”

“You too, President. More importantly, what event is going on right now? It’s so bustling.”

“We were having a Golden Bell event.”

That answer reminded him of the conversation with Park Ayeong.

“They said they were doing the Golden Bell event the week after next….”

So it was happening now.

As he was about to agree, he tilted his head.

Upon reflection, it wasn’t the week after next.

As if reading his thoughts, the president spoke.

“It got moved up by a week.”

“Ah.”

His curiosity was satisfied.

With no further need to stay, he nodded slightly as a sign of gratitude and departure.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Thank you…”

Clunk-

He was interrupted as someone grabbed his sleeve.

What’s this? Turning around, Isu Bin was looking at him with sparkling eyes full of interest.

The expected response was clear, but just in case, he asked.

“Why?”

“We want to participate in the Golden Bell too. Right~? Won’t you join us? I’ll even treat you to a meal~ Hmm? Please join us~.”

“I’d love to join, but we are on the student council. If we solve the problems, it might raise questions about fairness.”

“But still….”

As Isu Bin slumped, Han Hyojin spoke up.

“Oh, that part shouldn’t be a concern. They didn’t offer extravagant prizes, and the number of correct answers doesn’t change the prize distribution much.”

“Why would they hold such a generous event…?”

In Korean games, creating a sense of deprivation through probability manipulation is basic….

“Oh, it’s you again…. Han Hyojin, the provocateur.”

“I humbly accept.”

“I shall worship you.”

“Well! Even if you believe, I can’t bestow any divine power upon you.”

“Not necessary.”

“Hmm! Were you after my body? Unfortunately, even if you become my faithful follower, you can’t touch my chest and buttocks. If that was your intention, turn back.”

Consistent with unexpected sexual innuendo.

He chose to effectively ignore and replied.

“What about Ayeong?”

She casually accepted the situation and answered.

“She’s inside the library, touching the screen. You’ll meet her when the Golden Bell starts.”

“I see.”

“And it’s about to start. Grab a whiteboard marker and board quickly to secure your spot.”

“Got it!”

By the way, the last line was not mine but Isu Bin’s.

After grabbing the Golden Bell items for both of us, she sang a lullaby and settled into the front seat, then lightly tapped my seat, urging me to hurry.

I sat down next to her, feeling a bit nervous.

The library lights went out with a click.

Shortly after, a projector light beamed from the back. Clear letters appeared on the bright white screen.

“The 1st Student Council Golden Bell Event.”

The font and colors were striking.

Did others around feel the same way? Conversations with friends dwindled, and more people became focused.

Silence descended in the library. At the peak of concentration, a tapping sound from the microphone stole everyone’s attention.

Then, Park Ayoung’s calm and elegant voice refreshed the air.

“Let’s begin the Golden Bell event now. The reward is a small snack, and even if you answer incorrectly, you won’t be eliminated, so don’t be too disheartened.”

“Yes!”

“If you answer many questions correctly, the reward won’t change. Please refrain from changing your answers or discussing with others!”

“Yes!”

Park Ayoung smiled satisfactorily at the enthusiastic response, then immediately directed a question using the remote control, locking eyes with me.

I waved my hand warmly, and she responded with a charming smile.

It was a captivating smile that could enchant anyone.

As I slightly lost focus, a teasing remark came from the adjacent seat.

“Are you enjoying this so much?”

“Would anyone dislike this?”

As evidence, gasps from the girls behind us could be heard.

“Tsk tsk, all these girls are the same. If a guy has a bit of chest and height, they’re all good, right? Because he’s a real man and a wolf, right?”

“Not wrong. Even if you said it, you would have been popular.”

“I’m short though. No one responds to me.”

“That also means there’s demand for it, right? Personally, I prefer the taller side over the shorter one.”

“What’s this? Is this harassment again? Draw a red line in life like a bra strap? If you want, please speak freely.”

“Sorry. I’ll politely decline.”

Isubin accepted my apology firmly and huffed out a breath.

She then gestured by alternately pointing at my eyes and hers with her finger.

“Be careful.”

Isubin had reached her teasing quota for the day.

If I teased her further, I’d have to endure serious insults worse than a bastard for an hour straight.

Not a particularly pleasant experience, so I subtly changed the subject.

“A question is coming.”

“Oh, really? Do your best, okay!? I’m really good at guessing quiz answers! If you don’t know, feel free to ask me!”

“Sure, I’ll trust only you.”

I appreciated the fact that Isubin was straightforward about her mood swings.

After silently expressing gratitude to someone with a balanced personality, the first question suddenly appeared on the screen.

“As you know, Garam High School is a private school. The largest sponsor and founder is Hansul Group’s chairman, Han Sooyong.”

“…”

“Here’s the question. Write down the name of the principal who is related to Chairman Han Sooyong, receives pocket money from his older brother, and secretly looks for ‘Barampim 3’ in the faculty room!”

Huh?

I was momentarily stunned.

Is it okay to be this blatant…?

While I was flustered, those around me confidently wrote down the correct answer as if it were nothing new, as if they had already become accustomed to it…

“…”

I slightly parted my lips and glanced sideways to find the source of the question.

Not far away, I spotted Han Hyojin smiling wickedly like a group of villains.

Thanks to her actions, I easily realized the source. And the moment I realized the source, I began to worry about the difficulty and information level of the question.

“Please let this go smoothly…”

It would never go smoothly. I could only hope for the best.