Ch.4444. One Bite Warning

# Student Council.

Short for Student Council Association.

Most students didn’t really know what the Student Council actually did.

They didn’t care much about it either.

It didn’t seem like they were doing anything particularly impressive.

But even amid this indifference, there was one event that noticeably excited students:

[Hearty snacks for those exhausted during exam period!]

[Prepared by the Student Council for all fellow students!]

[Midterm Special Snack Event!]

[Date: April 13th & 14th, 11:00 – 17:00]

[Location: Food truck in front of the Media Building]

Suhyeok found out about this announcement not through online notifications, but in the Spirit club’s group chat.

[Anyone want to go get these together today~]

The person who shared it, Seo-eun, opened the conversation.

[Me!]

[I’m in.]

[Me too.]

Everyone except Suhyeok, who checked late, had already confirmed they would go together.

Suhyeok quickly moved his thumb to join the group.

[I’ll go too.]

[Okay! Then let’s all meet up around 3 and go together!]

The Spirit members, who had agreed to meet in front of the club room, began gathering inside one by one.

When Suhyeok grabbed the door handle and pushed it open, he was greeted by the rare sight of both 23rd and 24th generation members gathered together.

“Hana unnie! I want to try joining the Student Council next year, what do you think?”

“If you want to stay in Spirit, you absolutely can’t. Trying to do both will completely wreck your GPA.”

Hyejeong and Hana, who could be considered the female guitar line of Spirit, were chatting quietly.

Juyeon was sitting in the drum chair, probably because Choi Gang wasn’t there, and she seemed unwilling to take her eyes off her phone.

“Oh? Suhyeok oppa. Hello.”

“Hi.”

When Hyejeong nodded at him, Suhyeok casually raised his hand in greeting.

“Hey, Lee Suhyeok. Good timing. Come over here.”

Hana, seemingly needing an ally, pulled Suhyeok over to sit beside her.

“What?”

“Hyejeong says she wants to join the Student Council. What do you think?”

“…If she wants to do it, shouldn’t she try?”

“Ya!”

Hana’s canvas shoe firmly stepped on Suhyeok’s sneaker.

This clueless idiot.

“No. My classmate tried doing Student Council while being in another club too. I’m telling you, you can’t enjoy your own life at all.”

Hana seemed disappointed in herself for bringing in Suhyeok as an ally.

Sigh.

We need someone like Seo-eun unnie to deal with this clueless freshman.

Taking on too many activities was definitely not a good idea.

Generally, it often created situations that inconvenienced both sides.

Making excuses here.

Making excuses there.

If individual practice time became insufficient, it would inevitably lead to complaints.

“Is that so? Hmm…”

Hyejeong, who seemed to be considering it, thoughtfully rubbed her chin.

Humans were animals who wouldn’t listen until they experienced the consequences firsthand.

“I’m not trying to scare you. I’ve just seen many people like that.”

“Hiiii~”

Next to appear was Seo-eun.

Today too, she greeted the members with her refreshing eye-smile.

“Hmm~ Is Gang-i the only one not here yet?”

“Choi Gang. Let’s just leave him if he doesn’t come.”

“No. I’d rather wait.”

Juyeon was still afraid of Choi Gang’s pranks even after knowing him for over a year.

“Let’s go!”

Choi Gang flung the door open and naturally gestured for everyone to come out.

The members poured out in a crowd.

Since standing in a single line would completely take over the hallway, the members split into groups of two or three and moved in formation.

Today again, Juyeon and Suhyeok, in their usual odd-one-out positions, were at the very back of the procession.

“What are you looking at?”

Juyeon was still clutching her phone while walking.

Curious about what she was looking at, Suhyeok glanced over.

“Cookies.”

“Cookies?”

“Yeah. They say there are chocolate and almond flavors, and I’m trying to decide which one to get.”

Juyeon wanted both.

She was craving the crispy, nutty texture unique to almond cookies.

But she also didn’t want to give up the moist, sweet chocolate chip cookies.

“I see.”

A small laugh escaped from Suhyeok.

Her face looked so serious, but her concern seemed rather trivial in comparison.

“Then I’ll give you my cookie, Juyeon.”

“Ah, no. That’s not… necessary…”

“You said you wanted both, right?”

“But… you should eat your own, Suhyeok…”

“Then I’ll split mine in half and share it with you.”

A fresh smile bloomed on Juyeon’s face.

“…Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

Passing by the tennis courts, they arrived in front of the Media Building.

Many students were already lined up.

The snacks being distributed were sandwiches, drinks, and cookies.

Considering they were free, it was quite a luxurious event.

Although waiting in line could be boring, the members easily passed the time chatting among themselves.

“Which cookie flavor would you like?”

When a female student wearing a blue Student Council badge asked Suhyeok, he turned his head toward Juyeon.

“Almond flavor.”

Having completed his order, Suhyeok received the almond cookie.

“The weather’s nice. Should we just eat at the stands over there?”

At Seo-eun’s suggestion, the Spirit members huddled together on the main stadium stands.

Choi Gang seemed to be looking for something, scanning around between the members.

“Lee Suhyeok!”

His heavy hand gripped Suhyeok’s shoulder so strongly it felt like it might crush it.

“Uh…? What?”

By now quite used to the intensity, Suhyeok wasn’t startled by the force.

“What flavor is your sandwich?”

“This is, what was it… that… bacon avocado…”

“Oh! That’s exactly what I was looking for!”

Just as Juyeon wanted to try different cookie flavors,

Choi Gang wanted to try different sandwich flavors.

“Mind if I take a bite?”

His manner of speaking was almost like a military senior.

Still, having no intention of refusing the request, Suhyeok readily handed over the sandwich he had barely taken one bite from.

“Mmm~ Thanks.”

“…Huh?”

A question mark appeared over Suhyeok’s head as he received the sandwich back.

Where did it go…?

He clearly remembered taking just one bite.

The half-destroyed sandwich.

The scene could only be described as tragic.

“It’s delicious, right?”

Choi Gang gave a thumbs up.

Not wanting to spit in the face of someone smiling, Suhyeok remained quiet, but he looked at his sandwich with a somewhat dejected feeling.

‘My sandwich…’

How could one bite be so big?

At this rate, two bites would make the whole thing disappear.

Choi Gang seemed to have found another target and made the same suggestion to Hana, but…

“Ah, get lost! You always say you’ll take just one bite and then eat the whole thing!”

A seasoned victim knew how to respond differently.

“Where’s your loyalty?!”

“Why should I show loyalty to a thief!”

Hana successfully defended her food.

“Seo-eun noona!”

“I’ll give it to you for 3,000 won!”

“You’re selling something that was given for free?”

“And extorting something given for free is okay?”

It seemed Suhyeok was the only one who had been caught off guard.

Sitting next to the dejected Suhyeok and chewing her food, Juyeon quietly held out her sandwich to him.

“…Want a bite?”

Juyeon could empathize with his pain.

She had been through this countless times last year.

How many snacks had she lost because she couldn’t refuse!

Seeing Suhyeok’s dispirited expression, Juyeon felt a deep desire to help a fellow victim.

“No… it’s okay…”

Just because his food was taken didn’t mean he should take someone else’s.

Suhyeok forced a smile and declined the offer.

“I’m telling you it’s really okay?”

With determination, Juyeon moved the sandwich even closer to Suhyeok’s mouth.

Suhyeok, unable to refuse either kindness or malice.

As his mouth opened, chicken with lettuce and teriyaki sauce entered.

Witnessing this, Seo-eun poked Hana, who was chatting with Hyejeong, in the side.

“What?”

Instead of answering, Seo-eun jerked her head toward Suhyeok.

Hana’s eyes registered the image of the two feeding each other like a couple.

“Uh…?”

The inadvertent exclamation.

It certainly wasn’t a voice filled with joy.

But once the sound popped out, it couldn’t be taken back.

Watching Juyeon shyly offering the sandwich and Suhyeok eating it…

“Unnie, what’s wrong?”

Hyejeong, who had been conversing with her, asked Hana who had fallen silent.

“Oh. Ah. What was it. So last year…”

Though she continued their conversation, rambling incoherently, she couldn’t focus.

She was trying to understand the context.

The reason Park Juyeon had to feed Lee Suhyeok a sandwich.

Remembering that Choi Gang had passed by, the puzzle pieces clicked in Hana’s mind.

He must have been victimized by Gang!

Damn. If I’d seen it live, I would have given Suhyeok a bite of mine too.

She regretted her delayed realization and her inability to multitask.

Whether aware of Hana’s thoughts or not,

Suhyeok gave Juyeon a bright smile.

“Thanks.”

“When… when you give Gang a bite, you always need to be prepared.”

“I will.”

Suhyeok broke the almond cookie in half.

He placed the broken half-moon shaped cookie in Juyeon’s hand.

“Thank you.”

A faint arc formed on Juyeon’s lips as well.

Watching this, Suhyeok felt a warmth in his chest, thinking this must be what friendship is like.