Chapter 8: Doki Doki literary club

“Sigh…”

My first task as class president was this tedious chore.

Looking at the blank A4 paper in my hand, I couldn’t help but sigh.

I blinked, trying to escape reality, but the large, bold title at the top of the page, “Korean Literature Group Project Team Formation,” was unavoidable.

Starting next week, we’ll be doing group projects.

Since you’re the class president, please organize the teams and give me the list. Can you do that?

It felt too early for this kind of assignment at the beginning of the semester, but it was the teacher’s decision.

Recalling the words of the Korean teacher I’d just run into in the hallway, I entered the classroom.

With the subject teacher on sick leave due to a flu outbreak, the classroom, lacking any controlling authority, was in chaos.

“Um, everyone…”

I started speaking from the podium, but my voice was so small that no one paid attention.

No one even looked my way.

Right, I needed to speak louder. But I wasn’t used to it.

I hesitated for a moment, looking around the classroom.

Then, another voice boomed out, as if taking over my role.

“Everyone! The class president has something to say!”

Unexpected. I thought he was just a weird guy, but I might have to revise that opinion.

I smiled slightly at Choi Hyeong-gon, the boy who had just spoken up for me.

Feeling the class’s attention on me, I slowly began to speak.

“So… the Korean teacher said we’ll be doing presentations instead of regular classes starting next week.

So we’ll decide on the teams now.

I’ll call out names in order of attendance number, and when your name is called, tell me which team you want to join.

Oh, and each team can have up to four members.

And the presentations will be in order of team number, so keep that in mind.”

“Number 1, Kang Seon-a.” I called out Seon-a’s name first, as she had the first surname alphabetically. Without hesitation, she chose Team 1. I continued calling out names, checking the attendance list.

After I finished calling the names starting with “P,” it was my turn, as I was the first “L.” I glanced at the half-filled list on the blackboard.

Teams 2 through 8 had a balanced number of members, but Team 1 still only had Seon-a’s name.

Perhaps the pressure of presenting first was putting people off.

“I’ll join Team 1.”

Without further ado, I wrote my name under Seon-a’s. It was better to get it over with quickly.

I didn‘t want to stress about the group project later… and more than anything, Seon-a’s intense stare was too much to bear. 

Had she always been this expressive?

Well, seeing her satisfied smile afterwards made me feel better.

“Number 26, Choi Hyeong-gon.”

“Team 1.”

An immediate response.

Did this guy have something against me? I looked at him, puzzled, but he just wore his usual friendly smile.

He really was a strange guy. I revised my revised opinion.

“Number 31, Ha Hyeon-a.”

“I’ll join Team 1.”

As I reached almost the last number, a feminine, husky voice reached my ears.

I looked at the girl who had just spoken.

She had short hair and androgynous features. Her delicate face looked more boyish than girlish.

Her toned, slender physique and tall stature, unusual for a girl, further reinforced this impression.

Ha Hyeon-a. With her easygoing personality and attractive appearance, she was one of the most popular girls in class.

She was also the one who lost to me, a sudden outsider, in the class president election a few days ago.

I thought she wouldn’t have good feelings toward me for stealing the position, but she chose to join my team even though there was another team available.

Had she changed her mind? Or had I been too narrow-minded? I stared at her for a moment, trying to read her expression, then gave up and called out the next number.

Since it was the last number, the team formation ended, leaving me with a slight sense of bewilderment.

“Now, let’s sit with our teams. Teams 1 and 2 should start preparing quickly.”

As the students moved around busily, I returned to my seat.

The other team members were already there, but Seon-a was pouting.

“Seon-a, is something wrong?”

“…Nothing.”

Really? She must be on her period.

I decided not to provoke her further, judging by her sullen voice, and turned away.

A woman on her period was scary, even for another woman.

Instead, I looked at the other team member, Hyeon-a.

She was staring intently at my face, looking intrigued.

“Um, Hyeon-a, right?”

“Unexpected.”

“Huh? What is?”

“You.”

Me? Unexpected? My puzzled expression must have been obvious.

Hyeon-a’s lips curved into a sly smile, like a cat about to nap.

“At first, I thought you were a haughty perfectionist. But you don’t seem like that at all. You’re cuter than I thought.”

Me, a haughty perfectionist…? I imagined myself laughing haughtily behind a fan and shook my head.

That was a gross misrepresentation.

But that last comment, “cute,” bothered me for some reason.

Feeling my cheeks flush, I looked at Hyeon-a.

She was now looking at me with a foxy smile, replacing her usual cool demeanor.

“So, what do you think now?”

“I kind of want to gobble you up.”

“Sia, aren’t you going to talk about the group project?”

“Oh? Right.”

I didn’t hear what Hyeon-a said because Seon-a cut in.

I was curious about what she was going to say, but I decided to let it go.

“Well… anyway, let’s do our best.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

Her thin lips curved into a smile.

I returned her smile and accepted her handshake.

Her slightly cool hand in mine made it feel like I had made another friend, which made me happy.

Then, a clueless boy raised his hand.

“Um.”

“What is it?”

“Can I shake your hand too…?”

“No.”

Stay out of this.

Ignoring Choi Hyeong-gon, who was now pouting for some reason, I started talking about the project.

“You all know what the presentation is about, right?”

“Isn’t it the ’20th Century Koreans’ section in the textbook appendix?”

“Right. So first, let’s divide the work. Does anyone here know how to make PowerPoint presentations?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Me neither. I can use Word, though.”

“…Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Then I’ll prepare the PowerPoint.”

The others all expressed difficulty, but it wasn’t unexpected, so I brushed it off calmly.

They were still high school students, and this kind of thing was probably unfamiliar to them.

Seon-a’s apologetic reaction felt more strange.

As I started visualizing the PowerPoint presentation in my mind, I stroked Seon-a’s hair, who had lowered her head, perhaps feeling bad that she couldn’t help.

The soft strands against my palm soothed me. As I continued stroking her hair, the nape of her neck turned red.

Ah, she felt like a pet.

I withdrew my hand, sensing a strange moan about to escape my lips.

Seon-a finally looked up, staring at my fingertips with a look of disappointment.

“So, all we need to do now is decide on the presenter?”

“Ah, I’ll do the presentation too.”

“What? But then you’ll be doing almost everything?”

“It’s better for the person who made the PowerPoint to present it.”

It might seem like I was taking on everything myself, but it was true.

I couldn’t expect efficient teamwork from high school students like I could from college students (not that college group projects were efficient either), and it was better for me to take the lead.

I was just glad no one was blatantly trying to slack off.

“No.”

“Seon-a?”

“Do you think I’d feel comfortable letting you do everything? I don’t want you to be the only one working hard.”

“Then how about you do the research…?”

“There’s not much to research. You’ll end up doing most of it anyway.”

Seon-a and Hyeon-a’s words hit me like a one-two punch.

I had just suggested what I thought would be the easiest way, but they made it hard to argue.

Seeing my troubled expression, Choi Hyeong-gon, the only boy in our group, stepped in.

“Now, now, everyone calm down. It’s true that we’re not good with PowerPoint, but it’s too much to ask Sia to do everything by herself. I’m worried about you doing it alone.”

“But…”

“Here’s my suggestion. Sia will prepare the PowerPoint and do the presentation, and the rest of us will write the script. Since the topic is ’20th Century Koreans,’ we don’t need to divide the work into complicated portions. We can each prepare one poet.”

“Not bad…”

It was a good idea, even coming from him.

If we did it his way, the workload wouldn’t be concentrated on one person, and it would make things easier for me.

And by the way…”Lee Sia”? Was he trying to embarrass me to death?

“Then everyone, please read the textbook and choose a poet you want to cover. We’ll discuss the details later. I’ll send you the time and place via KakaoTalk.

And while I appreciate the suggestion, please stop calling me that.”

“Oh, can I call you by your name then?”

“…Do whatever you want.”

“Yay!” He cheered, raising his arms. I regretted indulging him.

But at the same time, I didn’t mind seeing him so happy.