episode_0006

After the morning classes ended, lunchtime arrived.

At Saebok High, the lunch system allows students to eat school meals at the cafeteria.

It’s not just a regular school lunch system, it’s a school meal system.

Just to emphasize, I’m not obsessed with school meals… I’m obsessed with school meals.

In addition to the cafeteria, there are also school stores on campus and buildings with external franchise fast-food outlets.

There’s even a cafe on the first floor of one building.

And if you don’t like any of those options, there’s a rest area where you can bring your own packed lunch to eat. You can also eat at the cafeteria.

Saebok High is truly amazing. It’s like a high school from a romantic comedy.

So, as usual, the four of us gathered to go to the campus cafeteria for lunch…

…or at least we were trying to go when,

“Lee Jina! Let’s have lunch together! Hi, I introduced myself earlier, remember? Let’s be friends! Yoon Jiwu, Lee Se-ah, Lee So-yoon. Right?”

A girl with a memorable name who stands out, and,

“Seo Ijin… I have something to talk to you about.”

Another guy who stands out in a different way joined us.

“What, what! Talk about what?”

Yoon Jiwu, taken aback, blurted out.

Lee Se-ah and Lee So-yoon also looked surprised and stared at me, and at the same time, Hong Yeon-seo also stared intently at Sung Yurin as she joined our group.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go eat first and talk.”

…So, the four of us became six for a moment. Anyway, we headed to the campus cafeteria to have lunch.

* * *

We found a suitable spot and exchanged our meal tickets.

Today, I’m in the mood for udon.

I looked over and saw Hong Yeon-seo handing over three meal tickets. …Is she really going to eat all that?

But I stopped myself from feeling rude towards Hong Yeon-seo, who has a slim figure probably due to her regular exercise routine.

The udon was already prepared, so I added the broth and toppings, grabbed my chopsticks and kimchi, and returned to my seat.

I prefer kimchi over pickled radish with my udon.

With a variety of dishes in front of us, we started our meal.

Hong Yeon-seo, who had three bowls in front of her, started eating quickly but elegantly.

While everyone was eating,

Yoon Jiwu, feeling a bit uncomfortable eating quietly, asked Sung Yurin about their morning encounter.

“…I was jogging in the morning… and I ran into Seo Ijin. We were going in the same direction, so we decided to jog together.”

“Really!?”

I nodded at Yoon Jiwu’s gaze towards me.

“You two are jogging together in the morning!?”

Se-ah, who was hastily chewing her food, shook her eyes vigorously and said.

Then, So-yoon also quietly made her presence known.

“Ugh… then, I’ll join too.”

“So-yoon. You said you would join before but you only came out for three days and then disappeared.”

So-yoon shrugged at my words.

“I’m not a morning person…”

Both So-yoon and Se-ah have joined me for morning jogs a few times.

But they both found it difficult to wake up early in the morning, so they quickly gave up.

“Ugh…”

At that moment, Hong Yeon-seo, who had finished her meal quickly, showed interest in us.

…Wait a minute. It was very natural, but that girl eats really fast. And she had a lot of food.

Is it physically possible to eat at that speed?

“Can I join you guys too?”

It was a sudden suggestion, but since it didn’t matter to me whether it was two, three, or more people, I asked Hong Yeon-seo.

“Um… it’s fine, but we’ll be running near my neighborhood. Towards the old town area. Where do you live?”

“I live in the dormitory.”

Isn’t that a bit far? There’s a downtown area between the school and the old town, so Hong Yeon-seo would have to leave at least 15 minutes earlier to make it on time.

“Then we might need to change the route.”

“Huh? No, I can just leave a bit earlier.”

Hmm. If she’s okay with it, then it’s fine, right?

Or something like that. And just as we were about to end the conversation.

“…. Wait. What’s your opinion?”

Seong Yurin’s eyes twitched at the question she had been listening to.

“I want to do something with Seo Ijin. Exercise.”

“Oh, really? What’s the difference between two people or three? It’s nice to talk to each other.”

A fantasy scene where lasers shot out from Seong Yurin’s blue eyes and Hong Yeonseo’s red eyes and clashed was visible.

Did she provoke this to show off?

“Well then, I’ll… eek.”

Yoon Jiwu, who had sneaked in between them, was overwhelmed by the lasers of the two and sank.

In the end, Seong Yurin was the one who backed down from the staring contest.

“Ugh. Do as you please. But I won’t wait if you’re late.”

“I exercise every morning, so that won’t be a problem for me~”

Seong Yurin was like that.

Despite her strong appearance, she seemed to have a cute side, so she probably wouldn’t win in a staring contest against the truly strong Hong Yeonseo.

We all exchanged contact information.

As a side note, she thought she wouldn’t stand out, but Seong Yurin seemed to find Lee Soyun very cute.

Unexpectedly, Seong Yurin seemed to like cute things.

…No. Is that not it? They seem to suit each other?

There might be a teddy bear doll in her room that she hugs and sleeps with.

People who seem cold on the outside sometimes go crazy for cute things.

* * *

After finishing the meal, everyone decided to spend their own time.

Hong Yeonseo and Seong Yurin went somewhere, while Yoon Jiwu took Lee Sia and Lee Soyun to explore the convenience store.

They invited me to go with them, but I declined because I was lazy.

I brushed my teeth with the toothpaste and toothbrush I had brought.

You have to take care of your teeth while you’re young. If they all rot, you’ll suffer when you’re old!

…In my past life, I didn’t really age much. It’s just a feeling.

I returned to my seat and opened a mobile game to play.

It’s nice that they don’t collect phones at school in this world.

It’s not because it’s the first day of school, it’s always like this.

In my past life, they used to collect all the phones in the morning.

As the familiar game logo passed by and the loading finished, the character from the gacha game that made me smile appeared.

It’s my work.

It was an illustration commission I started as a way to earn pocket money when I entered middle school.

I never thought I would be working as an illustrator in the pro scene, taking on commissions and freelance work.

Of course, I’m a minor, so it’s not a contract job, but it’s still professional work if I get paid.

Am I really that skilled? I wonder, but seeing how well they treat me and pay me, I just accept it.

Thanks to the occasional commissions and freelance fees, combined with the allowance my parents send me, I can enjoy a comfortable life.

I took out my wireless earphones from my bag and put them in my ears.

They say it’s not good for your ears to wear earphones too often.

…Have I been too focused on taking care of my health lately?

Anyway, I enjoyed the voice of the voice actor who brought life to the characters I drew through the earphones, feeling happy.

Feeling grateful to the gods who gave me this talent in my reincarnation, I turned off the game, played some music, and closed my eyes.

The temperature is still cool, but the sunlight shining through the window is warm.

Relaxing in that pleasant gap, I let my body relax in the sunlight, only to hear the bell signaling the end of lunchtime.

The half-empty classroom was now full of students.

The friends who had already become close seemed to have become even closer in no time, making a lot of noise.

“What did you do during lunchtime, Lee Jina? Were you in the classroom the whole time? You had your earphones in? Listening to music?”

“…Go back to your seat.”

Hong Yeonseo, who had barged in from outside and stuck to my side, teased me.

I reflexively took out my earphones from my ears and put them back in my bag.

The original owner of the seat that Hong Yeonseo had taken over, Lee Soyun, was playing with Seong Yurin.

Quickly becoming close, huh? Are heroines really compatible with each other?

Lee So-yoon was receiving a lot of affection from Sung Yoo-rin, and it seemed like Lee So-yoon didn’t mind it at all.

Indeed, they make a delightful pair.

“Jin-ah likes exercising? What kind of exercise does she do? Does she go to the gym? Oh, her arms are so strong.”

“What, what are you doing? Back off.”

Suddenly touching her arm, Hong Yeon-seo.

Even as someone with a strong immunity to beauty, this kind of touch was a difficult stimulus for me.

My momentarily relaxed poker face and trembling words revealed my true feelings.

Seeing that reaction, Hong Yeon-seo smiled even more deeply and tried to get closer.

“Yeon-seo. The teacher will be here soon. Let’s sit down.”

Se-ah, who was sitting in front, turned halfway and looked in our direction.

“Mmm…. Okay.”

That nasal tone seemed to be a habit of Hong Yeon-seo.

Anyway, the two who had created a strange atmosphere distanced themselves.

“Hey, Sei-jin. Are you popular?”

“What are you talking about? Do you have something to say to me?”

Yoon Ji-woo turned around and said a word.

What is this arrogant guy trying to say to me now?

– Drrrring

“Okay, let’s sit down! Did everyone enjoy their lunch?”

The classroom, which had a tense atmosphere with the arrival of Teacher Jung Chae-yeon, calmed down.

Seeing the seats full, Teacher Jung Chae-yeon nodded her head.

With a smile, Teacher Jung Chae-yeon gathered the attention of the first-year students in Class C, who answered in unison.

“Now, I’ll distribute the textbooks for the core subjects. The class president, vice president, and um… the books are heavy, so who will help move them?”

Instantly, the attention turned to Lee Se-ah, and male students who were eager raised their hands to volunteer.

“Jin-ah.”

While I was lost in thought, Se-ah called out to me.

“What?”

“Um, do you want to go help together?”

“Sure.”

Se-ah, who warmly smiled at my prompt response, was asking me to go along with her.

Well, I guess I can do this much.