episode_0015

15.

“Why are you coming out so late!”

Isu Bin raised her voice. The students leaving school at the main gate focused their attention.

Afraid it might escalate if not stopped, she used chocolate to block her mouth.

Her face softened slightly as something sweet entered. Once everything was gone, she became nervously agitated again.

Perhaps even more wickedly changed.

“After this, we’re going to eat! What will happen if you feed me snacks! Pfft! Ah! The taste of rice will really disappear! Pfft! Take responsibility!”

Already swallowed and gone. She mimicked spitting out chocolate that was truly no longer there, not even as much as ‘Isu Bin’.

Seeing no saliva, it seemed like she just wanted to throw a tantrum.

As she debated whether to accept or not, Park Ayoung stepped forward quickly.

“Sorry, Subin. I had some business to take care of and that’s why I’m late. Was it tough waiting alone? I’m really sorry.”

“I felt your warmth and sincerity… Ayoung senior is forgiven!”

“Um… Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it! But I was lonely by myself. Is it okay if I recharge by hugging the senior? Is it okay? Yup! It’s warm…”

Isu Bin gazed up at Park Ayoung in her arms. It was a very arrogant look, as if saying, ‘You should play around a bit too.’

She raised an eyebrow and ignored her with disdain. Did that annoy her? She seemed about to say something but couldn’t complete the sentence.

“Were you waiting here noisily?”

It was because of Han Hyojin’s voice cutting in from behind.

“Madam President, you’re here?”

Isu Bin’s irritation dissipated. Her ability to change as if it never existed in the first place was quite remarkable.

As she marveled inwardly, Han Hyojin nodded her head.

“I just had a chat with my butler for a moment and came back.”

“With your butler? What happened? Could it be related to today’s dinner…?”

“Not really. I just thought we might need a driver to go eat, so I called him. He said he’d wait outside.”

“What? Why do we need a driver and a butler to go eat…?”

Isu Bin asked puzzled. Han Hyojin asked even more puzzled.

“Weren’t we planning to have dinner at a Michelin-starred hotel in Jongno? I assumed we would use a driver, so I made a reservation…?”

“Q-Quickly cancel it! We’re not prepared to eat such expensive food!”

“Expensive? Just save a bit on snacks. It’s not that expensive.”

“No! Madam President! It’s expensive for us! That’s the amount Doji Mengmeng Senior has to work for a week and then another day to afford!”

For some reason, Isu Bin’s analogy hit home, making Han Hyojin reluctantly agree.

“So where do you plan to enjoy dinner tonight then?”

“Cough! Cough! Don’t worry! I’ve planned everything last night! Just trust me and follow along.”

Isu Bin’s confident tone. In Han Hyojin’s smile, there was a hint of ‘Being common is indeed difficult’ reflected and twisted.

Watching from behind, one step away, it was more entertaining than any comedy. Laughter seemed ready to burst forth.

Quick-witted Park Ayoung swiftly approached and lightly jabbed my side.

“Don’t laugh… If you laugh, Subin will get upset.”

“I’m not laughing; I’m trying hard to hold back because I can see my likability dropping rapidly… Yeah… I need to be careful.”

Swallowing a sigh and suppressing laughter was terrifying.

Isu Bin took the lead and started walking.

“Alright! Isu Bin Tour begins! Ppu ppu!”

There was no room for anticipation.

***

Garam High School was not an exaggeration to say it was located in the center of Seoul.

Upon leaving the main gate, a stark cityscape appeared, and a familiar downtown area emerged after a short walk.

The people and buildings crowded around Seoul created a vibrant and complex downtown area.

Amidst the swarming moths, they were often likened to fools, but fortunately, high school was their lifeline, keeping prices within reason.

Anyway.

Though it may sound exaggerated, it was not an overstatement to say that all Garam High School students gathered here.

“Do we grab a meal at the PC bang?”

“Let’s order some chicken. And how about a 5-man queue in League of Legends? Changseok said he’d give us a ride on his bus or something.”

“Geez. That nerd is calling a bus. Even passing dogs will mock us! It’s lucky if we don’t get beaten up unless we go poop there.”

“After eating, let’s play some table tennis. If this challenge gets good views, we could really hit 10,000 followers.”

“Wow. Seriously. You’re. Amazing. Hoho! I’m so excited to film with you!”

“Ouch! It hurts! Stop hitting me and use your words! If you don’t want to, just say it! Ouch! I’m against violence!”

Various voices resounded, echoing through the ears of the bored part-time workers who greeted them. Showing a hint of sympathy, I approached Isu Bin.

The situation leading us seemed promising, with shoulders held high. Matching that atmosphere, I carefully parted my lips.

“Subin, where are we going?”

“There’s a restaurant nearby that I often visit. They have delicious pasta and risotto.”

“A restaurant…? Did you make a reservation by any chance?”

“Oh? There aren’t usually many people there…”

Isu Bin’s voice trailed off. Her eyes shifted desolately. The blame fell on the crowd gathered beneath the ‘Villa’ sign.

“Lies.”

“Lies my foot.”

Even if there weren’t many people usually, things were different right after exams. When students’ reward psychology kicked in, even expensive restaurants didn’t hesitate.

“What should we do?”

“We should go somewhere else.”

“Aww… I really wanted to go together… I was so excited to go with the student council… I’ll try to find another place now…”

Isu Bin pulled out her phone, disappointed. Looking at her, Han Hyojin spoke as if not quite convinced.

“Isn’t this a problem that can be solved with money? Either pay the restaurant owner, or slip some cash to someone in line.”

“Oh! That’s a way-”

“-to do it?”

I lightly tapped Isu Bin’s forehead.

“Why are you hitting me?”

“You seemed like you were being swindled.”

“I wasn’t being swindled! It’s just that a divine revelation opened my eyes… I was just naive!”

“Is it a religion…?”

Suppressing a throbbing headache, I gestured to Park Ayoung.

“Hey, Subin is trying to negotiate with the intimidating chairman who took out a menacing black card to buy the store… Can you help her out a bit?”

“It might be tough… But I’ll give it a shot.”

With a wry smile, Park Ayoung replied.

“It should be fine for a moment. I’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah! I’ll hold back!”

Leaving the group behind, she headed towards the back of the store.

Just then, the back door swung open, revealing a bald man in a rough manner. Admiring the living octopus, our eyes briefly met, and I quickly bent my waist.

“Boss!”

“Hmm, why do you seem displeased…?”

He was the owner of Villa, the one who paid me a salary. It’s worth noting he wasn’t exactly the most accommodating when it came to handling supplies.

“Damn it. You bastard. I told you not to think of me as an octopus!”

“I thought you were bald…”

“I’m not bald either! Damn it! I shaved it for fashion! Even though this guy says it, you don’t listen!”

Ignoring him, I brushed past.

Bald or not, it’s all the same.

“If you really think like that, people from the World Bald Association will come with shotguns. Don’t regret it then.”

“What did I think?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. Then, I asked the boss.

“Room 15? Or was it 25? Do you have any unused rooms because the bell is broken?”

“Why? Want me to fix it? I’ll fix it for you? Ha, you little punk. No wonder you looked so damn arrogant. Hey hey! Go ahead and shoot comfortably! You can do it!”

“Ha ha. Then I’ll clean up that bell and the area for you. But… would it be okay if I use it for a moment now? My companions are waiting ahead…”

“Dojinwoo… That ruthless bastard… If there’s no point, he won’t come looking… Seems more blue than red in blood…”

The boss chuckled in exasperation.

With so much work to do, there was no spare time left. Even if there were any, I didn’t want to make things difficult by coming to the workplace.

So, I spat out an unreasonable excuse.

“But isn’t it fine that he came now? Hah! He came to see his comrades dragging his wounded body with him…”

“Nonsense. Shut up and bring your friend.”

“Yes….”

Nodding gloomily, I joined the group at the back.

“Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To eat.”

A hint of suspicion crossed Isubin’s face, but the joy of not deviating from the plan turned into laughter in an instant.

Approaching, Park Ayeong looked full of concern.

“You didn’t overdo it, did you?”

“For example?”

“Paying money? Kneeling down? Or trading time for something….”

“If we take those as examples, then no, I didn’t overdo it.”

“So?”

“I just had a small deal with the boss because we’re acquainted. Don’t worry and come along. Miss Park Ayeong.”

“Hmph. Always calling me ‘miss’…”

I responded to Park Ayeong’s snort with a friendly smile. When we arrived at the back of the shop, the boss remained outside.

As I was about to greet him and introduce the group, someone else spotted the boss before me and approached him.

“Bankai – Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.”

It was Han Hyojin….

“Avada Kedavra.”

The boss’s head tilted sharply. It felt like not knowing what was going on.

He soon asked me with his eyes, but I hesitated to answer easily.

“Bamboo Helicopter? Serious Series? Solar Fist? Master Salsen?”

If I say those are all bald techniques, it might cause a stir.

Still, I needed to start explaining gradually. If a famous technique comes up, even an octopus would have to know.

I took a step closer to Han Hyojin. I grabbed the hem of her clothes that covered her back and pulled her towards me.

Her back touched my chest. As our faces drew closer, I slightly moved my lips forward and whispered.

“Chairman. This person may not know current comics, but she knows old ones. If she goes further, she might get caught and scolded. It’s better to stop the frenzy….”

“….”

“Hey Chairman? If you suddenly zone out….”

“….”

There was no response.

Whenever I whisper, everyone either gets startled or freezes.

It was scary to think seriously about what effect it might have, but let’s consider that later.

When I turned my head back again, the boss breathed out heavily, trying to regain composure.

“The group?”

“Yes.”

“They’re… um… quite unique.”

“This person is just a bit special. The others are nice and normal.”

I gestured towards the back.

The boss’s gaze fell on Isubin.

“Hello. Mr. Octopus.”

“You’re a regular customer…. That nickname is familiar…. More than anything, were you friends with Jinwoo?”

“Yes~.”

“Huh…. That’s amazing. It’s more surprising that he only showed up when Jinwoo wasn’t working…. Whether it’s a coincidence or destiny.”

The boss muttered with a distrustful look, then shifted his gaze to Park Ayeong.

“Hello. We heard that our Jinwoo owes you a debt. He may seem a bit rough, but we’ll always rely on you.”

“Oh.”

“And please understand that Subin and the chairman mean no harm. Please don’t take offense and overlook it generously.”

“Got it. I understand.”

Outside, they seemed infinitely mature.

But the truth is grim.

Chuckling, I led the group inside.

“Let’s go in.”

“Meow!”

“Got it.”

The group entered the shop through the back door.

So I was the one who had been sticking close to the kitchen door. Just before heading back to the kitchen, the boss stopped me.

“Jinwoo.”

“Yes.”

“If you’re going to date someone, at least make sure it’s the last one…”

“Boss.”

“Yeah?”

“Stop talking nonsense. Go inside, wash your hands, and start cooking. Before you end up ordering ten annoyingly complicated dishes.”

*Sigh* He sat down like that.