014 – The Parties Are Fun Only for the Extroverts #3
“Look here! There’s a mini-car! Whoa, it’s a Gold Motor!”
“This is the ‘Survive Series,’ right? I haven’t seen one of these in ages.”
“….”
Chang-sik, Geum Tae-sung, and Deoksun wandered around my place, busily inspecting the scattered items.
Although I’d been home for a few days, I still hadn’t remembered exactly what we had here, so it was rather delightful to discover these random knick-knacks with everyone.
During our joint exploration, Bangdaengi and Baek Yeo-ul kept circling near me, tinkering around like a broken robot. It seemed like there was something they wanted to say but couldn’t quite spit out, caught between their palate and front teeth.
Bland.
Since I was the smartest guy in middle school, Hanamjin, I decided to employ a bit of wit.
“If you gotta go badly, you can use the bathroom. It’s over there. There’s even a bidet.”
“…N-No!”
Like a raccoon that just got splashed with cold water, Bangdaengi bristled his hair, standing it up straight. I was quite curious about how he controlled that hair when he cautiously started speaking.
“…Ah, I already told you, didn’t I? The party at the ‘Mansion’ is a trap, so you shouldn’t go. Isn’t there anything else you want to ask about it?”
So that’s what you wanted to say all along, huh? Watching you fidget and pace around nonstop, I thought you just had to go to the bathroom.
Earlier, after marveling at my cooking, Bangdaengi had blurted out information about Seugal.
According to Baek Yeo-ul, Seugal’s parties were a kind of “trap,” and one should not attend.
“You’ll just… embarrass yourself if you go. It’s better not to. Everyone only looks at Seugal’s good sides, but I know who they really are and how cruel they can be….”
After murmuring to herself, Baek Yeo-ul closed her mouth, and a tranquil silence settled between us.
In the silence, I took a moment to think about the things I needed to do moving forward.
The answer was simple.
I may not know exactly why the party at the mansion is a trap, but I have to go.
After all, Seugal will give me an answer to my date request there, right? She even kindly mentioned she’d give me an invitation. It’s an opportunity to visit Seugal’s place.
It’ll surely help with my ‘abduction’ plan.
“I’m going.”
“You are such an easy target! You know it’s a trap, and yet you’re still going? You’re completely foolish.”
After failing to convince me, Baek Yeo-ul paced back and forth or sighed heavily, unsure of what to do.
Wasn’t it just that you had to go to the bathroom?
“…Then… I’ll go too.”
“You will?”
“You don’t know where the mansion is or what kind of party it is, right? I do, because… I’ve been there a few times. Not that it’s any memory I want to bring back, but… I do have one extra invitation…”
“Perfect. Bangdaengi, you can guide me then.”
“And we’ve made a deal! In return, you have to make sure we’re in the same group and earn points! I want to earn plenty of points so I can take a special class! I want to control my abilities!”
“Good. Our interests align.”
Swoosh.
I extended my hand to Bangdaengi, who looked slightly surprised at my palm but soon wiped the sweat off her own hand on her skirt before grabbing mine.
It was a delicate hand, small enough that it didn’t seem capable of shouldering all the misfortunes she’s experienced.
—
# # #
“Unfortunately, my shift starts soon, so I have to leave. It’s really fun reading the ‘Survive Series’ after such a long time.”
Late afternoon, around 8 PM.
Seated on the worn sofa, Geum Tae-sung lazily yawned and stood up. I handed him a few volumes of the ‘Survive Series.’
“Take them home, read them all, and then return them. They’ll really help you a lot.”
“Is that an offer?”
Honestly, I owe it to the ‘Survive Series’ that I’ve been able to survive somewhat in a collapsing world, thanks to all the tips from purifying dirty water to building shelters. This is truly a life-changing Bible.
The discussion classes they do in our school? The practice sessions? All this stuff is unnecessary. They should just make the ‘Survive’ books our textbooks and teach directly from them.
But only I knew the world was about to end.
Until we discover who the ‘traitor to humanity’ is, revealing this fact would be too risky.
‘My suspicion is that it might be someone close to Seugal.’
Since they managed to stab Seugal right in the gut, the betrayer must be close to her, increasing the chances I could meet them at this ‘Mansion Party.’
“Friend, this may be embarrassing, but can I also borrow this mini-car? Actually, we have a mini-car track at home, and I just want to let it go for a lap before returning it.”
As if this was a signal after lending the books to Tae-sung, the candy maker Chang-sik picked up my cherished mini-car and looked at me expectantly.
This mini-car was a meaningful Christmas present from my childhood, but…
“Chang-sik, you can take it!”
My cherished memories vs infinite candy.
There was no question who had the upper hand here. Not enough points for Chang-sik!
“Really? Just giving it to me? Now I feel too entitled, but… well, what can I do. By the way, next time why don’t you come to my house?”
Chang-sik shouted with the intensity of a grand confession, his face turning red.
Chang-sik’s house?
If I can earn points there, of course, I should go!
The only one left was quiet Deoksun.
Deoksun didn’t say much all day, but I noticed her peeking at Geum Tae-sung from behind her fringe.
Why was Deoksun glancing at Geum Tae-sung? As the smartest guy in middle school, I was fully aware of the reason.
There’s no escaping my eyes of 《Emotion》.
The reason is that Deoksun wanted to immediately read the ‘Surviving the End,’ but Tae-sung’s reading was taking too long.
“Hey Tae-sung! When you finish reading, pass the books to Deoksun. They can sort it out themselves.”
“Huh, uh…”
O Deoksun appeared startled that I had voiced what she couldn’t, looking quite flustered. Her movements were so awkward it looked like she was doing a strange dance.
Thankfully, Geum Tae-sung was the second-coolest guy.
“Got it? Alright, then Deok-hee, for better scheduling, let’s exchange numbers?”
“My number? My number… what was it… uh…”
Seeing Geum Tae-sung and O Deoksun exchange numbers gave me an idea.
“Hey guys, let’s exchange contact info while we’re at it!”
The truth is, I wanted Chang-sik’s number, but if I’d asked only him, people might have thought, “Why the special treatment?” or “What’s so special about him?” or even, “I didn’t know he was so special!” So, under the guise of “cutting down the forest to get to the tree,” I ended up getting everyone’s numbers.
“Deok-hee, your number is saved.”
“Me… mine too.”
“Creating a group chat will be much easier.”
Not realizing my perfect and somewhat sneaky plan, their smiling faces looked quite foolish to me, making me smirk.
“Ho ho!”
“Well, I’ll see ya all tomorrow at school!”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
“Ah… bye.”
And just like that, everyone returned home and to work, leaving the lively atmosphere of our house suddenly quiet.
There was no sound from the neighbors either.
I remembered lying on the worn carpet with the ceiling full of holes, gazing at the stars and wishing for someone to talk to. That’s probably why I ended up talking to myself more often.
The phone buzzed suddenly.
「Bangdaengi: If you want to sign up for a special class, you should do it before the day is over」
「Bangdaengi: I’m just letting you know since I think you don’t know」
Huh, this is a message from Bangdaengi on KakaoTalk.
Special classes, huh?
Above all, it’s awkward that my first message from a girl is from Bangdaengi. I wanted to save my ‘first’ for Seugal, so this left me feeling quite upset.
So unfair!
—
# # #
“Ha Nam-jin, today at the special lecture session.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“It’s ‘Captain.’ And address me at least as ‘Officer.’ Now, Ha Nam-jin and Baek Yeo-ul will proceed to the special lecture room. Execute.”
If you apply for a special lecture, you skip the morning ‘Theory Class’ and instead take a lecture from specialized professors in a dedicated room.
A 400,000-point lecture!
If a packet of ramen costs 1,000 won, it equates to 400 packets, and if you ate three meals a day, it’d last around 170 days.
A 3-hour lecture equivalent to 170 days of food?
I was so excited that my tailbone trembled.
Most importantly, Seugal had always been taking ‘Special Classes.’ It would be a good opportunity to score points by conversing with her before the mansion party today.
I headed toward the location of the special lecture.
I expected a gym filled with barbells and dumbbells or a boxing ring with plenty of punch bags, but instead, I found a research lab full of machines and monitors, which was quite unexpected.
Many students were sitting on thick mats.
“Hey, Ju-hyun. Look at him.”
“Isn’t that the guy who confessed to Seugal in the cafeteria?”
Some of the students recognized me and raised their eyebrows.
Fame can be so inconvenient when people feel unnecessary intimacy toward you when you don’t even know them.
In preparation for such moments, I had practiced signing autographs thoroughly.
“Why are you whispering? If you want my autograph, ask for it openly. Be a man.”
“Huh?”
“What a ridiculous guy.”
When I asked, the male students just stared at each other and burst out laughing except one, a good-looking woman conversing with a male student who stood out.
He seemed tall and well-built, even sitting down.
The male student was talking to the female student, and it was only now that I realized the female was Seugal.
Who is this person talking to Seugal without my permission?
Right as I was getting slightly angry, Baek Yeo-ul, who hadn’t spoken much since this morning, lightly tapped my back.
“That’s Prince Juhyun. He’s kinda like a bigshot in Class F, and his family is really wealthy. If you want to get along with Seugal, it’d be good if you got on Juhyun’s good side. Don’t make him angry.”
Getting along?
「Name: Prince Juhyun
「Status: 《Hypocrisy》 – He’s quite mad at you for flirting with the female student he’s been targeting.」
He doesn’t seem interested in getting along with me.
Prince Juhyun was pretending not to care about me but was actually boiling with anger inside. Becoming a popular guy is no easy task, I thought, just as someone entered the special lecture room.
“Alright, everyone take a seat. There are new faces here, so I’ll introduce myself first. I’m Officer Wi Seon-a. I’m ranked 44th out of 1,000 explorers, and I’m a 4th-grade expert. Impressive, right? Top 10%.”
In her doctoral gown with goggles on her face, she looked like a female version of a mad scientist.
“Today, we’ll be doing ‘Special Combat,’ and dueling to understand one’s own limits helps greatly in strengthening ‘concepts.’ So, let’s start with our first contender?”
Combat? Even in ‘Special Classes,’ they duel and engage, huh?
This is fun.
Most importantly, this is a great opportunity to show my good side to Seugal.
“Me.”
I raised my hand and stood up, asking the officer.
“Doctor, can I designate my opponent?”
“Designating? Usually, special combat is against this officer, but this can be fun too. Who do you want to fight?”
Who?
Obvious.
“Prince Juhyun. You, come on.”
“What?”
“What, Juhyun?”
“Whoa!”
“!”
Amidst the mixed reactions, Baek Yeo-ul alone went pale, screaming silently, acting quite unhinged.
—
# # #
