Upon careful consideration, it hit me—there’s no spoon in this situation. How dare I even contemplate taking on Baek Joo-hee without a weapon. I almost ended up in deep trouble.
Unfortunately, this time I’ve got no choice but to let Baek Joo-hee have Arna. After all, the weak rarely have options.
Still.
When will this spoon be ready? Since handing over the commission to Yoo Ji-woo, I haven’t received any updates.
If I don’t get a new spoon by next week, I might end up fighting barehanded in the practical exam.
From a certain perspective, completing the spoon is more urgent than finding a partner right now.
So, as soon as the pop quiz was over, I headed to Research Building No. 4—to meet Yoo Ji-woo.
──
Room 403: Conversion and Catalytic Research Lab of Magic Stones
< [In]-Meeting–On Duty-Leave-Off >
──
Yoo Ji-woo was in the lab. Predictably nerdy. Never straying too far from the lab—I don’t know if they even exercise.
I decided to knock first.
Knock knock.
As before, no sound came from the inside. Are they sleeping again?
Knock knock knock.
Seems like they’re deeply asleep, showing no sign of waking up.
…
But that’s not the kind of guy who just turns back. I’m not the considerate type to leave someone sleeping.
I decided to open the door boldly.
Creak—
“Ugh… This smell, it’s as bad as ever…”
The moment I entered, I felt dizzy. It was due to the oil and gunpowder scents. There was no choice but to pinch my nose.
Cough!
Meanwhile, there was a girl who peacefully snorted her nose amidst this harsh environment.
Yoo Ji-woo was nestled in a sofa in the corner, fast asleep. With her pristine white lab coat as a blanket.
She was quite impressive. How does she manage to think while sleeping in what’s essentially a junkyard? Each time, I can’t help but respect her.
“Yoo Ji-woo.”
“Keeerrr…”
“Now, wake up already.”
“Keeeeeeerrrrr…!”
“…”
My call went unanswered, her snoring only getting worse. It’s hard to believe she’s a girl, producing such loud snoring sounds.
Since talking wasn’t doing anything, I decided to take action directly. I flipped Yoo Ji-woo’s small body around, just like flipping a pancake.
“Ngggh…!”
Only then did Yoo Ji-woo react. Surprised by the sudden assault, she abruptly raised her body, glanced around, and met my eyes.
“It’s you…? At least knock before coming in…”
Yoo Ji-woo casually picked up the lab coat she had dropped and put it on. I noticed the coat had dirty black stains scattered throughout. Oil stains.
“Hhhaaaam…”
Yoo Ji-woo yawned widely and looked at me with partially awake eyes. As usual, her eye bags were evident today.
“So, why did you come today?”
“I came to check the progress.”
“The progress?”
Yoo Ji-woo tilted her head and momentarily spaced out. Soon, she seemed to remember something and slightly opened her mouth.
“Oh, you mean the spoon.”
Sweeet sweeet.
Yoo Ji-woo shuffled through her long lab coat, much longer than her height, and approached the table.
She then showed me what looked like a lump of metal.
“Here’s the spoon you commissioned before.”
“Spoon? That’s what you call a spoon?”
I frowned. It’s far from what could be called a spoon. Describing it as a lump of clay might even be more accurate.
This doesn’t look like the spoon I know.
“It’s still in the process of refining the frame, so that’s how it looks. Maybe by next week, the rough shape will be done.”
“Next week?”
My lips twitched slightly. If the outside is completed by next week, though not fully ready, just the shell.
But next week is my practical exam already.
“Can’t you hurry this up?”
“I have my own research as well. How can I solely focus on just a spoon?”
Following that, Yoo Ji-woo started crawling back into the sofa while yawning.
Does this “personal research” mean taking naps on the sofa?
I grabbed Yoo Ji-woo by the collar.
“Apply the rush delivery option.”
“What? Rush delivery?”
Hanging in the air, Yoo Ji-woo continued talking.
“There’s an extra fee for it, you know. Is that alright with you?”
If you want it fast, additional charges apply. Like a quick service offer.
I didn’t realize she had the chops to gouge you for extra money. I thought she was just a simple nerd, but she also harbored the traits of a merchant.
“How much?”
What’s an extra fee? It’s not like I can’t afford it. Luckily, my account is well-stocked with cash—a courtesy of Mr. Kang Tae-hoon from the Kang Yoon Group.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t disclosed the final estimated cost yet. Wait a bit.”
Yoo Ji-woo pulled out a tablet from her lab coat pocket and began furiously typing on the calculator while dangling in the air.
“Material costs… Labor costs… Operational costs … Taxes… plus the dignity-maintenance fee…”
“Hold up. What’s the last one? The dignity-maintenance fee?”
“Ah, that’s fine, ignore it. It’s nothing much.”
“I’m paying for this, so why should I not worry about this? Remove it right now.”
“…”
She tried sneaking in odd items on the bill. She tried to gouge me.
We aren’t even at the fish market. Where is she trying to pull off scales tampering?
“Alright. Considering the drink I gave her last time, I’ll offer a discount. Is that fine with you?”
“So, how much in total?”
“About… three figures?”
Yoo Ji-woo held up three fingers.
Oh, it’s cheaper than I thought?
“Only 30,000 won?”
“What, now you’re joking with me? 30,000 won can barely get you a decent snapper at the market.”
“Then how much are we talking here?”
“Obviously, three large bills.”
“Three large bills?”
It can’t be three 50,000 won notes.
It definitely can’t be three 100,000 won checks.
Could it be…?
“3 million won?”
“Finally, we’re getting somewhere… Ughh!”
I promptly tossed Yoo Ji-woo, who I was holding by the collar, back onto the sofa. Her body being light, allowed me to easily throw her.
“Are you trying to scam me?”
“Ouch… scam… Don’t exaggerate too much…”
With great difficulty, Yoo Ji-woo struggled to get up from the sofa.
“Still, I’m relatively an honest businessperson.”
“Is charging 3 million won for a spoon considered honest?”
“Tsk tsk.”
My continued doubt made Yoo Ji-woo shake her head in disapproval while clicking her tongue.
Afterward, she said to me:
“People really are strange. They’ll gladly invest millions of won into computers, but why are they so reluctant to spend even 100,000 won on artifacts?”
“…”
“If you think about it, artifacts are much more expensive items.”
On second thought, that’s true.
Artifacts are objects imbued with magical power. Far more intricate and complex than your average home appliance, and there are very few experts in the field.
Brand-name watches can go over several million won, and luxury foreign cars can exceed tens of millions of won. There’s no law stating artifacts mustn’t be expensive.
Compared to this, a spoon for 3 million won. In terms of vehicles, it’s equivalent to a second-hand Morning or, in watches, easily worth a Tag Heuer.
“…”
This is much cheaper than expected, isn’t it?
*
After the pop quiz, Arna and Baek Joo-hee came to eat dinner together.
As a way to celebrate being in the same team.
“Wow, this dish looks so delicious.”
The menu was Mulhoe (spicy raw fish stew), made with generous portions of mackerel, flatfish, and sea bream, along with various vegetables and a refreshing fish broth.
Before starting to eat, Baek Joo-hee enthusiastically started taking pictures, whistling a little tune.
Snap!
“Hmm, I’ll send this to my boyfriend later. Also, I’ll upload it on Instagram.”
“…”
On the other hand, despite having such a tempting dish in front of her, Arna couldn’t bring herself to show any eagerness.
She had slipped into her own deep thoughts.
‘Did I overstep when I said that…?’
The blame fell upon Shin Yoon-seong. When Shin Yoon-seong approached her earlier to propose working together, she had rejected him outright.
It had been pestering her ever since.
‘Even though he’s still recovering… I didn’t need to be that cold, did I?’
She could’ve refused more gently. She should’ve been able to do that, but Arna had ended up blurting out something thoughtless against her wishes.
‘That person will have trouble finding a partner, won’t they…?’
Shin Yoon-seong is probably wandering around trying to find a teammate by now. But it won’t be easy.
Who would want to partner with someone who’s still in the hospital? Everyone will likely see Shin Yoon-seong as an obstacle.
‘I should’ve accepted him…’
But it’s too late to make up for it now. She already rejected him. Plus, she has already formed a team with Baek Joo-hee.
There is no going back now.
“…”
In frustration, Arna picked up the drink glass on the table. She had inserted a straw in it.
“Hey? Ah, Arna! Hold on!”
Seeing this, Baek Joo-hee was startled and called out, extending her arm.
“That’s not a drink—it’s the Mulhoe broth!”
“…”
But Arna heard none of it, lost in her own thoughts. She kept sucking at the straw absentmindedly.
Whether it was a drink or Mulhoe broth didn’t matter much to her now.
