007 – Ugly guys are happy just to look at each other’s faces #1
The cafeteria building was larger than the gymnasium of an ordinary school.
It seemed to be divided into two floors; the first floor was a regular cafeteria, and the second floor, known as ‘Noble,’ was a high-end restaurant.
Five million won a meal, huh? A buffet at that price?
“Wow, what is all this?”
Upon entering the high-class restaurant, I was momentarily dazzled by the expansive view laid out before me.
The floor and pillars, shining like marble, reflected my face, and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling looked like something out of the luxurious compartments of the Titanic.
Signs marking each section, such as “SEA FOOD,” “STEAK,” and “DESSERT,” were brightly lit, drawing my attention.
Every station was filled with dishes brimming with various gourmet foods.
Is this heaven?
“Are we supposed to eat freely?”
When I asked Geum Tae-sung, who was always good with people, he nodded vigorously and handed me a white plate.
Taking the plate, I immediately headed to the steak section and piled it with five pieces of expensive ribs before sitting down at the nearest available seat.
“How long has it been since I last ate beef?”
I couldn’t wait to taste it.
As I chewed a slice cut from one of the steaks, the juices exploded in my mouth, just as I had hoped. It must all be thanks to Seugal.
While seriously contemplating if dipping the meat in ketchup or adding it to noodles might make it tastier, Geum Tae-sung sat across from me, laughing quietly as he arrived with an even balance of fried foods, rice, and soup.
“I used to only pile up meat when I first ate here, as well. Thought I’d be different because I was from a prestigious high school, but people really are all the same, huh?”
“It’s 50,000 won a meal. If you’re going to indulge, meat is definitely the best, isn’t it?”
“Actually, I agree. But from what I’ve seen, since many wealthy students attend this school, people here don’t seem to think that way. Look around.”
With a nod of his chin, Tae-sung gestured around the room. Everyone seemed to be pretending to be sophisticated, filling their trays with salads filled with lettuce and grass-like greens.
Fools, don’t they realize that if they don’t eat the meat now, they might never have the chance to savor such quality again should calamity strike?
Ignoring the stares of others, I shoved several slices of steak into my mouth simultaneously, only to hear Geum Tae-sung chuckle.
“You’re funny, you know. Your reaction earlier as well.”
“What earlier reaction?”
What did he find funny about my behavior?
Chewing on the tender beef, I recalled the heated argument I made in class.
“About using死刑犯 for organ trafficking?”
“…Uh… no, that, but also the idea that those willing to work hard should be given a second chance.”
“Ah—”
“Look at me. I clearly don’t fit the image of a model student, right? And in reality, I wasn’t—riding motorcycles, smoking, all sorts of things. It’s only since coming here to Yeongsa High that I’ve managed to stop.”
Indeed, my instincts were accurate: Geum Tae-sung was a ruffian.
“The past tends to follow people around. A fresh start isn’t as easy as it seems. But from that perspective, this place, Yeongsa High, is a pretty decent stage for a new beginning.”
As Tae-sung glanced around the dining hall with sharp eyes and I felt sufficiently full, my gaze also wandered around the interior of the restaurant.
Considering the amount of steaks I had already devoured, I had mostly recouped the cost of entry to this exclusive dining hall, but my true purpose for coming here wasn’t mere sustenance.
Seugal.
If this student restaurant, ‘Noble,’ was any indication, it would make sense for a highborn lady like Seugal to be dining somewhere within.
Wouldn’t it be fitting to naturally and subtly approach her?
“…”
No matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t find her beautiful face anywhere.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Seugal.”
“Seugal? From Class F? Oh, I guess anyone who just came in would want to meet famous students, right? But from what I know, Seugal rarely eats here. Maybe she came once.”
“What!? Really?”
Seriously? Why did I spend my 50,000 points coming here?
I was so indignant that foam formed at the corners of my mouth.
But! Who am I?
Am I not Hanamjin, the master problem-solver?
In these situations, I know exactly what to do.
“Hey, Tae-sung, how about one more tray?”
If 50,000 points aren’t enough, I might as well leave the pillars of this restaurant for them to claim.
With that in mind, I stood to get another plate, but Tae-sung shook his head.
“It’s better not to eat too much. We have practical training this afternoon, so it’s good to leave some room in your stomach. If you’re too full, you might throw up when you move around. And clearing that up is really annoying.”
Practical training?
I couldn’t quite visualize what that would entail, but Tae-sung’s advice didn’t seem baseless.
If I can’t meet Seugal, and I can’t eat to my heart’s content…
There’s nothing else I can do.
Looking around, I luckily spotted a serving tray piled high with pre-packaged puddings.
「Baekdang巧克力 pudding」.
Where have I heard the word “Baekdang” before?
Whatever it was, it wasn’t important right now.
“Hey, Tae-sung, keep lookout for me.”
“What are you up to?”
“Just grabbing some pudding! It’s packaged, so it should be easy to carry!”
“What? No! Don’t! You’re gonna get in trouble if you’re caught!”
Geum Tae-sung burst out laughing.
He soon stood behind me, using his height to shield the tray from view.
Sssshh, Swish.
Taking advantage of this, I successfully stashed five puddings into the spacious and worn-out pockets of my uniform.
The technique I used while harvesting potatoes from Mr. Kimjangdong’s fields hadn’t deserted me.
“Hey, Nam-jin, grab one more for me while you’re at it. I’ll keep lookout, so you can do this much for me, right?”
“Alright.”
Thus, six puddings filled my pockets.
With this, could I say I have reaped enough benefits from entering this high-class restaurant despite not meeting Seugal?
Later, I plan to bring a food container to take away meat or kimchi.
# # #
On the way back to the classroom after leaving the cafeteria, Geum Tae-sung handed me a pudding while saying,
“Nam-jin, you don’t want to move your seat, do you? The one next to mine is vacant. The front row. You can hear the teacher well, and the blackboard is easy to see, it’s great.”
What? For a moment, I questioned my hearing.
The front row?
This guy, despite being a former delinquent, why would he sit in the front row?
To someone like me, who planned to sit in the back slouching or dozing off during class, the front row was as horrifying a location as standing right in front of Sauron’s burning eye.
So, obviously, I declined.
“I prefer the back row.”
“Sure? That’s fine then. But, you know who sits next to you, right?”
“Who, Baek Yeo-ul?”
“Yeah, Baek Yeo-ul. Would sitting next to her be okay?”
Sitting next to Baek Yeo-ul, would that be okay?
What did that mean? Simply put, it implied there was something inconvenient about sitting next to her.
Perhaps some kind of disadvantage.
I vaguely understood that the window-side back row of high school classrooms was akin to a desirable spot for adults in commercial districts.
And one of those coveted spots was available—?
That seemed highly suspicious.
“Didn’t Baek Yeo-ul mention this herself? Oh, well if not, I guess it’s embarrassing for me to say it.”
“Why? What is it? Tell me.”
“Nah, forget it. I don’t like talking about others behind their backs.”
This Geum Tae-sung…
He really is a former delinquent, with a truly manly and cool personality. In many ways, we’re quite similar.
Maybe we’ll get along well in the future.
“Besides, I figure you’ll soon know why I even said this. It’s practical training day, after all.”
I have a curious streak that I can’t suppress.
I should ask Bangdaengi personally about this.
As I returned to the classroom, the kids greeted me.
“Transfer student! How was your first school lunch?”
“You went to Noble, right?”
“Didn’t you seriously consider taking off your pants earlier? I really thought I was going to snap it!”
“Absolutely. I really intended to. I was wearing a very stylish underwear and was quite confident.”
The kids broke into laughter.
After navigating through their chatter, I returned to my seat to find Bangdaengi snoring while hunched over beside me.
Did she sleep the whole lunch period away?
“Hey, didn’t you eat? Hey.”
Zap.
I flicked her ribs with my finger, causing her to spring up from her seat like a cat startled by cold water.
“Hi-yaaak!”
Her loud yelp drew everyone’s attention to us.
The problem was that a female student walking nearby startled by her scream, accidentally dropped her cup of water.
The cup flew through the air and splashed something hot from my scalp to my chin.
“Ahhh!”
I couldn’t help but scream in shock.
Was this some kind of sweet-smelling lava?
Snap.
No, upon tasting it, it was hot chocolate.
It’s actually delicious.
“Hey! Hey! Transfer student! Are you alright?”
The girl who dropped her cup pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket to dab at my face. Her touch was gentle and very pleasant. She had a good scent too.
Her nails were beautifully painted with multiple colors.
And that her hair was dyed yellow meant she was likely someone who liked to have fun.
When was the last time I received such hospitality from a peer of the opposite s*x?
At this point, I might even accept another splash of hot chocolate.
The girl with yellow-dyed hair frowned deeply and scolded Bangdaengi.
“Hey! Baek Yeo-ul! How dare you scream like that!”
“But, but I was just poked in the ribs….”
“What?! Please, just be more careful! This is the how many times this has happened?! Your antics keep causing trouble!”
“The ribs….”
Baek Yeo-ul pouted her lips. It seemed she had something to say, but perhaps feeling the gazes from around her, she fell silent.
Seemingly, such reprimands from her classmates weren’t new to her. I can always judge a person at first glance, can’t I?
The cooling atmosphere of the class was evident.
I decided I needed to step in.
“Oh, Yeong-mi, I’m fine. Didn’t suffer major injuries.”
“Really? That’s good. Still, don’t you think you should visit the medical room, just in case? My hot chocolate was pretty scalding. By the way, my name is not Yeong-mi, it’s Kim Jin.”
Everyone laughed.
Except the one with a sour face.
# # #
After washing my face in the restroom and returning to the classroom, the commotion had subsided, and the mood was calm.
Instead, Baek Yeo-ul glared at me and quietly complained with a very small voice.
“Hey! It’s your fault I got scolded!”
“Bangdaengi, I didn’t know you’re so ticklish in the ribs. Should I start calling you Rib Tickler instead of Breadball?”
Swish.
When I lifted my index finger to prod her ribs again, she instinctively covered them with her hands.
“Stop it!”
She’s convulsing.
This kid has some genuinely funny reactions.
However, if she screams again, it could cause more trouble, so I pulled out one of the puddings from my pocket and offered it to her.
“I thought you missed lunch, so I was trying to wake you up by giving you this.”
“Huh, our store’s pudding!”
「Baekdang Chocolate Pudding」.
Thinking about it now, ‘Baekdang’ was likely a dessert business run by Baek Yeo-ul’s family.
“Chocolate flavor, right? It’s my favorite….”
Baek Yeo-ul initially eyed the pudding and me suspiciously before quickly peeling the wrapper and hastily devouring the contents using the attached spoon. She resembled a hungry racoon.
Why did you skip lunch?
“Hey, dieting is fine and all, but if you want something, eat it while you can.”
You might not be able to eat when you want to later.
Actually, not much later.
One year.
In just one year, everything will change.
“…Dieting…”
When Baek Yeo-ul muttered this after finishing the pudding, the teacher with a lieutenant’s badge and a patch over one eye came back into the classroom shouting.
“Alright, so our practical training will go on as planned this afternoon. By the way, today’s practice will be a joint session with Class F, so let’s not bicker like last time.”
Practical training in the afternoon.
Whatever it is, my ears perked up at the mention that it’s a combined session with Class F.
Class F, that’s Seugal’s class!
The catch was next.
“This practical training will be done in groups, so starting now, form groups of five with your close friends. Since Nam Jin just transferred in, the total is exactly 30, so we’ll divide into six clear groups.”
For a newly transferred student like myself, a group assignment with close friends?
# # #
