NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7
007 – Ugly Guys Find Joy Just by Looking at Each Other #1
The dining hall was bigger than that of an average school auditorium.
It seemed to be divided into two floors, with the first floor being a regular cafeteria and the second floor a high-end restaurant called ‘Noble.’
Is this a buffet that costs 50,000 won per meal?
“Wow, what is all this?”
Entering the high-end restaurant, I was awed by the wide-open view. The floor and pillars were sparkling marble reflecting my face, and overhead hung a chandelier that looked like it belonged in the luxury cabin of the Titanic.
Each section had bright signs reading “SEA FOOD,” “STEAK,” and “DESSERT,” pulling my gaze with their glow.
In every area, large plates were piled high with dishes.
Could this be heaven?
“Can I just eat whatever I want?”
When I asked the sociable Geum Tae-seong, he nodded vigorously and handed me a white plate.
Taking the plate, I rushed to the steak section and grabbed five pieces of rib something-or-other before plopping down at a nearby empty table.
“How long has it been since I’ve had beef?”
Let’s eat right away!
As I sliced into a piece and took a bite, the expectations I had were met with a burst of beef juice exploding in my mouth.
This must be all thanks to Seoga-eul.
While I contemplated seriously if it would taste better dipped in ketchup or mixed in ramen, Geum Tae-seong sat down in front of me with a plate evenly filled with fried foods, rice, and soup, chuckling softly.
“When I first ate here, I also loaded up on just meat. I thought being from an aristocratic school would make a difference, but everyone’s pretty much the same.”
“Isn’t it 50,000 won per meal? If you want to get your money’s worth, meat is the way to go, right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I think too. But this school mostly has well-off kids, so they don’t seem to think that way. Look around.”
With a casual nod, Geum Tae-seong gestured with his chin at the surroundings.
Looking closer, I noticed everyone pretending to be all sophisticated, piling salads full of greens and lettuce onto their trays.
Idiots, they’re so foolish.
If I don’t eat meat now, who knows when I’ll have the chance to enjoy such premium beef again when the world is in ruins later?
Ignoring the stares of others, I crammed several pieces of steak into my mouth, making Geum Tae-seong laugh to himself.
“Hey, you’re funny. Just like the story from earlier.”
“Earlier? What story was funny?”
Chewing on the tender beef, I pondered and recalled the argument I made during the debate about suggesting trading death row inmates.
“…Uh…no, but the idea that those who try deserve a second chance.”
“Ah—.”
“Look at me. I obviously don’t seem like the model student, right? I used to be like that, riding motorcycles, smoking— I can’t do those things now that I’m at Yeongsa High School.”
Seems my intuition about people was spot on; Geum Tae-seong was indeed a delinquent.
“The past always follows you around. So starting anew isn’t as easy as it sounds. In that sense, Yeongsa High is, well, a decent enough platform for a fresh start.”
As Geum Tae-seong scanned the surroundings with his sharp eyes, I, feeling sufficiently full, glanced around inside the restaurant.
While I may have already eaten enough steaks to cover the entrance fee of this high-end restaurant, my actual reason for being here wasn’t just for a meal.
Seoga-eul.
If this student restaurant, ‘Noble,’ is where those from wealthy families gather, Seoga-eul must be around here somewhere, surely having a meal too.
Then, wouldn’t it be okay for me to casually approach her?
“…….”
Feeling eager to spot her, I scanned the area for a while, but no matter how much I looked, that pretty face just wasn’t visible.
“Who are you looking for?”
“Seoga-eul.”
“Seoga-eul? The one from Class F? Ah, I get it; you want to meet celebrities when you first come to the stage. But from what I know, Seoga-eul doesn’t eat here often. I think she came only once in a while.”
“What…!?”
Is this for real?
Why did I spend this precious 50,000 points coming to this restaurant!?
I was so frustrated I felt like I might foam at the mouth.
But! Am I not Hanam-jin—the problem-solving champion!?
In this situation, I knew exactly what to do.
“Tae-seong, want to grab another plate?”
I’ll get my money’s worth and pull out a pillar from the restaurant if need be!
With this determined thought, I stood to get another plate, but Geum Tae-seong shook his head.
“You shouldn’t eat too much. We have practical training in the afternoon, so it’s better to keep some room in your stomach. If you eat too much, you might throw up while moving around. Cleaning that up is a real hassle.”
Practical training?
I had no clear idea of what that would involve, but Geum Tae-seong didn’t sound like he was just talking nonsense.
They probably do things like combat, exploration, or sparring.
Not meeting Seoga-eul.
Not being able to eat to my heart’s content.
Guess I have no choice.
As I looked around, I happened to spot a stack of packaged puddings piled up.
“Baekdang Chocolate Pudding.”
Where have I heard the word ‘Baekdang’ before?
What was it?
No, that’s not important right now.
“Hey, Tae-seong, keep watch for me.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“I want to grab some pudding! It’s easy to take since it’s packaged!”
“What? No way! If you get caught, you’ll be in big trouble!”
Geum Tae-seong burst out laughing.
He quickly stepped behind me, taller, and blocked the plate from view.
Shushush, shush—
I successfully shoved five puddings into my old, baggy school uniform pockets, taking advantage of his cover.
It looks like the skill I honed in Kim Jang-dong’s potato fields still hasn’t faded.
“Hey, Nam-jin. Can you grab me one more? If you’re keeping watch, can’t you do at least that much for me?”
“Okay.”
With six puddings stuffed into my pocket, could I say I got my worth out of entering this high-end restaurant, Noble, even without meeting Seoga-eul this time?
Later, I’ll have to bring a container to smuggle out some meat or kimchi.
# # #
On the way back to the classroom after leaving the restaurant, Geum Tae-seong took a pudding from me and said.
“Nam-jin, are you thinking about moving seats? My spot next to me is empty. It’s the front seat, and it’s great because you can hear the teacher well and see the blackboard clearly.”
What? I couldn’t believe my ears for a moment.
The front seat?
Why is this punk—who’s clearly a delinquent—sitting in the front!
I was planning to sit in the back and slack off or nap during class; the front seat was like being in the scorching heat of Sauron’s eye—simply the worst location.
Of course, that was a flat no.
“I prefer sitting in the back.”
“Oh really? Then what’s the deal? That girl next to you is sitting there.”
“That girl? Yeoul?”
“Yeah, Baek-Yeoul. Do you think it’d be okay to sit next to her?”
Would it be okay to sit next to Baek-Yeoul?
What does that even mean?
If I think about it simply, it means there could be some ‘disadvantage’ when sitting next to her.
Some kind of trouble.
I vaguely understood that the back seat by the classroom window was coveted like prime real estate for adults.
Was such a place empty—?
Thinking about it deeply, it felt extremely suspicious.
“Hasn’t Baek-Yeoul mentioned anything herself? Oh man, I guess I need to be the one to say it.”
“Why? What’s up? Tell me.”
“Nah, it’s nothing. I don’t like talking behind someone’s back.”
This guy, Geum Tae-seong.
Was he really a former delinquent?
He had a very masculine and cool personality. He’s quite similar to me in many ways.
Maybe we’ll get along just fine from now on.
“And you’ll find out why I said that soon enough. Today is a day with practical classes.”
Curiosity was not something I can easily suppress.
I’ll have to ask the lady directly.
Returning to the classroom, the kids acknowledged me.
“Hey, transfer student! How was your first meal?”
“You went to Noble, right?”
“Were you really going to take your pants off earlier? If so, I was going to film it for real!”
“I was indeed going to take them off. I wore some cool underwear today, so I felt confident.”
Kyaahah—kkyaaah.
As I passed through the chatter of the kids and returned to my seat, I noticed Baek-Yeoul propped up asleep, snoring softly.
Did she sleep like this through lunch?
“Hey, didn’t you eat? Hey.”
Swoosh—
I poked her side with my finger, causing Baek-Yeoul to leap up like a cat splashed with cold water.
“…Hiyah!”
Because of the loud noise, all attention turned to us.
The problem was that a girl walking nearby seemed startled by the commotion and accidentally threw the cup of water she was holding into the air.
Shwoosh—
Something hot landed from my scalp down to my chin.
“Guah!”
I panicked and screamed, shocked by the sudden turn of events.
Is this molten lava with a sweet scent?
Lick.
Ah, upon tasting, it’s hot chocolate.
Tasty?
“Hey! Hey! Transfer student! Are you alright?”
The girl who dropped the cup pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and started dabbing my face, and the gentle touch felt really nice. It even smelled good.
Her nails were impeccably decorated with many colors.
Seeing her yellow hair, she seemed like quite the troublemaker.
“Now you’re completely soaked!”
When had I ever received such kindness from a girl my age?
At that moment, I thought I wouldn’t mind getting splashed with another hot chocolate like this one.
The girl with yellow hair grimaced and shouted at Baek-Yeoul.
“Hey! Baek-Yeoul! How could you suddenly scream like that!”
“But, but I was just poking her….”
“What! You better watch out! How many times has this happened already? Your lack of awareness just keeps causing trouble!”
“…the side….”
Baek-Yeoul pouted.
She looked like she had something to say, but perhaps because of the gazes around her, she just shut up.
It seemed Baek-Yeoul had received some scolding from her classmates today like this. My keen sense picked up on it.
I could feel the atmosphere in the class grow chilly.
Looks like it’s my turn to step in.
“Yung-mi, it’s fine. She didn’t get hurt badly.”
“Really? Thank goodness. But just in case, shouldn’t we go to the nurse’s office? My hot chocolate must’ve been pretty hot. And by the way, my name is not Yung-mi; it’s Kim Jin.”
Puhaha—everyone laughed.
Except for one person, who looked like they were about to cry.
# # #
After washing my face at the bathroom and returning to class, the noise had settled down a bit, and the atmosphere was calm.
However, Baek-Yeoul glared at me, muttering her discontent in a very, very quiet voice.
“…Hey! You got me scolded for no reason!”
“I didn’t know your side was so ticklish, Bunny. Should I start calling you ‘side’ instead of ‘Bunny’ from now on?”
Swoosh—
Raising my finger to poke her side again, Baek-Yeoul flinched and covered her side with her hand.
“Stop it…!”
She’s really amusing with her reactions.
But, if she shouts again, I could be in big trouble, so I pulled out a pudding from my pocket and handed it to her.
“I woke you up because I thought you might be hungry, so you can have this.”
“Whoa, our store’s pudding!”
“Baekdang Chocolate Pudding.”
Thinking back, ‘Baekdang’ was Baek-Yeoul’s family’s dessert business.
“It’s chocolate flavor, right? My favorite…”
Baek-Yeoul looked at the pudding and at me suspiciously, then ripped open the packaging and started gobbling it down with the provided spoon. She looked just like a hungry raccoon.
Why didn’t she eat lunch?
“Hey, dieting is fine, but if there’s something you want to eat, you should eat it when you can.”
Otherwise, you’ll regret it later.
Actually, it’s not even in the far future.
Just one year.
In exactly one year, all of this will turn upside down.
“…diet….”
As Baek-Yeoul finished off the pudding, she muttered softly.
Drrrk—
The classroom door opened, and the one-eyed teacher with a captain’s insignia came back in and shouted.
“All right, it’s time for our practical class this afternoon as mentioned before. By the way, today’s practice will be conducted jointly with Class F, so don’t get into fights like last time.”
The practical class in the afternoon.
No idea what that entails, but the thought of it being conducted together with Class F made my ears perk up.
Class F is where Seoga-eul is!
The problem was what came next.
“For today’s practice, as usual, we’ll be splitting into groups, so from now on, form groups of five with people you’re close with. We’ll have exactly thirty students since Nam-jin has transferred, so we’ll split into six groups.”
What does forming a group with close people mean for me, who just transferred?