NILWM - 13

Ju-hyeok led the group to the instant tteokbokki place from yesterday. He ordered the exact same menu as Min Ye-seo, but he only ate a modest single portion, not indulging his appetite like the day before. His appetite didn’t explode as it did when he was alone with Min Ye-seo.

“Management students must be so lucky. The senior even buys you dinner for group projects.”

“Oh? No way. Our department doesn’t usually have this kind of culture. This is my first time a team leader has bought us a meal.”

At Song Yu-yeong’s remark, Lee Dong-hwan shook his head vigorously. Jo Sae-eun’s eyes widened, and she chimed in.

“It’s my first time too. These days, everyone plays individually, so there’s no such thing as seniors buying meals for juniors. My older sister is eleven years older than me, and she said she got treated a lot by seniors back then. Hahahaha—Thank you, Senior Ju-hyeok!”

“No problem. If there’s a chance next time, I’ll buy you something even better.”

Ju-hyeok responded calmly to Sae-eun’s playful remark. Song Yu-yeong, from another department, gracefully wiped her mouth with a napkin and then asked abruptly. Even to them, her voice sounded much more affected than usual.

“But Senior, you’re much more easygoing and approachable than I heard. It’s not just because you bought us food... Um, honestly, you seemed like a type that’s difficult to even eat with like this?”

“Did I?”

“Actually, I felt that way too, Senior. Now that I can say it, before, it was really hard to even talk to you, you had a somewhat cold impression.”

As Lee Dong-hwan chimed in, Ju-hyeok calmly added,

“Did I? I guess I need to develop my social skills more.”

“Senior, on that note, could you perhaps speak to us more casually? Even if seniors and juniors usually use formal language when they’re not close these days, we’re doing a team project and eating together like this.”

Ju-hyeok raised an eyebrow at Sae-eun’s suggestion.

“I’m already speaking casually.”

“Oh, I mean the honorifics! You keep calling me Sae-eun-ssi, Dong-hwan-ssi.”

“Then I’ll call you Junior Sae-eun, Junior Dong-hwan. Is that better?”

“Senior Ju-hyeok. Then please call me casually too. Even if our departments are different, as Sae-eun-ssi said, we’re in the same group and even eating together like this.”

“I think it’s a bit too early for Ms. Song Yu-yeong.”

Song Yu-yeong whined slightly and blinked, but Ju-hyeok politely refused her suggestion.

“I’ve seen these juniors since the beginning of the semester, but Ms. Song Yu-yeong, this is our first time meeting. I hope you understand if it takes a little time.”

“Oh, okay... I understand! I do!”

Song Yu-yeong was briefly flustered but smiled as if unaffected. Sae-eun, for some reason, couldn’t suppress a smirk to herself.

Hey, know your place. How much of an iron wall is Senior Ju-hyeok? He only speaks casually to his actual classmates, especially the male ones. Do you really think he’d give a chance to someone as openly flirtatious as you?

“It would have been good if Ye-seo had come today too. Sigh, she’s such a busy friend.”

When Dong-hwan casually mentioned Ye-seo, a light bulb suddenly lit up in Sae-eun’s mind. Come to think of it, he had called Ye-seo by her first name, “Ye-seo-ya,” without hesitation from the beginning.

Were they already acquainted? I don’t think so. Should I ask?

Sae-eun pondered out of curiosity for a moment but decided to drop it. It seemed better to hold her tongue in front of Song Yu-yeong. Song Yu-yeong was clearly flirting with Han Ju-hyeok, and she seemed like a typical gold-digger, so Sae-eun wanted no mention of any issues outside of the assignment.

“If you’re all done, I’ll buy you coffee. Let’s go.”

“What? Even coffee?”

“I went with Ye-seo yesterday too. A new cafe just opened at P Shopping Mall.”

Han Ju-hyeok added as he stood up from his seat.

“Ye-seo bought the coffee yesterday, though.”

“Oh, then we’ll buy you coffee.”

“It’s fine. I’ll definitely buy you coffee too.”

He turned and smiled faintly. His meaningful gaze, whether coincidental or intentional, met Song Yu-yeong’s. He looked away just before Song Yu-yeong’s face flushed.

“Oh, come on, let’s go Dutch then, Senior! We already got dinner, it’s a bit much to have you buy coffee too.”

“That’s right, Senior. No matter how rich you are, we have some conscience too.”

Song Yu-yeong’s ears perked up at Sae-eun’s words. Ju-hyeok chuckled slightly, as if finding it absurd.

“I’m not rich, but... okay, then let’s each pay for our own coffee.”

As the four left the restaurant and headed to the cafe, Song Yu-yeong subtly clung to Sae-eun and whispered just loud enough to be heard.

“Sae-eun-ssi. You said Senior Ju-hyeok was rich earlier. What kind of family is he from?”

“Huh? I don’t know either. I just said that because he seems subtly well-off.”

“Ah, I see. I thought you knew well.”

Song Yu-yeong mumbled disappointedly, then started to flirt again.

“He does seem subtly well-off, doesn’t he? He doesn’t wear luxury brands, and he doesn’t have a car, but he strangely exudes wealth. Although his looks themselves are like that. What if he’s secretly from an incredibly wealthy family...”

“Hey, Lee Dong-hwan! Wait for us. Why are you walking ahead alone?”

Sae-eun subtly pulled away from the clinging Song Yu-yeong and snapped at the innocent Dong-hwan.

“Oh, I was just talking with Senior. Why are you suddenly yelling?”

Fortunately, Song Yu-yeong’s insidious whispering stopped there. Instead, she approached the seemingly easygoing Dong-hwan and clung to his side like a fox. Sae-eun inwardly clicked her tongue and frowned.

Ugh, the more I see her, the more I don’t want to be around her. Once this team project is over, I hope I’ll never have to deal with her again.

But Song Yu-yeong’s curiosity didn’t end there. When they were all seated with their coffees and teas, she spoke again.

“Senior Ju-hyeok, I don’t know if I should ask this... I know it’s rude, but I don’t know when I’ll get another chance like this.”

“What is it?”

“Can I ask what your parents do?”

Song Yu-yeong asked with brazen nonchalance, then giggled awkwardly.

“Hey, isn’t that too personal a question? What does that have to do with the team project...”

“It’s fine.”

Sae-eun, unable to bear it anymore, tried to interject, but Han Ju-hyeok calmly stopped her.

“It’s fine to ask. Though as Junior Sae-eun said, it has nothing to do with the team project.”

No emotion was discernible on his face as he set down his coffee cup.

“It’s related to pharmaceuticals.”

“Pharmaceuticals...?”

“You could say, drug manufacturing...”

“Oh, so your family runs a pharmacy?”

Sae-eun, forgetting her displeasure, blurted out. Dong-hwan then chimed in.

“Ye-seo’s mother is also a pharmacist.”

“That’s right. Ye-seo’s family also runs a pharmacy.”

The topic suddenly switched to Ye-seo, but Song Yu-yeong was focused only on Han Ju-hyeok in front of her.

“Wow. So you’re from a professional family after all! No wonder. Well-run pharmacies can make as much profit as a decent private practice.”

“That’s an old story now, though.”

Perhaps because Song Yu-yeong’s eyes kept sparkling irritatingly, Sae-eun’s voice remained sullen.

“Even successful professionals face severe polarization these days. There are so many doctors and lawyers who struggle to pay their office rent now. Oh, I don’t mean your family, Senior, absolutely not.”

“That’s true.”

Han Ju-hyeok readily agreed. He showed no sign of displeasure but also seemed disinclined to share any more personal information.

“Shall we discuss the assignment for a bit and then leave before 9? The conversation with Ye-seo yesterday lasted a bit long, but let’s keep it short today.”

“Did you discuss the assignment with Ye-seo here yesterday too? Wow, truly hardcore model students.”

Lee Dong-hwan slurped noisily on his straw and clicked his tongue. Han Ju-hyeok let out a small, wry laugh and took out his laptop.

“It’s a project that replaces the final exam.”

And then he added meaningfully,

“Our goal is for everyone on our team to achieve an A+.”

Even for a group project, individual scores were given, considering presentation ability. Lee Dong-hwan, who had been disinterestedly opening his notebook, blinked.

“Huh? I thought I’d be grateful for even a B+. Especially since it’s Marketing Management.”

“Hey, since we’re doing it anyway, let’s set a high goal and all work hard.”

Only after Sae-eun glared at him did Lee Dong-hwan shut up. The four of them passionately discussed the cases the team leader had found beforehand until precisely 9 PM, before disbanding.

As soon as Song Yu-yeong arrived home, she pulled out her phone. Curious questions were popping up in her friends’ group chat.

[You said Han Ju-hyeok was buying dinner earlier, what happened? Are you all still together?]

[Oh, that’s awesome! I’m so jealous of the Management department. Why don’t we have a senior like that in our department?]

[So, in the end, it was nothing between him and Min Ye-seo, right? From the beginning, he was going to buy everyone dinner as the team leader, and she just happened to meet him and ate a day earlier, right?]

Song Yu-yeong snorted and typed furiously.

[Yeah. Turns out there was nothing going on between them. More importantly, Han Ju-hyeok’s family runs a pharmacy. Honestly, I thought he was from a much more impressive family, so I’m a little disappointed. Still, if it’s a successful large pharmacy, they must be quite rich, right?]

[OMG. A pharmacy? I thought he was at least a hospital director’s son.]

[Hey, don’t pharmacies in good locations near hospitals make a lot of money? He’s probably the son of a family who owns such a pharmacy? No matter how you look at it, he has that aura of money.]

[Right, I guess so? But why doesn’t he have a domestic car? If they’re that well-off, his family could totally get him one.]

While Song Yu-yeong was avidly gossiping, Sae-eun, who arrived home at the same time, flopped onto her bed and opened her chat window. It was around the time Ye-seo would have finished her tutoring and arrived home. She yawned repeatedly even as she briefly recounted the night’s events.