In a quiet classroom.
Despite the numerous people gathered in it, all that could be heard was the ticking of the clock urging them on and the pens moving in sync with it.
Time, which seemed like it would never end when something was overwhelmingly difficult, suddenly felt like it was nearing its end, filling me with emotion.
ââ¦â¦â
Thunk.
I put my pen down.
The saying âeffort never betraysâ resonated in my heart, at least for today.
âItâs over.â
After penning the answer to the last question, I massaged my eyes with my fingers and took a deep breath, finally feeling a sense of reality.
The last exam of the finals.
The thrill of liberation, knowing I wouldnât have to come to school from tomorrow, surged through my body.
Of course, in about a week, Iâd have to go straight to the Gold One Hotel to work, but the thought of being able to rest in the meantime felt great.
âLetâs catch up on all the missed dramas and movies, play some gamesâ¦â
Though the exams were over, I quickly planned what I would do next in my head.
With a satisfied smile, I stood up from my seat.
The exams were over.
Anonymous171: Itâs over! Finally over!
Anonymous254: Finally saying goodbye to uni! Congrats to the graduates, and letâs keep working hard, those of us left!
Anonymous67: Looking for someone to do a sweet part-time job during the vacation. Itâs a bakery, just need to handle the registerâ¦!
Anonymous93: Sigh, one exam left.
Anonymous59(Admin1): Good job. Bamboo Forest will be closed during the vacation.
â³ Anonymous278: Thatâs BS. Itâll stay open for things like certifications or part-time jobs during the vacation.
â³ Anonymous59(Admin1): Damn it.
Anonymous11: It sucked. See you next year.
Even though the end times of the exams varied for each, and some hadnât finished yet, everyone seemed to share similar feelings.
I too, glanced at the Bamboo Forest and left a notice with a smile.
Admin: Have a great winter vacation.
Not too verbose, because notices arenât meant to be long. Humming a tune, I was heading home when I got a message on my phone.
Yu Arin: What are you doing?
Seeing that it was Yu Arin, she must have seen my posting and texted me right away.
She was probably on the Bamboo Forest just a moment ago.
Kim Woojin: Just finished the exam, heading home.
Yu Arin: OK
ââ¦Okay?â
Seeing no further response, it seemed that was all she wanted to say. It could mean she wasnât interested, or that it was enough.
Kim Woojin: Donât come over.
Just in case, I sent a message, and soon after, I got a reply.
Yu Arin: What are you saying?
Yu Arin: Why would I even come over, idiot.
âHmm.â
Maybe I was feeling too sensitive.
Lately, Yu Arin had been visiting frequently, so I mentioned it just in case, but that seemed unnecessary.
Kim Woojin: Sorry
Apologizing for my unnecessary concern, I received a quick reply.
Yu Arin: Okay, but what kind of beer do you like?
Kim Woojin: You said youâre not coming over.
Yu Arin: Iâm not. Just asking what kind of beer you like.
Kim Woojin: I drink all kinds.
Yu Arin: Of course, you wouldnât be picky.
Yu Arin: Do you have space for beer in your fridge?
Kim Woojin: â¦You said youâre not coming.
Yu Arin: Iâm not.
Whatâs with this girl?
Ignoring her, I hurried home. I didnât want to get caught up unnecessarily.
After a quick shower at home.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
âOpen up, Kim Woojin!â
âCrazy woman, you said youâre not coming!â
âOh, whatever!â
What did she mean, âwhateverâ? Though I sighed, I still opened the door for her.
Creak.
Yu Arin and Jeong Chan-woo entered, carrying bags of beer with smiles.
âHello, Woojin.â
âWe came to keep you company since youâre lonely!â
âChan-wooâs here too? Great!â
âWhatâs this? Why only welcome Jeong Chan-woo?â
Yu Arin pouted, offering a bag filled with beer. She seemed upset that I appeared closer to Chan-woo than her.
âI have something for Chan-woo.â
Pointing to the grotesque figure Yu Arin made last time, I said to Chan-woo.
âItâs yours, take it.â
âWhatâs that?â
âItâs the monstrosity Yu Arin made last time. She even named it⦠What was it again?â
Yu Arin, putting the beer in the fridge like it was her own home, replied nonchalantly.
âWoojin and Chan-woo.â
âThat wasnât the name.â
âWoojin is the dildo part, and Chan-woo is the inserted part.â
âBy the way, who told Arin about the old man incident last time?â
Asking knowingly wasnât a good habit. I was about to advise Chan-woo, but he was already glaring at me.
âI mentioned it casually⦠Do you still keep in touch with the old man?â
âOf course not!â
Is he denying it too much? He seemed like a nice person to me.
Chan-woo stormed off to the bathroom, while Yu Arin, humming a tune, set the place up.
âWhy did you come?â
âTo hang out. Youâre done with exams too.â
âThatâs true.â
âAnd weâre all going to Gold One Hotel together, so we should strengthen our bond and figure out what to do there.â
âThatâs true⦠what?â
What did I just hear?
Staring blankly at Yu Arin, she put her hand to her mouth and smiled mischievously.
âLetâs work hard together there, okay?â
âYouâre going too?â
âAll our high school friends. When I told senior Ju-hee, she introduced us right away. Thanks to her, we got a sweet part-time job for winter vacation.â
ââ¦Well, thatâs actually better.â
Itâd be easier to live with familiar faces. Weâd be staying in assigned dorms, and I could room with Chan-woo.
âWhat should we eat with the drinks? Did you order?â
âYouâre the host, you should order. We brought the drinks.â
What nonsense, I thought as I opened the delivery app on my phone.
âIâm ordering saucy chicken.â
âWhy saucy chicken with beer? Order fried chicken.â
âIâm adding rice to the saucy chicken.â
And Iâm the host.
Yu Arin, grumbling at my firmness, made a last-ditch effort.
âThen order cheese saucy chicken!â
âThatâs nonsense! Who puts cheese on saucy chicken!â
Saucy chicken should be eaten as it is for the best taste.
âJung Chan-woo, come out! Just saucy chicken or cheese saucy chicken!â
âI-I have a stomach ache!â
That guy is pooping as soon as he arrives at someoneâs house.
If he werenât handsome, Iâd have kicked him out. Strangely, the thought that his pose while pooping would be sexy made me feel even worse.
âHeâs useless when needed.â
âUgh!â
Did he hear that?
Though it was a harsh statement, Yu Arin didnât stop and jumped on me.
âCheese saucy chicken! Order it! At least with cheese! Add noodles!â
âAgh! What noodles! Add fried rice!â
Luckily, I was taller, so I lifted the phone high, and Yu Arin couldnât reach it.
She jumped twice to grab it, but if it were Seo Yerin, she would have pouted and complained by now. Yu Arin was different.
âThis brat!â
Like climbing a tree, she climbed onto me.
âUgh!â
The unexpected situation almost made me lose my balance, but Iâm Kim Woojin, who didnât miss a single day of home workouts even during exams.
â¦I donât know why home workouts were so fun during exams.
Standing firm like a sturdy tree, I held the phone behind me, out of her reach. Panting, Yu Arin clung to me, wrapping her arms around my neck and legs around my waist.
Our breaths grew heavy, and a bit of sweat formed. Our cheeks brushing felt oddly intimate.
ââ¦â¦â
Yu Arin, clinging silently.
âWhat are you doing?â
I asked, bewildered, and she mumbled softly.
âI donât know.â
âGet down. Chan-wooâs coming out.â
âNo. I want cheese saucy chicken.â
ââ¦â¦â
âOr I wonât get down.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWhere do you think youâre putting cheese on spicy saucy chicken!â
âCheese saucy chicken.â
âItâs delicious as it is.â
âCheese saucy chicken.â
I heard the toilet flush.
Panicking, I tried to get Yu Arin off me, grabbing her waist and pushing her, but.
âHmm!â
All I heard was a strange moan, unable to get her off. Instead, she clung tighter.
âFine! Cheese saucy chicken!â
I had no choice but to surrender, but she still didnât get down.
âAdd noodles.â
âThis girlâ¦â
âAdd noodles!â
âFine! Add noodles!â
ââ¦Drinks.â
âAre you enjoying this?!â
âHehe!â
Finally, she got down. Panting, I barely managed to get her off, and she took my phone to place the order.
Then Chan-woo came out.
âHey, you pooper. Because of you, we have to eat cheese saucy chicken!â
How could he think of pooping as soon as he enters someoneâs house? I scolded him, and he scratched his head, shrugging.
âSorry, my stomach wasnât well.â
Then he glanced at us, sensing the atmosphere, and gave an awkward smile.
âShould I go home?â
âWhat are you saying?â
âJust⦠It seems like a good idea?â
Sensing something, Chan-woo spoke mysteriously. Ignoring him, Yu Arin continued ordering side dishes.
ââ¦I need the bathroom too.â
To change the atmosphere, I headed to the bathroom. I needed to wash my face.
Thud.
Entering the bathroom, I felt something strange. It should have smelled bad, but it was still fresh.
Was he so handsome that even his poop didnât smell? No, that wasnât it.
âThereâs no toilet paper?â
I realized the toilet paper was in the living room. Donât ask why.
Without toilet paper, how did Jeong Chan-woo clean up?
No smell, no way to clean up, yet he flushed. This logically meant he didnât actually poop.
ââ¦â¦â
Realizing that Chan-woo intentionally left us alone.
Something.
Made me think this was going to be a complicated drinking session.