READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 214
That day, I was forcibly elected as the vice-class president.
After school, on my way home, I couldn’t hide the look on my face like I’d just eaten something disgusting.
In all my life, I never thought I’d become a vice-class president, especially during high school when I had already given up on studying.
I hate positions with responsibility.
If it’s not a position I absolutely have to take, I wouldn’t even be a group project leader or a squad leader, let alone a class president.
Maybe if it were elementary school, but becoming a vice-class president for the first time in high school?
No matter what, it seemed like my face was shadowed too heavily.
Siyeon, who would normally ask, “What happened?” in such a situation.
“What bad thing happened?”
Siyeon didn’t just ask what happened, she directly asked if something bad had happened.
‘Was my expression that rotten?’
I didn’t have a mirror to check my face, but I unconsciously rubbed my face with my palm.
If Siyeon asked like that, it must not be just an annoyed expression.
Without realizing it, I frowned and relaxed the tension between my eyebrows, trying to return to a more comfortable expression by fiddling with my eyebrows with my index fingers.
“Was it obvious?”
“Yeah, a lot… Why?”
“I became the vice-class president.”
When I asked if it was that obvious, another question came back asking why.
To Siyeon’s concerned question, although it wasn’t her fault, my answer didn’t go beyond three words.
No reason, when I’m angry, my body tells me to keep my words short.
Thinking about ten minutes ago, I still feel wronged and upset enough to scowl again.
A year’s worth of shackles decided in just a few rounds of Rock Paper Scissors.
I just feel resentful towards the world, wanting to hit something…
“Vice-class president? You became the vice-class president?!”
“Forced.”
Surprised by the unexpected news, Siyeon widened her eyes and looked at me.
Emphasizing that it was forced, absolutely not voluntary, I ended my words shortly.
Yeah, even you wouldn’t think I look like someone who’d be a class president or vice-class president, right?
To the question of how I ended up as the vice-class president, I gave a deflated answer that it was the result of unwanted victories in Rock Paper Scissors, trudging home.
Like we headed to a girls’ high school, Tae Hyun went to a boys’ high school full of guys.
Even after school, we rarely met in the elevator.
Maybe our dismissal times just didn’t match…
Or maybe he’s in mandatory self-study under the name of night self-study.
Without asking Tae Hyun’s aunt, I couldn’t know the exact truth, but with the thought that we’re both suffering, I pressed the button for the 4th floor.
Just as the door was closing, someone entering the common entrance.
Wondering if they wanted to use the elevator, I opened the closing elevator door out of consideration.
“Oh, thank you, uh!”
Turns out, the person entering the common entrance was Tae Hyun’s aunt.
Holding the door open button, I nodded slightly and greeted her.
“Hello.”
“Are you just coming back? Why is it so hard to see you lately?”
Rolling the end of her words, the aunt tapped my back with a gentle hand.
Hard to see but in a friendly aunt position.
Seeing her holding a black plastic bag full of groceries, it seemed she had been shopping at the market or supermarket.
“Uh-huh… So, how’s Tae Hyun?”
Just awkwardly smiling and responding, I casually asked about Tae Hyun’s whereabouts.
The aunt exaggeratedly tilted her head and muttered as if she wasn’t sure.
“He should be coming soon.”
‘Coming soon, huh?’
A few words from the aunt allowed me to deduce a few facts.
His dismissal time isn’t much different from ours.
So, at least he’s not doing night self-study.
Is it not as mandatory these days?
Wondering if I’m the only one feeling this doubt, Siyeon subtly asks the aunt.
“Tae Hyun doesn’t do night self-study either?”
“Yeah, he’s not the type to be forced to sit still.”
Parents of this generation probably have negative thoughts about the meaningless time of night self-study.
Maybe because they’re the parents who best understand the complaints of modern students?
Unlike the previous generation of parents who would throw a fit if you skipped, they show a slightly different attitude.
Jealous, in my past life, the word ‘self-study’ was meaningless, and you couldn’t skip without a special reason.
“I’m about to make dinner, do you want to join? It’s been a while, it’d be nice to eat together.”
Thinking this meeting is fate, the aunt invites us to dinner.
With her saying that, it felt a bit rude to humbly decline.
We hadn’t applied for dinner at school, and it was almost time to get hungry.
Actually, there’s no real reason to decline.
“We’d love to, when should we come?”
“Let’s see, what time is it now…”
Quickly accepting the offer, the aunt checks the time on her smartphone with the hand not holding the plastic bag.
Checking the time on my smartphone too, it’s 5:52 PM.
It’s time for students in night self-study to eat dinner and sneak out snacks.
Time check, about 3 seconds.
“Come around 6:30! Or you can come earlier and wait.”
“Okay, we’ll come over in a bit.”
“Alright, both of you be careful going in-”
Ending the warm neighborly conversation, we step out of the elevator, enter the password, and go through the front door.
Dinner troubles are reduced today, I think excitedly as I turn on the light in the room and put down my bag.
Sneaking out of my pocket, the bear cub Gomteng also quietly takes his place on the cushion.
Can’t bring mascots to someone else’s dinner invitation.
Our meal is lightly taken care of, but there’s no crumbs for the two mascots.
Understanding this situation well, a voice comes from Gomteng.
“What are we eating?”
“I’ll order some hamburgers, so eat that.”
Since we can’t go empty-handed to dinner, I grab a box of energy drinks from the kitchen corner.
Placing the box down with the sound of glass bottles clinking on the kitchen table.
“Is it Burger King? Or McDonald’s?”
Not letting the mention of hamburgers pass, Gomteng starts asking about the brand.
Which franchise it is, is a big deal.
Rather, Burger King and McDonald’s, huh? Dreaming big, little one.
I deliver the cruel and cold reality to the hopeful cub.
“No Brand.”
“Ah.”
In the crazy burger market where a single burger can cost over 10,000 won, the cheapest option is still around 3,000 won, the best value for money burger franchise.
Not satisfied with my choice, the cub let out a disappointed sigh.
This, I was going to tell them to just eat snacks, but my generous mercy is about to shrink.
“Huh? If you don’t like it, forget it.”
“No no! We’ll eat whatever you give us! Bestow upon us flour and meat!”
Turning off the bright screen by pressing the side button of the smartphone, Gomteng does a handstand-like bow, catching a momentary mistake.
The words quickly spilling out of the cub’s mouth sound somewhat servile.
At those words, I press the side button of the smartphone again to brighten the screen.
Should’ve done that earlier.
“I’ll order about five single burgers, there are fries in the freezer, so heat those up in the air fryer.”
“Yes, sir!”
With fingers skilled from eating this for a day or two, the delivery order is quickly completed, pointing to the freezer and air fryer for instructions.
Having lived at home for a few years, the cubs have perfectly learned how to live without human help.
Instantly opening the freezer and cooperating to grab a bag of fries, they neatly pour the fries into the air fryer without any fuss.
This, not the skill of raiding the freezer once or twice…
No wonder hot dogs disappear one by one even when no one’s eating them…
Pushing aside the unpleasant feeling, we prepare to leave the house to solve our dinner.
“Siyeon, let’s go, you take this too.”
“Okay-”
Pointing to a cardboard box containing ten energy drinks.
With my pre-transformation fragile body unable to carry two at once, I call Siyeon to help carry the box of energy drinks on the table.
Holding the box like ammo cans, arms stretched out, supporting the bottom of the box with both hands, we stagger out of the house.
Temporarily placing the box on the elevator handle, pressing the 17th floor.
Watching the numbers rise one by one, leaning against the elevator wall, waiting.
As the slowly rising numbers finally stop at 17, I straighten my leaning posture and grab the box carelessly placed on the handle with both hands again.
In front of Tae Hyun’s house, ringing the doorbell and waiting briefly.
The doorbell sound ends, and after the sound of footsteps, the front door opens.
Beyond it is Tae Hyun, who has returned home early, still in his school clothes.
“Hi.”
“This hungry body has arrived.”
“Excuse me-”
With a playful entrance line, we naturally enter through the front door, and Tae Hyun takes the box I was holding in both hands.
“What’s this?”
“Bacchus 500, brought two boxes.”
Even just looking at the picture on the packaging, it’s obvious, but he asks what it is as if it’s a formality.
Calmly answering that it’s energy drinks, I also take the portion Siyeon was carrying and place it near the front door where Tae Hyun put the box.
Entering the house properly, a sweet and savory smell hits the nose.
The sound of a not-too-deep broth bubbling.
This smell and sound, it’s bulgogi!