SMNTCERR, Chapter 21 <100> #3.

   After class, it was time for lunch. Sangwoo packed his books and pencil case into his bag. Meanwhile, Jihye asked casually.

   “So, how did it go? What happened at the barrier with ear plugs?”

   “It didn’t work.”

   The barrier scene reduced to a mere breeze, and the seven cans of coffee were still at home. The barrier that was used once has not been touched again.

   “I’m sorry.”

   But it wasn’t something Jihye had to apologize for. The man was different. It was said that he had made a promise to a girl to provide meals in return for advice. Even though he couldn’t help much, a promise was a promise. Sangwoo took out the food coupons from his wallet and placed them on the other person’s table. Jihye stared at the food coupons in amazement.

   “Why did you give me food coupons?”

   “Oppa, you said you would treat me.”

   “Oh, really? Then you should buy it yourself. What are these food coupons for?”

   “Take the coupons and buy yourself something to eat.”

   Sangwoo put on his backpack and stood up, but Jihye stuffed the food coupons into Sangwoo’s shirt pocket again.

   “No, oppa, keep it for when you want to treat me.”

   Sangwoo thought about the price of pasta, 23,500 won, and asked the other person to treat him. However, the price of food at the cafeteria was too expensive, and it seemed to disappoint.

   “Okay, next time, I’ll treat you to pizza.”

   “Really? Not just any pizza, right?”

   ‘Thought it would be easier if I said bread. I wonder if she’s suspicious.’

   They walked out of the building and headed towards the cafeteria. On the way, they heard someone calling Sangwoo from behind.

   “Sangwoo-ya!”

   The only person who calls him Sangwoo like this is just one person. Sangwoo turned around quickly, the person he had guessed in his mind was wearing a windbreaker as if he had just been running.

   “I’m right here, I came to see ya”

   “Why?”

   “What’s wrong? Are you not going to have lunch with me?”

   “You?”

   He had just heard this story for the first time. Jang Jaeyoung must have mistaken Sangwoo for someone else or misunderstood something. Sangwoo turned back and walked towards the cafeteria, but this time Jihye, who was walking beside him, stopped him.

   “Oh, the French honor student.”

   “Wow… we meet again, hello.”

   “Exactly. Have we introduced ourselves before or not?”

   “I’m Ru Jihye, hehe, and actually, I already know your name, you’re quite famous… “

   Sangwoo wanted to keep his distance, but both of them followed him quickly, so he heard every conversation.

   “Jihye, hubae you are  close to Sangwoo. Back then when we came to the store, I saw it too.”

   “Actually, we met for the first time that day, that’s right. Sangwoo was kind enough to help me carry things… I didn’t mean to, but I packed too many books in the box, you see. It’s the time to spread heavy things apart, right?

   Even though I can’t read them all at once, I just wanted to move them in one go…”

   Jihye kept talking on and on. Then it was Jaeyoung’s turn. Jihye then Jaeyoung then Jihye then Jaeyoung. They were exchanging words like ping pong, and the line at the cafeteria became shorter and slower than usual.

   “Haha! You’re such a funny person, could you sign for me, please?”

   “Hey, I’m not a celebrity. What do you want me to sign?”

   Before he knew it, Jaeyoung was already talking to Jihye. People who didn’t know them would have thought they had known each other for a long time. Both of them seemed a bit bored of listening to each other’s conversation, but while waiting, the line gradually became shorter, and they both carried their own trays into the cafeteria. Jaeyoung said he would have clear soup noodles, which was a special menu, so he separated and joined another line, then came back to join them later. Sangwoo tried to find an empty table, but couldn’t find one, so the three of them had to sit together, unable to help.

   “Jihye, do you have a boyfriend?”

   Jaeyoung didn’t touch the clear soup noodles at all, he threw some strange questions at Jihye. Jihye smiled widely and answered.

   “No, I don’t have a boyfriend!”

   “Is that so? I thought you must have one by now.”

   Sangwoo’s gaze fixated on Jaeyoung’s face, and the latter stared at Jihye almost piercingly. Those eyes seemed abnormal.

   “Well, I guess those guys don’t know my true worth.”

   “I know a lot of single guys around, just tell me.”

   Jaeyoung smiled broadly and hugged his chest, sitting on a small chair.  “Anyway, can you give me some genuine advice? I’ve been thinking about a few good guys. What type do you like?”

   He reached out and picked up his phone, sliding to view the contact list.

   Jihye laughed, shaking her head in refusal.

   “Oh no, it’s fine. This semester, I want to focus on studying. Just the fact that you said you’d help me out already makes me happy.”

   “Oh… is that so?”

   Jaeyoung carefully observed the girl’s face, then put his phone back in his pants pocket as before. It became silent for a while before Jaeyoung spoke up.

   “Well, speaking of which… How is Sangwoo? You two seem to get along well.”

   Sangwoo was taken aback to the point of spewing out seaweed soup. Everyone had an astonished look on their faces, but the most surprised person was Sangwoo himself. Jihye pulled out a wet tissue from her bag and handed it over.

   “Sangchu! Did you have to go too far? Are you that dissatisfied?”

   “He just sat there nonchalantly and got paired up with someone he didn’t know, so of course he’s dissatisfied.”

   “Just talking to myself.”

   “So you don’t like it even when I say it?”

   Sangwoo took a wet tissue and wiped off the soup residue from the table. Here, what’s going on? Sangwoo couldn’t understand at all, but one thing was for sure, it felt suffocating. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

   Jaeyoung laughed mischievously and glanced at Sangwoo.”

   “Sang… chu?”

   “Sangwoo-oppa told me it was his childhood nickname. Isn’t it cute?”

   “Really? It seems like we’re getting along well with your Sangwoo. Let’s call each other by our nicknames.”

   “Sangwoo of mine?” [1.]

   Even his mother had never spoken like this before. Sangwoo immediately lost his appetite. No one spoke for a while longer than usual, but before the silence could drag on any further, Jaeyoung broke it.

   “Anyway… where are you going today?”

   “Huh?”

   “Today, you look more dressed up than last time.”

   “Hahaha… Can you remember things like that? At that time, I had to move my stuff, so I just dressed comfortably. Normally, I pay attention to my appearance, hahaha.”

   “You mean last Wednesday, right?”

   “Oh… that day was a bit of a hassle… so I woke up late and almost arrived to class late.”

   “Just like this, you’re paying special attention today. I thought you dressed up to meet someone important again.”

   It was a meaningless conversation. Sangwoo thought that kind of conversation didn’t help digestion at all. Jihye’s face didn’t look good, maybe because Jaeyoung talked too much. Sangwoo understood her frustration as if it were his own. It was annoying to have someone constantly trying to engage in conversation and not being able to eat.

   After finishing their meal and leaving the cafeteria, Jihye asked a strange question.

   “How did we become close like this? We seem to be completely different people, it’s really strange.”

   Her words had some inaccuracies, so Sangwoo immediately refuted them.  “We’re not close…”

   “At first, we misunderstood each other a bit.”

   Jaeyoung patted Sangwoo’s shoulder, and with that small gesture, Sangwoo became tense again. He held his breath and forgot to exhale. Jaeyoung’s arm resting on his heavy shoulder felt like a metal rod.

   “We used to hate each other a lot, but now that hatred is gone. Isn’t it?”

   “No, it’s not.”

   Sangwoo pushed away the other’s shoulder with his elbow. Jang Jaeyoung touched other people’s bodies without realizing it. He had been like that from the beginning, regardless of who the opposite person was ‘even someone he wasn’t close to at all’. He would hug their neck, call them endearing names, touch their faces, tease them, and make them nervous.

   Sangwoo despised such behavior. Even though in other countries it is a cultural norm to hug children frequently, Sangwoo did not grow up in an environment like that. In Sangwoo’s world, only his romantic partner of the opposite sex could touch him, and even then, there were boundaries. Even if it was an action without ill intentions, it would only make him feel uncomfortable.

   “Don’t overthink it. It’s not a big deal. Because it’s still terrible. I thought that pretending to be a good person would change something, but I still don’t feel good, and I don’t intend to relieve this feeling.”

   “Fine, let’s leave it at that. Here, take this again.”

   Jaeyoung looked indifferent, while Jihye’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

   “Hey, I have a presentation tomorrow. Are you brave enough?”

   Jaeyoung’s teasing made Sangwoo furious, causing him to miss the opportunity to defend himself.

   “You don’t have to come to class tomorrow. I’ll handle it alone.”

   “I’ll still come.”

   Jaeyoung lazily muttered with disdain.

   “Sorry… Jihye, may I take Sangwoo with me? Tomorrow, there’s a very important presentation coming up.”

   “Oh… sure!”

   Then, Jaeyoung grabbed Sangwoo’s wrist and dragged him away before he could react. Sangwoo tried to free his hand, but this time Jaeyoung attacked from behind. Sangwoo had never encountered such a situation before, so he was speechless. Meanwhile, the other party snatched the backpack that was hanging on his shoulder and swiftly ran away.

   “Wait, sunbae!”

   No matter how loudly he shouted, the other party refused to stop.

   ‘That guy is a true crazy guy.’

   Although Sangwoo felt that it was embarrassing, all he could do was follow behind because he couldn’t figure out what the other party would do with his backpack. If it were Jang Jaeyoung, he wouldn’t even hesitate to throw everything down the drain.

   Initially, when they were running teasingly and Sangwoo saw that Jaeyoung was about to catch up, he accelerated his speed.

   “Stop right now!”

   Jaeyoung ran as fast as he could with the backpack slung in front of him. There was one time when Sangwoo’s fingertips brushed against Jaeyoung’s shoulder, but Jaeyoung ran away, leaving him behind like he was mocking him. He remembered vividly how just last week he had run for his life, and now the situation had repeated itself.

   “Oh… I’m exhausted.”

   Jaeyoung ran past the engineering faculty, through the soccer field, the convenience store, and the student club until he reached a large grassy field in front of the entrance gate where he finally stopped. Sangwoo breathed heavily, feeling both relieved and disappointed.

   “Give it back… and return it.”

   Sangwoo extended his hand weakly, but Jaeyoung acted as if he didn’t hear, opened Sangwoo’s bag as if it were his own, and took out a water bottle to drink.

   “Seriously, are you crazy?”

   “I guess so.”

   Sangwoo took the water bottle thrown to him by the other side and lifted it up to drink. The sprinting had made his heart beat fast, and the surrounding scenery now looked strange. This was a grass field where many students were resting in various corners, weakly like freshly washed clothes. In the past five semesters, Sangwoo had never set foot here even once.

   “What are you doing? Sit down quickly.”

   Jaeyoung sat down on the grass and patted the area beside him. He used Sangwoo’s backpack as a pillow, stretched out his legs, and interlocked his fingers behind his head. Their eyes closed, with relaxed expressions. The sunlight shone brightly on their hair.

   “Give me back my backpack.”

   “I’m using it.”

   “Then tell me how to get it back.”

   “Then go get another cushion for yourself.”

   Sangwoo sat down and immediately pulled out his bag, but Jaeyoung held onto it with both arms, preventing him from taking it.

   “Who said anything about preparing presents?”

   “We’ll practice here.”

   “There’s no table, no chair. Are we really going to practice here?”

   “You’ve memorized all the lines, right? Is there anything else you can’t do?”

   Sangwoo paused, even though Jaeyoung couldn’t see it because his eyes were closed. If it was just a play, he had already practiced in advance… sitting on the grass. Sangwoo felt strange. He smelled the grass and wondered what they were doing in a place like this.

   “Well, I’ll start then.”

   “Take a ten-minute break first, then we’ll practice.”

   “What a waste…”

   “It’s okay to waste time like this.”

   Jaeyoung took a canned coffee from his own bag and handed it over. Sangwoo checked the time on his wristwatch and found that it was still time for a stroll on campus. He agreed and took the canned coffee to open it. Jaeyoung remained silent for a moment, as if dozing off, until Sangwoo finished drinking half of the canned coffee. Then the other side called his name.

   “Sangwoo.”

   “Why?”

   “What kind of person are you?”

   Sangwoo glanced at Jaeyoung, but the latter continued to remain still and silent as before.

   “Why do you ask such personal questions?”

   “Normally, people who are “not close at all” tend to spend time asking such pointless questions.”

   “That’s true.”

   After responding like that, Sangwoo analyzed Jaeyoung’s question. He had never really thought about it seriously before, but now, after gathering the little impressions he had on women, he was able to grasp it in an instant.

   “I like people who have a polite appearance and deep, calm personalities.”

   “Oh, like a kindergarten teacher style.”

   Sangwoo ignored those words and picked up his coffee without saying anything. Then, shortly after, the second question was sent.

   “When did you have your first love?”

   “I don’t know.”

   “You don’t know?”

   “Well, it’s a bit complicated. If the sunbae set clear boundaries, I would answer.”

   Jaeyoung frowned and raised his eyes, which were tinged with brown under the sun’s rays. When he saw the other party staring at him, Sangwoo added an explanation.

   “It means when you first started dating someone or when you had your first sexual experience. Seniors need to use clear words.”

   Jaeyoung blinked with a puzzled expression, as before.

   “Have you ever liked anyone?”

   “If you mean in that sense… my first love was when I was sixteen, and the other party was not human.”

   Having heard that, Jaeyoung immediately laughed and teased Sangwoo, but Sangwoo laughed and teased Jaeyoung even more. Sangwoo didn’t believe in love based on emotions like what he saw on TV. He thought it was a misunderstanding for a soulless person to mix with affection and considered it a lie that the government used to manipulate and maintain the marriage system. Because he had heard that everyone else had experienced it, but Sangwoo never felt that way once.

   “Time’s up. I’m going to start now.”

   Sangwoo glanced at the time and changed his sitting position.

   “Peenyai-peenyai-tai-peenyai…” [2]

   When Sangwoo said the first sentence, “Right, right, cheap fruits, feel free to come in and choose.” Jaeyoung burst into laughter, his cheeks raised high and his front teeth exposed between his lips.

   “Xin Qinghao.”

   “Not quite right. Please speak according to the script.”

   “What did I say?”

   “Feels good.”

   “Same here.”

   “…”

   Sangwoo’s nose twitched, and suddenly flies flew around. No, aren’t they butterflies? return 0;

   ________________________________________.

[1]     Sangwoo of mine. In the original Korean version, 우리 “Uri” means

   “ours.” Sangwoo, but translated into Thai, it means “mine” because the word “ours” is predominantly used for family members or very close friends. In this case, it means that Jaeyoung considers himself as someone who is very close to Sangwoo, like a family member.

[2]     “Peenyai-peenyai-tai-peenyai…” Here, Sangwoo mispronounced it. It’s the way Koreans like to blend the consonant sound of the initial syllable with the vowel sound of the final syllable. In cases where the consonant sound of the final syllable is pronounced, it should be pronounced as “peen-yi-peenyityai-peen-yi…”

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 20 <100> #2.

   It was certain that Sangwoo’s preferred seat had a bag placed on it. Sangwoo hung his bag on the chair and sat down there. Even though sitting in someone else’s reserved seat was not the right thing to do, he sat there because he knew Jaeyoung wouldn’t come.

   It had been several days since Uttsah had been sitting in the same place, but Sangwoo didn’t feel good about it. Although the subject matter, ‘Algorithm,’ wouldn’t be difficult today, Sangwoo wasn’t very attentive.

   ‘Am I going to throw up?’

   It was irresponsible of Jaeyoung to drink excessively when he had classes the next day, and although his appearance didn’t seem comfortable, Sangwoo suddenly realized that he judged this situation differently from previous situations with similar logical structures [1].

   ‘Having someone check attendance is Jang Jaeyoung’s problem too, because it’s only fair if he doesn’t graduate.’

   Sangwoo was confused. When his original thought process was disturbed and turned into an unfamiliar feeling that refused to go away until the end of the class or until he went to eat alone at the cafeteria.

   Sangwoo’s mind was empty. He sat when he saw a seat, used a spoon when he saw one, then when he saw an empty tray, he stood up, neatly managed the remaining food, and placed the empty tray on the conveyor belt as if programmed like a robot. Then he separated the spoon and fork into separate bins. Finally, he took a sip of water from a glass.

   With nothing changing, he completed everything by 12:28 p.m. Sangwoo walked like a car being driven by automated instructions and entered a convenience store without realizing it, but there was no drink for him to buy. He realized when he reached the refrigerator section, the owner who used to sit at the counter collecting money approached Sangwoo, tapped his shoulder, and revealed a guilty expression.

   “Young man, you haven’t been here for a while. Someone told me that I should bring coffee on Monday. Don’t worry!

   “I know, thank you.”

   Sangwoo gently withdrew his hand, responding to the other person.

   “So I felt guilty and worried all the time. You have been drinking that coffee every day, you must miss it, right? Really?”

   Sangwoo looked toward the refrigerator, but what he saw wasn’t Row 5, which was the row for canned coffee, but the next row up.

   [On a new morning of a hungover person, you should take care of yourselves!

   Coupon number, 99999.

   A hangover remedy drink.

   Dawn 777.]

   He reached out his hand without intending to hesitate before retracting it, but then he reached out his hand again. And then he pulled it back once more. His hand defied the commands of his brain as if it were a living being with its own will.

   After hesitating two or three times, Sangwoo’s right hand overcame his brain and opened the refrigerator. When Sangwoo saw ‘Dawn 777’ he picked it up, and the shop owner standing nearby spoke up.

   “Did you go drinking yesterday? Today I am in a good mood. Take it, I saw your face the other day, and I felt uneasy.”

   Sangwoo absentmindedly accepted the free hangover remedy drink without realizing it, but he still didn’t know where to use it. While Sangwoo was about to ask for the bill, the shop owner walked back to the counter.

   Sangwoo left the shop and opened the canned coffee that Jaeyoung gave him in the morning. He sipped it as he walked along. After tossing the can into the trash bin in front of the Natural Sciences Building, he went straight to the library, registered, scanned a new book, and then sat down.

   When he opened his bag, he found a canned drink lying among the textbooks. Sangwoo picked up the book he was about to read and placed it neatly on the table. And then he picked up ‘Dawn 777’ to consider.

   [On a new morning of a hungover person, you should take care of ourselves!]

   As soon as he saw the word ‘hungover person’ he thought of Jaeyoung, who couldn’t walk straight. Although he tried to think of other drunk people, he couldn’t come up with any. That’s why he tried to imagine a bottle of liquor or a whale[2] but the image that had been stuck in his mind was too overwhelming.

   Sangwoo sat still for a while before getting up abruptly and picking up the drink. Then he hurriedly descended the stairs and walked through the library hallway.

   Sangwoo liked solving problems. Even though it wasn’t his problem, if the sentence written on the can was true “it said the hangover remedy drink had a coupon”, then it could only solve the problem.

   Actually, it’s a slightly absurd thought because sometimes Jaeyoung might have had too many drinks. Jaeyoung could have gone home. Although his mind was filled with endless questions, Sangwoo continued to walk forward confidently, deciding to leave the theater club room because he didn’t know where Jaeyoung was. That was considered his utmost effort… Sangwoo didn’t need to do more than that.

   Sangwoo paused, his feet hesitating as he headed towards the student club. His gaze fixed on someone far away, whose face was not clearly visible from this distance, but he could see that the other person was laughing with a flushed face, waving their hand in the air multiple times, and bending their legs in a unique way. They were wearing a green coat that was discarded and spread on the ground.

   Jaeyoung sat on a chair, and there was a short-haired woman with bright yellow hair hugging his chest in front of him. Jaeyoung didn’t look particularly well, but he looked better than he did in class. When Jaeyoung held his stomach and showed a pained expression, the woman burst into laughter, and they started talking and then linked arms. Laughter, laughter, laughter filled their smiling faces.

   Sangwoo turned around and walked in the opposite direction, taking step after step without thinking. Suddenly, he found himself in front of a construction site where a soccer field was being built. The workers who had greeted him with strange words just the day before while they were working. Sangwoo walked briskly towards the other party, startling the man with a safety helmet.

   “Hey! Why are you here now?”

   “What do you mean?”

   Sangwoo extended the drink in his hand.

   “Drink this.”

   “Huh? What is it… I’ve quit drinking.”

   “Just drink it, okay?”

   Sangwoo ran straight back to the library. Although he had wasted time doing nothing during this period, he had never wasted so much time like this before. The remorse that consumed his time without any benefit made his heart beat faster.

   While Sangwoo searched for a pencil box in his bag, the light from the screen of his phone, which was on silent mode, flickered because of infrequent text message notifications.

   [NonPaddler 3: Sangwoo, I’m going home first today_13:27.]

   [NonPaddler 3: Even if you’re sad, keep it and tell me later_13:27.]

   Sangwoo stared at the phone screen, and after reading the short messages several times, he tapped on the typing field and hesitated for a moment.

   ‘Okay.’

   ‘Nice to meet you.’

   ‘Tomorrow, in the evening, let’s continue doing it like this.’

   Sangwoo typed and deleted several times, finally replied, “Yes.” Then he threw his phone into his bag.

   Jang Jaeyoung must have misunderstood or just teased as usual. Is he really sad? What is there to be sad about? It’s better without the person who always bothers. return 0;

   “Hello, Sangchu-Oppa.”

   Jihye said, sitting down next to him. In ten minutes, it would be time for Cultural Theory class. Sangwoo looked up and turned his gaze back to the thick book of Humanities once again.

   “You’re really focused on studying. It will be a long time before you take the exam.”

   “I am reading it in advance.”

   “I want to do that too, but I can’t make it.”

   Even though Jihye was chatting next to him, she couldn’t disturb Jang

   Jaeyoung who was sleeping. This guy even bothers Sangwoo when the other party is not around.

   “You don’t look very good.”

   Sangwoo ignored those words.

   “Wait, let me show you a picture that will make you feel better.”

   Then the phone in Jihye’s hand moved into his line of sight. Sangwoo looked at the photo of a small white dog from various angles with an expressionless face.

   “Don’t you like it? Then how about this one?”

   The next picture was an orange cat. Sangwoo just waited for the other party to put his phone away, but while she was sliding the picture for him to see, he saw something that didn’t belong.

   “Wait, what’s that?”

   “Huh? Oh, I saved it when I bought something online, I wonder if I saved it in the wrong folder.”

   When Jihye swiped her finger on the screen, a picture of a keyboard appeared. Sangwoo enlarged the small image to see it in detail. It was a picture of a Ninja Tenkeyless keyboard, with black and yellow special buttons, each button embedded with lights, LEDs, and more.

   “This is a Filco keyboard AX8990 Honeybee edition.”

   “Huh?”

   “The price is a bit high, but it uses Cherry switches, durable, feels good when pressing, can press multiple keys at once, overall okay in various aspects, probably usable for a long time. Think about the lighting, LED, takes care of that, but I heard it’s annoying to the eyes. Which switch do you prefer?” [4.]

   “Um… if I want to use it for document work, which one should I use?”

   “Then you’ll need a quiet one like the red switch. But if you want a quiet typing experience and tactile feedback, go for the brown switch. It’s also okay.

   As for the blue switch, it’s popular among gamers.” [5.]

   “So, should I buy the red switch? Is that right?”

   Jihye paused with a puzzled expression and asked. Sangwoo pondered for a moment and answered.

   “This one costs 198,000 won (USD 152$). Are you okay with that? It’s a classic model that has been out for a long time. There are probably secondhand ones available, but if you want  to get one that’s well-maintained, it might cost around a hundred thousand won.”

   “Oh, really? How do I go about buying second-hand ones?”

   Sangwoo spent the remaining time explaining tips for buying second-hand items. Jihye listened attentively, occasionally jotting down notes. Sangwoo couldn’t stop himself.

   “There’s nothing you don’t know, huh?”

   “Not to that extent.”

   Just as Jihye said something strange, the teacher came in at the right moment. Sangwoo immediately diverted his gaze back to the book. One minute into the class, Jihye placed something on the book—it was a torn-out sticky note from a notebook. At first, Sangwoo thought she was giving him trash and almost scolded her, but upon closer inspection, he saw that there were written notes on it.

   [Hi, Sangwoo ^-^ Thank you for the good information!!! If you ever don’t know something, feel free to ask me, I want to help you *_*.]  Sangwoo wrote on the back of the paper, ‘Um.’ and handed it back to Jihye, but then he became curious. What could he ask Jihye? When Sangwoo had questions, he usually found the answers in books or on the internet. As a humanities student, she understood cultural theories better than him, but she was still just a student. She probably couldn’t provide more information than textbooks or internet knowledge while Sangwoo was pondering. However, Sangwoo realized that Jihye had knowledge in one area that exceeded his own.

   ‘I should ask during the break.’

   Sangwoo noted it in his mind and returned his focus to studying.

   return 0;

   “About that sunbae.”

   When it was break time, Sangwoo had the opportunity, and Jihye changed her sitting position to listen attentively.

   “Who is it?”

   “It’s… Jang-sunbae… Jaeyoung.”

   “Oh, I see.”

   “Seems like he has a girlfriend.”

   After speaking, Sangwoo felt uneasy. What Jihye wanted was a question.

   Sangwoo thought his question was complete, but when he actually asked, he listened carefully.

   Fortunately, Jihye didn’t seem to mind and responded with a smile.

   “As far as I know, he hasn’t any.”

   Sangwoo’s curiosity eased easily.

   “The person he dated last year seems to have taken a long break. The other party is a law faculty senior girl who has graduated… very beautiful, comes from a wealthy family. Moreover, she is smart, a type of woman that women admire as being stylish.”

   And the information that wasn’t asked followed suit.

   “How did you find out about all this?”

   “Well, I saw it on social media and heard some rumors.”

   “What kind of rumors?”

   Jihye’s mouth moved again. When Jaeyoung was twenty years old, an agency approached him to become a celebrity, so he worked as a model for a while and now one of his classmates from the same year has become a famous singer. All of this is unnecessary information. When Jihye saw Sangwoo’s disappointed expression, she stopped talking.

   “I don’t really care. It just so happens that my friend likes Jaeyoung, so she often tells me about him.”

   “Really? Why do people like him?”

   “He is handsome.”

   Sangwoo accepts that story.

   “He’s good at playing sports.”

   That he is really good at skateboarding.

   “He also has a very good personality.”

   The next sentence is something he disagrees with.

   “No, really? you’re close, so you should already know this.”  “We are not close at all.” crazy-guy, sadist, cancerous human, this group pretends to be good people, 

   but it’s clear in Sangwoo’s mind that he only says exaggerated things to Jihye, who doesn’t know Jaeyoung well.

   “Yes, before this, you told me not to mention Jaeyoung again. So what’s this now?”

   When teased. Sangwoo pretended not to hear, luckily the teacher came in at the right time.  return 0;

   ________________________________________.

[1]       Logical data structure, a data structure that arises from the user’s imagination to solve problems in the created program, stores data and relationships of data in a database system.

[2]       Imagining bottles of liquor or whales, the word for whale in Korean is

   “고래” (gorae) while the word for drunk person in Korean is “술고래”

   (sulgorae). Therefore, the term “whale” here is a play on words in Korean with the word for drunk person.

[3]       Ninja Tenkeyless, a keyboard that removes the number pad and moves the numeric keys to the bottom.

[4]       Keyboard or typing device for computers divided into 2 main types: rubber dome keyboard, commonly used, and mechanical keyboard, which has a higher price. Besides various circuit boards, an important part of the keyboard is the key switch and keycap. The switch is the main component that works in conjunction with the circuit board. There are various brands, but Cherry MX is the preferred brand. As for the keycap, it is the part that covers the switch.

[5]       Keyboard switches are divided into 3 main types: Clicky – two-step switches, variable resistance, need to be pressed all the way to work, giving a typewriter-like feel, but require less force. They have a loud clicking sound when pressed, such as blue switches. Tactile – similar to Clicky, but without the clicking sound when pressed, such as brown switches. Linear – one-step switches, constant resistance, quiet sound, fast response, such as red switches.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 19 <100> #1.

   Jang Jaeyoung is really strange.

   The severity of the harassment that Sangwoo used to torment me had gradually decreased and eventually became nonexistent. However, this doesn’t include the underlying stress of having to sit together in class or other stress caused by being near him.

   On the second Monday of the week, more than avoiding me, Jaeyoung started offering help. During the Chinese language class where we had to practice conversational dialogue with the person next to us, Sangwoo intended not to practice with Jaeyoung and approached a female student sitting on the left instead. However, she rejected him, stating that she already paired up with another female student. While wasting time, other students started practicing with each other. Sangwoo had no choice but to pair up with Jaeyoung, who appeared to smile mockingly but insincerely.

   “Cong zheer dao shouer zhàn duō chang shíjiān?”[1.]

   Sangwoo asked in Chinese first, “How long does it take from here to Seoul station?” When Jaeyoung heard it, he replied with one word.

   “Your language skills are not that great.”

   Sangwoo ignored that remark, thinking that practicing with one person would be enough, and immediately moved on to the next conversation.

   “Wo Men Ming, Tian Yi Qi Qu, Dian Ying Ba Camp?”[2.]

   Jaeyoung sat still and listened as Sangwoo asked, “Shall we go watch a movie together tomorrow?” He smiled strangely and quickly responded.

   “Hen Hao, Kan Shen Metian Ying?”[3.]

   “That’s not the sentence.”

   Sangwoo frowned. It was written in the book that ‘I couldn’t go because he didn’t have a clear schedule’ but the other party replied with something strange. This person never jokes around, will he die one day?

   “Did you hear it correctly? What does it mean?”

   “I’m saying ‘Okay. Then I’ll ask which movie we should watch.’ Just follow the book.”

   “That’s right. You’re good at reading, writing, and listening, but speaking you are considered mediocre.”

   “I read according to the book.”

   “Language. If communication is not understood, it has no meaning. Each country has different ways of speaking, but you don’t seem to try to approximate the original, right?”

   “What’s his problem? Is he pretending to be a teacher or something?”

   Sangwoo initially felt resistance, but it was followed by painful memories from Year 1, Semester 1, where he received an A0 grade[4] in the subject ‘Introductory Chinese Language.’ He was alone, surrounded by friends who achieved A+[5] and the main reason for his deduction was pronunciation.

   “Try reading this.”

   Sangwoo intentionally read the long, narrow sentence, pointing it out fully. When Jaeyoung heard it, he used his hand to cover his mouth and suppressed a smile, but when he saw Sangwoo’s expression, he stopped laughing.

   “I read it correctly. Why did you tease me, sunbae?” “I didn’t tease you…” He spoke hesitantly.

   “Just stop for a moment. The first sound you made just now was good, but extend it a bit longer.”

   Jaeyoung demonstrated the sound. Then Sangwoo imitated it.

   “Very good. The two sounds should have a rising tone, you see? It’s like a plane taking off.”

   Jaeyoung raised his arms diagonally and gradually lifted them like an airplane. This time, Jaeyoung spoke first, and then Sangwoo followed.

   “Like that. You did well when I taught you, right?”

   Jaeyoung lightly tapped the back of Sangwoo’s hand without realizing it, brushing against it a few times and then withdrawing, leaving a strange feeling in that area. Sangwoo was startled to the point of forgetting how to breathe for a moment. He had learned that human bodies evolved to prepare for various forms of attack by nature, and it seemed as if his body regarded  Jaeyoung’s hand as a threat, causing tension to spread throughout his body.

   Jaeyoung didn’t look at Sangwoo; he moved his hand with a serious expression, as if he was focused on his own teaching.

   “Listen to the third sound. It should have a descending tone, like scooping rice. Then lift it up again, give it a try.”

   “…Oh, alright then.”

   “Huh? It went back to the same as before. Then try making the second sound again.”

   “Nei-ee.”

   “Just a moment ago, it was fine. Why did it turn out like this all of a sudden? Did the machine malfunction? If we can’t get through this, there’s no way to present it perfectly, is there?”

   At that moment, Sangwoo picked up the folded sign nearby and waved it in front of his face, while Jaeyoung reached into his bag to pick up something, turning his back. When he turned back, he handed Sangwoo a piece of paper.

   It was a paper filled with abbreviated Chinese characters. When read, it turned out to be a scripted conversation tricking people into sending money via telephone during the era of the dynasty merchant. Sangwoo’s eyes widened because not only was the content well-organized, but it also had the pronunciation spelled out completely. When he tried reading it carefully, he realized it wasn’t just a series of example sentences put together, but included sentences that were contextually relevant and had no gaps. If he were to do it alone, he would have to spend a long time searching on the internet, and even if he tried his best, there would still be some incomplete points.

   When both of them met each other’s gaze, Jaeyoung smiled.

   “Don’t you have any compliments?”

   “You did remove all the swear words, right?”

   Jaeyoung replied that he did, but Sangwoo didn’t believe him. So he called the teacher who was passing by in the vicinity and told him that the script had been fixed and asked the teacher to review it. The teacher took the script with a puzzled expression before sweeping his gaze over it and slowly raising the corners of his mouth. Then he burst out laughing loudly. Jaeyoung tapped his pen and asked.

   “How is it, teacher?”

   “I’ve seen several drafts before, and they were full of profanity, but this one is good. It smells like a masterpiece. Did you bring a video camera with you?”

   “Sangwoo did it all.”

   “You, on the other hand, always say things like ‘Sangwoo did it.’ How can he know so many insults? I’m not sure if it’s him and not you.”

   “Oh, I feel like you are using the word ‘insult’ for your student. You’ve gone too far.”

   The teacher placed his hand on Sangwoo’s shoulder and said calmly.

   “Well, I am waiting to see the results next week, both of you.”

   Sangwoo frowned. Something strange and unbelievable might have happened, but now he had no choice but to accept it.

   Well, the Error named Jang Jaeyoung… has improved.

   Return 0;

   After the end of the second class, Jaeyoung quickly stood up and hurriedly left. He mumbled to himself while walking lazily. Even lying down straight with his legs stretched out during class, ‘Algorithm.’

   “It’s time to eat.”

   Now even walking with the other party in the engineering building corridor, Sangwoo was starting to get used to it. Going down the stairs together, including going to the cafeteria together and sitting down to eat, but today Jaeyoung stopped Sangwoo in front of the engineering building.

   “Sangwoo, I have an appointment today.”

   That was unexpected. Moreover, it was a strange situation. They didn’t make plans to have lunch together again, but Jaeyoung acted as if Sangwoo was waiting for him. Sangwoo pretended to be happy to correct the misunderstanding of the other party.

   “Wow….”

   Sangwoo clapped five times, mocking and smiling. Jaeyoung took out a canned coffee from his bag before raising his hand and placing the can down. Then he made a facial expression as if sympathizing with his grandmother looking at her grandson.

   “Drink until full. Then drink water, don’t let your stomach get upset.

   And don’t follow strangers, understand?” He spoke as if he felt sorry.

   “I often wonder if sunbae, you are crazy.”

   Jaeyoung smiled with his eyes, his hand touched Sangwoo’s shoulder, then he withdrew without giving him a chance to avoid it.

   Before Sangwoo could decide what to say, Jaeyoung walked away slowly.

   ‘Is the machine broken?’

   Sangwoo recalled what Jaeyoung said during the first class, which was more worrying than criticizing his poor Chinese pronunciation. He also mentioned that if it continued like this, he wouldn’t get full marks. He didn’t know when Jaeyoung started being overly close, and Sangwoo, who wasn’t used to it, would temporarily stop thinking, as if the engine was malfunctioning.

   ‘If you do that again next time, I’ll really be angry.’

   Sangwoo felt worse than he should, perhaps because he was so angry that it made him out of breath. He kept his anger hidden inside as he walked on campus.

   Jaeyoung, who had walked far away, stood in front of a bench, accompanied by a male and a female student. Jaeyoung said something, and the female student laughed and hit his back hard, while the male student laughed so hard that he almost fell on the ground. When Jaeyoung grabbed his arm and wrestled, he laughed even louder.

   ‘I feel good.’

   Sangwoo diverted his gaze from them and pondered in his heart. He felt good. Originally, he thought they would have lunch together, but Jang Jaeyoung suggested separating, so he could eat without worrying about being disturbed until he was full.

   The time spent eating lunch was extremely peaceful. Apart from one female student, there was Sangwoo sitting quietly at an empty table, then getting up after finishing, taking the tray back to the counter. The clock showed 12:28 PM, just right.

   He left the cafeteria at the usual time after several days and opened the canned coffee that Jaeyoung gave him. It had a familiar taste, a familiar atmosphere, and the act of strolling while sipping coffee made him feel refreshed. When he finished walking around the promenade, it was 12:41 PM.

   Sangwoo threw the coffee can into the second bin in front of the Natural Sciences Faculty and headed to the library.

   ‘I feel good, really good.’

   Today, in the library, there were fewer people than usual, so there were no distractions. After registering the books and scanning the new ones, he borrowed the newly released programming book and went to sit down.

   ‘Will I finish reading this book?’

   Lately, with only studying his major subject, the schedule was unusually packed, making him curious. Nevertheless, he kept the thick books in his bag. Then he picked up the textbook he was going to read this time. There was no other student at the table where he sat. Sangwoo looked at the empty seat before returning his gaze to the book.

   Condensers, capacitors, inductors, direct current, alternating current… His eyes were not fixed on the book itself. He was deciphering the meaning of symbols, but no matter how many times he read it, he couldn’t understand.

   “So, how does it work?”

   After silently complaining in his heart, Sangwoo felt startled. His mind had never rejected studying before. But no matter how much effort he made, the content remained closed to Sangwoo, allowing only surface-level understanding. He couldn’t grasp the concepts. Yes, it must be because he studied in a classroom without truly understanding.  return 0;

   Time continued to pass regardless of how bad his condition was, and daytime turned into nighttime. And then, nighttime turned into daytime again.

   Sangwoo started a new day just like before, but not everything was the same. The table next to him only had a bag placed on it, and twenty minutes had passed since he started studying. The seat remained empty. When the owner wasn’t present, he could move that bag to another place and sit there, but Sangwoo felt uncomfortable for some strange reason when there was no one disturbing him as there should be.

   Jang Jaeyoung walked in with a sense of confusion, just as Sangwoo’s digital watch changed from minutes to 22. The gaze of the professor who taught the subject ‘Embedded System’ seemed to shoot laser beams as he looked at the newcomer who arrived late. And to top it off, he suddenly dropped onto the table, emitting a strong alcohol smell. Sangwoo wondered if he had been drinking with someone yesterday.

   “Why are you late?”

   But the question he asked softly turned into another question. Moreover, it was a question he already knew the answer to. So, it was pointless. Jaeyoung raised his head slightly from the small table and looked at Sangwoo.

   “Why do you think so?”

   “Because I drank until late.”

   “You know well.”

   “With whom?”

   Sangwoo’s hidden curiosity couldn’t help but escape from his mouth. Although he didn’t raise an eyebrow in surprise, Jaeyoung’s eyes still flickered with agitation.

   “Who did you go drinking with?”

   “I’m just curious who would be crazy enough to go drinking with you sunbae.”

   “If you want to go drinking with me, just say it.”

   “Are you crazy? Me?”

   Sangwoo wanted to apologize that ever since Jaeyoung arrived, he hasn’t been paying attention to his studies, but the truth is he hasn’t been listening to anything even before that.

   ‘I don’t understand what the teacher is teaching.’

   This group always makes Sangwoo feel strange. At the same time, he feels like he’s being pulled away from familiar feelings. Plus, his head covered in dark brown hair constantly distracts Sangwoo from the book. He has a hunch that he won’t get any work done today.

   The class is over, but Jaeyoung is still asleep, weakly slumped over the desk.

   “Senior.”

   Sangwoo could have left the other party there and walked to the next classroom, but he called out.

   “…Sunbae.”

   Jaeyoung didn’t raise his face, he reached out with his left arm and held onto Sangwoo’s arm tightly, causing Sangwoo to feel suffocated.

   “Ah… it feels like I’m suffocating. I can’t take it anymore.”

   Jaeyoung then said while grabbing both of Sangwoo’s arms, he pushed himself up, picked up his “Black Hole” from his bag, and placed it on the table. Then he walked out, leaving only a solitary coffee can on the desk.

   Sangwoo put the coffee in his bag and walked to the next classroom.

   ________________________________________.

[1]            How long does it take from here to Seoul Station?

[2]            Let’s go watch a movie together tomorrow, okay?

[3]            Great, what movie should we watch?

[4]            Grade, A0, equivalent to approximately 3.60-4.00 GPA.

[5]            Grade, A+, equivalent to approximately 4.10-4.50 GPA.

[6]            The Chinese language has four tones, namely Tone 1 “Neutral tone”, Tone 2 “Rising tone”, Tone 3 “Falling-Rising tone”, and Tone 4 “Falling tone”.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 18 <11> #5.

   “Ohhhhh….”

   As soon as the door opened, Jaeyoung let out a big sigh. Sangwoo tossed the jelly bag onto Jaeyoung’s tray.

   “Just order once, please.”

   “Ohhhhhhhh….”

   “And if there’s something to say, say it. Don’t just keep sighing.”

   “It hurts, it hurts so much.”

   “Will I ever know what to do?”

   Sangwoo sighed and turned around to face Jaeyoung. As he grabbed the doorknob of the smoking zone, he heard a loud sound from behind.

   “I was thinking of ordering until you asked why I keep sighing.”

   Sangwoo just chuckled. If there’s something to say, then say it. Why use roundabout ways to waste money and time?

   “So why do you keep sighing then?”

   “My notebook is broken.”

   Jaeyoung sighed as if he had been waiting all along. At the same time, it felt like he was just speaking in passing, making Sangwoo wonder.

   “What’s the problem?”

   “I don’t know, it makes a beep sound and won’t turn on.”

   “The memory card [1] might have come loose from the slot [2] or there may be an issue with the motherboard [3]. If the RAM is loose, you can just put it back in and it should work, but if there’s a problem with the chipset, you might have to take it to a service center to diagnose the issue based on the number of beeps.”

   “I’m not good with computers, I really don’t know.”

   Jaeyoung spoke softly and took another deep breath.

   “What should I do? I might have to sell it for scrap metal. Maybe I’ll get around five hundred thousand won for it.”

   ‘You believe in easy solutions.’

   Sangwoo turned around and hugged himself. Jaeyoung sat on the chair, looking at Sangwoo. Then he started murmuring as if talking to himself.

   “Even though I brought it here, it doesn’t mean I can fix it. I’ve been playing games for a while, but I’ll probably have to go to a service center. And by the way, is there any place open at this time? It’s so annoying.”

   “Give it to me then.”

   Sangwoo blurted out. It wasn’t out of pity, he just wanted to solve the problem right in front of him. Jaeyoung clapped his hands and widened his eyes.

   “Really, you’re a computer expert, aren’t you? We should be able to fix the computer together.”  “I’ll take a look.”

   Jaeyoung handed over his green notebook bag without hesitation. Sangwoo took the notebook and went back to the counter. When he opened the bag, he found a white notebook with a 14-inch display, a brand he was familiar with because he had used it before, and it had been on the market for two years.

   When he pressed the power button, the laptop didn’t boot up as Jaeyoung had mentioned, and there were two beeps. Not four beeps, but two beeps, indicating a problem with the memory. Sangwoo held down the power button to force shut down the notebook, then took out a screwdriver and started disassembling it.

   “Can this really be fixed?”

   When he opened it up, he found that not only had the RAM come loose from the slot, but there was no RAM at all. Sangwoo immediately messaged Customer 22 through the store’s internet system.

   [Admin: Hi. There’s no RAM_20:16.]

   [Guest22: What?ㅠㅠ, Let me check in my bag_20:16.]

   Upon seeing the guest’s distressed response, Sangwoo frowned, but upon inspection, there seemed to be no damage. So he searched in the small bag, and inside, he found the RAM, unbelievably intact.

   [Admin: It’s in the bag, and why did you take out the RAM? _20:18.]

   [Guest22: It came out when I pulled it out, here it is ㅠㅠ_20:19.]

   ‘Are you going to say that the computer parts came loose by themselves when you opened the case?’

   This is the most meaningless statement among all the things Jaeyoung has ever said. However, when he inserted the RAM back and turned on the machine, it worked fine. But it seemed like this notebook had more than just a hardware issue [5] because it took longer than usual to boot up.

   After 5 minutes, the desktop appeared on the screen. When looking at the desktop, Sangwoo was speechless. The majority of the desktop space was occupied by graphic design software icons. There were also folders for pictures, videos, documents, and many others. Because of this, he couldn’t see the face of the female celebrity that was set as the background image.

   [Admin: The boot-up is very slow. Organize the icons on the desktop. 

   Delete any unused programs _20:27.]

   [Guest22: Is it broken? ㅠㅠ_20:27.]

   [Admin: It’s not completely broken. I will install optimization software 

   [6]. If possible, buy an SSD [7] and install it _20:27.]

   But it’s not something that software can fix. Just opening a web browser takes up to 1 minute, so it’s obvious how the owner has been using this computer despite its age.

   [Admin: Formatting might improve it _20:32.]

   [Guest22: Please do it ㅠㅠ_20:32.]

   [Admin: I don’t have the OS, unfortunately _20:32.]

   [Guest22: It looks like there’s a CD in the bag _20:32.]

   Is there anyone on this planet who carries a computer operating system in their bag? But even though it’s hard to believe, it must be true. Inside the small bag behind him, there is a copyrighted OS CD. Sangwoo couldn’t find words to say.

   [Admin: Do people usually carry an OS with them? _20:34.]

   [Guest22: I don’t know ㅠㅠ. Maybe it’s a thank-you gift _20:34.]

   [Admin: Okay. You should back up your data _20:35.]

   [Guest22: What is backup? ㅠㅠ_20:35.]

   [Admin: Find a flash drive with plenty of space. Otherwise, use a portable hard disk. If you don’t have one, use online storage _20:35.]

   [Guest22: I’ll check in the bag _20:35.]

   It’s unbelievable that there is actually a 1TB portable hard disk in the inner pocket of the bag. This bag can be called a universe bag, huh? Someone who doesn’t know what a backup is but carries such a large-capacity portable hard disk, it’s really surprising.

   [Admin: I will format it. Will Partition [9] split automatically? _20:37.]

   [Guest22: Divide it into drives, C, and D, each half. Install Windows on 

   Drive D_20:38.]

   [Guest22: I don’t know anything at all ㅠㅠ, but I see that it’s a good way to divide it. _20:38.]

   [Admin: Yes_20:39.]

   He moved the slow data of the laptop to the portable hard disk, then formatted the computer, boosted its performance, and installed various basic programs. Sangwoo proudly folded down the screen. After doing something useful, time passed productively, and he himself felt better.

   “Hmm, your eyes seem tired.”

   Jaeyoung stood with his chin on the counter, looking at Sangwoo. The other side had been there for a while. Sangwoo didn’t notice.

   “Is it finished already? Impressive.”

   Sangwoo just figured it out when the cable went off, because he kept fixing the notebook for the other party. So he lost two hours, and this was something he did on his own without anyone ordering him. Nevertheless, it’s still this junk hooligan’s annoying notebook. Even though the guy himself didn’t act maliciously like before. But still, Sangwoo packed the equipment in a bored and indifferent face and handed it to Jaeyoung.

   “The specs don’t support graphic software, so don’t install those programs.”

   “Thank you.. Sangwoo.”

   Jaeyoung’s three-word remark had an odd weight in his heart. He felt a little strange. How can two hours of labor be repaid with just a simple thank you? But the moment he heard those words, he felt as if all the fatigue didn’t matter. Sangwoo looked away without making eye contact with Jaeyoung.

   At that moment, the late part-time employee arrived and switched places with Sangwoo, while Sangwoo packed his lunch and put on a coat. Jaeyoung slung the notebook bag and stood by the door.

   Sangwoo walked without thinking for a moment. Then, when the NDorphin spray came out while dealing with the computer, he found himself walking next to Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung walked alongside, swaying his hand and humming a strange song, but there was no sign of any intention to provoke or show off.

   “What are you doing, sunbae?”

   “Huh?”

   Jaeyoung made a face as if he just realized that Sangwoo was walking beside him.

   “Where are you going, senior?”

   “Am I? Oh… How about home?”

   “This is the way to my house.”

   “I’m going this way too.”

   If that’s the case, it can be explained why the other party is walking beside you on the way back home. Not following him.

   “Sangwoo, you’re really good with computers.”

   “I just have everything I need in my bag, that’s all.”

   “I should express my gratitude a little bit.”

   “Don’t mention it. I only did it because I couldn’t stand watching.”

   Sangwoo spoke sharply, saying he didn’t know what else to do to show gratitude, and he didn’t want anything like that.

   “No, no, if you intend to do it, you must receive a reward.”

   “It’s okay.”

   Jaeyoung stayed quiet for a while and then asked suddenly.

   “Do you want to watch a movie?”

   Sangwoo wasn’t interested in movies, but he knew that the equation “cinema = dating place” was a common perspective in society.

   “Why do I have to go watch a movie with you sunbae?”

   “Huh? I didn’t invite you to watch it together. I just bought a ticket for you to watch alone.”

   “…”

   Sangwoo felt uneasy as to why these past few days he had been thinking on his own. He couldn’t breathe properly.

   “Whatever you say, if that’s the case.”

   He quickly said something and walked away, lucky to have reached home. Jaeyoung’s footsteps stopped in front of an apartment, while Sangwoo walked towards the door as if he was escaping.

   “Sweet dreams.. Sangwoo.”

   That was an unnecessary gentle farewell, but Jaeyoung’s farewell today made Sangwoo feel uneasy inappropriately. He didn’t know why the other party seemed different than usual.

   “…you too, sunbae.”

   Sangwoo spoke without caring whether Jaeyoung would hear or not. Then he ran up the stairs two steps at a time.

   ________________________________________.

[1]      Memory card. In this case, it refers to RAM “Random-access memory” or “ram.” the main memory unit of a computer that is an important component affecting overall performance and also has an impact on system speed.

[2]      Slot. It is a slot for inserting devices such as RAM, modem, internal expansion cards, or other devices that help enhance the capabilities of a computer on the motherboard.

[3]      Motherboard or mainboard. It is the main circuit board that controls the operation of connected devices according to instructions. The chipset is the main and crucial component, considered the heart of the system, responsible for coordinating the operation between various devices on the motherboard.

[4]      Boot. It prepares the computer for use and is the first thing that appears after pressing the power button. It checks the status of the machine, provides various details about the computer, such as how much RAM is available, what buses are present, and the CPU speed, using BIOS software.

[5]      Hardware. It comprises the physical components of a computer, including peripheral devices related to the computer that can be seen and touched, such as the main unit, display screen, keyboard, and mouse, among others.

[6]      Optimization software, also known as cleaning software or junk file cleaners, helps remove unnecessary files from computers, tablets, or smartphones, and improves the overall system performance “also called optimization”. Antivirus programs also have tools for this purpose.

[7]      SSD “Solid State Drive”. It is a type of data storage device used with computers or laptops to store data persistently, similar to a hard disk drive “HDD”, but faster and more reliable.

[8]      Format. It is the process of erasing all data on a drive. In the case of the C: drive or the drive where the OS “operating system” is installed, a new OS must be installed afterward.

[9]      Partition. It is the act of dividing the space on a hard disk into sections or multiple drives for convenient access to data and programs.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

 

SMNTCERR, Chapter 17 <11> #4.

   The loud sound of a door closing made the two male students who were playing games turn to look in surprise. Sangwoo’s heart raced, and he could feel the heat rising on his face.

   ‘Why do you like taking other people’s belongings?’

   Sangwoo hurriedly ran out of the drama club room, remembering that he had always been someone who liked change. Yes, that’s right. His own words were correct. Sometimes he was like this, sometimes he was like that, a person whose behavior was unpredictable like the weather.

   Sangwoo’s hurried footsteps gradually slowed down. As time passed, he became more and more embarrassed. Even though Jang Jaeyoung had taken the hat and refused to return it, suddenly, he seemed too vulnerable when Sangwoo got closer. Normally, Sangwoo wasn’t easily intimidated, but when someone approached him, he made a face-pulling gesture and became so surprised that he couldn’t make a sensible decision.

   ‘It’s not like I’m attracted to the same sex.’

   When fighting for the ball on a football field, the touches were more intimate than this. It was the same in wrestling or Korean wrestling. Even though their bodies were closely connected in every way, it didn’t seem strange. When entering the dressing room and changing clothes together, it still didn’t seem like a big deal because they were both men.

   Sangwoo concluded that it was his own lack of self-control that caused him to do such things. So when Jaeyoung chased after him, he dared not look at the other side. Jaeyoung handed him a blue outfit for the play along with a wig.

   “I just took off the hat to put on the wig, so I teased you a little. Didn’t expect you to get angry.”

   “I’m not angry at all.”

   He lied, because until now, Sangwoo’s heart was still pounding with anger. Jaeyoung was just preparing things, and it was clear that he had misunderstood something weird, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it seemed like the other party could make him stressed in many ways, whether intentional or not.

   “We have to practice and perform well, so let’s do our best. Sangwoo.”

   Sangwoo evaluated the other party’s words as he put away his clothes and wig into his bag and left the building. He heard Jaeyoung’s voice following him. So Sangwoo turned around to speak.

   “It seems like the plan has changed. However, it doesn’t matter. So let’s not pretend to be close.”

   The corner of his mouth that used to be calm curved into a smile.

   “I didn’t plan anything. I just did what I wanted to do.”

   “And from this point on, there’s no need to follow anymore. Because of you, sunbae. I won’t go to the library anymore. I will go back home and study there.”

   “The more you forbid, the more tempting it becomes.”

   “So please come along.”

   “Come on, talking about something like that, I’m already there.”

   “…”

   Sangwoo hurriedly walked towards the library to get his bicycle as usual. He thought that if he deliberately rode the bicycle past Jaeyoung and ran down the slope, it might help him forget about it. But Jaeyoung followed him down.

   “What are you doing?”

   “Just following you, I told you.”

   Sangwoo looked at the sparkling skateboard that Jaeyoung was riding with a surprised face. How crazy can this person be? Isn’t time important for everyone? Why waste such a valuable time on something that doesn’t make any difference?

   He shook his head and thought that he would just stick to riding the bicycle. But his gaze kept shifting towards that direction. Jaeyoung was very skilled at skateboarding, and he knew how to attract people’s attention. Not just Sangwoo, but everyone who saw Jaeyoung in that alley looked at him with curiosity and admiration. Jaeyoung seemed to enjoy getting attention, so he showed off his skateboard tricks in front of many people, smiling like a celebrity and high-fiving children. While the skateboard was still rolling.

   The other side seemed free like a character in a video game. At that moment, even though Sangwoo already knew that Jaeyoung was different from him, when he saw the smiling lips, flowing hair, and skateboarding skills, he felt that Jang Jaeyoung was a completely different species.

   They were completely different from each other. Sangwoo did what he had to do, while Jaeyoung did what he wanted to do, no matter what it was. Sangwoo had no friends, not even one person, while Jaeyoung was a famous person at the university, known by many wherever he went. Sangwoo wore only black clothes, while Jaeyoung’s wardrobe had to be full of rainbow colors. Sangwoo often looked expressionless, while Jaeyoung often smiled like a mischievous child. Sangwoo clung to his daily routine, while Jaeyoung acted like a carefree wanderer, they lived in different worlds. If it weren’t for those unfortunate events, they would have never crossed paths.

   They crossed the sidewalk and turned into the alley, then both of them gilded side by side. Even though there was no one around, Jaeyoung still jumped and spun half a turn before landing on the ground, the skateboard seemed to stick to his feet.

   “So why did you follow me?”

   If Jaeyoung wanted to skate, there would be plenty of good places to do so. I don’t understand why they had to play in a street full of potholes. Jaeyoung answered nonchalantly that there was nothing else to do, and that wasn’t an answer that matched the question. But no matter what, Sangwoo didn’t need to understand the other side because he had already passed halfway.

   “Now there’s only one week left.”

   “What?”

   “During the withdrawal period for classes.”

   Jaeyoung just laughed. He didn’t say anything.

   It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the apartment where Sangwoo lived. It was a four-story building with vines crawling up the walls. Sangwoo locked his bicycle in the designated bicycle parking area labeled ‘Room 402’ and had a chain lock.

   “Here we are.”

   “Breaking into someone’s residence carries a maximum penalty of 3 years.”

   “Why haven’t you mentioned that yet?”

   “If you take the bicycle, I’ll report it to the police immediately, including any modifications or accessories.”

   Hearing Sangwoo speak like that, instead of scolding, Jaeyoung just laughed. 

   He stepped on one end of the skateboard, and then the other end popped up. 

   Jaeyoung held up the skateboard with his left hand and raised his right hand.

   “Have fun on your day off.. Sangwoo.”

   “…Okay.”

   Upon hearing the non-hostile words, he politely responded. Sangwoo turned his gaze away from the other side and walked into the building. He wondered why he felt so unsettled and tried to think about it while climbing the stairs. It seemed like this was the first time they had separated on good terms. There were no curses exchanged.

   Even though he worried that the other person would follow, there was no sound behind him. Sangwoo reached the fourth floor, entered the code at the door, and went inside.

   He let out a sigh for no reason. Then he placed his bag by the door, took off his hat and coat, and hung them on the coat hanger. After changing out of his jeans into sportswear, he went to wash his hands with soap in the bathroom. The reflection in the mirror showed an ordinary teenage boy with flat bangs sticking to his forehead.

   Sangwoo picked up a book to read from the bookshelf and placed it on the table. He took out a pencil box and a notebook from his bag and put them side by side. But before sitting down on the chair, his feet walked towards the window.

   He squinted a little and looked through the window below. Jaeyoung was still in the same place. On the other side, he left the skateboard and played with the black cat lying belly up, while Jaeyoung sat there gazing, using his hand to stroke it. Sangwoo had encountered that cat several times, but if it didn’t feel threatened, it would run away quickly. Sangwoo looked at Jaeyoung as he picked up his phone to take a picture of the cat before closing the curtains.

   In the two-day hardcore mode, one day off. Then, it would be slightly annoying for another two days, as Jang Jaeyoung’s actions were unpredictable, like an irregular function, just like his indescribable nature.

   Sangwoo didn’t like anything without structure, because it couldn’t be predicted.

   He sat down at the table and started reading a book. return 0;

   Uncertainty comes with inefficiency.

   Jaeyoung’s actions had no pattern, so it was impossible to guess what he would do on the weekend break. Therefore, when he saw the reflection of a person on the frosted glass door of the internet cafe with posters attached, Sangwoo felt restless. Then, after a while, he felt relieved and continued to stay this way.

   The special working hours on Saturday passed slowly because there were fewer people using the service than usual, so he didn’t have much work. However, because he was idly staring at the door, he didn’t use his free time effectively. If an enemy suddenly appeared, he had to be prepared to deal with it, so vigilance was a good defense. But from the situation, it seemed like he was waiting for Jaeyoung to arrive, which Sangwoo thought was funny.

   ‘I haven’t missed a day of us seeing each other until now.’

   That was the only pattern Sangwoo found in Jaeyoung’s various behaviors, even on Wednesdays when they studied different subjects. The other side still came chasing after Sangwoo as if to catch him.

   But until four o’clock, Jaeyoung didn’t show up. Sangwoo felt disappointed and slightly uneasy. At the same time, he thought that the other side might be waiting in front of the house. It wouldn’t be surprising since the other side had come before when riding a skateboard. When looked at from that angle, it wasn’t strange if the other side came again.

   When he walked to the front of the house, Sangwoo saw a black shadow in front of the building.

   “So, he must be there!”

   But when he walked closer, he found that it was just a large garbage bin. In the end, on that day, Sangwoo didn’t meet Jaeyoung even once. If he knew that it would be like this, he would have used the spare time during work more productively. He regretted wasting his time idly staring at the door.

   Sangwoo entered the house in a gloomy mood. And Saturday life came to an end.

   [1.) On an ordinary day, there is a 100% possibility that Jaeyoung will appear.

   2.) On a day off, there is a possibility of x% that Jaeyoung will appear, 

   (0≤x≤50).]

   From the case of Saturday, although it was not conclusive, it could be inferred according to the above conclusions. Today, Sangwoo chose to believe the option that Jaeyoung would not show up in order to avoid restlessness like yesterday, as if it were his belief system.

   Gong-ging gong-ging.

   But Jaeyoung destroyed Sangwoo’s “belief” by appearing at 19:33. When the ringing sound echoed through the door, dealing with customers became one of his responsibilities, and Sangwoo’s former assumption was torn in half, shattered to pieces.

   Jaeyoung picked up the card and walked past the counter. Sangwoo felt anxious because he didn’t know what the other side would do, but luckily there were surveillance cameras installed on the ceiling. If Jaeyoung did something pointless, Sangwoo would immediately inform the store manager and make sure he never came here again. The store manager was a kind person. Previously, when Sangwoo had an argument with another man who asked him to put something on hold, the store manager sided with Sangwoo.  [Order from customer number 22: Spicy Fried Chicken.]

   Sangwoo glanced at the notification message. It had only been a minute since Jaeyoung passed by the counter; he had to place the order immediately upon opening the computer.

   Sangwoo got up from his seat and went to boil water, preparing the ramyeon according to the instructions. He placed the ramen bowl on a tray and carried it to the smoking area. Jaeyoung sat leaning against a chair, reading manga on his shaking legs. As soon as Sangwoo placed the tray on the table and turned around, he heard a loud exhale behind him.

   After returning to the counter for three minutes, the notification popped up again.

   [Order from customer number 22: Lemonade.]

   “So, the strategy for today is training a thousand dogs, huh?”

   If that’s the case, it must be the most tolerable thing he has encountered so far. Despite sitting not far from the counter, Jaeyoung seemed content, and there was nothing unsatisfactory for Sangwoo because this was a job that earned him money.

   He filled the glass with filtered water, about 80%, and stirred the lemonade powder with a teaspoon. After adding four ice cubes, the water level rose to just below the rim of the glass. Sangwoo placed the glass on a tray for a moment and went to find Jaeyoung. The other side was watching a video of someone spray painting on the wall, the ramyeon already more than halfway gone in the bowl.

   “Huh…”

   The sound of a loud exhale seemed like the earth was collapsing, coming from the mouth of the person sitting there. Sangwoo placed the drink next to the ramyeon bowl and stepped out of the smoking area.

   After returning to his seat for five minutes, the notification popped up again.

   [Order from customer number 22: Fried Clam-Purse Potatoes.]

   Sangwoo looked at the screen with a dissatisfied expression. Customers could order any food through the store’s system, but hardly anyone ever ordered pastries. Normally, they would come to the counter to buy them themselves.

   “So, you’re trying to give me an excuse to exercise, huh? Thanks.”

   Sangwoo picked up the pastries from the shelf and walked to the smoking area, while Jaeyoung was watching a basketball game from another country.

   “Ohhh….”

   The sound of exhaling grew louder each time. Sangwoo placed the bag of snacks next to the Lemon Green water and the Ramyun cup before leaving the smoking zone.

   Sangwoo knew well that it wasn’t over yet. He sat down at the counter and hugged his chest, looking at the screen. It wasn’t known how many minutes had passed when the notification sound became louder.

   [Customer request number 22: Jelly fruits.]

   Sangwoo grabbed the jelly from the shelf and headed towards the smoking zone.

   ________________________________________.

   [1] Training a disobedient dog. “똥개, 훈련, : Tong-gae, Hoon-nyeon.” A proverb used to describe giving orders to perform tasks that are both difficult and easy or have no repeated meaning.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 16 <11> #3.

   The playground path they walked on still had the sign that said, ‘Drama Club Filming  in Progress,’ pinned up as usual. Even though it had been a fake sign for three days, now he knew the truth… Sangwoo kicked the sign until it broke and then threw it into the trash bin.

   When they walked on the snatched path, tranquility visited them. Even with Jaeyoung by his side. Sangwoo took out a coffee can and sipped from it, walking on the path where he could close his eyes.

   “You’re not too brave, are you?”

   Sangwoo hurried his steps a little, not wanting to be disturbed. Of course, Jaeyoung followed and walked at the same speed.

   “Do you know what I’m going to do with just the two of us like this?”

   “Are you a delinquent?”

   “…What harsh words!”

   “If you’re not a delinquent, then don’t worry about it. I’m just asking if you’re a delinquent, that’s all. Do you have a black heart?”

   “If you want to gather 191 people, the ones you like, it will take time, so be careful.”

   He clenched his teeth and spoke. Sangwoo smirked and looked at

   Jaeyoung, who was wearing a nice coat. He had a tall, slender body, but didn’t look as strong as those fighting athletes.

   “Sunbae, you don’t seem very skilled in fighting.”

   “Oh, really? Then, are you working out?”

   Sangwoo used to learn taekwondo a long time ago, but since entering high school, he prioritized his studies. Besides cycling around his neighborhood or to the university, he hadn’t done any other exercises.

   “I used to. But now, not so much.”

   “Next time, play basketball with me. I won’t let you touch the ball at all.”

   “No, thanks. And also, please stop increasing the number of other people’s family members.”

   At the end of the path was the soccer field under construction. Sangwoo walked up to the Faculty of Natural Sciences automatically, stood in his usual spot, aimed at the can, and threw it into the trash bin. The can curved beautifully into the second leaf of the bin. Sangwoo felt relieved as if he had built a card castle again after being blown down by someone.

   Next was the library. Sangwoo sat in his reserved seat, while Jaeyoung sat next to him, not borrowing any books this time, and twirled a pen. Sangwoo took out his study book and notebook. As he hung his bag on the chair, Jaeyoung took the notebook away.

   “Give it back. That’s stealing, you know.”

   Jaeyoung glanced boredly and flipped the back cover of the notebook, looking at the price tag. Then, he reached into his leather wallet, taking out two banknotes and placing them on Sangwoo’s desk. Sangwoo was speechless. If it had been an important notebook, he would have reported it to the police, but it was just a practice book. Instead of wasting time arguing with Jaeyoung, he took out a similar-looking notebook from his bag instead.

   From now on, the disturbance would start again because one heart was waiting for the sound of flipping paper. He picked up the earplugs, which were the third round of ammunition, from his backpack and put them in both ears. Then he didn’t hear the disturbing sound anymore. Even though he was puzzled by Jihye’s first two instructions, the third one might work.

   It was a bit uncomfortable wearing the earplugs, but the advantage was that it blocked out the sound for real. He felt that he would be able to concentrate for several days and read a book. But before he could read a single page, he could feel eyes staring at him.

   When he looked to the right, he found Jaeyoung sitting there and drawing something in the notebook. He sat with a professional attitude and occasionally glanced between Sangwoo and the concealed notebook, shifting the pen in his mouth.

   ‘Behaving strangely again.’

   Sangwoo opened the partition on the right and turned his face back to the book. After a minute passed, he looked sideways with concern and noticed that the partition had been silently folded down because he couldn’t hear it due to the earplugs. He set up the partition again, but Jaeyoung put it down again. It had been like this for three rounds. Sangwoo was about to explode. He thought he would be able to read a book today, but it seemed like he would miss out again.

   After setting up the partition again, he used his right arm to hold it firmly so that it wouldn’t fall down and continued reading. At first, it was okay, but after a while, he could feel the piercing gaze again. This time, Jaeyoung stood up, swept his gaze diagonally at Sangwoo, and drew a picture.

   ‘That crazy guy.’

   Sangwoo cursed silently, realizing he needed group work assistance. He prepared a cup of coffee with compassion and even left a pathway for walking. In the end, he just kept writing the script until the professor scolded him, and he stared beside him without any concentration.

   Although it would be better than wearing a red duck feather jacket, the green coat was still annoying. Sangwoo decided to move and read the book at home. Even though the table at home was not as big as the library table, and the light was dimmer, if he stayed here and couldn’t do anything like this, it would be better to go home and read.

   He pulled out the earplugs forcefully, preparing to put them in his bag. At that moment, he heard a loud tearing sound from the side. After putting the textbooks into his bag and turning back, Jaeyoung had moved the paper to the front.

   “A gift.”

   The other party drew a cartoon-like picture in the notebook. It was a realistic sketch that resembled a political cartoon character in an American newspaper. A puffed-up cheek, squinted eyes, pointed finger, black-painted lower part under the eyes, downturned mouth, and a disproportionately large black cap. Sangwoo tore the picture into pieces right away.

   “Too much.”

   He ignored Jaeyoung’s mumbled complaints and picked up every piece of paper in his hand, then stopped by the trash bin and threw them away while walking out.

   “Do you know how much money I make by illustrating for magazines?”

   “And what does it have to do with me?”

   “I’ll tell you that it’s not something you can easily tear apart.”

   “I tore it because sunbae, you are the one who drew it. Not because it wasn’t beautiful.”

   “But you’re still drinking the coffee I gave you.”

   “Senior is not the one who made it.”

   “Just say what you want to say.”

   He left the library at 1:32 PM. It was a complete waste of time. As Sangwoo hopped on his bike, Jaeyoung shouted from afar.

   “Sangwoo!”

   “What is it?”

   “Even though it’s a bit early, have sweet dreams.”

   It’s a meaningless phrase whether spoken in the scorching midday or whispered in the dead of night. He had no way of feeling pleased to hear it.

   “Wish bad dreams for you, sunbae.” With that said, he pedaled down the slope. return 0;

   The next day turned out better than before. On Friday, there were only elective classes. Jaeyoung dozed off on his desk during the first and second periods. Sangwoo absentmindedly picked up the pen he left behind the day before and thought about the incident that made him upset. At the same time, he tried to focus on his studies. Even though he sat next to Jaeyoung, he managed to maintain a usable mood.

   “Want me to treat you to lunch again today?”

   After school, Jaeyoung offered to treat Sangwoo to a free meal without any reason, just like before. If it were someone else, Sangwoo would probably accept, but because it was the other party, he pondered in his head first.

   [1.) Accept.

   Profit in monetary form, Y / Stress, Y = Minimal damage.

2)       Reject. – In the case that Jang Jaeyoung follows me to the cafeteria.

   Profit in monetary form, N / Stress, Y = Significant damage.

3)       Reject. – In the case that Jang Jaeyoung suggests going to a different restaurant.

   Profit in monetary form, N / Stress, N = Maintain the status quo.

   If he agrees, he has to eat with Jaeyoung 100% and there will be stressful issues. But if he refuses, Jaeyoung will follow him. Apart from not getting a free meal, there will be more stressful matters depending on the reaction of the other party. Therefore, he couldn’t do anything but gamble and see what happens.

   “No, thank you.”

   “Then shall we eat at the cafeteria today?”

   “Yes.”

   “I’m a fan of the university cafeteria, you know.”

   Fortunately, the lucky number was 3, after Jaeyoung went somewhere else.. Sangwoo went to the cafeteria alone, got Korean food as usual, and walked to sit quietly in a secluded corner to enjoy his meal, relieved that it was slower than usual by just one minute, so it was still considered good. But when he came out, he found Jaeyoung waiting at the exit of the cafeteria.

   “Oh.”

   Obviously, it was a ‘black-hole.’ Sangwoo took a can like before, checked the condition on the outside and shook it. When he saw that there were no problems, he opened the can. While taking the first sip, Jaeyoung asked strange questions.

   “Do you want to perform a short drama?”

   “Of course.”

   “In that case, let’s go together for a while.”

   If you want to perform a good short drama, do you have to go to a specific place? It’s a really strange instruction.

   “Where should we go, sunbae?”

   “Let’s go find our costumes.”

   “Why do we need to do that?”

   “We have to play as rival dynasty merchants. Otherwise, are we to wear tshirts with English prints or something?”

   “But this is our free time to hang out.”

   “We can do that later.”

   Jaeyoung made a bored face and finally pulled Sangwoo’s wrist to make him follow along.

   “This is using force. I will report it. I said I would report it.”

   Sangwoo shouted while holding the phone in his other hand. Jaeyoung frowned, snatched the phone, and put it in his own pants pocket. The other party was stronger than he thought.

   “Today, I’ll make sure you get a red line drawn [1].”

   “This narrow-mindedness, what makes you think I need help like this? If it’s done from here and you still feel threatened, just let me know. No restrictions.”

   Do you really want to help? Sangwoo wondered, but he decided to trust the other side’s words. When he agreed, Jaeyoung released his grip.

   “So you’re a merchant, right?”

   “Yes.”

   It’s certain. Merchants have a lot to say, and the possibility of getting a good score is high as well.

   “So I’m just a customer being fooled over the phone, huh?”

   Jaeyoung only led him to the student club building without specifying where they were going. When they reached the stairs, Jaeyoung stopped in front of a room labeled “Drama Club.”

   When they opened the door, they were greeted with stage props, masks, and scattered clothes. On a small refrigerator, there were canned coffee, blackhole, piled snacks. On the wall, theater season posters were pasted one on top of another. On the sofa, two male students were playing football on a gaming console [2].

   “You’re here already, Jaeyoung-sunbae.”

   “Do whatever you want. Don’t mind me.”

   Jaeyoung didn’t care about those people. He moved the mannequin aside and opened the door behind it. Then Sangwoo followed the path indicated by the other party.

   In that narrow room, there were clotheslines on all three sides of the wall. Various types of clothes were tightly hung. Jaeyoung took a wooden stick and searched for clothes, while Sangwoo followed suit by searching the lower rack for clothes that people in the previous dynasty might wear, but it wasn’t easy.

   “What’s this?”

   Jaeyoung found a set of clothes that could be used among the dozens of sets. It was a yellow jumpsuit with long sleeves from the neck to the wrists, with bands at the waist and sleeves, and a complex pattern in gold on the chest. Then he picked up another set that was similar in style but purple.

   “Which set is better, this one or that one?”

   “They look the same to me.”

   “The edges are different. The lines are not the same.”

   “Any set will do. Just pay attention to the short Chinese language drama. It’s strange to care about clothes this size.”

   “If you want a full score, you have to do this. I’ll choose this one.”

   Jaeyoung chose a yellow set that looked similar in style. “Actually, in

   Sangwoo’s eyes, they looked almost identical.” It seemed like he liked that set.

   “Try looking for the wig over there.”

   Sangwoo did as the other party instructed. He sat and searched through the box intently but found nothing. He reached out to grab another box to continue searching, but suddenly Jaeyoung also sat and stared in the same manner, only focusing on the legs of the other side. Now, he was being replaced by a new face.

   “Move back a little.”

   “Oh, got it.”

   Jaeyoung remained motionless, not even flinching, despite Sangwoo’s words. Sangwoo searched the box with a feeling of unease. Although he found nothing, he felt relieved. When he looked up, he discovered that his own hat was in Jaeyoung’s hand. Sangwoo examined the other side, who remained still like a statue, without any clear indication of what he intended to do. If one were to judge solely based on the hat mentioned since yesterday, Sangwoo guessed that he probably wanted it.

   “It’s just an old hat I’ve been wearing for a long time. Please go buy one yourself.”

   Jaeyoung simply stared at Sangwoo.

   “If from now on, you don’t come to find me, I will buy a similar one for you, sunbae.”

   Although Sangwoo proposed with the phrase “If.” he guessed that the other party would not agree. If he were to borrow Jaeyoung’s words, it would mean that if it were a matter that can be solved with a cheap hat like this, it wouldn’t have come to this point.

   Jaeyoung’s reaction seemed somewhat peculiar, not at all what Sangwoo had anticipated. Whether it was a scornful smile, a sarcastic remark, or even wearing a hat for himself, it ended up being an outstretched hand held in front of Sangwoo.

   “There’s something stuck right here.”

   His long, slender fingers slowly moved closer. Although there was time to avoid the touch, Sangwoo became rigid with an inexplicable sense of resistance.

   Next, Jaeyoung’s index finger and middle finger gently touched Sangwoo’s forehead, and the moment their fingertips made contact with his temple, static electricity sparked.

   Sangwoo tightened the box and pulled back, the sudden intense stimulation causing him to resist with his spiritual energy, which swept away the other party’s hand.

   “Give it back please.”

   “It’s better not to wear too many hats. Why do you only cover your face and hide your eyes like that?”

   “It’s my business.”

   He extended his hand, but Jaeyoung still didn’t return the hat, making Sangwoo on the verge of getting angry.

   “Please give me back the hat.”

   “Why? Let me see your face for a moment.”

   “Hey, I said give it back?”

   Since he was born, it was the first time Sangwoo spoke without a trace of respect for his seniors. Sangwoo moved forward and snatched the hat from Jaeyoung’s hand. Their chests brushed against each other for a moment before Jaeyoung fell backward, but Sangwoo quickly got up and ran out of the dressing room.

   ________________________________________.

[1]       The red line represents spoken language, indicating a criminal history. In this case, Sangwoo intended to say that he would make Jaeyoung have a criminal history.

[2]       A game console, or video game console, is a gaming device that displays images through a screen on the device or television. There are both home gaming consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and portable gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 15 <11> #2.

   After class ended, Sangwoo, feeling flustered and embarrassed in front of Jang Jaeyoung, hurriedly ran to the Engineering Faculty immediately, where the previous class was held. Sangwoo had to arrive before Jaeyoung, but his bag (a blue backpack containing equipment to reserve seat number two) was left on the far-right table in the fourth row.

   Sangwoo sat down and spread the divider to his left. In the Chinese language class, they had to prepare a short drama, so he couldn’t see the other side’s face for help. But in the class ‘Engineering Mathematics 2.’ he just listened to the lecture and solved problems by himself. So he believed that Jihye’s guidance might be helpful, but he didn’t think it would be that easy, because Jang Jaeyoung was no different from a wicked monster.

   Sangwoo speculated on the various plans of the other side, whether it was accidentally knocking down the divider without intending to, or tapping the table, or making strange noises to disrupt the class.

   However, waiting and waiting, the other side seemed harmless. He was just worried about what Jaeyoung, who was behind the divider, was doing, so he wasted six minutes of the class.

   Finally, Sangwoo quietly lowered the divider a bit, allowing a glimpse of Jaeyoung’s sleepy face on the desk. Today, he felt a conflict in his heart, as if it wasn’t just because the other side wasn’t wearing a red feather coat or glasses. Jang Jaeyoung seemed like a completely different person, as if Sangwoo didn’t know that he was the same person as the part-time worker at the Italian restaurant.

   There were no earrings on his ears as usual, and his hairstyle looked neater than before. Moreover, when he closed his eyes like this, he looked gentle as if he was not the same person who used to find trouble for Sangwoo.

   “What the hell are you doing?”

   Sangwoo felt confused and uneasy at the same time. Defining that indescribable identity was not easy. He defined the other side as ‘Fool, trash, human cancer’ but the image in front of him seemed more suitable for words like “polite, refined, adult.” Those characteristics seemed like different types of data [1] that couldn’t replace each other.

   However, Sangwoo knew well that Jaeyoung’s behavior contradicted his good appearance. The evidence was that Virtual Arts Design’s kid came to study engineering mathematics. He came here to obstruct and ruin Sangwoo’s studies. Even though he was asleep, he still achieved his goal.

   Sangwoo gritted his teeth and refocused on studying. Between thinking about what intentions Jaeyoung had, they proceeded to the next lesson.

   During the second class of “Engineering Mathematics 2.” Sangwoo learned very little. Except for the subject “Contemporary Culture and Cultural

   Theory.” It was already Wednesday. All the other subjects were the same. After these two weeks passed and Jaeyoung disappeared… if he read additional books by himself and listened to online lectures, he had to keep up with the lessons. But the teachers often emphasized the content that would be tested in class, so he couldn’t afford to lose anything.

   Therefore, the moment when Jaeyoung was drowsy was an opportunity. Sangwoo focused on the teacher’s words and tried to understand what the teacher said, but strangely, a few minutes passed, and his consciousness shifted to Jaeyoung, who was deeply asleep.

   ‘Just by being here, you’re already bothering me. It’s an amazing ability.’

   Sangwoo tried his best not to look in that direction, but the fierce battle between consciousness and desire ended within 1 minute, and he turned around.

   As. Error. Jaeyoung yawned peacefully. Sangwoo was engulfed in indescribable emotions that couldn’t be summed up in a single sentence, and he didn’t like those feelings at all. However, when he thought about the wickedness of Jaeyoung, who wore a mask of normalcy, the incomprehensible feeling vanished, replaced by a rising tide of anger and revenge.

   It has been said in ancient laws, ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.’ Don’t you feel anything like that? Jang Jaeyoung must have misunderstood something… If all the conditions are met, Sangwoo can seek revenge as well, but he’s not crazy to that extent. He doesn’t see the benefit of using excessive energy to torment others.

   ‘There’s nothing I can’t do.’

   Sangwoo reached into the box of pencils for the exam rain and pulled one out. Pulling the cap off the pencil evoked a sense of tension as if unsheathing a sword. He held the pencil cautiously and moved closer to Jaeyoung.

   The moist tip of the pencil moved closer to Jaeyoung’s forehead and paused in mid-air. Sangwoo realized that he hadn’t drawn for a long time; he didn’t need to make it beautiful like a painter. But the humble feeling of lacking artistic ability emerged, hindering his decisive action.

   ‘Just draw wherever you want!’

   Startling himself, Sangwoo tightened his grip on the pencil, never having done anything like this before. Just thinking about giving up study time to do something like this made his hand tremble, but he clenched his fists bravely and reached forward. The tip of the pencil, which had hesitated a little, lightly touched Jaeyoung’s forehead. At that moment, their eyes forgot to blink, causing him to inadvertently lower the pencil without intending to.

   And that made him look like someone who had done this before, compared to Jaeyoung’s skillful handwriting. What he had done seemed insignificant, but he had never deceived anyone in his life, so his heart sank to his gaze like a misbehaving child caught in the act.

   Jaeyoung just opened his eyes wide. Sangwoo put the pencil back in the pencil case and leaned over to read the book. His pale brain raced, and his heart beat faster.

   He didn’t know how time passed after that. Sangwoo sat still as a stone until he regained his composure, and by the time he was able to concentrate, the class was over, and the students were gradually leaving the classroom.

   Is he acting like Jang Jaeyoung because of that slight anger? It’s hard to believe that he would stoop to the same level as the other side.

   Owner of the wild hair name was stunned. If Jaeyoung was angry, Sangwoo would have something to say as well, but other than that, he can’t stand himself using a pencil to draw on someone else’s face.

   “Sangwoo-ya, I’m calling you.”

   “… Yes.”

   “Are you seeking revenge?”

   Sangwoo turned around. Jaeyoung smiled, even with a black line on his nose.

   “Wow, it feels like a robot came to vacuum and bring bread crumbs.”

   Instead of getting angry, Jaeyoung looked pleased and adjusted his cap on his head. Sangwoo felt so embarrassed that he didn’t have the heart to find fault with the other party who touched him without permission.

   “Let’s go eat together. Today, I’ll treat you.”

   “I told you, it’s only my sisters.”

   Sangwoo resisted answering. When Jaeyoung stood up and grabbed his wrist, he was so unconscious that he was dragged away without resistance.

   While walking out of the engineering faculty, Jaeyoung pretended to greet many people, and everyone who knew Jaeyoung laughed and talked about Sangwoo’s work.

   “Sunbae, why is your nose dirty? Are you putting on makeup preparing for a play?”

   “Cool right? this kid did it.”

   “Oh. Jaeyoung, what are you doing in engineering? And why did your face get like that?”

   “Oh well, I have a little something to take care of, as for the face, this hubae did it.”

   Instead of feeling embarrassed when someone greeted them, Jaeyoung pointed to Sangwoo and proudly told everyone that the pen marks on his face it was his skill, just like citing references in a thesis, it was very strange to be a craftsman, and that day Sangwoo learned the meaning of “shamelessness.”

   Every time Jaeyoung introduced them to his acquaintances, Sangwoo felt as if he was being attacked. As soon as he walked out of the entrance hall, Sangwoo was in high spirits. After being dragged around like that, when he realized it, he was standing in front of a pizza shop on campus.

   “Don’t you like pizza?”

   Jaeyoung asked after sitting down at the table. Sangwoo replied with a resigned expression.

   “No, I don’t.”

   “Then why are you so quiet?”

   “Can you remove it?”

   “No, I won’t remove it.”

   Jaeyoung smiled widely and looked at the menu. He ordered one pizza and two soda bottles without asking for Sangwoo’s opinion.

   “As for pasta, since you said you don’t like it, I didn’t order it.” Then he acted like himself, caring about something like that.

   Sangwoo made a sound, ‘tsk.’ In his heart, he said that he didn’t like pasta because Jang Jaeyoung worked at a different Italian restaurant. He never thought about whether the food was delicious or not, and he didn’t choose what to eat.

   Eating is just a process of gaining energy. If the nutrients are complete, there’s no need to think about taste or appearance because constantly thinking about such things is foolish. The idiot with a black line on his nose threw away Korean food worth three thousand won and is now wasting money for no reason.

   “Sangwoo, did you understand what was taught earlier?”

   “If you were not present, I would have understood.”

   “How strange. It’s amazing that you can remember the name with just three syllables and not an entire lecture.”

   “The person who checks attendance by asking the juniors in the subject they have to attend. Moreover, they come and sleep in a class that has no benefit to themselves, this is even more strange than me.”

   While they were talking, the food arrived. Sangwoo ate without saying a word. Jaeyoung thought he ate without enjoyment, but he continued to eat without caring.

   He ate as much as he could and stood up, feeling uncomfortable eating in an unfamiliar place, wanting to leave quickly or maybe because there are crazy people with wide smiles and something stuck on their noses.

   “Sangwoo.”

   Jaeyoung paid and followed him immediately.

   “Nice weather, huh? Look at the sky.”

   ‘You damn fly, fly up to the sky.’

   Sangwoo lowered his head and walked steadily.

   They walked out of the restaurant in just a few steps. Jaeyoung took out a canned coffee from his leather bag, with a black background and the logo saying ‘Black Holic,’ which attracted Sangwoo’s attention. The other party was definitely thinking of using this drink to annoy him.

   ‘I’ve been waiting for this moment.’

   Sangwoo applied Jihye’s advice and prepared for situations like this since the day before. The convenience store owner said that ‘Black Holic’ coffee will come to the store again next Monday, so he only buys coffee on regular days, one can per day. Therefore, the amount he needed to save up was seven cans, so he went to the supermarket and bought that amount, but the moment he thought he had to open his backpack, Jaeyoung handed him the coffee without being able to react in time. “Oh, coffee [2].” ERROR.

   ERROR.

   TYPE, ERROR[3.]

   Originally, he thought Jaeyoung would tease him by opening a can and putting it in his mouth to show off. Sangwoo stopped walking without realizing it and absentmindedly took the can without intending to.

   Sangwoo examined the can closely to see if it was tightly sealed. Jaeyoung saw that and muttered, ‘crazy guy…’. Sangwoo examined it carefully. He shook it, but the can showed no signs of being tampered with, no leaked coffee, not even a single drop.

   “Just drink it already.”

   “What are you doing?”

   “I thought about throwing it away, so I bought 16 cans, but it didn’t taste good, so I left it for your mouth.”

   ‘What’s wrong with him?’

   Sangwoo felt puzzled. The behavior that made him suspicious wasn’t causing any confusion, like arranging the sequence 2 4 6, 8… all was fine, then suddenly, √55 emerged.

   Jaeyoung made a lazily remark.

   “I’ll pick up the remaining cans for you, so take off your hat.”

   “What he wears is none of our business, senior.”

   Since a while ago, why did he only talk about hats? Sangwoo opened the can and felt better when he heard the cheerful sound he hadn’t heard in a long time. He slowly raised the can and touched his lips. As he tilted the can, the warm drink flowed in.

   “Do you think it tastes good?”

   Sangwoo didn’t really know the taste, but he just went along with the comfortable feeling he used to have every day. Sangwoo didn’t pay attention to Jaeyoung and walked straight toward the Humanities building, embracing the hope of recovering his lost daily life.

   ________________________________________.

[1]      Different types of information. For Sangwoo, it refers to data types, or the type of data in computers that specifies the characteristics of the data to be used as numbers, letters, integers, decimals, or dates and times for convenience in processing.

[2]      “Ah, coffee.” In the original Korean version, Jaeyoung said, ‘커피, 셔틀’ “coffee, shuttle”, where the word 셔틀 “shuttle” is a slang term in 

   Korean derived from 빵셔틀 “bread, shuttle”, which refers to a student who is sent by classmates or delinquents in school to buy bread during class time.

[3]      Type Error, an unexpected condition that arises during various stages of program development.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 13 Green.

   Jang Jaeyoung teased Chu Sangwoo to the fullest for two days. He booked a place where the other party usually sits in advance and made a noisy scene in every class, following him everywhere and watching Sangwoo get angry until he trembled.

   And this is the success of the past two days.

   Jaeyoung received six derogatory nicknames, namely, (1) Stalker, (2) Trash, (3) Mental illness, (4) Human cancer, (5) Sadist, (6) Joker. This means that he has firmly embedded himself in Sangwoo’s memory. Although the nameplate given to Sangwoo may not be very cute, it’s better than having no name at all. Jaeyoung is a graphic designer who knows how important branding can be.

   Forget the phrase “When I call his name, he comes to me, and he turns into a flower [1].” It can go away. It’s not a sweet cartoon scene where rich people with good looks chase after girls, splash water on their faces, and then run away. Negative emotions are stronger than positive ones because of marketing tactics like Noise Marketing [2] which is why it’s popular. Moreover, it could be considered an honor for crazy guys who have never given anyone a name before to be called by six different names.

   Jaeyoung sought revenge with extreme vengeance. It was a feeling that spun around, refreshing and fizzy like drinking soda. While destroying Sangwoo, who was so meticulous, he felt that the feeling he had lost had been compensated.

   He enjoyed teasing Chu Sangwoo rather than pitying him. Instead of sympathizing, he felt good seeing the twisted face of the other party. He was so happy that he could endure the torment of having to wake up early every morning. Is that sadistic? He had never thought about it before, but sometimes he might have that side.

   Jaeyoung planned to follow Sangwoo for as long as two weeks until the withdrawal period ended, but he began to think that it was time to stop. Because Sangwoo seemed more miserable than he had imagined, he even thought that the other party might drop out of school altogether. Jaeyoung just wanted to tease Sangwoo a little. He didn’t really want to ruin the other party’s daily life.

   Besides, he was already an easily bored and annoying person. Giving orders for his junior to carry his bag was not an easy task. He had to attend classes that he didn’t understand, and sitting in the library for just one minute made him itchy all over. Moreover, eating tasteless food in the cafeteria with people whispering around was really difficult. There was no way he could do it for two weeks, and anyway, Jaeyoung just wanted to find a way to pass the time.

   These days, Jaeyoung really doesn’t have much to do.

   ‘Sangwoo, why are you doing this?’

   After attending the class on “Hankuk University Student Personality Test.” Jaeyoung immediately felt disgusted with Sangwoo. The classroom was overcrowded, making it difficult for the professor to control everyone, so some students skipped attendance. It’s unknown how many of those people have been suspended or expelled. If Sangwoo is someone who overlooks things that are not right and lets them pass like an ordinary person, then Jaeyoung must be sitting quietly, listening to a world-class designer teaching in America.

   It’s not a course on etiquette.

   But no matter what, it’s just a meaningless assumption. He should be sorry that he himself is in a worse situation than secret inspectors, having done poorly last semester and being closely watched by professors this semester. Jaeyoung sits dejectedly at the back of the room, borrowing paper from the person next to him to doodle.

   Once outside the building, the air feels great. The season of autumn leaves, the season of love, is approaching. It’s been half a year since he broke up with his last girlfriend. He hasn’t been with anyone for a long time either, but he thinks about that while walking among other students. And then he sees

   Sangwoo in the distance, whose attire doesn’t stand out but catches the eye. Sangwoo is walking quickly toward the cafeteria with a group of female students in green outfits.

   ‘Hey, that guy is good with girls.’

   It’s surprising that when they reached the restaurant, he came with another girl. That kind of behavior doesn’t seem popular among real girls. He imagines that Sangwoo must not have a girlfriend.

   He was suspiciously led to the crowded cafeteria. Sangwoo looks across the empty tables and sits at a table full of people, looking enchanting.

   ‘One punch hit.’

   He laughed as he saw the other party slide and sit directly at an empty spot, which also has a charming angle. As for the girl in the green outfit, she sits down beside him. Upon closer inspection, the other party is none other than Ru Jihye, who is sitting there with Sangwoo.

   After eating a ridiculously unappetizing meal, they leave the cafeteria. Jaeyoung thinks that he should be satisfied now. He can’t stand eating this kind of food anymore, even just one meal. He bought sixteen cans of coffee, which he just noticed at the convenience store. When he tried to taste one can, he realized that he can’t go on drinking it, so he threw it away. He left the remaining fifteen cans in the club room, but no underclassmen drank them either.

   While walking towards the smoking area with others, he happens to come across Sangwoo and Jihye crossing the street from the opposite side.

   ‘They’re about the same height. Looks lively, huh? They match well, don’t they?’

   Jaeyoung’s heart sank as he complained bitterly in his mind like a sullen person. Today, Sangwoo wasn’t teased by him, so he appeared more alive, paying attention to Jihye. Jaeyoung thinks that the other party will walk past him like that, but it’s strange that even though they are far away, the other party remembers Jaeyoung. Even though their eyes met briefly that day, Jaeyoung still can’t remember why it feels strange that Jaeyoung is in a strangely good mood.

   Sangwoo turned around and immediately started running away, but Jaeyoung was still half-walking, half-running after him, thinking of catching up with the other side. When they were about ten steps apart, Sangwoo turned to look with a worried face before widening his eyes. He knew that the other side would be surprised, but he didn’t expect their reaction to be running away with such force. Jaeyoung himself quickly emerged as if he were a consecutive killer, chasing after the other party.

   ‘Hey, why the hell am I running?’

   Who would have thought he was crazy… Jaeyoung didn’t understand himself, but his feet kept moving automatically. Sangwoo ran very fast because his determined expression made him think that the other side probably didn’t have much strength left. However, even though Jaeyoung ran as fast as he could, he still couldn’t catch up with Sangwoo, who was running while carrying a backpack.

   Suddenly, he realized that they had reached the main gate. Since he stopped working, this was the first time he had run such a long distance, after sitting on the floor to catch his breath. Jaeyoung also became aware.

   ‘It is said that human greed knows no bounds.’

   When he saw the image of the other side running away in front of him, he understood why he was chasing after them. He used to playfully think of making Sangwoo remember him, whether it was through useless things like Noise Marketing, just to achieve success. But for Sangwoo… Jaeyoung was just a low-quality product. He might feel good for a moment when Sangwoo looked surprised at seeing him, but that couldn’t fill his satisfaction. Jaeyoung wanted to be an excellent sunbae, someone capable and interesting for Sangwoo, just as he was for other junior members.

   ‘Is it true that you’re investigating my relationships, sunbae? She’s a good kid and has nothing to do with me at all!’

   He couldn’t stand seeing Sangwoo getting close to anyone else. He created conflicts with the other side, which led to his reputation as a good person being transformed into something like an unwanted fruit that no one could reach.

   As for Ru Jihye, he had investigated her. Her SNS posts were easy to find, including her name, major, student ID, and there was nothing difficult. From briefly looking at her posts, she didn’t seem like an outstanding person like Sangwoo, but she appeared genuine and sincere. The day they went to the restaurant together, she posted:

   [Looks a bit scary, but doesn’t seem like a bad person. Is there a chance to meet again? #weird person, #first meeting, #feeling expected.] It was obvious that she was talking about Chu Sangwoo.

   [Ru Jihye – Good-natured.

   Jang Jaeyoung – Stalker / Garbage / Mental illness / Human cancer / 

   Sadist / Joker.]

   Ru Jihye was an angel in a green outfit, while Jang Jaeyoung was a redtongued demon from hell. Jaeyoung didn’t like these contrasting elements of good and evil.

   It seemed that Sangwoo still didn’t care about Jihye since he didn’t know her last name or her major. But even so, men with such a clear and honest demeanor always easily passed through when they did good deeds. Leaving it like this, they would have to date within three months for sure. Jaeyoung took the luxury brand watch given by his grandfather as a graduation gift, just in case.

   Jaeyoung felt insecure. He felt that on Chu Sangwoo and Ru Jihye’s wedding day, about eight years from now, he would have to hold hands with the bride who was remembering how Min Youngjae, who hadn’t graduated, had come roaring in with rude methods. It just so happened that Jihye was always there, which allowed the rudeness to pass by. Although he didn’t remember the face of human cancer, he remembered that rude person always wore a red duck feather jacket wherever she went, something like that.

   “I can’t bear to see that scenario at all.”

   Jaeyoung’s goal has changed. Or should I say, leveled up?

   What are the conditions of being a good sunbae? At least for now, there is no hope for him at all. The only thing that he express at this moment is his own identity. At least Chu Sangwoo can correctly remember his name, and it has become a driving force. And now he seems to know how to deal with the other side a little bit. But first, Jaeyoung feels that he has to do something about the equal value between ‘Jang Jaeyoung = red color = bad guy = Joker = garbage.’

   ‘I don’t know why I have to do something so tiring, but… well, I have plenty of time.’

   He started to consider what clothes were in the wardrobe.

   ________________________________________.

[1]       “When I call his name, he comes to me, and he turns into a flower.” It comes from a verse called “Flower” by Min Chun-soo, which says, “When I call his name, he comes to me, and he turns into a flower.”

[2]       Noise. Marketing, a Korean-style English word “Konglish”, refers to marketing that stimulates consumer curiosity and interest by bringing up issues to promote product sales, regardless of whether it adversely affects the brand image or not. It is similar to Word-of-mouth marketing “WOMM”, but mouthto-mouth marketing presents a much better image.

[3]       SNS, Social Networking Service.

      SMNTCERR CHAPTERS HOME

SMNTCERR, Chapter 12 <10> #5.

   Sangwoo had a friend to hang out with for the first time. Originally, he thought they would go straight to the store and spend thousands of won. However, as Jihye suggested, they went for a walk first, which wasn’t a bad idea. Although he did some morning exercises to strengthen his muscles, it was necessary for maintaining good health. Walking in daily life is essential.

   “Oppa, can I ask you something?”

   “Is that a question?”

   “No, just a preamble to my question. When you were a kid, your nickname was ‘Sangchu [1]’  right?”

   “…How did you know?”

   Jihye chuckled and thought ‘That’s right.’ She even clapped her hands and mentioned that ever since she heard his name for the first time, she had been thinking about it repeatedly. She almost blurted it out several times, but she managed to stop herself from laughing.

   “If I call you ‘Sangchu Sunbae’ will you get mad?”

   “No.”

   However, Sangwoo has been called that way his whole life. Even if he tells everyone not to call him that, it’s pointless. He has been giving in for a long time. Moreover, there is no logical reason for it, starting from the moment

   Jihye insisted on calling him “Oppa.” Even though they are not real siblings. And people like to use wrong terms according to their own feelings. If you pay attention to every little thing, it becomes exhausting. For example, even though some people have a hostile relationship with me, they still call me “Sangwoo-ya” as if I were a family member.

   As he thought about it, a red down jacket suddenly appeared from behind the building, catching him by surprise. Jang Jaeyoung walked with two male students, and they glanced at each other for a short time. Then Sangwoo turned around.

   “…Oppa?”

   “I’m going that way. See you.”

   “Yes! Have a nice walk!”

   Sangwoo quickly passed by Jihye who was standing there waving goodbye, learned something, and enjoyed a delicious meal. Even though he didn’t drink coffee, he still went for a walk. But when he saw the color red, he immediately felt upset. Now Sangwoo really hates the color red.

   After walking for a while, he sneakily looked back. Jaeyoung had separated from the group of friends without him noticing and was ten steps away from 

   Sangwoo. Seeing this, Sangwoo’s legs moved before his brain ordered him to.

   ‘I won’t get caught.’

   He ran away following his instincts, his world remaining stable no matter who threatened or used force against him. During high school, he used the power of the teacher, and as an adult, he used the power of government officials. But then mistakes crept into the fair system he had protected all along, an ERROR that occurred suddenly without knowing the cause, rendering the program unable to function.

   Since being released from duty, there was nothing that required him to run. But simply because he didn’t want to see Jang Jaeyoung’s face, Sangwoo exerted all his energy to run. He ran past the Faculty of Natural Sciences, student clubs, and convenience stores that blurred into a haze, passing numerous students whose faces were indistinct, until he arrived at the main gate without realizing it. Sangwoo turned back, thinking that he might have escaped.

   ‘Why are you running so fast?’

   Then he had to scream in his heart.

   “Hey, take a breath first. Wait, me… Do I have to run at this age? I’m not wearing running shoes, jesus…”

   Sangwoo sat staring. Although he wanted to escape from Jaeyoung who was catching his breath, he ran at full speed throughout the long distance.

   Now he was out of breath. Sangwoo distanced himself about one meter from Jaeyoung and sat down on a block of pavement, taking a water bottle out of his bag. Then he took a sip to moisten his throat.

   “Are you crazy? Why did you run like that?”

   “To run or not to run, why are you chasing after me?”

   “Well, it’s weirder, I saw you running and still ran after you without thinking.”

   “That’s even weirder.”

   They exchanged strange conversations while gasping for breath. Then there was a moment of silence.

   After resting for a while… Sangwoo got up and walked. He had to go get his bicycle parked in front of the library. Jaeyoung got up with an annoyed face and followed closely beside him. If he accelerated, Jaeyoung would accelerate too. If he slowed down, Jaeyoung would slow down. Continuing like this might turn into a footrace. Sangwoo lost interest in that side and maintained a normal speed.

   “She’s pretty, huh?”

   “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

   “And the friend who ate with you earlier, what’s her name?”

   “Min Jihye.”

   “Which department?”

   “Philosophy… I think?”

   “Last name Ryu, first name Jihye, she’s half-French.”

   Sangwoo was focused on walking, so he responded robotically, but when he heard that, he paused and turned to look at Jaeyoung.

   “Is it true that you’re investigating my relationship, sunbae? She’s a good kid and has nothing to do with me at all!”

   Upon hearing that, Jaeyoung smirked mockingly.

   Investigate something, didn’t you guys used to come to the store where I work? You brainless idiot. Back then, I saw your student ID card. It’s not surprising that I can’t remember your name.

   Sangwoo evaluated the words of the other party and continued walking.

   “Hey, do you know my name?”

   “Do I gain anything by knowing?”

   “What’s good about it? Can’t you remember a three-syllable name?”

   “An efficient brain deletes unnecessary information.”

   “You are making me upset again.”

   Jaeyoung grabbed Sangwoo’s shoulder to make him stop, and the other party’s hand touched his body. Sangwoo instinctively turned his face away.

   “Homework, compose a three-line poem using my name.”

   In addition, Jaeyoung said something strange, and Sangwoo removed the other party’s hand from his shoulder.

   “The reward is that starting tomorrow, I won’t provoke you anymore.”

   Evaluating that statement was difficult for Sangwoo. He pondered for a moment before speaking.

   “Question: If I do it, will you go away, sunbae? Do you even have the boundaries for teasing?”

   “Answer: At least listen if it is with artistry, then I will accept it. As for the boundaries, it depends on you.”

   Sangwoo thought carefully, finding the phrase “listen with artistry” confusing, but he liked the condition that he could set the boundaries of teasing himself, so he agreed.

   “Just say the words.”

   “You have to be the person who spoke, you jerk.”

   Sangwoo understood that normally the listener would be the one to say the words when playing the three-line poem game, but judging from Jaeyoung’s reaction, it seemed that wasn’t the case. So he opened his mouth to speak.

   “Monitor [3.]..Suddenly, heavy rain is so annoying.”

   While he was speaking what he thought, Jaeyoung hugged himself and boasted with a proud expression. After seeing that face, Sangwoo continued the next paragraph automatically.

   “Monitor …Suddenly, heavy rain is so annoying.”  The red down jacket shimmered in the sunlight.

   “Yo… It would be better if you don’t show up again.”

   Jaeyoung’s painted face was difficult to read, his forehead slightly wrinkled.

   At the same time, the corners of his mouth seemed to form a small smile.

   Sangwoo thought he could compose a three-line poem without any trouble,

   but he couldn’t know what Jaeyoung was thinking. On top of that, he was also an arbitrator. Therefore, during the period when he closed his mouth and remained silent, it was quite tense.

   “Results of evaluation.”

   Jaeyoung spoke with a condescending tone.

   “Accuracy, full 10, given 10.”

   “Oh…”

   “Sincerity, full 10, given 10.”

   “More generous than I thought.”

   “Literary value, full 10, given 3.”

   “Is that so?”

   “Plot relationship, full 10, given 1.”

   “…”

   “Uniqueness, full 10, given…”

   “If this question receives a 10, is there any hope for a score?”

   “0 points.”

   Sangwoo almost blurted out a curse word and cursed Jang Jaeyoung to death.

   “Total score 50, received 24. We’ll see each other again tomorrow…

   Sangwoo-ya, goodbye~.”

   ‘I guess so.’

   Sangwoo left Jang Jaeyoung standing there and walked away briskly. In the end, it turned out like this, he couldn’t believe those hesitant words were wasted. Jang Jaeyoung didn’t follow after him, but he could still hear the other side’s words chasing after him.

   “It seems that I misunderstood, and now I know how to walk away from you.”

   “Am I an electrical appliance in your house or something?”

   “I thought you were similar.”

   Those words didn’t warrant a response. In Sangwoo’s mind, he thought about everything in the store a thousand times since they had lunch— unlocking his bicycle, mounting it, and pedaling quickly past Jaeyoung.

   ________________________________________.

[1]       Sangchu, derived from the first name of Sangwoo “Sang.” + surname “Chu”, is ‘Sang Choo,’ which corresponds to the word “sangchu” “lettuce” in English.

[2]       Oppa, in this context, refers to an older brother that is commonly used by women to address their older brothers. Normally, it is used to refer to someone within the family or someone with whom they have a close relationship, or when given permission by the person themselves. In cases where the other person is an older classmate at school, university, workplace, etc., it is more common to use the term “sunbae” “senior”.

[3]       A three-line poem based on the name Jang Jaeyoung, as it is not possible to construct a sentence using the name “Jang Jae-young” in Thai.

   The translator, therefore, used letters from each syllable instead, such as “J-JY.” while trying to preserve the original meaning. That is, “Suddenly, heavy rain is so annoying” another meaning is misleadingly cursing Jaeyoung as “heng sri” he escaped forever.

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