Spinoff 1-1: Her Secret (1)
One fine spring day in April, with cherry blossoms in full bloom.
It was cherry blossom season that makes one’s heart flutter just as the season enters warm weather.
And right here, was a popular individual who had taken every Hankuk university students’ heart…
“Whoa, she really is pretty alright.”
“That’s her, the one who got on the news for not getting a single question wrong in the SATs this year. Lee Seol.”
Her name was Lee Seol, freshman of the year 2020 at Hankuk university Economic management major.
She was first noticed for her title of ‘Full scores in a notoriously tough year of SAT’, then once more gained popularity for her looks that would match any celebrities’, and had been regarded as ‘Economic management’s goddess’.
“Hey, Youngjun. Should I try getting her number? She doesn’t have a boyfriend yet, right?”
A boy from the same major who got in the year 2016 and has just returned from the army, Kim Cheolmin, spoke as he stole the looks of Seol who was having a meal in the school cafeteria.
There were students of the same year surrounding her all the time.
Not only was she pretty and good at studying, but she was also a popular girl in every school event…!
Being that economic management major goddess’ boyfriend would lead to a college life everybody yearns for.
“Err, wouldn’t Seol have her standards too…?”
Looking at Cheolmin lighting up his eyes in excitement, Park Youngjun the year 2020’s student representative Park Youngjun spoke cautiously with disdain in his eyes.
Cheolmin flared up at Youngjun’s words.
“You punk, what do I lack compared to her? I might as well be considered perfect. I did hear from time to time that I looked a bit like that celebrity Go Soo, and my height of 173cm is the average height for a Korean guy.”
…Go Soo? More like, Go Shoo…
But not daring to say anything negative to a senior who just returned from the army, Youngjun only smiled awkwardly with his hands raised before him.
“O-of course, it’s tough to find a guy like you, man. But there is a guy that raised the standards of girls from year 2020 way up…”
“What? Who is it?”
Youngjun jawed at the corner of the dining room and whispered in Cheolmin’s ear.
“It’s him. His name is Ha Daesu. He was another one famous for getting everything right on the SAT just like Seol. Seems that his family is wealthy, and he studied abroad in the States too…”
Eyeing Cheolmin, Youngjun added.
“…He is also 187cm.”
There was a boy having his meal sitting alone with nobody around him where Youngjun pointed at.
It was surprising to see how he dared to come to the cafeteria to sit alone, but because of his handsome face and aura, he looked rather like a lone, proud crane.
Apart from the titles under his belt that Youngjun just mentioned, Cheolmin’s jaw dropped at how dashing Daesu’s face was.
If her standard got raised by the likes of him, it was at a level where he didn’t even stand a chance to be honest.
It pained him to have to admit that in his mind,
“Hey Youngjun, you may not know better since you are young, but being wealthy and good looking isn’t all there is to a guy.”
“…What else would you need if that’s not all?” Youngjun asked, looking dumbfounded. Cheolmin slammed his hand down on his chest a few times.
“A man should be judged by their attentiveness!”
“…”
“You see, girls, they fall for guys who care, are considerate, things like that, you know?”
“Ahh, is that so…?”
But wouldn’t that require basic tools like looks or height too…?
…Unable to say that, Youngjun nodded.
“I suppose you have a point too. that punk Ha Daesu, though he is tall and good looking enough to be a celebrity, his popularity is at rock bottom.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. Perhaps because he knows how hot he is, his attitude is totally…”
Youngjun shook his head and added.
“On top of that he thinks that all girls fall for him. You know there is a company field investigation in April, right? The vice student representative girl gave him the signup form and guess what he said?”
Snorting, Youngjun raised his eyes up as if to mimic Daesu, and spoke.
“I have no intention of dating anyone. I wouldn’t be reading it even if you give me that so don’t waste your time and take it back.”
“…What the heck does that mean?”
“It was only a signup form for company field investigation but he thought she was giving him a love letter.”
“What? That punk is a total nutjob.”
Cheolmin laughed aloud with his hands around his stomach.
“He is. That wasn’t the first time either. There is a reason why he is such a loner with that face and that build.”
“So all in all, there is nothing going on between Lee Seol and Ha Daesu, correct?”
“Absolutely. Why would our major’s popular goddess be caught up with the self-absorbed loner like him?”
Youngjun halted in the middle of his thoughtless answer.
“B-but even if there’s nothing between them… dude, what are you trying to do here?”
“Apart from that punk, every other boys in our major I can trump. Watch and learn from what I’m about to do, Youngjun.”
“W-wait.”
Though Youngjun tried to hold him back in panic, Cheolmin didn’t even look back and stood up holding his food tray.
“Seol!”
Seol had just finished the meal and was about to leave the cafeteria with her friends when she turned around at someone calling her name.
Then, Seol Stared at Cheolmin for a second before breaking into a smile.
“Ah, Kim Cheolmin Sunbae!”
Cheolmin’s eyes widened.
‘She knows my name?’
At that moment, Sanctus of Libera choir rang in his head like an auditory hallucination.
‘I totally got her.’
Next to Seol in a blindingly white wedding dress, Cheolmin waved his arms at the guests at his wedding, he then became a father of three children and soon became a grandpa with white hair, greeting his grandchildren running towards him as he gave his gracious smile.
Looking at the future depicted in his head, Cheolmin forced down the tip of his lips from creeping up.
“Did you have a nice meal?”
“Yes, Sunbae. but what’s the matter?”
“Sunbae sounds so stiff… just call me Cheolmin.”
“Ahh… s-should I?”
“I just wanted to say hi since we never had a chance to get to know each other. Did you know, Seol, the strawberry smoothie sold in the cafe up front there is super famous? Let’s get some together. It’s on me.”
Cheolmin added with a wink,
“A little bribery from me, since I want to know Seol better~!”
Silence fell.
Ignoring the awkward looks the girls around Seol were shooting at him, Cheolmin continued to be giddy.
Seol smiled apologetically.
“Thank you, Cheolmin, But I’m sorry, I have a class right after. Maybe next time…”
“Class at Wednesday 1PM, is it by professor Oh Jeongeun by any chance?”
“Ah, yes.”
“That professor does not take attendance. How about you take a day off with Cheolmin? Huh?”
Cheolmin was persistent.
“Haha… taking a day off already during freshman year seems a bit too much… and I can’t skip that class, it’s an essential major class.”
“Aw, come on Seol. Being too diligent makes you lose your charm, you know? What’s the fuss over skipping one class? You are smart enough anyway.”
Snap-
A vein popped up Seol’s forehead without anyone noticing.
But unable to leave a crack on her reputation as an Economic management’s goddess, Seol held back once more and spoke.
“I’m not that smart, Cheolmin. I need to go to class. I’ll try that smoothie with you when I get a chance next time. Then…”
“Hey, Lee Seol!”
Clank-
Dropping down his food tray at the counter hurriedly, Cheolmin just grabbed onto Seol’s wrist as she was about to leave the cafeteria.
Seol turned around with a flinch to find Cheolmin looking slightly displeased.
“I get that you are embarrassed because I talked to you out of the blue,”
“Huh?”
Who, me?
Seol was dumbfounded.
“But everyone is watching, what would they think of me if you keep turning me down like this?”
“Er, Sunbae. That’s not what…”
“Sunbae, yes. Exactly. Back in my day, we regarded Sunbaes’ words like rules. You know how surprised I was to find things so different after coming back to school this time…?”
Grabbing on harder to Seol’s wrist as she tried to break free, Cheolmin winced.
“Don’t worry about Professor Oh’s class, I’ll buy you a smoothie…”
Right then, a food tray was shoved between Seol and Cheolmin.
‘Ha Daesu?’
Upon checking the face of the sudden intruder, Cheolmin was surprised.
It was that loner newbie from the year 2020, with a handsome face that makes anyone dazed off.
“What are you… uhh!”
With one hand in the pocket, another holding his food try right against Cheolmin’s chest, Daesu started to shove him backwards just like that.
Freaking out that food may splash on his clothes, Cheolmin let go of Seol’s wrist and fell back awkwardly as Daesu shoved him backwards.
Soon, Cheolmin came to a halt falling all the way back to the tray dropoff counter.
Cheolmin, with his eyes wide enough to fall off, looked up at Daesu’s face way above him with his face turning red and blue in shame and shouted.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?!”
With no intention to answer Cheolmin’s question, Daesu merely looked down at him with an indifferent expression on his face.
And the next moment,
Daesu pushed the food tray against Cheolmin’s chest, with nowhere for Cheolmin to fall back to behind him.
The red soup precariously waved and eventually drenched Cheolmin’s major jacket’s collar.
“Hiik…”
“Huh.”
“He must be mad.”
Looking at them, the freshmen from 2020 and Seol all froze in shock.
“W-w-what are you…”
Ignoring the baffled Cheolmin, Daesu casually put his tray on the counter behind him like nothing had happened.
Then he spoke with a smirk.
“My bad.”