Chapter 5
[Cafeteria, 11:45 a.m.]
The cafeteria at San-Ib High School is believed to be one of the best in terms of food and interior design. There were a range of nutritious food options for the students to enjoy. Asia, South and North America, Europe—you name it, they've got it.
Katsumi was overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available to her. It's fun to experiment with new flavors in a situation where things may get really stressful. A pleasant, peaceful paradise with food
They begin by paying for their meal using a self-service machine. Yejoon went first to show Katsumi how and what to do. He chose the cheapest food available today: a cheese stick. This just costs 3,720 won, or about $2.
"Is that all? Aren't you going to buy more, including your drink?"
"My family cannot afford much, so I must save."
Katsumi, for some reason, assumed that every student here had money. And overlooks the existence of scholarships. She had never given money any attention before. If she needed anything, she would buy it, even if it was expensive.
"Is bibimbap alright for you?"
"I don't have enough money for it."
"I'll pay for it."
"Are you sure? That's quite expensive."
"I insist it's a token of my gratitude for assisting me a while ago."
The only people who would do such a thing were his friends and them only. That's why Yejoon couldn't express how grateful he felt for her.
Katsumi placed an order for two separate sets and handed Yejoon his receipt. She ordered bibimbap bulgogi for both of them, as well as pickled radish and a bottle of water.
The next step was to show their receipt to the lunch lady in order for her to get their order on a tray. When they received it, they walked up to a table where Yejoon's friend was sitting.
Katsumi was anxious about meeting Yejoon's friends for some reason. She was aware that if she sat with them, she would be looked at. However, she wanted to be friends with that person too, so in order to accomplish that, first impressions are important.
When Katsumi sat down with them, Yejoon's companion turned his attention to her, just as Katsumi had predicted. The friend was perplexed and hoped for an introduction from Yejoon, but the guy was too preoccupied with the food to notice.
Katsumi, on the other hand, did the honors of approaching him first.
"Nice to meet you; my name is Arioka Katsumi, and I just transferred today; Yejoon is my classmate."
"Classmates, I see," the guy said, still in awe. "My name is Kim Subin, and it's a pleasure to meet you as well."
Subin was a pretty gorgeous man upon closer inspection. While Yejoon had a circular feature, Subin had an oval one. He was tanned with plump lips, a jizzled jaw, and a tiny nose with a peach blossom-shaped eye. He, like Yejoon, wore huge glasses, which made him even cuter.
"Katsumi is Japanese, so please help her if she needs it," Yejoon added.
Subin responded with a nod. Katsumi smiled as she watched Yejoon eat his lunch. She felt great meeting new people and making new friends. A few minutes later, another of their friends arrived and sat at the same table as them.
"I see we have another new face."
The voice Katsumi heard made her freeze, as it felt super familiar. And it was indeed someone she knew. Namgyu is there in front of her and was as surprised as Katsumi to see her again at school.
They weren't expecting to see each other again at this school. Katsumi felt she should've known what institution Namgyu goes to because of the uniform he wore before, but somehow she forgot. She felt stupid for failing to notice.
"You're Katsumi, right?" he inquired.
"And you're Namgyu! It's great to see you again."
"You've both met before?" Subin inquired.
"We met in the streets just yesterday at an alleyway, and Namgyu was with some guy, Jiwoon? I thought he needed help, so I helped him."
"What were you doing in an alleyway?" Yejoon asked.
"It was a quick way to get to my apartment."
The conversation was cut short as Namgyu's attention went elsewhere. He was looking for Kento, who was in his class, and just like Yejoon, he was in charge of the other twin. He lifted his hand when he spotted Kento with his paid food so the youngster could see him.
His friends noticed what he did and turned to check who he was waving to. Katsumi breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her twin approaching their table. She was delighted she could still see her brother, even if they had to pretend they were strangers.
"Let me introduce you to Yamada Kento, a transfer student from Japan and a classmate of mine."
Namgyu then started to introduce the rest of his friends to the new boy one by one. Subin and Yejoon noticed several parallels between Kento and Katsumi. From their names being both K to the countries they both live in. Their appearances were even identical. Even though they met each other, it seemed as if they were distant cousins.
However, Katsumi was the first to protest the theories they were proposing. They may have similar looks or come from the same country, but that doesn't mean they know each other. It was like saying Namgyu and Subin were siblings because they shared the same surname. Which they were not.
Katsumi did make a valid argument, which led them to believe she was telling the truth. Instead, they were persuaded to believe they were both doppelgangers who happened to cross paths by chance.
While the twins were enjoying their lunch, Jiwoon and his friends had just entered the cafeteria. And one of his friends, Nabi, had just seen Kento eating his lunch.
"I'll be right back."
Jiwoon sighed and let Nabi be when he realized what she was up to. The girl sat beside Kento at the table to catch his attention. But Kento was the only person at that table who ignored her while he went about his business. He knew who the person was from the scent of her perfume.
"Kento, was it? Would you like to eat with me?"
"I'm fine here."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous; if you agree, I can give you everything."
"I don't need your money, and I'm not interested."
Nabi realized that no matter what she said or did, the lad was completely uninterested. She sighed, defeated.
"Such a shame."
As she walked away, her gaze trailed the boys, who didn't dare to glance back. She then stared at Katsumi, who became agitated and returned her gaze to her food. Nabi couldn't help but snicker when he saw Namgyu's friend alongside them. Jiwoon would be overjoyed to know she was here, she thought.
Katsumi's gaze followed Nabi as she returned to her seat and watched her murmur something to Jiwoon. Whatever Nabi said to him made him look her way as they made eye contact. Katsumi was startled by the sudden action and hurriedly averted her gaze.
How could she have overlooked something so important? Katsumi was naïve to believe she'd never see Namgyu's bully again, despite the fact that they were both wearing the same uniform at their first encounter.
She then discovered that Nabi was a classmate of Kento and Namgyu. And the moment she saw Kento, she was interested in him. Kento is an extremely attractive young man, so it came as no surprise to Katsumi that girls were swooning over him already.
[Dismissal, 4:30p.m.]
Katsumi had everything arranged and was ready to depart as soon as they were dismissed. Many things had happened on her first day, and she had had a good time despite the tough lessons. Perhaps it was because she had made more than two friends in one day.
Although it may not appear so to many, it was a big achievement for Katsumi.
She heads out with Yejoon. Namgyu and Subin would always wait for him outside the school grounds, and they'd all ride in Namgyu's car together. Yejoon was apparently brought and fetched by Namgyu or Subin every single weekday since he lived far away from school.
He couldn't afford transportation, so he walked there and back whenever it wasn't available. But that was before he met the two, and they're now refusing to allow Yejoon to walk that far.
However, once they left the school grounds, their buddies were unfortunately accompanied by Jiwoon. Katsumi got irritated by the mere sight of the man.
She lets out a sigh.
Yejoon paused in his place, unsure whether he should butt in or flee. He wanted to flee, but he didn't want to abandon his friend. If he were in their situation, he would want a close buddy to assist him.
But regardless of which he chose, they were both caught by that annoying man.
"Hey! There's our third geek!" exclaimed Jiwoon.
His focus was immediately drawn to Katsumi. And he was overjoyed to see her.
"It's you! Don't tell me you came here to see me."
It's remarkable how someone can be so obnoxious while also looking so punch-able. Katsumi may appear to be someone who can keep their patience for an extended period of time, yet she is the polar opposite. This boy was putting her patience to the test, and an inch more and it would explode.
"Let's not be delusional now, shall we? I transferred here to learn and make new friends; that's it."
"Wonderful! Why don't you come hang out with us? By the looks of it, you're already friends with our geeks."
"To where?"
"Today is a special occasion. You'll see when you come with us."
Katsumi suspects they're up to no good after witnessing the look on Namgyu's face the first time they met. And if something happens to these boys, who are now her new friends, she'll never forgive herself.
"Alright, then."
Katsumi's friends were taken aback by her remark. They didn't anticipate the lady agreeing to Jiwoon so quickly. They assumed she was scared of the man when, in fact, all Katsumi wanted was to keep them safe. And she must accompany them to ensure their safety.
"You'll come with us too, right, Kento?" Nabi inquired. Her eyes sparkled as she pouted. If this was her plan to entice Kento to join her, it failed.
It was his time to relax now that he was a retired yakuza. He desired to live his new life free of drama and risk. He also didn't want Nabi to cling to him much longer. The girl didn't appear to respect his boundaries and continued to disregard his consent.
He turned down the offer and went away. And as he did, he was on his phone. The girl received a message from Kento the minute he went by Katsumi.
It says, 'Be back home by 9 p.m. I'll prepare dinner.'