Chapter 157

While I stayed at the underground chapel, Ji-Ah was always there. However, my uncle only briefly came to show his face on Saturday. According to my uncle’s explanation, he was busy bringing in the Gyeonggi Branch executive hiding overseas, so the situation didn’t permit him to be at the underground chapel. He seemed noticeably worn out since I last saw him.

"Why are you working so hard?" I asked out of curiosity.

I couldn't understand why my uncle was putting in so much effort. From what I knew, he wasn't the type of person to sacrifice himself for others.

My uncle let out a deep sigh in response to my question.

“Just because. They are former comrades, and well... I hadn’t originally planned to help them to this extent, but seeing their faces, I couldn’t help but feel..."

My uncle rambled on.

"Why did you suddenly develop sympathy? Because she looks prettier now?" I joked with a smirk.

My uncle got visibly flustered. His demeanor was completely different from his usual self.

"Hey, that’s not what I mean... So what, should I have ignored and rejected someone who was crying and clinging to me? Is the Voodoo Cult such a heartless place?"

"What does the Voodoo Cult have to do with this?"

"If there's someone in need, it's only right to help them. No, it's not about doing what’s morally right, but it’s also in the doctrine."

My uncle often referenced the Voodoo Cult whenever he was losing his arguments.

“When did I tell you not to help them? Do as you please. I won't interfere as long as you don't cause me any harm."

If it caused me no harm, I had no intention of getting involved, whether my uncle brought the Gyeonggi Branch executive or not.

Although I personally didn't particularly like her, they were capable individuals regardless of their personality and would provide a benefit to the Voodoo Cult if they were brought in.

"Sure. I’m not helping them because I want to. I just felt sorry for them..."

"What are you trailing on so much for? Do you like this person?"

"I knew you would say that. It's not like that."

I had a brief altercation with my uncle. Ji-Ah quietly watched us with a smile while we exchanged arguments that didn’t seem like arguments.

While we were in the midst of our conversation, my uncle's face was drained of all color when he checked his phone.

"Ah, shit... Well... Sun-Woo, I’m off. I want to stay longer, but this is an urgent matter."

"Okay. Bye."

My uncle hurriedly put on his clothes and left the underground chapel without even giving us a chance to see him off. It seemed that the matter at hand was pretty urgent.

After Uncle left, Ji-Ah started boiling water in the coffee pot. Then, she took out finely ground coffee beans and a peculiar machine I had never seen before. Ji-Ah filled the machine with the coffee grounds and slowly poured the boiling water into the machine.

A fragrant aroma that reminded me of the smell of cafes gently spread across the area. From the looks of it, her coffee-making skills were at a professional level.

"Are you preparing to be a barista?" I jokingly asked, and Ji-Ah briefly turned her head to look at me.

"...It’s a hobby..."

"Oh, really?"

"There's nothing to do in the underground chapel..." Ji-Ah said, her voice trailing off as if she was embarrassed.

Come to think of it, she had quite a few hobbies. She probably started cooking as a hobby, and I knew she studied medicine as a hobby as well. It seemed as if she had naturally developed all these hobbies because she had a lot of time to herself.

"What hobbies do you have, Cult Leader?" Ji-Ah asked, placing two coffee cups on the table.

I usually didn’t drink coffee, but I decided to try it out since she made it. I raised the cup, took a sip, and answered her question.

"I don’t know... exercising?"

"Isn't that something you just have to do rather than a hobby?"

"You think? Other than exercising... I don't think I have anything that can be called a hobby," I said and took two more sips of coffee.

Until now, I hadn’t drunk coffee because I didn't like its characteristic bitter taste, but I could hardly taste the bitterness now. It was pretty enjoyable when I thought of it as black water with a nutty aroma.

"It’s a good idea to have at least one hobby."

"Could growing flowers be considered a hobby?"

"Of course. Sounds like it would be beneficial for mental stability."

Mental stability... I need some mental stability these days.

"That’s why I’m thinking of growing one."

"Sounds good. Although it doesn't fit you."

"Hmm... And what do you mean by that?”

“Just kidding." Ji-Ah chuckled and sipped her coffee.

I never expected to see Ji-Ah crack a joke. Compared to the past, I realized that she had changed a lot.

After the weekend ended and I returned to the dormitory, the first thing I did was plant seeds in a flowerpot. With the help of the internet and Granbwa, I learned how to plant seeds properly. While I was at it, I also learned how to water and repot them.

I pleaded to the seed as I lightly pressed my finger on the part where the seeds were planted.

"Don't die."

Even though saying this wouldn’t bring a dead seed back to life, I still wanted to say it at least once. I pledged to invest my time and effort into this seed.

I went to school. The students' reactions to the upcoming practical exams varied with the announcement of the written exam scores.

Some lost their spirit and stared into space with lifeless eyes, while others roamed around, voicing their determination that at this point, they would pour everything they had into the practical exams.

Amid the chaotic atmosphere filled with exam talk, In-Ah and I made eye contact. She looked at me and shook her head from side to side. I didn't understand why she was shaking her head instead of waving her hand if she wanted to greet me.

"Come on! Don't be too upset about just one exam. Have a safe day today~" Ye-Jin came in, said a few words, and left immediately.

For some reason, the morning announcements seemed to be getting shorter and shorter. Just as the classroom was about to become noisy again after a brief moment of silence during the announcements, Ye-Jin forcefully opened the front door and came back inside.

Ye-Jin's loud shout echoed across the silent classroom.

"I can’t believe I forgot this. Sun-Woo, come down to the teacher's office for a moment!"

The students' gazes briefly collected on me before dispersing. In-Ah looked at me with a questioning gaze. I ignored those looks and went down to the teacher's office with no idea as to what was going on.

***

The minute I arrived, Ye-Jin abruptly handed me a stack of papers.

"Give one of these to each class's student council member and tell them to fill it out and put it on my desk. Fill one out and put yours on my desk as well."

"When should we submit these?"

"Today... no, when was it again? Ah, you have until tomorrow."

I glanced briefly at the paper. It was an additional consent form for the mission trip. Although they had already received an application form, it seemed that they wanted to take in additional consent forms because the schedule had been adjusted due to various incidents. I didn't understand why I had to distribute them.

"What? You don’t want to do it?" Ye-Jin said as she looked at my expression.

It was like she could read my thoughts. I hadn’t done a good job of controlling my facial expression.

I smiled and said, "No, it's not that I don’t want to..."

"Right, then please do as I told you~"

Ye-Jin smiled from ear to ear and turned her head toward the monitor.

It was a bit bothersome, but the task wasn’t that difficult, so I decided to make my way up without complaining. I first went to the Class of Kindness because it was the closest classroom to the teacher's office. However, Min-Seo, the person I was looking for, was not there.

Suddenly, I realized that Min-Seo had yet to be discharged. Still, I felt like I should at least pass on the message, so I approached a boy who was talking near the front entrance.

"Please give this to Min-Seo when she comes back."

"Huh? M-M-Min-Seo?"

The boy showed noticeable surprise in his eyes. He even took a few steps back. The boy didn’t want to take the paper even when I tried to hand it to him.

"S-sorry. We're not really close, so it's just weird for me to give it to her..."

"Really? Then who is close to Min-Seo?"

"Uh, um..."

The boy looked around the classroom as if trying to find a suitable person to pass this mission on to. However, no one seemed to want to meet the boy's eyes or mine. No one in the class was close to Min-Seo. That checked out.

"Sorry, I don't really know who is close to her..."

"It's okay, I'll just give it to her myself. Thank you for your time," I said and left the Class of Kindness.

The Class of Kindness that dropped dead silent at the mention of Min-Seo’s name became lively as soon as I exited the room. From what I could see through a short glimpse through the doors, everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Next, I went to the Class of Patience, which was right next to the Class of Kindness. I looked for Jin-Seo but, of course, couldn’t find her. The Class of Patience had a calm and quiet atmosphere compared to the Class of Kindness, so it wasn't easy to approach anyone and start a conversation.

At that moment, a girl came up and talked to me.

"Who are you looking for? Jin-Seo?"

I didn’t know how she knew I was looking for Jin-Seo, but it was a good thing regardless. I smiled politely, showing the smile I only showed to people I met for the first time.

"Yeah, I have something to give to her. Do you know where she is?"

"Hmm, I think she either went to exercise or to train."

"Yeah? Then can you give her this when she comes to class?"

"Huh? No?"

The girl refused to take the paper when I handed it to her. She smirked and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

"You should give it to her yourself."

"No... I don't know when she’s coming. I can't just wait until she does."

"Jin-Seo would appreciate it if you waited around for a bit."

"No, I can't. I'm busy."

I still had five other classes I needed to visit. I didn't think I needed to wait, but I could just leave a text or a phone call instead.

Heading to the next class, I turned on my phone and called Jin-Seo. She didn't answer. So, I just sent her a text. I had a missed call from Joseph, but I didn't think I needed to call him back. Actually, I didn't

want

to call him.

The next class was the Class of Diligence. Luckily, Dae-Man was there. As soon as he saw my face, he approached me with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Sun-Woo! What's up?” Dae-Man said, panting heavily.

His voice was loud and booming as ever. I handed him the paper.

"This is the mission trip consent form. Submit it to Ms.Ye-Jin by tomorrow."

"Oh, thanks! Tomorrow. Should it be submitted in the morning? Or lunch?”

“I'm not sure. Anyway, it’s due tomorrow. But...”

I caught a glimpse of the back of the Class of Diligence. The boys and girls seemed to be mingling with each other alike and having fun, while one of them was trying to push their weight off using only their hands that were gripping onto the sides of a desk.

If he failed and fell, the other students would laugh and pat the fallen kid’s back. When one kid failed and fell, another would come and take his place and attempt the same movement, and if they fell, another would come and try the same movement again. They repeated those actions over and over.

"What are they doing over there?"

"Oh, that's the popular Planche Challenge in our class. Wanna give it a try?"

"No... I'm busy."

"Then try it next time you get a chance!"

Dae-Man then walked briskly to the back of the classroom, cleanly performing the movement that many of the other kids failed to do. The kids who were watching cheered and applauded. The Class of Diligence was much noisier and livelier than the other classes.

Next up was the Class of Humility.

I thought Yu-Hyun would not have been there, but he was surprisingly present. His skin color was so dark that I could easily identify him in the crowd. He had put four desks together and was playing card games with the other students.

When I called out to him, he hurriedly responded and immersed himself back in the card game.

"Oh? Uh, just a moment. Let me finish this round."

He seemed to be more drained than his regular self. As he scrutinized the cards in his hand, he continued to play, throwing and collecting bills.

"Oh? I can't fold in a round like this. I call. Let's do this."

"Ah, damn it! Why does this bastard always get the good cards? Is this a scam? Who was the dealer for this round?"

"What scam? It's all luck. Anyway, thanks! I earned my lunch money for today."

I wasn’t quite sure because I wasn’t familiar with the rules, but it seemed like Yu-Hyun won. He collected his money and got up from his seat while the other kids cursed and screamed. He had a faint smile on his face as if he was drunk with the taste of victory.

"Wow, with you here, my cards started looking good. So what's up? Did you come to play cards too?"

I handed the consent form to the confident-spoken Yu-Hyun.

"Submit this to Ms.Ye-Jin by tomorrow."

"...Ah, I'm not on good terms with that teacher."

"That's none of my concern."

I quickly gave him the consent form and left the classroom. Yu-Hyun glanced at me for a moment but couldn't resist the urging of his friends and started playing cards again. Excitement or disappointment was evident on the pretending calm faces of the kids.

I'd occasionally seen card games at school, but it was my first time seeing kids gambling with real money. Unlike the Class of Diligence, the boys and girls played within their sexes in the Class of Humility. I realized that the atmosphere in each class was different, and I felt relieved that our class could be grouped into the more normal category.

Next up was the Class of Temperance. Su-Ryeon was sitting on the windowsill, chatting with her friends. Perhaps I had been too shocked in the Class of Humility, but the atmosphere in the Class of Temperance was extremely ordinary.

Su-Ryeon looked into my eyes and awkwardly greeted me, stumbling over her words. “Uh, huh? Hi! Why are... you here?"

Her reaction was akin to that of a young child caught stealing. I tried to recall if I had done something wrong, but I couldn’t think of anything. I had no contact with Su-Ryeon in the first place. Before I said anything, I handed her the paper.

"This is the mission trip consent form. Submit it to Ms.Ye-Jin by tomorrow."

"Huh? Um, thanks! I appreciate it."

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Su-Ryeon's forehead as she received the paper. I observed her expression.

Su-Ryeon couldn't meet my eyes. Instead, she looked out the window or smiled for no reason. She had the reactions of someone who had done something wrong toward me or was hiding something. Although I found it suspicious, I decided to brush it off.

I left the Class of Temperance and turned toward the last class, the Class of Chastity. Right then, Su-Ryeon tagged along and called out to me.

“Hey."

She showed signs of caution, such as looking behind before speaking.

"Um, hey, Do you, by any chance... smoke cigarettes?"

"What?" I raised my voice in surprise, causing Su-Ryeon to shrink back immediately.

"Who the hell said that?"

"Huh? No, I was just asking. I thought I heard something like that... Anyway, you don't smoke, right?"

"Yeah. Who would..."

I wanted to say, “

Who would tell such a lie,”

but I decided to keep my mouth shut.

If there were strange rumors about me, it was the rumor’s fault, not Su-Ryeon's. I was angry, but I couldn't take it out on her.

"Oh, and you..."

Su-Ryeon glanced at me briefly.

"You're always with that person, the one with brown hair. Her name was Jeong... In-Ah? Is that right?"

"What about her?"

"Oh, don't be so uptight. Are you, by any chance, dating her?" Su-Ryeon asked cautiously.

I shook my head without any hesitation.

She tilted her head in confusion and asked another question.

"Really? Then what about Jin-Seo?"

"Why is she being mentioned in this conversation?"

"You often hang out with those two. Even last time..." Su-Ryeon's voice trailed off, and she furrowed her eyebrows as if realizing something. "Are you double tim...? Both of them?"

"The fuck? I’m dating neither of them," I said and quickened my pace.

I couldn't afford to waste any more time, and talking to Su-Ryeon tired me out. Then, I felt as if something bad would happen, and I shouted at Su-Ryeon as she was heading toward the classroom.

"...Don't spread weird rumors!"

Su-Ryeon had a loose tongue and enjoyed gossiping. I thought that if I let her go like this, she could spread some strange rumors.

With a sinister smile, Su-Ryeon nodded her head and mouthed something. It seemed like she was trying to tell me she understood.

Despite hearing her response, a sense of unease lingered in a corner of my heart. I cleared my mind of the thoughts, and I walked toward the Class of Chastity.

It wasn’t like such a small thing would spread as a rumor, and even if rumors did spread, I could explain myself. Most importantly, I didn't have the luxury of being concerned about rumors in the first place—I had a lot of things to think about.

***

"Are you going to keep dyeing your hair?"

Ra-Hee frowned at the sudden question.

These kids who wouldn’t have dared to talk to her before were now pretending to be close to her. It would have been an unimaginable sight when she used to hang out with Ha-Yeon.

It seemed like they were trying to approach her during her and Ha-Yeon’s slight hiccup. Although she found it a bit displeasing, there was a possibility that she would be completely isolated within the class if she let out her anger. Ra-Hee relaxed her previously furrowed expression and forced a smile.

"Yeah, it's about time to dye it again."

"Are you going to dye it gray again?"

"Probably?"

Ra-Hee actually wanted to try dyeing her hair white, but doing so would overlap with Ha-Yeon's character. Plus, it could be too much of a blatant imitation. Gray was a color that was unique enough not to provoke any ridicule from others, and a color that went well with Ha-Yeon.

Although Ra-Hee didn't really want to know that fact, she found out unintentionally a while ago.

"Have you ever tried colors other than gray? You would look good in anything."

"I haven’t tried other colors...."

But she had.

And it had come with ridicule.

Suddenly, the memory of that time came back to Ra-Hee, and she frowned. She felt a hot pain, resembling that of boiling iron, bubbling in her chest.

"But are you close with me?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, no, I'm just--"

"Why would you talk to me if we aren’t close?" she said and clicked her tongue.

After she spoke up, the bubbling pain seemed to subside a little. The student half-opened her mouth in shock. Her eyes darted around, and a few students with good hearing held their breath when they heard Ra-Hee's confrontational tone.

"..."

Her insides churned as the gazes focused on her. Ra-Hee discreetly left the classroom and took a fleeting glance at Ha-Yeon. The girl lay face down on the desk, her forehead flush against it.

She had been in that state ever since she had gotten her report card. It seemed like Ha-Yeon hadn't done well on the test, but even so, she probably did better than Ra-Hee. It was so apparent to the point that she didn’t have to find out.

A lot of different reasons made her day seem pretty bad. She would skip classes today, as the teachers would barely come today anyway.

Right then, when she was thinking of doing so—

"Ah, what the fuck! Oh my god...!"

Sun-Woo appeared as soon as she opened the door. It was her first time seeing him since the end of the school break, but for some reason, he seemed a lot gloomier than when she first saw him.

No, not gloomy, but darker? She didn’t really know how to place it.

Ra-Hee finally opened her mouth, trying to hide her embarrassment at being more surprised than necessary.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"You’re Ha-Yeon’s friend, right?" Sun-Woo asked back without even answering the question.

She was annoyed to be called “Ha-Yeon's friend” instead of her name, but she nodded anyway.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"She’s inside the classroom, right? Can you call her for me? I have something to give her."

Ra-Hee hesitated for a moment. She thought that other people would think that it was weird if she came back into the classroom right after just coming out of it.

She glanced briefly at Sun-Woo's expression. It was so expressionless that it gave her the chills. It seemed better to comply with him. After all, it wasn’t that difficult of a request.

"...Give me a second," Ra-Hee said, going back into the classroom.

She approached Ha-Yeon, who was lying down in despair, and tapped her shoulder.

Ha-Yeon looked up, her eyes bloodshot. Ra-Hee pointed her finger toward the front door where Sun-Woo was waiting.

"Sun-Woo is looking for you."

As soon as Ha-Yeon heard those words, she quickly sat up, her eyes wide. She looked startled.

"W-why? Why is he here? What did he come for?"

"He said he has something to give you."

"Uh... Please tell him I'm not here. Tell him that I’m on sick leave..."

"Why do you want me to tell him you’re not here? Did you do something wrong again?" Sun-Woo asked.

His sarcastic tone carried a strange hostility.

Ra-Hee gulped in the sudden silence that followed. What had Sun-Woo done that caused Ha-Yeon to freeze in her tracks?

The silence was broken when Sun-Woo tried to take out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

Biting her lip and rolling her eyes, Ha-Yeon suddenly stood up and stopped Sun-Woo from moving.

"Wait, not here. Let's go outside."

"...Why?"

"This is a classroom, it's a bit... you know..." Ha-Yeon said as she led Sun-Woo out into the hallway.

As she listened to their conversation, Ra-Hee became increasingly curious about what happened between the two. So she followed them out into the hallway. She was going to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Ha-Yeon gasped for breath with a flushed face and lowered her head as if she were guilty, glancing around nervously. On the other hand, Sun-Woo stared at her with his usual expressionless face. Ha-Yeon seemed to be rigid with fear and anxiety, but Sun-Woo's expression appeared extremely cold yet relaxed at the same time.

"Why did you ask to talk outside the class?"

Ha-Yeon hesitated, then finally mustered the courage to lift her head and speak.

"Last time... we made a bet. We said we would bet on grades..."

"Sh-should we... call it a draw?"