Chapter 33: His Name is Kim Tae-yang?

The following Monday.

Hyunwoo, Chaea, and Chae-rin were on their way to school together.

“Haa…”

“Why the sigh so early in the morning?”

Chaea was worried about Chae-rin, who was sighing as if the world was ending.

“Club applications start today. But there’s nowhere I really want to join.”

That’s right.

Club activities started the week after the midterm exams.

Contrary to its original purpose, it had now been reduced to a tool for filling up one’s student record, or “saeng-gi-bu.”

Ironically, that’s why it had become a mandatory requirement, a strange system indeed.

“Oppa, you said you’re running an independent club, right?”

Originally, students had to apply for a club every year.

But Hyunwoo had created his own independent club, so he didn’t need to join another one.

“But you’re planning to go to university, so is that really okay?”

“I’m going with the academic record track anyway.”

“…You’re so annoying.”

Chae-rin, who had asked the question herself, now looked at Hyunwoo like he was some kind of arrogant genius.

“You should think about going with the academic record track too. You’ve only taken one midterm exam in the first semester of your first year. Speaking of which, how did your midterms go?”

“Ugh… even my mom doesn’t nag me like that.”

“I’m just saying, don’t immediately think about the regular admissions track just because you messed up the midterms. You can still recover enough, so if you’re not confident in maintaining your grades, at least focus on your student record…”

“Aaa— I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you!”

He was just saying it for her own good.

But Chae-rin took all of Hyunwoo’s advice as nagging and quickly ran away.

“Huff, huff…”

“You need to work on your stamina before you study.”

He caught up to her in just five minutes because of her terrible stamina.

“Even if there’s no club you want to join, you still have to join one.”

“That’s the problem.”

“Well, you only have to join by Friday, so take your time to think about it. Club activities in the first year are quite important for your career path…”

“Hyunwoo, are you and I the only members of the independent club?”

Chaea suddenly cut in.

Hyunwoo nodded.

“Since the seniors left, it’ll be just us if no new members join.”

“But can the club even be maintained with just the two of us?”

“…”

Only then did he realize he had forgotten something important.

The minimum number of members for an independent club was four.

It was embarrassing to even call it a club if it didn’t have at least that many.

The problem was, as he said before, clubs had already become tools for college entrance.

Of course, an ambiguous club like the “Escape Room Club” wouldn’t be of any help.

‘What should I do?’

If the Escape Room Club was shut down, he would be forced to join a regular club that he had no interest in.

Half of his memories from his sophomore year of high school could be said to be from club activities.

If the Escape Room Club was shut down, it would be difficult to recover his memories.

It would be fortunate if that was all.

What if he and Chaea were separated into different clubs?

‘And what if she gets a headache when I’m not around…?’

Hyunwoo imagined the worst.

He immediately turned to the freshman in front of him.

“Yoo Chae-rin. Do you want to join our club? You said there’s nowhere you want to go anyway.”

“…Weren’t you just telling me to make a choice for my career path?”

He had tried to give her some cool advice, but he had shot himself in the foot.

“Do you even have a specific major you want to pursue right now?”

“…No?”

“If you don’t have a clear career path, you might regret joining a club that just looks good later on when your direction changes.”

The club president, facing a crisis, used his wit.

“It’s better to try out a club you want to do in your first year, and then find a club related to your career path from your sophomore year to create a story. As I said before, if it’s just the midterm exam in the first semester of your first year, just get good grades and go with the academic record track…”

“Okay, I get it. I’ll join, I’ll join, so you can stop now.”

Of course, Chae-rin wasn’t so clueless that she didn’t sense his desperate struggle.

“You promised? I’ll be waiting in the club room after school.”

“There’s even a club room?”

“Independent clubs usually have one.”

“Oh… that’s kind of appealing?”

“Yeah, so if possible, bring a friend too… no, never mind.”

“Why did you stop talking?”

“It’s nothing, never mind.”

Because it didn’t seem like you had any friends.

He decided not to say such a cruel thing.

“We’re here. See you later, new member.”

“Uh, uh…”

Hyunwoo, who had arrived at school, waved his hand quickly and went up to his classroom before Chae-rin could sense anything strange.

After the midterm exams.

Usually, the following week is spent grading.

Today was no different.

Ding-dong-daeng-dong-

The day ended with just grading essay questions.

Hyunwoo had tried to prevent the Escape Room Club from being shut down.

-Lee Jin-hyuk, you’re in our… ah, you’re in the art club.

-Why all of a sudden?

-We’re short on club members. Never mind, go draw your pictures.

Jin-hyuk, who had a clear career path, had been in the art club for three years straight.

-Jeong Enubi. Have you decided which club to join?

-I’m already in the badminton club?

-…When did you join?

-This morning. Why all of a sudden?

-Have you always liked sports?

-I was in the basketball club with Chaea in my freshman year, and I was in the badminton club last year too.

He wasn’t interested in Enubi, so he didn’t even know she had already joined a club.

His shockingly narrow social circle had come to an end.

He didn’t have the confidence to ask an acquaintance to join the club.

“…What should I do?”

“Hmm, won’t a new member join if we wait? Escape rooms are fun…”

“I hope there are a lot of kids who want to fill their student record with a club that doesn’t even help them get into college.”

Now there were only two options left.

Either Chae-rin would bring a friend to join.

Or he would put out a bowl of water and pray.

The former was less likely than Lee Jinhyuk becoming a woman the next day.

‘I should go get some water.’

He was about to go get some water from the bathroom.

Creak.

The club room door opened cautiously.

Hyunwoo didn’t make a fuss, asking if it was a new member.

Judging by how hesitant they were to open the door.

“Ah. This is the place.”

“I knew you’d come alone.”

“Huh? Am I supposed to come with someone?”

“No, never mind.”

It was obviously Yoo Chae-rin.

“Did you just clean up?”

“I’m not done yet. Here, take a mop.”

“…What? Am I already in the Escape Room Club?”

“Of course. Congratulations, you’re the first new member this year.”

There was no interview process or anything.

It wasn’t because she was Chaea’s sister.

It was because the club was about to be shut down, so what was the point of an interview?

“Am I supposed to join a club that gives me a mop as soon as I congratulate them?”

“If you’re a member of the club, you should naturally clean up together.”

The club room, which hadn’t been used during the vacation, was covered in dust.

He really had no choice but to get Chae-rin’s help.

After cleaning up to a level that wouldn’t be embarrassing for anyone to see.

The sun was already setting.

“I just cleaned up and didn’t even know what the club does…”

Chae-rin pouted, but Hyunwoo shook his head.

“That’s not what’s important right now, Yoo Chae-rin.”

“?”

“The problem is that our club might disappear, not that we just cleaned up.”

“?!”

It meant that she might have to go to another club after helping with the cleaning all day.

“Is, is there anyone who wants to join? My… sister won’t do, and my brother… hmm…”

Chae-rin then realized.

Hyunwoo’s social circle was extremely narrow.

Chae-rin, like Jin-hyuk, didn’t pay much attention to reality.

The only one with a wide social circle was Chaea.

But she had lost her memories and everything had been reset.

“The, the club recruitment period is until Friday, so shouldn’t we wait a little longer?”

Chaea didn’t give up hope until the end.

“That’s true in name only. Most people don’t look around the clubs. They just join on Monday.”

“…It seems like everyone in our class has already joined.”

Hyunwoo and Chae-rin revealed the grim truth.

Everyone was lost in thought.

Knock knock knock.

Someone knocked on the club room door.

“Huh? Isn’t that a new member?”

“I don’t think so. It sounds like the teacher.”

Unlike Chae-rin, who was making a fuss, Hyunwoo calmly opened the door.

Of course, he thought it would be the homeroom teacher who had agreed to take charge of the club again this year.

“…Who are you?”

Slightly tanned, bronze skin.

Blonde hair, not common in Korea.

Blue eyes that seemed to prove he was mixed race.

He was surprised because someone he had never imagined was standing there.

“Uh… is this the Escape Room Club run by Do Hyunwoo-sunbaenim?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Hello! My name is Kim Tae-yang, and I’m here to apply to the Escape Room Club!”

Unlike his appearance.

The applicant spoke Korean very fluently.

“His name is Kim Tae-yang?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“…I’m sorry for suddenly speaking informally. I was a little surprised.”

“I hear that a lot.”

Hyunwoo, who had spoken informally without realizing it, apologized.

But it was understandable.

Blonde hair and a tan… well, maybe not a tan.

Anyway, bronze skin and even a name like Kim Tae-yang.

With this much, wouldn’t it seem like he was assigned a suspicious role at birth?

‘I shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.’

Hyunwoo shook his head, feeling he had been too rude.

It was clear that his delusions had spread because his only friend was Jin-hyuk.

“You’re a freshman who entered this year…?”

“That’s right. So you can speak comfortably to me, sunbaenim.”

He wasn’t even interviewing, he was just asking a question.

But Tae-yang answered in a formal and articulate manner.

“Uh… okay. First, relax your shoulders a little. But how did you find out about our club?”

“I found your names on the club list, so I came looking for you.”

“Why our names?”

“Do Hyunwoo-sunbaenim and Yoo Chaea-sunbaenim. Aren’t you a famous couple at school?”

“…”

The freshman who entered this year knew about the rumors?

He looked at Chae-rin with that look.

“Uh-huh, it’s true. Everyone knows Oppa and Unnie’s names.”

Chae-rin nodded timidly.

It seemed like she was shrinking because she was in the same space as a boy her age.

Hyunwoo asked Tae-yang again.

“But what does our name have to do with it? Didn’t you come because you’re interested in escape rooms?”

Tae-yang, who had been speaking with a confident voice, hesitated for a moment.

“Ah… embarrassingly, I’ve never done an escape room before, but I actually came because I wanted to get to know you sunbaenims.”

“Tsk…”

His purpose for joining the club was to get to know the seniors?

Moreover, if he knew about the rumors of them being a couple and approached them.

He couldn’t help but be suspicious.

‘…Let’s see. Judging by his tone, he doesn’t seem like a delinquent.’

He just thought that.

Hyunwoo, who had raised his guard, said.

“Then are you free today? It’ll be hard to endure if escape rooms aren’t fun. I was wondering if we should do a test run.”

“Of course. I’d be honored if you took me.”

“Then let’s go right away before it gets too late. Yoo Chaea, Yoo Chae-rin. Get ready to go too.”

Chae-rin, who had packed her bag, approached Hyunwoo and asked.

“…Oppa? Weren’t you just supposed to accept the member when they came?”

“Be quiet and come with me.”

Even if the club was on the verge of being shut down.

A new member with that kind of appearance and name was a little unsettling.

He couldn’t just let anyone in after promising to help Chaea recover her memories quickly, and then have something unpleasant happen.

‘I’ll just wear tinted glasses for today.’

He decided to watch and see if it was okay to accept Kim Tae-yang as a member.