Chapter 46: Do I really need to prepare for the midterm exam? (5)

After that, Yejin gave me some flavored milk.

As soon as I got it, I tore it open, tilted my head back, and chugged it down.

“Phew! Now I feel alive…!”

“Hehe. Are you okay?”

“Yeah….”

I averted my gaze, avoiding Yejin’s eyes that seemed to find me cute.

This is more embarrassing than I thought.

I don’t know why I acted so tough earlier.

Maybe I was excited at the sight of the delicious food.

“So, do we each get one of your wish coupons?”

“I guess so?”

Jihyun asked me, and Yejin seemed to take it for granted.

Ugh, this is frustrating.

But there’s nothing I can do, so I nodded.

Full of resentment.

“Look at that face. Why don’t you wipe the sauce off your mouth first.”

Gasp.

I could feel the shame rising. I asked Yejin in a trembling voice.

“Yejin… Do I have a lot on my mouth?”

“It’s okay. Just wipe it off quickly.”

Instead of answering, Yejin handed me a tissue.

It was practically an indirect way of saying I had a lot on my mouth.

With a flushed face, I used the tissue Yejin gave me to vigorously wipe my face.

Is it okay now?

“I think you’re good now.”

I received an affirmation.

That’s a relief. I don’t have to show such an embarrassing sight anymore.

Even though I was still plenty embarrassed, I decided to be grateful that I didn’t create any more embarrassing memories.

I tried to act cool and said to them.

“Okay, let’s hurry up and eat. The food will get cold.”

“Wait a minute.”

Jihyun interjected as if she had something to say. I blinked.

What is it.

“So it’s confirmed that you’re giving us the wish coupons, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Jihyun was trying to get a confirmation.

Didn’t we just finish talking about the wish coupons with Yejin?

Why is she asking me again.

I glared at her with that thought, and Jihyun said nonchalantly.

“I just wanted to hear it from the person involved.”

I think I see a slight smile on her face.

That smile seemed to have a complex meaning, and my face flushed again.

I said in a trembling voice.

“I’ll give you the wish coupons and grant them, so let’s just eat for now… The food’s getting cold.”

“Okay! Jia, you don’t seem to be good with spicy food, so be careful, okay?”

It’s definitely meant as a concerned statement, but why do I feel this way? I nodded awkwardly.

We finally started eating dinner.

It was tearfully spicy, but with the flavored milk, I had nothing to fear.

Plus, the cheese on top created an amazing combination.

Nom, nom, nom-

Nom, nom, nom-

I quietly ate tteokbokki while listening to Jihyun and Yejin’s true girl talk.

Hehe. It’s delicious.

It’s definitely spicy, but the spiciness made it even more appealing.

What do you mean you don’t know what that means?

Then die.

…Anyway, I was satisfied since I liked it.

After filling our stomachs to some extent, I looked at the two who were constantly talking.

Mostly Yejin was talking, and Jihyun was responding.

It was funny because it was similar to what I had imagined.

It’s interesting how those two became so close.

When they first met, I never imagined they would end up like this.

It’s much better to see them like this now.

I didn’t do anything, but I felt proud, so I smiled.

I hope they can maintain this relationship.

With that wish, we finished our meal.

“Ugh… I’m so full, I don’t think I can study….”

“Tsk, tsk, Jia, we still have to study.”

Seeing me lying lazily on the table, Yejin made a stern face and said that.

But I’m so full…

It’s not something I can control. It’s just a natural bodily function.

It’s the way of the world.

I said to Yejin in a drawn-out voice.

I’ll sleep for just five minutes. Five minutes.

“Uh-uh? Jia, keep your eyes open. And sit up straight.”

“Hey. Where’s my phone?”

Yejin was trying hard to wake me up, and Jihyun was looking around next to her.

I opened my eyes slightly and saw Jihyun’s expression.

It was a face that said she didn’t know anything about studying.

She only wanted her phone.

It was a little funny, so I decided to keep pretending to sleep and watch a little longer.

“Didn’t you say… you would study when we got here?”

Yejin asked, sounding dumbfounded.

“I am going to study.”

“Then why are you looking for your phone? You gave it to me when we got here.”

“The answer key to the workbook is on there.”

“What answer key?”

“Quantda.”

Pfft.

At Jihyun’s words, I almost laughed out loud, forgetting that I was pretending to be asleep.

She said it so confidently.

You really need to be a little shameless to get what you want.

In that sense, I was a little envious of Jihyun.

Of course, not right now.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“What.”

“Do you really think that’s the attitude of someone who’s going to study?”

That was a sharp remark.

The living room fell silent. To the point where I wondered if I should step in.

It’s not something I can just lightly laugh off anymore.

But before I could open my eyes, Jihyun spoke first.

“If you don’t trust me that much, I won’t use my phone. I’ll prove that I’m going to study.”

“Hmm… Okay.”

“But if I study without saying a word for two hours, no, one hour, you have to give me back my phone.”

Jihyun attempted to negotiate.

“Wait, why did you change it from two hours to one hour?”

Is she trying to pull a fast one?

That seemed to be what Yejin was thinking.

Yejin blocked her loophole by pointing out that small detail.

“Even at school, classes are 50 minutes long.”

“That’s because it’s school.”

Jihyun tried to find a way out, but everything was blocked.

Oh.

Is this the battle between the unstoppable spear and the unbreakable shield that I’ve only heard about?

It was very interesting.

I wished I had some popcorn.

Eventually, Jihyun took a step back.

The first round goes to Yejin.

“I really can’t deal with you… I know Jia’s not sleeping, so hurry up and wake up.”

“Huh.”

How did she know?

My acting should have been perfect.

No, she must be bluffing.

I can’t fall for it.

Even after Yejin’s words, I continued to diligently act asleep.

“Jia. You’re not going to get up?”

“….”

Even if I have to risk my life, I will never get up.

“I’m going to count to three?”

“….”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“I’m up!”

I quickly got up and showed a disciplined posture.

The dumbfounded look on Jihyun’s face beside me must be my imagination.

Yejin looked at me with an expression that had a lot to say.

“It’s late. Hurry up, open your books, and let’s study.”

Oh… Is this what magnanimity looks like.

Virgin Mary, full of grace.

Open my heart and let me know the meaning of studying.

Enough joking around, I sat down.

Let’s really study now.

Jihyun also sat down, looking around.

After resuming our studies, the living room was filled with only the sound of pencils.

But I don’t really understand this.

I looked around and lightly touched Yejin’s arm.

“Jia, what is it?”

“I don’t get this.”

“Let me see.”

At that, I handed over the textbook I was looking at.

Yejin looked at the problem with a serious expression.

“Ah, for this one, Jia.”

“Uh-huh.”

“This here is on this diagonal, and also…”

Oh.

Yejin explained it kindly and in detail. And it made sense.

I nodded. I think I can do this to some extent.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Saying that, Yejin turned her attention back to the book she was reading.

Maybe Yejin has a talent for teaching…

With that thought, I also started reading the textbook again.

Since I spent all of class time sleeping, I had to understand it now.

When we resumed studying, the living room was engulfed in silence.

After a while, Jihyun, who had been sitting quietly and reading, looked up.

And then she calmly said.

“I don’t think studying is for me.”

“….”

A different kind of silence followed.

I blinked.

Didn’t we just start studying?

Yejin, as if she expected it, said to Jihyun.

“…Do you want your phone?”

“Yeah. I think my talent lies in existing online.”

What should I say to this.

We were looking at each other when Yejin spoke first.

“Then should we just play today?”

“W-What?”

I wondered if that was okay, and looked to the side.

Yejin already seemed to have given up.

I don’t know anymore either.

“Yeah, let’s just play today…”

“After all, today wasn’t a day for studying. It’s our first time starting, and usually when you start something, you don’t study right away, but have a start celebration party, you know.”

Jihyun suddenly started talking a lot. I couldn’t understand half of what she said.

But I couldn’t ignore her, so I just nodded.

“Right, right. We should play today!”

Yejin seemed to have given up too, and now looked like she was enjoying it.

…She’s decided to just enjoy it.

But we barely even studied.

I looked at the books on the table, then at the two who had already moved on.

Thud-

Then I closed it.

Come to think of it, today wasn’t a day for studying. It wasn’t for nothing that I didn’t want to do it today.

Whatever. I should just rest too.