Chapter 73 : The Snack That Started It All

Even if they claimed to be gathering game information, at best, they were just boys who browsed the game’s official forums.

Compared to them, I searched for the game’s English name across various search engines, uncovered hidden special commands, and even found deeply buried Easter eggs and bugs overnight.

As a result, my progress and proficiency skyrocketed to an unbelievable degree in just a single day.

Even though it was a PvE game, these kids couldn’t tolerate falling behind others.

Thinking back, maybe that’s why I got so immersed in the few RPG games I played back in elementary school in my past life.

“How did you get that character?”

“Sometimes when you start the game, this thing changes shape. If you use a healing skill there…”

“I can never seem to get this weapon to drop!”

Whenever I explained something to one person, another boy would barge into my gameplay, muttering more questions.

And just like that, my seat turned into a gathering spot for a bunch of noisy little boys obsessed with the game.

Even if they no longer needed my explanations, they showed no intention of leaving my space.

‘I wish they would all just go away.’

I swallowed the words that felt too harsh to say out loud, tried to ignore the ruckus around me, and focused on my smartphone screen.

I had just found a game to immerse myself in after a long time, but it happened to be popular among kids.

Well, considering that roguelike games tend to be a hit with younger players, I guess it was inevitable that this one became the talk of the town.

If it was ranking high on the app store, there was no way kids wouldn’t know about it.

Next time, I should be more careful and dig up a game buried deep in obscurity.

“All right, everyone, put your smartphones on the desk.”

With just a few words from the teacher, the noisy boys who had been chattering so excitedly obediently walked up to the teacher’s desk and turned in their phones.

They were still at an age where they listened relatively well.

Only after the boys, who had practically blocked my way, dispersed did I finally get up from my chair.

And just like that, another dull school day had begun.

Fourth-grade science.

Following the teacher’s instructions, I tore a page from my notebook and placed it on my desk.

“Today, we’ll be extracting chocolate chips from cookies, just like digging up fossils. If you separate the chocolate from the cookie properly, you’ll get a full pack of cookies as a reward. But if you eat it before you finish, no cookies for you!”

A cookie with embedded chocolate chips and two toothpicks were placed on the blank sheet of paper.

Using cookies as a reward to control behavior—what an interesting lesson.

Well, it was probably an effective method for kids who had no interest in fossils or excavation.

Anyway, there was no reason to turn down free cookies.

There was no need for the delicate skills I used to break apart dalgona candy along the lines back in the day—this was just a simple cookie.

With a few careful breaks, I tapped away the crumbs near the chocolate pieces, leaving them intact.

“Raise your hand if you’re done, and I’ll come check.”

Without any hesitation, I raised my hand as soon as the teacher’s voice rang out.

Since chocolate chip cookies naturally crumbled easily, I rubbed my fingers together, letting the crumbs fall onto the notebook page.

“Great job, Mari. Here’s your cookie.”

The science teacher, satisfied with the neatly separated chocolate and cookie pieces, handed me a pack of cookies.

Or rather, it was more of a single strip of cookies than a full pack.

I wasn’t in the mood to eat them right away, so I took the cookies with both hands and placed them in my bag.

Then, I carefully folded the notebook page, gathering all the leftover cookie crumbs and chocolate pieces into a deep crease before pouring them into my mouth.

The Snack You Can See.

Even if it’s broken into pieces and scattered, once mixed with saliva in your mouth, it all ends up the same anyway.

Even if I wasn’t the first to finish excavating the chocolate pieces, one by one, other students in the classroom raised their arms toward the sky.

The teacher, holding several packs of snacks, bustled around the classroom, handing them out. The kids who received the snacks eagerly tore them open to eat or stored them in their desk drawers.

Anyway, it was a science class turned into an impromptu excavation session, letting us snack for free.

As I twisted my arms, stretching in the cramped space while wondering what to think about in the next class…

“Teacher, me!”

A hand shot up from the side.

It was my deskmate, who had struggled to pick out the chocolate pieces with a toothpick even when most of the class had already finished.

His face was beaming at the thought of getting a snack.

“Huh?”

But what came out of the teacher’s mouth was a short, flustered groan.

The teacher anxiously glanced around the podium and nearby area, but there were no snacks left.

Surely, they must have brought enough for the number of students in class.

They had probably bought just the right amount, which was likely the issue.

Since a few had been opened and shared with the students, there weren’t any extras left.

“I… I don’t have any left…”

“Huh?”

My deskmate’s expectant expression instantly turned blank.

For an elementary schooler, it was a nearly unbearable mix of resentment and disappointment.

Tears usually come out when someone is really sad, but they also appear when someone feels so unfairly treated that they have no words.

Just as expected, his face twisted, and he lowered his head.

Ah, he’s definitely going to cry.

It’s just a snack that costs a few thousand won at most.

Reaching into my open bag, I grabbed a snack and casually handed it to him.

“Here, eat.”

“Huh?”

“I’m full.”

Leaning on my chin nonchalantly as I passed him the snack, I managed to stop the tears from spilling out.

The science teacher, apologizing, promised to give me a snack later as they awkwardly wrapped up the class.

After the first period ended, I went to the bathroom. When I returned, the classroom was oddly buzzing with chatter.

“Hey! Kim Mari! Are you dating Shin Taehyun?!”

“What kind of nonsense is that…?”

I frowned, tilting my head as if I had just heard the most ridiculous thing ever.

The boy who asked if I was dating him then shouted loudly.

“You gave him a snack earlier!”

‘Oh, that?’

I had completely forgotten about it.

The definition of an elementary school couple: one side gives something to the other unconditionally.

A boy and a girl spending time together = they are dating.

At that age, their bizarre sense of logic created absurd, nonsensical formulas that only they believed.

And since their intelligence wasn’t exactly high, that strange logic managed to spread among others too, turning it all into an unintentional comedy.

“So, you can become a couple with just a bag of snacks… Why, do you want me to buy you one too?”

“Ugh, no way!”

The boy’s voice was filled with disgust. Well, I wouldn’t want to buy one for someone like you either.

The commotion that had erupted over a single bag of snacks died down as quickly as it had flared up.

I scribbled down this month’s expenses on a torn-out sheet from a lined notebook and, at the same time, planned to move into an apartment in two years.

Compared to my indifferent response, the elementary school couple seemed to have handled it poorly.

And among them, the girl was the main target.

“They’re a couple—! They’re a couple—!”

“Stop it!”

The girl shrieked at the boys teasing her about being in a couple.

Come to think of it, kids who liked each other would sometimes wear toy rings as couple rings.

From an adult’s perspective, it was hard to understand why they were teasing her.

If anything, wasn’t this proof that some people naturally attract others even without doing anything special?

Some of the boys who were laughing and teasing her now would probably end up going through all-boys middle and high school, then engineering school, then the military, leading a lonely life ahead.

…They should probably start dating now while they have the chance.

“Tsk tsk.”

I clicked my tongue, watching the boys who were teasing the couple with pity.

Right now, they might be the ones teasing, but in a few years, they’d be the ones envying.

Feeling sorry for those who would eventually go down the all-boys school-engineering-military path, I simply opened my textbook on the desk, preparing for the next class.

After spending the rest of the time pretending to focus while actually emptying my mind and passing the time,

the bell rang at exactly 2:30 PM, signaling the end of class.

‘Ah, it’s snowing.’

Trash falling endlessly from the sky.

It was early February, a time when rain still turned into snow, covering the world.

Judging by how it was falling, it was graupel—luckily, it wouldn’t accumulate.

Since I wasn’t on cleaning duty, I quickly made my way back through the school entrance, where Siyeon was already standing still, staring blankly into space.

“Let’s go.”

“Marie, it’s snowing again! Let’s take out the duck mold!”

A familiar voice called out from behind, and Siyeon, who had been staring into space, suddenly brightened up.

She looked so full of anticipation that I felt bad, but I had no choice but to deliver the bad news.

“Uh… This kind of snow won’t pile up.”

“Why not?”

“Graupel doesn’t usually accumulate.”

“Graupel?”

Even though I had explained it fairly accurately, Siyeon, who still didn’t fully grasp the difference between graupel and regular snow, tilted her head in confusion.

Since I didn’t know the details either, I just told her it was a type of snow and headed home.

As expected, the snow didn’t pile up, but at least Siyeon learned something new that day.