Vol 2 Chapter 2 (1/2)
The day after the tragic end and the perkam's Game,
The time was five minutes before lunch
If you've ever experienced school lunch prograht know the iical, wonderful time of any weekday It can keep the sleepiest kids awake, silence the chattiest brats, close the books of die-hard nerds—
Such was the miracle of the time known as 'the five minutes before lunch'
That day was no exception
”Is it already time? Then we'll end the lecture here—”
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE
Before the teacher's eyes left his wristwatch, every student had already brought their legs out from underneath their desks Their lower bodies faced towards the nearest exit, their legs tensing up like arrows being pulled back with taut bow strings
”— Andin chapter five Ehh Okay Class rep?”
”Yes sir Stand! Atten-tion! Bow!”
””Thank you for the day!””
RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE!
The class rep's end-of-the-day farewell ry beasts Other classes had also ended in time for lunch, and the hallways quickly filled up with deafening footsteps ofstudents
”Hey, hey, hurry it up! Class Three will be here anytime soon!”
”Augh! They always end English classes way too early! Run, run!”
With a little iination, that could have been a reenactration of Gere pack of wildebeests avoiding the dry season of the Serengeti This grand scene repeated in the hallways every single day, but I could never get over it
Alirls had to traverse the sa itself seemed to quake in an effort to accommodate these students At the end of the sta up for the stalls at the cafeteria
People shoved and fought to get ahead, and there were often people cutting in line sha to wonder if South Korea had been reduced to a starving, third-world country before I realized
I still relish teacher (Canadian— nice lady, too) saw our lunchtime spectacle and exclaimed, ”So incredible! It's like Jurassic Park!”
Why did people risk their lives to get ahead? So they could get to the cafeteria faster and finish their food early Why did they need to finish early? Because any ti five y ten minutes early left ten minutes to play a round It was a natural conclusion
For high school students who spend at least half of their day in school, saving five, ten ious school like Eunsung High School
Which explains why I was a part of the crowd
”Seriously, that piece of shi+t English class! He promised that the class would end early today, and look what happened!”
”We would have been out early if that idiot Minchul didn't co at the last moment!”
”Hey, Injin, what's today's ain? What was it, hoe line at the cafeteria already! Why did the fourth period English class have to be on time today?! God damn!”
Many people ant students are at elite private schools But kids will always be kids, and the spoken language won't change just because we're in a different school So, I hope you wouldn't be off-put by any of our remarks—son of a bitch!
I couldn't help but curse when I made it to the cafeteria Despite my efforts to sprint here as quickly as I could, the line at the cafeteria was already rese the Great Depression
Seriously, did they suddenly learn how to teleport around the school? I'll miss my soccer match at this rate!
I had never sprinted so quickly since s were powered up with fury and nervousness that I ht at the end of the line
That ht also explain why I was co that happened
CREAK!
”Gwaurhgh?!”
I al Shortly after a piercing shockwave pulsed up the back of my neck, I felt my body descend like a feather
And then—
That was it
That was the last thing that I felt while mynext I felt my feet kick about in the air, heavy pressure upspeed, piercing whistles looping ina roller coaster
”Auurhaugkahrghh—!”
A terrible gurgle left my mouth instead of a proper scream I couldn't even breathe properly
This is serious! I'd die at this rate! I can't
Is is that a light on the other side—?
”This place appears suitable”
CRAsh!+
”Hwah— Cough!— Agh —Cough!”
I was a second away fro
I was alrip around my neck had loosened up
”Cough Cough” I fell on the ground and wheezed I feltblood again
What was that?! I couldn't really tell as happening, but I could swear
”Mister Injin, I recoet up from that dirty floor”
”Kwuahruhgh!”
Like it happened at that moment
My body shot upwards iain Then, a faht
”Cough Su- Sukyong-sunbae? Cough!”
An emotionless, frozen face Reddish brown hair that almost reached her shoulders A stout stature that conveyed a feeling of confidence She earing the school's uniform, but only one person in the school fit the first three descriptions, anyway Even though my head spun violently, I could still easily tell that it was Sukyong-sunbae
Wait
”Cough! Sunbae where is this place?”
”It is the forest behind the school's memorial”
”Memooriaaaaaal—?!”
I froze
Of course the air suddenly became a lot fresher! But wait, the memorial is on the opposite side of the school froet here?!
”It is too early to be surprised” Sukyong-sunbae spoke calh I may have used only one hand to carry you, Mister Injin, I could easily cover this distance by si This should not be of surprise”
”And the ansith me the whole time!”
She talked like she'd done soreat, and thanks to that, I realized what had happened to me Wait, should that be obvious, since ere the only ones there? I couldn't help but scream at these realizations
Sukyong-sunbae tried to calm me down ”Please, do not worry We were not seen on our way here There should be no one in the school who knows that we are here”
”That's evento do that needed privacy?! Also, how'd she e to carry me by my neck and not be seen?!
”I assure you, people would have thought that I was a har her kitten”
”What does that mean?! Cats?!” I became even more worried
”When cats carry their kittens, they grip their scruffs by their teeth The way I held your nape most likely appeared to be the same”
”Wh-what kind of crap is that—?!” That's the only reason behind my near-death experience?!
The scarier part was that she didn't sound like she was kidding That was to be expected of the highest-level otaku of the Clotaku Club, though; despite her appearance, her thought process was simply alien
”Please keep inLike a Cat'”
”Don't pretend like you succeeded! And what the hell is a Maid Trick?! How are there are least twenty-two of them?!”
”The author's note says that there will be at least a hundred and eight”
”Author's note?! Did you just say that?!”
One hundred and eight?! What's the point of all that?! No wonder the last trick didn't even seem complete!
My head spun I siht of a million ways to try and correct her My ability to reason went kaput, ht process of a cat that was stuck in a catnip bush
Sukyong-sunbae began to change the subject with an ”Anyway—” before I could think of a response ”I only wanted to say that my 'AcCat' is absolutely perfect”
”Uh, no, there wasn't a single thing in our conversation that suggested that!” And stop using contractions on things that you just introduced! I almost missed what that meant!
Sukyong-sunbae appeared to be confused by my outburst ”And yet, I had felt like I had become a mother cat entirely”
”It's absolutely perfect only in your world, huh?”
”Please, try to recall more clearly I bet that you've felt like you had become a baby kitten, at least for a split second”
”I felt like I had beco a part of an experiment to prove that the scariest drop is eleven e humans
Regardless, those Maid Tricks are apparently unsuited for stealthy maneuvers
Sighs escaped my mouth, probably from all the mental exertion caused by this conversation I never had the chance to talk with her for too long, so it was only then that I realized she was as stubborn as Yeonji Everything that I said lanced off of her impenetrable, emotionless face
”Well, fine- oh, gosh!+” I had a disheartening realization that I could have been spending my precious ti ht, that was the most important issue; why snatchme to a secluded, secret area? Whatever was the reason, I didn't want to waste any more of my only break of the day
Sukyong-sunbae replied, her posture looking like a moe personification of e that I must show you”
”Sh-show ?”
My heart briefly sunk What could be so important that it had to interrupt a ood answer I examined Sunbae's face in search of a hint, but of course, her solid face told nothing at all
I felt et emptier with each moment I broke the silence ”Th-then whatever it is, show me, quickly!”
”I will” She nodded She suddenly reached out and grabbedaway
Huh?
”H-hey, uh S-Sunbae?”
”What do you need?”
”Weren't you going to show o eat”
”We are going there right now, to show you”
”Go where?”
Perhaps because of the atrip felt a little firmer than before She answered, ”You cannot see it fro We et to the fourth floor”
Inside the school? Fourth floor?
So, after sprinting down four floors to get to the cafeteria, wasting o back up?! Why, God?!
”Do you need me to carry you?”
”You think I'm sad because I can't walk up the stairs?!”
”Do you need me to carry you like a motherly cat?”
”How long are you going to stick with that concept?! Actually, wait, stop, hold it! Let go of me so we can talk! Please? My wrist! It hurts, I'm serious!”
”Is that so? Then, instead of the wrist”
”My neeeecccckkk—?!”
At that point, Ito have my lunch break
And so, Sukyong-sunbae popped out of nowhere while I was oned all the way back to the fourth floor, looking like a sad little kitten End of summary
Oh, God damn
Why is it always my lunch break? Back then, Yeonji, too, just had to pick this ti that not even a dog should be bothered while it's eating, so a's screwed up here
”Ugh”
At that point, the cafeteria probably had a queue that was longer than hell's I decided that I'd save -sunbae first, then went to buy so from the store later
”So, what are you trying to showa hint of sorrow in my voice It had unfortunately become a habit as of late
Sukyong-sunbae was in a different year, so I didn't have the chance to talk to her very often Back in the club, she never was all that chatty, either It was natural for ths to show
And if she revealed that it was nothing important, I was ready to break down at that very spot I would have just clung onto her and cried on her chest With her skirt as my tissue
”Here it is” Sukyong-sunbae suddenly stoppedmy manly resolve
Class One of the first year students It was around a corner plus a fair distance from my own class, so it wasn't very often that I passed by this area
”It would be problematic if we are found Please be careful when you watch”
Were we doing soal?
Her short reardless, I peered into the class fro on the door
The class was mostly vacant, since ere in the irls who brought their own lunch
While Eunsung provided the school with cheap, affordable lunch for its students, the process of acquiring the food was de involved in the chaos, or for those with kind, loving parents, they brought in their own lunch There wasn't a rule that restricted students to eat at the cafeteria, so there were a few students like those girls in every class
I'm jealous! I wish my mom took the time to pack a lunch! I'd have soas soon as the lunch break starts!
”Ugh”
But of course, luxuries like that would never be allowed inpredicted the obvious outcome if I were to ask my mom
Then, a strange sight came into my view
”Huh?”
One girl was at her desk, having her lunch
She was sitting away frost the out, and I couldn't stop looking at her
Where had I seen her? Her face seeround to me; it was unlikely that I'd know anyone But there was so about her that my memory could recall
Her body was curled up in her seat like she was trying to make herself look small She had short, brown hair, with her face adorned with large, round glasses, and underneath were her bright, glistening eyes that made her resemble a tiny, defenseless animal
It was definitely the sairl from yesterday!
It was that girl who stood around the club like it was her own roo when I confronted her! I finally found her!
”She- Ufgh! Oofph!”
But before I could barge in, -sunbae's hands She wrapped her ar down from behind
”Please be calm, Mister Injin There are other students in that room It is not wise to create a scene”
”Oh” right
There were other people eating lunch in there I would have been charging through the class, screareat deal of attention on us That was a stupid idea, considering the fact that she needed to be silenced before she could reveal the existence of the Clotaku Club It was necessary to confront her quietly
The worst thing I could do was go in and scream ”How the hell did you find the Clotaku Club?!”
I winked in acknowledge-sunbae released et excited, since I found where she was I could sie
Class One, Year One The ansas hiding in plain sight all along It was just yesterday that I got beaten up by Yeonji for not even re I would have never guessed that she was in the same year as us
And now that I had found her, I couldn't let her escape again She was trespassing in our territory, an area restricted from entry by common folk To ensure the safety of our Clotaku Club, and to preserveher to justice
”But-”
She looked a little depressed
At a glance, she didn't seem any different since yesterday, but I eventually noticed a subtle gloom on her face
It then came to my attention that she had theseat at the back of the class In any anionist seat', but in reality it was also the area where the garbage bin and other cleaning tools belonged It was undoubtedly the irl quietly sat there, having her lunch
Maybe a couplearound and laughing Yet the girl sat alone, with a glooirls left her as she was, having fun by themselves
Perhaps she was getting bullied
There definitely was so unnatural about the scene within the class I looked back at Sukyong-sunbae to confirm—
”Let us leave now” But she spoke first, her face stony as always, pulling my wrist away once more
”Who is that girl?”
Only after I strangely found ain, I had -sunbae wanted to show me? Why did she look like she was an outcast of the class?