LA0S | Chapter 17

“The chicken will get cold. Let’s eat.”

The girl sitting across from me passed me a pair of wooden chopsticks. “Thank you.” I murmured quietly in thanks and pulled apart the chopsticks neatly with a satisfying snap. I felt a little burst of happiness seeing them split so cleanly.

There was an array of chicken dishes in front of us: spicy seasoned chicken, soy sauce, fried, baked in the oven, sprinkled with cheese powder, and generously topped with green onions. None of the choices overlapped. Lee Jinha reached for the oven-baked chicken. Out of decency, he avoided the drumsticks and wings, opting for the less desirable cuts. He chewed thoughtfully, looking around the club room.

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So, this is the photography club room Yoon Sejin belongs to. It was his third year at Hanguk University, but this was the first time he had ever stepped into a club room.

True to its name, the room had cameras everywhere—on desks, the floor—ranging from digital ones to those big, expensive-looking ones that resembled bazooka cannons.

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Printed photos were scattered all around, and the walls were lined with framed photographs.

Were those campus scenes? The far right one seemed to feature the vending machine in front of the library, next to it a bench, and then what looked like the flower bed next to the Humanities building entrance.

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“Pretty, isn’t it? President hyung took those photos.”

The girl who had handed him the chopsticks earlier struck up a conversation.

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President? For a moment, he thought of the student council president before realizing she meant the club president. “Nicely done.”

“The smell of chicken is literally vibrating down the hallway.”

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A tall man burst into the room.

“Thanks for the chicken, President.”

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Several students jumped up to greet him, and Lee Jinha, following their lead, also stood up and bowed slightly. The man gestured for them to sit down as he took off his outerwear and hat.

Is that the president? Lee Jinha wondered about his true nature, though he seemed friendly enough.

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“Could you pass me some chopsticks?” Lee Jinha handed over a wet wipe and chopsticks to the man.

“Thanks. New face, huh? A freshman?”

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“Hyung, he’s just visiting. He’s my friend.”

“Oh, Yoon Sejin’s friend. You do look as handsome as the rumors say.”

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What rumors? And what was Yoon Sejin talking about? Lee Jinha hadn’t planned on joining any club. He shot Yoon Sejin a glare, but the latter was too busy devouring a chicken leg to notice.

“Mind if I sit here?”

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He asked after he had already made himself comfortable. It was a bit late for asking permission, considering he had already asked for chopsticks. Lee Jinha nodded anyway, and the man smiled wryly.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Bae Seohong, the photography club president.”

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“Lee Jinha.”

Lee Jinha shook his outstretched hand. Bae Seohong’s hand was as large and firm as Kim Chayoung’s.

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Ah, why am I thinking of him again? Probably because he was the last person I shook hands with.

“My name’s a bit unique, huh? Bae, Seo, Hong. Made up of all surnames.”

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“That’s true.” It wasn’t particularly fascinating, but Lee Jinha humored him.

“People think photography clubs are tough, but it’s nothing really. Just capture what you like, what you find beautiful. If you care about your subject, the results follow.”

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“You must really like the school, huh?”

“Huh?”

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“That’s the vending machine at the library corner. The very last picture is the bench at the end of the library.”

“Oh.”

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Wow. Bae Seohong was impressed. An exaggerated reaction over a simple observation.

“I’ve had those pictures up for over a year, and you’re the first to recognize that they’re from the school.”

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That was surprising. Lee Jinha had recognized the library right away. An unaware club member chimed in, “Really? I just realized that now.”

“You’ve got a good eye. You’d probably take good photos.”

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“I’m just here for the chicken.”

The man burst out laughing.

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“If we get a good new member, I can always buy more chicken.”

With a sly grin, the president pulled out his card from inside his jacket, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. The casual, jovial atmosphere reminded Lee Jinha of Kim Chayoung. It was already the second time he thought of him today.

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“Since you’re friends with Sejin, you’re from the Literature Department? You can speak up, right?”

Bae Seohong put down his chopsticks and started asking various questions. Lee Jinha answered without hesitation, and Bae Seohong’s smile deepened.

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“Jinha, join us for a photo outing next time. Even just for the experience.”

“If the opportunity arises.”

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He hedged his response, not wanting to outright refuse in the current atmosphere. Bae Seohong promptly checked his phone’s calendar to set a date for the outing. Before Lee Jinha could say much, the outing was scheduled for two weeks before the May festival.

“Will that day work for you?”

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“I’ll have to see when it gets closer.”

He usually worked part-time on weekends, so it was likely he couldn’t go, but there was no need to dampen the mood right then.

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“I really hope you can make it. I feel like we’d get along well.”

Lee Jinha and Yoon Sejin left the club building together. At the last moment, Bae Seohong piled the remaining two chicken legs onto Lee Jinha’s plate.

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Yoon Sejin joked that the president was already showing favoritism, claiming that there’s no such thing as fairness in front of newbies.

“Normally you’d refuse outright. What made you come all the way to the club room?”

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“You told me to come.”

“That was just a greeting. It’s not like it’s the first time.”

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“And five chickens aren’t just a greeting, are they?”

Fair point. Yoon Sejin laughed heartily and nodded in agreement.

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“It’s the first time you brought up the club. Looks like the president hyung really took a liking to you. He insists on bringing you to the next outing.”

Most people found Lee Jinha intimidating at first glance, probably because of his appearance or the general atmosphere. His eyes were long and horizontal without double eyelids, and his mouth set in a firm line made him seem angry even when he was simply thinking about what to eat for dinner.

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Back in the socially narrow confines of high school, he was somewhat of an outcast—half by his own doing, half by others’, until he met Kim Chayoung.

“Looks like hyung really likes good-looking people. That’s confirmed today.”

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“If that’s true, doesn’t that put you at a disadvantage? Looks like you’ll be completely rejected by the president.”

“Look who’s talking. What an annoying guy.”

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They flipped each other off with a middle finger in jest, each responding in kind.

“You’ll go to the outing, right? Like the president said, it’s nothing big, just walking around nearby. Don’t feel pressured.”

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“No pressure at all. If I’m not available, I just won’t participate.”

“That’s so Jinha.”

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Yoon Sejin made a comment that could be taken either way.

After parting with Yoon Sejin, Lee Jinha headed alone to his next class. He had told Yoon Sejin he was just there for the chicken, but that wasn’t the whole story.

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Why had he really gone to the photography club? He wasn’t sure himself. It was almost an impulse.

Today, instead of going to a Korean pub, he had a tutoring session. He had been teaching the student for nearly a year now. The student was naturally quiet, and with problem-solving time, the session ended more leisurely than usual.

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Luckily, the bus wasn’t delayed today, allowing him to get home quickly and make the necessary revisions to the synopsis on time. The instructions had been to move the content of episode 3 forward.

The original prologue had the protagonist, an S-rank hunter, clearing dungeons and demonstrating his strength by hunting monsters. After listening to Kim Chayoung’s advice, the revised version started with the protagonist waking up in a body with F-rank stats, frail and weak.

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How strong the protagonist had been before the regression was postponed until after episode 3. The shock of a character who wouldn’t get hurt even if stabbed, now nearly breaking ribs with a mere cough, seemed like a solid edit to draw the readers’ attention.

Really savvy move.

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Signboard synopsis 1~3 (revised).hwp

Sent by email (10:30 PM)

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Kim Chayoung (Contest Illustration)
Will check and get back to you
Let’s meet tomorrow (10:30 PM)

Tomorrow? Lee Jinha frowned.

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Kim Chayoung (Contest Illustration)
Need to discuss how we’re going to divide the panels (10:31 PM)

Busy. (10:32 PM)

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Kim Chayoung (Contest Illustration)
You have a free period between 2 and 3 PM. (10:32 PM)
Let’s talk in person. (10:32 PM)

How did he know about my free period?

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Although he didn’t think Kim Chayoung would memorize his schedule, he couldn’t shake off the unease.

Have an assignment. (10:42 PM)

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Kim Chayoung (Contest Illustration)
What about the evening? Does work get in the way? (10:42 PM)

I’m not as free as some people. I need to make a living. (10:42 PM)

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His response was steeped in resentment. It wasn’t particularly considerate of Kim Chayoung’s feelings. Read receipts appeared almost immediately.

Wondering how he’d respond. Ignoring him might be the only option.

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Knock knock.

He was staring at his phone screen when a knocking sound echoed. It was well past 10 PM. Not many would visit at this late hour.

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“Lee Jinha, are you home?” A shadow flickered behind the frosted glass. The familiar voice belonged to the landlady.

“Yes, I’m here.”

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“Really sorry to bother you, but could you help move a bag of rice? It’s not good to leave it outside.”

“Just a minute. I’ll be right out.”

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“Take your time.”

The shadow at the front door moved away. Last time it was replacing a fluorescent light.

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The time before that, fixing a broken table leg, and before that, replacing moldy linoleum.

Ah, and there was the time he wallpapered the son’s room.

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Even though the landlord and his twenty-year-old son were around, the heavy lifting always seemed to fall to Lee Jinha. Both he and the landlady knew this, but it was an unspoken agreement.

With rent being as cheap as it was, securing a place like this felt like reaching for the stars. They had a personal arrangement that made it even more affordable. Although the musty smell of mold lingered in every corner during the summer, and his breath fogged the air inside during winter, having a roof over his head was still something to be grateful for.

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