Semantic Error - Chapter 33

“It’s been a while since he broke up with the person he dated last year. She’s already graduated from law school now, but…she’s really pretty, she comes from a good family, and she’s a genius, so she looks really cool even to other girls.”

Information he hadn’t even requested came out one after another.

“How do you know those things?”

“I’ve checked their social media, and I also hear rumors from time to time.”

“What kind of rumors?”

Jihye’s mouth started moving again. When Jang Jaeyoung was twenty years old, some agency suggested that he becomes an actor. He worked as a model for a bit. The person he dated during his freshman year has now become a famous singer. These were all pieces of information that he didn’t need to know at all. Jihye stopped talking when Sangwoo made a cool-story-bro-tell-me-more kind of expression.2

“It’s not that I’m interested in him, but my friend likes Jaeyoung oppa, so she keeps telling me these things.”

“Really? Why does she like him?”

“Because he’s handsome.”

Sangwoo also acknowledged that fact.

“And he’s good at sports.”

He was also good at riding a skateboard.

“And he also has a great personality.”

A sentence that Sangwoo finally couldn’t agree with appeared.

“Don’t you think so? You should know since you’re so close.”

“We’re not close at all.”

These days, that crazy bastard, scum, and sadist, had become markedly nice. There were only extreme words in his head that he could tell Jihye about Jaeyoung, whom she didn’t even know.

“Oh, right, you used to get mad and tell me not to talk about Jaeyoung oppa. What the heck?!”

Sangwoo pretended not to have heard it, since it was spot on. Fortunately enough, the professor returned at that moment.

return 0;

After class ended, it was time to eat.

“Oh yeah, what happened with that? The divider and the earplugs, I mean,” Jihye suddenly asked when Sangwoo was packing his books and his pencil case.

“It didn’t work.”

The divider had degenerated into a fan, he had seven cans of coffee just lying around at home, and he had only worn the earplugs once and never touched them again.

“I’m sorry.”

However, it wasn’t something that Jihye should feel apologetic for, as it was due to the other person being strange. Come to think of it, he had promised to treat her to a meal in return for her advice. Even if it hadn’t been very helpful, a promise was a promise, so Sangwoo grabbed a meal ticket from his wallet and put it on her desk. Jihye stared at the meal ticket.

“Why are you giving me a meal ticket?”

“I told you that I’d treat you to a meal.”

“Ah, really. You have to personally get it! What’s this?!”

“Use this to get a meal.”

Sangwoo got up from his seat while carrying his backpack, and Jihye put the meal ticket back into Sangwoo’s pocket.

“This isn’t right, oppa. Please treat me to a meal next time when you feel like it.”

Sangwoo recalled getting pasta worth 23,500 won from her. Anyhow, Sangwoo suspected that Jihye wouldn’t be satisfied with mere school cafeteria food, whose cost could be nowhere near as expensive as that, much less be of equal value…

“Got it. I’ll get you pizza some other time.”

“Really? Not just pizza bread or something like that?”

‘I thought you were kind, but you’re filled with suspicions; in fact, you are very suspicious.’

As they were walking towards the restaurant, someone called for Sangwoo from behind.

“Sangwoo.”

There was only one person who would call him that. Sangwoo quickly looked back. The person he expected it to be, was expectedly wearing a coat, and was panting hard as if he had been running.

“There you are. I found you.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? You’re supposed to eat with me.”

“Me?”

That was news to him. Jaeyoung must have mistaken Sangwoo for someone else or clearly been wrong about something. Sangwoo turned around again and walked towards the restaurant, but this time, Jihye, who was next to him, had become stranded.

“Ah, French Lit.”

“Wow… We met again, oppa. Hello.”

“So it seems. Did we introduce ourselves before?”

“I’m Ryu Jihye. Hehe. And I actually know your name, since you’re so famous, oppa…”

Sangwoo tried to increase the distance between them, but they rapidly followed him, so he was able to hear their entire conversation.

“You and Sangwoo get along well, Jihye hoobae-nim. You came to our restaurant together last time as well.”

“That day was actually the first time we met. Sangwoo oppa was so kind as to help me carry boxes, so… I didn’t mean to, but I had put too many books in the box, although you should spread out heavy stuff when packing. I didn’t have to carry everything all at once, but I was trying to get it done in one try…”

Blahblahblahblah. Jihye didn’t stop talking. Also, the Jaeyoung-Jihye-Jaeyoung-Jihye-Jaeyoung conversation went back and forth like a ping pong ball. The line at the restaurant shortened unusually slowly.

“Hahahaha! You’re so funny, oppa. Oh, right. My friend wants to get your autograph. Would you be able to give me one?”

“Eyy, I’m not even a celebrity, so what autograph?”

At some point, Jaeyoung had started talking to Jihye. If a stranger had been watching them, they would’ve thought that the two had known each other for a long time. Time dragged on while he stood still and listened to them chattering like sparrows, but the line decreased inch by inch. They entered the restaurant after grabbing their trays. Jaeyoung lined up somewhere else to get special Banquet Noodles, but joined them later.3 Sangwoo eagerly looked for a table that only had one empty seat, but he couldn’t see a single one, so the three of them were forced to sit together.

2. Some interpretations of this “cool-story-bro-tell-me-more” type of expression can be found here.

3. Banquet Noodles (janchi guksu) is a noodle dish that consists of wheat flour noodles in a light broth made from anchovy or beef.