The lecture hall instantly buzzed with energy the moment the professor stepped out. Low murmurs quickly built up as a result of overlapping conversations, and the rustling of notebooks being closed filled the air. It was as if a dam had broken, releasing a flood of pent-up chatter and complaints that had been held back throughout the lesson.
Surrounded by his usual crowd, Jihoon sat in his seat, listening to the lively exchange of voices around him. They gathered around him like bees drawn to a flower, their energy infectious despite the exhaustion written on their faces.
"I'm so devastated. Why is there so much to do?" one of them groaned, dramatically slumping over her desk as she stared at the pile of notes in front of her.
"Real. And now we have to study for the test next Monday? This completely ruined my weekend," another whined, ruffling her hair in frustration. "I was supposed to binge-watch RookieLover! But nooo, now I have to suffer."
"Oh my god, you haven't watched it yet? Let me tell you, for the first five epis-"
"NO!" The girl immediately clamped her hands over her ears, shaking her head frantically. "Hold it right there! I don't wanna hear any spoilers!"
"Chill, my girl… I was just gonna say their costume design is actually criminal. It's genuine feedback."
Jihoon listened passively, the conversation shifting and spiraling into new tangents with every passing second. Every so often, they'd pull him in with a question or comment, though he mostly just nodded along, unfamiliar with half the topics they were debating.
A quick glance at his watch made him realize it was getting late. Clearing his throat, he spoke up between the chatter.
"Uh… I think I should get going."
"Oh, right! You have that part-time job at Flora's Café, don't you?" one of his friends asked, tilting their head. "You still working there?"
"Yeah," Jihoon nodded as he packed up his belongings. "The pay's decent, and it's close to my apartment."
The group hummed in understanding, though a few groaned about needing to find jobs themselves.
A girl propped her chin on her palm, studying Jihoon with curiosity.
"But why do you still work there? Didn't you inherit a fortune just recently?"
"Well… you never know when it'll disappear." Jihoon paused, as if lost in thought, before offering a casual smile. "And I don't have much to do at home anyway."
This was partly true. He didn't want to recklessly burn through the money his grandfather had worked so hard to earn. But most importantly, he didn't know when his uncles and aunts would start demanding their 'share' back. Even now, they kept sending him endless texts and messages.
"Alright, I'll see you all tomorrow." Jihoon slung his bag over his shoulder and waved, receiving a chorus of goodbyes in return.
As he weaved through the maze of desks, the voices of his friends trailed behind him, already diving into yet another conversation.
He was just about to step out of the lecture hall when he nearly collided with Senior Kijun.
The moment their eyes met, Jihoon instinctively stiffened.
Although he wanted to avoid unnecessary interaction, he still greeted Kijun out of politeness. However, his courtesy was met with nothing but a cold, unwelcome glare from his senior.
Not wanting to prolong the encounter, Jihoon attempted to step past him–only for Kijun to shift at the last second, blocking his way.
"Where are you going? Wait a bit."
Kijun's voice held its usual irritable edge, making Jihoon inwardly sigh.
Did he do something to upset him? What was it this time? Either way, Jihoon knew better than to let himself get tangled up in whatever this was.
"I have to go to my part-time job, Sunbae."
"So? It's not like you can't wait a bit."
Jihoon's brows knit together in confusion. Wait for what exactly? He wasn't sure what Kijun meant, but he had a sinking feeling he wouldn't like the answer.
Unease settled in his chest as he quickly searched for an excuse….any excuse to get out of this situation as soon as possible.
Parting his lips to speak, Jihoon was cut off before he could utter a single word.
"Why are you still pissing people off, Kijun?!"
Jihoon halted, his words dying in his throat as an annoyed voice rang out from behind. A group of girls stormed over, their expressions ranging from irritation to outright frustration. Within moments, they had closed in, surrounding Kijun with unimpressed glares.
"Seriously, what's your problem? Why are you always on Jihoon's case? Can't you just leave him alone for once?" one of them snapped, arms crossed in defiance.
Kijun scoffed, clearly unimpressed by the sudden intervention.
"What do you even know, Yerim? Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong," he said, voice dripping with condescension.
"Hah! Some of us don't have money handed to us by our parents to spend recklessly," she shot back. "So, we have to…you know WORK."
Another girl chimed in, her tone just as biting. "Exactly. What would you know about responsibility or punctuality?"
A few murmurs rippled through the surrounding students, their attention now drawn to the confrontation. Kijun's jaw twitched slightly, his smug expression faltering for just a second before he rolled his eyes.
Jihoon, meanwhile, remained still, scanning his surroundings as tension thickened in the air. He had no idea how things had escalated so quickly, but now that they had, he wasn't sure what to do.
"It's fine, Jihoon. Just go. You don't have to listen to his nonsense," Yerim said without looking away from Kijun.
Jihoon hesitated only for a moment before taking the out he was given. He dipped his head in gratitude and quickly slipped past them before Kijun could say anything else.
By the time he turned a corner, he was practically running.
However, just as he was about to continue down the hallway, a familiar figure appeared in his peripheral vision, making his heart skip a beat.
His body reacted before his mind could process the situation. He spun on his heel and swiftly ducked behind a nearby group of gossiping students, blending into the background as best he could.
Carefully, he peeked out, watching as Hyunwoo passed by, completely unaware of his presence.
Jihoon remained frozen until Hyunwoo disappeared from sight. Only then did he let out a quiet breath, relief washing over him.
That was close.
Not wasting another second, he quickly resumed his pace, eager to put as much distance as possible between himself and any more unwanted encounters.