Campus Log - Chapter 10

***

That afternoon, it became clear what Ryu Eun-seok had been worried about.

I was watching today’s Banda fancam while eating pork cutlet in the student cafeteria when a dark shadow fell over my screen.

Looking up, a group of guys who had each gotten bowls of ramen from the serving area had crowded around the window seats, blocking the sunlight. They were the ones who usually hung around with Ryu Eun-seok. But the leader of the pack was notably absent.

He didn’t go to class, and now he’s not eating either? Not that it was any of my business, but curiosity got the better of me. I paused the video and subtly pulled out my earbuds, keeping my eyes on my pork cutlet while straining my ears.

“Why isn’t Eun-seok answering?”

“Probably embarrassed. Now that everyone knows he’s broke, why would he want to eat with us?”

“Doesn’t he have to sell that Benz too? I heard he even borrowed from loan sharks.”

Loan sharks? At the terrifying word, my chewing slowed. Ryu Eun-seok had talked about tightening his finances, but was the situation actually more serious?

“I knew something was off when he suddenly started living in the dorm.”

“Lately, he hasn’t even bought us a cup of coffee. I guess even rich guys can’t help it when they hit rock bottom.”

“That officetel was so nice. Ryu Eun-seok must be really miserable. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to come to school.”

By the way, are these guys really his friends? They hang out together every day, so why talk like that?

“He used to show off just because he had money. Nothing to see now.”

“Yang Su-bin will probably leave him too, right? Let’s be honest, she only stuck around for the money.”

“If it were just Yang Su-bin, that’d be lucky enough.”

“Ugh, at least we won’t have to see girls squealing over him anymore.”

Honestly, the reason these guys were tearing into Ryu Eun-seok was pretty obvious.

“Hey, but honestly, his looks are still there. Some girls would still chase after him just for his face.”

“No matter how handsome he is, who’d date him if I had to buy him food every day?”

“Kim Do-wan, the doctor’s son, or Ryu Eun-seok, left with nothing but loan shark debt? Who would you choose?”

“Obviously Do-wan hyung.”

The hierarchy among the men was as blunt and conspicuous as animals.

When a man was handsome, rich, and popular, those around him naturally lifted him up. No one forced it—the men willingly bowed down. Just like how Kim Do-wan couldn’t even talk back to a junior several years younger.

If the man at the top showed favor by spending money or giving rides in his expensive car, they cheered.

They worshiped him devotedly, cheering and offering their utmost loyalty. Even as the hierarchy between them solidified several times over, they still called it friendship.

But now, the hierarchy led by Ryu Eun-seok had crumbled to pieces.

With no more crumbs left to fall, they had flung Ryu Eun-seok straight to the bottom.

I lost my appetite and set down my fork.

Honestly, I had no right to mock those guys. I too had felt a sense of schadenfreude after overhearing Ryu Eun-seok’s call. Thinking, “So even the guy who seemed to have everything isn’t actually any different. He has things he wants to hide, just like everyone else.”

The only difference was that I kept my thoughts to myself, while they were out there talking openly about it.

By the time I was returning my tray, my phone buzzed briefly. Assuming it was an ad, I lazily went to clear the notification, but an app icon I wasn’t yet familiar with appeared on the screen.

I read the short sentence over and over, not quite processing it.

[Ryu Eun-seok (@xrxuseok) has requested to follow you.]

Pressing the notification brought up a blue button meaning “Accept” and a pale gray button meaning “Ignore,” side by side. My fingertip hovered over the screen, unable to choose either.

I’d created the account to secretly peek, yet the very person I was spying on had sent a follow request.

It wasn’t that he wanted to see a ghost account—it was obvious he was targeting me as a prime suspect and trying to keep watch.

For now, I chose evasion. I put my phone away and went to attend my remaining classes. But I couldn’t completely shake off thoughts of Ryu Eun-seok.

Though my body was seated in the lecture hall, my mind kept wandering back to the bench under the acacia tree and the back entrance of the Business Administration building.

On the path leading to the dormitory, a canopy of lush greenery was cast. A month ago, my spirits had soared along with the cherry blossom petals dancing in the wind, but now, with assignments pouring in nonstop, the surrounding scenery hardly registered.

There was a study room on the first floor of the dorm. Since hardly anyone used it, except during exam periods, it was always just me. I didn’t even need to step into the hallway to take calls.

Instead of heading up to my room, I went down to the study room.

My relationship with my roommate was okay, but sharing a small room was definitely uncomfortable.

When tired, I preferred lying face-down in the empty study room or catching the breeze under the acacia tree rather than worrying about my roommate’s noise while sprawled on my single mattress.

Across from the study room was a gym with a floor-to-ceiling window facing the hallway. It was only crowded at the start of the semester; after midterms, only a few students remained, running on treadmills.

Current time: 4:22 PM. At this ambiguous hour, Ryu Eun-seok was squatting with a heavy barbell on his shoulders.