Campus Log - Chapter 25 - The Price of Cheap Sympathy

I sat under the tent with a grim expression.

A suitably tucked-away spot where the sunlight didn’t beat down and I could avoid the ear-splitting noise—but not so isolated that I’d look antisocial if I sat completely apart. Not too far back, either. This was my seat.

Today was the College of Business sports festival. The four departments that shared the same building were all packed together, beating drums, shouting, and playing ridiculous games.

The professors had announced that instead of holding classes, attendance would only be recognized if we showed up at the sports festival.

That was the reason I was sitting here now, looking utterly absentminded.

If it weren’t for attendance, I’d be sleeping in the dorm. Rather than being stuck in a corner of the main athletic field like this, I’d much rather be listening to the Investment Theory professor’s lecture—where he teaches nothing and just drones on reading straight from the textbook.

“Now then, hello to all students of the College of Business!”

The College of Business student council president greeted everyone loudly into the microphone. Standing beside the cheering students, I clapped my hands half-heartedly.

If I just kept sending applause like this, that should be enough. On days like this, even staring at your phone too much makes you stand out it was better not to draw attention. If it looked like a group event was about to start, I should casually slip off to the restroom. Having formed a thorough plan, I glanced around.

Is Ryu Eun-seok coming too?

The question that briefly crossed my mind startled me, and I straightened my posture at once. Why would I be looking for him?

Did going to see the pandas together create some kind of sense of solidarity? It was so ridiculous I couldn’t even sigh.

I was staring blankly at the artificial turf under the glaring sun when someone plopped down heavily in the empty seat beside me. Even without turning around, I could tell who it was just from the grassy scent brushing my nose.

“Aren’t you even going to look?”

Ryu Eun-seok muttered softly so only I could hear. Without realizing it, my knee twitched upward. My eyes rolled about before I turned my head, and our gazes collided at once.

“Hi.”

The fresh smile spreading across his lips suited both his cologne and the green field perfectly. I responded to his greeting with a small nod.

“What event are you participating in?”

“Nothing.”

For some reason, my indifferent answer amused him, and Ryu Eun-seok let out a quiet laugh.

“I figured.”

When the man crossed his long legs, his white sneakers came so close they looked like they might brush against my calf.

“I signed up for basketball and the relay.”

No matter what decision Ryu Eun-seok had made, there were still plenty of people looking for him. Even at a sports day supposedly tied to the pride of the Business Administration Department, nothing was any different.

“Do your best.”

At my lukewarm encouragement, Ryu Eun-seok burst out laughing again. Even as my gaze sharpened, his shoulders shook with mirth.

“Oppa!”

I was about to ask what he was laughing at when a cheerful girl with braided hair tapped Ryu Eun-seok on the shoulder. She was the underclassman who had invited him to her off-campus place under the pretense of doing a group assignment.

“I heard you’re playing basketball later? Drink this and get energized!”

She handed him an ion drink and pumped her fist, overflowing with cutesy encouragement.

“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

As Ryu Eun-seok readily accepted the drink, the girl’s eyes quietly shifted toward me.

Appraisal and caution. Curiosity and defiance. Just as she swept me up and down in a brief moment, I too quickly read the emotions that flickered through her round eyes.

“We’ve got lots of food over here. Would you like to come with us?”

Even though she knew Ryu Eun-seok was sitting with me, she unhesitatingly extended the invitation to only one side.

Although Ryu Eun-seok said he was practicing how to go to school on his own, some people saw the current situation as an opportunity instead.

A chance to slip into the empty space at his side. The timing to get into the foreign car Park Tae-hyun had guarded like a fortress. The opening to soothe a gloomy man and become his one and only partner.

“Later.”

Whether accepting or refusing, one word was enough for Ryu Eun-seok.

He twisted open the bottle cap and took a refreshing gulp. Then he held the bottle out toward me, telling me to drink too. Watching that, the underclassman bit her lower lip and abruptly turned away.

“I’m good.”

Just because I didn’t have close friends didn’t mean I wanted to increase my number of enemies. My blacklist was already more than full with just Kim Do-wan. I had no desire to add an underclassman whose name I didn’t even know as a rival.

“Basketball first.”

Ryu Eun-seok placed the ion drink on my knee and stood up.

“Don’t go anywhere. Stay here.”

With a flick of his eyebrows as a reminder, he headed toward the officials’ table. My hand quickly snatched the bottle before it could roll off, while my gaze followed his retreating back.

Holding the drink, I moved only my lips along with the students who were already cheering at the top of their lungs. It was a lip-sync skill honed since elementary school.

Ten players took their positions on the court. At least their expressions were as serious as those of professional athletes.