Campus Log - Chapter 47

Wanting to see her face without glasses once more, he silently moved only his eyes.

It must be because the relay scene was still vividly imprinted in his mind.

Her flushed cheeks, the small jaw clenching tight, the eyes precisely targeting only him. Her hair tied back whipped violently before his eyes, and the hand passing the baton radiated desperate strength.

When recalling the day of the sports festival, Hong Sang-hee’s bare face came to mind before Kim Do-wan’s outburst—that said it all.

Hong Sang-hee didn’t budge an inch, studying all the while. The partition hiding her face and the headphones covering her ears formed an iron fortress.

Though he’d come early to prepare for finals following her example, after an hour, Eun-seok was fidgety and ready to go mad. He couldn’t even stretch freely for fear of disturbing Hong Sang-hee again.

When studying at the central library during exam season, people would pass by, offer coffee, exchange nods, ask for numbers—it was full of bothersome things. Here, not a single glance came his way. He suddenly realized that while he’d tired of those things, he’d also secretly enjoyed them. This new awareness left him feeling sheepish.

Hong Sang-hee stood up at 6:48 PM, just as dorm dinner was ending. Eun-seok, who’d been blankly staring at his tablet, snapped his head up.

His eyes immediately met Hong Sang-hee’s. Her gaze, which had briefly glanced away pretending not to notice, returned to him.

“Aren’t you eating?”

Hong Sang-hee would never know how welcome that indifferent question was. Eun-seok shot up as if he’d been waiting.

“Yeah, I should eat.”

As they walked to the cafeteria, half a step separated them. Eun-seok lagged slightly behind, observing Hong Sang-hee’s mood.

Ever since this morning—snatching her drink, interfering with her exchanging contacts with juniors, throwing a full-blown tantrum—he felt awkward and embarrassed.

And Hong Sang-hee hadn’t done anything wrong at all. He’d taken out his annoyance at those bothersome guys on someone innocent.

But… why was I so annoyed?

It felt as baffling as facing an essay question he’d never studied.

If this were really an exam, he’d patch together a few remembered theories, write a lengthy answer, and get a grade to match. Even if the grade wasn’t great, it wouldn’t immediately affect his livelihood.

But deciding how to treat Hong Sang-hee couldn’t be glossed over like that.

For one, Hong Sang-hee was a classmate he had to face daily. She was also a kind person who pitied his situation. And also…

After putting food on his tray, Eun-seok went and sat directly across from Hong Sang-hee. If she said something, he’d pretend not to notice. She hadn’t said anything about sitting three seats apart in the dorm, after all.

But Hong Sang-hee began eating without even glancing at him. She propped her phone on the tissue case at an angle, likely to watch panda videos as usual.

Beyond the gold-rimmed glasses, he met eyes with clean whites. Hong Sang-hee, chewing her side dish, turned the tissue case 45 degrees and moved it slightly farther away.

Now Eun-seok could clearly see what was on Hong Sang-hee’s phone. On the 6-inch screen, a video played of twin pandas playing tag with a zookeeper.

“Can I watch too?”

Knowing full well she’d turned it for him to see, Eun-seok asked the obvious question.

“If you want to watch, watch.”

Hong Sang-hee replied with complete indifference. That alone eased his mind, and a smile slipped out. He’d been worried all along whether she might be upset by his attitude today, but Hong Sang-hee was certainly generous.

“Going up to your room now?”

Eun-seok asked as the video transitioned to the next scene.

“Yeah. I’m done for today.”

Hong Sang-hee, who’d been staring at her phone, glanced at Eun-seok.

“You?”

“I’m done too. Gonna work out now.”

Somehow, he’d ended up following an extremely diligent schedule today. Attending classes properly, sitting in the study room (though he didn’t really study), and now exercising after dinner—it felt like a sparrow trying to follow a stork.

“Good stamina.”

Hong Sang-hee offered a flat evaluation. At those brief words, hardly a compliment, the corner of Eun-seok’s mouth twitched frivolously.

“Yeah, good stamina. You saw me at the sports festival.”

“Right. You did well.”

“I exercise every day, actually. Even after the after-party that day, I worked out for an hour.”

“Impressive.”

He knew Hong Sang-hee was just responding politely. But even that brief reaction lifted his spirits, making his chopsticks feel lighter.

After finishing their meal, Hong Sang-hee returned her tray and was about to turn toward the east stairs when she paused and looked back at Eun-seok. As if she had something to say, her red lips moved hesitantly.

“Feeling better?”

The question that came from Hong Sang-hee after a moment was unexpected.

“…Huh?”

“You seemed off since this morning.”