Chapter 199

* * *“I’m Kang Dowook, a second year. I like riding bikes and being alone.”Dowook sat down with a bored look. Maru scratched his eyebrows as he looked at Bangjoo and Jiyoon on the other side. Bangjoo was laughing happily at the new addition to the club, but Jiyoon was shivering like a wet puppy.“I’m Jeon Aram, a first-year. I like martial arts and running. Knitting too. I came here after beating up everyone who bullied Jiyoon, over.”This one was even more troublesome than Dowook. It was nice that they got two new members, but they both had strong personalities.“Feels like they’d jump into a fight if you leave them alone together,” Daemyung noted quietly. Dowook improved a lot over the past year, but his temper was still there. Aram was the type that picked a fight the instant she saw something she didn’t like. She was someone who would even throw a slipper at someone bigger than herself, like the time with Geunseok. “Mm, well, let’s do well together.”“Senior!”Aram raised her hand.“Hm?”“We aren’t going to have a party?”Aram twisted around with a big grin, Jiyoon tried to stop the girl with a troubled face. Of course, that didn’t work.“Of course we are,” Maru said with a smile.In the end, the acting club managed to reach their quota of six members. They got a container as a pseudo-clubroom as well, which definitely deserved a celebration of its own.“Let’s drink beer!”“What, you want to try it?”“Yes!”Jiyoon shook her head violently at her, She clearly wanted her friend to stop.“Well, if everyone wants to, we might as well.”Sorry Jiyoon, but the other five in the club all want to drink. In the end, the club decided upon a drinking party. Maru didn’t want things getting out of hand, thus no more than one can per person. “I-I can’t drink.”“Just drink juice, then.”“What? I don’t have to…?”“Nothing of the sort. Just a little bit for the ones that want to try. Anyway, where should we go...”He couldn’t really think of a place. He wanted to just sit around a convenience store and relax under a parasol, but at his age… He’d have a very interesting one-on-one with a teacher. A place for them to drink and converse easily… It’d be best to go into a friend’s place, but there was no way a high schooler would…“Why don’t we go to my place, senior?!” Bangjoo said.“Your place?”“Yes. I live by myself.”“What about your parents?”“They both live at Jeju island. They only occasionally come back up.”“Wait, do you really live by yourself? What about housework?”“I take care of it. Well… sometimes my sister comes to help.”Living by yourself since freshman year in high school… Maru would understand it if the parents were living nearby. But Jeju? How bold were Bangjoo’s parents? Living alone was a difficult task, especially for a student. ‘Maybe his parents had confidence since he’s a good kid.’Perhaps Bangjoo was an even better person than Maru first made him out to be. It was nice that they had someone like this in the club.“Alright, we can go to Bangjoo’s place.”“Senior! What about the beer?”“I’ll take care of it.”“Ohhh!”Aram raised her hands in glee.