Monday afternoon's lecture felt unusually long.
The professor was talking about market segmentation and consumer analysis at the front of the room, while Yeon-ju rapidly took notes with her eyes fixed on her laptop screen.
She was planning to go to a café after class.
The café beside the central library where she and Hyun-a had sat together last time.
They had narrowed down the candidate companies for their group project to three, and today she planned to gather a little more information and send it to her group members.
As soon as class ended, the students all stood up at once.
Yeon-ju closed her laptop and put it in her bag too.
The major classmate sitting next to her asked,
“Are you going to a café today?”
“Yeah. I want to look over some more material.”
“I was thinking of going too, but I have another class.”
“Then let’s look at it together on Wednesday.”
“Okay.”
Yeon-ju left the classroom.
As she walked down the hallway, her phone vibrated.
Kang Su-yeon
One message.
Busy?
Yeon-ju slowed her pace.
After thinking for a moment, she sent a reply.
Lee Yeon-ju I’m organizing materials for my group project.
The reply came almost immediately.
Kang Su-yeon Then come to the clubroom.
Yeon-ju stopped walking.
She stared at the screen for a while.
Then she slowly typed.
Lee Yeon-ju But I said I was busy.
Kang Su-yeon Yeah.
Lee Yeon-ju Then why are you telling me to come?
A moment later.
Kang Su-yeon I asked because I was curious whether you were busy.
Yeon-ju closed her eyes.
‘Then why did you ask?’
Her phone buzzed again.
Kang Su-yeon Come quickly.
Yeon-ju eventually sighed.
She could go to the café another time.
She could look over a little more of the group project material tonight.
More importantly.
If she didn’t go, she felt like the messages would just keep coming.
Yeon-ju turned around.
When she opened the clubroom door, Su-yeon was sitting on the couch.
A huge pile of papers covered the table.
Yeon-ju stopped in the doorway.
“Don’t tell me.”
Su-yeon looked up.
“You came.”
“You called me here because of that?”
“Yeah.”
“I told you I was working on a group project.”
“Think of this as an assignment too.”
“For what class?”
“ILY Studies.”
“There’s no such major.”
“Coming soon.”
Yeon-ju set down her bag.
Su-yeon pushed the pile of papers toward her as if she had been waiting for that moment.
“Here.”
Yeon-ju looked down.
Notes from the four-on-four meetup.
Information about the other participants that Do-hee had sent.
The details from Seo-jin’s consultation.
The seating arrangement Hyun-a had written down.
Even the progress record Yeon-ju had created.
Everything they had gathered while preparing for Seo-jin’s consultation was all together.
“All of this?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Su-yeon picked up an empty file from the table.
It had a clear cover.
There was still nothing inside.
“Our data manager joined us, remember?”
Yeon-ju felt an ominous premonition.
“So?”
“Let’s organize this case properly from the start.”
Su-yeon set the file down in front of Yeon-ju.
“ILY Official Form No. 1.”
Yeon-ju looked back and forth between the file and Su-yeon.
“What about the existing records?”
“We have those.”
“Then this isn’t No. 1.”
“The old ones are wild.”
“Wild?”
“No format, no order.”
Su-yeon pointed to the bookcase filled with old consultation records.
“Those are in their natural state.”
Yeon-ju looked at the bookcase without saying a word.
It was hard to argue with her.
Su-yeon tapped the new file with her finger.
“From now on, civilization.”
“Why do you put things like that?”
“Am I wrong?”
Yeon-ju looked down at the pile of papers again.
“Do we really have to do this now?”
“It’d be nice to do it now.”
“I was going to go to a café.”
“There are chairs here too.”
“There’s no coffee.”
Su-yeon opened the refrigerator.
“Canned coffee.”
“Free.”
Yeon-ju eventually pulled out a chair.
“I’m really just doing this and leaving.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t make me do too much.”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you answering so quickly?”
“You already sat down.”
Yeon-ju realized it was too late.
Once they started organizing everything, her hands moved faster than she expected.
Yeon-ju sorted the materials by type.
Consultation details.
Confirmed facts.
Plans.
What had actually happened.
Awaiting results.
She combined duplicate information and marked anything written as speculation separately.
Su-yeon watched from beside her for the first few minutes.
Then, before long, she went back to the couch.
Yeon-ju looked up.
“Su-yeon.”
“Yeah?”
“Aren’t you going to help?”
“You’re the data manager.”
“You’re the one who called me here.”
“Yeah.”
“Then help me a little.”
Su-yeon looked thoughtful.
“What do I do?”
Yeon-ju picked up a sheet of paper.
“This is your handwriting, right?”
“Probably.”
“It says, ‘Good reaction.’ Whose reaction was good?”
Su-yeon took the paper.
She stared at it for a moment.
“...Who was it?”
Yeon-ju closed her eyes.
“Su-yeon.”
“Wait.”
Su-yeon studied the paper for a long time before saying,
“Oh. Seo-jin.”
“You’re sure?”
“Eighty percent?”
“Then we can’t use it.”
“Why not?”
“Eighty percent doesn’t count as a confirmed fact.”
Su-yeon laughed.
“You’re strict.”
“Your records are just a mess.”
“Then put it under speculation.”
“What are we supposed to do if you’re speculating about something you wrote yourself?”
Su-yeon eventually dragged a chair over beside Yeon-ju.
“Fine. Let’s look at it together.”
Only then did the organizing speed up a little.
Yeon-ju read through the contents.
Su-yeon filled in the parts she remembered.
Hyun-a’s notes were relatively easy to read.
Do-hee’s messages were short but precise.
Only Su-yeon’s records required any real interpretation.
Much later.
Yeon-ju entered a title on the first page of the new file.
Case Record 001
Client: Park Seo-jin
Goal: Create a natural opportunity to get closer to Jung Woo-jin, a senior in the same major
The sections continued below.
Consultation date.
Confirmed information.
ILY plan.
What actually happened.
Variables.
Current status.
Yeon-ju placed the printed pages inside the clear file.
Su-yeon lifted it with both hands.
“Oh.”
“What?”
“It looks legit.”
“This is what records are supposed to look like.”
Su-yeon held the file high in the air.
“Excellent.”
Yeon-ju looked at her anxiously.
Su-yeon declared,
“A historic first step in ILY record administration.”
Yeon-ju sighed immediately.
“We just made one file.”
“All history begins with a single file.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“How can you say that so definitively?”
“Because usually it doesn’t.”
Looking satisfied, Su-yeon slid the file into the very front of the bookcase.
Right beside the existing, hopelessly jumbled consultation records.
The new file stood out as unusually neat.
Yeon-ju refused to admit that seeing it made her feel a little proud.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Su-yeon turned her head.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Someone Yeon-ju had never seen before entered.
A female student.
More precisely, she looked like a student, but she was definitely older than Yeon-ju.
She wore a neat shirt and a thin cardigan.
A binder was tucked into one hand.
As soon as she entered, she slowly looked around the room.
Then she spotted Su-yeon.
“There you are.”
Su-yeon’s expression shifted subtly.
Without even getting up, she said,
“What brings you here?”
“Judging by your tone, I guess you’re not happy to see me.”
“When someone from the Student Support Office comes to a clubroom, it’s usually not good news.”
The female student gave a short laugh.
Then she looked at the whiteboard.
This month’s goal: Don’t get the club shut down
Below that.
New club member +1 achieved
After reading it, she looked at Su-yeon.
“You’re honest.”
“That’s one of our club’s strengths.”
“Did an honest person write ‘Support for emotional exchange to promote relationships on campus’ in the last activity report?”
“Nothing about that is inaccurate.”
“It’s dating advice.”
“It’s emotional exchange.”
“You set people up, didn’t you?”
Su-yeon narrowed her eyes.
“How did you hear about that?”
“Your activity report. I’m in charge of your club, so I read the report. Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
Yeon-ju blinked.
In charge of the club.
Only then did a name come to mind.
The name written on the whiteboard.
Don’t get caught by Assistant Kang Ji-su
Yeon-ju’s gaze slipped toward the whiteboard.
Then back to the student in front of her.
‘Kang Ji-su.’
Ji-su followed Yeon-ju’s gaze to the whiteboard.
She spotted the last line.
Her expression froze.
Su-yeon seemed to notice only then too and looked up.
“Oh.”
“Kang Su-yeon.”
“I’ll erase it.”
“Now?”
“Right now.”
Su-yeon picked up the whiteboard eraser.
Ji-su raised a hand, looking incredulous.
“Forget it.”
Su-yeon put the eraser back down.
“Then we’ll keep it.”
“Why would you keep it?”
“You gave us permission.”
“When did I?”
Yeon-ju bit her lip.
She felt like she shouldn’t laugh.
Ji-su sighed and set the binder on the table.
“This month’s activity results.”
Su-yeon said,
“We’re filling them out.”
“Number of members.”
“We meet the requirement.”
“Really?”
Su-yeon pointed at Yeon-ju.
“Here.”
Yeon-ju’s eyes widened.
Ji-su’s gaze slowly turned toward her.
Their eyes met.
Ji-su said nothing for a moment.
Then her face took on the expression of someone looking at a truly unfortunate person.
“Student.”
“Yes?”
“You can be honest with me.”
Yeon-ju’s back stiffened slightly.
“About what?”
Ji-su glanced at Su-yeon, then looked back at Yeon-ju.
“Kang Su-yeon didn’t drag you here, did she?”
“...What?”
Su-yeon immediately cut in.
“What do you mean, drag her here?”
Ji-su ignored her.
“Any threats?”
“No.”
“Does she have something on you?”
“No.”
“Kidnapping?”
“Can we stop?” Su-yeon said.
Ji-su held out a palm toward Su-yeon.
“I’m taking the victim’s statement.”
“She’s not a victim. She’s a club member.”
Yeon-ju looked back and forth between them.
Ji-su asked again, her expression serious.
“Did you really join of your own free will?”
“Yes.”
“She didn’t force you to fill out the application?”
Yeon-ju remembered the day she had filled out the membership application.
The pen Su-yeon had held out.
The way she had said Yeon-ju could write if she wanted to after reading it.
And the hand that had snatched the paper away the moment Yeon-ju handed it over.
Yeon-ju hesitated for a moment.
“...I wrote the application myself.”
Su-yeon said,
“See?”
Ji-su immediately asked,
“Why did you hesitate?”
“I was just thinking.”
“Are you still free to quit right now?”
Yeon-ju looked at Su-yeon.
Su-yeon looked back at Yeon-ju.
“I am, right?” Yeon-ju asked.
Su-yeon’s eyebrows rose.
“Why are you asking me?”
“Just confirming.”
“Of course you are.”
Yeon-ju looked back at Ji-su.
“She says I am.”
Ji-su looked like she was trying not to laugh.
“Student, are you really okay?”
“Yes.”
Yeon-ju ended up laughing too.
“I joined because I wanted to.”
At that, Ji-su’s playful expression softened a little.
“Then that settles it.”
Su-yeon crossed her arms.
“We’re done confirming, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And we meet the membership requirement.”
“One new member and you’re already getting cocky.”
“A requirement is a requirement.”
“You still need to fill out your activity results.”
Su-yeon took the file they had just organized from the bookcase.
“We have this too.”
Ji-su accepted it.
She read the cover.
Case Record 001
She flipped through several pages.
Her expression changed slightly.
“Who organized this?”
Su-yeon pointed at Yeon-ju.
“Our data manager.”
Ji-su looked at Yeon-ju.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“This is actually pretty decent.”
Su-yeon’s eyes widened.
“Pretty?”
“Maybe because you didn’t make it.”
“I contributed too.”
Yeon-ju said quietly,
“She restored the memories, more or less.”
Ji-su burst out laughing.
Su-yeon looked wronged.
“Yeon-ju.”
“It’s not inaccurate.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“The side of facts.”
Ji-su flipped through the file once more.
“How much information did you verify about the other person?”
Yeon-ju answered,
“Only public information and whatever could be naturally confirmed through people around him.”
“You didn’t dig up private contact information or personal details?”
“No.”
Ji-su nodded.
“Keep it that way.”
Su-yeon said,
“We always do.”
“I’m worried when you say that.”
“You really don’t trust me.”
“That’s the result of your usual behavior.”
Ji-su handed the file back to Su-yeon.
Then she picked up her binder again.
“Submit the monthly activity report by the end of this month.”
“I know.”
“Update the member list too.”
“Okay.”
“And don’t use any weird phrasing.”
Su-yeon thought for a moment.
“What’s weird about ‘support for emotional exchange’?”
“Don’t write that.”
“Then how about ‘support for youthful relationships’?”
“That’s even weirder.”
Yeon-ju couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Ji-su walked toward the door.
Su-yeon said,
“Come back next time with good news.”
“What good news could I possibly have for you?”
“Your shutdown getting canceled?”
“You’ll have to survive on your own.”
Ji-su grabbed the doorknob.
Then she stopped.
“Oh.”
Su-yeon immediately reacted.
“Good news?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Ji-su thought for a moment before saying,
“There’s a junior I work with at the Student Support Office.”
Su-yeon’s eyes changed.
“Yes?”
“Why are you looking at me like that already?”
“Please, go on.”
“She’s been having a hard time lately because of some relationship issues.”
Yeon-ju naturally looked at Ji-su too.
Ji-su said,
“I’ll mention this place to her.”
Su-yeon smiled immediately.
“Sounds good.”
“I’m only introducing the club.”
“Yes.”
“She’ll decide whether she comes or not.”
“Of course.”
“And.”
Ji-su pointed a finger at Su-yeon.
“Don’t count it toward your activity results when she hasn’t even submitted a request yet.”
Su-yeon was silent for a moment.
“...I hadn’t even thought of that.”
Ji-su narrowed her eyes.
“Liar.”
“Do you have proof?”
“Your face.”
Su-yeon laughed.
Ji-su shook her head and opened the door.
“I’m telling you, this is a really weird club.”
“Come again sometime.”
“No.”
The door closed.
Yeon-ju stared at the quiet door for a moment.
Then she asked,
“She’s Assistant Kang Ji-su?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s more...”
Yeon-ju searched for the right word.
Su-yeon asked,
“What?”
“Not as scary as I expected.”
“Ji-su would be happy to hear that.”
“Are you scared of her?”
“Not at all.”
“That sounds about right.”
Su-yeon nodded in satisfaction.
Yeon-ju sat back down at the table.
“Now I can really leave, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“There isn’t anything else you need me to do?”
Su-yeon looked around once.
“For now.”
Yeon-ju put her laptop in her bag.
Just then, a phone rang.
It was Su-yeon’s.
Su-yeon checked the screen.
“It’s Seo-jin.”
Yeon-ju’s hand stopped.
“She texted?”
“Yeah.”
Su-yeon read the message.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
“What does it say?” Yeon-ju asked.
Su-yeon turned her phone toward Yeon-ju.
Park Seo-jin I sent Woo-jin a video yesterday.
Another message came below it.
Park Seo-jin I started by talking about the video, but we kept talking about other things too, so we ended up texting until dawn.
And then.
Park Seo-jin I think I can say hi first when I see him on campus now.
Yeon-ju read the messages one more time.
A smile spread across her face before she knew it.
“That’s great.”
Su-yeon nodded.
“Yeah.”
That was all.
Yeon-ju looked at Su-yeon.
“That’s it?”
“What is?”
“Your reply.”
“Saying ‘That’s great’ is enough.”
Su-yeon typed just that.
Kang Su-yeon That’s great.
After thinking for a moment, she sent one more line.
Kang Su-yeon Then try saying hi to him in person next time.
Send.
Su-yeon set her phone down on the table.
Yeon-ju asked,
“You’re really not going to do anything else now?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not even going to ask about their private texts?”
“Why would I?”
“Wouldn’t you be curious how well things are going?”
Su-yeon looked at Yeon-ju.
“Are you curious?”
“A little.”
“So am I.”
“But you’re not going to ask?”
“No.”
Su-yeon looked toward the bookcase.
The new file they had just placed there caught her eye.
Case Record 001
Su-yeon said,
“If they need us, they’ll get in touch again.”
Yeon-ju looked at the file too.
The final item.
Current status: Awaiting results
That sentence was still unchanged.
Yeon-ju stood up.
“Then I’m leaving.”
“Your assignment?”
“Yeah.”
“Good luck.”
“You took an hour away from me.”
“You gained experience as a data manager.”
“What am I supposed to use that experience for?”
Su-yeon laughed.
Yeon-ju put on her bag and opened the door.
Behind her, she heard Su-yeon take the file out again.
“Oh.”
Yeon-ju turned around.
Su-yeon was holding the file.
“What?”
Su-yeon smiled.
“This is really nice to look at.”
Yeon-ju looked at her for a moment.
Then she snorted softly.
“Just don’t lose it.”
“What do you take me for?”
“The person who made the old records.”
Su-yeon was speechless.
Yeon-ju took advantage of the opening and closed the door.