"Hey... can't even someone like you avoid the exams?"
"Yeah, seriously. You disappeared, and now you're back to school like a storm."
After several phone calls and a few classmates who knew my name and face spotted me, they gathered around, pretending not to know me.
"If I get an academic warning, I'm screwed. The penalties are severe."
"Penalties? What kind of penalties?"
"If I mess up my school life, my grandpa won't give me stocks. It's a big deal for me."
"S... Stocks?"
"Yeah, that's right. Stocks scarier than getting an F grade. Hehe." I even laughed to make it clear that it was a joke, but these guys seemed to take it seriously. They couldn't close their mouths, their faces devoid of laughter.
"Wow. So you lose billions for an F grade?"
"No, it's not just tens or hundreds of billions. Isn't it the chairman's stake, which means it's part of the holding company?"
Oh, these kids... they're taking this seriously again.
Do conglomerates seem like a fantasy to ordinary people? The more unrealistic the story, the more they seem to believe it.
"Hey, stop! Let's talk after the exams."
I chased away the surrounding classmates and opened my book.
I scanned through the table of contents and organized my thoughts.
In any case, it's obvious that I'll write the wrong answers, but I just need to maintain logical consistency.
And it doesn't have to be a blank paper. If I fill in the answer sheet reasonably, I should get a C or D grade. How much scholarship money does the Sunyang Foundation give because of me?
After the first day of exams, a few guys approached me again.
"Do-Jun, want to grab a beer?"
"What about the exams tomorrow? Are you giving up?"
"Just a quick drink."
Seoul National University isn't going anywhere.
I thought that even at the so-called lesser-known university I attended, there were students who drank during the exam period. But it seems that prestigious universities are no different; they are places where people live.
"Didn't I say earlier? I have stocks! Let's have a drink after the exams, at the end-of-term party. I'll treat you. How about it?"
When I mentioned that I would treat them, their expressions changed.
"Hey, don't expect too much. It's just soju or beer."
"One of the two for drinks, but is the quantity unlimited?" As if they had been waiting, one of them asked.
Oh, right, these guys are now first-year students.
At an age when they can enjoy drinking without worrying about money.
"Yeah, it's unlimited, man. Hehe."
These guys seem determined to have a great time.
After the final exams, I was dragged to the largest pub in front of the school.
It was already so crowded that there were no empty seats, and I could occasionally spot some senior students.
It became less awkward because some of us were sitting at the same table, chatting without reservation.
"Come on, let's place an order. Do-Jun, what would you like to eat?"
"Hey! Do-Jun, would you ever come to a place like this willingly? Just order whatever you want."
A place like this? I've been here countless times.
Were there not a few times when I couldn't order snacks due to lack of money?
Thinking about those times made me chuckle.
Since I'm living the way I want now, I should treat these guys to the things I couldn't have back then.
I raised my hand to call the waiter.
"Did you take order drinks at other tables?"
"Yes. they ordered 3,000 won worth of drinks for each table."
"Cancel that and bring bottled beer."
"What?"
"What?"
The fellow students were more surprised than the waiter.
"It's a rare drinking occasion; when you treat, you have to treat properly. We can't have anyone saying it's too little." I said with a sly smile, and the guys at the same table burst into laughter.
"Hey! Do-Jun's treating us to bottled beer!" One guy suddenly stood up and shouted, creating a momentary silence.
Soon after, a burst of cheers erupted.
Well, is there any premium liquor like bottled beer for young guys without money?
"Do-Jun, can we have Capri?" Someone shouted loudly.
Capri? Ah... that yellow beer, Miller knockoff kind of beer to sip with your eyes closed?
I shrugged my shoulders. "Capri is still bottled beer. Drink whatever you like."
A pleasant smile appeared on my face. The joy of youth, where even a slight indulgence can lift your spirits.
I sometimes resolved not to miss out on such simple pleasures by spending time with them.
"Right, we should order some snacks." I picked up the menu and scanned through the list of snacks.
Okay, there are a few noticeable food pictures.
I raised my hand. "Excuse me!"
The waiter rushed over like a bullet.
"First, give us eight bottles of Capri."
Ignoring the guys at the same table who were only blinking, I went back to the menu and selected some snacks.
"For snacks... let's see... how about some fried chicken, spicy whelk salad with cold noodles... oh, and one order of chicken gizzards too."
As I closed the menu, the waiter checked the note she had written down.
"Eight bottles of Capri, soju, spicy whelk salad, and chicken gizzards, right?"
"Yes. Oh, wait a moment. Will dried anchovies and gochujang be served as a complimentary side?"
"Yes, of course."
One of the colleagues who had been lost in thought suddenly regained his composure and urgently shouted, "Order chicken too!"
"Okay. Marinated or fried?"
"Fried."
The waiter nodded and turned away, and that's when the guys couldn't hold back anymore.
"What's this? You also hang out at places like this? You're pretty good at it, huh?"