"Wow, Seo Minyoung, as expected! She's straightforward." A senior at the same table exclaimed in admiration while looking at Seo Minyoung.
That's right! That was her name.
Wait, but what does "straightforward" mean in this context?
"Senior, may I sit for a moment?" She pulled a chair and quietly joined the table.
Indeed, there's nothing you can do when a pretty girl gets involved. Everyone quickly makes room for her.
It's true what they say; a man's most fatal weakness is a woman's beauty.
"Would you like a drink?" The senior extended a glass toward Seo Minyoung, who accepted it with both hands and took a sip.
"Just a half glass, please. I have to go back to the library."
"Oh! You're a dedicated preparatory student indeed. No breaks, no vacations, just straight ahead, right? But do you really have time for this here?"
There it is again, "straight ahead!"
It seems like they call preparatory students heading for the civil service exam "straight ahead."
"Seniors, in my opinion, you don't have time for this either. If it's the civil service exam, it might take about two years of preparation to make it possible. But the bar exam... that's a problem no one can guarantee, so each of you will have to decide."
Huh? What's she suddenly talking about? Could this be about the IMF?
"Hey! Seo Minyoung! What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Aren't you all here to have Do-Jun check that? How are the companies doing? When will this terrible foreign exchange crisis end... or not?"
What? She's an economics major?
She got into law school because she's good at studying, and from what she had heard from her seniors, she thought she was a model student who only focused on becoming a judge.
But she quickly figured out why the seniors had gathered here, and she also knows how the world works.
Even if she becomes a prosecutor, she probably won't have to worry about her performance.
"Right now, not even the Seoul National University nameplate holds sway. Graduates are all in despair due to the harsh job market. And they say this tough situation won't easily change. We're relatively fortunate, though. Since we've studied law, the civil service exam won't be too challenging."
The seniors began taking turns looking at me and Seo Minyoung, both of us having expressed similar sentiments.
"Do you two happen to be dating? Discussing topics like Korean economic issues during your dates?" One senior jokingly remarked, and the nearby juniors burst into laughter.
"That's not true! No, that can't be. Do-Jun here is not from this world. Minyoung and Do-Jun dating? Impossible."
"Hey! Minyoung, you said you don't like someone who brags about strength and money, right? Jun, this guy has both. Get it together."
"Jin Do-Jun, you go back to your world. Find a girl from another chaebol family, or maybe even a celebrity... You need someone like that."
This doesn't sound like a joke at all. Flames spark in the juniors' eyes.
Seo Minyoung emptied her glass and wiped her lips. "Why are you guys overreacting? I've only seen Do-Jun three times since I started school. Who's dating...?"
"Is that so? Well, there's no time or opportunity for it. Seo Minyoung only goes between the school library and the lecture hall. It's impossible for them to date, really."
The sparks disappeared from the guys' eyes.
I found their conversation both amusing and envy-inducing.
While the saying that the mind controls the body is typically used in different contexts, it applies to my situation as well. As a middle-aged man whose romantic feelings have dried up, I find these kids' crushes rather cute.
Sometimes, my male hormones act up, but the stress I receive due to work suppresses those hormones.
"Alright. I've seen your faces, so I'm leaving." Seo Minyoung stood up, wrapping a scarf around her neck. "And Jun, I want to talk to you briefly. There's something I need to discuss."
"Me? Why?" I managed to hide my surprise well.
I wondered why this person suddenly barged in without any warning. Now I understand why the seniors were taken aback earlier.
"I have some things to clarify."
"Hey, Minyoung! You're not thinking about something strange, are you?" One of the junior students shouted at the expressionless Minyoung, but her expression remained unchanged.
"You want to argue with me?"
Finding her somewhat cute, I followed Minyoung outside without saying anything.
"Ugh... it's cold. What's going on? What do you want to discuss?"
"I'm bringing up something that's bothering me right now, so think carefully before you answer."
"Sure."
Trying to match the young one's tone, I responded somewhat awkwardly, and it seemed like Seo Minyoung sensed my mood as she bit her lower lip.
"What's up? Speak up."
"My goal and duty are to pass the bar exam before graduating."
"I understand the goal, but what do you mean by duty?"
"All my family members are in the legal field, and most of them passed the bar exam before graduating. If you don't pass before graduating, the whole family starts nagging at you. So I have to pass, no matter what."
According to Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-seok's investigation, were her family common in having prosecutors and judges?
But most of them passing before graduation... That's unexpected.
"So, it's tougher than high school senior year? Honestly, I don't have much time."
"What do you mean by time?"
"The time to date with you."
"What?"
Are all kids like this nowadays? Are they being honest or just bold?
"Is that all you've got as a response to my confession that I like you?"
"You said you don't like guys who brag about strength and money, right? Well, I have both."
"But you're good-looking."
"What?"
"Your response is only one thing, huh? What?" She imitated my tone and let out a short sigh.
"My grandmother used to say that. She believed that a man's character is most important. If a man is good-looking, she said, it's forgivable even if he does something that makes you angry."