It was Saturday, 12:00 PM. Jingi, having eaten a hearty breakfast, was sprawled out on his bed, scrolling through online shopping sites.
He was sleepy from his full stomach, but he kept repeatedly lifting his body up and sitting back down.
Since he didn’t have the courage to waste money like he had while hanging out with Joo Unyoung yesterday, he just filled his shopping cart to the brim.
By the time the total amount exceeded two million won, Baek Jaehui called.
“Why.”
— Aren’t you checking your KakaoTalk?
“I turned off my notifications.”
— That’s a sign that you should check it! I wasn’t asking if you had them on!
“Ah… okay. I’m hanging up.”
‘He’s calling just because I didn’t look at a message?’
If it had been his past life, he would have unleashed a barrage of curses at Baek Jaehui for calling at this hour.
After all, for an office worker, a holiday is a day to sleep until the day is half over.
— Hey! Don’t hang up.
“Why.”
— What, hey, why are you like that? You’re so cold-hearted.
“You said you liked my old self better. So I’m trying to be like that.”
As he giggled and joked, he heard the guy on the other end mutter “Ah, damn!” in frustration from a distance.
‘You’re shouting from far away just to hide that sound, aren’t you?’
Jingi rolled over to lie flat on his back and patted his plump belly.
“So, why did you call?”
— You said you were going to go to that thing.
“That thing?”
— Mokwha Girls’ High, you idiot.
“Mokwha Girls’ High… Ah, right. I need to tell them I’m not going.”
He had meant to say so immediately after the incident with Joo Unyoung, but he didn’t have the number.
Come to think of it, that guy was close with Baek Jaehui.
“Hey, pass that message along for me.”
— Do it yourself, man! Why are you making me do it, huh?
The guy who had been annoyed while asking answered in an suddenly brightened voice.
He was grumbling, but he was clearly smiling.
‘Actually, didn’t you want to go yourself? …No, that can’t be; there’s no way a guy who has his heart set on Joo Unyoung would want that.’
“I don’t have his number, that’s why. Do it, please.”
— Then buy me some snacks on Monday. The kind to eat in the car.
“We aren’t in the same car, though?”
— I’m going to ride the bus for your class.
“If you were going to do that, why didn’t you just join our class?”
‘He wants to eat snacks on the bus? What a child.’
Jingi clicked his tongue and mentally pulled up a list of 20 favorite snacks.
— And sit with me.
“Can I just sit wherever I want?”
— Didn’t the homeroom teacher say anything?
“No. He didn’t say a word.”
‘Doesn’t he make us sit in order of student ID?’
— Who sits in order of student ID these days? Anyway, you’re sitting with me, got it?
“Fine, whatever. Then I’m sitting by the window.”
— Okay.
‘What does it matter who I sit with?’
Jingi suffered from severe motion sickness, so sitting by the window was all he needed.
He planned to fall asleep as soon as he sat down and wake up leisurely just as they arrived.
— I’m hanging up! Keep your chat notifications on and check them right away. Got it?
“Yes, yes, Daddy.”
Jingi deliberately deepened his voice to answer.
Then, he hung up before the guy could argue any further.
He had filled his shopping cart, but he knew he couldn’t actually pay for two million won all at once.
Jingi opened the chat window to check the “important and impressive” messages Baek Jaehui wanted him to see.
[Baek Jaehui: (Photo) 3]
[Joo Hyeonje: Hahaha, it was a typo, I’m sorry lol 4]
[Joo Unyoung: Not studying today? 1]
Jingi checked them in chronological order from the bottom.
Joo Unyoung, the study addict, seemed to want to go to the study cafe today as well.
So, after sending [I’m going to do it at home!], he remembered yesterday’s events and sent a cute emoji as well.
And Joo Hyeonje…
[Joo Hyeonje: Are you sleeping
? Ah
I meant to say, are you sleeping? but ㅠㅠ
Hahaha, it was a typo, I’m sorry lol]
He was doing all the talking by himself, so Jingi didn’t answer and exited the chat.
‘What kind of low-class, shameless person is that?’
Finally, he opened Baek Jaehui’s chat, and a bewildering photo was there.
[Baek Jaehui: Hey hehe look at this
Don’t I look incredibly cute
(Photo)]
The photo that arrived in the morning looked like it was taken the moment he woke up.
From his messy, thin dark-brown hair and his moist eyes—as if he’d just yawned—to the morning sun spilling onto his cheek on the opposite side of the pillow.
“Does he wear makeup to sleep…?”
The lips that were a bit redder than usual didn’t look like a filter.
‘Did he bite them until they were raw? And why would he send a photo like this to a friend?’
Jingi frowned and glared at the photo.
He couldn’t understand the meaning behind the photo or how he was supposed to respond.
Still, as the chat said, he was indeed cute and pretty.
He felt a bit stiff after rolling around in bed all day.
The original Choi Jingi used to exercise every day, so it seemed to be the effect of not doing it since he had possessed this body.
‘Ah, I want an electric kickboard. I really wanted one of these…’
It’s not easy to break the habits of a past life in an instant.
Jingi looked at the two million won worth of items in his cart and let out a deep sigh.
Ever since he was young, whenever he wanted to buy something, he would fill his cart to the brim.
He would tuck it away, telling himself he’d buy it someday.
Of course, the reason was always a lack of money.
Then, when some time passed, he would clear out all the unnecessary items and fill it up again.
If there was one thing that hadn’t disappeared from his shopping cart for about two years, it was an electric kickboard.
Maybe it was because of the memory of being scolded after secretly riding a relative’s scooter when he was young, but he really wanted one.
It was fun when he was a child, so it would surely be even more fun now.
“My son, what are you doing?”
Just then, he heard his mother calling from the bottom of the stairs.
As he opened the door and walked out, ruffling his messy hair, she chuckled.
“Did your sleeping habits change too? Why is your hair like that at this hour?”
“It’s just… ahem, what’s up?”
“Well, the person who helps with housework hurt their knee. Could you run an errand for me, son?”
Jingi caught his mother’s eyes sparkling.
It seemed she wanted to try sending the normally stoic Choi Jingi on an errand.
Like a normal family.
‘It’s not like all the employees are injured.’
Jingi thought fulfilling his mother’s small wish wasn’t a big deal, so he asked as he walked down the stairs.
“What do I need to buy?”
“Can you? I wrote it down. You know there’s an E-Mart right if you go down and turn left, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
When he took the memo, the list wasn’t long.
It was just a few groceries and some household items.
His mother handed him a card with a much brighter face.
“Buy anything else you want to eat, too.”
“Yes, I’ll be back.”
“Come back safely.”
There were new slippers in the shoe rack that hadn’t been there before.
Thinking about it, they were one of the gifts his parents gave him after returning from a business trip.
As he took them out and put them on, his mother behind him was smiling so broadly it felt a bit overwhelming. Jingi caught on quickly.
“…These are comfortable, and pretty.”
“Oh my, really? I bought them for you.”
“…Thank you. I’ll wear them well.”
Dealing with his parents was still difficult.
He wished they were as harmonious as the families in dramas or movies, but it didn’t work out as he’d hoped.
However, his parents seemed to see the awkward teenage son making his best efforts, and that was for the best.
Jingi fiddled with his phone as he stepped out of the front door.
[Go Yeol: (Photo)]
Just then, a photo arrived from Go Yeol.
Whether they were having a practice game with another school, the score of 40 to 32 was clearly visible in the corner of the gym.
[Go Yeol: I scored 22 points]
From the blunt message, he could visualize Go Yeol’s face, staring intently as if asking to be praised.
If he scored 22 points out of 40 all by himself, he must be a noteworthy player. Jingi sent a dancing bear emoji and a reply.
[Congrats! That’s insane, awesome hehe]
[Go Yeol: Thanks.]
[Fight hard for the rest of it~]
Go Yeol, who had been briefly introduced in the original, was said to have the potential to grow more as his growth plates hadn’t closed yet.
Moreover, it was said he was a player worth eyeing for the national team due to his good performance.
He was said to be a player that Korean basketball, which was physically disadvantaged, was pinning its hopes on.
He remembered hearing that he was already getting love calls from all sorts of places.
‘I should get his autograph in advance. It’ll be worth a lot if I sell it later, right?’
He put his phone away and walked out the gate.
He nodded at the security guard on duty, stuck his earphones in, and walked while humming a tune.
It was exactly 1:00 PM.
Since he had come out at the hottest time, the sunlight was intense, but walking along the shade wasn’t bad.
The breeze was cool, making it just right.
And on his way to E-Mart, Jingi discovered a familiar person in an alleyway.
The man holding a large box seemed to be moving, but he was limping alone, moving his luggage without anyone to help him.
Because of the neighborhood they were in, the sight felt unfamiliar.
No matter how remote the area was, all the houses around here were quite expensive.
But the man was wearing dirty clothes and cramming his belongings into a tattered box.
So, his gaze went there without him realizing it.
The man seemed to sense it, too, and lifted his head.
The man stopped walking and dropped the box.
The contents fell out and rolled away.
“Ah, th—ah…!”
Jingi snatched the alarm clock that had rolled near his feet.
As he approached holding it, the man even fell on his butt and trembled in fear.
