"Tiring," Sin Jeong-Hyuk mutters as he gets into his car. He drives straight toward the market area in Z City.
Chicken's phone is out of service. Even if she's angry at him, she won't turn off her phone like this.
She might have lost that phone last night.
He can't care less about Oh Ji Ye. That woman will get tired soon. Oh, Ji Ye is raised like a princess by her family. Someone who is used to a luxurious life can't survive in a share-house where she can't have her personal bathroom.
It also means that he won't be able to sleep in his bedroom.
Doesn't matter! He can't sleep at night anyway. And there's always a couch for napping.
Sin Jeong-Hyuk stops his car in front of a store. He stares at it for a moment before he gets out of the car.
"She won't like it if I buy stuff for her" He mumbles as he makes his way toward the store. But a phone is a necessity these days. How could a university student survive without a phone?
He can't imagine that little girl as an architect though. Then again, unimaginable things are not unusual in this ordinary world.
The store has a lot of new phone models on display. He takes a look at them, wondering which one she would like. He doesn't even know her favourite colour. Is black okay? Generally, he prefers black things because the spots are not easily noticeable on black phones.
A black chicken.
She has black chicken-head.
"Ugh!" Why does he find that weird chicken mutant bird so cute? He shakes his head lightly to shake the image away from his mind. Black is certainly not IT.
Besides, he doesn't like the colour white on her. She should wear a lot of colours. Purple? Pink? Why is it difficult to buy a gift for someone else?
While Sin Jeong-Hyuk is struggling which phone he should buy for Chicken, a store girl has been watching him sceptically. This man has been glaring at the phones for a while. But he seems serious about buying a phone. When the lines on his forehead deepen, she walks to him and asks him with a polite voice, "Sir, do you like this model?"
He doesn't look at her. "Do you have something that is popular among the students of D University? Especially, architecture department?"
"Pardon?" The store girl smiles awkwardly. Getting a popular phone among students is fine. But is there any phone specifically made for D University's architecture department? In any case, she's a talented saleswoman. "Sir, I do have what you require."
"Show me," He commands her nonchalantly. "She's a young girl. So, get me something that doesn't break easily and --"
He lowers his brows, thinking about her bird-form. "Inbuilt GPS tracker for sure."
Don't all modern phones have GPS trackers? The man is dressed in shabby clothes. Nevertheless, the store girl leads him to the display at the centre of the store. "I have exactly what you need."
"Is this it?" He frowns at the phone. It's foldable. The back is rose gold colour. It's sweet like her. The beautiful phones are useless if they don't do what they are meant to do. "Does it have GPS and high battery power?"
"It has all the latest functions, " The store girl explains every feature to him. "It's popular among young girls. The colour is a beautiful shade of rose gold. It's also waterproof."
"Pack it," Sin Jeong-Hyuk tells her nonchalantly and hands his credit card to her.
Though she's been showing him the product, she hasn't expected him to buy it. He hasn't even asked her the price. The store girl looks at the black card in her hand dumbly. Thank goodness! She didn't judge him by his clothes and make a mistake.
"Do you know what else young girls these days like to do?" Sin Jeong-Hyuk questions her.
Young girls… If her guess is right, the girl should be in university. The store girl gives him a warm smile. "Sir, if you don't mind, how old is your little sister?"
"Twenty." He scratches his stubble. But she is still a kid. If she's angry because of Oh Ji Ye… He exhales. "She's a little mad at me. Can you tell me what can appease her anger?"
***
Another excruciating lecture is over.
Chang Seol breathes in and out for a few seconds before she gets up, holding her bad. University is stressful. She can barely endure studying something that she has no interest in. It's been a month and she admits that she's barely able to grasp any of the lectures.
It seems that her brain can't process it.
"Why I am dumb?" Chang Seol mumbles to herself. When will the Professor leave?
"Chang Seol," Her professor suddenly calls her name, startling her.
Chang Seol straightens her back and looks at her professor who a woman in her late forties with a constant stern look on her face as if the whole world has wronged her. "Yes, Professor."
"Come to my office." Professor Nam flounces out of the lecture room.
She puts her notebooks in her bag and hurries out of the lecture room. Professor Nam is a strict one. Did she do something wrong? She has tried her best to keep herself awake during the lectures.
When she opens the door, she finds Professor Nam placing books on the table. "Professor, may I come in?"
"Yes," Professor Nam tells her solemnly as she walks around the table and takes a seat. "Chang Seol, why haven't you submitted your assignment?"
Professor Nam gives weekly assignments. It must be submitted on time or the points are deducted.
Being a scholarship student, she must do well in all the classes. Otherwise, she won't get it next year. Chang Seol creases her forehead. "Professor, I gave it to Lim Dabin around two days ago."
"You did?" Professor Nam presses her hands together and stares at her. "Are you saying that Dabin brought me all the assignments except yours?"
"I-I…" Chang Seol hesitates to say the word under her heavy stare. "Professor, I gave it to her since she's our class representative."
"But she came to me that day and said that you didn't submit your assignment to her." Professor Nam furrows her brows. "She doesn't seem like a person who would lie."
Then, does she seem like a person who would lie? Chang Seol could barely control her expression. She scowls at her professor. "Professor, aren't you being partial? How could you trust one student more than me?"
"Trust one student more than others?" The professor let out a chuckle. "It's probably because you haven't submitted a single assignment so far. You also missed some of my lectures. During the lectures, you can barely keep your eyes open."
Chang Seol folds her fingers. She missed a few lectures in the first week because she was lost when she was looking for the lecture room. It's true that she fell asleep a few times but she always did the assignments on time and gave it to Lim Dabin.
"Both you and Lim Dabin are receiving a scholarship." Professor Nam leans forward and puts her elbows on the table. She studies Chang Seol quietly. "But your attitude is not sincere, Chang Seol. Do you think that you can get a scholarship next year if you don't work hard? Why should the university help a student like you when there are plenty of other deserving students?"
Chang Seol lowers her head. She's trying. Everyday… she's trying. Then, why is it never enough? And that Lim Dabin! How could Lim Dabin do this to her? "Professor, I apologize for not paying attention during the lectures but I won't apologize for things that I didn't do. I gave my assignments to Lim Dabin."
After a long pause, she hears Professor Nam call someone.
"Lim Dabin, come to my office."