The battle already begun when we just entered. It started with A-yeong skipping past Yeon-min to hug me and now, it's evolved into a different type of battle.
The battle where we get to sit.
The tables are all the same with the same grill, same plates and same wood. The only different on the different tables were the people sitting at them.
Don't get me wrong, everyone in this room is popular. There are literally zero unpopular people here, it's impossible.
If you are here, you either know a national league swimmer, you know someone who knows a national league swimmer, or you know someone who knows someone who knows a national league swimmer.
Either way, guilty by association, right?
However, even within the popular circles amongst the Seoul school, there are tiers. Think about billionaires.
A billionaire worth 1 billion and 100 billion are both called "billionaires", but there's a difference.
The truly popular people such as A-yeong, Young-jae, So-young and I, we have the status to start these types of parties. We are the popular kids' leaders. That's tier 1.
These include, but aren't limited to: captains of varsity teams and models
The second tier are our close friends, such as Mi-cha, the girlfriend of Young-jae and Beom-sok, a close friend of A-yeong.
These people are popular not only because they are good looking, but because they hang out with the tier 1 popular kids. That's the tier 2.
Tier 3 kids are mutual friends or regular friends of tier 1 or tier 2 popular kids. Unlike the tier 1 and 2, they can't host a proper party with their own connections. They need help from tier 1's or tier 2's.
The rest are well...irrelevant.
Yeon-min is barely a tier 3 who behaves like a tier 1.
With that in mind, a person could imagine how much Yeon-min is liked amongst the tier 1 kids; not very much.
Most of the people who are nice to Yeon-min are either the really nice people like Young-jae, or they are the tier 2 or tier 3 kids who think that Yeon-min is actually liked.
The rest are gold diggers most of the time. I'm sure Yeon-min knows that most people want his money, but he is probably doing selective blindness.
"Min-chul! Over here!"
While I was searching for a table to sit at, some people from the corner of the room call me over. By the window was a table full of people I knew.
In fact, in addition to So-young sitting at the table and A-yeong's seat right in front of her, there was Young-jae, the person who called me over and finally, Mi-cha.
Seeing Young-jae and Mi-cha's enthusiasm in calling me over, I smile, a bit embarrassed and make my way over to them.
However...
"Oh! If it isn't my main man, Young-jae! And Young-jae's girl! Mi-chaaa~"
I was leisurely walking towards the table with A-yeong making some small talk when Yeon-min, ever the charmer, pushes past me and greets Young-jae and Mi-cha.
Mi-cha, even though she is fine with being called Young-jae's girlfriend, she hates it when that's all they see in her.
Even though her boyfriend is more popular as the rugby captain, she is still a track and field runner; a fast one to add to that. So, you can call her "Young-jae's girlfriend", but it shouldn't be her defining feature.
She isn't a vase! She is a...fast vase. Yeah, like a vase, nothing much is going on up there in her head except thoughts about her friends and running.
It's just that string of sentences, Mi-cha, who just met Yeon-min for the first time, immediately hates him. From having an amiable smile to looking like she ate a lemon.
Young-jae isn't pleased either. He has met Yeon-min before and didn't like him, obviously. Now? He REALLY doesn't like him. He insulted his girlfriend, for crying out loud.
Who wouldn't hate him?
"Young-jae ah~"
"Min-chuullll~"
"Min-chul Min-chul!"
"Mi-cha!"
With a massive contrast to how Young-jae and Mi-cha treated Yeon-min, I firmly shake Young-jae's hand and then hug him, while Mi-cha and I do a sort of weird hug.
The kind of hug that you do to your friend's spouse that shows that you're close, but that they aren't cheating on their spouse with you.
...it's hard to explain, but we basically hug while keeping out crotches as far away from each other. Like they are the same side of a magnet.
Young-jae knows what's happening and chuckles at our antics. Despite him knowing that I can attract women, he knows I won't take his.
After all, I already got 2 women on me; 3 if you count the missing one somewhere around the world.
"Ahh! Mi-cha! Come 'ere! Waaaa~~~! You are so soft, what moisturizer do you use?"
"Guh! Hak hak...ahem, uhhh, regular s-soap..."
Seeing this, Yeon-min goes in for the hug with Mi-cha. Despite being distraught, Young-jae lets out a chuckle when he sees his future wife struggling with a farm animal.
...well, I'd assume that it would be ex-future wife for now. Give it 3 months and she'll get over it.
"Heehee- ahem ahem, I think that's enough for now, Yeon-min sshi"
"Waaaa, don't get jealous now, Young-jae! You shouldn't worry, I'm not gonna steal her from you"
When he said "steal her", I swear that I saw the table that Young-jae was gripping slightly crumble into little dust particles.
Mi-cha, seeing her boyfriend's forehead veins tighten and bulge, decides to let his previous chuckle go. After all, this Yeon-min fellow might not leave this place a full man.
I notice that the situation might get out of hand and remembering Young-jae's temper when he's actually mad, I tap his shoulder with my hand and then shake my head.
(Bro-lepathy POV)
'Don't do it, my guy. You are the captain of the team, don't risk it'
'M-Min-chul, it's too hard'
'First of all, never say that to me again. Second of all, let's just let it go for now, alright? This isn't the proper time'
(MC POV)
After a few seconds of convincing, he lightly let's go of the table with his fingerprints and sits back down. The seating arrangement goes like this:
Me, Young-jae and Mi-cha on the wall side and A-yeong, So-young and Yeon-min on the other side.
Why am I not with So-young and A-yeong? That's because before I could pull out the chair, Yeon-min took the chair from me. With So-young scowling at A-yeong, she ignores it completely while conversing with me.
"Min-chul, you did so well!"
"A-ahh, thank you A-yeong. It was a bit hard, but I pulled through"
While I answer A-yeong's questions, So-young is glaring at her with her usual scary eyes. Meanwhile, Yeon-min is trying to converse with So-young, and failing horribly.
"Ahhh, my queen! It's so nice to see you again! Actually, I got you a little gift. HANA! BOX!!!"
If him buying a gift for a girl who doesn't like him isn't enough, he yells out a girl's name like she is his property for said gift.
By now, So-young is looking at him as if he was a dung beetle. She really, really hated this "man". Somehow, even more so with that little stunt.
I'm sure he saw it as bragging about his maids or something, but it comes across as pretentious and annoying.
As Hana hands him the decorated wooden box, she lightly winks at me before leaving. Gosh, is she courting death? Because death was right beside her, staring at her.
With the box in hand, he opens it up and...it's a diamond ring. Not just any diamond ring, but a MASSIVE diamond ring. I'm talking above 5 carats large.
"This is a small gift of mine. It costed not too much; only 70 million won. Ahahaha, wanna take it?"
"Grrr.....t-th-thanks, Y. E. O. N-M. I. N"
With gritted teeth, she accepts it with a heavy heart, considering the cost of this damn ring. Something about the same size as her pinky finger costing more than her mother makes in about 2 years.
It's stupidly expensive. She'll probably just sell it on the market some time later when he isn't looking.
Oh oh poor him.
—————————
(A.N) yo! Another chapter for you beautiful readers! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that you had or are having a wonderful day!
If you enjoyed this chapter I made, please do consider supporting this book by voting for this novel with powerstones, commenting on this chapter with your funny thoughts and reviewing this novel with your thoughts.
Thanks so much to those who regularly support me and I sincerely appreciate it! Love ya and see ya when I see ya! Peace ✌️!