The Country Life Diary of a Gangster’s Secretary

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy and Nemuru!

Three-hour long lecture. After the long and tedious class ended, the students got up from their seats one by one with haggard faces. Although there were many students due to the characteristics of a large lecture, not many of them remained clear-minded.

Only a few exceptional students like Hyeseong were diligently packing their books with bright eyes. Hyeseong put his textbook away and looked at Dohyun, who was sitting next to him, or more precisely, lying down and taking a deep sleep. It was one of the few classes that Hyeseong and Dohyun, who were from different departments, took together due to it being a common liberal arts course. Of course, it was hard to even see his face as Dohyun slept the entire lecture.

“Hey.”

Hyeseong hit him once, but as expected, Dohyun didn’t budge at all.

“Park Dohyun. The professor is calling you.”

“Huh…!? What, what did you say?”

Then Dohyun looked around with a startled face, a post-it note stuck to one cheek. Hyeseong must have become skilled at waking Dohyun up, as he now knew exactly how to get him to wake up well.

“Ah, what is it, Hyeseong? You scared me.”

Seeing other friends packing their bags and leaving the lecture hall, a look of relief finally spread across Dohyun’s face.

“That’s what you get for sleeping so sprawled out like that.”

“I really tried to listen hard today.”

“You’ve been saying that since the first class of this course.”

As Hyeseong stood up with his bag, Dohyun quickly packed his things and followed him like a puppy following its owner.

“Hyeseong, do you have time before the next lecture?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too. Should we go to a cafe?”

“I’m going to the library.”

“Ugh.”

Then Dohyun made an incomprehensible sound and stuck his lower lip out, saying it was no fun. But it couldn’t be helped. Hyeseong wanted to quickly finish an important assignment that he hadn’t completed yet. Of course, there was still plenty of time left until the deadline. However, once he received an assignment, Hyeseong’s personality was to finish it early regardless of the deadline.

“But you’re still coming to the club dinner later, right?”

“Oh, right. Was that today?”

“I knew this would happen. I told you to attend the regular club dinner today without skipping it if possible. Everyone said you keep missing the dinners, so you really have to go this time.”

What’s so important about some stupid dinner? Hyeseong was glad he came to university, but having to attend and show his face at these useless gatherings one by one was quite bothersome. For some reason, universities often set the principle of mandatory attendance. He didn’t understand why everyone put so much effort into pointless things.

“Hyeseong!”

Then Dohyun grabbed and shook his arm from the side as if urging him. It seemed he was anxious that Hyeseong might not attend since there was no answer.

“Okay, I’ll go.”

As Hyeseong said that, he took out his cell phone and sent a message to someone. Dohyun looked on curiously from the side.

“Who are you contacting?”

“The office I sometimes work part-time at. I told them I was going today without knowing about the dinner, so I’m telling them I can’t make it after all.”

These days, Hyeseong visited Taesung’s office every day. Previously, he would go occasionally when he had spare time, but now he punched in his attendance every single day. To be more precise, it was since he became aware of his feelings for Ihyeok.

When he came to his senses, he found himself at Taesung’s office, looking at Ihyeok’s face.

“Hey… You know, Hyeseong.”

Then Dohyun stuck even closer to his side as if he had something to say. Hyeseong wondered why he was following him when they weren’t even going to the library together.

“Isn’t that office that gives you work… a bit dangerous?”

Dohyun lowered his voice as if he were talking about some huge secret. After becoming close, Dohyun naturally found out about Hyeseong’s daily routine. He had already heard that Hyeseong always went to a certain office for part-time work whenever school ended or he had a long break between classes.

At first, Dohyun thought it was an ordinary part-time job, but one time when they were going the same way, he passed by that office. He could immediately tell it wasn’t an ordinary place just by looking at it. Outside the building, a few burly middle-aged men with shaved heads were puffing on cigarettes.

Dohyun doubted his own eyes for a moment when he saw Hyeseong greeting those men warmly.

“You’re right. It’s that kind of place you’re thinking of.”

Hyeseong admitted it bluntly. Dohyun was shocked and at a loss for words for a moment.

“Are you okay? If you’re being threatened…”

“It’s not like that.”

Hyeseong smiled wryly. Now that he thought about it, it could look that way to a third party.

“Really? That’s a relief then… But then why do you go to that dangerous place? I don’t really get it.”

“Because I like it.”

“Huh?”

“I go because I like it. See you later at the dinner then.”

Hyeseong waved slightly at his friend and slipped into the library. Dohyun stood there blankly for a moment. Did he know Hyeseong could smile like that? It was really amazing.

[Dinner? So you’re drinking too?]

Of course. Hyeseong left a short reply to Ihyeok’s text and put his phone back in his pocket.

Various noisy things were already happening in front of him. The club Hyeseong joined was an English conversation club. He thought he could join it without having to set aside separate time to study English, but only later did he hear about the club’s other reputation.

One of the top drinking clubs among the central clubs. And today, Hyeseong was personally experiencing that for the first time. The club members who filled up an entire pub were excitedly pouring and drinking, downing alcohol. At one table, people who had half lost their minds were waving their hands and singing.

Some had already collapsed and passed out. Hyeseong looked at the bottles piling up on the table next to him with disbelief.

“Oh? Are you the guy who got 915 points on your first TOEIC?”

A male senior came and sat down next to Hyeseong with a glass, asking.

“Yes, well.”

“I heard a genius in English joined our club, and it was you. Here, take it.”

The senior, who seemed a little drunk, laughed giddily and filled Hyeseong’s glass to the brim with soju.

“Let’s drink!”

Unable to refuse for some reason, Hyeseong downed it all in one go.

“I remember your name. Hyeseong! Right?”

“Yes.”

“Kid, you must be quite popular. With that good-looking face.”

Then Dohyun, who came from somewhere, also sat down next to Hyeseong, laughing.

“Hyung, I told you! Hyeseong is handsome.”

“Tsk, I can’t believe how unfair the world is. Not only good at studying but also with looks…”

Hyeseong laughed. The senior’s words weren’t envy or jealousy, but playful compliments.

“Hyeseong! How many points did you get on the CSAT English section?”

“Perfect score.”

“Wow? You’re amazing.”

The senior laughed heartily and poured more alcohol into Hyeseong’s glass.

“Didn’t everyone here get a perfect score easily before entering?”

“……….”

At Hyeseong’s calm remark, the tables around him fell silent for a moment.

“Do you know how terrible the CSAT was in our time? Hey! Someone here made an incredible statement. Everyone, attack!”

Then, starting with one club member’s words, countless bottles began to pile up in front of Hyeseong. Seniors and juniors alike, everyone laughed raucously and started making Hyeseong drink, teasing him for unintentionally bragging.

“Ah, I feel dizzy…”

Hyeseong now understood why this club was famous for being a drinking club. He managed to escape by making an excuse that he was going out for some air. He went to the corner next to the store and plopped down on a chair set up as a waiting area. Then his phone rang.

“Hello, hiccup…”

Hyeseong answered without checking the name. He even started hiccuping.

– I called because you didn’t reply to my text. Sounds like you drank a lot.

“Who is this?”

– Your Ahjussi.

“Oh… It’s you, Ahjussi.”

Hyeseong laughed. Even while drunk, Ihyeok’s voice sounded sweet to him.

– You seem to have had a lot. Are you still outside?

“Yes.”

– When are you going back in?

“That’s up to me.”

When Hyeseong spoke firmly, he heard Ihyeok’s laughter over the phone.

– Can you even go back in properly?

“Well… I’ll manage somehow.”

Even so, Hyeseong blinked his eyes. After drinking everything they gave him, his words were slurring and his head was spinning.

“If I can’t, well, I can just sleep at Dohyun’s place…”

– Who’s Dohyun?

“Why are you asking about my personal relationships?”

If he were sober, he would have properly said Dohyun was his friend, but Hyeseong was completely drunk right now. It wouldn’t be strange for him to spew any nonsense.

– …Hyeseong.

“Yes?”

– What’s the name of the store you’re at right now?

“Why? Are you going to come by later too, Ahjussi?”

– Yeah.

“Well… The name of this place is…”

Hyeseong diligently told him the store name letter by letter and even smartly recommended the delicious menu items here before hanging up. Leaning deep into the bench, the dark sky covered his entire field of vision. He hung up too quickly. It would have been nice to hear that wonderful voice a little longer. Hyeseong thought that as he slowly closed his eyes.

He couldn’t remember well what happened after that. A familiar face seemed to come and go in his sight, but he couldn’t tell if it was real or not. He only remembered the citrus scent that went well with the night air. Thanks to that fragrance tickling the tip of his nose, Hyeseong was able to have a pleasant dream that night despite being heavily drunk.

This chapter is paid for by Mimzy and Nemuru!