Chapter 4: Extras are available for lunch.

-…Pa.

A drop of water falls on the calm surface of sleep.

I couldn’t tell where it fell from.

The black sky was not reflected in the equally black eyes.

Therefore, he couldn’t know where the water drop that fell next to him came from.

-…Oppa.

The second water drop fell on his eyelid.

But it was useless.

The sky was still black, and his eyes were still black.

-…Wake up.

The fallen water drop runs down his face and falls to the damp floor.

The water drop fell relentlessly on the dark floor.

Even though it knew that black could not turn white, the water drop just fell pathetically.

-I’m sorry, I’m sorry…

The third water drop fell as rain.

One drop, one drop fell, and soon it fell as a torrent.

At that point, it became difficult to distinguish whether the water drop was falling from above or rising from below.

No answer came back.

His body had already melted in the rain and seeped into the dark vast ocean.

Entrusting his body to the flowing rain, he sometimes met a new waterway, and he flew far away.

-Hayeon-ah, wake up.

He woke up when he realized that he had reached the end of that journey.

“Mmm…”

“Ah, you’re awake?”

A pretty voice whispering softly.

Not the shampoo I normally use, but the scent of someone else’s shampoo.

Following that, I turned my head, and there was a girl looking at me.

‘…Ah.’

As my mind returns, I realize that I’m in the classroom now.

The person sitting next to me is Yoon Sejeong.

And, I’m the helper who helps her adjust to the academy.

“So, the current imperial family remains as a symbol of our country…”

Apart from me trying to wake up, a boring voice with no intonation reverberates through the classroom.

Looking at the clock hanging in front of the classroom, there were still about 10 minutes left until the lunch break bell rang.

I asked Sejeong to wake me up with about 10 minutes left before going to sleep, and it seems she kept her word.

‘I slept more soundly than I thought.’

Perhaps it was because there were many tiring things from the morning today, I fell asleep more than usual.

I woke up in the middle to change the textbooks spread out on the desk.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that I spent most of the class time sleeping.

Usually, when I sleep this much, sometimes the fatigue gets worse.

So I sometimes get annoyed, but for some reason, I was clear-headed today, and my body felt light.

Is it the power of 4th period history class on Monday?

“Mmm…”

Quietly, I stretched with a small groan that only the person next to me could hear.

Then, I heard a small laugh from the side.

…Was she watching me the whole time?

“Are you all awake?”

“…Probably?”

I answered, hiding my embarrassment.

Now, I’m so clear-headed that I won’t be able to sleep even if I try.

If it were any other day than Monday, I would have to attend classes until 7th period, but fortunately, on Mondays, classes are only held until 6th period, and from 7th period, it’s assigned as club experience time at the academy.

‘Club…’

Come to think of it, this week was the deadline for club registration.

In the case of high school, basically, if you want, you can participate in activities at any time through an application.

If the times didn’t overlap, and you were determined, you could join all the clubs, and in my case, I’ve even seen someone who belonged to 4 clubs.

However, there was a restriction on the lower limit, not the upper limit.

High school students had to belong to at least one club and participate in activities.

The academy’s chairman said that there’s nothing like club activities to enjoy youth, and talked about 1 person 1 club, but well.

I couldn’t really agree.

The three of us, including me, haven’t submitted the club registration form yet.

Except for when I briefly joined in the first year of middle school, I’ve never joined a club.

The joy of going home earlier than others and enjoying the remaining time with french fries. That was, exhilarating beyond words.

‘I don’t really want to join this time either…’

Sneak peek.

“…What’s wrong?”

“No. Nothing.”

Yoon Sejeong joins the book club in the original work.

It was because of her personality, who likes books, and also because the club members treated her well while she was doing club activities away from Kim Hayeon’s group.

She probably wanted to be comfortable in the club at least.

However, ‘Kim Hayeon’ in the original work was also in a state where she hadn’t submitted an application like me now, so when Yoon Sejeong said she joined the book club, she applied to the book club with her group.

The application was approved on the condition that they participate diligently, and the three of them attended the book club surprisingly diligently.

Only ‘attendance’.

It wasn’t shown in detail how they bullied her in the club, but it was certain that they didn’t just read books quietly.

The more I think about it, the more it seems that I and ‘Kim Hayeon’ are completely opposite.

How could she do such a bothersome thing of chasing her around?

Perhaps, did ‘Kim Hayeon’ like the main character?

‘…No way.’

I put away useless thoughts.

In Yoon Sejeong’s case, it would be fine to send her to the book club.

If I don’t interfere, she’ll join the book club on her own, similar to the original work.

The remaining question is which club I and these two will join, but I plan to ask them about this during lunch break.

I don’t think the two of them have any particular club in mind.

“Okay, then that’s it for today. I’ll upload the assignment around evening, so please submit it by next week.”

And, just in time, class ended.

So, lunch break came.

We were at the cafeteria.

“This is the line.”

“Wow… It’s huge.”

“Middle school and high school eat together here. Right now it’s our class’s turn, so you don’t see the seniors, but in a little while, the middle school kids will also come and it’ll be crowded.”

The food is served buffet style with a set menu that changes daily, similar to school lunches in my past life, but the quality was different.

It seemed like they were getting what they paid for, as sometimes even steak came out.

And there was always a dessert like jelly prepared, which was also quite delicious.

“Okay, you put it on the plate here. The utensils are over there.”

Since it’s the first day, I explain as thoroughly as possible.

I could have answered if she asked questions, but if I took that attitude, it was obvious that she wouldn’t ask.

I knew well that Yoon Sejeong was a character who didn’t like to rely on others.

‘Let’s see…’

After explaining how to use it, I start to put what I’m going to eat.

‘Oh, french fries.’

Unlike fast food restaurants, there were thick but carefully made french fries piled up high.

It looked crispy just by looking at it, as if it had just come out, so I took a lot.

‘…Is this too much?’

As I was taking it, I inadvertently filled about half of the plate.

Should I take less?

‘No.’

I can just take a little less of other things.

If I just take some meat, there’s no problem.

So I finished putting together my lunch and looked for where the kids who went first were.

They’re probably over there…

“Here, here.”

“Come quickly.”

I looked up at the sound and saw the three of them gathered together.

‘Sejeong’s side is…’

It was already full.

On the right was someone I didn’t know, on the left was Sohee, and in front was Jia.

‘That’s strange.’

Sejeong must have received it later than the two of them, but she was sitting in the inner seat.

It seems that the two of them took care of the seat in their own way.

I went to the one remaining empty seat next to Jia and sat down.

The two of them looked at my plate and made a disgusted expression.

“Why did you bring so many fries?”

“…Just because?”

“Well, it’s not like it’s been a day or two…”

The fact that I like french fries was already known to both of them.

“Hayeon-ah, do you like french fries?”

“It’s your favorite food, right?”

“I see…”

Sejeong looked at my plate for a moment, then focused on her meal.

I also naturally focused on the food.

‘Delicious…’

I realize once again how delicious the cafeteria food is.

I always thought it was delicious, but maybe it’s because I have memories of eating orphanage food in my past life, my satisfaction with lunch was quite high.

When I was eating moderately, I brought up the topic of club application to the kids.

“Ah, we have to apply for clubs this week, right…?”

“I don’t have any particular club I want to join. Do you have any club you want to join, Hayeon?”

“I don’t know either…”

As expected, neither of them had any thoughts.

Should I look around a bit during club experience then…

“…Club?”

“Ah, this week is the deadline for club application…”

Seeing Sejeong tilting her head at the word club, I explained about club activities.

I didn’t know exactly what activities they did since I hadn’t joined one, but I could roughly tell her the categories.

I also told her about the club experience in the 7th period.

‘…What is the homeroom teacher doing without telling her this?’

When I asked, she said she knew that there were clubs, but everything else was the first time she heard it.

Well, she was wandering around in the comic, so it’s probably easier to think that she has almost no background knowledge.

“There’s also a book club, so you can decide after experiencing it.”

“I see…”

‘…Not good?’

I thought there would be a reaction when I said book club, but an unexpectedly lukewarm reaction came back.

She thought for a moment, then said to me.

“Hayeon-ah, you said you haven’t joined a club yet, right?”

“Yes, not yet. I’ll apply later.”

“…Then, I want to join the same place as Hayeon.”

‘…Huh?’

Why am I coming out there?

You should think about joining a fun-looking club.

For example, a book club.

…It doesn’t look very fun.

“I haven’t even decided where to join yet?”

“You’re going to roughly decide while experiencing it today, right?”

“That’s… true.”

“Then we can go around the experience booths together. Let’s explore the school at the same time.”

‘…Was Sejeong originally this active?’

I knew she was quite timid, except when she was involved with the heroines.

She was even more so when she was bullied by ‘Kim Hayeon’…

‘Ah.’

Bullying, she wasn’t bullied.

Then, was Yoon Sejeong originally like this?

“…No.”

As I was shaken by Sejeong’s activeness, Jia next to me hugged my arm.

“The princess will join the same club as us.”

“…That’s right! We’ll also do the club experience together!”

Sohee said that and pulled my remaining left arm towards her.

It would be quite a ridiculous sight from afar.

I could feel the people around me looking at me a little.

‘…Why are these two like this?’

I was dizzy, but I left the best words I could.

“…Sigh. Let’s just go around together, the four of us.”

The brief commotion that occurred during lunch break was settled with the promise to tour the experience booths together.