The Gimbap Project

Chapter 4 21 Questions

Unfortunately, the text messages stopped abruptly two days later when Hae-in snapped out of her trance and realised she shouldn't get sucked into Baek Hyun Woo's charms. Since then, she had studiously ignored his messages, which was easy once she found a good book to lose herself in.

But Baek Hyun Woo wasn't one to give up easily. Stubborn as ever, he decided to take a different approach.

One sunny afternoon during recess, he ambushed her, plopping confidently on the bench beside her. Determined to maintain her frosty demeanour, Hae-in buried her nose deeper into her book, pretending she hadn't noticed him. But that was impossible, for she could practically feel the heat of his gaze boring into her. The words on the page swam before her, their meaning lost. With a defeated sigh, she slammed the book shut and ripped out her earbud.

The boy had the audacity to smile like he didn't know the effect he was having on her.

"Annyeong, Hong Hae-in ssi," Hyun Woo greeted her chirpily.

"Baek Hyun Woo sunbaenim," Hae-in replied curtly, her voice devoid of warmth.

She made another valiant effort to resume reading, but Hyun Woo remained firmly planted beside her, his unwavering optimism a stark contrast to her cold demeanour. He watched her with an expectant glint in his eyes, clearly hoping to spark a conversation.

Hae-in finally had enough. "Why would you sit here?" she sighed, exasperation colouring her voice.

"Am I not allowed to?" Hyun Woo countered with a hint of playful innocence.

Hae-in gritted her teeth. "Baek Hyun Woo sunbaenim," she began, her voice laced with annoyance, "I don't know about your old school, but here, we have a hierarchy."

With a haughty air, Hae-in uncrossed her legs and shifted to face Hyun Woo directly. The book she had been using as a shield was cast aside, forgotten in her newfound mission to enlighten and scare him off.

"Listen closely, Baek Hyun Woo sunbaenim," she began, her voice laced with a cool indifference that was supposed to sound authoritative.

"At the top, you have the athletes, the crème de la crème of the sports teams. They're practically royalty here, and each of them has a loyal fanbase here." She swept her arm towards a group of boisterous students across the field, easily recognizable by their muscular builds.

A hint of amusement flickered in Hyun Woo's eyes, but he wisely kept his expression neutral. He leaned back slightly, appearing attentive, but Hae-in wasn't fooled. She knew he was probably itching to interject, to question her self-proclaimed expertise on the matter.

"Then there are the sorority queens," Hae-in continued, her nose wrinkling slightly in distaste. "They're the social butterflies, the ones who seem to know everyone and have an endless string of admirers trailing behind them. Most of them are born wealthy, part of chaebol families or families that produced a long line of doctors or lawyers." Her gaze flickered towards the group of impeccably dressed girls who giggled amongst themselves, occasionally checking Hyun Woo out from their table.

"Ah, and let me guess, they only date the athletes." Hyun Woo mused.

"Maja, they aren't ones to sully their reputation." Hae-in nodded. 

Finally, he was getting it!

"Below them are the academics," Hae-in continued, her voice regaining a touch of respect. "They're the brainy bunch, always glued to their textbooks. They might not be the most social, but they're the ones who are guaranteed to get into top universities."

"Below them," she continued, her voice dropping a notch lower, "are the regular students. The ones who blend in."

Hae-in paused, her eyes locking with Hyun Woo's. There was a flicker of something in his gaze, a challenge perhaps, that made her defensive.