The Gimbap Project

Chapter 42 The next big thing

"Here I go..." Hyun Woo said, stretching his hands and neck as he released a long, dramatic breath.

Seated beside him in a cosy booth at the ice cream parlour where Yang-gi's girlfriend worked, Hae-in leaned in close. Between them, her laptop glowed softly, displaying the Seoul National University's admissions webpage.

They had just downloaded the PDF containing the list of successful applicants for the upcoming academic year. Now, all that remained was for them to open it.

"You can do it," Hae-in encouraged Hyun Woo softly, her voice calm and soothing as she smiled at him.

Taking another deep breath, Hyun Woo nodded resolutely and clicked the PDF file. His heart pounded in his chest as the list loaded and before long, rows of student numbers were staring back at them in stark black and white.

"Alright...020520...020520..." Hyun Woo muttered under his breath, scrolling down the chronically arranged list. The air was thick with palpable tension as they scanned each line for his entrance examination student identification number.

Then...

"Wait..." Hyun Woo whispered, his breath catching as his eyes locked onto a number: 020520.

There it was, staring back at him. In just a few seconds of scrolling, the number 020520 appeared on the screen, clear and unmistakable.

After three days of relentless anxiety, the moment was surprisingly anticlimactic.

It was almost too good to be true, Hyun Woo thought as his fingers trembled slightly with doubt.

Maybe I'm wrong...

It's okay, we can always check again.

With a slight furrow in his brow, Hyun Woo reached into his pocket, pulled out his entrance examination pass, and held it up against the screen. Carefully, he compared the numbers, one by one.

Zero. Two. Zero. Five. Two. Zero.

A perfect match.

He still couldn't believe it.

"Hae-in-ah, pinch me," Hyun Woo murmured, holding his arm to his girlfriend. His voice was filled with disbelief as his eyes remained glued to the screen, almost expecting the numbers to vanish if he blinked too fast.

"You're not dreaming, Baek Hyun Woo," Hae-in replied calmly, her gaze fixed intently on the screen, though a knowing smile began to play at the corners of her lips. "I see it too. We can't both be dreaming, right?"

"I can't believe this..." he whispered, his voice trembling with awe.

"Baek Hyun Woo, you did it!" Hae-in emphasised, her face lighting up with pure joy as she flung her arms around his neck. "You did it! I'm so proud of you!"

It was real. He made it to Seoul National University.

The realisation hit him like a tidal wave, and Hyun Woo burst into laughter, his excitement bubbling over as he hugged Hae-in tighter. "I got into SNU! YAHOOOO!!" he shouted, his wide eyes sparkling comically with joy and disbelief.

"I knew you could do it!" Hae-in grinned, her pride for him radiating in every word as they pulled back from the celebratory embrace.

"There was still a slim chance I wouldn't..." Hyun Woo admitted, a shadow of doubt lingering in his voice.

"That doesn't matter now." Hae-in smiled, reaching up to pat his broad shoulder. "You did it! In just a few months, you're going to be a freshman at SNU."

"I'll get you a hoodie," Hyun Woo declared with a playful grin.

"So we can be one of those cringe couples who share the same hoodie?" Hae-in arched an eyebrow, feigning disapproval. "Hard pass."

"Aww, come on, Hae-in! Why not?" Hyun Woo whined, leaning closer with mock puppy-dog eyes. "I think it's cute."

Before Hae-in could continue to argue her case, the door to the ice cream parlour swung open with a cheerful ding. A lively group of high-schoolers burst in, filling the space with chatter and laughter. In no time, Yang-gi spotted Hyun Woo and rushed over, pulling him from the booth and into a crushing embrace.

"Hyun Woo, you punk! I knew it! I knew we'd be in law school together!" Yang-gi cheered, tousling Hyun Woo's hair as the star athlete struggled in his embrace.

"Him too?" Hae-in asked Pil-sook, who had quietly slipped into the booth and taken Hyun Woo's spot.

"It was a shock to all of us," Pil-sook said with a laugh. "But I'm genuinely happy for them. And Dal-po's on track to become a news anchor for sure. He'll be heading to Korea University next year."

"Jinjja?" Hae-in turned to Dal-po with a smile. "Congratulations, sunbaenim."

Dal-po ducked his head shyly, offering a modest smile though he couldn't contain his chuckle when Pil-sook grinned and waved her tiny fists together in an enthusiastic show of support.

Moments later, Yang-gi's girlfriend walked to their booth with a tray of ice cream sundaes, each topped with sparklers that fizzled and popped, adding a festive touch to the occasion. As they dug into their treats, Jin-guk and Hye-mi walked in, their faces glowing with excitement.

"Big news!" Hye-mi announced with her head held high. "Jin-guk has signed with an agency! He'll be starting as a trainee next year. He's really going for a music career!"

Cheers erupted around the table as the group clapped and laughed, offering their congratulations as they shared their excitement for the coming year. The energy was infectious, and the ice cream parlour seemed to buzz with their collective enthusiasm.

For all of them, this was a moment to savour. With one chapter coming to a close, another would soon begin.

And the next big thing would surely be exciting for everyone.

‧₊˚ ⋅ 𓐐𓎩 ‧₊˚ ⋅

A/N

A short update before the new year! Hope everyone had a joyous Christmas with your loved ones! It was surely a busy but fun one for me!

I'm so proud of my high school darlings too though I'm feeling bittersweet since the finale for this fic is coming real soon ><

See you lovelies in the next one soon!