The Best of Tomorrow

Chapter 7 – Part 2

“Yes, I’ll be in the kitchen, call me when you pay.” A soft voice passed by.

Can I pay for it?

After smiling awkwardly, I looked down at my cell phone again. My fingers moved busily.

I need to find a way!

While scrolling down the message window, I saw the name saved as Secondhand Country Seller.

(T/N: secondhand country = Korea’s largest used trading platform.)

When I touched it, the messages I shared a few days ago showed up.

[Hello, I’d like to buy a gym suit for my school.]

[Okay, winter uniform or summer uniform?]

[Winter uniform. Can I get it tomorrow?]

[Yes, that’s available. Since I am a student, is it okay to meet at 6 pm at McDonald’s at Jagam Intersection?]

[Good, will be there on time.]

[Yes, please contact me tomorrow]

It’s Seon-jae.

Oh my gosh.

No.

No!

When I made a direct deal, to avoid being caught, I altered my voice. When I was wearing his gym suit, I tried to untie my shoelaces and tied them back. That was all going to go down in smoke.

But I thought they already caught me. I thought they recognized me.

I bit and chewed my thumb out of nervousness. I shook one leg. I checked the time. It was 1:50.

Soon, the 5th class would be over.

If a secondhand country buyer asks you to borrow money, will you lend it?

When I thought about it, a sigh came out. I didn’t think… it was a used uniform… that couldn’t be refunded. I thought the deal between Seon-jae and me was quite peaceful.

I took my breath and opened the message window. My heart beat like crazy. I gathered all my energy in my fingers.

[There is a defect on the gym suit.]

“Ah… I don’t know anymore!”

I sent a message and threw my cell phone on the table.

The owner of the snack bar occasionally looked at me in the kitchen, who kept a seat without even eating three kimbap. It was a field of thorns, this.

The phone vibrated when I was biting my fingernails. My heart seemed to sink at the sound of the vibration.

I quickly picked up my cell phone and checked the message that arrived.

[What should I do?]

[I am in front of Jagam High School. Let’s meet and talk. Just in case, bring 10,000 won for the gym clothes.]

My hands were sweaty. This was a problem even if Seon-jae came, and it was a problem even if he did not. This kind of mishap wouldn’t have happened if the damn kids didn’t take my bag.

Who should I blame?

I had to blame myself for hiding my bag in a rear car, in an empty lot behind the auditorium, and for running away even after seeing my bag with them.

Drrrr, the phone vibrated, scratching the table. I checked Seon-jae’s reply with a trembling heart.

[It’s a break after 10 minutes. Where are you?]

My heart beat in disco rhythm.

I rubbed my sweaty palms against my gym pants. I looked up and saw the menu on the wall. At the bottom of the menu board, there was a name ‘Jagam Snack bar’ written on it.

[It’s ‘Jagam Snack bar’. Please come out with 10,000 won.]

[Yeah.]

I put my phone down and drank cold water. I emptied one cup and drank another cup because it wasn’t enough. Seon-jae was coming, and my heart was pounding, so I couldn’t stop drinking water.

It was a message that I sent without any countermeasures. When Seon-jae comes, what should I say?

Everything looked dark.

Looking at the menu, I added up the total payment amount. It was 3,500 won for rice cake ramen, 3,000 won for tuna kimbap, and the total was 6,500 won.

At that moment, another ego inside of me popped out and grabbed my collar and shook it.

Why did you order ramen with rice cake?!

Why did you order kimbap with tuna?!

Why did you order two?!

My lips became dry. First of all, I took off the top of the gym suit. Fortunately, I was wearing a school uniform shirt and it was okay. I took off my gym suit, put it neatly, put it next to me, and stood up. Then I took out an apron hanging next to the refrigerator and put it around.

The chest bar with a diamond shape covered the upper body.

The apron was blue and the trademark ‘Jagam Snack bar’ was embroidered in white on the front.

The owner of the snack bar suddenly looked at me strangely, taking off my gym jacket and wearing an apron.

“Sir, you will see more strange scenes in the future.”

I went back to my seat, drank cold water again, and cleared my throat.

I took a deep breath and exhaled, thinking that my nervous mind would calm down even a little bit. I didn’t think I was this nervous during the first period.

My palms kept on sweating. As I was shaking my legs and chewing my thumbnail out of nervousness, the door of the snack bar opened with a jingling, cheerful bell ringing.

The legs that were shaking, stopped momentarily. I rolled my eyes sideways to see who was coming in.

It’s Seon-jae.

I was the only guest sitting at the snack bar without having to look around.

Seon-jae, who came in wearing slippers, took out the chair on the opposite side and sat down.

To cover my face somehow, I covered my lower face with one hand and bent my head at an angle.

“What about the gym clothes?”

“Oh, this.”

I handed over the neatly folded gym clothes to Seon-jae! All.

“There’s a student’s name on the back.”

“So I asked you if you checked the pictures.”

“……did you?”

“Yes.”

Seon-jae pulled out the sportswear top on the table.

When I didn’t answer, he waved as if to take it quickly. I had no choice but to take the sportswear top and put it next to me.

The owner of the snack bar, who leaned on the kitchen shelf, was looking at Seon-jae, who had visited me (who didn’t eat or pay, leaving three pieces of kimbap left.)

“Can I go? I have 10 minutes off time.”

“Yes? Oh, don’t go yet.”

“Why? There seems to be no defect.”

“I still have something to say”

I saw Seon-jae trying to get up and glanced at the kitchen. This time, the owner of the snack bar with a steaming paper cup was looking at me, stirring coffee with a coffee mix wrapper.

“Can I get a refund?”

“Yeah?”

At Seon-jae’s words, my face turned to the kitchen.

“Then you have to give me the bottoms too.”

The bottoms…

If it’s the bottom, I’m wearing it now. I lowered my head and looked at my legs. If you take this off, it’s underwear. I can’t take this off.

“Can’t we just do the top?”

Seon-jae, who straightened his back, looked at me with his arms folded. Then, he took out 5,000 won from his pocket and put it on the table. I felt like he wanted to get this situation sorted out quickly and go back.

“Oh, wait, wait!”

I hurriedly caught Seon-jae trying to get on his feet again. I looked back at Seon-jae’s face and he was annoyed. My heart was pounding, nervous, and tight.

“1,500 won…”

“What? You want 1,500 won?”

I shook my head slowly…

Seon-jae’s face was seen to harden disapprovingly. I wanted to cry. Some humiliation seemed to tingle my thighs.

“Give me more…” The corners of my mouth went down. I looked up at Seon-jae in tears.

Just give me 6,500 won, Seon-jae. Because in the future, you don’t know, I’m going to have a bank account to buy goods and albums related to you. I was a double payer.

Seon-jae briefly burst into a laugh and looked down at me.