Yun Jiho knew he should've held back, but honestly, he meant every word he said.
I'm just an ordinary person, not their lackey who'll take this silently.
Regrettably, these people don't get it unless he points it out.
Ding!
[What's with your attitude? I told you I'm attending my grandmother's funeral. I can't possibly miss it for this little credit.]
Come again?
When you make a request, you say it politely, Rando. And the other person has every right to say no.
That's why it's called a request, not a demand.
Ding!
[Why don't you do it yourself if you're so awesome? I guess you don't have any friends.]
Now, that's an insult on a personal level.
[Calm down, everyone. Don't we have time till tomorrow?]
Jiho read the messages while going out of his apartment.
That's why he hated working on group projects. Everyone would delay until the last minute, and nobody would showed up for some discussion unless you practically begged them. Like they weren't part of it.
"...Give me a break."
He typed into the group chat.
[Don't bother, if you plan to send over that laggy mess. I'd rather do it myself by tomorrow.]
Spare me the sloppy code.
Jiho didn't bother waiting for a response, shoving his mobile into his pocket, he headed toward the café.
The midday sun glinted off the glass windows as he pushed the door open. His eyes burned behind his lenses.
Jiho had already made plans with Kyungho, a fellow student from the design department.
When he arrived, Kyungho was already lounging by the window.
"One double-shot Americano and a café latte, please." He ordered casually.
Jiho dropped into the chair across from him and cut to the point.
"Why did you call me here? Better not be just for a overpriced caffeine."
He hadn't slept a wink last night, trying to finish up his design draft. Without his glasses, everything beyond a foot in front of him look like a pixelated blur like a badly rendered game.
Kyungho, in his orange hoodie and white cap, was currently just a vague blob of color and motion.
"Dude, you gotta help me," Kyungho leaned in, fretted. "I kinda... bragged a bit too much in front of my girlfriend's brother yesterday. Now they want me to help out with their new project."
"And?" Jiho raised a brow.
What's that got to do with me?
He slumped back on the chair, barely holding in a yawn.
"You know, they're the seniors from the computer science department who developed Trinity Legends. I'm way out of my depth here."
Hmm...
Jiho's tired brain stalled for a second. That game went viral last year. But still.
"That doesn't explain what it has to do with me."
Kyungho paused and finally got to the point, rehearsing a clear pitch in his head.
"So, bro, can you be part of it? You can handle it no problem, plus it'd look great on your portfolio. You're perfect for the job."
Jiho narrowed his eyes, unimpressed.
Right.
He push back his chair.
"Have a nice day."
Kyungho: "...Huh?"
"Wait! Hold on!"
Kyungho quickly reached out, holding him in place. "Just think about it first, okay? Don't give me an answer now. They're a solid team, and I'd only waste their time without help."
Jiho sighed and sat back down.
Even if he was a little intrigued, his schedule was already packed. He didn't have time for another project.
I'm already in my first semester of my junior year.
Sigh ...
Between his classes and a branding opportunity he recently got, he barely had breathing room.
In the end, he didn't have the heart to refuse him directly.
Haaah.
After drinking a can of night brew, the strongest brand of coffee he needed right now.
He started working on the group projects due on Monday.
The library felt like the only place that might be quiet enough to focus.
That was the hope, at least.
He found a corner table near the window and set his things down.
That's when a group of students walked in and filled the seats at the table nearby.
They were pretty loud to begin with.
"Hey, Minjae, who was that girl with you last night? She's gorgeous. If you're not gonna date her, introduce her to me."
Across from them, a girl pouted.
"No way, Minjae oppa, didn't you say you'd sleep early? You're breaking Hera's heart..."
Jeez... My head is pounding.
Jiho pinched the bridge of his nose.
Can't they read the sign? 'Maintain Silence.'
They were talking like the library was their personal hangout spot.
Creak...
The chair next to him scraped as someone sat down.
The chatter continued, now in 'whispers,' but they might as well have been shouting. Jiho couldn't concentrate at all.
"Excuse me," Jiho finally said, turning toward them.
Maybe he was just on edge today. But they were seriously testing his patience.
They fell quiet for a second, only just realizing he was talking to them.
He didn't care about their reactions.
"No offense, but can you take your conversation somewhere else?"
Oh.
His tone came out more annoyed than he intended.
"...huh? What did you say?" One of them glared at him.
Seriously...
Jiho scanned them, wondering if they'll throw hands at this rate. Though he felt that he wasn't at fault either.
One of the guys, the one who sat next to him stood up, and Jiho was ready to run if needed.
Instead, the guy just slung his bag over his shoulders and spoke.
"I'm out. It's too noisy here."
That's my line, sunbae-nim.
Why sunbae-nim? Because they wore the seniors' uniforms with a Blue pin on their collar. You can easily make out the year according to the color of the pin.
"Help me bring these books to class." The guy said to one of the boys still sitting here and walked away.
No doubt.
He just got brutally ignored.
Jiho felt the throbbing pain in his head. Today was just not a good day.
As the group shifted awkwardly, a girl suddenly stood up.
"Who the hell are you?" She snapped. "I finally got to talk to Seo Minjae. Ugh, Sucks." She stormed off without waiting for a reply.
"Hera-yah! Wait for me!" Another girl called, running after her.
Bruh...
What kind of soap opera is this?
Might as well go home and rest. This was pointless.
He closed his laptop with a soft snap and shoved it into his bag.
"What was that about?"
As he turned to leave, the whispers behind him turned into confused murmurs.
"Did something happen?"
"Was there a fight?"
He didn't look back.
***
At home, Jiho dropped dead on his bed.
Out of habit, he reached for his phone.
He'd put it on silent earlier.
Of course.
Dozens of unread messages and multiple people tagging him.
There was a whole ass conversation and paragraphs on the group chat.
Jiho stared at the screen, thumb hovering over the screen.
Three seconds.
He gave it three seconds of effort, then locked the screen and tossed the phone onto his pillow.
Not tonight...
He didn't even realise when he fell asleep, he was so tired.
The screen dimmed beside him, notification still trickling in one after another.