Chapter 9

The Mysterious Request

There’s something ominous about today’s meeting, Lee Hye Rin thinks. The air seems to be really thick with tension. She’s sure it’s not caused by Hyun Seung Hee’s absence. The latter is a freshman Biology student so everyone understands how much pressure she’s going through especially now that final term is fast approaching.

She doesn’t think the gloomy atmosphere has something to do with the president or Lee Seok Min. It must be because Yoo Ji Ah has caused trouble, again.

The last time she told one of their requestor’s that their request has been turned down, chaos ensued.  It’s not her fault, Ji Ah insists. The person just doesn’t want to believe that their request is nonsense and that it’s stupid to think that their current obsession is secretly in love with her. All of those are lies, Ji Ah added. The guy apparently is a part of Yoo Ji Ah’s fan club so the ‘secretly in love’ thing is far-fetched.

But right now there is calm. It’s just odd that there’s peace and quiet with all of them around sitting on the same table.

“So, about that manga owner that we’re in search of, no one in the University library has ever borrowed that volume... ever. Can you believe that? It’s a good thing Seok Min found mine, not that anyone would take interest in actually stealing that comic.” She sighs; it’s hard to find someone who understands her. “On a side note though, Kim Moon Cheol, he’s the student librarian by the way, feels really insulted that I have to consult the card catalogue instead of asking him directly about the last volume of the manga that we’re looking for.”

There’s dead air. So she continued pretending someone is actually interested in her report.

“No need to worry though, the anger is temporary. Turns out he just wanted to start a conversation, we talked a lot about things, mostly manga things and his huge Star Wars collection, which is a bit freaky because, you know, grown man with a massive toy collection. I mean he’s pretty good looking and his hair is like... really pretty and you know.” The awkward silence continues, but she wants to fill it in and she’s too giddy to even care about the blank eye stares.

“Well he eventually asked me out several minutes after the conversation.” It’s hard for her to keep her voice neutral; she’s kinda sort of infatuated with this senior student ever since she watched him busk in Hongdae with his friends this one time. “Soooo... I won’t be able to come with you guys this weekend for that ‘observation’ thing for the Ji Ae x Choi Seung Cheol couple because—“

“No!” the president and Lee Seok Min choruses.

She looks at Yoo Ji Ah for support.

“You can go on that date; my sister is a huge bore. Your date would be more interesting. I’d go if I have a choice.”

“We need all the help we can get, you know...” Seok Min reminded her.

“Leave her alone, Seok Min. She finally has a life with someone who she actually likes and could possibly like her in return.” Yoo Ji Ah countered. “I was about ready to just set her up with manhwa guy—“

“It’s a manga...” Lee Hye Rin interjects.

“...if and when desperate times come.” Ji Ah continues, ignoring the interjection.

A glaring contest ensues right after. There’s something really important going on that she’s not aware of.

“I’m on the manga guy, don’t worry, Seung Hee and I are still on the lookout for that girl. It looks like we’re not going anywhere but we will eventually...”

“You don’t really need to do a ‘looking out’, we’ve found her...” Ji Ah smiles at her. And she’s scared of it. When Ji Ah smiles bad things happen to good people.

“You did?”

“Ji Ah—“

“What?!” Yoo Ji Ah challenged, glaring at Seok Min like there’s no tomorrow.

Lee Soo Jung holds THE gavel. It’s a necessary tool to keep the peace. “Did a new request come in?”

          “Huh?” the club members chorused.

          “Did we get a new request today, yesterday, any day in between last week and this week?” Lee Soo Jung itinerates.

          “Is this a request for a particular person?” Apparently, Ji Ah isn’t scared of the gavel.

          “No, of course not!” the club president objected, suspiciously looking extremely red for someone who’s not referring to somebody in particular.

          “Aside from the anonymous person who’s requesting for you... We haven’t received anything fairly significant.” Ji Ah can’t seem to stop herself from being the know-it-all.

          Lee Soo Jeong schools her facial expression to not show how insulted she is to hear that from a friend. She’d most likely make a protest if she’s not too pre-occupied with being worried at who Kim Sung Gyu requested for.

          “I think we do have a new one.” Lee Seok Min actually decided to check the website to see if there’s anything new. “A request for... senior Yoon Bo Ra.”

          “Yoon Bo Ra??? That super popular senior who everybody likes sooooo much? Gahhh she’s like my role model. I’d follow her footsteps if I wasn’t as popular as I am now for just being me. Who did it come from?” Ji Ah peeks into Seok Min’s computer, trying to see who sent the request.

          “Personal space, please... Ji Ah”

          “Not the issue as of the moment, who is it?”

          “Kim Sung Gyu.” Lee Soo Jung reads out without feelings.

~0~

          Yoo Ji Ah can be inconsiderate if she wants to but she’s been friends with Lee Soo Jung since they were in Junior High School and she knows an emergency when she sees one. Right now the best thing to do is find out if the source of the request is legit and if it’s worth perusing. Nevermind that she’s doing things behind the club members backs.

          Why are the people that you need to find unfindable (she doesn’t care if that word isn’t part of the dictionary) when you need them. He usually just hangs out at the university lawn listening to music no one cares about. She’s looked through all possible lawns people are allowed to step on, she’s not used to being the one looking for someone.

          Rounding the literature building’s gardens, she sees a familiar shoed feet.

          “Nam Woo Hyun!”

          Object of perusal rolls his eyes at her; she’d have a whole page of protest sent to him later on. There is something of importance that is in need of discussion.

          “We need to talk...”

          “Did you break a fingernail? Coz seriously that’s about the only time that you talked to me. Not counting the time you need to have me tell off one of your admirers...”

          “Hostility isn’t you. Also, we have a situation...”

          “We do?”

          “This is about Lee Soo Jung and the matchmaking club...”

          “I don’t see why that concerns me...”

          “My sentence included the name ‘Lee Soo Jung’... it should concern you...”

          Nam Woo Hyun supposes that anything and everything that has to do with Lee Soo Jung would always concern him even how hard he tries to avoid it. He has supported her obsession with Kim Sung Gyu, her weird stalking and the matchmaking club, almost about everything else would be pretty easy to feign non-interest.

          And he feels pathetic about it.

          “We need to bring her spirit back up...”

          He hasn’t gotten in touch with Soo Jung for a couple of weeks now, seeing as how busy she is with both her club and her finals. Nam Woo Hyun decided that she needed her alone time.

          Yoo Ji Ah makes herself comfortable next to him. “You’re not allowed to sit with me...” Woo Hyun pointed out; the last time someone saw them interacting, the rumour mill started churning.

          “I don’t care. It’s my reputation that is on the line here. But anyway, Kim Sung Gyu sent us a request...”

          “He did?”

          “Unfortunately he didn’t ask for our Soo Jung... I admire Yoon Bo Ra but not as much as I love our Joongie...”

          “I don’t think we can do anything about that...”

          “Hey, I know you like her and all, but as her friend first and foremost that reaction is not entirely being supportive.”

          “I do not—“

          “You do and you know it. You’re just in denial though everybody knows it except for the actual object of your affection...”

          “Fine, so we find out that he likes Yoon Bo Ra... what can we do about that?”

          “I think this is all a hoax. I don’t think any of this is legit. I’ve seen that seonbae and Soo Jeong together in the library, actually talking. The guy is as smitten with her as you are, maybe not with the same intensity. Kim Sung Gyu doesn’t brood; he’s mostly all smiles around her.”

          “Thank you for reminding me how uncharming I am...”

          “You’re not without charm; though that’s a discussion we could talk about in the future. The important thing right now is Soo Jung. She’s acting too robotic, pretending it doesn’t matter to her. It’s like interacting with a brainless doll.”

          Nam Woo Hyun never imagined he’d be in a position where he would need to match make someone he’s been secretly pining on since he admitted that he’s been secretly pining on someone.

          “Hurray for the second male lead syndrome.” Yoo Ji Ah pipes in before sprinting towards her popular group of friends.

A/N: This story has typos all over! I just re-read it and I found them everywhere.

So I'm in the process of editing the entire story. /still sticking to the entire flow though. Coz this is just a typo/grammar check./

I'm thankful that you guys decided to just shrug those off lol

If you guys wish to go over the story without the eyesores again, please feel free to do so later on.. When I'm a 100% sure there isn't any typos anymore..

And if there is, do comment on it so I'd be able to see my oos.

Hye