Chapter 17 – Scammers and Deceitful Students (4)
Jeongjin never thought he could meet the clever boy again. They regularly encounter each other at the restaurant after he skipped his classes and came to eat his lunch. Soon, the two brats became drinking buddies.
As a result, Jeongjin was led by his shrewd friend to spend some time catching birds and fishes, for the former challenged that he could not catch a single fish.
It was a kind of pastoral life that Jeongjin never enjoyed during his teenage days.
‘At that time, my dream was to study and go to Seoul. Life was only painful and hard.’
Nonetheless, he managed to study well in the countryside. He was focused. He had no friends, and therefore no one could bully him.
It was hard for him to attend his school, so during his spare time, he recompensed with workbooks distributed by teachers and some computer lectures. Since he had no money during college, he managed to use his time correctly and responsibly.
Those were the days of his predicaments, and he didn’t want to go back to that kind of life.
Only when Jeongjin transmigrated into the novel did he felt like a carefree seventeen-old boy. A life without worry for his career and money.
And of course, alcohol to drink.
Despite the commoner, Leo, not acquainted with Clayo, they surprisingly had a good time together. They both enjoyed the whole day drinking and learning new tricks, gradually becoming closer to each other. The boys brought a bag filled with items for errands and some playthings, consisting of a slingshot and a bait made of feathers.
On one occasion, Leo was playing with a small dagger, which he found somewhere else. He handled it in a skillful manner that made Jeongjin astonished.
When Jeongjin saw it, he put down the porcelain kettle containing wine he just carried and asked,
“What’s that?”
“Its called the small hand skill,” Leo replied.
“That’s interesting.”
Leo stared at him in the eye with a doubtful look.
Jeongjin was the first to break the silence between them. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Nothing, I thought you would admire my skill a bit more,” Leo said dryly.
“What do you want? If you want a reaction, take care of some errands and show them.”
“Hahaha, I’m good with that job. You think they’d want to see this?”
“Yes, but you better wash up yourself first,” said Clayo.
“No, It’s annoying. I’ll only wash if it rains!”
“Yes, everything’s a hassle for you.”
Then, Leo reminds the young boy. “Well, do you have anything to say for yourself, skipping classes in an expensive school?”
“Hey! It’s not because I’m lazy. It just happens that I have an… aversion for class lectures.”
“The final exam is fast approaching. You expelled if you keep on missing your lectures. You know that, right?”
Perhaps because Leo was an errand boy, he knew well about the school rules.
“It’s good to just lie at home when you’ve dropped out,” answered an apathetic Jeongjin.
“Don’t you have a magic class? Won’t it be a waste to drop such a subject?”
“How is it a waste?”
But Leo inquired further. “You were born with ether sensitivity while others don’t have it. Aren’t you interested in getting ahead?”
“Why should I? I’ve already settled for an ordinary life. I’m inclined to the idea of lying down and drinking wine. Becoming a prosecutor or a wizard, you’ll have to be geared all the time, being dragged, who knows where for work.”
Recalling the incoming events of the story, the era of war would soon take place within five years. Jeongjin doesn’t know what future developments might happen with his minor changes, but if he finishes in this school, he compelled to join the battlefield. Such an act is required for students because they subjected to mandatory service.
‘No way, I’d rather be a dropout than go to the army again.’
Jeongjin had a horrible experience in the army back then. He abhors the idea of going back. He was determined to be expelled so that in the soonest time possible, he could rest and go back to his home in Colpos.
‘I’m still young, and I’m going to enjoy life thoroughly. Would my father kick me out if I expelled? Well, I have 400,000 dinars – I’ll be able to live with that for a while.’
From what he had grasped, 400,000 dinars was equal to 400 million won.
“Wow, so you’re really… I like that attitude,” said Leo with a fantastic grin.
“I do what I want.”
“Look, I secretly made a duplicate key to the professor’s dorm room. We can have fun, but if you don’t like the idea, it’s fine.”
“No, certainly. You’re a great guy.”
The two boys ended their day’s adventure by hiding inside the faculty’s dormitory. Leo was in charge of the lookout while the small Jeongjin crawled in and stole two bottles of alcohol.
It turned out that he got a “Budigalasan wine,” the one whom Behemoth longed at the dorm. The wine had a similar quality in color and texture to Bordeaux wine and looked expensive at first glance. Despite using wooden cups, the aroma was still very fragrant.
***
Clayo Asser’s comfortable life collapsed in a just week.
Jeongjin had almost forgotten the idea that the school had an unofficial student newspaper being published regularly in the campus. He remembered there was one. But he could never anticipate that someone would be interested in observing the activities of an outcast, last-placed student like Clayo.
“The life of Arthur Riognan and Clayo Asser” by F.W.