Chapter 3: 2. Cafeteria
'.....'= Thoughts
"....."= Conversations
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As Kim Jin-soo stood over the fallen bully, a rumbling sensation in his stomach reminded him of a more pressing need: food. Despite the whirlwind of questions about his transmigration and the world he now found himself in, hunger took precedence. He glanced at the bully, who was still groaning on the ground, and decided to take advantage of the situation.
"Hey," Jin soo said, his voice casual despite the underlying urgency.
Jin-soo observed the bully's pained expression, a mixture of fear and confusion, and he hesitated. He had almost blurted out the question about being in school, but held himself back. Afterall, If he asked directly, it might raise suspicions.
Instead, Jin-soo decided to play it cool. He straightened up, trying to appear nonchalant despite the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. "Well, that was unexpected," he remarked casually, as if the whole altercation had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
The bully, still clutching his stomach and wincing in pain, shot Jin-soo a wary glance.
He was still trying to find the similarity between the guy he had beaten up for the past few days without any retaliation and the one standing in front of him.
'Was he pretending to be weak? But what would be the reason to do so?' The bully wondered while Jin-soo looked around.
Jin-soo scanned the room, taking note of the unfinished walls, the scattered tools, and the general disarray. It was clear that this place was still under construction, which meant they were likely in some part of the school that was off-limits or rarely visited.
As his gaze fell on the door, Jin-soo made a split-second decision. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," he declared, pushing past the bully and heading for the exit.
The bully, still recovering from the beating, watched him go with a mixture of confusion and resentment. Still he didn't dare to stop the guy who had absolutely thrashed him.
Jin-soo pressed on as he stepped in the corridor filled with students. He followed the signs pointing towards the cafeteria, navigating the maze of hallways. Despite the unfamiliar surroundings, he felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had been here before in another lifetime.
Despite his hunger, Jin soo's mind raced with questions. Where was he? Was this some kind of alternate reality? Or was this some kind of world with superpowers and stuff? He knew he needed answers, but for now, eating was his top priority.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of wandering through the labyrinthine corridors, Jin soo spotted a sign pointing towards the cafeteria. He quickened his pace, his stomach growling louder with each step. The prospect of food was a welcome distraction from the chaos of his situation.
As he entered the cafeteria, Jin soo was hit by a wave of noise and activity. Students chattered animatedly at tables, trays clattered as they loaded up with food, and the smell of cooking filled the air. Jin soo's mouth watered at the sight of the array of dishes laid out before him.
He wasted no time in joining the queue, eager to fill his empty stomach. As he waited, he couldn't help but overhear snippets of conversation from the students around him. Their words were in Korean, but Jin soo's language skills kicked in, allowing him to understand what they were saying.
Some were discussing upcoming exams, others were gossiping about classmates, and a few were arguing over who would win in a game of basketball. It was all so mundane, yet strangely comforting in its familiarity.
Finally, Jin soo reached the front of the line and loaded up his tray with an assortment of dishes: rice, stir-fried vegetables, grilled meat, and a bowl of steaming soup. He found an empty table and sat down, eagerly digging into his meal.
The food was delicious, a welcome change from the stale airplane snacks he was used to. Each bite was a burst of flavor, and Jin soo savored every mouthful.
As Jin soo ate, the cafeteria kept filling up with students, the noise level rising with each new arrival. Trays clattered, chairs scraped against the floor, and voices blended into a constant hum of activity. Despite the growing crowd, no one came to sit with him, and he found himself oddly relieved by the solitude. After all, he had no memories of the body he was inhabiting, no connections to this world or the people in it.
Still, as time passed and he remained alone at his table, a nagging thought crept into his mind. Was he an outcast? Did he have no friends in this unfamiliar place? The possibility lingered in his thoughts, a silent specter haunting the edges of his consciousness. But if it were true, Jin soo couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief. Without friends to pretend to know, he wouldn't have to navigate the treacherous waters of social interaction, wouldn't have to risk exposing himself as a stranger in a familiar guise.
Instead, he turned his attention inward, focusing on understanding the world he found himself in. Was this a high school straight out of a Korean manhwa, filled with rivalries and dramatic confrontations? Or perhaps it was a setting for a romance drama, where every interaction held hidden meaning and every glance was fraught with unspoken emotion. The possibilities spun through his mind like a whirlwind, leaving him dizzy with uncertainty.
As he scanned the faces of the students around him, searching for any hint of recognition, he spotted someone who seemed vaguely familiar. Before he could ponder the significance of this chance encounter, however, he was interrupted by the arrival of three boys who approached his table with purposeful strides. Among them was the bully he had faced off against in the under-construction building earlier, his expression a mixture of anger and humiliation.
The bully shot a warning glance at the leader among them, his eyes flashing with but of a fear. "That guy's crazy," he muttered under his breath.
The leader scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt. "And you're too much of a coward to handle him," he retorted, his tone laced with mockery.
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