Seoul Dragon - Chapter 71

As soon as I returned from the variety show filming, Seoa asked me:

"Did the filming go well?"

"Yeah."

"How was it?"

"It was kind of fun, in its own way."

"You didn't go around saying weird things, did you? Like 'worship me' or that kind of nonsense?"

"Hey, just because I act like that at home doesn't mean I'd do it outside!"

What is she even talking about?

No matter how much nonsense I might spout at home, I wouldn't do that outside.

Moreover, it's a broadcast network variety show with quite high ratings. Why would I risk being immortalized saying nonsense?

"Well, that's a relief."

"Nothing happened while I was gone, right?"

"Nothing, nothing. So, when will it air?"

She suddenly became curious about when it would air.

"Why, are you going to watch?"

"I want to see what kind of show you put on. So when is it?"

"Probably next week? They usually film about a week before airing."

"Okay, I'll be sure to catch it live."

"You crazy girl."

"Did you tell Mom and Dad?"

"Not yet, but I will later."

To be honest, I'm not really looking forward to it. Considering how I behaved there...

Well, to our parents, it might just look like I'm being playful.

They might actually like it.

Anyway, now that I've made a TV appearance, I checked if I had any other upcoming schedules.

First, there's a group project next week... and for individual assignments, everything is posted on the course website, so I just need to follow that.

After finishing all the assignments, there's the academic field trip.

I really don't want to go, honestly.

Maybe it's because I just filmed a travel variety show, but I'm really not into running around to different regions anymore.

But there's nothing I can do about it.

If I want to graduate, I have to go...

The academic field trip schedule has been released. The date is three days from now.

Thinking about it, the students going this time will mainly be third and fourth-year students... I should just keep a low profile.

The main participants are probably the class of 2016.

I heard there are a few students from the classes of 2015, 2017, and 2018 mixed in as well.

If the 2017 and 2018 students are going, I wonder if Sihyun and Suyeon will go too?

I hope they do.

It's more comfortable when there are familiar faces around.

As for the class of 2016 students... they're not really people I like.

Starting with Seong Yunhwan who dumped PowerPoint work on me during a group project, saying he couldn't do it, and all the people who hang out with him are similar types.

I heard Seong Yunhwan is coming this time... it's best not to get involved with them in any way.

No matter how much I dislike them, I should just let it go.

As long as they don't bother me, I have no intention of bringing up old issues.

It still makes my blood boil when I think about it, but there's a fundamental difference between me getting angry then and me getting angry now.

It's not like they did something maliciously harmful like An Yein who wet herself, they were just... inconsiderate, and it was something that personally annoyed me, so I didn't want to make a fuss about it.

I can just pretend they don't exist.

Just to be sure, I asked Sihyun and Suyeon separately, and they both said they're going to get the academic field trip out of the way early.

These days, students tend to skip the field trip in their first and second years and prepare for employment more comfortably in their third and fourth years.

If that's the case, I'll just hang out with them.

And if Kim Nayeon joins us, that would be perfect.

Anyway, the class of 2016... I hope nothing happens. Well, even if we go together, we'll just stick to our own groups, so there shouldn't be any conflicts.

So, on the day of the academic field trip.

Perhaps because I arrived earlier than expected, there were many students gathered in the department lounge.

"Ah, Seohyun unnie!"

Sihyun and Suyeon greeted me quite enthusiastically, so I smiled and waved back at them.

"Are you going too, unnie?"

"I was planning to go last semester, but the whole semester got wiped out... So, I'm going now. If I don't go now, I'll suffer in my fourth year. But why are you two going so early?"

"Nayeon unnie told us we should go during our first or second year so we won't suffer in our third and fourth years."

"That's right. Third and fourth years are already busy enough; it would be troublesome to waste time on the academic field trip. I didn't know that, which is why I'm here now."

"What do you do there?"

"Well, I think we'll investigate dialects and ask local residents various questions. I only heard this from my classmates, so I don't know the details."

The task of Korean literature students on an academic field trip was simple.

Meet the elderly, identify and analyze their speech patterns and vocabulary.

According to my classmates who went last semester, recording is essential. Since many elderly people don't pronounce words clearly, you need to replay the recordings several times to understand the pronunciation properly.

Sometimes there are people who share their experiences from before liberation, and they say you can also hear songs that people sang back then.

I guess this time will probably proceed similarly.

"Just make sure to record well, and you shouldn't have any problems writing reports or whatever."

"Oh, Seohyun sunbae, you're here?"

"Huh? Ah, yes."

At that moment, Kim Nayeon approached me. I've gotten so used to speaking casually with Sihyun and Suyeon that I unconsciously spoke casually to her.

"Oh, you're speaking comfortably with me."

"I did it without thinking. Since we've already started speaking casually, shall we continue?"

"Let's do that. I find it more comfortable too. Oh, I heard from some seniors that you went on a variety show."

"Huh? How did you know? I didn't even tell my classmates?"

...How do they know that? I didn't specifically mention that I was going on a variety show?

"...Oh, you didn't tell them?"

"No. Come to think of it, I didn't even tell those guys... how did they find out?"

"What variety show did you go on?"

"As Long As It's Not Me."

"Wow, As Long As It's Not Me? Really?"

"Yeah. Somehow a casting request came to the Bureau... anyway, I went with my colleagues."

Kim Nayeon genuinely seemed envious. Understandable. There's no one in our generation who grew up without watching "As Long As It's Not Me."

"I also heard you went to the White House? Looking at the videos that spread, it was incredible... seeing you on video media felt so surreal."

"I feel the same way. The situation was serious, so I went to handle it without thinking, and suddenly they told me to come to the White House."

"Are you good at English, sunbae?"

"Since becoming a dragon, language barriers have disappeared."

"...That's cheating!"

At Nayeon's outcry, Sihyun and Suyeon, who were listening nearby, also looked at me with wide eyes.

...It is kind of cheating.

I could feel people around us focusing on our conversation.

Anyway, I should wrap up this topic soon.

It's not something I should go around boasting about.

To change the subject, I asked Nayeon what we'd be doing today.

"Oh, by any chance, do you know what we'll be doing today? I don't know exactly what happens on the academic field trip."

"Just taking notes of what the elderly say, listening to professors, writing reports, and presenting them together. That's it."

"Not much different from what I heard from my classmates."

"I heard they conducted it similarly last semester too. Anyway, today should be quite fun. I'm looking forward to the drinking session."

"...Drink moderately, all of you, moderately."

"Come on, what's the point of being in Korean Literature if we don't drink? We're a group that enjoys the finer things in life, aren't we?"

"That sounds nice, but you're just a bunch of drunkards."

"Uh, well... I can't deny that."

"Is there anything I can help carry?"

"Ah, it's all piled up over there."

Looking in the direction Nayeon pointed, I saw soju, beer, and snacks piled up like a mountain.

These crazy guys. It seemed like they were determined to drink themselves to death today.

"...That's a lot. How do you usually handle lunch and dinner?"

"For that, they contacted a company, and the boxed meals should arrive by then."

"I see."

At that moment, Nayeon's smartphone rang. It seemed like she received a message, and she clapped her hands to get the juniors' attention.

"Alright, the bus is here! Let's carry the luggage!"

"Yes!"

Looking at them, I said to Nayeon:

"I'll just move those."

"What?"

"There's no need to exert yourselves. It's tiring. Going up and down how many floors?"

"Are you going to carry all that by yourself?"

Nayeon asked with a puzzled expression. Without a word, I used magic to lift the mountain of luggage.

Telekinesis... is that what you'd call it?

"Wow!"

"What? What is that?"

Not only Nayeon but also Sihyun, Suyeon, and other students who were looking in our direction immediately widened their eyes and asked me. I just answered nonchalantly:

"Magic."

"Sunbae, you can use magic too?"

"I awakened it during my trip to America."

"So will we see you using magic on As Long As It's Not Me too?"

"Yes."

"...Amazing. I definitely have to watch it."

"Not just me, my colleagues appear too, so it should be quite entertaining. The PD was saying the ratings should be good."

"Now I really have to watch it. Ah, anyway, thank you so much!"

"Thank you, sunbae!"

The juniors, freed from having to exert themselves, smiled brightly and thanked me.

Yet they still couldn't hide their curiosity as they looked at the alcohol and snacks floating mystically in the air.

"Where is the bus?"

"At the entrance of the Humanities College!"

"Then I'll be right back."

"Huh? What?"

After saying that, I used teleportation magic. Of course, with the luggage I had lifted with telekinesis.

When I moved to the front of the Humanities College, the bus drivers were startled to see me.

"Wh-what!?"

"Hello, drivers. I'm a student from the Korean Literature Department going on the academic field trip today."

"Oh, oh! You're the Bureau Chief!"

"Ahaha... that's right."

"My, we're honored to have such a distinguished guest."

"I look forward to the academic field trip today."

"Of course, of course."

After chatting briefly with the drivers, I returned to the department lounge.

And announced:

"Ta-da. I can do this too."

"What, what is that? Teleportation?"

"Yes."

"That's cheating!"

The juniors looked at me with a mix of envy and shock at the mention of teleportation.

Honestly, they can't help but be envious of this.

Looking at them, I smiled smugly.

This is fun.

Anyway, we then moved to the entrance of the Humanities College and boarded the bus.

The official start of the academic field trip.