Chapter 5  : Chapter 5   – A Piece of Paper on the Ground

Sensing something under his feet, Juho looked down. There was a piece of paper on the ground.

It was not at all in a good shape. There were already multiple footprints on it. After brushing off some dust, Juho was able to get a sense for why that paper was so unpopular.

“Literature Club.”

It seemed boring even at a glimpse. Aside from Juho and Seo Kwang, most people would move on without even bothering to look into it. It seemed to have reached Juho after getting kicked around.

He read the details of the club on the paper.

Homeroom Teacher: Song Hak Moon.

It was that teacher who sighed before even giving a proper introduction.

“Are you interested in the Literature Club?” Seo Kwang made his way through the crowd and asked.

“It didn’t sound half bad.”

“You want to join together then? If you say yes, I’ll give up the Book Club.”

“You’re giving the Book Club up because of the teacher.”

Seo Kwang pretended he didn’t hear him and took the flyer. Juho had already finished reading through it, so he gladly handed it to Seo Kwang. His face didn’t seem to brighten up as he read it.

“Apparently, they changed their name to Literature Club from Literature Debate Club. It could be one of the lazy clubs.”

‘Lazy clubs’ were clubs whose primary activity was made of independent study. Clubs like Film Appreciation or the English Newspaper Club existed just in name. The reality was that they spent their time in self-study. Even their homeroom teachers hardly showed up. Kids who were part of those clubs were either working on their study guides or taking naps.

“Well, that ain’t so bad.”

“Maybe you’re right. Then again, you could take that time to read a book.”

Juho had had a similar thought. If it was self-study time, he could use the time to write.

Of course, Juho and Seo Kwang would be the only people who would be reading or writing among other students.

“OK. Do we go with this one then?”

“Let’s do it.”

Just like that, the two decided on a club without much trouble even though there was no way to know how many members there were in that club. Determined, they carried on without hesitation. They filled out their applications and headed straight to the staffroom.

Mr. Moon’s desk was visible right as they walked into the staffroom. Unlike other teachers who were dealing with waves of students, he was lost in his book all alone.

“Mr. Moon, here’s our club application.”

“Well, well.”

Mr. Moon looked away from his book to looked at Juho and Seo Kwang. With a mysterious exclamation, he took the applications from them. He scanned for their names and slid them between the pages of his book. That was it. No greetings or anything.

Seo Kwang asked out of curiosity, “What kind of activities are we doing?”

Mr. Moon answered with a smirk, “It’s too late now. You can’t withdraw after having already submitted the application.”

It was not clear, but it didn’t seem to be one of the lazy clubs at least. It was the Literature Club, so they probably did some writing too.

“That kind of scares me.”

“What does? Aren’t you guys used to being forced to do things?”

“Haha! That is true, but I’m still curious.”

Mr. Moon was casually saying things that a teacher wouldn’t normally say to his students. Seo Kwang agreed with him with a smile and kept on pestering him for an answer. Meanwhile, Mr. Moon kept avoiding giving direct answers to their questions. Here and there, he turned his eyes back to the book in his hand. It didn’t seem like he was trying to hide the book, but rather, wanting to get back to it.

“A book over his student asking him questions... Why is this person teaching?”

That moment, they heard somebody come into the staffroom. Juho and Seo Kwang turned around, and they saw two girls with applications in their hands. One had a ponytail and the other had bob-cut hair. The girl with the ponytail said, “Excuse me.”

“Sure.”

Before Juho even had time to signal Seo Kwan, she cut through them boldly. The other girl quietly followed. Mr. Moon took the applications and slid them between the pages, just like with Juho’s and Seo Kwang’s. There had been no difference to his actions, and Seo Kwang broke the silence and continued on his attempt at a conversation with Mr. Moon.

Nodding reluctantly, Mr. Moon answered, “Then, I’ll tell you about the Literature Club’s past. There’s a saying that you can see the future if you know the history.”

“The Literature Club has a past? It wasn’t just a new name?”

“If the name was the only concern, wouldn’t the other name be more sophisticated? Literature Debate Club, why bother changing it?”

That was true. The two girls were still around as if they were curious. Mr. Moon continued to talk about the Literature Club and emphasized its deep tradition. He seemed livelier than ever.

“Considering the tradition, it doesn’t have much presence.”

Mr. Moon agreed with Juho, “You’re right. It lacks presence. That’s why it disappeared, but I brought it back.”

“Aha!”

It seemed like the Literature Club took the place of the Literature Debate Club in the process of its revival.

“It still needs presence,” the girl with a ponytail said.

Mr.Moon slowly raised a book. It was the same book he was sliding the applications into, and the applications fluttered between the white pages.

“But we’re living in another time. There’s been a second wind in the world of literature because of this book.”

The book was titled ‘Trace of a Bird.’ Juho’s eyes followed the book waving from side to side, and Mr. Moon continued, “Everyone’s talking about the birth of a teenage bestselling author. So, the Literature Club simply rode that wave and made a comeback.”

Juho remembered seeing the news that an increasing number of parents were sending their children to private institutions after school for composition writing. Now that he thought about it, it had made sense for him to be arrogant seeing how the book had been such a big deal.

Because the bell rang and the topic wasn’t exactly welcoming, Juho and Seo Kwang made their way back to class.

The two headed to the science room. It was the meeting room for the Literature Club. Located in the corner of the third floor, the science room was often at the center of ghost stories because of its location and purpose. They were stereotypical school stories kind of like the mannequin coming to life at midnight. They’d be laughable even for kindergarteners.

Juho and Seo Kwang went into the science room, which was far apart from other classrooms. There were two other people who had already arrived.

“Hey, there!”

The girl in ponytail took the initiative, and then the girl with the bob cut followed. Juho and Seo Kwang exchanged greetings with them as they walked into the room. It was their second meeting.

The four sat facing each other in pairs with a long desk in between. The girls with short hair sat across from Juho, and it was very apparent that she was feeling awkward.

“Are you two in the same class?” Seo Kwang asked.

“Yeah, you guys must be too, seeing as how you’re walking in together, right?” the girl in ponytail answered, and he introduced himself.

“I’m Sun Hwa Ahn, and this is Bom Yoon,” the girl in ponytail said.

Juho introduced himself in response. Then, there was the awkward silence that came after exchanging names, and Seo Kwang started talking to break the ice.

“What brings you two to the club?”

“We like books.”

There was a big smile on Seo Kwang’s face. He was about to walk up to them to put his arms around and shout “Friends!,” but he soon returned to his seat after hearing what Sun Hwa had to add.

“Comics.”

“Comics?”

That was a different genre. Seo Kwang was obsessed with print. It wasn’t that he didn’t read comics at all, but his preference had always been to have words finely printed onto white sheets of paper.

While he was in disappointment, Juho asked Sun Hwa, “Wasn’t there a Comic/Cartoon Research Club?”

“That’s one of the lazy clubs. I refuse to be part of a club that’s got nothing to offer other than its name. How dare they desecrate comics?! They’re not just words you know.”

Juho was impressed by Sun Hwa’s passion as she scrunched up her face in annoyance. She was a girl full of pride toward comics.

“What about your friend there? Bom was it? Do you like comics too?” Seo Kwang asked Bom in case she was any different, but unlike his expectations, she nodded her head in affirmation. Everytime she moved her head, her hair played on her cheeks.

“Sun Hwa recommended them to me. I’ve been enjoying them.”

“Well, well, what if you try getting into actual books? I can give you recommendations if you want.”

“No, sure.”

At her vague answer, Seo Kwang asked Juho with his eyes, ‘Is that a yes or a no?’

‘I don’t know either,’ Juho responded.

Next, Sun Hwa asked Juho a question as if she were trying to one-up Seo Kwang’s attempts, “How about you?”

“I’ve read some of the famous ones.”

He named the few comics he knew. With bright eyes, Sun Hwa brought her face closer to Juho. He backed off and thought, ‘I think I made a mistake.’

“A character design that is full of dreams, friendship, love and liveliness, and the adventure of the protagonist. Woven through it, there are delicate life lessons and youthfulness that is both sweet and savory. From the clean drawing and solid storyline to a wide range of fans, I can’t help but be in awe of this author’s talent.”

Juho looked over at Seo Kwang thinking, ‘Déjà vu.’ With a serious face, Seo Kwang listened to Sun Hwa intently.

“I recommend his debut work. It’s a short story about a girl suffering from a rare disease and an actor who’s past his prime. The two characters learn to depend on each other, and they are both determined to live. The direction, the composition, the drawing, the dialogues... It’s flawless.”

“Hm.”

“If that means you’re interested, I can lend you one right now. It’s in my bag.”

“I respectfully decline.”

“Fine.”

Sun Hwa clicked her tongue as Juho turned her down. Seo Kwang came between them and added, “Yeah! He’s supposed to be reading the books I recommended first.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to that.”

Seo Kwang was completely oblivious to Juho’s murmur. He took out a book from his bag and put it in front of Sun Hwa.

“Alright. I’m sure you’ve heard of this book. You’re a spy if you haven’t.”

“Oh, yeah!”

“Yeah, I recognize it,” Sun Hwa and Bom responded simultaneously.

It was impossible not to know about that book. It was the very book the press had been talking about nonstop. Mr. Moon had brought it up at one point too, the birth of a genius author, Trace of a Bird. It was a critically acclaimed work.

“I haven’t read it yet.”

At that, Seo Kwang’s eyes lit up, and he began to tell them the synopsis. It was a story about a boy who was afraid of birds.

“If you just say that you’re interested, I can take it out of my bag right now and lend it to you.”

“Not interested,” Sun Hwa declined sharply.

“I’m for the minorities. I’m a person who would rather swim against the current. Even if I get around to reading it, I’ll get to it once the hype dies down.”

“What?! You’re a stubborn one aren’t you?”

“What did you just say?”

From then on, Seo Kwang and Sun Hwa got busy bickering with each other. Bom tried to stop them from fighting, but it was useless.

Juho left the two bickering and looked around the room. There were various experiment tools in storage. On the left side of the room, there was a mannequin, and next to it, there were desks and chairs that were no longer in use. The room might be called a science room, but it was obvious that it was being used as storage space. Everytime Juho breathed in, there was faint scent of rubbing alcohol.

Fwoosh!

At the sound of the door, the four turned their heads at the same time. A guest was standing by the door. Bulky, long-limbed, short hair, thick lips, teeth that were exceptionally white and dark-skinned.

“Is he black?” someone whispered.

<A Piece of Paper on the Ground> The End.