After Graduation， I Fucked All My Classmates 41

## Chapter 41 – Hospitality

There are three financial tycoons in our class.
The most powerful is the twins’ family. Then comes Jung Seo-hee, followed by Lee Seo-hyun.

Lee Seo-hyun’s father is the CEO of a successful investment bank.
He made his mark with successful large investments, a relatively recent success story.

In contrast, the twins’ family has a considerably deep and long history, and now, by intermingling with foreign powers, they’ve grown into a massive financial empire.
If you can’t quite picture it, think of financial families like the Rothschilds or comprehensive financial corporations like JP Morgan.

A family that wields influence with money across society—that’s the twins’ family.

So, everyone in our class was receiving funds from the twins.
Which is why they had no choice but to laugh off even the twins’ most malicious pranks.

‘And then there’s Jung Seo-hee.’

I looked down at the Caucasian woman who had grabbed me by the collar and curled up one corner of her lip.
She’s the only one among us classmates who doesn’t have any Korean blood.

Jung Seo-hee’s family history is as unique as her race.
The other kids often say, disparagingly, that her stepfather was a big shot in the loan shark market.

She possesses wealth large enough to influence the national economy, and she’s on close terms with the twins’ father, so the two families effectively control the shares of Korea’s major corporations and manipulate them.

Of course, from my perspective, having just graduated from high school, it all seemed like a distant story. Like something from another world.
I looked down at Jung Seo-hee.

‘That aside, she’s really strong. She must be completely drained of energy.’

Jung Seo-hee brought her face close to mine, flashing her teeth.

“Jung Woo-jin. You really played me, huh?”
“You know my name?”
“We’ve been in the same class for three years. Of course, I know it.”

I was surprised. Someone among my classmates had memorized my name.
It was a first. My name being called by a classmate.
After a full three years.

‘So, you don’t treat me like air after all.’

But the condescending gaze was still there.
Perhaps because of the harsh treatment in the forest, the look in her eyes that saw me as pathetic had disappeared, but wariness had taken its place.

“I saw that a stewardess disappeared earlier too. Don’t make me ask twice. Is this your doing?”
“What are you….”

In that instant, my vision went white. Only after a sharp pain in my forehead did I realize that Jung Seo-hee had headbutted me.

“What’s the reason for inciting the teachers and crew, and taking the twins?”
“…It’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t drag the twins out.”

Thwack.

“Kuh.”
“Why did you spirit away the twins?”

I vehemently denied it and tried to explain, but Jung Seo-hee didn’t listen to me at all.

“Tell me now!”

She grabbed me by the collar and demanded to know why I had taken the twins.
There was no communication whatsoever. The misunderstanding, of course, wasn’t cleared up.

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

Instead, violence followed. Her fist struck my stomach repeatedly.

‘Damn it. She must have completely exhausted her strength, but it’s still so heavy.’

She was indeed a monster. I had heard beforehand through the twins that she was no ordinary person, but she was exceeding my expectations.

‘Still, I’ve been beaten daily with a ‘wooden sword’ by Kang Hye-rin. That much won’t do anything.’

With her strength depleted, her punches couldn’t inflict much damage on me. Did she notice my composure?

Whoosh.

Jung Seo-hee grabbed me and slammed me into the ground.

“Cough.”

My back burned.
Knowing it was a rocky floor, I had tried to control my strength appropriately, but she really slammed me down.
I felt viscerally that she was truly merciless.
Jung Seo-hee climbed on top of me, who was sprawled on the ground, and pummeled my abdomen with her fists.

“Answer me! What are you plotting by taking Yoo-ri and Ye-jin away!”
“Cough. Cough. I, I’m telling you, I didn’t take them.”
“Don’t make me laugh. I can tell just by looking at your eyes. Your eyes are plotting something right now.”

Her intuition is good. She even knows I have some scheme.
Certainly, Jung Seo-hee’s eyes, looking down at me, were filled with conviction.
The conviction that I was plotting something.
But I was innocent.

“I do have something I’m plotting. But at least the target isn’t the twins.”
“Then?”

I stared up at Jung Seo-hee. Jung Seo-hee frowned, not understanding my gaze.

“Why do you stop in the middle of answering? Do I need to beat you more for you to come to your senses?”
“Before that… could you get off me? It’s so hard to breathe, I feel like I’m going to lose consciousness.”

Jung Seo-hee snorted briefly and got off me, stepping aside.
Whew. I felt like I was alive.

‘That was a bit dangerous just now.’

No joke, really.
For a brief moment, I was reminded of the time Han Do-kyun beat me until I passed out and was taken to the hospital.

Realizing that I couldn’t hold out any longer, I told her the truth.

“The one I was after was you, Jung Seo-hee.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. I’ll say it again, we didn’t bring the twins. They ran away, and at some point, I saw they were following us. I tried to send them back, but they wouldn’t go.”
“Do you think I’ll believe that?”

Jung Seo-hee grabbed my collar, lifting my upper body and bringing her face close to mine. Her fierce eyes looked down at me as if to devour me.

“Believe it or not, it’s your choice. But what’s certain is that you, Jung Seo-hee, chased the twins all the way here, and I had to think. What to do with you.”
“…….”

Jung Seo-hee’s eyes looked into mine as if to see through everything.
Seen up close, they were truly beautiful eyes. Like sapphires embedded in her face.
Of course, judging by her temper, red rubies would be more fitting.

“…What you said just now seems to be true. But you, you’re still hiding something.”

Oh no, even that was seen through.
Jung Seo-hee raised her fist. And just as she was about to punch my side—

Rustle. Rustle.

Footsteps were heard. And at the same time, a savory smell wafted over, stimulating my nose.
It was the smell of meat.
Because the smell was so intense, our gazes naturally turned to where the footsteps were coming from.

“Ah, I’m sorry if you were in the middle of an important conversation. But the meat is starting to cook. These things need to be eaten right away, so shouldn’t we eat first and then talk?”

Kim Yeon-joo said, holding up a piece of meat. Her gaze passed over Jung Seo-hee, looked at me, and then smiled brightly.

‘Perfect timing. After rolling around with me for a few days, she’s moving with tact at the right moment.’

We had a manual.
A set of action guidelines created in case Jung Seo-hee passed through the forest and arrived at our base.

We had all studied it and coordinated our stories.
However, in some ways, it was quite risky, so I was a little worried about whether ‘my women would really move for my sake?’ but it seems that was an unnecessary concern.

‘To them, I’m already irreplaceable.’

Now, all that remained was Jung Seo-hee’s reaction. I looked up at Jung Seo-hee’s face.

‘Right now, Jung Seo-hee’s head is probably filled with the smell of meat.’

Since being stranded on this island, the only time we had eaten meat was on the very first day. It had already been over a week since we had even seen or smelled greasy food.
All we had were crackers and water for three meals a day, and very occasionally, a complete balanced nutritional supplement.

What’s more, we couldn’t even eat our fill, so we were constantly struggling with hunger, and now meat had appeared before our eyes.

So, what kind of reaction would she have?

Gulp.

Jung Seo-hee swallowed, looking at the golden-brown grilled pork belly.
Her eyes, which had been as steady as a mountain, wavered from side to side.

‘She was running around with me until she was completely exhausted just a moment ago. Her body must be clamoring for meat.’

I smiled and offered to Jung Seo-hee, who had already moved her Adam’s apple for the third time.

“Jung Seo-hee. Do you want to eat with us?”
“What?”
“Let’s eat meat. You can’t have the strength to talk without eating something, right? I’m starving because I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“…….”
“The twins are probably gathered in front of the meat right now too. Let’s continue the conversation after we eat.”

As I tried to get up, Jung Seo-hee grabbed my collar tightly. As if to ask where I was going.
But the smell of meat was still lingering around us, and as I tried to get up again, Jung Seo-hee eventually stood up awkwardly with me and let go of my collar.

“You’re coming with us, right?”

Jung Seo-hee nodded very slightly. With a fierce look in her eyes.

“But don’t get any funny ideas. Don’t forget that I’m watching you.”
“Haha, I wonder how many men would even think of getting funny ideas in front of you.”

I gestured for her to follow and took the lead with Kim Yeon-joo. Jung Seo-hee silently followed us.

‘Well, I’ve been beaten enough, so it’s time to counterattack.’

Before capturing a wild white horse, let’s first try to lower her guard.

***

Food is an incredible weapon that can resonate with the heart of even the fiercest beast, or even a ruler governing a country.

When a person experiences a surge of emotion in their mouth, their heart becomes rich and generous.

They even feel intense happiness.

I led Jung Seo-hee to the place where we were grilling meat.
The further we went, the stronger the smell of meat grilling in oil became.
It felt like passing by a barbecue restaurant in the early evening.

‘Oh, I’m drooling too. Is it because I just moved my body so vigorously?’

Soon, a pot on the fire appeared through the hazy smoke.
And the homeroom teacher sitting in front of it, grilling meat with wooden chopsticks.
And the twins sitting on the opposite side, waiting with excited eyes.

“Oh? My, Seo-hee’s here?”
“You were here too, Teacher.”
“Yeah. Ah, you must be hungry? Come over here. Sit here.”

Jung Seo-hee hesitated, then went and sat next to the twins.
The twins didn’t even glance at her.
Could these be the same kids who were just wringing their hands and asking me to save Jung Seo-hee two hours ago? They were only staring at the meat.

‘Well, the person in question doesn’t seem to care at all.’

Watching the sizzling meat, Jung Seo-hee was also busy drooling like the twins.
The homeroom teacher picked up a piece of meat that was just cooked.

“Okay, first, this is for Woo-jin.”
“Give it to the kids first, not me.”

The twins nodded vigorously, saying that was right.

“I can’t do that. You’re the one who got the meat. Of course, you, Woo-jin, have to take the first bite.”
“Jung Woo-jin. Is it true that you got the meat?”
“That’s right.”

Jung Seo-hee’s gaze at my answer became a little strange.
Afraid that she would ask unnecessary questions about where I got it, I immediately continued.

“I’m really okay, so give it to the kids first.”
“Really? Okay. Then, this one’s for Yoo-ri.”

Hooray! Yoo-ri went next to the homeroom teacher, took the meat, blew on it, and popped it into her mouth.

“This is for Ye-jin.”

Awwm!

“And this one’s for Seo-hee.”

Jung Seo-hee looked at the meat for a moment, then straightened her back. She said with a composed face.

“No, Teacher. I’m a guest, so I can eat last.”

But unlike her words, her eyes couldn’t leave the meat.
It couldn’t be helped. The strongest of human desires is the desire for sleep, followed by the desire for food.

At the point when she was drooling and her stomach was rumbling at the sight of the meat, there was no distinction between a daughter of a chaebol family and an adopted daughter who had risen in status.

The homeroom teacher blinked and turned to look at me.
Jung Seo-hee, who had intuitively realized that I was the leader, also looked up at me.
Jung Seo-hee’s face was saying.

-I want to eat that meat right now. But my pride won’t let me say it.

She tried to hide her expression, but it was obvious.
Thanks to rolling around with the kids in class for three years, I already knew the expressions they made when their pride was involved.

I smiled brightly and said.

“Give it to Seo-hee and the twins first. Yeon-joo and I will eat after the three of them have eaten.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”

Jung Seo-hee, hearing my answer, asked back as if it were unexpected.

“Really, it’s okay for us to eat first?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry about it and eat a lot. There’s plenty of meat.”

Jung Seo-hee’s sharp demeanor was, of course, still there.
She was wary of me.
But when I offered to let her eat first, her gaze towards me changed considerably.
A hint of favor flickered in her eyes.

“Ahem. Then, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

But that was just the beginning. Jung Seo-hee took the meat and put it in her mouth.

“!!”

Her eyes widened.
A smile spread across her lips.

“It’s delicious.”

Jung Seo-hee’s demeanor softened considerably.
Her wariness completely disappeared with the taste of meat she hadn’t had in a long time.

You might not believe me if I said this, but she became like the two little kids next to her.
She devoured the meat she received in an instant and waited for the meat to cook with the desire to eat more.
She stared at the sizzling meat in the pot along with the twins.

When will it be cooked? Do we have to wait longer for it to cook?
That one looks like it’s all cooked.

Something like that.

‘It seems she’s completely forgotten why she came here in the first place.’

She was too busy gobbling down the meat.
She wouldn’t even care if a volcano erupted next to her.

“Seo-hee.”

Of course, the moment I spoke to her, the wariness that had disappeared immediately resurfaced. Her relaxed eyes sharpened instantly. Was she even the same person?

“What is it?”

With wary eyes, Jung Seo-hee looked back at me, raising her eyes.

“Here. Eat some fruit with it.”

When I slid oranges and strawberries over to her, Jung Seo-hee’s eyes calmed down.

“Drink some cool water here too.”

I handed Jung Seo-hee a cold bottle of water that I had just bought from the store.

“…….”

Jung Seo-hee stared blankly at the food placed in front of her.
Her eyes then landed on the twins, who were popping strawberries into their mouths.

“Yoo-ri. Ye-jin.”
“?”
“Woo-jin said that you two came here voluntarily, is that right?”

Without taking their eyes off the sizzling meat, the twins popped strawberries into their mouths and nodded their heads up and down vigorously.

“I see.”

With this, the misunderstanding was cleared up.
In the slightly softened atmosphere, I tried to get up, but Jung Seo-hee grabbed my wrist.

“You told me earlier. That you didn’t take Yoo-ri and Ye-jin.”
“…….”
“I didn’t believe you. I thought you were just talking to save your own skin. I thought you were lying. So, I acted rudely. But you’re giving me… are you giving me these things?”

Some emotion flickered across Jung Seo-hee’s face as she looked at me.
I wasn’t sure, but was it shame, regret?

It was definitely a different reaction from the other kids in class.
The other kids would have accepted this favor and treatment as if it were natural.
Jung Seo-hee was expressing doubt.

‘Is it because she wasn’t born into nobility? Because she’s adopted? Or is it because she has a strong sense of pride?’

Whatever the reason, what I had to say was already decided. I said with an innocent face.

“It’s because you were worried about the twins, right? Isn’t it?”
“That’s true, but….”
“Then it’s fine. Don’t worry about it and eat. It’s not my style to nitpick such trivial things.”

Park Ji-min came to mind for a brief moment.
The words she had said to me with a smile.

“Just turning around and shaking it off. That’s my style. So, you don’t have to worry about it. You don’t have to keep it in mind.”
“!!”

Jung Seo-hee’s eyes widened, and she stared blankly at me.
What she hated was political maneuvering, pettiness.

According to the twins, the reason she hung out alone was because the other kids in class were of a lower level.
When I first heard that story, I didn’t believe it.

But what if it were true?
If so, would my one word just now have been enough to shake her heart?

“I’ve misunderstood you for three years. You are… truly a man of great caliber.”

Jung Seo-hee bowed her head to me.

“I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I apologize.”
“I told you not to worry about it.”

After that, Jung Seo-hee’s gaze towards me changed considerably for the better. I had somehow succeeded in reversing the prejudice that had been built up for three years into favor.

‘Food did it again this time. As expected, there’s nothing like food to break down barriers.’

There’s a reason why they pay attention to serving food when a state guest comes. The emotion caused by food penetrates not only the person’s heart but even their soul.

Of course, if I had simply offered food out of the blue, I wouldn’t have been able to draw out Jung Seo-hee’s favor to this extent.
Underlying Jung Seo-hee’s favor towards me was a sense of apology.

‘Anyway, this is an opportunity.’

Originally, the favor between a man and a woman must be decided within a month. If it goes beyond that, it withers.
After the meal, I approached Jung Seo-hee, who was in a good mood, and said.

“Seo-hee. But our situation is a bit complicated. I can’t go back to where the other kids are with you.”
“I understand. Running away to this place was a wise choice. Above all, the situation on the other kids’ side isn’t very good either. This place might actually be better.”

The situation must be worse than I thought, as Jung Seo-hee shook her head with a skeptical face.
If so, it was an opportunity for me.

“Anyway, so… how about you just stay here with us too.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. The twins don’t really want to go back either, and you’d be worried about the twins if you went back alone, right? Just stay too.”

Jung Seo-hee looked back down the cliff. To where the wreckage of the plane could be seen.
I could guess what she was worried about, so I immediately added.

“Even if a rescue team comes, we can see them from here, so you don’t have to worry.”
“That’s true. But it would be too much to impose on you….”

As expected, Jung Seo-hee was different.
She might have a strong sense of pride, but she wasn’t shameless.
This kind of personality was actually welcome.

“Don’t worry about it. It won’t make a big difference to have one more mouth to feed.”

When I held out my hand, Jung Seo-hee hesitated for a moment, then took it and shook it.

“Thank you. I will definitely repay this kindness.”
“You don’t have to.”
“No. I will definitely repay it. I will repay everything, even the smallest thing I receive from you, so don’t forget and remember everything.”
“Is that a promise? You can’t pretend you don’t know later when the situation isn’t favorable.”
“Yes, I promise to keep it. I swear on my name and family.”

Oh. Really?
That’s a very pleasing answer.