The Spoon Villain Is Obsessed with the Hero Again Today - Chapter 65



The Man Who Doesn’t Believe in God (2)

Upon reflection, I realized I was without a spoon. How could I think of challenging Baek Juhee without a weapon? I almost got myself into deep trouble.

Regrettably, for now, I have no choice but to yield Arna to Baek Juhee. The weak have no choice, after all.

By the way.

When will the spoon be completed? Since I entrusted the task to Yoo Jiwoo, I haven’t heard any news.

If I don’t receive the new spoon by next week, I might have to fight barehanded in the practical exam.

In a way, finding a partner is less urgent than completing the spoon right now.

So, as soon as the quiz ended, I headed to the 4th research building. To meet Yoo Jiwoo.

───

Room 403: Ma Stone Energy Conversion and Catalysis Laboratory

Jiwoo Yoo was in the lab. He was indeed a nerd. He never left the lab. I wonder if he ever exercises.

I decided to knock on the door.

Knock, knock.

As before, there was no sound from inside. Is he sleeping again?

Knock, knock, knock.

It seems he is in a deep sleep. He doesn’t seem to have any intention of waking up.

“….”

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to leave quietly. I’m not a considerate man who would leave a sleeping person alone.

I decided to open the lab door confidently.

Creak─

“Ugh… This smell is still the same….”

As soon as I entered, my head felt dizzy. It was because of the smell of oil and gunpowder. I had to cover my nose.

Snore─

Meanwhile, there was a girl snoring peacefully in this harsh environment.

Jiwoo Yoo was lying on a sofa in the corner, enjoying a nap. Using a white lab coat as a blanket.

She was quite an impressive person. How could she sleep so well in this place that was no different from a garbage dump? I admired her every time I saw her.

“Jiwoo Yoo.”

“Snore….”

“Wake up now.”

“Snore….!”

“….”

She showed no sign of waking up despite my call. Instead, she snored even louder. It was hard to believe she was a girl with such a tremendous snoring sound.

Since words didn’t seem to work, I decided to use my hands. I flipped Jiwoo Yoo’s small body over, like flipping a pancake.

“Ugh…!”

Only then did Jiwoo Yoo react.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“I came to check on the progress.”

“Progress?”

Jiwoo Yoo tilted his head in confusion and stared blankly for a moment. Soon, something seemed to come to mind, and he opened his mouth slightly.

“Oh. You mean the spoon.”

Screech, screech.

Jiwoo Yoo, dragging a lab coat much longer than his height, headed towards the table.

Then he showed me something that looked like a lump of metal.

“Here, the spoon you requested earlier.”

“Spoon? That?”

I frowned. It was a mess to call it a spoon. It might be more accurate to describe it as a lump of clay.

The spoon I know doesn’t look like this.

“It’s because I’m still refining the frame. Maybe by next week, the shape will be roughly formed.”

“Next week?”

My lips twitched for a moment. The appearance would be made by next week. Not the entire completion, just the outer shell.

The practical evaluation is next week.

“Can’t you do it faster?”

“I have my own research to do. How can I focus only on one spoon? Yawn…”

With that, Jiwoo Yoo started crawling back to the sofa while yawning.

Personal research must mean taking a nap on the sofa, right?

I grabbed Jiwoo Yoo by the scruff of his neck.

“Request a quick finish.”

“What? A quick finish?”

Jiwoo Yoo continued speaking while dangling in the air.

“A quick finish comes with an extra charge, is that okay?”

It means I have to pay an additional fee if I want it quickly. Like a quick service.

I didn’t expect him to extort money like this. I thought he was just a simple nerd, but he also had a knack for business.

“How much?”

Well, I can afford the extra fee. I have enough cash in my account. All thanks to Taehun Kang, the young master of the Kangyun Group.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t given you the final estimate yet. Wait a moment.”

Jiwoo Yoo took out a tablet from the pocket of his lab coat and started tapping away at the calculator. Floating in mid-air.

“Material costs… labor costs… operating costs… taxes… and even dignity maintenance costs…”

“Wait a minute. What’s this dignity maintenance cost at the end?”

“Oh, that. Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”

“I’m paying for this with my own money, so what do you mean don’t worry about it? Take it off immediately.”

“…”

He tried to sneak in a strange item on the bill. He was trying to rip me off.

This isn’t some fish market. Where does he get the nerve to try and cheat me?

“Fine. I’ll give you a discount considering the drink you gave me last time. Happy?”

“So, how much is the total?”

“About this much?”

From noble mtl dot com

Jiwoo Yoo held up three fingers.

What? It’s cheaper than I thought?

“Only 30,000 won?”

“What…?”

Jiwoo Yoo’s face twisted in disbelief when he heard the amount I mentioned.

“Are you kidding me? 30,000 won wouldn’t even buy a single flounder at the local fish shop.”

“Then how much are you talking about?”

“Here, it’s obviously three big ones.”

Three big ones.

He couldn’t mean three 50,000 won bills.

And definitely not three 100,000 won checks.

Could it be…

“You mean 3 million won?”

“Now we’re finally getting somewhere… Ugh…!”

I grabbed Jiwoo Yoo by the scruff of his neck and threw him onto the sofa. He was so light that even someone like me could easily toss him.

“Are you trying to scam me right now?”

“Ugh… Scam? That’s a bit harsh…”

Jiwoo Yoo creaked as he barely got up from the sofa.

“Still, I’m a pretty honest dealer, you know.”

“Is it ethical for a business to charge 3 million won for a single spoon?”

“Tsk tsk.”

When I continued to doubt until the end, Yoo Ji-woo clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Then, he said to me,

“People are really strange. They can invest millions of won in things like computers, but why do they hesitate to spend even 100,000 won on artifacts?”

“…”

“If you think about it, artifacts are much more expensive items.”

Hmm.

Now that I hear it, that’s true.

Artifacts are items imbued with magic. They are much more sophisticated and have more complex circuits than most household appliances. As a result, there are only a few technicians who can handle them.

In an era where brand watches exceed tens of millions of won and luxury foreign cars cost hundreds of millions, there’s no rule that says artifacts shouldn’t be expensive.

In such a situation, a spoon costing only 3 million won is quite a bargain. In terms of cars, it’s the price of a used Morning, and in terms of watches, it’s enough to buy a Tag Heuer.

“…”

This is actually incredibly cheap, isn’t it?

*

After finishing a pop quiz, Arna came to have dinner with Baek Joo-hee.

To commemorate being in the same group.

“Wow, this looks delicious.”

The menu was mulhoe. It was a dish made with plenty of cuttlefish, flounder, and sea bream, along with various vegetables and a refreshing broth.

Baek Joo-hee, perhaps finding it too precious to eat as it was, started taking pictures enthusiastically while humming a tune.

Click─!

“Hmm hmm, I should send this to my boyfriend later. And post it on Instagram.”

“…”

Meanwhile, Arna, even with the delicious food in front of her, couldn’t bring herself to smile.

She was lost in deep thought.

‘Was I too harsh…?’

The reason was Shin Yoon-sung. Earlier, when Shin Yoon-sung approached and asked to be partners, Arna had coldly rejected the offer.

It had been bothering her ever since.

‘He’s still a sick person… I didn’t have to be so cold…’

Even if she had to refuse, she could have done it more gently. She could have done that. But contrary to her heart, Arna had spoken harshly.

‘If it’s that person… it would be hard to find a partner anywhere…’

By now, Shin Yoon-seong would be wandering around looking for a team member. But it wouldn’t be easy.

Who would want to team up with someone who is currently hospitalized? Everyone would only think of Shin Yoon-seong as a hindrance.

‘I should have accepted him after all…’

But it was too late for that. He had already rejected Shin Yoon-seong. And he had teamed up with Baek Joo-hee.

There was nothing he could do to turn back now.

“…”

Arna picked up the drink cup on the table with a frustrated heart. She inserted a straw into it.

“Huh…? Ah, Arna…! Wait a minute…!”

Baek Joo-hee, who was watching, was startled and shouted. She even reached out her arm.

“That’s not a drink, it’s mulhoe broth…!”

“…”

But right now, no words could reach Arna’s ears. She was lost in thought, endlessly sucking on the straw.

Whether it was a drink or mulhoe broth didn’t matter much.

Slurp.