Chapter 25: What Happen at the Hackathon (1)
“Excuse me. Would you like to team up for the hackathon together?”
She pointed at me with her finger, after scanning the surroundings.
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Why?”
“Because you won’t have to do the exam and assignments. Do you really want to do them?”
I shook my head firmly.
“Of course not.”
“Then I guess we can team up for the hackathon together.”
I looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“But why should I team up with you?”
“Don’t you know the saying ‘Even a blank sheet of paper is better if you lift it together’? If we’re going to do it, it’s better to do it with someone we know.”
“Have we met before?”
“This is the first time.”
“Wouldn’t that make us strangers?”
“Now that we’ve met, we know each other. Why fuss over details? Or… are you not confident?”
Huh. Did she just insult my pride, me, Song Dae-woon?
That’s when it started.
My mouth began to move on its own.
“Of course not. Winning that hackathon? Easy.”
Her delicate eyes narrowed sweetly into a smile in response to my confident answer, and she suddenly extended her hand.
“Alright then. Let’s do our best.”
In the end, I had no choice but to grasp the white, slender hand in front of me.
“What’s the heck? She has a boyfriend? Just when I was getting interested.”
“Does that guy have a lot of money? How did he get such a girlfriend?”
“Why? That guy looks pretty good himself.”
Ignoring the annoying murmurs that ruffled my spirits, I exchanged introductions with the girl in front of me.
“Since we’re in this together, let’s give it our best shot. To be honest, Professor Min’s… no, I mean, Professor Min’s assignments and exams are horrendous. I’m Song Dae-woon from the Business Administration department.”
“I agree. Even if you do well on the exams, getting an A+ is like reaching for the stars. I’m Lee Ji-won from the Computer Science department.”
After our brief introductions, I asked what I was most curious about.
“But what exactly is a hackathon?”
Lee Ji-won looked at me in disbelief, her pink lips parting slightly.
“Did you say you were confident about winning without even knowing what a hackathon is?”
I nodded confidently.
“Yes. I believe I can do well in anything I try.”
Lee Ji-won sighed lightly and explained what a hackathon was.
“A hackathon is a combination of hacking and marathon. It’s a competition where participants form teams on the spot, come up with ideas, and even complete a business model within a limited period of four days.”
I got a rough idea of what it entailed.
“Moreover, the hackathon at Korea University is one of the most prestigious among many hackathons. Therefore, the best students from all over the country participate.”
“Hmm, really?”
I hadn’t thought much of it at first, but now it sounded quite exciting.
This is the epitome of college life, isn’t it?
Interacting with students from other universities, competing with them, and burning with youthful energy to complete something together.
“This sounds fun. Let’s do our b——”
“Oppa!”
At the familiar voice, I turned my head involuntarily.
Joo-hee, Yoo-jin, and Ga-haeng were staring at me with wide eyes.
At the same time, Lee Ji-won extended her hand.
“Give me your phone.”
Before I knew it, I handed over my phone, and she tapped on the screen with her fingers before handing it back to me.
“This is my number. Let’s discuss the details over chat.”
With that, Lee Ji-won got up coolly and left the classroom.
Immediately, the three of them swarmed around and surrounded me.
“Wow, amazing. Oppa, did you just get her number?”
“No way. That queen of queens?”
Yoo-jin and Ga-haeng looked at me in disbelief, urging me to tell the truth.
Joo-hee’s complexion was dark, she didn’t look in the best condition.
“Is it true, Oppa?”
“No, it’s not like that, guys. We’re just teaming up for a group project.”
“Really? Phew. I thought you were betraying us or something.”
I was speechless as I watched Ga-hyeong pat his chest in relief.
Then Yoo-jin, with a hesitant look, scratching his chin, suddenly clapped his hands.
“I remember! That beautiful girl from earlier. She’s really famous.”
“Famous for what?”
“I saw her on that SNS ranking content introducing campus goddesses! There were a ton of comments back then. Everyone was saying how gorgeous she was.”
Ga-haeng nodded in agreement.
“Of course it is, with that level of beauty… Anyway, I’m really jealous, hyung. No matter what, you’re on the same team, right? Why don’t I ever get teammates like that?”
“Look in the mirror. Do you think a goddess like her would want to be on the same team as a guy like you?”
At Yoo-jin’s sharp jab, Ga-haeng protested vehemently.
“What’s wrong with me? I listen well, drink well, um… I listen well! Drink well! What am I lacking?”
“You’re so full of flaws that I don’t even know where to start.”
“But why are you all here… Oh right! Didn’t we agree to have a drink to celebrate our perfect score on the assignment?”
The scores for the Human Resource Management team’s assignment were announced, and our group was the only one to get a perfect score.
It was a well-deserved result, to say the least.
“Of course. If we don’t drink on a day like today, when will we? Let’s go!”
“We drank yesterday too. And the day before. And the day before that. Isn’t that why the kids call you ‘Sool-jin’ (alcohol-jin) instead of Yoo-jin?”
“Shut up. Even if it’s the same drink, it’s a different drink if the occasion is different.”
“I’ve never heard such a ridiculous excuse in my life.”
Watching the two of them bicker incessantly, I couldn’t help but smile and quickly packed my bag.
“If we’re going to drink, let’s go quickly.”
“Okay. By the way, hyung, you should invite that goddess too if she’s bored…”
Whack!
“Ouch!”
“Stop spouting nonsense and let’s just go.”
And so, using our perfect score as an excuse, we spent that night getting thoroughly drunk once again.
***
A few days later.
In front of Korea University’s main gate.
“So, this is Korea University. Impressive.”
That was my first impression as I gazed at the main gate of Korea University, a prestigious institution renowned as the top university in South Korea.
The students wandering around didn’t look much different from those at Hanyeong University, but they somehow seemed more intellectual. Maybe it was just my imagination?
As I was lost in my own thoughts, looking around, I heard a voice called out to me from afar.
“Dae-woon-ssi!”
The sight of a beautiful woman with hair like flowing silk approaching me quickly, instantly drew all eyes around us to me.
It was a bit overwhelming, but what did it matter? I waved casually and greeted Lee Ji-won.
“You’re exactly 5 minutes and 12 seconds late.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t catch a taxi…”
“Uh, uh! Don’t give me that lame excuse. Early birds get the worm. Haven’t you heard that?”
“I’ll treat you to a big meal later.”
“You’re not going to cheat me with cafeteria food, are you?”
“Do you think I’m like you?”
“Just making sure. Let’s go in.”
Ignoring Lee Ji-won’s exasperated look, I confidently walked through the main gate of Korea University.
***
Seoam Conference Hall, Korea University.
Buzz, buzz.
The spacious lobby was impressive, likely because it was also used as a conference hall.
A throng of carefully selected university students from all over the country filled the hall.
“Wow, she’s gorgeous.”
“What school is she from? Should I try talking to her later?”
“Nah, forget it. Don’t you see the way she’s freezing everyone out? Even a wrong word could get you a slap in the face.”
“But who’s that guy next to her? Her boyfriend?”
“Nah, probably not. Looks like some cling-on who just tagged along.”
I could hear everything, you idiots.
I wanted to give them some heartwarming advice, but I didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble on the first day, so I just ignored them.
I turned my head and looked at Lee Ji-won, who was sitting quietly beside me.
‘Is she really that beautiful…?’
I had to admit it to some extent.
Her flawless skin, slender figure, and strikingly western facial features.
Physically, she was undeniably beautiful, but she didn’t evoke any particular feelings in me.
Is it because I have a very specific ideal type?
‘Well, it’s probably for the best. We can approach this with a business mindset, focused on the shared goal of winning.’
As time passed, someone took the stage and grabbed the microphone.
“Testing, testing. Hello, everyone! I’m Lee Jun-ho, and I’ll be your host of this year’s Korea University Seoam Hackathon.”
Clap, clap, clap.
“We’ll start with the first stage: idea pitching. Although we’ve categorized you as planners, developers, and designers, those labels don’t really matter, do they? Anyone who wants to pitch their idea, feel free to come up and present your idea.”
“Dae-woon-ssi, didn’t you register as a planner?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
I showed her the name tag around my neck that read [Planner Song Dae-woon].
“Do you have any ideas in mind?”
“Not yet.”
Feeling awkward due to the silence, I asked Lee Ji-won casually.
“How about a tuna dissection method that guarantees high yield? I’m the only one who knows this for real.”
Judging by her expression, I felt like she might think I was completely weirdo if I said more, so I refrained from further comment.
After that, one by one, people started coming up to the stage and presenting their ideas.
“Hello. I’m Pyo Seo-jun, a third-year student in the Department of Computer Science at KAIST. My idea involves applying blockchain technology to…”
“My name is Cha Myung-joon, majoring in Electrical Engineering at Korea University. I propose integrating machine learning and deep learning to…”
“I’m Lee Min-soo, a third-year student in the Department of Business Administration at Yonsei University. I plan to use augmented reality technology to…”
It was dizzying.
They were throwing around all kinds of technical jargon, making it so hard to understand what they were saying.
“ I guess it’s because it’s the Korea University Hackathon… The level is pretty high”.
Lee Ji-won whispered in admiration as she listened to the idea pitches.
“Do you understand what they’re saying?”
“For the most part, yeah. I can tell by the depth that it’s not something that would come out of a hackathon level. It seems like they’ve been thinking about and refining their ideas for a long time.”
My gaze shifted to the name tag on her chest.
[Designer Lee Ji-won].
“Do you take any engineering-related courses as part of your visual design major?”
“Of course not. I’m taking computer science courses as a double major.”
“…Why?”
It was pure curiosity.
I’d never seen an art school student double majoring in engineering before.
“Because I’ve always been interested in it. Design and development are inseparable, they’re like two sides of the same coin. If a designer understands development, it’s incredibly helpful in all sorts of ways.”
“That’s really impressive.”
It was a genuine compliment. I knew how hard it was to master even one major, let alone two completely different fields.
The idea pitches continued one after another, and before we knew it, we were approaching the end.
Just when I was contemplating whether I should go up and talk about my innovative tuna dissection technique that only I knew, someone timidly went up to the stage.
A small-framed guy with horn-rimmed glasses and a face dotted with freckles stepped up. His slumped shoulders and rapidly trembling pupils revealed his extreme nervousness.
“Um, hello everyone. I’m Lee Jang-won, a third-year student in the Department of Computer Science at Sanmun University.”
“Sanmun University? Where’s that?”
“Never heard of it. Is it a school that teaches writing, as its name suggests?”
“Ugh, that sounds boring. I don’t think we’d be a good fit for a team.”
As the whispers from the audience grew, the man continued his presentation in a trembling voice. It was quite a heartbreaking sight.
“My idea is a compliment-based social media platform. Nowadays, I feel like our society is too negative and filled with hate. Through this service, I hope we can give each other hope and encouragement.”
The murmuring and laughter grew louder as Lee Jang-won continued his presentation.
“Wow, an idea full of nothing but romanticism.”
“That’s the limit of a second-rate university. They lack the technology, so they appeal to emotions.”
“It’s kind of funny how we went from blockchain, deep learning, and AR to talking about hope. Haha.”
As the mocking spread, Lee Jang-won’s head drooped lower and lower.
“Holy crap…”
I unintentionally muttered a curse, which made Lee Jiwon raise her white eyebrows at me.
“No matter how bad it is, cursing isn’t necessary, Dae-woon-ssi.”
“I-I didn’t mean it like that.”
I was so flustered that I couldn’t even speak properly.
After massaging my eyes gently, I refocused my gaze.
My eyes were fixed on Lee Jang-won, who was emitting a more brilliant golden light than I had ever seen before.
