[September 1, 202X AM 08:50]
Nineteen. After a scorching heat wave passed, the damp air and drizzly rain of fall arrived. It was a sensitive time when students should be focusing on their entrance exam preparations. At Unil High School, students moved up to the 3rd year with the same class as the 2nd year. Woo-young, who had no idea, cheered as if he had won the lottery.

As he entered the 3rd year, he followed through on his decision to quit soccer. The coaching staff and the manager tried desperately to keep him, seeing him as the rare, once-in-a-lifetime ace. But Woo-young apologized politely, explaining that while soccer had been fun, it was just a stepping stone to get into Hankuk University, and he had no intention of continuing as a player.

Now a senior, Woo-young focused even more seriously on his college entrance exams. He spent almost all his time at Lee Ho-jun’s gym after school. As a teacher, he was a competent and reliable man.

It felt awkward to go to the gym without any money, but he didn’t want to ask his grandmother to send him to a physical education entrance exam prep academy.

He had no worries about the practical exams. He wasn’t behind in strength or endurance, and he was confident he’d do well. As for the debts, he decided, as he had said before, that he would repay them once he was an adult after entering the university. First, he needed to focus on passing.

He didn’t even think about the PC cafes he used to visit often the year before. He ignored Nam Ki-hyuk’s invitations to hang out on the weekends. University came first. With only a few months left until the college entrance exam, he had no time to waste.

Midterms, mock exams, final exams, and performance assessments—he had to focus on both the CSAT and his grades, leaving him no time to breathe. On weekdays and weekends, except for the five hours he slept, he did nothing but study and train. He had basic stamina, so he could get by on less sleep. He was living on autopilot, barely surviving.

When things felt especially tough, he would look at the photo he took with Go Tae-seong in front of Hankuk University. Just looking at it gave him a strange energy, almost like a lie.

To his surprise, Go Tae-seong wasn’t dating Lee Seo-yul. She occasionally showed up, but that was about it. It made Woo-young even more relieved. Despite the difficulty of every day, things were moving along smoothly. At least that’s what he thought as he charged toward his goal without any obstacles.

However, accidents always happen in the most unexpected places. Just like a wildfire suddenly igniting from a carelessly discarded cigarette, an unexpected event that shook up his calm routine began from something trivial.

“Hey, Ki-hyuk still didn’t come?”

Woo-young asked, looking at the empty desk. Nam Ki-hyuk, who had said he was sick yesterday, hadn’t come to school for the second day in a row. Go Tae-seong, who had been quietly doodling on his notebook, raised his head. He met Woo-young’s gaze, and with a neutral expression, nodded.

“Yeah, looks like something came up.”

“Something came up?”

Woo-young narrowed his eyes, asking again. He pulled out his phone. The group chat had only one unread message left since yesterday morning. Go Tae-seong rested his chin on his hand and gazed out the window. The sky was overcast, and the fall rain fell lightly. It had gotten much colder than yesterday.

“What’s going on?”

Woo-young asked again, seeing Go Tae-seong remain silent. Nam Ki-hyuk and Go Tae-seong lived in the same neighborhood, and their families were close. Surely, Go Tae-seong would know something, but he wasn’t speaking up.

“Alright, enough talking. Sit down!”

Just as Woo-young was about to ask again, the teacher entered, opening the door. Woo-young closed his mouth, watching Go Tae-seong silently look at the blackboard. He frowned slightly, opened his notebook, and began to write neatly.

‘What’s going on?’
He nudged his notebook toward Go Tae-seong, who, with his arm still resting on the desk, glanced at the clean, mature handwriting. His long, elegant fingers stretched out and grabbed a pencil, writing on the notebook.

‘Something happened at his father’s company.’
‘His father? Why?’
‘I don’t know the details.’
Woo-young frowned as he looked at Go Tae-seong’s messy handwriting, a stark contrast to his usual neatness.

Though he often forgot, Nam Ki-hyuk also lived in River Castle. Woo-young knew his father owned a construction company, but they’d never really talked about it. One of Nam Ki-hyuk’s strengths was that he didn’t show off or flaunt his family’s wealth, unlike others.

But if something had happened at his father’s company and he hadn’t come to school for two days, it must be something serious. Was it really that bad? Ki-hyuk was a timid guy, so he might be acting like the world had ended even if it was just a small problem. But… skipping school for two days as a senior seemed odd, no matter how you looked at it.

‘Should I go to his house?’
‘It’s better not to.’
‘Why?’
‘The atmosphere at his house is bad right now. It’s a mess.’
Go Tae-seong kept drawing Xs over and over again as he wrote. Woo-young, seeing this, sank into unnecessary worry.

**After the fourth period, after finishing lunch and returning to the classroom, there was still no word from Nam Ki-hyuk. His messages were still unread.**
Woo-young, who had stepped out to the backyard alone, unlocked his phone and tapped on “Nam Ki-hyuk” in his contacts. It felt strange not having the usual chatter from his sidekick all day.

**Beep, beep…**
The familiar electronic sound continued. After a few moments, the well-known voicemail greeting began: *“The person you are calling is not answering. You are being forwarded to voicemail. After the beep, you can leave a message….”*

Sure enough, Ki-hyuk wasn’t answering.

**[09:10 Ki-hyuk, why aren’t you at school?]**
**[10:30 Are you still sick?]**
**[12:10 Did you eat? Call me.]**
**[12:40 What’s going on?]**
**[12:51 Why aren’t you picking up?]**
**[12:52 Call me, you bastard. If you keep ignoring me, I’ll come to your house.]**

After sending a series of unanswered messages, Woo-young plopped down onto a bench. He stretched his arms wide and leaned back, resting his chin on his hand. Despite it being midday, the sun hid behind dark clouds. The humid sky felt suffocating, as if it were in a perpetual shadow. The rain, which had been falling steadily since the morning, had stopped, but for some reason, the atmosphere seemed gloomy.

After staring at the sky for a while, Woo-young sat up straight.
“Shit…”
He mumbled, holding his phone and opening a search engine. Something was bothering him, an unease that wouldn’t go away. He hadn’t felt this way in years.

Typing in the search bar: *Namdo Construction*.
Various related search terms and news articles popped up. It was the company that Ki-hyuk’s father ran, the one Woo-young had overheard about a while ago.

*“A general construction company that deals with architecture, civil engineering, plant, electrical, and energy projects. Namdo Construction was established in August 1958 in Daegu under the name Namdo To-geon, Ltd.”*
Woo-young’s eyes moved as he scrolled through the page. He clicked on the news tab, thinking that if something serious had happened at the company, even a brief news article would have appeared. But the articles were all about business profit, stock fluctuations, and charity events—nothing unusual at all.
“What the hell…”
If the news wasn’t reporting anything, maybe it wasn’t such a big deal. As he frowned and continued to think, Woo-young sighed. He knew that, in the grand scheme of things, Ki-hyuk was probably living a hundred times better than he was, but seeing him act like this made him uneasy. It was a side of Ki-hyuk he had never seen before.

**[13:01 If you read this, contact me. If you keep ignoring me, I’ll come to your house.]**
After sending the final message, Woo-young stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Letting out another meaningless sigh, he stared into space. The chilly air brushed against his cheek.

The news he had seen during breakfast had predicted a 60% chance of rain. With such a moderate probability, it seemed like it would rain again soon. Woo-young shook off the wet hems of his school uniform and stood up slowly. He was planning to review a few more words in the spare time he had.

The 3rd-year classrooms were on the top floor, the third floor. Woo-young’s class, 3-1, was located at the farthest corner of the hallway, far from where the number 1 might suggest. He trudged up the stairs and passed through the noisy corridor. As he absentmindedly turned his phone on and off, he sensed an odd atmosphere as he looked up.

At the back door of the classroom, a crowd of students had gathered in a tight circle, murmuring like ants.
Woo-young raised his eyebrows. It looked like something had happened. It was probably just a minor scuffle. He had seen two guys getting into a brawl in the hallway recently, so this was likely the same type of thing. They were seniors, yet still acting like kids. Without even needing to see who it was, he felt disappointed.

He clicked his tongue, took a few slow steps, and approached. Standing behind the group that had gathered around the door and the window, he could see the faces of a few students from another class mixed in. With the time being wasted, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated at how some people always had to be involved in others’ business.

Being taller than most others, Woo-young peered over the heads of the crowd and looked into the classroom. As expected, two students were standing near the window. It seemed like a fight had broken out.

The student whose back was facing the crowd had his collar gripped by the other, and he was bent backward, pressing against the open window.
That looks dangerous. Woo-young’s brows furrowed. He had spoken with these guys off and on over the past year, so he didn’t want things to escalate into something dangerous.

“Fucking bastard!”
A harsh voice echoed inside the classroom. Woo-young immediately sensed that something was wrong. The tone was all too familiar.

“Son of a bitch!”
It was Nam Ki-hyuk’s voice. Woo-young’s eyes widened. Only then did he recognize that the familiar back was Ki-hyuk. His surprise deepened, and his face twisted with concern.

“Hey, get the fuck out. Come here.”
Woo-young squeezed through the crowd, hurriedly pushing his way through. Ki-hyuk, usually quiet and sensitive, wasn’t the type to just pick a fight out of nowhere. Who the hell was he fighting with? Woo-young couldn’t figure it out.

“Nam Ki-hyuk!”
The curtain by the window fluttered in the cold wind. Woo-young rushed in and grabbed Ki-hyuk’s shoulder. He was a big guy, so if he hurt someone, it could get messy. There was no point in having a fight in class this close to the CSAT, and he’d definitely get into trouble at home.

“Hey! Get off! Stop it!”
Shouting loudly, Woo-young pulled Ki-hyuk away. As soon as he separated him, Woo-young saw a familiar face behind him. His eyes locked onto the person hunched over by the window, and his stomach dropped. It was Lee Soo-hwa, pale and tear-streaked.

“What the hell are you doing, you bastard?!”
Woo-young grabbed Ki-hyuk roughly by the shoulder and yanked him away. The force of Woo-young’s grip caused Ki-hyuk to stumble backward, knocking into a desk with a loud thud.

Woo-young quickly wrapped his arms around Lee Soo-hwa’s trembling shoulders, lifting her up. Her body shook violently.

“Soo-hwa, are you okay?”
“Ugh… ugh… no…”
Her face was contorted in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Shit…”
Woo-young’s voice cracked with frustration as he looked at her.

For a moment, Woo-young felt his anger surge. It wasn’t because Lee Soo-hwa was the one being bullied, or because it was Nam Ki-hyuk who was doing the bullying. Lee Soo-hwa was small and weak, and Nam Ki-hyuk was about the same size as Woo-young, with a strong and muscular build.

He didn’t like the way Nam Ki-hyuk was bullying someone he could easily overpower with one hand, all in front of everyone. It was no different from the bullies who had tormented Lee Soo-hwa in their first year. The fact that it was Nam Ki-hyuk doing this made Woo-young even more frustrated.

“KWON WOO-YOUNG, MOVE.”

Nam Ki-hyuk’s voice came from behind him. Woo-young, who had been holding Lee Soo-hwa’s thin arm and hiding him behind him, quickly turned his head. He saw Nam Ki-hyuk, panting heavily, with his face flushed a deep red. It was a face Woo-young had never seen before. Woo-young swallowed hard, trying to control the heat rising in him.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Are you not moving?”

Nam Ki-hyuk, whose eyes were bloodshot, growled in a rough voice, his shoulders tensed.

“Dammit, I asked first! What the hell is going on?!”

“Can’t you see? I need to talk to that bastard, so move!”

Nam Ki-hyuk shouted and charged toward Woo-young. Woo-young’s eyes sharpened in an instant. He stretched out his arm and blocked Ki-hyuk with his body. As Ki-hyuk pushed against him, Woo-young dug his heels in to keep his ground.

“Hey! Is this how you’re talking? Damn it! Calm down for now!”

Woo-young shouted, his face twisted with anger. In that moment, Woo-young noticed Park Jin-woo and his gang standing behind Ki-hyuk, watching like it was some kind of show. Their faces were filled with excitement, not concern.

“Hey, you assholes! Is this fun to watch?”

Woo-young yelled, his eyes cold as he looked at the group.

“Stop sitting there and go close the door, damn it!”

One by one, they awkwardly stood up, avoiding his gaze. Seeing their hesitant movements made Woo-young feel disgusted. He couldn’t believe Nam Ki-hyuk had brought these idiots along. It made him curse involuntarily.

For a moment, Woo-young was distracted, and Ki-hyeok spun around and charged at Lee Soo-hwa again. Without thinking, Woo-young grabbed Ki-hyeok by the collar with force. The fact that Ki-hyuk was charging at Lee Soo-hwa without thinking enraged him even more.

“Dammit! Stop, you bastard!”

With a loud thud, Ki-hyuk’s head snapped back. A heavy silence fell in the room. Woo-young, his breath ragged from anger, tried to calm himself. His emotions were boiling, like something red-hot rising inside him.

“Ha… Are you out of your mind?”

He grabbed Ki-hyuk’s collar tightly and took a step forward, blocking Lee Soo-hwa.

“Aren’t you embarrassed? What the hell do you think you’re doing in front of everyone?!”

Ki-hyuk slowly raised his head, his face distorted with fury.

“Ha, damn it… Are you really taking Lee Soo-hwa’s side?”

Ki-hyuk’s eyes, clouded with anger, glared down at Woo-young. His lips curled into a crooked smile, mocking him.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side, damn it… Is this the time or place for this? You moron, do you want to be caught up in bullying right before the exam?”

Woo-young’s eyebrows furrowed as he exhaled, frustrated. Regardless of what Lee Soo-hwa had done, this wasn’t the time or place for this kind of thing. If they had a problem, they should resolve it in private.

“Shut up, I don’t give a damn about your little speech… Let go.”

Ki-hyuk, glaring at Woo-young, gripped his wrist tightly. Woo-young, biting his lip, gritted his teeth and held back from saying anything more. There was no point in dragging this out further. The more time passed, the more rumors would spread.

Woo-young tried to steady his breathing. Though his stomach was churning with anger, he had to stay calm. If he didn’t, someone would definitely call for a teacher.

“Ha… fine. Stop it, really.”

Woo-young muttered, his gaze cold as he stared into Ki-hyuk’s eyes. His eyes were sharper than ever, and he still hadn’t released his grip on Ki-hyuk’s collar.

“Seriously, stop.”

Woo-young muttered again, his voice low. Finally, Ki-hyuk’s face softened a little, his tense expression starting to loosen.

Where was Go Tae-seong?

As soon as he thought that, Woo-young spotted Go Tae-seong standing near the blackboard. His face hardened when their eyes met. When had he arrived? Had he been here the whole time? No, that didn’t seem possible.

Go Tae-seong, who had been silently watching, slowly started walking toward them. He stopped in front of the crowd, his calm demeanor making everyone step back awkwardly.

“Are you going to keep watching?”

Go Tae-seong tilted his chin and asked in a calm, almost indifferent voice. The students in the front row hesitated and then backed off, casting glances at each other.

“If you’re not going to watch, I’ll close the door.”

Without waiting for an answer, Go Tae-seong pulled the door closed, making one of the students scramble to get out of the way. Park Jin-woo, standing by the front door, waved his hand.

“Hey, hey, everyone who’s not from our class, get out!”

At his command, a dozen or so students shuffled out of the room, leaving the scene. Woo-young finally relaxed his grip, his furrowed brow still fixed on Ki-hyuk, whose chest was heaving up and down. He looked like he hadn’t managed to control his emotions yet.

In the quiet, the two of them exchanged glances. Ki-hyuk finally let go of Woo-young’s wrist. Suddenly, a sob broke the silence. Woo-young turned and saw Lee Soo-hwa bent over, his head down.

“Hey, are you hurt? Where does it hurt?”

Woo-young asked softly as he gently lifted Lee Soo-hwa’s chin. The boy was rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, sobbing quietly. Tears were falling from his eyes, and Woo-young could see his lips trembling.

Sighing, Woo-young clenched his jaw and grabbed Lee Soo-hwa’s wrist firmly.

“Come on, let’s go to the nurse’s office.”

Lee Soo-hwa stumbled behind him, his steps unsteady. As Woo-young marched out of the room, still fuming, he glanced at Ki-hyuk, who was standing motionless.

“You’ll hear from me later.”

Ki-hyuk glared at him, his fist clenched. Woo-young turned his back and walked away.

As Woo-young walked through the hallway, dragging the sobbing boy, the surrounding noise grew. He could hear whispers and murmurs. It was probably from the students who had been watching up until the bell rang. With glances shifting uncomfortably in his direction, Woo-young forced himself to suppress his discomfort.

The health room was empty during lunchtime. Woo-young, still holding Lee Soo-hwa’s wrist, dragged him over to a bed and made him sit down. He stood for a moment, one hand on his waist, brushing his hair back. He felt tightness in his chest, like something was pressing down.

“Hey, Lee Soo-hwa.”

“Ugh… mmm… huh…”

“Lee Soo-hwa.”

Lee Soo-hwa’s sobs grew louder in response to Woo-young’s firm tone.

“Yeah… hhh… ugh… huh…”

He didn’t answer, just kept crying with his head bowed down. Woo-young sighed deeply, squatting in front of him. He gently took hold of Lee Soo-hwa’s wrist, pulling his hand down from his face, and lifted his eyes to look at him.

“Where are you hurt?”

At the question, Lee Soo-hwa shook his head. Woo-young noticed his red, swollen eyes and his wet, clumped eyelashes. It reminded him of the first time they met, and his mood sank even lower. He hadn’t seen Lee Soo-hwa cry like this since then.

“Is there anywhere it hurts?”

Woo-young asked softly again. Lee Soo-hwa nodded, still sobbing.

“Really? Are you sure there’s no injury?”

When Woo-young asked a second time, Lee Soo-hwa nodded once more, tears streaming down his face. Woo-young sighed and shook his head. He reached forward and grabbed Lee Soo-hwa’s loose vest and school shirt, pulling them up without hesitation.

Startled, Lee Soo-hwa flinched, his waist jerking in surprise.

“Ugh…”

“Damn it, after all that, you say there’s nothing wrong?”

As Woo-young stared closely at him, he frowned. Sure enough, Lee Soo-hwa’s pale skin was bruised, with patches of deep red discoloration all over. He could see blood accumulating, and it looked like a bruise would form soon.

“Just from a little wrist grab and you’re already bruising… damn.”

Woo-young muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue. He let go of the shirt and stood up, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room, while Lee Soo-hwa’s sobs filled the air.

“Lie down and face down.”

Woo-young spoke as he washed his hands, then started rummaging through the shelves. Over the past two years, due to various injuries from training, he had been in and out of the health room so many times that he knew where everything was.

“Lie down, damn it. I’ll put some ointment on you.”

“….”

“The school nurse is slacking off during lunchtime, so she won’t be coming.”

At Woo-young’s firm tone, Lee Soo-hwa hesitated, then slowly laid down on the bed. As his face pressed into the pillow, his sobs slowly began to fade. With a soft click, Woo-young found the ointment, squeezed it into his palm, and sighed.

“Damn… seriously.”

Muttering curses under his breath, Woo-young walked over to Lee Soo-hwa, who was still lying face down.

He had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time something like this would happen. But seeing Lee Soo-hwa getting along so well with his friends and becoming brighter had made him forget those past memories. Then, of all people, it had to be Nam Ki-hyeok to stir up trouble. It didn’t make any sense.

Woo-young rolled up his sleeves, his mind full of curses, and sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. It was just a typical fight between boys, but it was frustrating. Without realizing it, he seemed to have developed a sense of responsibility for Lee Soo-hwa.

“Stop crying already. Do you always cry like this whenever something happens? You should fight back, damn it. If you can’t hit back, at least shout. Didn’t I tell you that?”

As Woo-young scolded him, he rolled up Lee Soo-hwa’s school uniform. His slender, pale waist was exposed, and Woo-young could see faint scars running along his soft, muscle-less skin. Red bruises dotted the areas where the skin had been scraped.

Woo-young sighed, staring at the wounds. His face twisted with irritation.

“Is this really not an injury?”

“….”

“Sigh. Fine.”

With a frown, Woo-young began applying the ointment gently over the wounds. The skin, soft and smooth with no muscle tone, felt delicate under his fingertips. Every time Woo-young’s hand brushed against him, Lee Soo-hwa shuddered, clearly in pain. It was understandable—this must have stung.

“Ah… hhh…”

“Does it hurt?”

Lee Soo-hwa, his face buried in the pillow, shook his head, his sobs still muffled. When Woo-young glanced at him, he saw Lee Soo-hwa gripping the corner of the pillow tightly.

With a short click of his tongue, Woo-young frowned.

“Ah, damn, this is going to leave a nasty bruise.”

“Ugh…”

“It doesn’t seem like it will scar, but… you said your dad’s a doctor, right? Go home and have him treat it properly, or just go to the hospital.”

Woo-young carefully applied the ointment along the long gash, his movements deliberate. Once he was done, he gently shook Lee Soo-hwa’s school uniform to get the wrinkles out. The boy’s face was clouded with a deep shadow of worry.

“What’s going on?”

“….”

“Is it hard to talk?”

He sighed, blinking his dry eyes. Nam Ki-hyuk wasn’t the type of person to get involved in something like this, and Lee Soo-hwa wasn’t the type of person to get into trouble either. Woo-young’s gaze fell on the back of Lee Soo-hwa’s head.

“No, seriously… What the hell does a guy like you have to do with Nam Ki-hyuk? That guy might be hot-tempered, but he’s not the type to go around picking fights like this.”

Lee Soo-hwa, still lying face down, hugged the pillow and buried his head deeper. Seeing this, Woo-young let out another frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. It seemed like he wasn’t planning on speaking anytime soon. As he remembered their first meeting, he knew that, despite his usually gentle nature, Lee Soo-hwa could be stubborn. His head was starting to ache.

“Enough. Get up. Show me your neck.”

“….”

“Come on, you got grabbed earlier, right? Let me see. That bastard’s got a lot of strength.”

Woo-young continued staring at Lee Soo-hwa, who remained motionless. He wanted to sit him up, but he didn’t want to be rough with him, so he restrained himself. Inside, though, he was filled with the urge to say something harsh to Lee Soo-hwa.

“Sit up.”

“….”

“Hurry up.”

Lee Soo-hwa, his head bowed, slowly gathered his clothes and sat up on the bed. He placed his fists on his knees as Woo-young’s eyes scanned him slowly, taking in his posture.

“Lift your head.”

When Woo-young gripped his shoulder, Lee Soo-hwa flinched slightly. Woo-young couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the sight.

“Who’s going to eat you up? Stop acting like such a scared little bitch.”

“….”

“Stay still.”

Woo-young lightly wrapped his strong hand around Lee Soo-hwa’s neck, gently but firmly. His delicate neck fit perfectly into Woo-young’s hand. Woo-young pressed his thumb and fingertips against the soft skin, checking for any pain, a method he often used when confirming injuries around the neck area.

“Does it hurt?”

He asked, his eyes scanning Lee Soo-hwa’s face. Despite Lee Soo-hwa’s careless nature, he was clearly in pain, and seeing him this way made Woo-young feel the need to be extra cautious.

“Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable right now?”

Lee Soo-hwa hesitated but nodded slowly.

“Your face and neck don’t seem to have any visible injuries. When you get home, if anything hurts, tell an adult right away. Don’t let it get worse.”

Lee Soo-hwa stayed silent, still holding his fists tightly, his head lowered. Tears that had gathered in his eyes slowly rolled down his cheeks. Woo-young stared at him for a moment before wiping away the tears with the back of his hand. His touch was rough and unpolished.

It must have been hard for him. Woo-young understood, knowing what had happened to him in the past. The tightness in his chest grew heavier.

“You’ve got 20 minutes left until lunch ends, so get some rest. And don’t come back crying like that. Go wash your face somewhere and don’t go around showing everyone that you’re a mess.”

Sighing, Woo-young stood up. It was time to go to Nam Ki-hyuk. He probably would be sulking right now, given his sensitive personality. No, he might even cut ties completely. The thought made Woo-young’s head pound again.

As he turned to leave, the hem of his school shirt was grabbed. Woo-young glanced back, raising an eyebrow. Lee Soo-hwa, still sitting on the bed, was clutching the hem of his shirt.

“What?”

Lee Soo-hwa lowered his swollen eyes, his lips tightly pressed together.

“What?”

“….”

“Sigh. Here we go again, Lee Soo-hwa.”

Woo-young let out another sigh, rubbing his face with both hands. He wasn’t in the best mood either. Nam Ki-hyuk had been acting out again, but even though he had thrown a punch in the heat of the moment, Woo-young was starting to regret it. It had been a necessary reaction at the time, but he knew it was going to be difficult to deal with later.

When he glanced at the clock on the wall, he saw that lunch break was almost over.

“You don’t need to thank me, but stop doing unnecessary things.”

Woo-young grabbed Lee Soo-hwa’s wrist, which was still holding onto his shirt, and lightly shook it.

“Let go. I need to go to Nam Ki-hyuk. That whiny bastard is probably sulking right now because I’m on your side. Damn it, when am I supposed to calm him down again…”

Then, in a voice that had somewhat settled, he muttered to himself. He could already imagine the kind of nonsense Nam Ki-hyuk would cause once he went back. Asking why he was taking Lee Soo-hwa’s side instead of his, or how could he hit him—he could almost hear the angry shouting in his head.

“I’m going.”

Just as he was about to turn around in the ensuing silence, Woo-young’s body stiffened. His gaze slowly drifted down. He saw the top of Lee Soo-hwa’s head, nestled in his arms.

“What…?”

Woo-young, looking somewhat bewildered, gazed down at him. The unexpected situation was almost surreal. The heat of Lee Soo-hwa’s breath seeped through the thin school shirt. He could feel the moistness from the tears Lee Soo-hwa was silently shedding, dampening his clothes.

“Don’t go, Woo-young…”

A look of confusion flashed across Woo-young’s face as he stared down at Lee Soo-hwa. At a loss for words, he cupped his heated palm over his mouth and fell into thought. This was the first time Lee Soo-hwa had expressed himself like this. It seemed like there was something he had wanted to say, but it was only coming out now.

“What, what’s wrong…?”

“…Huh…”

“Hey, hey. Damn it, why are you crying again?”

The sound of his sobbing grew louder, and his body trembled. Just when it seemed like he’d stopped, the sobs started again. Woo-young, finally snapping out of his stupor, bent over and grabbed Lee Soo-hwa’s shoulders.

“Alright, I’m not going, so just stop. Lunch break’s almost over, and you’re gonna go back to class looking like this? Huh?”

Lee Soo-hwa tightened his grip around Woo-young’s waist, burying his head deeper into his chest. He looked like a child whining to their mother. Woo-young didn’t want to leave him alone while he was crying like this, but at the same time, he was worried about Nam Ki-hyuk, who was still angry and probably sulking back there.

Sighing, Woo-young lowered his head and rubbed his eyes with his palm. It was one problem after another.

“Crazy…this is really driving me crazy…”

He remained still, not moving. He had never seen anyone, especially at nineteen, cry like this. But Lee Soo-hwa wasn’t the type to cry easily, either. Despite his gentle appearance, he was stubborn and had a quiet resolve. He’d held in his tears when his glasses were broken from bullying, only to finally burst into tears in front of Woo-young. That showed just how much he could endure before finally breaking down.

“Hey, Chopa.”

“Yeah…huh…ugh.”

“If you’re gonna cry like this… no, never mind, forget it.”

Woo-young muttered as if giving up, then threw out a sharp command.

“Stop clinging to me and go wash your face. Are you a damn cicada?”

He roughly tousled Lee Soo-hwa’s soft hair, clicking his tongue. At their age, this kind of behavior felt childish. Whether it was Nam Ki-hyuk or Lee Soo-hwa, they were all acting like kids. It seemed like he needed to talk to someone else about what was going on. He wasn’t sure when they had been watching, but Go Tae-seong was there too, and he likely knew something.

“Hurry up.”

Looking up at the ceiling as if he had given up, Woo-young lightly tapped Lee Soo-hwa’s soft cheeks with his fingers. Lee Soo-hwa slowly raised his head. His eyes, red and wet, met Woo-young’s gaze. Woo-young looked at his trembling lips, as if he was about to say something, but nothing came out. Then, suddenly…

“Looks like Soo-hwa really likes you, Woo-young.”

Lee Soo-hwa, who had been hugging Woo-young, flinched and trembled at the sudden voice. Woo-young turned his head. Go Tae-seong, arms crossed, was leaning against the doorframe, watching them with a peculiar expression.

“What?”

Woo-young raised an eyebrow, staring at Go Tae-seong in confusion. He hadn’t expected to see him there, especially when Woo-young was supposed to be dealing with Nam Ki-hyuk.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Ki-hyuk?”

“He went home.”

“Dammit. You just let him leave like that? You should have calmed him down before he got even more upset. He’ll only get worse if you let him go.”

Woo-young spoke with a hint of irritation. With Nam Ki-hyuk’s sensitive personality, if he wasn’t reassured soon, his emotions would only become more difficult to deal with. Woo-young needed to hear what had happened and talk to him as soon as possible.

“Well then.”

“What?”

“Why aren’t you calming Ki-hyeok down, Woo-young?”

Woo-young slowly turned his gaze toward the approaching figure. What does he think I’m doing? The question was so obvious that he unknowingly frowned in response.

“Can’t you see? I’m calming down the one who’s crying like a baby.”

At his words, Go Tae-seong’s expression gradually stiffened.

“So why the hell are you the one calming him down? Damn…”

Before he could open his mouth, Woo-young felt a pressure around his waist. Looking down, he saw Lee Soo-hwa’s shoulders trembling slightly.

With a deep sigh, Woo-young grabbed his arm. What the hell is with him, holding on tighter even though he’s shaking like that? He couldn’t understand why Lee Soo-hwa was trembling in the first place.

“Hey, Lee Soo-hwa. I’m not going anywhere, so let go.”

“…”

“Quickly.”

As he lightly shook Lee Soo-hwa’s wrist, the boy’s grip loosened, and his hand slid off.

“It’s Wednesday, Woo-young.”

Go Tae-seong had walked up and stopped right in front of Woo-young. Their eyes met. Go Tae-seong’s expression didn’t change. As always, his gaze seemed uninterested, looking down without much emotion.

“Did you memorize twenty idioms for lunch break?”

“Ugh, it’s just one day, calm down, asshole.”

Woo-young grumbled at the unexpected scolding. Normally, he made a schedule and studied whenever he had time. He’d written down every task for the day, and Go Tae-seong seemed to have memorized every bit of it. What really annoyed Woo-young was how obsessed Go Tae-seong was with his grades, more than even his homeroom teacher, even though Go Tae-seong didn’t even study himself.

“Not studying, and ditching Ki-hyuk like this…”

Go Tae-seong’s intense gaze dropped slowly from Woo-young’s face to Lee Soo-hwa’s hair, which was resting on Woo-young’s waist. Then, it slid over to Woo-young’s hand, still holding onto Lee Soo-hwa’s wrist.

“Why the hell are you wasting your time here, like this? It’s such a waste.”

Unlike usual, Go Tae-seong added more to his words. Perhaps it was just a feeling, but his tone seemed to grow harsher.

Woo-young furrowed his brows at the sudden change in tone. He couldn’t understand what Go Tae-seong was trying to say in front of Lee Soo-hwa.

At that moment, the pre-lunch bell rang loudly. Woo-young snapped out of it and tapped Lee Soo-hwa on the back.

“Hey, get up.”

“…”

“I told you not to go. Didn’t I say we should go together?”

Woo-young grabbed Lee Soo-hwa’s arm and pulled him up. As Lee Soo-hwa took a step forward, his strength seemed to give out, and he slumped down. Woo-young quickly grabbed him again.

“Ah, what are you doing? Are you seriously asking me to carry you?”

“…Ah, no…”

With his lashes wet and his lips tightly pressed together, Lee Soo-hwa’s flushed face showed embarrassment. His red eyes were still damp with tears.

“Hurry up and wash your face. I’ll wait for you.”

Lee Soo-hwa got up hesitantly and slowly walked toward the sink. He turned on the tap, scooped water into his hands, and began splashing his face.

Woo-young watched silently for a moment before turning his gaze. His eyes met Go Tae-seong, who had been watching them intently. Woo-young didn’t look away but nodded his head slightly. He silently mouthed “why?” but Go Tae-seong didn’t respond.