# Chapter 17
Despite my nod, Hong Hachan kept his disgruntled expression as he stared at me for a moment. The consistently quiet Ye Abin didn’t seem to display any particular emotion.
Surely other people don’t entirely believe this ridiculous rumor, right? Telling myself not to think too deeply about it, I entered the cafeteria and froze when I saw the prepared menu.
Curry, rolled omelette, stir-fried meat—pretty much all the main dishes contained carrots. There was really only one food I couldn’t eat.
That’s right, carrots! To what extent? Even if they were finely chopped to make them easier to eat, I could still taste that bitter, chalky flavor of carrots distinctly. It felt like eating dirt, and the smell alone was enough to make me nauseous, so I really hated them.
I looked around to see if there was anything else edible. There was porridge, but it had carrots too. Annoyingly, even the dessert was carrot cake. I didn’t know who planned this, but it was the worst lunch menu possible.
As I stood there blankly, Hong Hachan nudged me.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting in line?”
“Ah… I’m good.”
“What?”
“I can’t eat today.”
Thinking it would be better to go to the school store and get bread instead, I stepped away from the group and said:
“I’ll pass on lunch today. You guys go ahead and eat.”
The guys didn’t seem particularly surprised by my words, but they did look puzzled. Soon, Jo Youngmin tilted his head and asked:
“You ate well yesterday, so why? And you’ve never skipped meals before.”
“That’s true, but I can’t eat today. Go ahead and eat. I’m leaving.”
After saying that, I went back outside the cafeteria the way I came in. Damn it, what is this, a carrot party? What are people who can’t eat carrots supposed to do?
With my mood dampened, I headed to the school store, but another problem arose.
“Ah, I don’t have money.”
I hadn’t brought my wallet today since I didn’t think I’d need to spend money. But I didn’t want to go back to the cafeteria either. Looks like I’ll end up completely starving. Sighing quietly and thinking nothing was going right, I dragged myself listlessly back to the classroom.
Since it was the middle of lunchtime, the classroom was empty. Although I felt weak, the quiet atmosphere of the classroom was somewhat nice and improved my mood slightly.
With nothing to do, I sat blankly at my desk before resting my head down. I didn’t feel sleepy, probably because I slept so much yesterday.
After some time passed, I began to feel hungry, and my fingertips started trembling. Wondering what was wrong since I wasn’t cold, I lifted my upper body, and the emptiness in my stomach intensified, making me feel slightly dizzy.
“Is it because I’m hungry?”
Was that one cake I ate this morning not enough? I didn’t eat dinner last night either, so I could be lacking energy. My eyes were dry too, and as I kept blinking, tears formed and rolled down my cheeks.
“Ah, really… I’m hungry.”
Wondering if I might have something, I pointlessly checked my pockets again, but there was nothing. Then I remembered the drink Ko Kyungsu had given me in the morning and opened my bag.
“Good thing I didn’t drink it and put it away.”
I immediately opened the can and took a long sip. A sigh of satisfaction escaped me. Since this was all I had for lunch, I didn’t drink it all at once but sipped slowly, when someone entered the classroom calling my name.
“Taeho, didn’t you go eat?”
It was Ko Kyungsu. He must not have gone to the cafeteria either, as he was carrying triangle kimbap, bread, and something to drink.
Without realizing it, I clutched my hungry stomach and stared fixedly at the bread he was holding. Ko Kyungsu followed my gaze to what he was holding and said:
“Do you want one of these?”
“Yes.”
At my immediate response, Ko Kyungsu approached me with a small smile. Then, examining me, he asked:
“Are you sick by any chance? You don’t look well.”
“Yeah. I feel completely drained, probably because I’m hungry.”
At my words, he reached out with a concerned expression.
“Are you okay? Are you skipping meals because of your diet?”
My bangs were sticking to my forehead, probably from cold sweat. Ko Kyungsu brushed them away, which startled me momentarily before I muttered a thank you.
Wait, what did he say? Diet? I wondered how he knew about that, when I remembered the ridiculous rumor Jo Youngmin had misunderstood. If he knew about that too, most kids probably did, and my brow furrowed slightly.
“Oh, sorry. Did that upset you?”
“Ah, no. I was just… wondering how you knew I was on a diet.”
Seeing my expression and possibly misunderstanding, Ko Kyungsu didn’t know what to do, but after hearing my words, he calmed down and spoke slowly:
“Oh, this morning… I heard what the others were saying.”
I gave a small, hollow laugh at that. So everyone really does know. Thinking about how quickly rumors spread, I laughed emptily inside while Ko Kyungsu showed me what he was holding and asked if I wanted to eat. When I nodded, he told me to choose what I wanted.
“Give me whatever you want to give. I’ll eat anything.”
At my words, Ko Kyungsu hesitated for a moment before handing me the bread. I couldn’t tell if he preferred rice over bread or if he was just being generous, but I gratefully accepted without saying anything.
“I’ll really enjoy this. Next time, I’ll buy something for you, so tell me if there’s anything you want.”
“No, no. For something like this… But why didn’t you eat lunch?”
I took a bite of the bread and said with an awkward smile:
“I hate carrots.”
“Eh?”
At my words, Ko Kyungsu’s eyes widened before his expression turned to understanding.
“Ah, they said today’s menu was curry. I see. So you can’t eat carrots.”
“Yeah. Even the dessert was carrot cake. I wonder what the nutritionist was thinking, planning a menu like that. It’s really the worst.”
Ko Kyungsu was laughing out loud at my words when—
“What’s so funny?”
“Ah…”
Moon Seoheon and the main gang entered the classroom. I hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly to Kwak Junhee. I greeted him first since he was a senior. As for the others, they were either the same age or younger, and I had already seen them once this morning, so I just glanced at them.
Screech.
Suddenly, Ko Kyungsu, who had been sitting in front of me, stood up abruptly and looked at me.
“Well then, Taeho, enjoy your food. I’m going now.”
As he said that and turned to leave, I felt a sudden urgency. This situation was awkward for me too. With those guys coming in, I didn’t think I could stay in my seat either, so I jumped up and grabbed Ko Kyungsu’s arm.
“Wait a moment!”
“Huh?”
Startled by the sudden grip on his arm, Ko Kyungsu looked at me with a confused expression. Glancing to the side, I saw the guys just watching us as if enjoying a show.
In that brief moment, I considered how to get out of here. Feeling that my physical state still wasn’t great, I immediately blurted out:
“Can you take me to the infirmary?”
It wasn’t just Ko Kyungsu who was surprised by my words; Maeng Moa and Kwak Junhee briefly exclaimed, “What?”
“Me? Right now?!”
Ko Kyungsu was genuinely flustered, his eyes wide as he looked back and forth between me and those guys, then pointed at himself. I felt sorry seeing him trembling, but come on, let’s survive this together.
“Yeah. I’m not feeling well, so I think I need to lie down during lunch break.”
It wasn’t that bad, but the intense urge to escape this place made the lies flow smoothly. I showed him the half-eaten bread and looked at him with an expression that asked for his help. He nodded.
“Okay, got it. Let’s go.”
Ko Kyungsu carefully removed my hand from his arm and instead took hold of my arm to pull me along. It wasn’t bad enough to need support, but rather than refusing his helping hand, this image seemed better for the current situation, so I leaned slightly against Ko Kyungsu.
We walked a few steps forward, bypassing Moon Seoheon and the main gang, when—
As we were passing by, Byeon Seungha suddenly grabbed my arm and blocked our path. Surprised by this unexpected person, I looked at him, and after examining me briefly, Byeon Seungha asked:
“Do you know Son Gyucheon?”
Son Gyucheon? Of course, it was the first time I’d heard this name, and I had no idea who he was. Just then, as if reacting to that name, Ko Kyungsu’s hand supporting me trembled slightly.
I pretended not to notice and shook my head at Byeon Seungha with a puzzled expression.
“No, I don’t know him.”
At my composed response, Byeon Seungha just stared at me intently before finally releasing my arm. Then, as if he had nothing more to say, he turned his head and passed by me.
Byeon Seungha naturally went to my seat and sat down comfortably, leaning back like yesterday. I briefly made a dumbfounded expression.
At that moment, Ko Kyungsu, who was still holding my arm, tugged me slightly. Snapping back to reality, we finally started walking.
For an instant, I glanced at the unusually quiet Moon Seoheon and the main gang. Meeting their expressionless faces as they looked at me gave me a chilling feeling down my spine, and I quickly straightened my head.
As we walked toward the infirmary after leaving the classroom, a strange silence fell as both Ko Kyungsu’s quiet demeanor and my own closed lips created an odd stillness. Finally, upon reaching the infirmary, I was the first to speak.
“Do you know this person called Son Gyucheon?”
“Huh? Ah, well…”
Ko Kyungsu was visibly startled by my question and seemed to be somewhat watching my reaction. It wasn’t simply that he was timid; rather, it felt like he had something to say but was being cautious.
I stopped walking and looked at him, giving him a look that said to speak if he had something to say. Then, Ko Kyungsu, who had been keeping his lips tightly sealed, carefully said:
“It’s not so much that I know him, but I just know of him. But do you really not know Son Gyucheon?”
“…”
I remained silent for a moment. A strong sense of unease crept up at immediately saying I didn’t know him in response to his question. Seeing my closed lips, Ko Kyungsu released my arm that he had been holding to support me and said:
“I-I’m not saying anything bad… but I actually saw it. You talking with Son Gyucheon. O-of course, I think it’s possible! You might have been surprised when Byeon Seungha suddenly asked, but I understand too. Son Gyucheon is really g-garbage.”
I could only listen blankly to what Ko Kyungsu was saying. It seems there was some connection with this Son Gyucheon guy, but obviously not a good one. Unable to gauge exactly what had happened, I stared directly at Ko Kyungsu.
“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word to anyone. I’ve never actually told anyone.”
Ko Kyungsu looked at the students passing by and spoke quietly, making a fist with an expression that asked me to trust him. What on earth could Yoon Taeho have discussed with Son Gyucheon to cause this reaction? Feeling like my body was about to send a danger signal, I grabbed Ko Kyungsu’s arm.
“Ko Kyungsu.”
“Y-yeah, what is it?”
“So exactly what did you see and what did you hear?”
I deliberately asked, looking slightly serious as if trying to test him. Guilt surged within me, but since I knew nothing, I couldn’t just ask outright nor could I just let it go.
Ko Kyungsu’s expression was neither a smile nor a frown but an awkward look as he said:
“Since Moon Seoheon has a poor sense of smell… he’d make you throw away the trash instead. So… do whatever you’re told…”
Although Ko Kyungsu couldn’t properly finish his sentence, I could guess what he meant without having to hear the rest. This time, I really felt like a headache was coming on and rubbed my face.
