Late spring, with warm sunlight streaming down.
It was pleasant weather where the word “hot” suited better than “warm.”
While everyone was blooming with smiles, enjoying the chirping of birds and the gentle breeze, Song Changu was shocked.
“Baek Seolheon. You fucking bastard.”
Bang Geunhyuk, the thug from Class 5, was hurling curses at Baek Seolheon, who was indisputably Hanguk High’s idol.
“Even if we’re friends, making me look like a fool in front of other guys is a bit much.”
“Look like a fool? When did I?”
The deserted garbage area behind the school’s back gate.
Only Baek Seolheon, Bang Geunhyuk, and Song Changu, hidden behind the building, were there.
Whether Bang Geunhyuk was pressing him threateningly or not, Baek Seolheon shrugged his shoulders with his usual indifferent expression.
“Fuck, just yesterday! You son of a bitch!”
Bang Geunhyuk, who found this utterly irritating, shouted loudly enough to echo.
At that sound, a few students poked their heads out curiously, but as soon as they saw Bang Geunhyuk from Class 5’s face, they quickly disappeared.
Only Song Changu remained alone, swallowing hard as he eavesdropped on their conversation.
“Ah. That? Sorry.”
“Does just saying sorry make everything okay?”
“I didn’t know you’d find it embarrassing.”
Song Changu’s blood ran cold at Baek Seolheon’s comment, made without malice.
Sure enough, Bang Geunhyuk burst out yelling.
“Acting all laid-back pisses me off! Am I a fucking joke to you?”
“No. Are you done now?”
“Where are you going, shit!”
As Baek Seolheon walked past him, Bang Geunhyuk hastily blocked his way.
His emotions running high, Bang Geunhyuk reflexively released his alpha pheromones, but Baek Seolheon didn’t budge.
‘Ah, right. This bastard’s a beta.’
Before that thought could fully cross his mind, Baek Seolheon had stepped right up to Bang Geunhyuk’s face and stopped.
“What?”
As the distance closed, Bang Geunhyuk had to tilt his head upward.
At the physique several spans larger than his own alpha self, Bang Geunhyuk instinctively stepped back.
He wondered if Baek Seolheon might sneer at him for it, but instead, the man didn’t even glance his way and simply walked around him.
As Baek Seolheon didn’t stop walking, Bang Geunhyuk grew anxious and remembered his original purpose.
“Hey, hey! Wait. I’ve got something to say!”
Still, Baek Seolheon consistently ignored him.
His head heating up, Bang Geunhyuk abruptly threw out his topic.
“You! I heard you have a hyung?”
Thud, his steps stopped.
Baek Seolheon, who had been showing his back the whole time, slowly turned around and looked at Bang Geunhyuk.
His lips were pressed into a straight line, giving off a chilling air.
“Hey, fuck. I thought you were an only child.”
“……”
“How do you not say a word about your family for three whole years? Are we really friends?”
As if the fact that he’d drawn a meaningful change from Baek Seolheon was quite satisfying, Bang Geunhyuk continued with a grin spreading across his face.
“Hehe, you must be on really bad terms with your hyung? Well, yeah. I also have a bastard I want to strike from the family register… so… well……”
Then he gradually trailed off.
“……”
Drip.
Cold sweat ran down his cheek.
A heavy voice burrowed into his ear.
“……Who did you hear that from?”
He couldn’t speak.
Even if he wanted to, it was impossible.
Before he knew it, his gaze was directed at the ground.
His body had stiffened so he couldn’t move even a finger.
“The hyung story.”
His heart pounding violently, cold sweat pouring down like crazy.
The pounding of his heart, the chill seeping into his bones to the point his toes curled from the thumping sound.
‘Phe, pheromones……?!’
If it was this much pressure, was it a dominant alpha’s pheromones?
No, he’d met dominant alphas a few times, but they felt much stronger and more overwhelming than this.
Then was it an extreme dominant he’d only heard about in rumors……?
“You have a hyung. What else?”
That wasn’t it either.
Rather, this wasn’t so much pheromones as……
The sensation of being placed bare before a beast of prey.
“Did you hear anything else?”
As if about to be bitten by a massive tiger right there,
As if about to be torn in two……
It was suffocating bloodlust.
“……”
At that moment, weight settled on his shoulder.
Bang Geunhyuk, who had been sweating like rain, slowly, very carefully lifted his face.
“Why are you quiet, Geunhyuk-ah.”
Baek Seolheon was lightly patting his shoulder with his usual gentle smile on his face.
“……Uh, I, well, a close hyung told me……”
“A close hyung, who?”
As if nothing had happened, nothing could be felt from Baek Seolheon.
He was no different from other beta students.
Had it been an illusion?
That insane monster-like pheromone…… could that have been an illusion?
The fact that such pheromones had disappeared without a trace in an instant felt even more eerie.
“Uh, you wouldn’t know anyway even if I told you…… You said you don’t know anyone at Baekil.”
“So it’s someone from the group? What else did you hear?”
The kindly smiling face no longer felt easy to handle.
Was that even…… really a smile?
Bang Geunhyuk hesitantly stepped back.
“Bastard, are you interrogating me? Fucking scary. I don’t know. I just heard you have a hyung.”
“I’m curious why you’re bringing this up to me now, specifically.”
“That close hyung said…… if I brought this up to you, you’d come on your own……”
Then Bang Geunhyuk remembered the main point again and hastily spoke up.
“I-if you’re curious, come! That hyung said he wants to see your face too!”
He could immediately tell where he meant.
“LK Hotel, top floor penthouse. The party’s after 9 PM on May 1st. Will you come?”
With that, as soon as Bang Geunhyuk accomplished his original purpose, he ran off into the school grounds as if fleeing.
At this, Song Changu, who had been secretly hiding, was startled and pressed his back against the wall.
Whether Bang Geunhyuk didn’t notice Song Changu or not, he didn’t give him a glance and picked up his phone with his sweaty hands to make a call.
“Hey, fuck! I finally got Baek Seolheon!”
The volume was so loud that from beyond the receiver, Song Changu could hear shouts like ‘Wow, shit, really?!’ and ‘Post it on SNS! Say Cheon Eunwook from Hanguk High is coming!’ They were the voices of Class 5 students.
“Ha, fucking relief. I almost got my ass beat by the omega hyungs and noonas. What’s so great about that beta bastard with no connections anyway?”
Bang Geunhyuk disappeared leisurely, badmouthing Baek Seolheon with a triumphant attitude as if he’d never cowered.
A moment later, Song Changu stealthily poked his head out from behind the wall.
Baek Seolheon was standing still without moving.
“S-Seolheon-ah. Did you two fight?”
Song Changu cautiously approached, reading the mood, and spoke to Baek Seolheon.
“Those guys really have nothing to do. Picking a fight when they’re seniors.”
As he approached with an awkward smile, a small voice came from beyond Baek Seolheon’s shoulder.
“……It’s trouble because he’s so popular.”
“Huh? What? Who is?”
Popular? Was he talking about Baek Seolheon himself?
That was too obvious. Why else would Bang Geunhyuk from Class 5, that thug, be so desperate to bring Baek Seolheon along, almost like a threat?
“That person keeps leaving traces everywhere……”
“That person……?”
“Ah. Class president.”
Baek Seolheon turned around to look at Song Changu.
His face was peaceful as always.
“Keep what you heard a secret.”
So he knew I was eavesdropping.
Song Changu’s face flushed with embarrassment.
“Th-the hyung story? Of course……”
“Thanks.”
“N-no, I’m sorry…… I wasn’t trying to listen on purpose……”
Before he could finish speaking, Baek Seolheon bowed his head shallowly and walked away.
Though he’d eavesdropped unintentionally, he’d learned an interesting fact.
Then was the car owner he saw that time Baek Seolheon’s real older brother?
They seemed to get along so well, so why didn’t he refute Bang Geunhyuk’s words?
More than that, why did Bang Geunhyuk, who was yelling angrily, suddenly get scared as if he’d seen a ghost?
Being a beta, Song Changu couldn’t understand the situation and remained lost in thought for a long while, chin in hand.
* * *
“That was at least worth listening to.”
At those words, I closed my laptop and bowed my head, saying, “Thank you.”
The professor went up to the podium and continued speaking.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if you all did it like this? If you’re going to roughly scrape together something with AI, you should at least have this much sense. Everyone, use the presentation you just saw as a reference.”
Satisfied with the presentation I’d prepared, fine wrinkles formed around the eyes behind the sharp triangular glasses.
“Baek Gunho, was it class of XX? You’re graduating this year?”
“Yes.”
“Come find me at my office sometime. I may not look it, but I have some connections. Whether it’s curating or studying abroad, if you have any field you’re interested in, let me know in advance.”
Despite a manner of speaking as stern as the nickname ‘Dorm Teacher,’ it was clearly a complimentary attitude.
But I don’t even remember what state of mind I gave the presentation in.
As soon as I returned to my seat, my pocket vibrated with a buzz.
[Lee Haram: Hey Gunho hyung]
The three-character name that appeared on the screen brought my scattered mind back.
[Today……]
[You’re still coming, right?]
[(Yellow hamster character emoticon dripping with sweat)]
From the emoticon’s expression, Lee Haram’s flustered emotions could be felt keenly.
The time goes back to one day earlier.
