Out of nowhere, that guy sent him a message. And the content was suggestive.
[Want to come to the back of the building?]
[I’ll show you something interesting]
[Of course, you have to come alone]
‘…Ha.’
He didn’t know what to do about this. He was dumbfounded as to why this guy was causing a fuss on top of everything else.
He wondered how he’d gotten his number. But there were other things he was more curious about, to the point where he didn’t have time to worry about that. To me? Suddenly? Why? What interesting thing? Do I have to worry about this guy too? Of all days, today.
‘…A day like today?’
Hwan, who’d been continuing his thoughts, paused for a moment.
Somehow his intuition was bristling in that direction.
The school had been buzzing with gossip all day about what happened earlier, so it would naturally have reached this Choi Yuwon guy’s ears and then some. Huiseo had said earlier that since he’d coldly refused, there wouldn’t be any more troublesome entanglement. Well. What if that wasn’t the case?
‘What if it’s contact because of today’s incident?’
The intention of calling him instead of Huiseo was suspicious, but.
[You’ll regret it if you don’t come, you know?]
As if peering right into Hwan’s conflicted state, another such message arrived. Faced with that annoying message that seemed to provoke him, Hwan rolled his tongue inside his mouth for a moment. This guy calling for him probably wasn’t going to be anything good for him.
But if he didn’t go, he felt he would surely regret it, just as he said.
He could clearly see himself losing sleep, too curious about what he’d been called for.
It wasn’t that he didn’t feel uneasy, but especially if it was related to today’s incident, he felt strongly that he needed to find out in advance either way.
‘Let’s go. Let’s go and see.’
Having finally decided thus, Hwan opened his mouth toward Huiseo in front of the car they’d finally reached.
“Huiseo-ya. Will you wait in the car for a bit? I forgot something.”
“What are you talking about? Then of course I should go with you.”
“Um… No, I’ll take the security team. Wait here.”
“Your Highness!”
Even at Hwan’s unusually firm words, Huiseo still tried to follow, so Hwan had no choice but to practically push Huiseo’s back and forcibly put him in the car. Not that it was rough handling, of course. He even covered his head well so it wouldn’t bump.
“Wait, just a moment…”
Stroking the flustered Huiseo’s cheek, Hwan said with a serious face.
“It’s okay for today at least, isn’t it? Even if I’m alone for a bit.”
Knowing what that meant, Huiseo’s expression looking up at Hwan clouded for a moment.
***
‘Just the son of a eunuch, acting like that.’
It was natural that Yuwon’s expression became completely distorted when he heard that devastating remark Donghyeon had made. Having admired Huiseo for a long time, the fact that someone had been rude to Huiseo made him as angry and outraged as Hwan’s situation, perhaps even more so.
“…How dare that nobody.”
How dare he presume to say such things so carelessly?
Someone who can’t even follow in Huiseo’s footsteps—where does he get off running his mouth?
“…Ha.”
Beyond being dumbfounded, something was boiling up inside him like an active volcano. From his perspective, it was also outrageous that Hwan, who was right there, had been dragged away by Huiseo without being able to say anything. When that bastard deserved to have his cheek slapped and be beaten to a pulp right away, to just leave a clumsy warning and go back to the classroom.
Who was it that Huiseo was hearing such things because of while stuck in the palace?
‘Stupid bastard.’
So Yuwon thought he had no choice but to step in himself. The fact that he’d recently been put in his place by Huiseo wasn’t nothing, but this was a different matter.
If they just let it slide like this, there was no telling what that arrogant guy would go around saying next. At least he absolutely couldn’t stand to see that happen. For that reason, Yuwon kicked back his chair, got up, asked around, and found that guy.
The name he found without difficulty was Hong Donghyeon.
He wasn’t far away either. Since he could be found right in the next class over, Yuwon headed to the next class as soon as class ended and openly called him out.
“Let’s talk.”
The kids in the class murmured when they saw Yuwon come looking for him.
Following that atmosphere, Donghyeon, who at first seemed a bit flustered, then showed a subtle smile forming on his lips, and seeing this, Yuwon couldn’t help but let out a sneer, thinking ‘Look at this.’
‘He seems to be under some grand delusion.’
‘That’ Choi Yuwon, famous for showing hostility toward Hwan, had personally come looking for him and called him out to talk separately. So he must think he’d done something great enough to catch his attention, and perhaps secretly hoped he could become friends with him too.
That’s why he followed so eagerly to a deserted place without any suspicion at all.
“Yuwon-ah. What did you want to talk about that you came all the way here?”
“Yuwon-ah?”
“…Huh?”
“Who told you to call me that?”
However, seeing Yuwon finally reveal his true colors in the place where only the two of them remained, he must have started thinking something was strange.
“What did you spout off to Huiseo?”
Of course, by the time he realized it, it was already too late.
***
The message briefly said the back of the building, but the path to find it wasn’t too difficult. There were only a few places where students could mainly gather in small groups to do ‘suspicious things,’ and if he narrowed it down among those, it was obvious.
In fact, because of the location being what it was, he did think inwardly that perhaps he shouldn’t go. If Huiseo had been by his side, he probably would have stopped him nine times out of ten.
Still, he’d stationed security guards a little ways away, so he thought lightly that he could just show his face for a moment and turn back if it seemed wrong.
However, what he finally witnessed upon arriving at that place was a scene too shocking to handle with such a light heart.
He’d heard unsettling sounds, and Yuwon was mercilessly slapping Donghyeon’s cheeks. The big guy with big hands showed not a shred of mercy. Hwan was so flustered by that cruelty that he unconsciously stumbled backward.
At the sound of his shoes dragging, Yuwon, realizing Hwan had arrived, turned around with a bright smile.
“You came?”
Only then did Yuwon push away Donghyeon, whom he’d been holding roughly, as if throwing him aside. Because of that, his back hit the wall with a thud, but faced with this tremendous situation, the frightened Donghyeon couldn’t even lift his head and was trembling all over.
Hwan’s brow furrowed.
“…What the hell is this?”
“What do you mean? I’m personally teaching him. That he should watch who he’s dealing with before spouting nonsense.”
“…You called me to show me this?”
Hwan asked next as if disgusted, but Yuwon, quite the opposite, answered with a refreshing smile.
“Yeah, because this was originally something you should have done.”
So Hwan’s expression immediately distorted.
He knew the guy was crazy, but he didn’t know he was twisted to this extent. Thinking of Huiseo being hurt, he couldn’t say he didn’t understand the sentiment, but even so, this was too much.
However, Yuwon drove the point home once more as if disagreeing with Hwan’s gaze.
“This way, this guy will never think of looking down on Huiseo again.”
No, that’s wrong. Hwan thought so.
He tried to say firmly that this wasn’t the only way to reprimand Donghyeon, but Yuwon didn’t even give Hwan that chance. Not only that, but he struck first and suddenly tore at Hwan’s heart.
“This happened because of you.”
“……”
“He heard those words because of the imperial family. Then you should have taken responsibility too.”
It was a thought Hwan had tried hard to avoid all afternoon during class. At Yuwon’s words fiercely cornering him—it’s because of you, you’re irresponsible—Hwan clenched his fists tightly. The tips of his trembling fists must have been deathly pale.
Honestly speaking, it hurt.
“This is why I wanted you to leave the palace long ago. Tsk.”
Not stopping there, Yuwon muttered even more openly. Even the click of his tongue at the end in displeasure was an excellent exclamation added to reproach Hwan.
‘…I can’t get discouraged here.’
Hwan comforted himself.
He couldn’t fall for that crazy talk. Of course he was angry enough to want to strike that guy too. But that’s not what Huiseo wanted.
‘If I do that, Huiseo will have an even harder time.’
He had to believe the words Huiseo had told him time and time again.
“…I won’t do it this way.”
“You can’t do it, you mean. Because you have no power, no authority, nothing.”
Yuwon sneered and mocked him, pointing it out precisely like that, but Hwan glared, trying not to back down.
“No. You know it too, don’t you? That Huiseo wouldn’t want this. That’s why you called me instead of Huiseo. Isn’t that right?”
Then Yuwon paused and looked at Hwan. Seeing that the mouth that had been boasting until now finally shut, Hwan was convinced he’d hit the mark and continued speaking.
“You said it—this is something I can’t do. Yes, I can’t.”
Hwan suddenly said so confidently what, in Yuwon’s view, was nothing to be proud of at all. What was his scheme? As Yuwon narrowed his eyes looking at such a Hwan, Hwan raised the corners of his mouth and said.
“But instead, I’ll do what you can’t.”
“What?”
“I’m going back to comfort Huiseo.”
“……”
“You should quit it too. Don’t make trouble later and put Huiseo in a difficult position.”
Hwan clicked his tongue and added that. Then, seeing Yuwon’s expression twist wildly, he felt refreshed as if he’d poured a whole bottle of cider into himself. As expected. Just as Huiseo advised, it seemed he could land a blow plenty well by running his mouth instead of his hands.
“I’m leaving.”
Having spat that out primly, Hwan then snorted and turned around.
‘I want to see Huiseo.’
Hwan ran straight to where Huiseo would be waiting for him.
