# Chapter 116
That short sentence was enough to appease Kwon Dojin’s sulking. He seemed more than appeased—he was so delighted that I could feel his beaming smile even through the phone, making me smile faintly in response. Honestly, I didn’t understand what was so great about it, but if he was happy, that was all that mattered, right?
After that, we wrapped up our conversation and ended the call. I thought we would stay on the phone until I got home, but when the elevator door opened, Kwon Dojin hurriedly concluded the call.
It seemed like he deliberately ended the call because he went out to meet Ji Haecheon. After arriving home and finishing my incomplete studies, my phone rang just as I was wrapping things up.
[Did you get home safely?]
I tapped out a reply with both thumbs to his simple message. It felt like he was contacting me now that he’d finished his business with Ji Haecheon.
[Did you break up with Ji Haecheon?]
After sending it, I realized how strange the wording sounded. Recognizing that the sentence was open to misinterpretation, I quickly added:
[No, I mean, are you done with your business?]
[Yeah. All done.]
[You didn’t get hurt again?]
[No. I didn’t get hurt.]
My worry about whether he’d gotten another injury on his face vanished. He probably knew there was no point in hiding it since we would meet again tomorrow anyway. So he wouldn’t have lied.
[What did you talk about?]
Mentioning injuries reminded me of the wound prominently situated on Kwon Dojin’s mouth. Concerned that it might leave a scar if not treated properly, I went online to search for ointments good for wounds and preventing scarring.
[Nothing much. He came to vent, I guess.]
[Vent? Why?]
I searched as diligently as if I were studying, unable to bear the thought of a scar remaining on that perfect face of his.
[He got scolded by his older brother. Don’t worry about it. Anyway, shall we talk about something else?]
He bothered Kwon Dojin just because he got scolded by his brother? My expression soured at this incomprehensible behavior. Every time that guy got involved, my face would crumple with irritation.
Deciding I needed to finish what I was doing, I selected ointments with numerous positive reviews and jotted their names in my notepad. I’d make the final selection after finishing my conversation with Kwon Dojin. There seemed to be more good ointments than I expected, so choosing might take some time.
[Then let’s decide what to do tomorrow.]
[I heard a new installment of a famous movie series just released. Want to go see that?]
I hesitated momentarily, having naturally assumed we would meet at Kwon Dojin’s house, but since it had been a while since I’d seen a movie, I readily agreed.
Afterward, we continued discussing what to do after the movie, what to eat, and various other things. I was looking forward to tomorrow.
* * *
“Going out again today?”
While looking in the mirror and adjusting my hair, I heard a curious voice from behind. I glanced briefly at Lee Yumin before focusing on the mirror again.
“I have plans.”
“Why do you suddenly have so many plans? You homebody.”
“That’s why I didn’t go out for the first week of vacation.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Lee Yumin, leaning against the doorway, dragged out her words. Sensing her full of suspicion about something, I stopped looking in the mirror and turned around completely.
“What are you so curious about?”
Thinking we might as well talk, I gestured for her to come in, which she did as if she’d been waiting for it. She didn’t forget to glance toward the living room before closing the door.
“You got a boyfriend, didn’t you?”
“I thought you hated questions about relationships.”
“Other people’s love lives are always the most interesting.”
Humming a tune, Yumin sat on the bed and twirled her feet. Her expression of absolute delight made me chuckle involuntarily.
“You’re really excited.”
“Never mind that, so did you get one or not?”
“Yes, I did. Why?”
“Is it Dojin-nim?”
It felt strange to hear my sister use an honorific for someone who acted so casually and without authority, but I nodded anyway. The implicit pressure to answer quickly was strongly felt.
“No way, that’s huge. Absolutely huge!”
“What’s so huge about it?”
“None of the Four Heavenly Kings ever had a partner before. Dojin-nim is the first, the very first!”
“Oh.”
That’s really information I neither wanted nor needed to know.
I packed a lot of meaning into that short exclamation. Yumin seemed to understand it somewhat and briefly bristled, but her curiosity evidently outweighed her annoyance, so she swallowed it.
“But what does that have to do with you?”
“It gives hope to those targeting the Four Heavenly Kings?”
“Huh? Maybe only Kwon Dojin is interested in dating. What does that have to do with them and Kwon Dojin?”
“No, you don’t understand.”
Yumin sighed, beating her chest as if I was frustratingly dense. On top of that, she gave me a look that said I was pathetic, which annoyed me, but I held it in.
“The unspoken rule that no one should pursue any of the Four Heavenly Kings unless at least one of them has a partner has been broken. Why don’t you know these things?”
“…What kind of ridiculous unspoken rule is that?”
And the actual people involved probably don’t even know about such an unspoken rule.
I let out a disbelieving laugh, and Yumin tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand what the problem was. Her reaction suggested she thought she was stating something completely obvious.
“I heard it’s been around for a long time, that rule.”
“A long time? I would’ve thought the ranking hasn’t been around that long.”
“They say the ranking has existed for about 20 years.”
“…Why on earth?”
I was surprised first by the unexpectedly long history, then again by the fact that the Four Heavenly Kings had continuously existed all this time, and finally by the revelation that the unspoken rule had been around just as long.
It was beyond my common sense to understand, but I decided to just accept it. After all, no amount of hard thinking on my part would change reality.
“Anyway, if your curiosity is satisfied, get out.”
“What? Why! I still have so many questions!”
“Later. I need to get ready to leave now. My appointment is soon.”
When I waved her away, Yumin pouted and left the room. It was quite painful to have lost time listening to information I neither wanted nor found useful, but if I moved quickly, I wouldn’t be late.
I changed into the clothes I had picked out earlier, and without being able to fix my hair, I grabbed only my phone and wallet before leaving the house. Only upon reaching the bus stop could I catch my breath and check my phone.
“I got a message.”
It had to be Kwon Dojin. Since he contacted me nearly every minute, I didn’t even consider that it might be someone else. While I was at it, I thought I should ask him if he knew about the unspoken rule I had just heard about.
With such frivolous thoughts, I unlocked my phone. When I checked the message, I was surprised to find it was from an unexpected person.
“Kang Jinwoo?”
Why would someone who had never contacted me before reach out now? We had exchanged contact information somehow, but neither Kang Jinwoo nor I had ever initiated contact. After all, we weren’t close enough to be exchanging messages in the first place. Above all, I wasn’t the type to contact others first anyway.
[Don’t go out today.]
I tilted my head at the very brief message that only stated the conclusion. Why shouldn’t I go out? Unable to understand the reason from just the message with only the conclusion written, I sent a reply.
[I have an appointment today so I need to go out, but is something wrong?]
I had already left, but I felt it unnecessary to mention that, so I just omitted it. Then I opened the chat with Kwon Dojin and forwarded Kang Jinwoo’s warning with an additional note.
[Do you know anything about this? Senior Kang Jinwoo suddenly sent me this message.]
Just as I finished and sent the message, I received a call. The fact that it was Kang Jinwoo again gave me an inexplicable feeling of unease.
“Hello?”
[Have you already gone out? No, right?]
“Um… I have, actually.”
[Ah shit, if you’re near home, hurry back. The atmosphere is weird right now, you know?]
“The atmosphere? Suddenly?”
Since ignoring his warning would only harm me, I turned my steps toward home as he said. Although my appointment time with Kwon Dojin was approaching, I had already forwarded Kang Jinwoo’s message to him verbatim, and I believed he would understand.
[I don’t know. I heard Ji Haecheon said something last night—I don’t know exactly, I heard it secondhand, so I’m not sure. But I can tell for certain that these guys have gone crazy right now.]
“Ji Haecheon?”
[Yeah. That’s what they say. More importantly, you’re not with Kwon Dojin right now, right? And Baek Han isn’t with you either?]
“I am alone, but—”
Hearing Kang Jinwoo’s urgent voice increased my anxiety. I looked around while hurriedly entering the complex. It would take less than three minutes from here to my home, but that was plenty of time for something to happen, so I quickened my pace.
[Don’t leave your house for a while.]
“I’ll try not to if possible. But how do you know something that even Kwon Dojin doesn’t?”
[Who would tell such information to an enemy? Still, I think he’ll find out soon enough.]
I breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the main entrance ahead. Fortunately, it seemed I could reach home without incident.
[For now, don’t come out until Kwon Dojin resolves it. Take care of yourself.]
“Of course. I know my body is precious to me too.”
Perhaps because I was anxious, I pressed the wrong keypad numbers. Already feeling rushed, I frowned at the situation where things weren’t going smoothly. Just as I was finishing my call with Kang Jinwoo and about to enter the numbers again, I saw three people reflected in the glass.
“Wow.”
Seeing guys with menacing appearances, I thought of another cliché in fiction. The very thing that made me wonder if students should really be doing this—kidnapping.
Nooooo