Chapter 13
Like any other morning, I checked outside the window with somewhat bright eyes, only to feel my spirits sink when I saw the dim dawn light still lingering.
“It’s not like I’m some elementary school kid waking up early for a field trip…”
Feeling a wave of self-loathing, I covered my face with both hands and rolled around on the bed.
The rank match, that damned rank match. While I was pretty excited to see it for the first time, I never dreamed I’d be waking up this early on the actual day.
For a moment, I wallowed in self-loathing and became one with the bed as I tried to calm myself down. Then I grabbed my phone to check the time—6:05 AM, that awkward hour too late to go back to sleep—and used the momentum to sit up. How should I kill this weirdly leftover time?
As I tapped my chin with my index finger, my gaze naturally fell on my desk. There’s truth to the saying “old habits die hard.”
“Maybe I’ll go to school early and study.”
If I leave a note on the dining table, my parents won’t worry. They know I occasionally head to school early when I wake up early, so they won’t find it strange. Plus, if I go now, I won’t run into the Four Heavenly Kings’ fan club crowd—killing two birds with one stone.
Those people who make an already complicated school commute even more complicated were number one on my avoid-at-all-costs list. Recalling the time I got caught up in that mess without knowing any better, I ran my hand over my goosebump-covered forearm and shook my head hard to shake off the memory.
Anyway, now that I’d decided what to do, all that was left was to actually do it. After checking my already-packed bag, I quietly began getting ready for school.
“What are you doing, sneaking around like a cat burglar?”
“Ah, shit! You scared me.”
A rough voice that sounded like it had just rolled out of bed came from behind me. Since I was in the middle of pulling chocolate milk from the fridge and hadn’t noticed anyone coming, I was even more startled. I pressed my hand against my chest where my heart was loudly making its presence known.
“How can you call your oppa a cat burglar?”
“Be glad I didn’t just call you a burglar.”
Hearing that, I found myself oddly convinced. Since I never expected proper honorifics from Yumin anyway, I just focused on securing the milk in my hand.
“You’re going to school already? This early?”
“Since I woke up early, I’ll go study. Tell Mom and Dad for me.”
“Give me that.”
“This is the last one though?”
Did you pawn your conscience at a thrift shop?
I stared at Lee Yumin’s brazenly outstretched arm in disbelief, then let out a deep sigh. Fine, you can have it. Since I was leaving early anyway, I could buy another at a convenience store, so I tossed it to her in an easy arc.
Yumin, who caught it with obvious glee, seemed to have gotten what she wanted and turned around, casually waving her hand.
“Oh, right. Lee Habin.”
“What?”
“You lately… no, never mind.”
I frowned at her habit of starting something and then cutting herself off. I even gave up the last chocolate milk, and she was still trying to mess with me.
“What is it?”
“No, it’s just… you’re kind of a coward.”
Getting hit with words like that out of nowhere hurts.
Just because it’s true doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting when someone throws it at you. It felt like the blunt stab was cutting even deeper, so I gently rubbed my solar plexus.
“…What about me being a coward?”
“Right, you are a coward, aren’t you?”
But why would a rumor like that be going around?
The quietly murmured voice was perfectly audible to my ears. The time between dawn and morning was silent, which is why I could catch even that small mutter.
Lee Yumin, seemingly unaware I’d heard her mumbling, said what she needed to say and slipped back into her room. She’d spoken loud enough for me to hear but disappeared without telling me what the rumor actually was, which was ridiculous.
“What the…”
Dumbfounded, I just opened and closed my mouth before coming to my senses at the sound of the clock’s second hand ticking. I couldn’t just stand here forever. Since it was still early and I couldn’t make a racket, my only option was to head to school as planned and terrorize her via messenger later.
“Peaceful.”
Yumin’s phone might not be so peaceful, but it would look peaceful on the surface, which was good enough. Breathing in the distinctively crisp air of early morning, I headed toward school. Even after stopping at a convenience store and taking my sweet time, the streets were still sparse with people.
It had been a while since I’d seen such a deserted commute, which naturally lifted my mood. Happily, I hummed along to the song playing through my earbuds as I walked to school with a spring in my step.
When I opened the still-locked classroom door and flicked on the lights, the atmosphere transformed dramatically. I stood there gazing around the classroom until I snapped out of it, feeling the weight of my bag pressing down on my shoulders.
“I guess coming to school early once in a while isn’t so bad.”
“Isn’t it a bit early for that kind of sentiment?”
“Hiccup!”
Startled by the voice from behind me, I whipped around. I yanked out the earbuds still covering my ears and put some distance between myself and the other person.
“You, you… hiccup, Baek Han.”
“So you do remember my name.”
Well, I could’ve asked for it multiple times. You’re so petty.
Baek Han, who was leaning casually against the doorframe, stared down at me intently. When I didn’t particularly avoid his gaze, his eyes grew sharper. By the way, why did he come to school this early? Is there honey smeared on the building or something?
“Here.”
I caught the object he suddenly tossed at me and looked up at him blankly. When I just blinked, Baek Han frowned slightly and jerked his chin.
“Drink it. Quick.”
“Me?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
True. There was no one here except me and Baek Han. Only then did I check what he’d thrown me—just a plain bottle of water.
“…Did you give this to me because I hiccuped?”
“What, should I have just stood there watching?”
They already stopped though?
Still, appreciating the gesture, I opened the cap and took a demonstrative sip, which seemed to soften Baek Han’s expression a bit. I glanced at him as I downed half the bottle. He’d look even more handsome if he didn’t frown so much. Not that he doesn’t look handsome now—absolutely not.
“Thanks.”
I screwed the cap back on tight and held it out to Baek Han. After that, a truly awkward atmosphere settled in, making me shift my eyes around. Why did he even approach me? I thought maybe it was because I’d unintentionally embarrassed him yesterday, but would someone like him really give water to someone with hiccups?
Baek Han’s staring became burdensome, so I took another step back. Unlike Kwon Dojin, Baek Han didn’t particularly try to stop me.
“What kind of relationship do you have with Kwon Dojin?”
That’s a question I’ve been hearing a lot lately. I just didn’t expect to hear it from Baek Han. Since it caught me off guard, I quietly looked up at him.
He waited patiently for my answer, but as his patience seemed to run out, he suddenly snapped. Apparently, he’s not someone with much tolerance.
“Say something!”
“Um… I was trying to figure out what kind of answer to give.”
The question of what relationship I had with Kwon Dojin varied depending on who was asking and what kind of answer they wanted. While I’d confidently told Kwon Dojin yesterday that we were friends, there was considerable ambiguity there, and some people didn’t want that answer.
Baek Han furrowed his brow at my response and tilted his head.
“What kind of answer needs that much thought?”
I just shrugged despite his criticism. He can say that because he doesn’t get my position.
“Then let me narrow it down. What exactly do you want to know? Are you curious whether I’m dating Kwon Dojin or not?”
The only reason he’d ask about my relationship with Kwon Dojin was because of the rank match. Well, maybe he wants to find a weakness or something.
“…Yes. If I had to be specific, that’s what I’m curious about.”
Or maybe because Kwon Dojin’s been acting so out of character, as a rival, he’s curious. Either way, it was actually one of the easier questions to answer.
“If that’s all, the answer’s simple. Kwon Dojin might act in ways that cause misunderstandings, but we’re just ordinary friends.”
“Only ‘Kwon Dojin‘?”
I tilted my head at Baek Han’s words. Somehow it carried the implication that I also contributed to the misunderstanding.
So I took a moment to carefully reflect on my past actions. But no matter how much I thought about it, I could only remember being dragged around by Kwon Dojin, not doing anything proactive myself.
“Judging by your expression, you don’t know anything about the rumors.”
Rumors?
Coincidentally, the word “rumor” had also been mixed into Lee Yumin’s mumbling this morning, so my curiosity peaked. What exactly are these rumors that make both Lee Yumin and Baek Han react this way?
As I slowly approached Baek Han one step at a time, he—who’d been leaning against the door—hesitated.
“What rumors? What kind of rumors? Obviously about me and Kwon Dojin, right?”
“Wait, calm down.”
How can I be calm when I’m this curious?
Lee Yumin, after thoroughly whetting my curiosity, was currently in a state of not having read any of the messages I’d sent. And now someone who could actually satisfy my curiosity had appeared—there was no way I could easily calm down.
Baek Han, unlike before, kept backing away with a bewildered look. As I advanced as much as he retreated, I failed to notice the threshold below, and my foot caught on it.
“…Huh?”
“Hey, watch out—!”
To make matters worse, the weight of the bag on my back was no joke for keeping my balance. Since the books I’d brought to study with were pretty heavy, all I could do in my unbalanced state was pray it wouldn’t hurt too much.
The moment I squeezed my eyes shut, I felt a hand grab my arm, but immediately after, intense pain shot through my entire body—especially my knees and elbows.
“Urgh—”
“Ugh…”
With my breath knocked out of me, only groaning sounds escaped. Then my bag belatedly smacked the back of my head.
“Ow!”
It hurt so badly, like my skull was ringing, that I reflexively screamed.
“…What kind of situation even is this?”
The kind where my skull might be cracked!
It hurt so disgustingly much that tears sprang to my eyes, like actual blood might be gushing out.
