# Chapter 26
As I headed to the cafeteria with Kwon Dojin inevitably hanging off my shoulder again today, Baek Han greeted us with a grimace.
“You know, sometimes your words and actions don’t match.”
No, not sometimes—frequently.
“What did you say?”
I waved my hand dismissively at Baek Han’s snarky tone, saying it was nothing. Then I shrugged off Kwon Dojin who was still clinging to my shoulder. I don’t understand why this heavy guy keeps hanging on me.
“If I stop growing because of you, will you take responsibility?”
“You’re plenty cute enough already.”
“Shut up. What good does being cute to you do me?”
“Yeah, please just close your mouth.”
Height satisfaction is a personal matter. My goal was to regain the height I had before the regression, so I needed to grow at least 5 cm more.
“Are you going to have dinner with me tonight too?”
“Hmm? We haven’t even talked about where we’re studying yet.”
“My apartment. It’s more convenient, right? We won’t be disturbed by anyone.”
Since I preferred quiet, somewhat closed spaces rather than noisy, open places like cafés, I nodded readily. And since I tend to study for long periods in one place, I naturally mentioned that I’d probably end up having dinner too.
“Are you two going to study together?”
“Yeah. Kwon Dojin wanted to hang out, but I suggested studying instead. We’ve played enough already. It’s also time for the mock exams.”
“Mock exams…”
Baek Han, who had been lost in thought until we got our meals and sat down, spoke just as I was about to take my first spoonful of soup.
“Let me join too.”
“Huh? Join what?”
“The studying.”
“Why would you?”
Though a startled Kwon Dojin immediately showed signs of reluctance, Baek Han ignored him and grabbed my hand with a serious expression.
“I need to do well on this mock exam.”
“Why? Were you ever the type to care about studying?”
“Just average. But they say if I’m not going to improve my grades, I might as well give up on the rankings and everything else.”
“Who says?”
“…My parents.”
Ah. I understood everything from that quietly mumbled final word and let out a small laugh. He’s still a kid after all. It seems Baek Han might act tough around others, but he’s a good son who listens to his parents.
Somehow finding him cute, I reached up to pat his hair, but Baek Han slapped my hand away in alarm. I’d expected that reaction, so I wasn’t surprised and calmly spoke.
“How many grade levels do you need to improve? What’s your current level?”
“Currently 2-3-2-2-3-3. They want me to bring everything up to level 2 overall.”
Baek Han’s parents—isn’t that already pretty good for someone who gets into fights all the time?
I’d expected him to be around level 3 or 4 at best, so I widened my eyes in surprise at the numbers that came out of Baek Han’s mouth.
“I do better than him.”
“Yes, that’s impressive.”
I reached up to pat Kwon Dojin’s arm as he displayed unnecessary competitiveness. Though he pouted, he didn’t interfere further.
“A borderline 3? Or a 3 that’s close to 2?”
“Borderline 3.”
“Wow, that’s going to be tough to raise to level 2.”
But it shouldn’t be impossible since we’re only in 10th grade. The material is limited, and he’s not aiming for level 1, so it’s completely possible with basic skills.
“Anyway, we’re all going to Kwon Dojin’s place today.”
“I thought it was just going to be the two of us.”
I put a piece of spicy fried chicken into Kwon Dojin’s mouth as he made a dejected face. He chewed diligently, not surprised by the food suddenly entering his mouth.
“Do you have workbooks? What are your electives?”
“There should be some in my locker. My electives are Chemistry and Biology.”
Chemistry and Biology, huh. I know Chemistry since it’s my elective too, but I only studied Biology for my school grades. While making troubled noises, I suddenly remembered that Kwon Dojin also took Biology as an elective and looked at him.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Come to think of it, we have the smart Dojin here.”
“Why do I feel uneasy and annoyed?”
“It was a needless worry.”
“Habin, now I’m the one who’s worried.”
Though Kwon Dojin and Baek Han put down their spoons, I paid no attention. As I ate mushrooms while mentally organizing a study plan for Baek Han, he muttered in a regretful voice.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have asked for help studying.”
“Why did you have to bring it up unnecessarily?”
I casually ignored Kwon Dojin, who was gritting his teeth and spitting out each word. Baek Han just ran his fingers through his hair. Leaving the two with their usual behavior, I focused on eating my meal. After all, a student preparing for exams needs to eat well to endure.
“So, are you not going to tell me?”
“Huh? It’s nothing special. Dojin, you can help with Biology, that’s all.”
“What? Why him?!”
“I don’t want to either.”
Baek Han shouted immediately, and Kwon Dojin refused with a grimace. How alike their reactions were. Honestly, I’d prefer if we could eat first, but seeing they had no intention of picking up their spoons, I reluctantly put mine down as well.
“I can’t handle CSAT Biology.”
“How is it different from school exams?”
“It’s very different. Extremely different. Are you being this casual about it because you want to fail spectacularly?”
“Even so, you want me to teach him?”
I patted Kwon Dojin’s shoulder as his voice was filled with skepticism.
“It’ll be fun, won’t it? Maybe not as a student, but from a teaching perspective. Anyway, let’s eat first, okay?”
I’m starving. Maybe it’s because I attended classes and solved math problems during breaks while having fun, but I was hungrier than usual.
“If you heard something like that, would you be able to eat?”
“Yes, I would. Why wouldn’t I be able to eat?”
“…Habin, I thought this before too, but you really seem to have good mental fortitude.”
“Someone studying for college entrance exams can’t afford weak mental strength.”
I’m just stating the obvious. I personally put spoons in the hands of the two who looked like they’d lost their appetite and emphasized again that they should stop talking nonsense and just eat.
“I really shouldn’t have said anything.”
“You’re not going to give up on the rankings, right? If you can handle both, then handle both. If you can’t, that’s another story, but isn’t it a waste to give up when you’re capable?”
In reality, I thought it would be a waste of the money spent on maintaining his status, but given Baek Han’s personality, he’d probably dislike it if I mentioned money. So I omitted that part, and he seemed persuaded.
“It’s a stretch to say I’m capable. I’m getting help from you, Habin.”
“Can you just—!”
“Yes, let’s please use our mouths to eat food.”
I smacked my forehead and sighed, thanks to Kwon Dojin who neatly cut off the conversation. I don’t understand why they’re so desperate to be at each other’s throats when they’re not even sworn enemies.
I should be grateful that my mediation was effective. I was inwardly relieved to see them both picking up their spoons and reducing their talk. It seemed like we could eat the rest of our meal in peace—
“Baek Han, Kwon Dojin! I heard you were here!”
Ah crap, I jinxed it!
As I started tearing at my hair over the flag I’d unwittingly raised yet again, Kwon Dojin grabbed my hand in alarm.
“What are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell? I’m blaming myself.”
“But it hurts if you pull your hair like that, Habin.”
They say even dogs aren’t disturbed during mealtime, so I don’t understand why they had to come all the way to the cafeteria. Don’t they eat? As I stared blankly at the group that had already approached us, the person who appeared to be their leader slammed both hands hard on the table.
“I heard you guys messed with our guys yesterday?”
I flinched in surprise at the sound, and Kwon Dojin wrapped his arm around my shoulders to comfort me.
“Yesterday? Not me. Did you mess with them?”
Though Baek Han acted like this was news to him and tried to use it as an excuse to move his leg and kick Kwon Dojin, Dojin dodged with graceful movements, making a show of it. Baek Han clicked his tongue and nodded his chin, urging an answer.
“I went straight home after dropping Habin off, so I didn’t have time for that.”
“If neither of us did it, then who supposedly messed with them?”
“Well, maybe someone from somewhere made a mistake?”
As insensitive as I might be to my surroundings, I wasn’t insensitive enough to keep eating in a place that looked like a fight could break out at any moment.
Eventually, I put down my spoon and stood up with my tray, drawing attention from not just Kwon Dojin and Baek Han, but also from the threatening group that had approached us.
“You haven’t finished eating. Finish eating before you go, okay?”
Kwon Dojin grabbed the hem of my clothes, but my appetite was already gone. Would you be able to swallow food in this situation?
“I’ll just eat some bread. Take the fight outside, okay?”
“What the—!”
Just as the anger was about to be directed at me, Kwon Dojin moved to block me. As I blinked at how quickly it all happened, I heard Baek Han’s voice, now calmer than before.
“Hey.”
“Yeah, Habin. You’d better go to the classroom first.”
“What’s wrong with everyone these days? They know perfectly well I’m a normal person, yet they try to mess with me?”
I could vaguely see Baek Han standing up. Kwon Dojin perfectly shielded me from the group and spoke in a gentle voice. Knowing I wouldn’t be of any help if I stayed, I nodded without saying anything.
As I quickly cleared my tray and left, I glanced back at where Kwon Dojin and Baek Han were and saw the two of them confidently confronting the group of more than a dozen people.
Seeing that scene, I realized that not just anyone could hold a single-digit rank, and I involuntarily let out a sound of admiration.
“But where should I go now?”
The classroom is definitely out. With how intense the pressure is these days, who knows what might happen if I went to the classroom alone without Kwon Dojin. Places with lots of students are obviously out too, so I wonder if there’s any suitable place to go.
