# Chapter 28
As soon as I returned to the classroom, I rummaged through the front pocket of my bag looking for ointment. It was something I’d started carrying in case I got hurt, but now I was using it for other people.
“Found it. Good.”
“Ointment is sticky, you know.”
“So you don’t like it?”
“How could I say I don’t like it when you’re the one applying it, Habin?”
I looked away from his face with its downcast eyes and slightly upturned corners of his mouth. I sat Kwon Dojin in a chair, pulled his hand, and examined the wounded area.
Is it because of Kwon Dojin’s good looks? I kept having distracting thoughts, so to keep them at bay, I squeezed out some ointment and deliberately applied it with force.
“Habin, it hurts when you’re that rough.”
“Then don’t come back injured.”
I pressed even harder in response to Kwon Dojin’s whining, meaning for it to hurt more. He made a show of drooping his eyes and groaning in pain.
“How dare you treat the mighty Rank 2 Kwon Dojin so roughly.”
“No wonder there are rumors about him showing favoritism.”
Oh, right.
When I heard whispering voices clearly meant to be overheard, I realized we were in the classroom and touched my forehead, feeling dizzy. I wondered what kind of rumors would be generated now.
“Habin?”
When my hand stopped, Kwon Dojin called out to me in a puzzled voice. His attitude made me wonder if he couldn’t hear the other students whispering, so I looked up at him, but he just tilted his head and blinked.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
I brushed it off and pressed firmly on the back of Kwon Dojin’s hand where I’d finished applying the medicine. It was strange that he was quiet when he would normally whine about the pain, so I raised my head to look at him, and he immediately leaned his face close to mine.
“You don’t need to worry about it.”
“What—”
Just as I was about to step back from his face, which I still wasn’t used to being so close, Kwon Dojin grabbed my arm. As I was pulled by his gentle force, I placed my hand on his shoulder and stopped at a reasonable distance.
“It doesn’t matter what other people say.”
His hand that had worked its way through my hair gently slipped out. I reflexively lowered my eyes at the familiar touch, but then suddenly remembered something and quickly turned my head.
“Wait. You got ointment on the back of your hand.”
“It’s okay, I made sure not to get any on your hair. And it really didn’t.”
“It better not be there.”
I pushed Kwon Dojin away and rummaged through the front pocket of my bag for a small mirror, which made him exclaim in admiration. He habitually rested his chin on his hand while watching me, and I briefly thought about hitting his elbow to break his posture, but I held back.
“It seems like Habin’s front bag pocket has everything in it.”
“Anyone would carry this much stuff, right?”
I answered casually while checking my hair in the mirror. Just as Kwon Dojin had said, there really was no trace of ointment, so I had nothing to say. I had planned to pick on him for this, but it was impossible now, so I pouted.
Ding-dong-deng-dong—
“Ah, the bell rang.”
“So it did. The bell rang.”
As I looked up at where the speaker was, Kwon Dojin followed my gaze. Soon, the subject teacher opened the front door as if he’d been waiting, so I put the mirror away and found and opened my textbook.
“Still, I’m sorry for making you worry unnecessarily.”
“Class is starting, hurry and open your book—”
“What did you just say?”
Kwon Dojin’s quiet voice and the teacher’s shout overlapped, so I couldn’t hear his words properly. So I asked again, but Kwon Dojin only deepened the smile on his lips.
“It’s nothing. More importantly, we should pay attention to class, Habin.”
I was bothered by his evasiveness, but I was more concerned about the teacher standing at the podium giving us warning looks, so I nodded with a displeased expression. Then Kwon Dojin reached out his arm to brush my side hair behind my ear and turned his gaze to the blackboard.
Following him, I also turned my attention to the blackboard, but I couldn’t concentrate and just fidgeted with my lips.
Somehow, I had the slightest, tiniest feeling that Kwon Dojin wasn’t just being affectionate.
* * *
“You’re really something. You still want to come along even after hearing you’d be learning from me?”
Kwon Dojin provoked Baek Han with a sarcastic tone. Unfazed, Baek Han casually slung an unfamiliar book bag over his shoulder and retorted defiantly.
“Who said I was learning from you? I’m only going to learn from Lee Habin.”
“Hah. You absolutely never think of doing things yourself.”
“I’m just not stupid enough to take the long way when there’s a shortcut.”
I walked briskly with the two of them on either side of me, tirelessly arguing. As the commotion grew louder over time, I plugged my ears with my index fingers. These bastards were seriously noisy.
“I was planning to enjoy today with just Habin and me, but you ruined it all. Thank you so much, okay?”
“You lewd bastard. What were you planning to do alone with him in an isolated space?”
While I was plugging my ears and repeating to myself, ‘I can’t hear, I can’t hear,’ I suddenly raised my head at a phrase that penetrated my ears.
“Studying, of course. What were you imagining? If anyone’s a pervert here, it’s you.”
“You’re always so lecherous—”
“Enough! You guys just started high school and there’s nothing you won’t say! From where I’m standing, you’re both the same!”
What are they saying in the middle of the street! It’s after school, so there are so many students from our school around, and they’re talking about such things so loudly.
Because of those two, the attention of other students was now focused on us. The attention that was already on us because Rank 2 and Rank 5 were together had now doubled.
And unlike before when it was looks of admiration, now they were filled with curiosity.
If we kept walking casually like this, it was obvious we’d generate more unnecessary rumors. Thinking it would be best to leave this place as quickly as possible with these two, I looked around and hailed a taxi that happened to be passing by.
“I seriously can’t live because of you guys.”
I pushed Kwon Dojin into the taxi first, then got in myself. It was obvious that if I tried to push Baek Han in, he’d refuse to get in. I gestured toward Baek Han, who was the last to remain outside, and he obediently squeezed into the taxi.
“We could just leave him behind and go, just the two of us.”
“We already agreed to go together. Just tell me your address.”
He rubbed his cheek against my shoulder, complaining that I was being cold, but then promptly gave his address. Only then did I feel like I could relax, so I leaned back against the seat and exhaled deeply.
“When are you two going to become friends?”
“Me and him?”
“Well, I don’t think there’s any particular reason why we should.”
I sighed in exasperation at their simultaneous answers. They’re always arguing, but looking at them like this, they seem to get along well, so I don’t understand why they keep denying it.
Besides, when you run into each other this often, isn’t it more tiring to fight? It’s time they reached some compromise, but there’s still no sign of that, which is exhausting to me.
“You’re not children anymore.”
I closed my eyes gently and placed my index finger on my lips, meaning to be quiet at least in the taxi. Both of them then shut their mouths, perhaps trying to listen to me.
As the two who had been desperate to tear each other apart quieted down, the taxi suddenly became silent. Satisfied with this rare peace, I relaxed my body and savored it.
“You’re going to fall asleep like that.”
“Hmm? No way.”
But perhaps because he mentioned sleeping, I suddenly felt like yawning. After covering my mouth and letting out a big yawn, Baek Han shook his head.
“You said you wouldn’t sleep.”
“I feel sleepy because you said something like that.”
“Want to sleep a bit? It’ll take about 20 minutes anyway.”
Kwon Dojin patted his shoulder. After squinting at him and thinking hard, I eventually leaned against his shoulder. As I shifted a couple of times to find a comfortable position, Kwon Dojin patted around my waist accordingly.
“There he goes again.”
“Would you lend me your shoulder then? I don’t care who it is as long as I’m comfortable.”
I looked at Baek Han and smiled faintly at his familiar grumbling. I poked his side while speaking in a playful tone, and he frantically pushed my hand away.
Just as I withdrew my hand as I’d expected him to, Kwon Dojin embraced me from behind.
“Are you trying to leave me for him?”
“…Why do you say such things?”
“Damn, someone listening would think this is a lovers’ quarrel.”
That’s what I’m saying.
I raised my arm and patted the top of Kwon Dojin’s head as he rested his face on my shoulder. He tilted his head with an innocent expression. I didn’t know exactly what expression he was making, but I could guess from Baek Han’s disgusted expression and Kwon Dojin’s silhouette reflected in the window.
“Stay with me, okay?”
I hunched my shoulders as his voice, which whispered in my ear after tightening his arm around my waist and pulling me close, tickled.
“Shut up and stay with him.”
“Isn’t it too harsh to abandon me so quickly?”
“What do you want me to do? Keep watching this bastard acting like this?”
Looking at the repulsed Baek Han, I was at a loss for words. Especially since I was the one who unnecessarily added to the conversation. Kwon Dojin, who normally didn’t care about Baek Han’s reactions, rubbed his cheek against my shoulder.
“When will we arrive…”
“I really shouldn’t have suggested studying together.”
Wanting to escape this cramped space as soon as possible and regretting having suggested studying together, Baek Han and I sighed simultaneously.
Kwon Dojin, who didn’t care about the surrounding situation, was busy clinging to me. Knowing that he would just cling back if I pushed him away, I leaned against him to at least be comfortable. Instead of getting annoyed, he happily embraced me.
Hopelessly so.
