Chapter 4
“You need to snap out of it.”
A voice thick with laughter rang in my ears as a hand waved back and forth in front of my eyes. At that movement, I slowly began to move my frozen body. I carefully set the tray down on the table and sat in the chair with motions that even I could feel were stiff.
“First, shall we introduce ourselves?”
Come to think of it, I didn’t even know his name. I’d been dragged here on impulse, so it couldn’t be helped. Actually, I was uncomfortable with introductions, but I couldn’t keep calling him “you” forever.
“I’m Lee Habin.”
“Kwon Dojin. Feel free to speak casually.”
“But, um.”
“Yes?”
“How old are you?”
What age are you that you confidently speak informally while I have to be formal? I looked at him with that meaning in my gaze, and he opened his eyes wide as if faced with an unexpected question.
“You don’t know me?”
“…No, why would I?”
Is he really a celebrity that only I don’t recognize? His confident response was baffling. I mean, is there some reason I should know him?
“This is refreshing.”
What is?
I looked at him with coldly narrowed eyes as he muttered something incomprehensible. Somehow, judging by the atmosphere, he seemed like someone with an inflated ego—
“Rank 2 Kwon Dojin, you really don’t know?”
“Kup-!”
I choked before his question, full of bewilderment, could even finish.
Fuck. I really did try to avoid one problem only to run straight into another.
Now that I knew who he was, I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but it hadn’t even been 10 minutes since we’d arrived at the café. I pressed down firmly on my legs with my palm—they were twitching in response to my feelings.
“From your reaction, you really don’t seem to know.”
How interesting.
The way he slowly blinked with his eyes wide open seemed calculated even at a glance. Despite the obvious act, it suited him extremely well because of that handsome face. Enough to captivate someone.
“I’m seventeen. You?”
“Seventeen, but…”
Now that I knew we were the same age, I didn’t want to speak formally, but I remembered seeing people in web novels speaking formally to those of the same age or even elders just because they were part of the Four Heavenly Kings.
So I should probably do the same, since I didn’t want to stand out. While I was contemplating this, the other person—Kwon Dojin—spoke up.
“We’re the same age. You can speak informally.”
“Really?”
Seeing him shrug rather than add more words, it seemed he really was fine with informal speech. I, who’d been uncomfortable speaking formally to someone who appeared to be the same age, didn’t refuse.
For a moment I thought this contradicted my earlier desire not to create any connection, but the desire to speak comfortably during what would likely be at least a 10-minute conversation prevailed.
“So, why were you hiding there?”
I rolled my eyes at his sudden move to the main point. Honestly, would he even believe me if I told the truth? But wouldn’t lying be more troublesome? There was no reason to hide it, either. As soon as I lifted my gaze after organizing my thoughts, our eyes met.
“Done thinking?”
I reflexively nodded, but the eyes meeting mine head-on were so overwhelming that I stealthily lowered my gaze. It was hard enough to socialize with other people, let alone make eye contact with someone I’d barely met.
“Um, you know.”
“Yes?”
“Actually, I don’t understand why we need to talk… What did I do wrong—”
After mustering my courage to continue speaking, I caught a glimpse of his eyes suddenly turning sharp, which made me cower and shut my mouth.
‘Those eyes are frighteningly fierce.’
Really, it was too scary. To the point where I couldn’t believe these were the eyes of someone about to enter high school. Of course, I did tend to be more of a coward than others, but still.
Trying hard to ignore my pounding heart, I quickly lowered my gaze and chewed on the innocent straw. I hadn’t done anything wrong at all, but I was as tense as a child being scolded.
“Actually, it’s a sensitive time right now.”
As I kept my mouth firmly shut, Kwon Dojin leaned slightly forward, placing his hand on the table. He lightly grabbed my chin, lifting it up to force eye contact.
Why is he acting up when I deliberately lowered my head to avoid eye contact? Is it okay to look away here? No, what’s with grabbing my chin when we’ve only met twice? Various thoughts rose and disappeared in my confusion at the sudden contact.
“The rank settlement is coming up soon.”
“Rank settlement?”
“You probably know roughly what it is, so I’ll skip the explanation.”
What is it? Why do only you know and move on? How would someone who dimension-traveled just two months ago know such a thing?
I wanted a kind explanation, but I felt like I’d be treated as a spy if I didn’t know this. Judging by how he said he wouldn’t explain because it was so obvious, he seemed to think any current middle or high school student would naturally know about it.
“In other words, it’s a time when everyone is desperate to hurt their opponents or find their weaknesses.”
“…So I’m suspicious?”
“Because I’ve met you twice when fights were happening.”
The eyes hidden beneath the curved eyelids were still fierce. Rank settlement. I had a rough idea of what that nonsensical term meant. Because of my past experience reading web novels, I couldn’t help but know, even if I wanted to remain ignorant.
A renewed realization that I’d entered a web novel and a wave of cringe hit me simultaneously, but his gaze prevented me from falling into deep thought.
I swallowed hard and let my eyes wander before finally opening my mouth.
“Will you believe what I say?”
“Well, it depends on what you say?”
“It’s a coincidence.”
Shouldn’t you only be suspicious after the same thing happens at least three times? Usually, people would accept twice as coincidence, but Kwon Dojin wasn’t like that. As proof, he snorted as soon as I said it was a coincidence.
“A coincidence?”
If not a coincidence, then fate? I’m dying of injustice here.
Despite my immediate internal rebuttal, being the coward I was, I just nodded.
“I have nothing to gain from doing such a thing. If I’d wanted to find out your weaknesses, I would’ve been more thorough.”
“…That’s true.”
Both times I was caught after lingering awkwardly. Though it might be stretching it to say I was “caught,” but wasn’t that essentially what happened? As I twisted my expression at the utterly unfair misunderstanding, Kwon Dojin looked me up and down as if measuring something.
“You do look weak and frail.”
“What?”
Weak and frail? I raised my eyes at this unacceptable description, and Kwon Dojin tilted his head slightly. My sense of injustice doubled at his gesture, which seemed to ask what was wrong.
“How do I look weak and frail?”
My height was average, and so was my weight. If I included my appearance three years from now, I was set to be taller than average!
“Aren’t you?”
“Of course not—”
Before I could retreat from the suddenly approaching figure, my wrist was grabbed. As I was pulled forward by the force, Kwon Dojin smiled as if he’d expected this.
“Still not?”
As if you wouldn’t be pulled when someone suddenly yanks you.
Dissatisfaction welled up from within, but being a coward, I swallowed it down. I glanced at Kwon Dojin, whose smile wouldn’t leave his face for whatever amusement he found, with eyes full of dissatisfaction and shook the arm he was still holding.
It seemed like he should’ve let go by now, but there was no sign of him doing so, which was frustrating. Just as I was about to shake my arm again, his thumb slowly stroked my wrist.
“Wh-what—!”
Kwon Dojin was so nonchalant that my horrified reaction might’ve seemed strange. His brazen face made me so dumbfounded that my mind was spinning, ready to run far away.
“Your skin is so white.”
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
Is there something slightly off with the mental state of people who talk about ranks and such? A reasonable suspicion began to creep up.
When I shook my arm again with annoyance, Kwon Dojin finally released my wrist and rested his elbows on the table, propping his chin. That simple posture felt unnecessarily like a scene from a fashion magazine, probably because of that face.
‘Unnecessarily handsome…’
Why is he so handsome that it calms my sudden surge of anger!
I wouldn’t have been able to get angry anyway, but seeing that face just made all my motivation disappear. I sighed deeply and took a sip of my iced tea. I devoured half the cup in one go and even crunched on the ice.
Though it felt like only an hour had passed since I went out, I was already exhausted and my eyes felt heavy.
“Habin.”
“What.”
How can you call me so familiarly when we’ve barely met?
Despite my internal grumbling, I dutifully answered and quietly lowered my eyes. It was an action taken because I wasn’t confident in properly hiding the emotions in my eyes.
“It’s better not to use the alleyways. I told you last time that it’s dangerous.”
Kwon Dojin, speaking softly as if coaxing a disobedient child, reached out and tapped the back of my hand. Despite the rebellious feelings rising within me—questioning why I should listen to him—I meekly nodded at his gesture urging a response.
I really am pathetic, even by my own standards.
“Being misunderstood like this could really become dangerous. Everyone’s on edge right now.”
I thought that as an ordinary person unrelated to ranks, how dangerous could it possibly get? Perhaps this indifference showed on my face, because suddenly Kwon Dojin grabbed my cheek.
“Don’t dismiss this. I’m saying this because I’m worried about you.”
I blinked blankly at his low voice that fell on my ears like a whisper. Perhaps my slightly dazed state was clearly reflected in my expression, because he let out a small laugh.
“You’re cute.”
Kwon Dojin murmured in a fluttering voice, like clothes swaying in the wind, while slightly tilting his head. I slowly blinked as I processed this whole sequence.
Bang, bang, bang. The sound of a gavel that judges often tap when delivering a verdict rang in my head.
This bastard was guilty.
