# Chapter 113
“……”
No one spoke first. Behind Teacher Jaewon, who had turned toward us, I could see the Principal straightening out his slightly wrinkled shirt.
While it was one thing that the two of them were in the club room together, my eyes trembled at their disheveled appearance, wondering what they had been doing.
To my shock, the Principal’s shirt had all its buttons undone, exposing his entire upper body. Even though his outer garment covered him, I could see his firm, well-balanced abs, which showed he had a very good physique.
His white skin, nakedly visible, reflected the light and shimmered.
In this sudden situation, not knowing where to look, I tightly shut my eyes and turned around. When I opened them, Moon Seoheon’s face was right in front of me, reminding me why we had come here.
“Ah, you need to take medicine.”
With the thought of quickly getting the emergency medicine and giving it to him, I headed toward the lockers. Partly out of embarrassment, but also because I couldn’t bear to look at the two of them, I decided not to give them a glance at all.
“What medicine? What are you talking about?”
Teacher Jaewon’s voice softly pierced my ears. Unlike his slightly trembling voice earlier, it was now low and subdued. It contained surprise and concern, but most surprising was how stern it had become.
It was a reaction a teacher might show, but it felt strangely different from a teacher’s typical concern for a student, making me tilt my head.
Naturally, my gaze moved past the Principal to Teacher Jaewon.
I wasn’t sure if the Principal was naturally calm by nature, but he maintained a composed expression throughout. He had already buttoned up his shirt and even fixed his slightly disheveled hair. He looked as neat as when I had seen him in the morning, with hardly any difference.
Unlike the Principal, Teacher Jaewon was in a normal state, but his gaze at Moon Seoheon and me was intensely serious.
Clearing my throat with a fake cough, I spoke matter-of-factly, pretending I had no idea what the two had been doing. Right now, resolving Moon Seoheon’s unusual condition was more important, so I decided to address that quickly.
“Seoheon said his stomach hurts, so I came to get some medicine.”
“What? Seoheon, your stomach hurts?!”
I was about to explain that the infirmary was crowded with first-year students, which was why we had to come here, but Teacher Jaewon’s startled reaction made me close my mouth.
“How did your stomach start hurting? Did you eat something bad? Or did you get hurt?”
My eyes widened at the questions fired like a machine gun. Even for someone concerned, this was definitely an excessive reaction. Besides, what connection did Teacher Jaewon have with Moon Seoheon to be pretending to worry like that?
After glancing back and forth between the two with wide eyes for a moment, Moon Seoheon stopped Teacher Jaewon who was approaching him.
“It’s nothing. My stomach just hurts a bit, so I’ll just take some medicine and go.”
The informal speech was shocking enough, but his friendly tone, unsuitable for addressing a teacher, made my mouth drop open. As I stood there in a daze, the Principal addressed me.
“Is Taeho student alright?”
“Huh? …Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
He nodded as if to say ‘I see’ and smiled a picture-perfect smile while crossing his arms. Unlike when I saw him in the Principal’s office, he wasn’t in a solemn state, but the smile on his lips looked subtly unpleasant, making me break out in a cold sweat.
Could he be angry because we interrupted them? Thinking that, I shook my head slightly, wanting to hit myself. It seems I couldn’t get my thoughts together, as there were too many surprising things happening.
I quickly turned my head to look at Teacher Jaewon and Moon Seoheon. The strange atmosphere between them kept bothering me, so I stared intensely as if determined to uncover something.
“What do you mean it’s nothing when your stomach hurts? Did you really eat something bad? …Or is someone bullying you again?”
The way he stuck close to Moon Seoheon to examine him was exactly like a parent’s attitude toward their child. He stared at Moon Seoheon with narrowed eyes, but perhaps feeling the gaze, Moon Seoheon ignored Teacher Jaewon without answering and approached the lockers.
Passing by me, Moon Seoheon stood in the middle of the lockers. Among the lockers lined up next to each other, he naturally opened one and reached in without hesitation to grab something.
What came out in Moon Seoheon’s hand looked unmistakably like a first-aid kit. As I stood there with a confused expression, not understanding what was going on, Moon Seoheon placed the first-aid kit on the table and rummaged through it while speaking.
“Uncle, where’s the medicine for stomach pain? Like a sedative or something.”
“Wait a moment. There should be some left from last time.”
Teacher Jaewon, who had moved close to Moon Seoheon, rummaged through the kit as if searching for the medicine. I couldn’t say anything because Moon Seoheon’s words were as shocking as the scene we’d witnessed when opening the club room door.
Did Moon Seoheon just call Teacher Jaewon “Uncle”?
“Here it is. Will this alone be enough?”
“Yeah. It’s the same one I took last time.”
Moon Seoheon received the medicine that was soon found, and as if the rectangular pill box had a familiar design, he looked through it once or twice before taking out a pill.
“Still overprotective as always.”
I looked at the Principal at the softly heard voice. I tried to ignore the excessively raised corner of his mouth that I noticed.
More than that, I wondered if I was the only one who felt awkward hearing those words, as Teacher Jaewon and Moon Seoheon’s expressions remained utterly calm. Looking at those plain, almost heartless faces, I felt strange. Now that I thought about it, they did look somewhat alike.
“You already have water.”
“Ah… I’m not going to drink this.”
Moon Seoheon, who had roughly placed the water bottle that had caused his stomach pain on the table, approached the water dispenser. As if it wasn’t his first time, he took out a paper cup and poured water in a very natural manner.
Soon, Moon Seoheon put the pill in his mouth and gulped down the water, then threw the empty paper cup into the trash bin.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Alright.”
“Will you be okay with just one pill?”
Moon Seoheon, who had bowed his head as if sorry for interrupting and only greeted the Principal, turned to look at me. Our eyes met, and he gestured as if to say “let’s go now.” Teacher Jaewon, who was blocking this by asking worriedly again, received an annoyed expression from Moon Seoheon as he changed his tone.
“I got better after taking it last time, so I should improve. Then I’ll be going now.”
“No, why are you suddenly using formal speech again.”
Moon Seoheon, who turned his body as if it wasn’t worth answering, took my hand and left the club room. Already in a confused state, I was helplessly dragged along by his strength.
Just as he was about to fling open the door and leave, Moon Seoheon stopped walking and turned back, as if he had remembered something to say.
“I’ll be late because I’m going to the restaurant after we finish today.”
“Oh, that was today? Who are you going with?”
Teacher Jaewon, blinking his eyes, looked directly at me. His expression seemed to be asking if I was the one going with him. As I unconsciously gulped, Moon Seoheon firmly stated, as if telling him not to be surprised.
“I’m going with Taeho.”
His tone, which had returned to informal speech, was even more affectionate than when he had used formal speech. The formal speech somehow felt brusque, but it was strange that it felt weirder than the seemingly ill-mannered informal speech, which was quite peculiar.
As if he had really finished what he had to say now, Moon Seoheon turned without lingering and closed the door. Only after being led away from the club room and into the corridor could I open my mouth.
“What are you?”
“…?”
My quietly murmured voice felt loud since there was no one around. Moon Seoheon, who had heard it clearly, looked at me with an expression asking what I meant. Suddenly feeling frustrated, I stopped walking and applied pressure to my captured hand. Moon Seoheon, who had been walking with large strides, also stopped.
“I’m asking what your identity is.”
Facing him, I ran my hand through my hair as unexplainable emotions welled up, and asked. It felt like being left alone in a place ravaged by a typhoon.
“What do you mean by my identity, are you trying to be funny?”
“I’m being serious! Uncle? Was Teacher Jaewon your uncle?”
Seeing him nod his head lightly, a laugh escaped me. While it was certainly a very surprising thing, Moon Seoheon’s nonchalant attitude made me even more angry for some reason. No, should I describe this as feeling hurt? How did I not know this until now?
The sudden thought made me feel somewhat hurt that Moon Seoheon hadn’t told me, but then I sighed, feeling like I was making a big fuss over nothing.
There’s no reason why Teacher Jaewon or Moon Seoheon should tell me they’re relatives.
“Haah. Well… forget it. Will you really be okay?”
“I think I’m feeling a bit better… More importantly, are you surprised because of me and my uncle?”
“What else should I be surprised about?”
“Well… maybe the affectionate acts of a couple we suddenly saw, or the couple themselves?”
The memory of the two educators clinging closely to each other in the club room made my lips go dry, but I waved my hand casually.
“Not particularly. If you’re feeling better, let’s go back. Oh! Hey, you should take that water bottle. What if you leave it behind?”
I quickly turned to go back for the spoiled water bottle left in the club room, but Moon Seoheon pulled my arm as if to stop me. My foot, which had taken one step forward, came back, and as my body halted abruptly and swayed backward, Moon Seoheon grabbed my waist to stabilize me.
“It’s fine. It would actually be more convenient to leave it in the club room for when we need to find it later.”
“Oh, that’s true.”
“Then let’s go. The cavalry battle must be ending.”
Moon Seoheon, who had muttered in a somewhat regretful tone, walked ahead with heavy steps. Did he want to see the cavalry battle that badly? I felt guilty inside.
