# Chapter 34
When I got home, I found my shin bruised a dark purple.
“Just because that brute is strong…”
No, is he really a brute? Byeon Seungha was good at studying, so he wasn’t ignorant. Thinking about it that way made the spot where I was hit hurt even more, and my mood turned fouler.
“As they say, there’s always another mountain to climb…”
I flopped down onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow. In my troubled state, I couldn’t help but sigh repeatedly. Starting from the day I first came here and publicly apologized to Moon Seoheon, I thought my school life would be relatively peaceful as long as I kept to myself, but it had become problematic again.
It was all because of that bastard Son Gyucheon, but I think I had let my guard down too much as well. I didn’t even get a chance to clear up the misunderstanding, which made it even more frustrating.
Should I at least be grateful I wasn’t injured too badly? My shin was badly bruised, but I was most relieved that my face was fine. What a humiliation it would be to go to school with a swollen, battered face. Besides, considering this weak body of mine, I’d probably be wobbling around for a while.
I turned my head slightly as my face buried in the pillow started to feel stuffy. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my arm and examined it from different angles. My body wasn’t so skinny that it looked like it might snap in half if I bumped into something hard, but looking at my arm hanging limply, I was definitely thinner than the average boy.
I definitely need to… build up my body. Since my body was still young, I hadn’t given much thought to the need to bulk up myself. But recalling how completely helpless I was against Byeon Seungha today made me feel both frustrated and furious.
Apart from those feelings, I also felt uncomfortable, as if I’d eaten something that didn’t agree with me.
When I go to school tomorrow, I’ll see Moon Seoheon—what face should I make when I see him? More than that, we had agreed to go to school together every morning, but would he stop coming now? The tightness in my chest seemed to ease a bit before turning slightly bitter again.
I found myself staring intently at the closed door, as if checking on Yoon Taean who would be beyond it.
Yoon Taean hadn’t said a word until we got home, but as soon as we entered and closed the door, he asked me what had happened.
I simply told him the main points.
‘I did something wrong to Moon Seoheon… but I haven’t actually done it yet and I don’t plan to.’
‘…What on earth did you do to cause this?’
To Yoon Taean, who was sighing and touching his forehead, I spoke as calmly as possible.
‘That’s not the important part…’
‘Not important? How can it not be important when Sunbae Byeon Seungha was so angry?!’
‘…I just got misunderstood for something I didn’t do. Really, I didn’t do anything…’
‘Enough, hyung. I thought you’d changed a bit and I was happy about that, but I guess I was mistaken.’
Cutting off my words, Yoon Taean continued with a cold expression, preventing me from making any excuses.
‘Please just stay quiet and don’t do anything. Make sure you apologize to Seoheon hyung.’
Without letting me say anything more, Yoon Taean went straight to his room.
I was left speechless, standing there for a while before lying down without even washing properly, which led to my current situation. Just when things seemed to be improving with my brother, we were back to square one.
Knowing that spilled water can’t be gathered back up—that things couldn’t be undone—I closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind as my head started to ache. I wasn’t sure what would happen when I went to school tomorrow, but it seemed best to get to sleep early.
* * *
Realizing I’d woken up later than usual, I hurriedly finished preparing for school. After putting on my uniform and coming outside, I was startled. To my surprise, Moon Seoheon was waiting outside, even though I’d assumed he wouldn’t be there due to what happened yesterday and my lateness.
Noticing me hesitating to approach, Moon Seoheon looked at me with an expression that seemed to ask why I wasn’t coming.
“Hey, what are you…”
I started to speak, unable to understand why he was waiting for me, but stopped. While I was wondering what to say, Moon Seoheon just stood there silently, watching me.
Looking at his expressionless face, I recalled what Byeon Seungha had told me yesterday. That guy somehow drank a beverage with industrial adhesive in it…
Considering what Ko Kyungsu had told me, and recalling my conversation with Son Gyucheon, it was true that Yoon Taeho had planned to do something to Moon Seoheon. It hadn’t happened because I came here before the plan was executed, but given what he must have heard, I must seem like a complete bastard to him.
Perhaps he came to take out his anger separately? This early on a Monday morning?
Coming to that conclusion, I stood still, unable to approach him as wariness rose within me. Moon Seoheon, who had been staring at me, finally spoke.
“Why aren’t you coming? Aren’t you going to school?”
“…”
Now feeling rather dumbfounded, I frowned as I looked at him, as if trying to figure out what he was thinking.
Seeing my reaction, Moon Seoheon let out a small, “Hmph,” as if finding me ridiculous, then continued.
“Yoon Taeho, don’t we have things to talk about?”
With those words, my heightened wariness subsided. When I met his calm gaze, which despite his composed expression held a certain gravity, I felt awkward and slowly approached Moon Seoheon.
I immediately voiced the question that had come to mind when I saw him.
“Didn’t Byeon Seungha tell you anything?”
“No.”
“Right. So he did tell you… wait, he didn’t?”
“No.”
Byeon Seungha didn’t say anything? After what happened yesterday? Plus, he didn’t even ask about it when I fell down and made such a pathetic scene? Unable to understand either Byeon Seungha or Moon Seoheon, I stared at him blankly and murmured, “Why?”
Meeting my gaze, Moon Seoheon slowly opened his mouth.
“I thought I should hear from you first, so I didn’t ask him.”
At those words, I felt a lump in my throat and bit my lip. It wasn’t that he trusted me or anything like that. But just the fact that he didn’t blindly blame me based on personal grudges made me feel grateful and somewhat moved in a strange way, causing my eyes to sting a little.
“So?”
To his question about what happened, I sighed as if releasing the discomfort I’d felt since yesterday.
“I lied to you.”
“…About what?”
“About Son Gyucheon. Actually… we’re not strangers; we’re somewhat connected.”
I carefully observed Moon Seoheon’s expression, just in case. He listened silently and nodded slightly, as if to say he understood. I was surprised by his seemingly unconcerned reaction, but tried to act normal as I continued.
“I didn’t really mean to, but… I asked Son Gyucheon for a shady favor. Something that could harm you…”
“…”
“But it was really a thing of the past, and now I have absolutely no intention of doing it, nor will I in the future, so don’t worry. …Well, I’m reflecting on it.”
The last part felt unfair, but it seemed necessary given the situation, so I managed to say it while hiding my resentment. After I finished speaking, Moon Seoheon remained quiet, and just when I was starting to feel nervous, he finally spoke.
“So that’s it?”
“Huh? Oh, about the adhesive. That’s a misunderstanding.”
At my words, Moon Seoheon raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at me. Does he not believe me? I placed my hand on the left side of my chest as if asking him to believe me.
“It’s true. I only found out yesterday that you drank a beverage with adhesive in it. I don’t even know what happened to you on Thursday…”
Right, I hadn’t noticed anything unusual that day. Seeming to sense the truth in my words, Moon Seoheon inhaled and exhaled lightly before speaking.
“That morning, I went out with Byeon Seungha, and a Low Class student gave me a drink. She was a fan who often gave me food, you know.”
“…Ah.”
I nodded, beginning to understand what had happened. If it was someone who often gave him food, his guard would naturally be down. So he drank it without thinking and ended up getting sick.
“You seemed perfectly fine, so I thought nothing had happened… Fortunately, you weren’t seriously hurt.”
Moon Seoheon, who had been staring at me, nodded as if agreeing and murmured, “Yeah,” before adding.
“I realized something was wrong and spit it out right away. Well, I lost some time throwing up, but luckily, I barely made it to class before the lesson started.”
My body flinched in surprise at his words. Ah, so that’s why he came in looking disheveled that time. I had thought he’d been doing something intimate with Byeon Seungha. Realizing my misunderstanding, I pressed my lips together in embarrassment.
“Do you still want to get along with me?”
“Huh? Yes… of course.”
He must be referring to what I said when I apologized back then. Encouraged by Moon Seoheon’s attitude, which seemed to believe my words, I answered with conviction. As if I truly wanted to maintain a good relationship.
“Alright, I understand.”
Moon Seoheon responded with a gentle smile. Not the small smile he usually wore, but a bright, radiant smile like a fully bloomed flower. It resembled exactly the smile he gave on the first day when he accepted my apology, leaving me to stare at him blankly.
* * *
In front of the school. A sudden thought made me stop before even entering the main gate. Moon Seoheon, who had been walking slightly ahead, turned around and looked at me as if asking what was wrong. Unable to shake off the uneasy feeling, I asked.
“But if Byeon Seungha sees me with you, won’t he… make a scene?”
“Oh, that… it’ll be fine.”
How can you be so sure? When I squinted with a questioning expression, Moon Seoheon simply repeated that it would be fine and led me inside.
As I entered the classroom, glancing around nervously in case I might run into Byeon Seungha, students suddenly swarmed around me. Having experienced many stares before but never been mobbed like this, I looked at them in confusion. What’s all this commotion?
“Yoon Taeho, is it true you attempted the Ace’s special challenge twice?”
“Ah… yes. Why?”
“And you succeeded both times?”
“Well, yes.”
As I nodded in confirmation, everyone gaped in shock. So that’s what this was about—they were all surprised about me earning the exemption pass. Since anyone could finish the meal with enough concentration, I found their reactions rather surprising.
I guess my classmates had participated too? While I agree the food wasn’t easy to eat, hearing everyone talking about what happened yesterday made me feel like rumors really do spread fast.
