Moon Seoheon, a promising prospect in the soccer world soon to turn 17. Since he was young, he preferred running around outside to sitting still and reading books, so Lee Gwangho, CEO of The One Group and chairman of the board at Imperial High School, let his grandson freely do what he wanted.
Seoheon was the only child of Lee Gwangho’s only daughter. He had hoped that Seoheon, who resembled his daughter who had left earlier than him along with his son-in-law, would take over his business, but he let go of that wish from the moment his grandson, who had a constitutionally weak body, fell seriously ill one day and said he couldn’t properly taste food.
Before feeling resentment and longing toward the two who had left only his grandson behind, calling them incompetent, he was a busy person. The fact that he had focused only on company work from when his grandson was young, unable to pay much attention to him left alone, also stemmed from guilt that he needed to earn money so his children could live comfortably.
Fortunately, thanks to his youngest son Jaewon paying attention to Seoheon, his grandson didn’t have much chance to feel great loneliness.
To see Seoheon who would soon enter high school, Lee Gwangho arranged a family dinner for the first time in a while.
Despite his young age, Seoheon’s form as he sat cutting meat was quite mature. The face that people around had made such a fuss over, saying he was pretty like his mother, had lost its baby fat at some point and settled into masculine features.
Since childhood, people he met all said the child was so pretty that there were those who wouldn’t leave him alone. Lee Gwangho, who occasionally heard news worthy of frowning about him experiencing difficult situations at school, asked.
“The entrance exam is coming up soon—is there anything you’re curious about? Any worries you have these days?”
“No.”
At the quick single-word answer, Lee Gwangho let out a low “Hmm” and looked at Jaewon, telling him to say something instead. Jaewon smiled gently even at his father’s sharp gaze and just shrugged his shoulders. Finally, when he put down his fork at the result that ended with no gains, Jaewon, who had been reading the room, threw out a comment.
“Who was it? You said that kid you became friends with this time is also going to Imperial High, didn’t you?”
At Jaewon’s question, Seoheon, who had been moving his jaw just to fill his stomach, soon recalled a white and chubby face. Though they weren’t close enough to mention separately, he nodded calmly and said.
“Yes. His name is Yoon Taeho.”
“Then he’ll take the exam too. Tell me if there are any problems you don’t know. Or… should I just bring you the interview questions separately?”
Jaewon spoke carefully while glancing at Lee Gwangho. Seeing there was no response even to the words about leaking exam questions right in front of the school’s chairman, he shamelessly added.
“Or it wouldn’t be bad to get the test papers and tell you the scope either.”
“It’s okay.”
Though Seoheon stopped his uncle who boldly laid out criminal plans, saying he’d handle it himself, Lee Gwangho and Lee Jaewon sighed inwardly. They knew that Seoheon, who had devoted himself only to exercise with the purpose of training his body, had become healthier than anyone now, but wasn’t smart enough to do well on exams.
However, knowing his personality was such that if they forcibly told him the answers to the entrance exam, he wouldn’t take the exam at all, they couldn’t say anything.
But that thought turned into great regret when time passed and they learned the entrance exam results.
“Low Class?”
At Seoheon’s result of receiving a Low Class judgment on an entrance exam where he could have easily gotten High Class and a hexagon star, Lee Gwangho and Jaewon despaired.
What was the reason for introducing a class system at the school anyway? Lee Gwangho had negotiated with the education office and gotten it approved so his grandson would no longer be subjected to shameless acts. They had even engaged in behind-the-scenes manipulation to seat Woo Suhyeok, his cherished student and Jaewon’s peer, in the principal’s position, but it all went to waste.
“What should we do about this……”
In front of Lee Gwangho holding his head, Jaewon, who had been silently present with a dark face, put forth a suggestion.
“Let’s just put him in as a physical education specialty student instead. Then he’ll start from Middle Class, so it’ll be better than Low Class.”
“Right. That would be good.”
“…And I’ll apply to the school as a contract worker. I think it would be better to watch closely.”
At Jaewon’s words, Lee Gwangho, who had been gently rubbing his forehead, looked at him as if asking if it was okay. Jaewon nodded his head refreshingly as if there was no problem at all. In fact, the reason for wanting to enter the school included not only Seoheon but also the desire to see his lover frequently.
Jaewon, who was about to feel a bit guilty at his father’s face filled with apologetic feelings, didn’t lie, so he simply made his expression resolute.
* * *
Imperial High School entrance ceremony day. New students who had checked their assigned classes in advance put down their bags and gathered in the auditorium. Among them, Seoheon was also standing in line with a bored expression.
Someone who had been circling nearby and getting on his nerves from earlier was approaching his side as if determined. When he turned his head, a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar stood before him.
“Moon Seoheon, it’s been a while.”
Having no idea who it was, when he kept his mouth shut, the face that had been deliberately smiling broadly with courage soon crumbled awkwardly.
“Hey. Don’t you remember me?”
“…Who?”
“Hey! It’s me, Yoon Taeho!”
When the boy shouted loudly as if choked up, the eyes of students nearby turned toward them. Perhaps flustered by the sudden attention, Yoon Taeho let out a “Hk” sound and trembled shakily.
Only then did Seoheon realize that the boy in front of him was the kid he had saved before. The middle school he attended was near his house, so they could run into each other often, and each time he was being bullied, so he was the chubby kid he’d saved in a fit of anger. Normally he wouldn’t have, but that day he himself was in an angry state because a kid he’d been getting along with fairly well had suddenly locked him in a bathroom and did weird things.
The guy who had forcibly taken his number saying it was to thank him persistently contacted him, so they’d exchanged messages a few times. Contact had cut off a few months before enrollment, and in the meantime it seemed he’d lost weight.
To Seoheon who was looking him up and down, scanning his completely changed appearance, Yoon Taeho approached and carefully asked.
“What class are you in?”
“…Class 7.”
“Ah, you’re different after all. Too bad.”
Seoheon, who watched indifferently as Yoon Taeho left saying he was in Class 3 and to see him later, casually greeted other kids approaching in the meantime and finished the entrance ceremony uneventfully.
As if quiet school life only applied to entrance ceremony day, Seoheon had to forcibly smooth out his frowning expression while looking around at the noisy surroundings. Unless Seoheon was an idiot, he knew his outward appearance was excellent.
If he’d disliked those who bothered him annoyingly, he could have entered as High Class and gotten past it quietly, but he didn’t want to do that. He’d already realized in middle school that wearing such a star would rather overflow with guys trying desperately to associate with him.
Rather, was his plan to not reveal his family background and just get by like an ordinary student who was good at physical education wrong?
“See? That’s why it would have been good if you’d taken the exam properly.”
“I didn’t do badly on purpose.”
Byeon Seungha, standing crookedly leaning against an inconspicuous building wall, clicked his tongue and scolded. Jung Hyoin, lying sprawled in the gazebo in front of him, glanced at the two then focused on the task of receiving photosynthesis.
“Well, you are a total idiot.”
To Byeon Seungha who threw out words playfully with a giggle, Seoheon yawned widely as if it had no impact, soothing his spring drowsiness. To Byeon Seungha, who was ranked first in the whole school, all kids with lower grades than him were total idiots.
“But why are your heads like that?”
Seoheon asked the two who had dyed their hair, which had been black until last month, red and yellow respectively.
“You’re asking that now? We have free dress code. We have to do this so the stupid bastards recognize us and prostrate themselves.”
To Byeon Seungha who said it’s your grandfather’s school so shouldn’t you know this naturally, Seoheon, who had been just nodding roughly, checked the time and got up from his seat. While doing so, he added what he’d been pondering all along.
“Hey. Acknowledge me from now on.”
“Huh? Why… I guess it’s annoying after all?”
Seoheon, who recalled the unwrapped condom that had been in his drawer this morning, wrinkled his eyebrows as if displeased.
“Yeah. Act as close as possible.”
“Act close? We’re already close.”
Seoheon pushed away Byeon Seungha who was putting his arm around his shoulder and acting cool for no reason, waved his hand at Jung Hyoin and moved locations. He was passing through the hallway to return to the classroom when he spotted Yoon Taeho standing far away. He tried to pass by pretending not to know, but Yoon Taeho, who discovered him first, ran over quickly.
“Hey. Where do you go like that every lunch period?”
“…Just. Why?”
“If you haven’t eaten, eat this.”
Seoheon glanced at the white hand offering bread and waved his hand as if declining. Perhaps mistaking his refusal as being polite, the guy who stubbornly pressed it into his hand turned his body to go his way, then stuck his face toward him again.
“Ah, hey, if Byeon Seungha and Jung Hyoin bully you, tell me.”
Seoheon, who watched Yoon Taeho leave with a slightly dazed expression, laughed as if absurd. It seemed he’d seen them together and was firmly mistaken. It was a place the two had taken over so no one came, so when did he see it—I guess that guy wants something from me too.
Seoheon, who was about to throw the perfectly fine bread straight into the trash, returned to the classroom and handed it to his seatmate. As if quite pleased, the guy who ate it ostentatiously for others to see annoyingly grabbed his shoulder and secretly stroked it, which he let happen. Anyway, this kind of act wouldn’t be possible tomorrow.
As expected, thanks to Byeon Seungha and Jung Hyoin who came to the classroom from the next day, the atmosphere changed drastically. The guys who had been clinging constantly just watched us with confused eyes while staying far away.
“Was there any trouble today?”
“Well……”
At Seoheon’s appearance of not properly answering Jung Hyoin’s question, Byeon Seungha’s face crumpled.
“Those morons must have acted up again. Anyway, nobodies are more annoying and causing a fuss. From now on, if anything happens, tell us. …Ah, and starting today, eat with us. Kwak Junhee said he’s coming too, so keep that in mind.”
“Okay.”
At the sight of the two who left after having a friendly conversation, those who had been dazed hesitantly sat down. Those who had been trying to talk to Seoheon firmly closed their mouths as if remembering Byeon Seungha’s words. At that, Seoheon thought it would be more comfortable from now on.
He casually accepted when Yoon Taeho, who he ran into one day, awkwardly frowned then hesitantly greeted him, but nothing else changed much.
The everyday school life that was always the same began to change little by little after becoming a second-year. Yoon Taeho, who became classmates with him, approached him when no one came near and readily sat down, changing their awkward relationship.
Seoheon, who found it neither particularly bad nor good, gradually began to find Taeho, who stuck to him increasingly closely, a bit annoying. This was because he, who was getting along closely with The Four including Maeng Moa who had newly become High Class after entering this time, deeply invaded his life as if it was nothing.
Just when things about his family situation that no one knew except his uncle, the principal, and The Four, or acting like he was his closest friend to other guys, started to grate on him at some point, they had a big fight as if it was something that would happen eventually.
Seoheon found Taeho, who tried to get deeply involved with him, annoying, and Taeho just felt hurt by Seoheon who put up walls against him. So it was a mistake to deliberately disparage Seoheon to their classmates.
A week into reaching a cold war state, Seoheon recognized the fact that it was uncomfortable to continue not talking with Yoon Taeho, his classmate and seatmate, and decided to visit his house first.
But perhaps he was quite angry—Yoon Taeho, who didn’t come out even when told he’d arrived, was unusually late to school the next day.
During soccer time, surprised at seeing Yoon Taeho being quite friendly with Maeng Moa, he kicked the ball wrong and hit Yoon Taeho. Seoheon stroked Yoon Taeho’s head with the meaning of getting along again and as an apology. It was an action done knowing that even if Taeho pretended otherwise, he liked it when given attention.
Though the guy stopped short as if flustered, perhaps his anger had indeed melted from this action—while he acted awkwardly, he no longer ignored him. Perhaps because he felt sorry, at his awkward attitude, it didn’t take long to think that things would rather become more comfortable going forward.
