The meeting wrapped up exactly an hour later, and after exchanging brief goodbyes, the council members went their separate ways. Leansei was walking down the sidewalk, enjoying the fresh air, when his phone began to vibrate in his hand.
He slid the screen to answer the call. "Hello?"
[ Son! I am calling to remind you that you need to come home in two weeks, ] Kean's mother voice boomed through the speaker. [ There is an important family dinner for all the elite families. Do not forget it, okay? ]
Leansei frowned slightly. "Can't I just stay here at the condo and skip it this time?"
[ Son, what on earth are you talking about? ] Mrs. Ferech replied, sounding genuinely confused. [ You always love attending these kinds of dinner meetings. You absolutely cannot be absent for this, understood? I will have Mr. Rio fetch you straight from school when the day comes. ]
Leansei let out a deep, defeated breath and closed his eyes. "Mm. Okay," he murmured, before hanging up the call.
He stuffed the phone into his pocket and turned down a narrow, secluded street near the school grounds. It was remarkably quiet and peaceful, with the crisp rustle of swirling autumn leaves being the only sound filling the air.
Suddenly, he froze in his tracks. A muffled groan echoed from the shadows of the alley—the exact same spot where the original Kean had been viciously beaten before. Leansei listened closely and noticed that whoever was being attacked wasn't even screaming for help. They were just silently enduring the brutal impact of a severe battering from a group of dirty thugs.
Initially, Leansei had no intention of interfering in other people's dangerous business. Yet, looking at the dark alley, he realized he couldn't just turn a blind eye to someone who desperately needed assistance.
Maintaining his usual stone-faced, poker expression, he slowly ambled into the narrow street. He immediately recognized the victim. A small, nerdy boy from his school was curled up tightly on the cold ground, desperately wrapping his arms around his head. A group of thugs were mercilessly kicking his ribs as if he were nothing more than a trash bag.
"You don't even have a single penny on you! What absolute trash!" one of the bullies spat.
"Are you going to give us your money or what?" another demanded, delivering another blow.
"Do you know what happens to dogs that refuse to obey their owners?"
Leansei's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Hey, scumbags," he called out, his voice sharp and steady. "Why don't you try earning your own living for once, instead of stealing other people's hard-earned money?"
The group instantly stopped their assault and snapped their heads in Leansei's direction, glaring fiercely. Down on the pavement, the nerdy boy slowly lifted his bruised face, his expression freezing in complete shock.
"K-kean?" the boy whimpered, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"You idiot, why are you still just lying there on the dirt?" Leansei scolded lightly, keeping his eyes locked entirely on the nerdy kid, completely ignoring the four furious thugs who were now stepping toward him.
"Who the fuck are you?" the leader growled, stepping forward.
"Are you trying to steal our money, banker?" another sneered, eyeing Leansei's neat clothes.
"Don't you know who we are?"
"Who the hell do you think you are? Fuck off!"
Seeing his chance, the nerdy guy scrambled up from the dirt and bolted straight to the safety of Leansei's back.
"I am Kean. Kean Ferech," Leansei stated, his voice completely fearless and dripping with absolute confidence.
At the sound of the name, one of the thugs instantly took a sharp step backward, his face turning pale as he quickly averted his gaze."What the hell are you chickening out for?" the guy beside him hissed, shoving his shoulder.
"H-he is the one who beat up three whole squads of bullies and gangsters," the terrified thug whispered back. "He became unbelievably strong after his accident."
Hearing this, the nerdy guy looked up at Leansei in sheer surprise. Leansei, however, kept his stone-cold poker face, entirely ignoring the whispers as he turned his attention to the injured boy behind him.
"You look awful. Let's get you to the nearby clinic," Leansei said, taking note of the nasty bruises and open wounds covering the boy's skin. The nerdy guy just stared back at him with wide, shocked eyes, completely forgetting about the intense pain of his injuries.
"Hey, you dipshit! I don't give a damn who you are. Hand that kid back over to us," the leader barked, stepping into Leansei's space. "We haven't gotten a single penny out of him today—"
Before he could finish, Leansei reached into his pocket, pulled out a heavy coin, and flicked it with perfect accuracy straight at the leader's forehead.
Clink.
"I am not in the mood to beat anyone to a pulp today," Leansei warned coldly as the leader stumbled back, clutching his head. "But if I ever see you again, or if you hurt anyone—especially this guy right here—you won't be walking away. Move." Without waiting for a reply, Leansei placed a supportive hand on the nerdy guy's shoulder and guided him out of the alley. They walked directly to the school clinic, and by some stroke of luck, the school doctor was sitting at her desk.
"Goodness, what happened to him?" the doctor asked, immediately pulling out a first-aid kit to treat the boy's cuts.
Luckily, the school clinic is open for the university's soccer game competition.
"I beat him up," Leansei said flatly.
The doctor paused, glancing up at Leansei in complete surprise, but a knowing smile soon spread across her face. "I highly doubt that," she murmured, turning back to clean the wounds.
Just as she finished wrapping a bandage, the clinic door swung open and a student panted, "Doc! The principal needs you in his office immediately. Someone was severely beaten on campus."
The doctor glanced over at Leansei and gave him a gentle, amused look. "Alright, I will be right there. And you, Mr. Corshe, please rest well and make sure to use this ointment for the bruising. You both can leave or stay as long as you need. I'll be back shortly." With a kind nod, she walked out and closed the door.
Silence settled over the clinic. Leansei stared down at his hands, feeling a strange weight in his chest. It frustrated him deeply that the real Kean, and so many other vulnerable students, had to live such miserable lives because useless thugs took advantage of them. They were trapped because they didn't have the strength to fight back for their own good.
"Who are you?"Leansei flinched slightly at the sudden question but tried to brush it off, maintaining his calm exterior.
"I already told you. I'm Kean."
"No! You are definitely not Kean," Corshe countered, his voice cracking with emotion as he lowered his head, staring at his lap. Leansei looked down at him, his expression completely unreadable.
"Ke-Kean is absolutely nothing like you are right now," Corshe whispered, his shoulders trembling. "The way you talk, the way you move, and the way you look at people... it is entirely different from who Kean was. Please, just tell me. Who are you?"
Leansei stayed quiet for a long moment, the hum of the clinic's lights filling the room. He let out a soft sigh. "I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to," Leansei replied quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the boy. "But tell me... who are you to him?"
"I knew it," Corshe whispered, his shoulders shaking as the realization hit him. "Ever since you woke up in the hospital a few days ago, you've been doing things you would have never done before. And right before he was gone—" He cut himself off, letting out a sharp sniffle. "Why did he have to leave me all alone?! Doesn't he know that I'm suffering terribly too? I despise you, Kean... I really do—" Corshe's voice broke completely. He began aggressively rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, looking just like an abandoned five-year-old boy.
Leansei felt a pang of sympathy. He walked over to the clinic bed and gently tapped Corshe's shoulder."I'm sorry," Leansei said quietly, looking down at the floor. "But listen to me. From this moment on, I won't let them hurt you or anyone else ever again. I promise."
As he spoke, a sudden thought clicked in his mind.
' Maybe this is the exact reason I was transmigrated into Kean's body in the first place. Maybe my purpose here is to protect the people Kean couldn't. I won't let anyone get broken by bullies again. Not while I'm around to stop it. '
Corshe looked down, a profound wave of sadness washing over his features. "Where is Kean?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is he okay? Is he... is he happy wherever he is?"
Leansei froze. The words hung heavily in the air between them, striking a chord deep in his chest. He didn't know how to answer. The truth was a terrifying blank space. Was Kean currently trapped in Leansei's original, broken body back in his old world? Had they swapped places entirely, or was Kean's soul completely lost somewhere in the ether? He had absolutely no idea.
"I—I will find him," Leansei promised, his voice softening into a steady, reassuring tone. He couldn't give Corshe the answers he wanted, but he could offer him hope.
Corshe managed a fragile nod, blinking back a fresh threat of tears. "I hope he is fine. Please... please find him. Life is not really kind to him."
"I will," Leansei repeated firmly, sealing the vow.
Corshe looked up at him, frantically wiping away his remaining tears. "D-don't you dare tell anyone I cried," he mumbled, his face turning bright red from absolute embarrassment.
For the very first time since waking up in this world, Leansei burst into a genuine, soft laugh. "I don't exactly have sum of friends and if I do tell them, what exactly are you going to do about it?"
"I—I—anyway," Corshe stammered, quickly shifting gears. "My name is Year Corshe. I've been your batchmate—well, Kean's batchmate—for four straight years now. Because I'm a nerd, everyone used to target me. But Kean stepped in and helped me. He even introduced me to some friends, and for a long time, the bullying completely stopped. But then... he changed out of nowhere. He became someone I didn't recognize at all," Corshe said, his gaze drifting sadly back to the floor tiles.
Leansei's brows furrowed. "Do you know what happened that change him?"
"It happened right after whatever he did to Xerchin," Corshe explained quietly. "Suddenly, the school turned on both of us. The bullies started using me as Kean's substitute whenever he wasn't around to take the heat. So when he got into that horrible accident and ended up in the hospital, they dragged me out and bullied me constantly just to satisfy themselves."
Leansei found himself completely at a loss for words. The horrific cycle of trauma Corshe had endured was almost unbearable to think about. It made him realize that so many people in this school were trapped in the same miserable situations—pain so deep that you couldn't even begin to compare it to your own past heartaches.
"We should probably head out now," Leansei said, breaking the heavy silence and sheepishly scratching his temple. "Though, I don't actually have a car to drive us..."
"Oh, it's fine. My driver is already on the way to fetch me," Corshe replied, checking the glowing screen of his phone.
They walked out of the school gates together, chatting quietly as they waited by the sidewalk. The conversation was eye-opening for Leansei. He learned that the original Kean was practically born to be a saint. The boy had never uttered a single foul word in his entire life and was physically incapable of saying "no," even when people completely took advantage of him.
As a sleek car pulled up to the curb, Corshe stood up and turned back to face him. "So... what should I actually call you from now on?"
Leansei smiled softly. A wave of profound relief washed over him. He had finally found one person in this chaotic world who didn't expect him to be a ghost, someone who knew the truth and accepted him anyway.
"Gawin," Leansei answered firmly. "Please, just call me Gawin."
' This sounds like my second name, yawin. Mixed with Kean's name Gavin. '
"Do you need a ride? i can—"
I shook my head, "I'm good." He was about to persuade when Leansei gave him the look.
"Okay then! See ya tomorrow at school, Gawin!" Corshe called out.
Despite the brutal battering he had taken just an hour prior, the boy waved energetically before sliding into the backseat of the car. Leansei raised his hand in a quiet sign of goodbye, watching the vehicle merge into the Lemous City traffic.
' I really should improve my social skills,' He thought to himself, a bitter smile touching his lips as he watched Corshe's car disappear. ' But if I actually do... I won't even be able to use those skills if I ever return to my original body. '
He looked up at the vast, beautiful sky, letting the gentle afternoon wind ruffle his hair. A heavy wave of unexplainable emotions suddenly washed over him. He was breaking his own rules. He was getting closer to Kean's circle. He was genuinely becoming fond of these people, which was something he had promised himself he wouldn't do.
' Ahh... I shouldn't have allowed myself to get this close to them,' he lamented silently, stepping away from the curb. ' What on earth am I going to do if I actually grow to love being Kean? Is it too selfish of me to want to stay? '
Lost in the suffocating depth of his thoughts, Leansei walked along the perimeter of the school. The trance was abruptly shattered by the sharp, aggressive blare of a car horn right behind him. Annoyance flared in his chest, and he snapped his head around to glare at the driver. But the anger evaporated instantly.
Xerchin stepped out of the luxury vehicle. He was dressed with effortless, eye-catching style—the top buttons of his navy blue shirt left undone, paired with tailored black pants. The messy style of his hair perfectly complemented his strikingly handsome features. He looked devastatingly attractive.
Leansei immediately averted his gaze, snapping his face forward in a desperate bid to hide the burning heat instantly rushing to his cheeks.
' What is this ridiculous sensation? Am I dying? Do I have some kind of heart disease? I seriously need to consult a medical professional about this. '
"What are you doing loitering out here?" Xerchin questioned. His tone was expressionless, but his deep, attractive baritone voice vibrated right through him.
"Wh-why does that even matter to you?" Lean stammered, keeping his eyes firmly locked on the ground. His defensive attitude vanished, however, the moment his eyes caught sight of Xerchin's knuckles. The skin was heavily reddened, scraped, and actively bleeding.
' Did he get into a fight? What happened to him? '
Without a second thought, he instinctively reached out and took Xerchin's hand, lifting it gently to inspect the depth of the wounds. The moment his fingers made contact, a jolt went through him. he froze, suddenly realizing exactly what he was doing. He slowly tilted his head up and found Xerchin staring down at him with an intense, unblinking focus.
Flushing red, he quickly dropped the hand. Attempting to mask his embarrassment, he grabbed the sleeve of Xerchin's shirt and practically dragged him back through the school gates. Xerchin didn't offer a single shred of resistance, simply allowing Leansei to lead him wherever he pleased.
Lean marched straight back into the school clinic. The doctor hadn't returned from the principal's office yet, but that didn't matter. Having been brutally beaten by his own father and ruthless debt collectors in his past life, he had practically become an expert at treating injuries.
Being this close, he suddenly realized just how much larger Xerchin was compared to him. The heir was significantly taller, possessed a broad, well-built frame, and had large hands with firm, elegant fingers. He pushed the thoughts aside, meticulously cleaning the raw skin and winding a crisp white bandage around the knuckles.
"You're not going to ask me what happened?" Xerchin murmured quietly.
Leansei paused, his eyes lingering on the neat wrap he had just finished. He shook his head. "If you had wanted to tell me, you already would have. The damage is done anyway. Now, just make sure you apply this ointment—" Lean's voice completely caught in his throat. The scent of Xerchin's familiar minty breath and the subtle, expensive cologne he always wore suddenly enveloped his senses.
"Do you really don't want to know?" Xerchin asked softly. He leaned his face down, closing the distance between them. He was close—so dangerously close that Leansei could feel his heart throwing a million chaotic pulses against his ribs all over again. It felt like his soul was about to physically burst right out of his chest.
"W-what are you—" Leansei voice cracked into a breathless stutter.
Xerchin leaned in even closer, his blue eyes locking onto Lean's lips before rising back to meet his gaze. "You haven't even thanked me for last night."
"T-this... this care is my thanks!" Leansei squeaked out. Panicking at the extreme proximity, he shoved his hands against Xerchin's broad chest, pushing him back with just enough force to break away. He scrambled to his feet, desperately planning to make a run for the door and escape the subject entirely. But Xerchin was faster.
Before he could take a single step, Xerchin slammed his palm against the wall, effectively blocking his exit. he spun around to dart in the opposite direction, but Xerchin's other hand instantly came up, trapping Leansei securely between his arms.
Leansei's back hit the wall. He looked up, cornered and breathless. "Wait a minute. What do you think you're doing right now?"
"Talking to you," Xerchin replied flatly, a faint trace of sarcastic amusement dancing in his dark blue eyes. "Are you truly not going to thank me properly?"
Xerchin bent his head down, bringing his face mere inches from Leansei's. Lean swallowed hard, his throat tight as the continuous, deafening rhythm of his heartbeat echoed loudly in the quiet space between them.
' This is what he considers a normal conversation?! Can't he just discuss things like a civil human being?! Why on earth does he have to be like this?! '
"Okay, you absolutely do not have to be this close to me, you bastard! T-Thank you! Are you happy now?!" He barked out, desperately snapping his head to the side to hide his flaming cheeks. But the effort was completely futile; Xerchin was already entirely too close to miss the dark blush creeping up his neck.
"So, this is how you express gratitude to the person who spent the night nursing you back to health? By calling me a bastard?" Xerchin murmured, his deep voice vibrating right against Leansei's skin. A slow, incredibly attractive smirk curved his lips, making him look like a damn dashing villain.
He could feel him leaning in even further, the proximity so intense it felt as though Xerchin's gaze alone could melt right through his reddish, prominent lips. Xerchin's eyes traced the frantic micro-expressions on Lean's face before dropping down to lock onto his mouth, the curve of his smirk widening just a fraction.
Overwhelmed by the absolute sensory overload and the explosive pounding of his own heart, Leansei unconsciously squeezed his eyes shut, his entire face burning with a furious blush.
Slowly, deliberately, Xerchin leaned the rest of the way in. The distance evaporated until their lips were mere inches apart, their breath mingling in the quiet space of the clinic.