Seol Hyorim sat beside me, her face still marked with faint bruises from her brother's outburst.Her thoughts tangled bitterly. If I'd known it would turn out like this, I never should've shown up. No... at the very least, I should've said something nicer. Anything…
She glanced at me for a brief second before looking down again, quietly dabbing a bandage onto my arm. And he even got dragged into this because of me… even though he didn't do anything wrong.
A tear started forming in her eye, trembling at the edge of her lashes.
"You okay?" I asked gently.
"Hmm? Uh… yeah," she said quickly, forcing a small smile. Then her expression softened into guilt."I'm sorry you got hurt because of my damn brother…"
"It's fine," I said, shaking my head.
Seol Hyorim let out a small sigh, grumbling under her breath. "It's annoying, you know? My brother."
"Yeah," I said with a faint chuckle. "He seems… a little too concerned about you."
She gave a humorless laugh. "Don't you think he's a total psycho? He's insane seriously. I'm surprised you can still sit here and talk after fighting him. I thought you'd be bedridden for months."
"Haha, maybe," I said, smiling faintly. "But the others weren't exactly in the right either."
Seol Hyorim laughed weakly, then her smile faded. "Heh… The guys are probably trashing me so bad right now. Right?"
I looked at her seriously. "No. You didn't do anything wrong not even a little."
Seol Hyorim paused for a moment, her expression distant and pensive."...Right? Yeah,"
I couldn't help but just watch her, the way her eyes stayed fixed on what she was doing, the slight tremble in her fingers.
After a moment, she finally looked up, meeting my gaze. "There," she said quietly. "I'm done."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips despite the ache.
I noticed it her cheeks, streaked with faint trails of dried tears she hadn't bothered to wipe away. The sight tugged at me harder than any punch I'd taken tonight.
Before I knew it, my hand lifted. My thumb brushed gently against her skin, tracing away the dampness. Her breath hitched, her wide eyes snapping up to mine.
"Y-you…" she stammered, but the words faded as my palm settled against her cheek.
Her skin was warm, softer than I'd imagined, and the closeness made the world around us fall away the hum of the convenience store fridge, the occasional passing car, even the dull throb of my bruises.
She didn't say anything. Just sat there frozen, eyes shimmering as if another wave of tears might fall at any second. But she didn't pull away. Instead, her head tilted just slightly into my hand, like she was testing whether or not she could lean on me literally, and maybe in other ways too.
The door chime jingled, sharp and sudden. A man shuffled out with a plastic bag swinging at his side, not even sparing us a glance. Still, the spell shattered.
I pulled my hand back a little too quickly, as if burned, and Seolhyo blinked, flustered, her lips parting like she wanted to say something but couldn't.
I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting Seol Hyorim to notice the heat creeping up my face.My ears felt hot, and I pretended to study the streets, hoping she wouldn't catch on to how flustered I was.
"…we should go home now," I muttered, the words heavier than they should've been.
She gave the faintest nod, clutching the edge of her hoodie, eyes still glossy. For a second, I thought she might stop me, but she didn't.
*********
Monday came sooner than I expected. The halls buzzed with gossip, but the noise dulled as I pushed open the classroom door.
Inside, Park Dong, Ji Suwon, and Kim Jiseong were doubled over in laughter, teasing Park Dong's fresh buzz cut.
"Lol, you look like a trainee fresh out of boot camp!" Suwon cackled, clutching his stomach.
"Shut up! I still look good, don't even lie," Park Dong shot back, running a hand over his shaved head with mock pride.
Their laughter filled the room until their eyes landed on me.
I raised a hand casually as I headed for my seat. "Yo. You guys, okay?"
Park Dong forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's alright… just a couple bruises. We should be the ones asking, though. After what happened, seeing you still standing" He shook his head, a grin creeping across his face despite himself. "Man, that was insane."
Kim Jiseong leaned forward, eyes wide with the memory. "Seriously. I thought you'd be flat on the ground after the first hit. But you… you fought back. Against Minsu-hyung of all people."
Ji Suwon leaned back in his chair, exhaling like he'd been holding it in for days. "Still, Seojin… thanks, man. If you hadn't stopped that slap, I swear I'd be missing a couple teeth right now."
I smirked, waving it off. "It's alright. Honestly, if that hit connected, you probably would've lost two teeth minimum."
For a beat, they all blinked at me then the burst into laughter. Park Dong slapped the desk, wheezing. "Pfft holy shit, only imagining Suwon with front teeth missing!"
Kim Jiseong leaned forward, clutching his stomach. "Ahh, Suwon with a gummy smile, that's a cursed image!"
Even Suwon couldn't help but be embarrassed, face flushed. "Damn it, stop imagining things!."
As if suddenly realizing it, Ji Suwon frowned. "Hey… what about Jinsu? He's always with us, but I haven't seen him at all today."
Park Dong shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "No clue. He's not even answering my calls."
Jiseong, leaned forward. "Wait… didn't he say before that if Seolhyo rejected him, he wouldn't show up anymore?" She hesitated, lowering her voice. "He's not seriously… quitting, is he?"
The group fell silent for a moment, the earlier laughter fading into unease.
The homeroom door slid open with a sharp clack, and the teacher strode in, his expression as flat as ever. He clapped his hands once, cutting through the chatter.
"Listen up, all of you. From today, hair regulations will be enforced even stricter. Got it? You think I won't notice? Trim it, or you'll regret it." His eyes swept over the room, then narrowed. "And don't think I haven't noticed you boys spend more time in the snack store than you do with your textbooks. When's the last time any of you actually studied?"
A few students chuckled under their breath, trying to hide their smirks.
The teacher's gaze landed squarely on Park Dong, his buzz-cut shining under the fluorescent lights. He tilted his head, lips twitching. "Well, at least one of you is ready to serve the nation. Look at our Park Dong so round, like a hard-boiled egg."
The class erupted in laughter. Park Dong groaned, covering his head with both hands. "Teach, c'mon! Don't say it like that!"
The teasing lingered for a moment, but then someone near the windows muttered, "...Uh, who's that?"
A few heads turned. Then more. Soon half the class was crowding toward the glass, murmuring in disbelief.
The teacher frowned, annoyed. "Why are you all standing? Sit down!"
One of the braver kids pointed. "Teach… there's someone outside. In the courtyard. Smoking. He's… he's a student, right?"
The teacher's eyes snapped toward the window. His face darkened instantly. "Tsk. Tsk.."
All eyes locked on the figure below. Chulgyu stood in the courtyard with a cigarette dangling lazily between his fingers, the morning sun sharp against his face. He took one last drag, then without hesitation shrugged off his school blazer.
Gasps rippled through the class.
He crouched, flicked open a lighter, and held the flame steady. Within seconds, the uniform caught fire, smoke curling upward in a defiant plume.
"Holy crap…" someone whispered, wide-eyed.
"Is he insane?!" another hissed, though their grin betrayed more excitement than fear.
The room buzzed with laughter and disbelief. Some kids banged their desks, cheering like it was a performance. "He really burned it!"