San shoved his way through the dense throng of students surrounding the Disciplinary Committee for what felt like the tenth time today.
'Aish, why are these popular guys always suffocated by an entire battalion of people?' San grumbled internally, using his broad shoulders to plow a clean path through the crowd. He offered a quick mental prayer to the universe that he would never reach this level of campus fame—his low-key social anxiety could literally never survive it.
Finally, he broke through the perimeter and reached Park Jun-seo, who was holding a clipboard and giving instructions to two committee members.
Jun-seo turned, looking up at San in surprise.
"Oh, San? You're here? Did something happen?"
A sudden, brilliant spark of tactical deception ignited in San's mind.
He forced an expression of urgency onto his face, leaning in close.
"Yeah! Actually, something really urgent is happening right now! Park Jin-su has just arrived on the plaza, and he specifically requested an immediate group photo with the key administrative contributors—including the Student Council President!"
Jun-seo blinked, genuinely startled.
"What? Already? But he just went to meet with the board..."
"There's no time!" San barked, clapping a heavy hand around Jun-seo's wrist. "Let's go, quicker!"
"Ah—San-ah, wait!" Jun-seo stumbled forward as San pulled him along with the mechanical force of a tow truck. "Where are you... Wait, I should at least inform my head of the disciplinary committee! Hey! Wait...!"
San ignored his protests completely, dragging the Student Council President at double-time speed across the courtyard until they reached the middle plaza under the late-blooming winter sakuras.
Jin-hyun was standing there holding his silver-wrapped bouquet, Leo was nervously clutching his violin case, and the third-year Photography Club president was patiently setting up his DSLR on a tripod.
Jun-seo stopped dead in his tracks, staring in total confusion.
"Huh? Jin-hyun? Leo...? What are you two doing here? Where is Mr. Park? San, what on earth is happening?"
Without answering, San gave Jun-seo a firm shove straight into Jin-hyun's chest.
"Hold him!" San ordered.
Jin-hyun's face split into a delighted, wicked smirk as he immediately wrapped his arms around Jun-seo's shoulders. Leo reluctantly jumped in from the other side, pinning Jun-seo's left arm while wincing in sheer terror. "I'm so sorry, Jun-seo-ssi!"
"San! What is the meaning of this—?!" Jun-seo shouted, his pristine composure cracking.
Before Jun-seo could break free, Do-hyun appeared from the crowd further down the path, sharing a hearty laugh with a thoroughly relaxed, smiling Park Myung-dae.
Myung-dae was strolling with his hands in his pockets, asking, "So what was this insanely important matter you said you wanted to show me..."
He cut his sentence short as his eyes landed on San standing right in the middle of the walkway like a giant brick wall.
Myung-dae's smile died instantly.
"Don't tell me..."
Do-hyun shot Myung-dae a quick, nervous glance. "Sorry, man," he muttered, turning on his heel and completely vanishing into the crowd like a smoke bomb.
Myung-dae slapped a hand flat against his face, letting out a long, suffering groan.
"I mean... Mountain, you are completely crazy. But you could have just come up to me if you wanted a photo, I might have actually agreed..."
His voice stretched out and faded as his eyes drifted past San's shoulder, taking in the absurd sight of Jin-hyun and Leo physically wrestling the Student Council President under a cherry blossom tree.
His face darkened.
Without another word, he turned his back, aggressively spat on the ground, shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets, and started walking away at top speed.
San didn't hesitate for a microsecond.
He sprinted after him, cutting off his escape route in three massive strides.
"Dog, let me go," Myung-dae growled, his dark eyes glaring up at San with genuine malice, "if you don't wanna die right here."
"I'm sorry, but I am not planning on dying today!" San retorted, standing his ground. "It's just one photo with your band! It's practically the exact same thing we did together on stage, remember?!"
Myung-dae tried to dodge around him, throwing out sharp shoves to clear a path. San ducked his head, expertly dodging Myung-dae's thrashing hands, circled around behind him in a lightning-fast grappling maneuver, locked his thick arms tightly around Myung-dae's torso—pinning his arms completely—and literally lifted the bassist two feet off the pavement.
"YAH! SSIBALLA!" Myung-dae roared, kicking his legs wildly in mid-air.
San marched back toward the tree carrying the raging bassist like a bag of concrete. Myung-dae turned his head and literally bit straight into the thick padded shoulder of San's winter jacket, screaming a stream of un-censored, colorful Korean obscenities that would have gotten him expelled three times over.
Meanwhile, Jun-seo was shouting at the top of his lungs, trying to maintain his authority while being held by the silver-haired drummer.
"Leo! Jin-hyun! Release me immediately! There will be official disciplinary repercussions for this! I am warning you—!"
"I'm so sorry, Jun-seo!" Leo whimpered again, holding on for dear life.
San arrived at the tree, set the thrashing Myung-dae down on his feet, and instantly hooked his heavy left arm like a vice around Myung-dae's neck and shoulder, pinning him close.
In the exact same breath, San extended his long right arm, snatched Jun-seo by the collar, and slammed him right against his other side.
"YAH!" San yelled over the sheer chaos, his voice booming across the plaza. "You two! It's just a single photo with your band! You are still part of it!"
"Dog, I promise I am going to kill you!" Myung-dae screamed, his face red as he tried to pry San's iron arm off his neck. "I don't want any photos with this scumbag!"
"San! I told you that you shouldn't do this!" Jun-seo shouted back, his neck flushed with outrage as he pushed against San's chest. "I ask you politely, let me go! I want nothing to do with this... HIM!"
San held them both down with pure physical leverage, the muscles in his forearms and shoulders straining so hard they felt ready to violently cramp.
"Boys, come on, faster!" San yelled toward Jin-hyun and Leo, his teeth gritted. "Stand on the sides and smile! Quicker!"
Jin-hyun let out a booming laugh, casually stepping in on Jun-seo's outer side and throwing up a peace sign, while Leo quickly shuffled in beside Myung-dae, forcing a terrified, brilliant idol smile for the camera.
Jun-seo and Myung-dae thrashed with maximum strength, both trying to tear away from San's center grip, creating a chaotic vortex of wrestling uniforms under the pink sakura branches.
The third-year Photography Club president was thoroughly amused, grinning broadly behind his tripod as he framed the shot.
"Hold it right there!" the photographer laughed, raising his hand. "One... two... three!"
CLICK!