* Please note that this article is a fabrication based on a creative work. *
*Please note that there is profanity.*
When I entered the classroom, he greeted me brightly, as if he had just woken up. However, Seungkwan's expression was not good, and he immediately fell to the ground without even looking at me.
"What's wrong with Seungkwan Boo?"
"What happened, heroine?"
"Uh..? Well, well.. "
I couldn't tell the kids what had happened earlier, so I gave a vague explanation and turned my gaze back to my workbook.
Seungkwan didn't raise his head even once during lunchtime, and the kids didn't talk to him, perhaps because he was strange. I patted his shoulder or tried to talk to him, but there was no response.goIt was just one letter.
"Aren't you going to eat lunch? Today is such a delicious day..."
"You guys eat amongst yourselves, I don't have an appetite."
"...I'll buy something from the store."
I got up and left the classroom. The kids all looked puzzled, wondering if Seung-kwan wasn't eating since I was the only one there. I headed to the cafeteria, saying I should grab something from the store. Seung-kwan's worries vanished for a moment, his eyes widening at the sight of the meat.
After we finished eating, we headed to the store and I bought a few things Seungkwan liked and then headed back to the classroom.
"What, where did he go?"
" what? "
But unlike me, who had entered the room bright and cheerful, the other half was utterly desolate. Seung-kwan was nowhere to be found. My bag and other belongings were gone, and I realized he'd gone straight home.
"I think he went home."
" house? "
"That's right, I don't have a bag."
The kids and I were both incredibly flustered, so I immediately called Seungkwan. He answered shortly after, and I called Seungkwan's name in a panic.
" where are you? "
- I left work early.
"Early departure..?"
- I'm not feeling well. It's dangerous to go alone, so make sure to ask Jeon Won-woo to take you.
"Seungkwan, "
His voice didn't sound very good when he said he was sick, and I was worried about him. I was staring blankly at the disconnected phone, and the kids asked what was wrong, and I quickly started packing my bag.
"Seungkwan is sick. I'll go and see him. Come back after school."
"Now..? Let's go together."
"No, you shouldn't leave work too early at once. I'll contact you."
After stopping the kids who wanted to go with me, I stopped by the principal's office to get my early dismissal slip and left school. It was my first time leaving school at this hour, so the deserted path felt unfamiliar. I crossed the empty playground and exited the school gate. Just then, someone blocked my path, and when I looked up, I involuntarily took a step back.
"Hello, we're old friends, right?"
" ... ... "
"Don't be scared lol, let's just go quietly together."
The kids I'd been fighting with yesterday surrounded me, their faces covered in wounds from yesterday. In the end, I couldn't run away, and they dragged me away. The fighting skills I'd learned from them were useless.
I entered an alley a short distance from the school, where I saw several abandoned pieces of furniture. Since no one was around, I couldn't see them at all. They pushed me to the floor and sat down on the furniture, leaving me with my head bowed.
"Would you like to stay there for a bit?"
My knees were already charred and scratchy, dust creeping in. I took a cigarette out of my pocket and lit it with a familiar patina. I, who usually abhor the smell of cigarettes, coughed involuntarily.
"What do they like about this kind of kid?"
"It's pretty, isn't it?"
"Yeah, the face looks nice."
I held onto the hem of my skirt with one hand and reached into my pocket without them noticing. I wanted to take out my phone, but I felt like it would be obvious, and as I was contemplating what to do, the girl in front of me grabbed my wrist.
"What are you doing?"
" ... that, "
"Contact me? Who?"
"I did it to them, so just wait a minute~."
When he tried to take my phone, I used the self-defense techniques I'd learned from the kids. I twisted my wrist, got up, and when he took my phone back, he swore at me, apparently upset at what had happened to him.
" ah Shit! "
"Hey, you want to fight? Then let's stop this too."
match.
As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed his palm against my cheek, and I fell to the floor with such force. My palm and legs were gone, and before I could even feel the pain, my hair was grabbed again, and my head was lifted.
"Oh, I was going to hit them in front of them, but what the heck?"
"Aren't you going to let go of that hand?Shit. "
I closed my eyes tightly as I saw a hand flying towards me, when I heard a familiar voice from far away. When I opened my eyes, Seungkwan had kicked the boy in front of me and was examining my condition.
" are you okay? "
"Yeah... but you weren't sick, were you?"
"Get up quickly."
I was puzzled by Seung-kwan's appearance, which was so different from before, but Seung-kwan quickly got me up and hid me behind him.
"Is she your girlfriend or something? Why are you so protective of her?"
"If you're going to fight, then fight."
The fight began with Seung-kwan's words, and although Seung-kwan was outnumbered 3 to 1, he won very easily.
" Just a littleShut upAlive. "
Seung-kwan wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, took me out of the alley, entered the apartment where I lived, and walked me to my front door.
" go. "
"I'll just come in for a bit, there's no one home right now anyway."
" .. Okay, okay."
" let's go. "
I grabbed Seungkwan's hand and dragged him into the house. I sat him down on the sofa and found the first aid kit. Sitting next to him, I tended to the wounds on his face and the back of his hand.
"This is the third time I've treated you, and two days in a row at that..."
" ... sorry. "
"No, I don't have to be sorry,"
"I'm sorry this happened because of us."
"I'm fine haha."
"It's okay, just tell me when you see the wounds on your body."
Oh, I've gotten too used to it.
Even though my skin was raw, I felt no pain at all. Seung-kwan took the medicine from my hand and bent down to treat the wounds on my legs and arms.
"But now I'm really curious."
" what? "
"Why on earth did you fight?"
"...because they were swearing at you."
" me? "
"I guess the rumor spread to the next school. I heard it while passing by and got angry so I hit him."
I cautiously asked them, who had been enemies for two days, why they were having such a quarrel, and was shocked when they told me it was because of me. It would have been difficult in the past, but now, with them around, I didn't really care about the rumors.
"Thanks, but you don't have to do that anymore."
" why? "
"I don't really care, I have you guys."
"How can you not care about that?! What if you hear that and get hurt by yourself? I'm worried about that."
"..were you worried?"
Seungkwan suddenly got angry when I said I didn't care and was momentarily flustered, but then smiled when I said I was worried.
"Well, don't worry about anything..."
" ...you like me."
" .. Huh? No, "
"My brother told me that I think you like me."
Honestly, he was always so nice to me, but when I got close, his face would turn red and he wouldn't make eye contact. It was even stranger that he didn't notice. I burst out laughing at Seungkwan's flustered expression and remembered what my brother had said to me last time.
"Get along well with Seungkwan, he's a good guy. It seems like you really like him a lot."
" no? "
"Let's date."
" uh..? "
Seung-kwan was flustered when he suddenly asked her out, and he seemed flustered as well, as if he didn't know that something like this would come out of him.
"Ah, that..."
" Phew-."
"Since it's come to this, I'll tell you everything. Honestly, I heard everything you said in the teachers' office earlier. I thought about it a lot after listening to it, and I realized that I really like you. I can't give up."
" ... ... "
"Even if a man doesn't suit you, I'll try to make him suit you. Come date me, heroine."
Seeing Seung-kwan's unusually serious demeanor, I instinctively kissed him. After a brief kiss and a parting, his eyes widened. I cooled my cheeks, which had suddenly become flushed, and organized the first aid kit.
"I love you, Hong Yeo-ju."
" .. me too. "
"But what about the kids?"
"Oh, they said they couldn't leave work early."
"Early retirement? Why?"
"Two people have already done it, so it won't work."
" ah... "
"But are you worried about another man right now?"