---
I shouldn't have come after all.
"Are you crazy? Have you finally lost your mind?"
'Ki, Kim Min-gyu...'
Hot soup and side dishes were dripping down my head. And Kim Min-gyu, as if his eyes were spinning, grabbed the collar of the boy who had spilled the plate on my head and held on.
Lee Seok-min was quietly, calmly eating his meal. I felt a little upset. If something like this happened to me, I thought it would be Lee Seok-min, of all people, who would be the first to step forward. But when it actually happened, he did nothing.
"I ate it all."
"Lee Seok-min, you say something too!!"
"Kim Min-gyu, stop it. Let him go."
Lee Seok-min glared at Kim Min-gyu. Kim Min-gyu, seemingly taken aback by Lee Seok-min's actions, let go of the boy's collar. The boy patted his own collar a few times, then walked over to Lee Seok-min and thanked him.
That was the moment. The boy's head was poured with soup, just like mine. Everyone in the cafeteria, including me and Kim Min-gyu, was shocked. Lee Seok-min had poured his plate over the boy's head. The food on Lee Seok-min's plate was still there, as if he hadn't touched it. It seemed like he had just pretended to eat.
" 개새끼야, 누굴 건들여. "
It was the first time I saw Lee Seok-min's serious expression. I knew it wasn't directed at me, but it was terrifying. It didn't seem like the Lee Seok-min I knew. The Lee Seok-min I knew was always a smiling, innocent child.
puck,!
Lee Seok-min kicked the boy in the shin, causing him to lose his balance and fall.
"If you're going to fall, fall gently. You've already bounced."
Lee Seok-min approached the boy, one step at a time, then two. It felt like something big was about to happen. Kim Min-gyu stopped him. Kim Min-gyu barely managed to calm Lee Seok-min down.
" ah... "
Lee Seok-min glanced around the cafeteria before walking toward me. He walked slowly over and sat down next to me. He then stretched out the sleeve of his uniform as far as it would go and wiped the soup dripping down my face.
"Seol-ah, are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah..."
"Get up, let's go home early."
"Kim Min-gyu. You come here and clean up."
"Why me,!"
***
"Seol-ah, I called Jeong-han hyung..."
"I'll take the bag."
" thank you... "
"I'll run over as soon as I'm done. Just rest."
" ... "
As the paper rang, Lee Seok-min entered the classroom. He waited in a daze for Yoon Jeong-han to arrive.
"Seol-ah!!"
***
"Brother... Where's the cafe..?"
"Jihoon came to help. Now with Soonyoung."
"No, but what happened?"
After I came out of the shower, Yoon Jung-han sat me down on the sofa. "I guess you have a lot of questions. But I haven't figured out the situation yet." Lee Seok-min... I was grateful, but also scared and surprised.
"Brother..."
"Yeah, why Seol-ah?"
"Why am I like this..."
***
I had no choice but to tell Yoon Jung-han everything I'd been through. I knew he wouldn't believe me even if I told him it was nothing.
"Should I go to school and kill half of them?? "
" ...Thank you even if it's just empty words."
"It's not just empty words..."
"But I'm okay. Seokmin and Mingyu are at school."
***
"Han Seol-ah!!!"
The front door slammed open, and Kim Min-gyu came in, calling out loudly. Lee Seok-min followed him. Yoon Jung-han had gone to look at the store a while ago, and I was lying on the sofa, sleeping. But Kim Min-gyu's loud voice woke me up.
"Seol-ah, are you okay?? You didn't get burned??? Are you hurt anywhere?? "
"I'm okay, Mingyu..."
"Look at this. I'm fine."
"That kid is going to live like he's dead now."
"But Min-gyu, you... knew..?"
"It must have been really hotter than that..."
"I'm half-killing you..."
"Thank you for your concern, Mingyu."
Behind Kim Min-gyu's shoulder, Lee Seok-min was visible. I could feel him scratching the back of his neck, watching me closely. "Lee Seok-min, you didn't do anything wrong."