By Zephyria 
“Why is everyone here?”
“We were waiting because we were worried about you, Hae-jun.”
Yeon Su-hwan answered my question with a serious expression. The words “What’s your relationship with me that you’d be worried?” rose to my throat, but I swallowed them down. If I pushed back now, I might get hit. They’re delinquents!
Yeon Su-hwan reached out and ruffled my hair, then used his hand to wipe away the moisture from my temples. He’s only seen me twice, yet he’s being so attentive. It felt burdensome. It was unavoidable that his excessive kindness towards someone he barely knows felt a little chilling. My desire to avoid getting acquainted with someone who was suspended was still valid.
“Please take your hand off, Su-hwan Sunbae.”
“Whoa, whoa—calm down. I didn’t do anything, did I?”
“The shady Sunbae’s gaze! Si-hu the paparazzo caught it all! Grrr!”
Sunbae?
‘Ah.’
It was only when I heard them call Yeon Su-hwan “Sunbae” that I remembered he was also a character in the novel. There weren’t many Sunbaes who appeared in this novel.
Yeon Su-hwan was the top dog of the second year at Seoyeon High School, the school I and the Four Heavenly Kings attended… In the novel, he was mentioned like a legendary figure, almost as if he had already retired, and would rarely appear like a comet to help the female protagonist, Ban Pyo-ran, when she was in danger, then disappear.
Naturally, he fell head over heels for Ban Pyo-ran’s charm—her pure, steadfast, and confident nature, like a wild rose—and was one of the cool, straightforward supporting male characters who cleanly gave up on her for the sake of his junior!
As my thoughts reached that point, I suddenly realized how bizarre this situation was.
Shouldn’t it be the female protagonist, Ban Pyo-ran, who they should be so involved with?
‘Why am I here?’
Sensing something was off, I looked around again and my eyes met Lee Beom’s, who was staring down at me. It wasn’t just him. Min Si-hu, who must have arrived at some point, was sitting by the bed, looking up at me from a prone position, shaking my leg and whining. Seong Hae-min, Yeon Su-hwan, all of them looked at me with worried eyes. Jeon Jae-hyung also seemed to be there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching me quietly.
I was at the center where all their gazes intersected. I felt like an ant being scorched by a magnifying glass. My throat felt dry with an inexplicable tension.
“We were worried.”
Lee Beom said, frowning, his tone blunt. I blinked nervously, as if a bug had gotten into my eye. The thought that something was seriously wrong began to bubble up.
“Worried about what…”
“Waaah! Jjuni, Si-hu did it wrong!!”
But the moment I opened my mouth, Min Si-hu, tears welling in his eyes, suddenly hugged my leg and rubbed his face against it. I froze, looking down at him. A heavy high schooler was clinging to my right leg.
Min Si-hu, unable to contain his emotions, let out a choked cry, as if spitting blood.
“Jjuni, you… you didn’t want to be a burden to Mini… so you deliberately acted cold towards Mini… Si-hu really didn’t know! I’m sorry! I’m really sorry! Waaah—!”
“What?”
What the hell is he talking about? A million question marks popped up above my head.
Me?
Didn’t want to be a burden to Seong Hae-min?
So I acted cold?
Even after processing the first statement into a second, I couldn’t understand it.
“What are you talking about…?”
As I looked around with a dumbfounded expression, as if I’d been hit hard on the back of the head, Yeon Su-hwan, who was standing beside me, suddenly apologized.
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“But…”
Yeon Su-hwan, starting with his excuse, let out a slow sigh.
“I couldn’t help it. I know your personality well. Someone who swallows everything alone, never speaking up for fear of being a burden, and thus rots from the inside.”
“Wh-what? Me?”
I was so stunned by the torrent of words pouring out of Yeon Su-hwan that my mouth hung open. Is this guy a novelist? Why is he spinning such fantasies?
“When I brought you home after you fainted, I told the others the truth. That you’d been threatened by those Jeseong High School guys on the bus a few days ago.”
“What?”
“I’ll say it again, I’m sorry I couldn’t grant your wish. But thinking of you, I couldn’t help it. You even asked me not to tell them so they wouldn’t worry, so you wouldn’t have told us the truth first, would you?”
“……?”
What the hell is this nonsense? Is he a monk?
Yeon Su-hwan’s gaze, moist with unshed tears, wandered aimlessly. Despite his tragic expression, his words were outrageous.
“I know your type well. How much you push yourself… Hae-jun, don’t do that. You’ll rot from the inside. So please, don’t. This time, I’m asking you.”
“……??”
What does he know that makes him say that? That I endured everything for Seong Hae-min? Anyone who knew me would burst into laughter and fall backward, breaking their nose.
Yeon Su-hwan’s wavering gaze settled like a calm stream. The atmosphere in the room also quieted down. Seong Hae-min beside me let out a small sigh. His expression showed he was deeply hurt.
When people are too dumbfounded, their heads feel dizzy. I thought I heard tinnitus.
‘I’m doomed.’
Although I didn’t fully grasp the situation, I perfectly understood one thing: I was doomed.
I opened my trembling lips. My tongue felt parched.
“Uh, I think everyone has a misunderstanding, but I…”
“Hae-jun! Even if you act strong in front of others, you can be honest with me. At least one person in this world is definitely on your side…”
However, Seong Hae-min’s affectionate reassurance caused my weak protest to crumble into ‘a pathetic younger brother’s clumsy act of trying to appear resilient.’
“You can be honest with Si-hu too! From now on, Si-hu will protect Jjuni too. So it’s two people! Not one!”
Min Si-hu looked at me with a determined expression, clenching his fists. He still hadn’t let go of my leg, holding it preciously.
“You can lean on me. I’ll keep my shoulder free for you.”
Lee Beom spoke from beside me, his face blunt but somehow softened. These devastating remarks sent shivers down my spine.
No, now, ha, I can’t even speak. I stammered like a lost person.
“Wh-why, why are you all acting like this, all of a sudden? Huh?”
Stop paying attention to me! What did I do? The only mistake I made was desperately trying not to offend these people, so how did the opposite result occur? My brain couldn’t comprehend this situation.
The room fell silent in an instant. Judging by their expressions, they all seemed deeply shocked. It felt like another strange misunderstanding was unfolding in real-time.
“……”
Unable to bear the frustration, I bit my lip and held back a sigh. If I sighed now, they’d probably interpret it strangely and insist on taking me to the hospital.
But that was my mistake in underestimating Seong Hae-min. The moment he saw me bite my lip, he immediately rushed past Lee Beom and Yeon Su-hwan and hugged my shoulder.
“Are you not feeling well, Hae-jun? Can’t you breathe? Should we go to the hospital? No, let’s go now. I’ll carry you.”
“No, no, no! Seong Hae-min, calm down. I’m really okay.”
“Hae-jun…”
“I mean it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I really mean it.”
This is driving me crazy. Seong Hae-min called my name, his voice trembling. I’m telling him I’m fine, why won’t he believe me! I couldn’t scream, and only more frustration built up inside me.
In the silent room, Lee Beom spoke first.
“Why else? Because you’re our friend.”
“Huh?”
…F-friend?
I couldn’t believe my ears. I had to doubt it. It was a word I should never have heard from these guys.
Unaware of my decaying heart, Lee Beom added softly.
“Yeah. …A precious one.”
“Mhm, that’s right! To Si-hu, Jjuni is also a precious friend!”
“What…?”
“Aah, Hae-jun’s popularity is exploding.”
“Get off, everyone.”
Yeon Su-hwan playfully said to Min Si-hu, who was clinging to my leg, and Lee Beom, who had placed a hand on my shoulder. Seong Hae-min sternly stopped them. However, Min Si-hu, as if to spite them, clung tighter to my leg and rubbed his face against it.
“No! Si-hu won’t be separated from Jjuni!”
Don’t do this…
My vision went dark. The thought ‘I’m doomed’ spun around and around in my head. But every time I felt like giving up, the five restless colts pacing around me and anxiously checking my condition forced me to pretend to be okay and smile just to get rid of them.
My lips trembled. I barely managed to calm Seong Hae-min down when he rushed over again, asking if I was in pain.
“……”
But now, all that came to mind were curses. The Four Heavenly Kings and Yeon Su-hwan were calling themselves my ‘precious friends’ and hovering around me.
…I had never wished for a connection with the main characters so much before, but now, I desperately wanted the loyal female protagonist.
Yes, the female protagonist!
Ban Pyo-ran, where are you? Please come and take these guys away! Please, take them and date them! I cried out inwardly like a Himalayan bear.
“Uh… do you, by any chance…”
“What is it, Hae-jun? Do you need something? Want some water?”
“No, that’s not it. Seong Hae-min, do you happen to know… someone named Ban Pyo-ran?”