By Zephyria 
When Lee Beom’s song ended, Min Si-hu, his eyes shining like a hundred light bulbs, jumped up and down like a rabbit, shouting, “Lee Beom! Lee Beom!” He even ended up clinging to Lee Beom’s waist as if he were lying on him. Lee Beom’s face contorted, suddenly burdened with a living, breathing weight around his waist instead of a belt.
“Why haven’t you sung for Si-hu until now! Huh? Huh? You sing so well!”
“Get off me while I’m still being nice.”
“Si-hu’s tears are welling up! Why did you hide your skills until now! Boo hoo! That’s so unfair!”
“Agh…”
Lee Beom sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. He was his usual quiet and prickly self. Was it really him who sang that song earlier?
“I didn’t know you were a hidden talent, Beom.”
“Really. You sing so well, why didn’t you before? I’m curious too.”
Ban Pyo-ran agreed with Seong Hae-min and asked with sparkling eyes, but Lee Beom didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced at me while Min Si-hu clung to his waist.
Why me again?
Lee Beom avoided my gaze.
I doubted my eyes, looking at Lee Beom. Perhaps the colorful lighting was making it hard to distinguish colors. The tips of Lee Beom’s ears were red…
“…Because.”
“Huh?”
“I haven’t sung much.”
Lee Beom mumbled gruffly. The heat coloring the tips of his ears gradually spread to his neck. As if he knew it, he ran a hand down his neck and glared at the empty air.
“Oh? Are Beom’s ears turning red?”
“…Shut up before I knock your teeth out, Min Si-hu.”
“Hmph…”
Threatened by Lee Beom’s menacing promise to knock his teeth out, Min Si-hu detached himself from Lee Beom. Lee Beom, who had sprung up from the sofa, headed for the door. As he reached for the doorknob, he glanced back. It seemed like he was looking at me, but it must have been a mistake. Lee Beom would have looked at Ban Pyo-ran.
“I’m leaving.”
“What! Lee Beom!”
Lee Beom left the room. It was obvious he was running away because he was embarrassed. Lee Beom disappeared quickly. Min Si-hu chased after him, shouting, “No, wait…!” but he had already vanished.
Min Si-hu, unable to catch Lee Beom, returned and closed the door. He seemed upset that he couldn’t catch Lee Beom.
“We still have time left at the karaoke room! Ugh! That tiger!”
Min Si-hu stomped his feet with a pout.
“Beom left too, should we go too?”
Seong Hae-min made a suggestion I quite liked. I nodded enthusiastically, lest he change his mind. Yes, push harder, Seong Hae-min!
“What about Jjuni?”
“Me?”
“Yeah! Are you going too, Jjuni?”
Min Si-hu lowered his eyebrows and pleaded with a pitiful look. I realized Lee Beom’s decision to leave first was the right one.
“Uh…”
I was about to say of course I was going, but then I thought of Ban Pyo-ran and my certainty wavered. Without Lee Beom, what about Ban Pyo-ran?
A quick check revealed that Ban Pyo-ran, who had been smiling all along, was looking at Min Si-hu, who was pouting sadly, with a fond expression, like he was looking at a younger brother. Well, the answer was clear. They could have fun together.
After tidying things up, I quickly shifted the responsibility of choice, which had been passed to me, back to Ban Pyo-ran.
“Pyo-ran, what about you?”
“I don’t mind either way, but…”
Of course, I knew he’d say that. Given Ban Pyo-ran’s personality, he wouldn’t be able to ignore Min Si-hu acting pitiful. Now, I should slip away.
“Then I’m tired, so I’ll head home first. You guys…”
“No!!”
“Huh?”
Min Si-hu puffed out his cheeks, his face contorted in anger. It was painful to see him make such a childish face despite being so handsome.
“Jjuni, don’t go!! If Jjuni goes, Si-hu will go too!!”
Min Si-hu threw an unreasonable tantrum. I was truly fed up with this crazy guy. What a disgrace in front of Ban Pyo-ran! I wanted to punch him three times. No, fifteen times.
This angel-faced devil started acting out, saying he’d leave if Jjuni left. He would never be a good business partner. I had planned to leave it to Ban Pyo-ran and escape, but it was ruined.
“Hae-jun is tired, Si-hu. I guess we should all go home then?”
It was fortunate that Seong Hae-min knew how to handle Min Si-hu. Ban Pyo-ran also agreed, saying he didn’t mind. Jeon Jae-hyung, looking like he had just woken up, adjusted his doll and held it close.
Thanks to Seong Hae-min finally pacifying Min Si-hu’s complaints, we were able to leave the room. As we headed to the counter, we ran into Lee Beom.
“Lee Beom?”
Why hadn’t he left yet?
I pointed at him in surprise. Seeing my finger, Lee Beom’s eyebrows twitched unpleasantly. I calmly lowered my hand.
“Weren’t you leaving first?”
“What are you talking about?”
“……?”
“I was waiting for you, Seong Hae-jun.”
“…….”
“…….”
“Ahhh~!”
Realizing the true meaning of his words a beat late, I nodded.
That’s right, based on my recent experience, Lee Beom was the shy type. With his gruff and aloof tsundere personality, he couldn’t openly show his affection for someone.
In other words, Lee Beom was waiting for Ban Pyo-ran, not me. Perhaps he intended to escort him home? And then, too embarrassed to say he was waiting for Ban Pyo-ran, he used me as an excuse.
I nodded, accepting my perfect interpretation. It was a shame he couldn’t say it was for Ban Pyo-ran, even though he wasn’t Hong Gildong.
“I see. Let’s go.”
For my own freedom, I was willing to play along with Lee Beom’s charade and support the relationship between Lee Beom and Ban Pyo-ran. We left the karaoke room together.
It was still bright outside, but the sun was setting at an angle. Our shadows stretched out before us. Min Si-hu was chatting with Ban Pyo-ran, and beside them stood the aloof Lee Beom with his hands in his pockets. Next to him were Seong Hae-min and I, and behind us, Jeon Jae-hyung stood like a shadow.
If I were to leave here, it would be the most ideal composition.
After settling the bill, I slowed my walking pace, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. I gradually created distance from the group. I planned to pretend I had injured my leg and take a taxi home first.
“Where are you going?”
But my efforts were in vain as Lee Beom suddenly grabbed my shoulder. Goosebumps prickled my skin. He wasn’t even looking at me, how did he know? Did he have heightened senses and intuition?
“Um, I was going to catch a taxi…”
“A taxi? To go home?”
“Yeah.”
What’s the problem when I’m being considerate and leaving? Lee Beom looked down at me and squinted one eye. Then he yanked my shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“You said you were going to catch a taxi.”
“Huh?”
This isn’t right…
Lee Beom started dragging me along, holding me by the shoulder. As I was awkwardly pulled along by Lee Beom, I desperately sent a plea for help to Seong Hae-min.
“…Lee Beom, stop! I’ll take him, so let go of Hae-jun.”
Seong Hae-min didn’t disappoint my expectations. But Lee Beom disappointed me. Seong Hae-min called out as if to stop him, but the stubborn lone wolf paid no mind and strode forward.
‘Help me!’
My only twin came running towards us. Min Si-hu, who had been chatting with Ban Pyo-ran, also spotted Lee Beom and me, who were moving further away from the group. ‘Ah!’ Min Si-hu shouted and started chasing us, hopping like a Jiangshi. And with a silly grin, he said something as annoying as Lee Beom.
“What the? Are you guys having a second round at Jjun’s place??”
“…Second round?”
Jeon Jae-hyung, who had been dozing off while walking, brightened up. I had forgotten that he wasn’t normal either.
“Wow! Jjun’s house!!”
“Are you going to Hae-jun’s place?”
“No, no!”
Lee Beom, who grabbed my shoulder (or rather, my scruff) and wouldn’t let go, Seong Hae-min chasing us, Min Si-hu hopping around like a frog asking what would be a good housewarming gift, Jeon Jae-hyung trailing behind with a doll clutched to his chest, Ban Pyo-ran following along, happily shouting “yes,” and me shouting “no.”
It wasn’t a sitcom, and to make matters worse, the street turned into a chaotic mess as people recognized the Four Heavenly Kings and started to gather.
At first, it was just a few people turning back as they passed or a few pulling out their mobile phones to take pictures. Later, everyone was shoving their mobile phones forward, and led by someone who jumped in shouting, ‘Just one handshake, please! I’ll never wash my hand again!’, the area around the Four Heavenly Kings became a battleground where people tore at each other’s hair and threw themselves around, begging for just one hug.
Grabbed by the scruff of my neck by Lee Beom, I couldn’t escape, and unable to withstand the momentum, my very soul ascended.
It happened in an instant. What in the world.
The desperate cries of a famous game commentator echoed in my head.
‘Ah~ We’re doomed… doomed….’
In the end, Seong Hae-min, the only intellectual among us, stepped in to sort out the situation, and we managed to make it home alive, each fending for ourselves.
I thought I was just going to see Ban Pyo-ran briefly, but I returned home battered and bruised. I was especially bothered by the fact that I had let him go home in such a dazed state at the end. I was exhausted, so Ban Pyo-ran must have been even more so. I didn’t know how we had ended up in such a state of chaos, destruction, and oblivion.
Only after showering and resting did I manage to send Ban Pyo-ran a text. Fortunately, Ban Pyo-ran seemed fine in the message. He said he had fun and not to worry, just to rest well. It was fortunate that Ban Pyo-ran had such a positive, sunshine-like personality.
Still, today yielded a great harvest. Judging by his reactions, it was clear that Ban Pyo-ran had developed feelings for Lee Beom. I thought it would take time to instill a good impression of the Four Heavenly Kings in Ban Pyo-ran and introduce them, but somehow, it was resolved as quickly as lightning striking a bean.
This must be how a novel progresses. I was convinced.