By Zephyria 
“Si-hu was raised by his maternal grandfather and is very attached to him.”
“……?”
What does that have to do with him not having a good relationship with his mother?
I had tried to change the subject, but instead, question marks appeared in my head. I resented my brain for immediately trying to process the logic of the information it received.
“But it seems Si-hu’s mother didn’t have a good relationship with his maternal grandfather.”
“……”
“She wasn’t even there at his maternal grandfather’s deathbed… she was a workaholic and barely present at his funeral. She was curt even when contacted. So, Si-hu was always the one by his maternal grandfather’s side, I heard.”
“Mm.”
It was difficult to comment on someone else’s family affairs based on fragmented information presented from Min Si-hu’s perspective, but I thought it was understandable that a child might feel betrayed by his mother. However, who in the world doesn’t have their own circumstances?
That doesn’t mean their actions are right, but even Ban Seo-yi, who tormented Ban Pyo-ran so cruelly, had her circumstances.
“I think the reason Si-hu is one of the Four Heavenly Kings is because he wants to distance himself as much as possible from the ideal son his mother envisioned……”
Even so, he becomes one of the Four Heavenly Kings? Ultimately, it’s his own life.
I was dumbfounded, but I continued eating my rice, which I had forgotten about while focusing on Seong Hae-min’s words.
After all, I hadn’t asked Seong Hae-min to pry; he had started rambling and spilling information himself. So, I ate my food in silence, showing no interest in his story. The only sounds on the table were the clinking of spoons against bowls.
Surprisingly, the reasons for being one of the Four Heavenly Kings were more varied than I thought. I had assumed they did it out of arrogance and bravado, inflating their egos. Jeon Jae-hyung had a younger brother, and Min Si-hu had conflict with his mother—clear reasons.
Then, could Seong Hae-min and Lee Beom also be acting as Four Heavenly Kings due to unavoidable circumstances? I recalled the conversation I had with Seong Hae-min when we returned from the hospital. Seong Hae-min had described being part of a delinquent group and fighting with other schools as an “unavoidable matter.”
I put down my spoon next to my empty rice bowl.
“Hae-min, I have something else to ask you today.”
“What is it?”
Seong Hae-min, who hadn’t finished his meal because he was telling me about Min Si-hu, looked at me, pausing as he reached for a side dish.
“This time, you have to answer honestly.”
“Okay. I will.”
“No dodging, no evading the point, no changing the subject, no lying. Promise me these four things.”
“I promise.”
I didn’t believe in the effectiveness or enforceability of verbal promises, but since he had avoided answering when I asked why he was one of the Four Heavenly Kings last time, I figured getting a promise like this would make him feel guilty enough to give a somewhat honest answer this time. It was a petty method, but I wanted to know that badly.
After securing a firm promise so he couldn’t waffle, I looked him straight in the eye and asked.
“Why are you one of the Four Heavenly Kings?”
Seong Hae-min’s dark eyes visibly trembled. Like a cliff crumbling. The agitation was brief but intense and clear. My resolve wavered. But I didn’t back down.
After a long pause with his lips sealed, Seong Hae-min, after hesitating, uttered a short, trembling answer.
“Because… I have to protect them. There’s someone I need to protect.”
Considering Seong Hae-min’s usual personality, I thought it was strange for him to be involved with delinquents unless he was being threatened. But to protect someone?
“Who?”
“That’s…”
He couldn’t tell me that either, I could tell at a glance. Seong Hae-min, who hesitated and pondered his answer, declared his defeat and lowered his gaze. Seeing him like that, it became difficult to press further.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Just finish your meal.”
“Mm, I’m sorry…”
I hadn’t expected him to tell me. Seeing his ashen face, my desire to push him further evaporated. It was unexpectedly uncomfortable to see him in distress. Besides, if Seong Hae-min was determined to conceal it, there was no way I could find out on my own.
I watched him eat his rice, chewing slowly, resting my chin on my hand. Though his face seemed to have no resemblance to mine when examined individually, when put together, it felt strangely similar as he diligently ate his meal.
Seong Hae-min, who was devoted to his younger sibling, talking about someone he had to protect made a corner of my heart feel uneasy.
‘It’s not… because of me, is it?’
Considering Seong Hae-min’s usual behavior, and having heard from Jeon Jae-hyung that he was one of the Four Heavenly Kings for his younger brother, the first person that came to mind was myself, Seong Hae-min’s twin.
But…
‘If it were me, why would I hide it?’
Wouldn’t it be something I could happily share rather than hide? Is there a reason he can’t tell me? There were too many things that bothered me to simply ask, “Is it because of me?”
Moreover, thinking about what had happened to me, Seong Hae-min was actually putting me in danger rather than protecting me. The incident on the school bus where some big guy went off on me, and Do Yun-hyeok coming all the way to school to see me—both could be attributed to Seong Hae-min.
I fell into thought, watching Seong Hae-min diligently eating his meal before me.
‘Who exactly is he protecting?’
❖ ❖ ❖
The next day, as usual, I attended classes and was escorted home after school under the protection of the Four Heavenly Kings, a protection I had never voluntarily desired. At the entrance of my house, I encountered someone leaning against a motorcycle, waiting for me.
He had his usual dark red hair, his school uniform collar unbuttoned, and his ears adorned with numerous piercings. The difference was his bruised and battered face. The marks from Yeon Su-hwan’s beating had not fully healed.
“…Do Yun-hyeok?”
“You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting!”
Upon spotting Do Yun-hyeok, Seong Hae-min stepped forward like a territorial animal, growling. Fortunately, the rest of the Four Heavenly Kings who had walked home with me had already parted ways, having expressed their exasperation at him intending to follow us home.
I unconsciously scanned my surroundings. Yeon Su-hwan, sharp as a snake, came to mind. Fortunately, there weren’t many people passing through the apartment complex. There were a few students my age, but mostly elementary schoolers returning from playgrounds or academies, or housewives returning from grocery shopping.
“The mad dog is showing his face often. Where did you get beaten up? You look ridiculous.”
“I want to see Hae-jun too, is that not allowed? Are you going to be the only ones?”
“Why do you want to see Hae-jun?”
“If I don’t see him, I feel like I’ll die.”
“Do Yun-hyeok!”
“Don’t yell. You’ll startle Hae-jun.”
Seong Hae-min raised his voice at Do Yun-hyeok, who was being unreasonable again today. An elderly woman coming out to take out the trash glanced curiously in our direction as she heard the commotion.
I stood quietly behind Seong Hae-min, just fiddling with the straps of my backpack. Honestly, as soon as I saw Do Yun-hyeok, I thought I should just send him away politely today. But his handsome face, with a bandage on his forehead as if he’d had stitches, looked unusually pathetic and destitute today, perhaps that’s why harsh words wouldn’t come out. He looked disheveled, unlike the Do Yun-hyeok I usually saw.
“That bastard killed someone.”
Yeon Su-hwan’s words flashed through my mind, buzzing like cicadas in the summer.
At the same time, I remembered Ban Seo-yi’s last text message.
“This isn’t something to discuss over text.”
I didn’t know which of them was telling the truth, but I supposed I had to talk to Do Yun-hyeok. After all, Do Yun-hyeok was the one who would kidnap Ban Pyo-ran.
I stopped Seong Hae-min, who was barking like a guard dog.
“Stop it, Hae-min.”
“Hae-jun!”
“He came to see me. I’ll talk to him and send him back.”
“There’s no need. Why would you talk to a bastard like that…!”
“Hae-min.”
There was no benefit to Seong Hae-min’s reputation from him clashing with Do Yun-hyeok like this. When I stepped forward, Do Yun-hyeok stopped provoking Seong Hae-min and, sitting on his motorcycle, waited silently for our conversation.
Seong Hae-min insisted it was out of the question, but I held him back and firmly stated my intention.
“Hae-min. You trust me, right?”
“…I trust you, but I don’t trust him.”
“Either way, if you trust me, don’t worry and go inside. And don’t spread rumors elsewhere and make a big problem. I’ll handle it.”
“Still, no.”
“Hae-min, if you truly trust me, let me do as I wish.”
I said it a bit harshly, but resolutely. Seong Hae-min, hesitating and conflicted, finally threw up his hands at my last words.
“…Alright.”
I waved goodbye to Seong Hae-min, who looked back at me with the anxiety of a child separated from their parents.
With Seong Hae-min sent home first, I turned to Do Yun-hyeok. His bright wine-colored hair was still the same.
“Where do you want to talk? Here? Or somewhere else?”
Do Yun-hyeok put me on the back of his motorcycle and headed towards a nearby park. It was the same park where Ban Seo-yi had called me last time. It was a quiet place with low foot traffic and well-maintained landscaping, surprisingly well-chosen.
I looked up at him as he took off his helmet. As his helmet brushed against his wound, Do Yun-hyeok winced, his nose crinkling. Still, compared to when he was covered in blood, his bruises and wounds had healed considerably.
Thinking that this was considered improved was almost funny. His face was still scratched and bruised in places, an unsightly sight.
With this pitifully handsome face, if he walked into a snack bar, the owner would probably pity him, thinking he hadn’t eaten a decent meal in days, and give him extra fish cakes or fried snacks.
“Wait here for a moment.”
After letting me off, Do Yun-hyeok suddenly ran off somewhere and returned, dangling a plastic bag with a pharmacy logo. Then, he extended his arm and offered it to me.
“What is it?”