By Zephyria 
Suddenly, I realized I felt no burden being with Lee Beom. I had thought it might be awkward or uncomfortable because of strange things he had said when we were alone before, but perhaps it was because I had discovered his vulnerable side for the first time. The distance I usually felt when we met was gone. It was surprisingly comfortable.
I stole glances at Lee Beom’s profile as he leaned against the railing, staring blankly into space. His handsome face, like a photoshoot, was softly relaxed.
Suddenly, Lee Beom seemed like a real person. Not a contrived novel character faithfully playing his role, but a person.
Someone who truly had blood flowing, breathed, slept, and dreamed…
“Oh, right. Thank you for asking me to come watch the relay race that time.”
“……”
Lee Beom didn’t respond to my sudden remark. It seemed I had no talent for expressing gratitude, let alone offering comfort. I sheepishly ran a hand through my hair and added,
“You called me because of Seong Hae-min, right? I thought he might regret it…”
“Half of it.”
“Huh?”
“The other half was for you.”
Lee Beom closed his mouth. I followed suit. My throat felt choked.
This time, the words “thank you” didn’t come easily. Instead, for some reason, my extremities tingled. Like a rabbit grinding its teeth, I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fingers. Lee Beom looked down at the scenery around the hospital with the same impassive gaze.
Some time seemed to have passed. Just as I was about to suggest we go down, I realized that opportunities to talk comfortably with Lee Beom alone like this were rare. Maybe this was my chance? Lee Beom also didn’t seem to be in a hurry to go down.
I quickly recalled the things I had decided to look into about Lee Beom recently and formulated my questions.
“Lee Beom.”
“What.”
“Why did you become one of the Four Heavenly Kings?”
Lee Beom turned to me. With a stoic expression that seemed ready to scold me for such a random question, he answered simply and clearly.
“To protect.”
Having heard the same answer from Jeon Jae-hyung and Seong Hae-min, I wore a puzzled expression. They all kept talking about protecting something, which I didn’t easily understand. Jeon Jae-hyung said he was protecting his younger brother, and Seong Hae-min hadn’t revealed who he was protecting. So, who was Lee Beom protecting?
Could it be… Grandmother?
“Protect whom?”
“My friends. Min Si-hu, Seong Hae-min, Jeon Jae-hyung.”
“……”
“And you.”
Grandmother? Not at all. Besides, who would become a delinquent to protect their Grandmother? They should be doing the opposite!
I thought any excuse, like ‘to rebel against teachers,’ would be unsurprising, but I never expected to hear that he was a delinquent for his friends! They say you become like the people you hang out with, and indeed, old proverbs like ‘near ink, one gets stained’ and ‘near vermilion, one gets dyed’ weren’t made for nothing.
‘But why am I on that list?’
‘Take me off the lineup!’
However, I was afraid of hearing something about ‘precious friendship’ if I asked again, so I didn’t mention it. I folded my fidgeting fingers and changed the subject.
“Then, if someone told you to quit being a delinquent and stop fighting, would you do it?”
Lee Beom’s face clearly showed, ‘Why would you ask such a thing?’ It was true that even I thought it was a bizarre question, so I maintained an awkward smile and broke into a cold sweat behind my back.
Lee Beom looked at me for a moment, then his interest seemed to wane, and he turned his head away abruptly. What was so new about the hospital scenery he had been looking at for so long? Following his gaze, I leaned over and looked down, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
Lee Beom, tilting his head and staring intently at the tops of people’s heads, muttered.
“…It would depend on who said it.”
So, it would be useless if I said it. I immediately gave up on the impossible. Thinking that perhaps he might listen if it were Grandmother’s words, I nodded.
“Right.”
After that, the conversation died.
Lee Beom made no attempt to break the silence. He didn’t volunteer anything unless I asked first, which allowed me to comfortably ponder if there was anything else I needed to ask.
“Ah. Then, do you know who Seong Hae-min is trying to protect by becoming one of the Four Heavenly Kings?”
Once again, Lee Beom’s gaze turned to me. This time, his expression wasn’t one of arrogance, like ‘Why ask such things?’ His black eyes were clear and transparent under the bright sky, devoid of any particular intention. Fearing he might tell me to ask Seong Hae-min directly, I offered an excuse first.
“He told me to guess.”
Hearing my words, Lee Beom touched his lips. A faint sound, like a chuckle, was heard.
‘What’s so funny?’
I looked at him with a bewildered expression. But Lee Beom’s face was so small that just his hand covering his mouth hid half of it, so I couldn’t see his lips. Lee Beom said softly.
“If not Seong Hae-jun, then who?”
“……Me?”
Lee Beom answered my dumbfounded question with a nod.
Even though I had considered the possibility of it being me, hearing it confirmed clearly was a considerable shock. It wasn’t because the person was me. It was because I couldn’t understand why Seong Hae-min had not answered me honestly.
This fact that Lee Beom also knew…
‘Why did he try to hide it from me?’
Considering Seong Hae-min’s personality, it wasn’t likely due to embarrassment or shyness. Then why? Was there a reason I shouldn’t know that it was me? If so, who was it related to? My parents?
Lost in that thought, I postponed the other questions I had planned to ask Lee Beom. They weren’t essential questions, so it didn’t matter. The core issue was Seong Hae-min.
My stomach churned for some unknown reason. It felt like… disappointment.
“If you’re done asking, let’s go.”
“Ah, uh-huh.”
As I stood there lost in thought, Lee Beom was the first to suggest going down.
Snapping back to reality, I hurried to follow Lee Beom’s long strides. We left the rooftop together. The sunlight, which had been almost stinging, receded behind us.
Even after entering the building, I remained absorbed in thoughts about Seong Hae-min.
“Careful.”
“Ah. Thanks.”
Then, lost in thought, I almost tripped. Lee Beom, who I hadn’t realized was watching, grabbed my arm. I thought he had walked ahead, but that wasn’t the case. We walked side-by-side towards the elevator.
“Seong Hae-jun.”
“Huh?”
“Oh! Jjuni was here!”
Just as Lee Beom called me, Min Si-hu burst out from the emergency stairwell at the end of the corridor. Min Si-hu, who had been looking around, spotted me and waved. It seemed everyone had started looking for me because I hadn’t returned for so long. I should have come back sooner, but I got delayed asking questions.
As if he had sold off the quietness from earlier in front of the ICU, Min Si-hu, regaining his usual liveliness, bounced excitedly like an action zombie chasing the protagonist in a zombie movie. Of course, if it were a real zombie, its muscles would have rotted and it wouldn’t be able to move like that, but in any case, he was definitely a character I wanted to avoid encountering as much as a zombie.
“What were you two doing! Hae-min was looking for you a lot!”
“We were just getting some air and were about to head back.”
“Really? Let’s go!”
Min Si-hu urged Lee Beom and me on. I glanced at Lee Beom, who seemed to have something to say, but it didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it with Min Si-hu present, and he showed no signs of saying more.
With a clear chime, the elevator arrived, and we boarded, Lee Beom, myself, and Min Si-hu, forming a strange triangle in the confined rectangular space.
As the elevator floors slowly decreased, Min Si-hu suddenly moved closer to me. I glanced sideways and saw Min Si-hu looking at me with an unusually serious expression.
I frowned slightly and leaned my head back, but Min Si-hu gestured as if to ask me to lend him my ear, so I reluctantly offered one. Min Si-hu pressed his mouth close to my ear and whispered cautiously.
“Is it okay for you to be alone with Beom?”
“Uh-huh~.”
Did he brush his teeth in the meantime? His breath smelled really refreshing, like mint.
I responded vaguely, lost in random thoughts. Based on my experience, most of what Min Si-hu said was meaningless chatter, and I assumed this would be the same.
Tap, tap, tap. At that moment, Lee Beom, standing on the opposite side, began to anxiously tap the elevator’s side handle. A hollow echo spread through the not-so-small elevator. Min Si-hu’s and my gazes were all drawn there.
As if realizing what he was doing, Lee Beom withdrew his hand.
“Ah, sorry.”
Lee Beom shoved his hands into his pockets. Min Si-hu stared intently at Lee Beom’s actions. Then, he leaned close to my ear and whispered. Even though there were only three people in the elevator, his obvious attempt to hide something from Lee Beom made me feel awkward.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“But…”
Min Si-hu whined with an anxious expression, like a puppy that had committed a grave mistake.