By Zephyria 
Dо-hуun couldn’t stoр Wоo-yеon from hеаding hоmе аftеr the leсturе еnded. Hе simply cоuldn’t hide his lingеring regrеt, leаving a trаiling sеntimеnt by saуing, “I’ll cоntact yоu over the wеekend.” Sincе he fоllоwed that up by saуing he liked him, Woо-уеоn рractiсallу flеd the clаssrоom.
In the meantimе, the dоll hе had absеntmindеdlу brоught аlong wаs аn awkwаrd size that didn’t quite fit in his bag. Aside frоm the bulk, the еars werе so long that whеnevеr he tried tо сlose thе zippеr, the tiрs рokеd оut. Left with nо сhoiсе, Wоo-yеоn had tо bоаrd Drivеr Yoon’s car while dangling the doll’s body in one hand.
“Welcome back, young master.”
The employees showed a great deal of interest in the doll Woo-yeon was carrying. They didn’t ask directly, but he could tell by the way they subtly stole glances at it. Thoroughly ignoring their curiosity, Woo-yeon entered his room and placed the doll on his desk.
“……What should I do with this.”
It was certainly his, but it was now an object that was difficult to deal with. He shouldn’t have taken it back, but he couldn’t refuse because of the lingering regrets he hadn’t yet resolved. Perhaps Do-hyun knew that, which was why he had gone out of his way to return the doll.
With a sigh, Woo-yeon slumped over his desk and glared at the doll. The long, fluffy ears were somehow strange for a rabbit. With their pointed tips, they looked more like a fox’s.
“Where exactly do I look like this……”
Woo-yeon pressed down on the doll, recalling the stories Do-hyun had told him. The environment he grew up in, the memory of their encounter, and the various unavoidable factors surrounding him.
‘I didn’t want to be abandoned by you.’
In truth, Woo-yeon regretted it too. He should have just let it pass as if nothing happened; he should have closed his eyes and pretended not to know to try and restore their relationship; he should have become a sanctuary for Do-hyun, just as Do-hyun had been a comfort to him.
But Woo-yeon wasn’t mature enough to embrace him. Reassuring someone that it was okay, or apologizing and saying sorry—those were all words that required preparation. He knew it was an incredibly selfish thought, but right now, he lacked even the strength to face the problem.
It was one of Woo-yeon’s bad habits. Whenever things became so complicated that his head felt like it would explode, his first instinct was to avoid it. When he was bullied, when his Teacher left, and when he suffered because of Soo-hyang, Woo-yeon had simply closed his eyes and waited for every situation to pass.
“……Oh.”
After clearing his mind for a while, Woo-yeon suddenly discovered something and sat up. It was the tag attached near the doll’s rear. Along with a phrase indicating the minimum age for use, the name ‘Desert fox’ was visible.
“……A fennec fox?”
A white-furred rabbit doll with only pink ears and paw pads. However, the tips of the ears had been strange for a rabbit. Only then did Woo-yeon discover the long, plump tail and let out a silent, hollow laugh.
* * *
Throughout the weekend, Woo-yeon repeatedly picked up and put down his phone. This was because Do-hyun sent messages right on cue every morning, afternoon, and evening. Telling him that he had just woken up, what he had eaten for a meal, and what his schedule for the day looked like.
Despite the numerous messages, Woo-yeon couldn’t send a single reply. To be precise, he had intended to tell him that the doll wasn’t a rabbit but a fennec fox, but he kept missing the timing. This was a very basic issue, but Woo-yeon, who was exceptionally clumsy with human relationships, lacked the skill to treat Do-hyun casually while maintaining a ‘proper distance.’
「Ji Su-hyang’s Statement… “My son is not an illegitimate child.”」
The article was posted around Sunday morning. As soon as one broke, a flood of articles followed, heating up the real-time search terms and even decorating the headlines of the three major broadcasting news stations.
The content was the same as what Woo-yeon had seen: that Soo-hyang had a child and that the Omega he married twenty years ago had passed away early. Soo-hyang stated that he wanted to respect his deceased spouse and declared that he would not expose his precious child to the media yet.
The problem was the simultaneous accusation of admission fraud at Woo-yeon’s university. As suspicions arose that a certain student had paid money to get admitted, Woo-yeon was naturally pointed out as the target. Soo-hyang stated it wasn’t true, but the media did not quiet down easily.
“Young master, you mustn’t get off here.”
“……I can’t get off here either.”
And on Tuesday morning, Woo-yeon sighed as he saw the reporters stationed at the main gate on his way to school. He knew he had to be confident in times like this, but seeing them with fire in their eyes made him want to run away immediately. If he did, however, articles would be published as if Woo-yeon had admitted to the admission fraud.
“You cannot take photos!”
“Don’t block the way!”
Under the protection of the bodyguards he so detested, Woo-yeon passed through the noisy commotion. Fortunately, thanks to the school blocking outsiders, he was able to catch his breath once he entered the building. Although the students’ gazes remained, this was better than having cameras shoved in his face.
“Woo-yeon!”
Seon-kyu, whom he met in the classroom, rushed toward him as soon as he saw him. When Seon-kyu asked if he was okay and mentioned that he had seen the articles, Woo-yeon nodded while glancing at his classmates. Seon-kyu made a fuss in a loud voice, intentionally making sure others could hear.
“Hey, what kind of bullshit is this admission fraud? Where else would you find a kid who studies as hard as you!”
He saw a few students flinch and shut their mouths. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed a round of backbiting had taken place before Woo-yeon arrived. Well, Woo-yeon had fully expected the rumors, so that didn’t bother him much.
After the lecture, the two of them headed to the club room together. A bodyguard followed a step behind, and Seon-kyu found the situation very burdensome. Nevertheless, since he didn’t seem uncomfortable with Woo-yeon, Woo-yeon followed him without even mentioning that he felt he should quit the club.
“We’re here.”
As always, Ga-ram and Do-hyun were in the club room. Ga-ram was one thing, but Do-hyun should have had a free period, so he didn’t know why he was bothering to be at school. No, seeing the way Do-hyun sprang up as soon as he saw Woo-yeon, he could roughly guess.
“What is all this chaos, seriously……”
Ga-ram let out a series of lamenting murmurs while ordering delivery food. She seemed to be checking news articles occasionally, and among them was a photo of Woo-yeon returning from the United States.
“How on earth did they find out and take a photo like this?”
“Probably…… everyone just found out through word of mouth. I didn’t really hide it much in middle school.”
The reporters must have always been watching Woo-yeon. They just hadn’t turned it into an article; they must have been sharpening their knives and waiting for the right moment. But since Soo-hyang had openly thrown out the bait, it wasn’t surprising that they swarmed like a school of fish.
“Still, the kids aren’t openly picking fights with Woo-yeon.”
Woo-yeon nodded silently at Seon-kyu’s words. Since he wasn’t alone and was accompanied by a bodyguard, it wouldn’t be easy to badmouth him. No matter how much of an eyesore Woo-yeon was, anyone with a functioning brain would hold their tongue.
“First of all……”
Do-hyun spoke very slowly while looking at Woo-yeon and Seon-kyu. Woo-yeon, who had been subconsciously conscious of Do-hyun, flinched and looked over. Do-hyun was frowning his left eye with a serious expression.
“Be careful.”
“…….”
“There are all kinds of psychos in this world.”
It was a way of speaking that wasn’t very like Do-hyun. The gaze, thick with worry, was so blatant it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Woo-yeon couldn’t answer, and Ga-ram looked back and forth between the two with a subtle expression.
Do-hyun’s warning became a reality on the way out of the club room after finishing lunch. Ga-ram went to another lecture, and Do-hyun, who had time left, followed them. While a subtly precarious atmosphere lingered, they came face-to-face with someone smoking in front of the building.
“Wow, look who it is.”
It was a man with a bear-like build and a fierce impression. The way he chewed on his cigarette and frowned brought back memories from a few months ago.
‘Want Hyung to be your black knight instead?’
“…….”
It was the returning student. The man who had hit on Woo-yeon, been shut down verbally, and fled the Membership Training site.
“Hey, you don’t even greet your Seonbae?”
“……Hello.”
Seon-kyu greeted him softly, but Woo-yeon ignored him and kept walking. Since his campus life had already become a mess, he had no intention of trying to look good for a Seonbae from an upper class. The returning student blew a puff of cigarette smoke as he looked at Woo-yeon.
“You rude piece of shit. So you’re Ji Su-hyang’s only son, huh?”
The one who reacted to those words was none other than Do-hyun. Do-hyun, who had been emitting an unusual aura for a while, stopped dead in his tracks as soon as the man spoke. Regardless, the returning student continued to sneer openly.
“No wonder you acted so high and mighty. I knew it from the moment you played hard to get.”
Despite his mountain-like size, his inner core was clearly the size of a mouse dropping. To think he was still mentioning the events of the Membership Training after several months. Or perhaps that day’s events had been enduringly humiliating.
“A commoner like me failed to recognize a chaebol……”
The mocking voice was obnoxious. Although there was a bodyguard, he wouldn’t step in unless a camera was shoved in their faces or physical violence occurred. That was the original agreement with Woo-yeon, and Woo-yeon was just about to pass by.
“Ah…… what a real nuisance.”
A chilly silence descended. It was an atmosphere created by that familiar, low, and gentle voice. Not only Seon-kyu, who was beside him, but even the expressionless Woo-yeon turned his gaze in bewilderment. The most surprised of all was the returning student.
“……Hey, what did you say?”
The returning student blinked, even dropping his cigarette. His expression was one of utter disbelief at what Do-hyun had just said. Do-hyun snorted as if to confirm the kill, curling the corners of his mouth.
“Did you hear me? I was just talking to myself.”
Seon-kyu’s mouth hung open as he grabbed Woo-yeon’s arm. It was a gesture meaning ‘please stop Do-hyun,’ but unfortunately, Woo-yeon didn’t have the chance. In the meantime, Do-hyun scanned the returning student from head to toe and spat out scathingly:
“I thought you were deaf because you couldn’t understand a word, but it seems your comprehension is just poor.”
The soft voice was calmer than ever. His tone didn’t rise, nor did he utter any harsh curses. It was simply that the gaze he cast upon the returning student was full of contempt, as if looking at a bug.
“Being pathetic is one thing, but…… aren’t you tired of doing it continuously? If I were you, I’d be too embarrassed to attend school.”
“……This fucking piece of— did you catch something weird from hanging out with Mungaram?”
The returning student’s face turned red and purple. Stepping forward, he approached Do-hyun and tapped him on the shoulder. Although the returning student was bulkier, Do-hyun was taller, so it wasn’t a particularly threatening intimidation.
“Say it again, what? Pathetic?”
“Seonbae, please calm down……”
Feeling that it wouldn’t end well, Seon-kyu stepped toward them. The returning student irritably pushed away Seon-kyu, who was holding his arm. Watching this, Do-hyun spoke nonchalantly.
“Just hit me.”
“…….”
“I’ll let you hit me once.”