By Zephyria 
Kim Un-gyeong grumbled, his eyes turning red. Lee Beom lowered his head and whispered into Kim Un-gyeong’s ear. It was a voice so low that it was barely audible even to me standing nearby.
“Sunbae, this is not the situation you should be in right now.”
“What?”
Kim Un-gyeong frowned at Lee Beom’s meaningful words. Lee Beom continued, his lips barely moving.
“Do you think I don’t know the situation of the 3rd-year Sunbaes? I know you came here to solidify your position because things aren’t going as planned.”
“Th-That’s what…”
“…Lee Beom. Was it your doing?”
Another 3rd-year Sunbae, standing behind, stepped past Kim Un-gyeong and moved in front of Lee Beom. Lee Beom remained silent. A silent staring contest ensued. I looked around, trying to figure out what was happening, but there was no information to be gained from the silence. Seong Hae-min, who had hidden me behind his back, tightly gripped my wrist, which he had secretly held.
A moment later, Senior Park, who had finished the staring contest, let out a hollow laugh and scowled.
“I thought people weren’t listening because of the disturbances outside, but it seems there was a rat inside? Nibbling away at things…”
“Senior Seyong. You should have managed it better so you wouldn’t get nibbled by a rat.”
Lee Beom replied with a heavy tone. Kim Un-gyeong, who looked as bewildered as I was, scratched his head and chimed in.
“Wait, wait. Hey, what’s going on? So, the reason our grade’s power structure split was because of Lee Beom? Not because of the news? Wasn’t it because of that kid named Seong Hae-jun?”
“Kim Un-gyeong.”
Kim Un-gyeong, whose name was called by Park Seyong, shut his babbling mouth. Kim Un-gyeong stepped back immediately, though he looked displeased. He seemed to be gauging the situation.
I quietly pondered.
The 3rd-year power structure split? I distinctly remembered hearing similar talk in front of the cafeteria not long ago. I had dismissed it then, but seeing it unfold like this, it seemed like a bigger deal than I thought. And that division was because of Lee Beom.
I glanced at Lee Beom’s back. I didn’t know the specifics, but it seemed the rest of the Four Heavenly Kings hadn’t just been twiddling their thumbs while I was holed up at home with Seong Hae-min.
“Heh… But Sunbaes!! But why are you here? What does Hae-jun have to do with this?”
Min Si-hu, a master of pouring fuel on the fire, stepped forward with a nonchalant expression. His pouting lips, like suction cups, clearly showed he was feigning innocence to provoke them. Min Si-hu smiled broadly and clapped his hands.
“Ah! Did you come to gang up on an innocent person after getting slapped by a rat?”
‘Can he really say that?’ As I thought this, Park Seyong, his face hardening, sternly warned Min Si-hu.
“Don’t interfere.”
But Min Si-hu was not one to back down. He cupped his cheeks and theatrically wailed.
“Heh, so pathetic~! And cowardly! Villain!”
“You… this 1st-year rat, you don’t know your place!”
The 3rd-year yelled. As if a bucket of cold water had been thrown, the entire classroom fell silent.
In their anger, they seemed to have forgotten this was a 1st-year classroom. This entire floor was designated for 1st-year classrooms, so the onlookers watching the commotion were all 1st-years. The students watching from a distance shut their mouths and looked around nervously.
Faced with the sharp gazes of the 1st-years directed at me, the 3rd-year Sunbaes hesitated for a moment. But Park Seyong, regaining his momentum, arrogantly bellowed with an expression he must have used countless times under the guise of being a Sunbae.
“1st-years, look down!”
“Y-Yeah, how dare 1st-year brats overstep their bounds! You insolent bastards! If someone dies today, know it’s because of these brats!”
Kim Un-gyeong chimed in from the side, as if calling out cadence. But honestly, the shouts sounded more like bluster than a threat, making it embarrassing to watch. The surrounding students seemed to feel the same, as they were no longer looking with purely innocent eyes. Lee Beom, who had been silently watching their actions, asked.
“What is the reason we must comply with your unfair demands?”
“What?”
“Is this bastard out of his mind! You should just do as you’re told, why are you talking back!”
Park Seyong clicked his tongue in disbelief, and Kim Un-gyeong, veins bulging in his neck, aggressively picked a fight. It was laughable. ‘Is this real-life bullying?’
“Gather all the 1st-years today! You’re all as good as dead!”
“We will not go.”
“What?”
Lee Beom’s expression was consistently firm. Kim Un-gyeong, his face flushing again, yelled while swinging his fist in the air.
“Is this bastard really crazy!”
“Since you know the opinions of the other Sunbaes, I will speak openly here instead.”
Lee Beom took a quiet breath and declared clearly.
“If the basis for your unreasonable anger lies within the Iljinhoe, then I will quit the Iljinhoe as of today.”
“What?”
Lee Beom’s sudden words froze the entire classroom like ice. In the silence, Lee Beom shouted again, as if confirming the kill.
“1st-year Lee Beom, I will quit the Iljinhoe.”
While everyone else remained silent, Seong Hae-min quickly followed suit.
“1st-year Seong Hae-min, I quit the Iljinhoe.”
“1st-year Min Si-hu, I quit the Iljinhoe!”
“1st-year Jeon Jae-hyung… I quit the Iljinhoe.”
As the Four Heavenly Kings finished their declarations of withdrawal one after another, the tension in the classroom, now as quiet as a dead mouse, heightened even further.
Perhaps not expecting such words to be spoken here, the 3rd-year Sunbaes were speechless. I, too, was sweating profusely at the dramatic turn of events. If I was this stunned, others were no exception.
“You, you guys!”
“You probably know what a withdrawal ceremony entails. It’s far more brutal than an initiation. Seoyeon High’s Iljinhoe is based on bloody revenge.”
As Kim Un-gyeong stammered, pointing his finger without being able to form a coherent sentence, a 3rd-year who had been standing like a shadow stepped forward and spoke chillingly, as if it were nothing.
“Try it. If you want to be featured on the news main page that badly.”
As Lee Beom began to push forward relentlessly, the murmurs of the surrounding students gradually grew louder.
“Yeah, the news said they forced people to join…”
“Come to think of it, isn’t the Iljinhoe meaningless without Lee Beom?”
“Besides, the Four Heavenly Kings are different from regular Iljins…”
“Right, they don’t really bully anyone or extort money.”
“Then, what crime did the Four Heavenly Kings commit?”
“They’re bullying people all the way to the 1st-year classroom…”
“Right, they came to bully someone weak and good at studying like Hae-jun in the first place…”
“Sh, shush! Be quiet!”
The murmurs spread like wildfire. The 3rd-year, feeling the unrest, waved his arms and shouted. Although the murmuring subsided slightly, the sharp atmosphere did not become compliant.
‘Is this the power of public opinion?’
The break time was slowly coming to an end. I intended to stay quiet, thinking the situation would resolve itself if I waited, but Park Seyong sneered and glared at Lee Beom.
“Alright. Seeing what you guys are doing, I came to the right place. Right?”
For a moment, the faces of all Four Heavenly Kings hardened, and their eyes glinted with murderous intent. I even took a step back from Seong Hae-min in surprise.
Just as Park Se-yong wore a smug victor’s smile, the area by the front door began to buzz, and then a clear, distinct knock split the classroom. Amidst the tense atmosphere, all eyes in the classroom turned towards the front door.
“Oh dear. I’m quite late.”
Yeon Su-hwan, who must have arrived unnoticed, was leaning against the front door, looking at us. He had his usual inscrutable, kindly smiling face.
“Sunbae Un-gyeong, Sunbae Se-yong. What fun are you two up to here?”
Yeon Su-hwan, having captured everyone’s attention, sauntered over, dragging his slippers. The students who had been milling around in the middle of the classroom, watching without knowing what to do, quickly parted to make way.
“Yeon Su-hwan!”
Hearing Kim Un-gyeong’s belated shout, I quickly pulled Seong Hae-min behind me. Seong Hae-min, his wrist caught, stood awkwardly close by my side.
As if sensing my wary gaze, Yeon Su-hwan scanned my face and let out a low chuckle. Then, he spoke coldly.
“Have you gone senile? Why are you all acting like this here? Let’s get a grasp of your standing, shall we?”
Everyone’s eyes widened at Yeon Su-hwan’s sudden taunt. Even under their gaze, Yeon Su-hwan casually ran a hand through his hair.
“Lingering around, making threats in what looks like a freshman classroom. You don’t even know what I’ve been up to, yet you’re acting like this.”
“What are you talking about?”
What was igniting another powder keg now? My eyes darted around, assessing the situation. Yeon Su-hwan, chuckling, continued leisurely.
“I’ve thought this for a while now, but you seniors really lack perception. You’re not particularly good at anything, yet you act like you’re kings just because you were born a few years earlier. It was the same during Hae-min’s car accident last time. You caused the accident, but couldn’t clean up any of the mess… Even if you weren’t freshmen, you would have collapsed on your own. Shouldn’t you be grateful to Lee Beom instead? He gave you someone to blame for your own shortcomings.”
“What…?”
“Did you just say everything you wanted to, you bastard!!”
The faces of the seniors, who felt personally insulted, contorted like demons, and Kim Un-gyeong roared.
“Yes.”
“You… you…!”
“I just came from proposing the dissolution of the Iljinhoe. Even if you lack perception, can’t you see whose side the world is on?”