By Zephyria 
After listening to their power struggle for a moment, I poked Seong Hae-min repeatedly in the back. Seong Hae-min, who had been arguing with Do Yun-hyeok, immediately placed his hand on my shoulder and checked my face to see if I was hurt. Behind him, Do Yun-hyeok was smiling and waving at me.
Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, I thought that boy’s brain was definitely made of rocks. What kind of person is he?
“He didn’t do anything weird, did he? Are you okay, Hae-jun-ah?”
“Uh… I’m fine, so let’s go home.”
“Yeah. Let’s go home and get some rest.”
Do Yun-hyeok sneered at Seong Hae-min’s kind reply.
“Riiight~ Let’s get some rest~”
“Shut up.”
“Then, see you again, Hae-jun-ah. Dream of me.”
Do Yun-hyeok waved with a wide smile. Seong Hae-min, as if he didn’t need to reply, grabbed my body and pushed me towards the apartment entrance.
“Hae-jun-ah! Let’s meet in our dreams!”
Do Yun-hyeok shouted from behind, giving his final farewell, but as Seong Hae-min shut the apartment door like a knife, his voice soon faded.
Still, I let out a sigh of great relief that I had returned home safely. Although I felt like I had gone through a lot of unpleasant things today… I’m home now, so let’s forget it!
However, as we rode the elevator up to my floor, Seong Hae-min looked deep in thought.
“How did the meeting go?”
“Ah, after you left, I told the other person and broke it off nicely.”
It was a relief that nothing else happened. If the meeting wasn’t the issue, then Seong Hae-min’s serious expression must be because of Do Yun-hyeok.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and I followed Seong Hae-min, who had gotten off first, towards our home.
At the front door, Seong Hae-min, who had his hand on the doorknob, stopped and stood still. I looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“What are you doing, not going in?”
“Hae-jun-ah.”
“Why?”
“Do Yun-hyeok didn’t say anything strange to you, did he?”
At Seong Hae-min’s serious question, I recalled all the things Do Yun-hyeok had babbled about all day.
He had said strange things. Things like ‘picked you’ or ‘marked you,’ meaningless words, but I felt that if I relayed them, Seong Hae-min and the Four Heavenly Kings’ already excessive protection would become even more stringent, so I decided not to mention it.
Instead, I asked him back.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just…”
Seong Hae-min’s gaze became distant for a moment, then he sighed and continued.
“Hae-jun-ah, do you know why Do Yun-hyeok is called a mad dog?”
“…Because he’s a crazy bastard?”
He was indeed a truly crazy person, so I answered simply. I couldn’t think of any other reason. He’s called a mad dog because he’s like a mad dog.
Hearing my answer, Seong Hae-min stroked his chin with a serious expression.
“That’s right. But he’s not just any crazy bastard.”
The phrase ‘not just any crazy bastard’ didn’t make immediate sense, so I stared at Seong Hae-min. To me, the Four Heavenly Kings and Do Yun-hyeok all seemed like crazy bastards, but if he wasn’t just any crazy bastard, did that mean he was exceptionally crazy? I mused that there were even levels among crazy bastards.
“Do Yun-hyeok is a mad dog because once he marks something, he’ll have it even if it kills him.”
“Huh…?”
“The fact that he hasn’t encroached on Jeseong High School territory yet, even though we declared them enemies, is because he’s waiting for the right time. That guy’s obsession with what he claims is no joke… I was worried he might have said something strange to you, so I asked. I’m glad he didn’t.”
“…….”
Seong Hae-min let out a sigh of relief, as if genuinely relieved, and smiled brightly. I stared blankly at Seong Hae-min’s retreating back as he opened the door and entered the house.
‘I’m screwed. Did ‘marking’ really mean physically marking me…?’
My already worried future life began to worry me even more seriously.
In the end, I couldn’t sleep.
What if Do Yun-hyeok was waiting in front of my house when I woke up tomorrow? What if he was standing guard at the school gate when I left? What if he suddenly showed up during lunch break? What if he dragged me to a karaoke room again? Oh right, he said he wouldn’t go to karaoke. Then what if he tries to take me to a club now? What if he was using me to get to the Four Heavenly Kings?
I don’t want to associate with him!
What about my studies!
I stayed up almost all night with all sorts of worries. Even when I briefly fell asleep, Do Yun-hyeok appeared in my dreams, and I kept waking up, screaming for him to leave me alone.
However, contrary to my worries, peaceful days followed.
Unlike my expectation that he would pester me by following me around, Do Yun-hyeok never came to Seoyeon High School, as if the words he had spoken to me were lies. I was the only one who remained on edge, like a resident living in a dangerous area where a bomb could drop at any moment, never letting my guard down.
Yes, honestly, I must have exaggerated things. Thinking that made me angry again. Do I have to suffer from this nervous breakdown because of him?
Logically, would Do Yun-hyeok like me!
I didn’t believe that kind of bullshit myself!
“Why are you looking around so much lately, Jjuni? Did you commit a crime?”
Min Si-hu tilted his head. Even though I didn’t respond, he smiled at me as if he had heard an answer.
“Don’t worry! If Jjuni goes to jail, Si-hu will get you out with his connections! Just trust Si-hu!”
“…….”
I thought, ‘That’s a criminal act,’ then I accepted it. Right. These guys commit criminal acts on a daily basis. I quietly ignored Min Si-hu.
I knew my behavior would seem strange. Just as they found the overly dramatic Four Heavenly Kings strange, they would find me, who was suddenly wary of my surroundings, odd. However, I didn’t want to further ruin my already turbulent life.
Of course, that wasn’t something I could control.
Things that overturn daily life happen very suddenly.
Like helping a grandmother who looked tired on the street, only to find out she’s the chairman of a conglomerate and suddenly your life is set, or your day is ruined by bird droppings on your head while going to school normally, or a kicked can accidentally hitting the head of the top delinquent from a rival high school, starting a love story, or winning the lottery you bought out of habit without any prior notice.
Just like that, Seong Hae-min getting into a car accident happened very suddenly.
It was a normal weekend, following the usual routine of being surrounded by delinquents on my way to and from school. Seong Hae-min had left home early, telling me to sleep first as he would be back late. I went to bed early as he told me to. If someone hadn’t started banging frantically on the front door in the middle of the night, I probably would have slept soundly until morning.
The banging on the door woke me up.
‘Who on earth is this crazy person at this hour?’
I pulled the covers over myself and tried to ignore it, but after about 30 minutes of knocking, I finally gave in.
Annoyed, I groggily got up and headed towards where the house phone was. I had no intention of opening the door; I was planning to call the police.
“Jjuni-ah! Jjuni-ah! Are you asleep? Jjun-ah!!”
But the voice calling me hoarsely from outside sounded strangely familiar. Only Min Si-hu calls me Jjuni.
After hesitating, I headed to the front door. Checking through the peephole, it was indeed Min Si-hu.
Why are we both doing this at this hour, when we’re both tired?
I considered ignoring him and going back to my room, but the feeling that ignoring him would make my life even more troublesome made me sigh and open the door.
As soon as I opened the door, Min Si-hu unceremoniously dragged me outside and put a motorcycle helmet on my head. Then he held the helmet and pressed his head against mine.
What is he trying to do?
My brain was working incredibly slowly, perhaps due to sleepiness. My eyes, still half-asleep, blinked slowly.
There was only a transparent acrylic shield between Min Si-hu’s face and mine. At such close range, his pupils shone resolutely. The surroundings were dark, with only the streetlights, so his facial contours weren’t clearly visible, but his light brown irises, reflecting the orange streetlight, were fixed directly on me. It felt like heat was radiating from beyond the helmet.
“Hae-jun-ah, brace yourself and listen carefully.”
Frowning, I found his tone unexpectedly firm. I looked at Min Si-hu through the transparent acrylic. Though he wore a helmet, Min Si-hu’s voice, trembling slightly, was clear.
“We’re going to the hospital now.”
“…The hospital?”
“Yes. The hospital.”
“…Why?”
“Hae-min is hurt. Don’t cry. Let’s go.”
I headed to the hospital just as I was, in my pajamas.
Clinging tightly to Min Si-hu’s sweat-drenched back as we sped on the motorcycle, we arrived at the emergency room.
‘Seong Hae-min… is hurt?’
‘The emergency room? Is it serious?’
‘What was he doing at this hour? Why?’
‘Was Seong Hae-min seriously injured in the original novel too?’
My mind still felt like I was dreaming. Like weeds growing wild and untamed, my thoughts refused to untangle.
Min Si-hu, after seating me next to Lee Beom, left to park the motorcycle. I sat on a chair, dazed.
“……Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“……”
“Ah… I really didn’t hear you. What did you say?”
Still in a daze, I turned to look at Lee Beom.