LMO 38

“…Huh?”

Seeing his bewildered face, which resembled mine, my frustration turned into anger. He’s handsome and a decent guy, so why is he so engrossed in delinquent games, and why does he get so flustered about anything concerning his twin brother? He’s driving me crazy! I shouted unkindly.

“How can you believe what a mad dog barks!”

“Hae-jun?”

No matter how much I yelled, seeing his face, which was purely kind-hearted, made my temper flare up like a boiling kettle. I wanted to scream.

Don’t be sincere with me. Worry about yourself. Even if this is a novel, don’t live so kindly. It’s annoying to watch.

“He showed up uninvited, and I never agreed to anything! I was just trying to stop him from fighting Lee Beom if I left him alone. But you believe that bullshit that I’m not telling you because I find you burdensome? Are you an idiot?”

“Hae-jun…….”

Hearing my name called softly, I suddenly came to my senses. Ah, I might have been too harsh. I had let my boiling anger spill out. Like those who lose control of their emotions and lash out, I regretted it afterward.

Did I get too cocky because he lets everything slide when it comes to his twin brother? I tensed and looked at Seong Hae-min’s face. I met his teary eyes. With a bright smile, as if an angel ring was floating above his head, he showered me with eyes full of emotion. My mouth snapped shut.

“…….”

“Hae-jun, I…”

“…….”

“You were worried about me?”

This guy isn’t normal either.

“I’m going to sleep.”

“Hae-jun!”

I didn’t want to think anymore. I ran to my room.

…I just need to love him?

Just like last time, I suffered from neurosis for a while after Do Yun-hyeok left. But, just like then, Do Yun-hyeok stopped coming around. I scanned my surroundings warily every day after school, but I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him. I had no idea what he was up to.

The Four Heavenly Kings hanging around me were a concern, but Do Yun-hyeok, who would pop up like a landmine without warning, was also a worry.

While Ban Pyo-ran could be dealt with by the Four Heavenly Kings, what about Do Yun-hyeok? I couldn’t think of a good solution.

However, if there was good news, it was that the Four Heavenly Kings were in good contact with Ban Pyo-ran. It seemed they often met with Ban Pyo-ran’s friends, Kim Yi-dam and Kim Yi-gyeong, as well.

Let’s keep it this way. As they say, half the battle is the beginning, so my freedom must be near.

Dreaming of that tearful day of liberation!

But it wasn’t all hopeful. Thinking about Seong Hae-min felt like a thorn in my throat, constantly bothering me. Was it really okay to leave him like this?

According to the novel’s plot, Ban Pyo-ran gets kidnapped by Do Yun-hyeok, and Seong Hae-min dies while rescuing Ban Pyo-ran.

I thought introducing Ban Pyo-ran to the Four Heavenly Kings would make him less of a concern, allowing me to focus on my own tasks, but it wasn’t quite like that. Seong Hae-min kept weighing on my mind.

That foolish guy who takes on my twin brother’s problems as his own, constantly…

Meanwhile, the midterm exam period was approaching. The first-year high school curriculum wasn’t particularly difficult for me, but mistakes can happen anywhere.

From what I had recently learned, a system like the current college admissions officer system, which I was familiar with, was not in place. However, through my previous experience, I knew that improving my GPA and building rapport with teachers would eventually work in my favor.

Most importantly, as someone who had already been accepted into a prestigious university once, losing to these high schoolers taking their first GPA test would be an insult to my pride. Although no one knew my achievements, my honor was on the line.

So, while I was already studying hard on my own, I intensified my efforts lately. Seong Hae-min, who was always worried about my well-being, worried about my health, but if people died from studying this much, the entire country would be in an uproar about all the third-year high school students dying a year from now.

“Junnie, studying again?”

“…….”

“Waaah! You’re not even answering!”

“Come here, Min Si-hu. Don’t disturb Hae-jun.”

Every time the Four Heavenly Kings reacted with incomprehension to my studying, my drive to study burned even brighter.

I can’t go to the same university as guys like them!

‘I will create my own future!’

However, as Seong Hae-min had feared, it seemed to be too much for my frail body. I hadn’t felt any discomfort in my daily life, so perhaps the problem was that I had pushed myself relentlessly, just like in my past life.

“Whoa, Hae, Hae-jun, your nose….”

“Huh?”

Drip.

“Kyaak!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hae, Hae-jun’s nose, his nose!”

During gym class, as my face felt hot from exertion, my nose started bleeding profusely, causing the entire class to panic. Everyone scrambled to find various towels and even frozen water bottles.

Fortunately, the bleeding stopped, but due to the concerned scolding of the gym teacher, who even intimidated the delinquents, I was ushered out towards the infirmary. It seemed that the teacher’s excessive affection for me, a good student who also worked hard and had a good attitude, was also a problem. I could have rested for a moment and been fine, but I was sent to the infirmary.

Standing in front of the infirmary, I sighed when I saw the nameplate. How did my body end up like this?

“Excuse me.”

Knock, knock. I carefully opened the door and entered the infirmary, which smelled of medicine. It was my first time in the infirmary since enrolling, so I looked around as I went inside. The school nurse was absent.

“She’s not here…”

I had come because the gym teacher was so worried and insisted I lie down on the infirmary bed.

‘Hmm… what should I do?’

After a moment of hesitation, I decided that since I was here, I might as well lie down until the bell rang, and headed towards a bed in the corner.

All four beds had curtains drawn. There were no slippers visible under any of them, nor was there any sign of anyone. It seemed the curtains were drawn even though no one was there. The person who used it last should have tidied up and left the curtains open; it was rude.

“Tsk tsk.”

Clicking my tongue, I pulled back the curtain of the first bed. And then I had to wear an astonished expression.

“…Jeon Jae-hyung?”

“Hi, Hae-jun…”

“Are you sick?”

Shaking his head. Jeon Jae-hyung, who was lying there demurely like Sleeping Beauty with a stuffed animal in his arms, shook his head in response to my question. It was absurd. Why was someone who wasn’t sick occupying one of the four infirmary beds?

“Then why are you here?”

“I was sleepy…”

Of course.

Jeon Jae-hyung was someone who slept like a ghost, unfazed by the constraints of time and space. One might wonder how he would study if he slept so much, but he was surprisingly the most academically gifted among the Four Heavenly Kings.

Someone who sleeps enough and still gets good grades – that’s the type I hate most in the world! But seeing him sleep so lethargically, as if under a curse, made those petty thoughts disappear.

“Okay, sleep well.”

“Wait a minute…”

As I was about to pull the curtain back and leave, Jeon Jae-hyung stopped me.

“Why?”

The guy on the bed squirmed, rolled over like a skewer, then cleared half the bed and patted it.

“Want to lie down…?”

“No.”

Ignoring his dejected expression as he clutched his stuffed animal, I quickly closed the curtain. I headed for the second bed.

Come to think of it, none of the beds had slippers underneath when I checked earlier. So, did Jeon Jae-hyung get on the bed wearing slippers? What bad manners. I cursed him inwardly as I pulled back the curtain hanging over the bed.

“…….”

“…….”

And I came face to face with Lee Beom, lying with his hands clasped under his head.

Are you guys not attending class…

That’s not the problem, but are you not taking off your slippers on a shared bed?

“What are you looking at?”

Lee Beom, blunt as ever, was still rude. I lost the will to engage further. I thought it was an empty bed, but it turned out to be a bust. No, worse than a bust, it was a bomb.

“Okay. I won’t look.”

“Hey, hey.”

As I closed the curtain again to go to the next bed, Lee Beom called me. I wanted to pretend I didn’t hear him, but if I ignored him from this close distance, it would be too obvious, right? I had no choice but to pull the curtain back again and look at Lee Beom.

“Why?”

“Why did you come to the infirmary? Are you hurt?”

It was a surprisingly sensible question. Lee Beom was half-sitting up.

“Ah. My nose, it was bleeding. I wanted to lie down and rest.”

It felt a little embarrassing to tell Lee Beom, who seemed like he wouldn’t know about nosebleeds until the day he died, that my nose was bleeding. I felt unnecessarily awkward, as if I were lacking in physical condition as a fellow human male. I answered sheepishly and was about to close the curtain again when the curtain of the bed right next to mine slid open with a derek.

“Nosebleed? Is Jjuni hurt somewhere?”

“A nosebleed! Are you okay, Hae-jun? Should we go to the hospital?”

“Huh?”

And then, Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu burst out from there. I stared at Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu, who were acting like flies in May, with a bewildered feeling. Why were you pretending not to be here and staying quiet? You ridiculous guys.

As if sensing my gaze, the two, who had been making such a fuss, looked embarrassed and offered their excuses.

“We thought you might say Hae-jun, you weren’t listening in class and were here…”

“Because I wanted Jjuni to wake up Prince Si-hu! Kyaa! Uum~ Only a kiss filled with love can wake up Prince Si-hu!”

“……”

Both of them gave answers that were so typical of themselves that I was speechless. Seong Hae-min lightly snatched Min Si-hu by the scruff of his neck as he leaned in towards me. I ignored Min Si-hu, who was struggling while being held by Seong Hae-min’s hand, and asked something else.

“But why are you two coming out of the same bed? And why is the other bed empty?”

“Ah, that’s…”

“Ah, sorry, sorry.”

This familiar voice…

“It’s because I was being territorial.”

As the last curtain was drawn back, Yeon Su-hwan, who was inside, winked at me. I was stunned.