By Zephyria 
Lee Beom stood awkwardly, clicking a pen. While everyone else seemed relaxed, as if they were here to hang out rather than visit, why was he so uncomfortable? It wasn’t his first time at my house.
“Why are you clicking your pen like that, Beom? You’re making Si-hu anxious!”
“Yeah. Is something wrong?”
Min Si-hu, who had been comfortably sitting and chatting nearby, pointed it out when Lee Beom showed no sign of stopping his pen-clicking. Ban Pyo-ran also asked with concern. I was curious too. It seemed like the first time I’d seen Lee Beom so agitated.
“Ah, sorry. I’m trying to quit smoking.”
As if realizing his action after being pointed out, Lee Beom immediately apologized and put the pen down.
Quitting smoking. He must have been diligently sticking to his resolution since he suddenly declared it in the classroom before. Honestly, it was unexpected. I thought he’d give up within a few days.
“Quitting smoking? That’s amazing.”
Ban Pyo-ran exclaimed and clasped his hands together, while Min Si-hu puffed out his chest proudly.
“Si-hu is quitting too! Ahem!”
“You’re quitting too, Si-hu?”
“Yeah! We all decided to do it.”
“I never smoked in the first place. Leave me out of it.”
“But how did you decide to quit?”
“Right. You guys were famous chain-smokers.”
“Well…”
Seong Hae-min’s protest that he didn’t smoke was quickly overshadowed by Ban Pyo-ran’s next question. Min Si-hu mumbled his answer, and Ban Pyo-ran and Kim Yi-dam tilted their heads in confusion. I was curious too. I had been there when he declared he was quitting, but I didn’t know the reason for his sudden impulsive action.
Instead of answering, Min Si-hu stared intently at Lee Beom. Everyone’s gaze shifted to Lee Beom. And Lee Beom looked at me without answering. Following his gaze, all eyes turned back to me.
‘Why me again!’
Was Lee Beom’s sudden decision to quit smoking related to me? I was flustered to become the protagonist of something I didn’t even know about. Standing at the center of such obvious gazes, like an ant being burned by sunlight focused through a magnifying glass, my heart pounded. I felt like I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
“…Why is everyone looking at me?”
“Ah! Because we’re spending time with Hae-jun.”
“Right, spending time with Seong Hae-jun.”
I asked out of discomfort, but Ban Pyo-ran and Kim Yi-dam nodded as if they understood. They all seemed to get it. What did spending time with me have to do with quitting smoking? Was I the only one who didn’t know?
“You can’t smoke in front of someone who’s frail.”
Only after hearing Ban Pyo-ran’s playful remark did I grasp the situation.
However, it was better not to have known. Knowing only added to my cold sweat. They were showing me that much consideration? I had forgotten the immutable truth that ignorance is bliss.
As Ban Pyo-ran smiled brightly, Lee Beom’s eyebrows twitched. I felt a pang of anxiety. Was he going to suddenly act temperamental towards Ban Pyo-ran like last time? But my worries were in vain; Lee Beom said nothing. Instead, he awkwardly turned his head away.
His embarrassed action bewildered me. What did I just see? I wanted to wash my eyes.
Lee Beom, you really like Ban Pyo-ran a lot!
“You don’t have a fever, right?”
“Huh? Uh-huh.”
I tried to glance at Ban Pyo-ran’s complexion, but our eyes met directly. Like a thief caught red-handed, I hastily replied, trying to hide my surprise. Thinking I shouldn’t invite Lee Beom’s misunderstanding with my actions, I averted my gaze, only to meet Lee Beom’s eyes this time.
It felt like our gazes collided with a ‘taak’ sound. His jet-black, gleaming eyes were fixed straight on me. Startled, I looked away again. Goodness. Why is he looking at me like that?
“Are you…?”
“Huh?”
Like a person startled by a pot lid after being bitten by a snake, I flinched at Jeon Jae-hyung’s gentle, slow voice.
“Are you really… okay…?”
“Yeah. Of course. Totally fine…”
Wait a minute. If I say I’m totally fine, won’t they want to go out?
“I’m not sick. Anyway, I’m fine.”
You guys leaving would make me totally fine. Really. While muttering the exact opposite in my head, I gave a suitable answer outwardly.
Even trying to be casual, I felt self-conscious because of Lee Beom. I couldn’t relax. I automatically tensed up, afraid of being misunderstood if I misread Ban Pyo-ran. If I faked being sick poorly, I might develop actual illnesses.
“Food.”
“Huh?”
“Are you eating well?”
Lee Beom brought up food out of the blue. Of course, it’s a question someone visiting a sick person might ask, but it felt different coming from Lee Beom. Last time, his choice of words like ‘bab-ting’ was already unusual. He’s a food-obsessed maniac, just like any Korean! I learned a new fact.
“Yeah. Hae-min took care of me earlier too.”
“That time.”
“Yeah?”
“The sushi?”
“Ah, that. I ate it deliciously after you guys left. Thanks.”
“Sushi? What sushi?”
Min Si-hu butted in. He seemed unaware that Lee Beom had ordered eel sushi and Hallabong oranges for me with Jeon Jae-hyung last time.
“You don’t know?”
“What is it? Are you talking about the hospital?”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Then Si-hu doesn’t know! Why are you keeping it a secret from Si-huuu!”
“It’s nothing much. It’s just that Lee Beom a few days ago—”
“Seong Hae-jun.”
“Huh?”
Just as I was about to mention that Lee Beom had bought it for me last time, Lee Beom suddenly called my name. His voice was unusual. Startled, I shut my mouth.
Again. It felt like a ‘taak’ sound as our gazes met.
Lee Beom, who had called me, seemed more flustered than I was. At first, I thought he was angry, but looking closely, that didn’t seem to be the case. The tips of his ears were red. His eyes were dark, and his expression hadn’t changed, but his red ear tips made me wonder if I was seeing things.
Something’s… creepy.
“Why did you call me?”
“……”
“……”
“Anyway.”
He didn’t answer my question, just “anyway”?
“Make sure you eat well.”
Lee Beom, who seemed to have more to say, mumbled his words while running a hand through his hair. He cut me off mid-sentence, and that’s all he had to say? Is he implying that I shouldn’t ask further because he’s embarrassed right now? In any case, there was no one there who would pry further in this situation. It’s not like buying food is a big deal, so I don’t know why he’s trying to hide it.
“Right. Eating well is important during adolescence.”
“But, Hae-jun, you do seem quite weak. Eat well like the others say.”
Ban Pyo-ran and Kim Yi-dam patted my shoulder.
“…Me?”
“Yeah. Seong Hae-jun, you.”
“Uh-huh…”
I vaguely agreed, but I had no idea how I ended up in this position. Was I so weak that Kim Yi-dam was worried? Of course, it wasn’t like I never felt my body was weak, but this was normal. They all seem to think I’m a frail person who suddenly collapses, but that’s definitely a misunderstanding.
However, none of them seemed willing to listen to my defense.
“Right. Our school is also buzzing with talk about you, Hae-jun.”
“Talk about me?”
Ban Pyo-ran added fuel to the fire. I haven’t even been near Manhae High, so what could be so hot a topic at school about me? This is frightening.
“They say you’re a sickly beautiful boy who needs protecting.”
“…What?”
“Exactly! The only key to moving the Seoyeon High Four Heavenly Kings! The sickly Seong Hae-jun!”
“Huh?”
Kim Yi-dam sealed it with his words as I denied reality.
Am I hearing this correctly? A key? My vision went dark.
The world has gone mad!
Thinking back, the last time I rode on the motorcycle behind Jeon Jae-hyung, I heard Seong Hae-min muttering something about being his sickly twin brother. But hearing it again was still shocking. I can never get used to this. Was I so well-known that such a bizarre nickname spread to other schools?
Where did it all go wrong? I couldn’t form words and just stammered. Ban Pyo-ran, leaning slightly forward, whispered to me. I subtly leaned back, glancing at Lee Beom.
This is uncomfortable!
“But you’re really loved by everyone, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“As soon as they heard you were sick and couldn’t come, everyone was so worried about you. It felt like they loved you as much as you love them, and it made me happy.”
“……”
Ban Pyo-ran’s whispered words were absurd, and the fact that he leaned in close to whisper made me glance at Lee Beom, which was a problem. But a bigger problem than all of this was that Ban Pyo-ran’s whisper was audible to everyone around. He seemed to be trying to whisper only to me, but…
Cold sweat trickled down my back under the intense gaze of the Four Heavenly Kings, who seemed to be expecting my answer.
“Um… Well… It’s all good. Haha…”
Damn it!
I can’t deny this to their faces, I can’t say I don’t love them, and I can’t tell him to back off! I forced a smile and nodded awkwardly.
Hearing my answer, Ban Pyo-ran smiled broadly and straightened up. I could only hope no one was shameless enough to snatch his whispered words and make them a public topic.
“Jjuni~!”
But I shouldn’t have hoped for that.