By Zephyria 
To think I’d have to hear questions about romantic feelings over something like this!
I was dumbfounded. So many unbelievable things had happened already, and there were still more to come. How much more unbelievable could it get before I stopped being dumbfounded?
“Hey.”
“Uh, uh?”
Seong Hae-min was faster than me. As his face turned cold, the frightened girl flinched and stepped back.
People never missed even the smallest commotion. As passersby discovered something interesting to watch, they began to pay attention. The gazes, which were already constant due to the Four Heavenly Kings, multiplied like rabbits breeding.
A crowd of onlookers began to gather. My stress levels soared.
“No, ahem, no. I don’t like her.”
I interrupted, thinking I needed to step in and resolve the situation quickly, but my voice cracked right in front of everyone—the Four Heavenly Kings and the street spectators. I cleared my throat and denied it cleanly, but the Four Heavenly Kings’ gaze already held suspicion.
Well, being ostracized was one thing, but the weary aura emanating from the Four Heavenly Kings’ eyes… they must have misunderstood something again.
“If you don’t like her, then why are you protecting her?”
The girl, who had cowered before Seong Hae-min, now challenged me. My brow furrowed.
“She was walking so obviously.”
“Huh?”
“It was obvious she was coming to trip her, so should I just stand there and watch? Even if someone got hurt?”
“I, I didn’t mean to…!”
“You guys were giggling and glancing. Did you think it wasn’t obvious?”
The girl’s face slowly turned red. This was truly exasperating. I was bewildered. I looked down at the girl with a stern face.
“Should I just let that happen? If you see someone in trouble on the street, will you just ignore them? Is that what you were taught?”
“……”
“This is common sense. Don’t spread rumors.”
As I spoke, irritation welled up. Come to think of it, why was she only questioning me? Was it because the Four Heavenly Kings were intimidating, and I seemed easy to pick on?
Just because I stayed quietly in the back doesn’t mean I’m kind. That’s Ban Pyo-ran’s story; I’m not particularly kind.
“Why are you being so shady? Deal with your negative feelings on your own. What will change by bullying her? It just proves you’re a bad person. Study instead of doing this. That will be more beneficial for your life.”
Like a principal’s lecture, I spewed out a barrage of criticism and nagging. When I suddenly stopped talking, the surroundings became quiet, as if everyone was listening intently.
“……”
“……”
…It’s too quiet, even for quiet.
Flustered, I mumbled the rest of what I was saying.
“Anyway, you get it, right?”
“Uh, uh-huh…”
The girl nodded like a docile lamb a beat later. Her face, having been lectured, was flushed like a rose. It was understandable that she would feel embarrassed after being scolded like that in front of so many people.
Seeing the girl subdued, I released her wrist. I had held it gently and carefully, so there was no mark left on her pale wrist.
But why was it still so quiet? As I wondered, murmurs began to rise from the group of girls watching us from a distance.
“Hae-jun… is so cool…”
“Huh?”
And with that one remark, murmurs began to erupt from all directions.
“I saw him in a new light…”
“Really. He didn’t say a single bad word…”
“I thought he was sickly, but he has charisma too.”
“The way he spoke so calmly is so sexy.”
“Exactly. He looks so upright!”
“……?”
The atmosphere felt strange.
The surrounding people, even after being lectured, were radiating a pinkish glow. A shiver ran down my spine.
‘This isn’t right.’
The girl, who hadn’t left even after I released her wrist and was lingering in front of me, took advantage of the noise and timidly called out to me. Her fidgeting fingers amplified my unease.
“Um… Hae-jun.”
“Yeah?”
“Me and…”
The girl, drawing out her words, grabbed my hand and lifted her head. The intensity of her gaze made me instinctively step back.
“Can I get a picture!”
“No.”
“Why! Just one! Please!”
“Oh, uh, then me too!”
“Take one with me too! My name is…”
“I want one too! Who will take one!”
“I’m first!!”
And suddenly, everyone pulled out cameras or mobile phones and rushed towards me. It was the same scene as when I intervened at the karaoke room with the Four Heavenly Kings!
My face turned pale. Reflexively, I looked at Seong Hae-min for help.
Seong Hae-min quickly stepped forward to block the people surging towards me, but there were too many of them, relying on sheer numbers. Min Si-hu, Jeon Jae-hyung, and Lee Beom also joined in to help Seong Hae-min.
But it was already chaos. Ban Pyo-ran and Kim Yi-dam, standing unprepared nearby, were swept up in the crowd. My own body swayed as I was pushed. My vision blurred.
What, what is happening!
“Shit… everyone, freeze!!”
Lee Beom, pale and on the verge of collapse from the unexpected disaster, yelled, swallowing a curse.
With one powerful shout from Lee Beom, who stomped his foot like a drill sergeant, the movements of everyone, like an ant colony, instantly stopped. Everyone present froze and looked at Lee Beom.
Twitch.
Like the male protagonist in a teen romance novel, Lee Beom’s lips tightened.
His lips parted slightly.
“I am Lee Beom of Seoyeon High School.”
Gulp.
Someone nervous swallowed loudly. I, too, remained frozen, my eyes darting around.
“Anyone who knows me, look down.”
“…?”
‘Who would actually do that…’
The moment I thought that.
From the female students who had rushed at me to the people pointing and watching from the street, everyone simultaneously lowered their heads. It was as if they had heard a command for ‘Moment of Silence!’ during a school assembly.
‘What am I seeing?’
Only I stood there, mouth agape, like a crumbling wall.
“If you’ve looked down, now get lost.”
“??”
My mind was in turmoil. Who would listen to that…
People standing around started to notice and one by one began to disappear. Their rapid disappearance was like those things that hide under fallen leaves, only to vanish with a rustle when disturbed.
‘……???’
The situation ended in the blink of an eye, all because of Lee Beom’s single remark. Thanks to people fleeing from Lee Beom’s gaze, only the Four Heavenly Kings, Ban Pyo-ran, Kim Yi-dam (who had been swept away by the crowd and then slowly returned), and I were left alone in the venue.
I reminded myself once more. This was a world outside my common sense.
I should give up on understanding. If you give up, you find peace.
“Hae-jun-ah, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? You must have been really scared.”
“Uh… No. I’m fine.”
As if it were a rite of passage after something like this, Seong Hae-min approached me with a worried expression. I shook my head, fumbling. Even though I told him to stop taking care of me first, this guy never changed.
Truthfully, I was quite startled, just as Seong Hae-min said. But it wasn’t the people who had rushed at me that surprised me as much as what Lee Beom had done.
“Is Lee Beom’s reputation that bad? Everyone ran away at his words……”
I whispered to Seong Hae-min. Seong Hae-min smiled brightly, as if he had heard a question from a cute child. It felt somewhat nauseating.
“Reputation? Beom has incredible charisma. He’s also very thorough in his personality, that’s why.”
“Thorough?”
What did this situation have to do with being thorough?
“Beom has an amazing memory, he remembers everyone who’s ever pissed him off. Beom is exactly the leader type; he’s good at fighting, has charisma, and strong leadership, so no one rebels.”
“……”
After filtering out Seong Hae-min’s subjective nonsense, which was clearly biased by his affection for his friend, the only thing that remained in my brain was that Lee Beom had a good memory.
In other words, he had a good ability to memorize, right?
Now I understood how Lee Beom could be ranked 35th in the entire school. In the novel, he was always causing trouble, defying teachers, having a bad attitude in class, skipping school on exam days, riding motorcycles, drinking, and fighting all day to save his girlfriend… I hadn’t realized it then, but….
Turns out, even if not as much as Jeon Jae-hyung, that guy was also a talent!
Suddenly, Lee Beom felt annoying.
Lee Beom had been watching me, and the moment I glanced at him, our eyes met with a sharp click. I turned my head away, feeling uneasy.
“Where do we go now?”
Min Si-hu, who was cheerful regardless of time or place, hopped excitedly and lightened the mood. Then, he naturally looked at Lee Beom, the leader of the group. Lee Beom looked at me. It seemed like he was trying to pass the burden of choice onto me again.
I wouldn’t let him. I looked at Ban Pyo-ran. Thus, everyone’s gaze pointed to one person.
“Huh? I get to choose?”
“Yes.”
“……”
I quickly affirmed Ban Pyo-ran’s question. Ban Pyo-ran, who had become the guide by chance, pondered for a moment, then stretched out his long arm and pointed to a nearby location.
“Well, there’s no line there, so shall we stop by?”
It was the haunted house, a horror attraction found in any amusement park.