By Zephyria 
To the surprisingly persistent guy, I reluctantly extended my arm. The school uniform guy looked at my wrist, clicked his tongue with a short “Tsk,” and then proceeded to unbutton my shirt sleeve himself to check the condition of my arm.
“Oh dear, it’s going to bruise.”
What is this guy?
He looked at my wrist with a serious expression, so I blinked and looked down at my arm as well. The spot where the brute had grabbed me was visibly red and swollen. It would probably turn purple in a few hours. It was fortunate it hadn’t resulted in a break or fracture.
“Do these kinds of lowlifes often bother you?”
“No.”
I didn’t know if they bothered me often, but this was the first time something like this had happened since I entered this novel. I shook my head. Then, the school uniform guy reached out and patted my head a few times. His face was full of smiles as he ruffled my hair.
What kind of treatment was this?
But I remembered that he had been suspended and stopped myself from protesting.
“I should tell your Hyung. To take better care of his brother.”
“You know Seong Hae-min?”
I asked back with a horrified expression. Oops. Come to think of it, someone who was suspended wouldn’t not know Seong Hae-min, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
‘I should have avoided this guy too!’
Seeing my face, the school uniform guy covered his mouth with his fist and let out a “Cough.” I had heard it several times already, but his laugh was truly…
“You don’t know me?”
I don’t.
I couldn’t recall anything immediately. I stared blankly.
“Cough cough. You’re really funny.”
“……”
“Cough, ask Hae-min. Ask him if he knows Yeon Su-hwan. And make sure to tell him I helped you.”
“Ah… excuse me for a moment.”
I quickly grabbed the person who was about to turn and leave. The person I grabbed smiled at me like a kind and handsome prince. Of course, even that smile annoyed me.
“Why, do you know who I am now? Do you remember hearing my name?”
“It’s not that. I’m sorry, but if you know Seong Hae-min, could you please not tell him about what happened today?”
If this incident got out, I might end up having to ride on Seong Hae-min’s motorcycle to school from now on. I desperately wanted to avoid such a terrible fate.
Upon hearing my request, the school uniform guy paused for a moment, looked at my face as if recalling something nostalgic, and let out a small, hearty laugh.
“Cough, alright. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you.”
“I see why Hae-min keeps you so close.”
I didn’t know what he meant, but I knew that the fact that a person I should be avoiding was showing interest in me was already an undesirable situation.
The school uniform guy put his hands in his pockets and sauntered away. He was acting so high and mighty, even though we were going to the same school.
I continued on my way. Since our destinations were the same, I ended up trailing behind him like a little duck.
‘Speaking of which, he told me to ask Seong Hae-min. Are they close?’
I pondered the name Yeon Su-hwan again. Where did he appear in the novel? The impact of the Four Heavenly Kings was so great that, unfortunately, other extras besides the main villains Do Yun-hyeok and Ban Seo-yi were hazy in my memory. I narrowed my eyes and rummaged through my memories, but nothing came to mind immediately.
“Hey, you Yeon kid—!!”
“Yo—Bulldozer Teacher, long time no see?”
And then, blocking my ears from the obnoxious shouts happening at the school gate, I hurried towards the classroom.
I must have heard something I shouldn’t have, but it’s probably just my imagination. My sleep has been bad lately.
❖ ❖ ❖
It seemed the Yeon whatever-his-name-was hadn’t told Seong Hae-min as requested, because Seong Hae-min said nothing unusual. That was a relief.
If Seong Hae-min had decided to make sure I didn’t go to school alone and had rushed over, I would have no choice but to ride on the back of Seong Hae-min’s motorcycle to and from school, and that would truly be the downfall of my life. I didn’t know what the other two of the Four Heavenly Kings thought, but Min Si-hu would surely find his ‘precious friend’s’ overprotective twin brother bothersome…
As it was time to go home after class, Min Si-hu, who was waiting in the hallway as usual, waved his arm and greeted me.
“Jjuni!”
“……”
“Kiss?”
“No.”
“Shall we go home?”
“…Are we going together today too?”
“Yeah!! Jjuni wants to go with Si-hu too!! Si-hu does too!! Hehe.”
This is infuriating. I clenched my fist, which had slowly risen.
“But Si-hu can’t go with you today! Did you expect us to go together? You’ll be disappointed, but what can you do! Kyaa!”
“……”
What kind of person is this?
“Because Si-hu~ has a date with Jeil Girls’ High today!”
But it was good news. I felt like I could overlook Min Si-hu’s babbling today with a blind eye.
I tried hard not to show too much joy. I didn’t know what kind of retaliation I might face if I showed happiness at not being able to go together. Min Si-hu’s thoughts were beyond the comprehension of a normal human mind, so I always tried to consider the worst-case scenario.
However, my efforts were in vain, as Min Si-hu left me with a big mess.
“So, ta-da! I brought Jae-hyung! Si-hu did well, right? Ung, ung?”
“……”
A guy who was as useful as a pile of dog shit in my life.
Min Si-hu shoved Jeon Jae-hyung, one of the other Four Heavenly Kings, towards me and left. Jeon Jae-hyung, who I would be going home with this time, was quiet and taciturn.
He always dozed off clutching a stuffed animal, which didn’t match his size and height… but he’s better than Min Si-hu, who talks non-stop. I looked up at Jeon Jae-hyung, trying to think positively for my mental health. He was much taller than me. Our eyes met, his dark brown eyes looking down with a sleepy expression. At his slow gaze, I gasped.
“Let’s go……”
“Uh-huh.”
Jeon Jae-hyung and I walked in silence. It was a godsend that he was quiet. If he were as talkative as Min Si-hu, my ears might have bled from exhaustion after a few days.
But if I’m going to have the Four Heavenly Kings trailing behind me like sausages, what’s the difference from being stuck with Seong Hae-min at school? At this rate, going home with Seong Hae-min might be better…
“Whoa, look over there! It’s Seoyeon High’s Four Heavenly Kings, Jeon. Jae. Hyung! His beauty is so great, ‘God of Men’ isn’t enough! Kya! But who’s next to him?”
“Oh my, you don’t know? That’s Seong. Hae. Jun, Seong Hae-min’s twin brother!”
“He’s… Seong Hae-jun?! He’s really handsome too! What do I do, should I try to ‘accidentally’ bump into him? If I’m lucky, I might get involved with Seong Hae-min!”
But hearing the whispers about Jeon Jae-hyung and me, I immediately corrected my thought. I was wrong. I couldn’t even be with Seong Hae-min.
Seong Hae-min’s overly friendly nature might make things even more tiring? The thought of him smiling and waving at such remarks made my stomach churn. I’d rather have Min Si-hu, who smiles while giving the middle finger, or Jeon Jae-hyung, who says nothing. Of course, the best option would be to go alone.
“Seong Hae-jun…”
Jeon Jae-hyung finally spoke as we neared my house. I didn’t reply. I didn’t want to talk. Unless there was a terrifying threat like Min Si-hu’s, where he’d kiss me if I didn’t answer, I didn’t want to get involved. Today, I just wanted to go home and rest.
“……”
“……”
“Be nice to Hae-min…”
“……”
“Then, I’ll be going…”
Jeon Jae-hyung left like a slow turtle. I stared blankly at his receding back, hands in his pockets.
‘What was that just now?’
How long have these Four Heavenly Kings been hanging out together so closely that they cherish such affectionate friendships? How many times do they tell the indifferent twin brother to be nicer to his twin sibling? It was truly consistent. I shook my head and headed home.
Seong Hae-min often came home late. I guessed he was busy with the typical novel cycle of drinking every day, riding his motorcycle, and getting into fights with delinquents from other schools.
But I was just an ordinary extra. I’d casually eat the side dishes Seong Hae-min had prepared for dinner and spend my time studying in the quiet house. The house was better than most study rooms. Since Seong Hae-min had done all the chores, I didn’t have to worry about much.
However, today, hearing “Seong. Hae. Jun! Seong Hae-min’s twin brother!” directly was so shocking that I couldn’t concentrate on my studies. I tapped my problem book a few times with my mechanical pencil, then put it down and clasped my hands behind my head. I was tired.
After staring blankly for a while, I made a firm resolution.
‘Tomorrow, I’m going to sneak home before class ends!’
I couldn’t live like this anymore, going home with the Four Heavenly Kings in rotation.
If I slipped away a little earlier than the end of class, Min Si-hu wouldn’t be able to do anything. If Seong Hae-min asked why I went home alone, I’d deny it, saying Min Si-hu wasn’t there. Given Seong Hae-min’s personality, which doted on his brother, he wouldn’t accuse me of lying. He might even blame Min Si-hu. If I were lucky, their friendship might even shatter, but it wouldn’t be my problem!
I thought it was a perfect plan and smiled for the first time in a while.
However, the flaw in my thinking was that while I could avoid the attention of our school’s delinquents, I couldn’t avoid the attention of delinquents from other schools.