By Zephyria 
Amidst days of rampant controversy, the news quickly brought by Min Si-hu made the walk home buzz.
“Jjuni!”
As I packed my bag and headed for the hallway, Min Si-hu, who had run up breathlessly, waved his arms wildly.
“Parents gave up! It’s completely confirmed!”
It was just a string of words, but I understood immediately.
In conclusion, it turned out as Ban Seo-yi had promised. Expulsion. Although there was strong resistance from the individual and his parents until the very end, Ban Seo-yi’s influence seemed to have worked out in the end.
“Haa….”
As the situation was clearly decided, my tension completely dissolved. Thank goodness. Ban Seo-yi handled it well!
The feeling of wanting to trust and wait, mixed with the anxiety of ‘what if?’, felt like it had shaved ten years off my life. I had considered the worst-case scenarios and even worried about what I would do if Ban Seo-yi failed to resolve it.
Immediately after the complete relief washed over me, the emotion that surged was anger.
‘Why didn’t he answer my calls?’
If he had just sent a single message saying how things were going, I wouldn’t have waited so anxiously! Anyone would be angry at such a lack of communication. Though I didn’t know what circumstances he might have been in.
I noticed the Four Heavenly Kings watching me blankly and calmed myself.
‘Right, he must have been busy.’
After all, it was resolved well, just as he had confidently guaranteed. There was no point in blaming him now that it was over. As I composed myself and ran a hand through my hair, Jeon Jae-hyung, who stood beside me like a shadow, muttered in disbelief.
“I really thought it would be expulsion…”
“It’s surprising, but I had a feeling it might happen. Given what that guy did. And the school must have felt pressure from the formation of the victims’ group.”
Shamelessly, I shrugged my shoulders as if surprised, matching Jeon Jae-hyung. Then Lee Beom called me.
“Seong Hae-jun.”
“Yeah?”
“Sometimes you…”
His red lips moved.
“Seem to know the future.”
“Wh-what?”
“Like with Grandmother’s situation too…”
I almost bit my tongue in surprise. Fortunately, I didn’t draw blood, but I started to hiccup. Lee Beom looked at me, shaking my shoulders, and laughed. His handsome face curved into a friendly smile.
“I always owe you, Hae-jun. Thank you.”
“Uh, uhh….”
My heart, which I thought had settled, pounded uselessly. I didn’t realize until after hearing Lee Beom’s thanks that he wasn’t trying to probe or suspect anything. It was only after Seong Hae-min patted my back to help me stop hiccuping that I realized it belatedly.
I felt embarrassed that I had hiccuped out of guilt from Lee Beom’s joke. I clenched my fist in my pocket.
“Wooo… Jjuni is indeed! Si-hu’s lucky charm!”
And as always, Min Si-hu lunged at me, but my body, having learned his habits, instinctively moved and skillfully dodged behind Seong Hae-min.
“Lee Beom! Why are you blocking me!”
“Enough already?”
Leaving the Four Heavenly Kings bickering amongst themselves as usual, I took a breath behind Seong Hae-min. I thought he had noticed something. I should try to act more normal from now on.
That evening, upon arriving home, I sent Ban Seo-yi a thank-you message with a relieved heart, telling him he did a good job. Ban Seo-yi, who always replied promptly, didn’t respond this time either. I stared intently at my silent phone.
He must be busy with the aftermath. It seemed there was a reason. I thought I might have to visit Jeseong High School soon. When contact is lost like this, seeing them face-to-face is the only way.
❖ ❖ ❖
The next day, I encountered unexpected news.
“…….”
“What? Do you have something to say?”
“My brother….”
Jeon Jae-hyung approached me hesitantly, and the words he spoke were that his brother had received an apology from the perpetrators.
Apparently, upon hearing rumors that a school violence victims’ group was being formed in relation to the Yeonmyeong High School expulsion case, his brother had gotten scared and apologized. Although I found their attempt to silence them with a nominal apology before publicizing the issue to be infuriating, it seemed different for the victim.
“Is your brother not going to report the kids who bullied him?”
“Yeah….”
Jeon Jae-hyung, who wasn’t eloquent, spoke haltingly and intermittently.
His brother was satisfied enough with receiving the apology and wanted to end it there and move on. It wasn’t about forgiving them like a saint from history. Rather than getting entangled with them further to extract compensation, he wanted to live a normal school life with the friends he had made at his new school.
Listening to his calm voice, I nodded silently.
Of course, it wasn’t the satisfying and triumphant outcome of the perpetrators being punished by the education office, but… if his brother wanted it this way, it didn’t seem so bad. Thinking about it differently, they wouldn’t hold a grudge and retaliate more fiercely, so it was perhaps even fortunate.
His older brother had a gentle side, and it seemed his younger brother took after him.
Jeon Jae-hyung concluded his words with thanks.
“…Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“That’s not true.”
Jeon Jae-hyung denied it with a firm tone. Surprised by his unusual demeanor, I instinctively avoided his gaze. Jeon Jae-hyung took a step closer and stood before me. His eyes, dark like cocoa, looked directly at me.
“You didn’t turn away.”
“…….”
“It’s all thanks to you that this was possible, Hae-jun.”
My mouth closed. Jeon Jae-hyung repeated his thanks several times, to the point where I felt embarrassed. I avoided his eyes.
I couldn’t bring myself to tell Jeon Jae-hyung to stop, because I could feel the profound sincerity in every word he spoke.
In the face of such earnest sincerity, I never knew how to react. It felt like I, not Jeon Jae-hyung who was repeating his thanks, was the one who was broken. I felt that such gratitude was undeserved by me.
I cautiously looked up at Jeon Jae-hyung. My heart felt restless. I had only acted with the goal of saving Seong Hae-min, so was I really deserving of his thanks? Unfamiliar emotions swirled beyond the face of the perpetually sleepy-looking boy.
But… it wasn’t a bad feeling.
I still thought this world was an absurd novel, but that didn’t mean the events in this world were solely fictional.
A real world….
Yes, this world was real to me now.
My heart warmed. I quietly looked at Jeon Jae-hyung, then silently raised my hand. And I patted Jeon Jae-hyung’s shoulder.
Perhaps not expecting me to do that, Jeon Jae-hyung’s voice grew quieter, like a mumble, and then stopped. Jeon Jae-hyung blinked like a startled cow. His surprised reaction, so slow, was so funny that I let out a small laugh. He trembled his eyelids.
Jeon Jae-hyung slowly raised his hand and placed it over mine. My giggling subsided. I didn’t pull my hand away. His hand was trembling, and it was warm.
“Well… it’s fortunate that it worked out in the end. I hope Hae-min’s situation is resolved well too.”
For some reason, I felt awkward in this heartwarming atmosphere, so I spoke volubly, filling the silence left by the quiet Jeon Jae-hyung. Perhaps because he seemed like someone who would listen well, given his usual quiet nature, the words flowed out easily.
The conversation soon moved to sharing updates on what was being prepared for the public announcement regarding the third-year Sunbaes. Part of the reason I spoke at length was that Jeon Jae-hyung didn’t let go of my hand even as the conversation started.
I had received counseling from the counselor, but there was no helpful outcome from the school. Well, of course, I hadn’t expected anything from the counseling, so it was fine…. As I finished that part of the story, Jeon Jae-hyung, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke.
“What about the gym teacher…?”
“The gym teacher?”
Jeon Jae-hyung said he had spoken with the gym teacher about his brother’s situation. Although his brother attended a different school, so he couldn’t get direct help, the gym teacher had made inquiries with the education office and provided information in various ways. Come to think of it, I remembered hearing this when we were all gathered with the Four Heavenly Kings discussing how to quit the Iljinhoe.
Jeon Jae-hyung’s suggestion that perhaps he could help since it was the same school made me nod in agreement.
“Now that I think about it, you’re right?”
It was well-known that the gym teacher was at the forefront of guiding delinquents. In fact, he was stricter and more attentive to students than the student dean. Delinquents would flee at the mere mention of the gym teacher, but he was a formidable opponent, unlike other teachers who were indifferent or easily intimidated.
Along with that, a memory flashed back to me of the teachers chattering loudly in the faculty room when I had gone on an errand.
Did you hear that Mr. Kim Gwang-yong received a model citizen award?
Oh, really? For what?
They say he beat up a robber.
Wow… he’s the type who would do that. He’s also a pro at catching delinquent students at school.
Exactly. I couldn’t do it even if I were told to! Haha!
Kids these days are really scary~.
A lightbulb appeared above my head. I tightly grasped Jeon Jae-hyung’s hand, which was covering mine, with my other hand and exclaimed,
“Hey! This is it!”