Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Rock Bottom
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After exchanging contact info with them, Siwoo's phone—which had been ringing nonstop—finally fell into a heavy silence for the first time that night.
The last message in the group chat was just an awkward "get home safe" that Juwon had sent when they parted ways.
No one added anything else.
Siwoo tossed and turned all night before dragging his heavy body to school.
Even as he passed through the school gate, he worried about running into Hyunsu, but fortunately—or unfortunately—nothing happened until morning homeroom.
Juwon looked unusually serious too, but he didn't say anything special to Siwoo.
During break, as Siwoo headed to the bathroom, his gaze naturally drifted to the classroom next door.
Through the window, he spotted a familiar bob haircut.
She looked exactly the same as always, as if she'd completely forgotten yesterday's incident.
With earbuds in, staring blankly out the window with an indifferent expression—it was Baek Iseol, just as Siwoo always saw her.
'...She looks fine.'
Siwoo let out a sigh of relief and returned to his classroom.
But Iseol wasn't the real problem.
Across from the bathroom was Class 1-8.
Loud laughter erupted from the back of the room.
"Puhaha! You crazy bastard. Why'd you use your ultimate there?!"
"No, you went in first!"
Hyunsu was there.
Hyunsu was slapping a friend Siwoo had never seen on the back, laughing his ass off.
He looked perfectly fine—hard to believe this was the same Im Hyunsu who'd turned red with rage after Iseol's words yesterday and stormed off.
If anything, he seemed even more exaggerated in his laughter and antics than usual.
Siwoo glanced at them, slipped into the bathroom, and hurried back to his classroom.
Problems always exploded without warning.
Maybe because he'd been too anxious to sleep properly the night before, Siwoo's stomach churned like he'd eaten something bad.
The moment the lunch bell rang, everyone rushed out to the cafeteria, but Siwoo didn't even have the strength to stand.
"Hey, you okay? Your face is super pale. Think you can skip eating?"
Juwon looked at him with concern.
"Yeah... better not. My stomach's..."
"Alright, we'll eat quick and come back. Just lie down for a bit. We'll go to the nurse after. Head there first if it gets worse!"
Juwon kept looking back as he left the classroom, leaving only silence behind.
Siwoo figured it was for the best and slumped over his desk.
The moment he closed his eyes, exhaustion hit him like a wave, and his consciousness started to blur.
How much time passed? Someone's presence loomed behind Siwoo as he lay there.
Thwack!
A dull impact rang out, and his head spun. Someone had slammed their palm into the back of Siwoo's sleeping head with full force.
"Ah..."
As Siwoo groaned and lifted his head, a familiar voice rang out.
"Hey, Nam the Loser~ Why aren't you eating? On a diet or something?"
Through his hazy vision, Hyunsu was snickering.
His eyes held clear malice—not a hint of playfulness.
Hyunsu tapped the back of Siwoo's head again as he tried to shake off the daze.
"Oh-ho, check out that glare. What? Pissed off?"
Looking at his grinning face stirred more anger than fear in Siwoo.
His hands shook, his body already feeling off.
Siwoo roughly swatted away Hyunsu's hand hovering above him.
"Cut it out. This isn't a joke."
He tried to steady his trembling voice and speak rationally.
But that one line flipped a switch in Hyunsu.
His face twisted in an instant.
Crash!
Ugh...!
Hyunsu grabbed Siwoo's collar, flipped him over, and straddled his stomach.
Chairs toppled and desks scraped across the empty classroom with a racket.
"You little shit. Kids baby you, so you think you can get away with anything?"
In this first taste of real violence, Siwoo could barely breathe.
Hyunsu's knee pinned his solar plexus, leaving no room to fight back.
"So, you think I'm a pushover too, huh? You fucking loser."
Hyunsu raised a fist, veins bulging in his eyes.
"Siwoo, Siwoo. Know your place, got it?"
The fist flew straight at Siwoo's face.
Siwoo raised his arms to block, but the overwhelming size difference batted them away effortlessly.
The few remaining students in the classroom were too scared of Hyunsu's wild rage to intervene, mouths agape in silence.
"You fucking... You badmouthed me to Baek Iseol, didn't you?"
Hyunsu paused his beating, yanking Siwoo up by the collar.
"What... bullshit..."
"Otherwise, no reason for Iseol to hate me that much."
Hyunsu eyed him for a moment before continuing.
"Now that I think about it, yeah. Seo Juwon, Park Geon, even the girls—they're all protecting you. I've known them way longer."
Still fuming, Hyunsu raised his fist again.
"This won't cut it. You need more."
Then—
Thud!
A heavy thud echoed as Hyunsu's head snapped to the side.
His body wobbled, losing balance mid-swing.
"Ah... fuck, what the?!"
Hyunsu screamed, whipping around.
A bookbag lay tumbled on the floor, clearly hurled with force.
And at the back door stood Baek Iseol, breathing hard.
Her neat bob was disheveled, and her usually indifferent eyes burned with an icy chill Siwoo had never seen.
"Hey."
Iseol's voice came low and steady.
Hyunsu instinctively released Siwoo's collar at the chilling tone.
Siwoo collapsed to the floor coughing, and Iseol strode over, planting herself between them.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Ah, no... Iseol, it's not—"
Hyunsu stammered, flustered.
The murderous rage from moments ago vanished; he backed away like he'd suddenly grasped the situation.
"He started it... I tried to hold back, but he kept insulting me, you, and my friends."
Hyunsu desperately spun lies, pointing at Siwoo.
But Iseol ignored him, glancing down at Siwoo on the floor.
His condition was obvious at a glance.
Her face hardened coldly.
She looked straight at Hyunsu.
"Don't lie."
"Huh?"
"Siwoo trash-talk me? And the others too? Don't make me laugh. He's not the type to tear others down to feel better like you."
Hyunsu's face flushed crimson at her words.
"Hey, Baek Iseol! Why do you always take his side? How much time have I spent with you? How long ago did you even meet this guy?!"
As Hyunsu lunged forward yelling, Iseol stood firm and shoved his chest hard.
"Stay back."
Stumbling from her push, Hyunsu stared blankly.
Iseol drove the nail in, glaring at him with disgust.
"What does time matter? When you act this low."
"What...?"
"Still don't get why I hate you? Dividing people by class, bullying the weak to feel superior. That's what disgusts me."
The classroom fell deathly silent, not a breath to be heard.
Iseol guarded the trembling Siwoo and issued a quiet warning.
"And if you touch my friend one more time."
Her eyes gleamed coldly.
"Friend or not, I won't hold back."
Hyunsu opened his mouth but couldn't speak, crushed by her overwhelming presence.
His pride shattered, laid bare at rock bottom before her.
That's when it happened.
"Hey!! Im Hyunsu!!"
A booming shout echoed from the end of the hall, and the back door flew open as Park Geon burst in.
Bread and milk from the school store tumbled to the floor, but he ignored them.
His eyes quickly scanned Siwoo groaning on the ground, Iseol blocking in front, and Hyunsu standing dazed.
That was enough to read the room.
"You... fucking psycho..."
Park Geon stormed over and seized Hyunsu's collar with brutal force.
Hyunsu's body lifted slightly off the ground from the grip.
"Urk...!"
"You lost your mind? Beat your friend this bad? You even human?"
Park Geon roared like a feral beast.
Hyunsu trembled in terror, unable to respond under the imminent threat of a punch.
Even Iseol stepped back from Park Geon's murderous aura.
Then, cool air flowed in through the open door.
The noisy hallway had gone eerily quiet, like cold water doused over it.
"Move."
From behind Park Geon came Seo Juwon's calm, sunken voice.
Juwon wasn't excited like Park Geon.
He calmly assessed Siwoo's state: split lip, bruised cheek, torn uniform.
Juwon's eyes narrowed sharply.
He gave Hyunsu a contemptuous glance, then stepped aside to let someone through.
"Teacher, over here."
At Juwon's call, every eye in the room turned to the door.
There stood homeroom teacher Ha Taemu, face set in stone.
"..."
Ha Taemu's gaze fixed on the trashed classroom and Siwoo on the floor.
It slowly shifted to Hyunsu.
"Im Hyunsu."
His low voice reverberated through the room.
"Come with me."