Possessive Urges
Creak—
The front door of the classroom swung open right in the middle of first period.
"You two! Class started ages ago. What on earth have you been doing until now—"
The math teacher standing at the podium smacked the attendance book against the desk with irritation, glaring at us sharply.
But the moment he caught sight of Haeun's red-rimmed, swollen eyes peeking out from behind my back and her pale, drained complexion, his scolding stopped dead.
"...Ahem. Enough talk. Just take your seats. We'll resume the lesson."
The teacher cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away.
I lightly grasped Haeun's slender wrist and led her toward our seats.
The classroom had fallen into an eerie silence.
Dozens of piercing stares rained down on us like arrows.
[Hey, is Baek Haeun really still hanging around like that?]
[Look at Woojin hiding behind her.]
[Did she cry?]
[Jia, check out those two.]
Whispers, both hushed and blatant, pressed down on the air like a weight.
Choi Jia, seated in the center of the room, twisted her lips in clear annoyance and shot us alternating glares.
Ding-dong-dang-dong—
The moment the bell signaling the end of first period rang, Jia shot up from her seat and stormed toward the hallway with agitated steps.
Thud—!
Crash!
As she passed Haeun's desk, Jia deliberately slammed the back of her hand against the corner.
The thick math textbook and pencil case Haeun had left on top tumbled loudly to the floor.
The case popped open, scattering pens everywhere.
"Ah. Sorry. My bad."
The apology carried not a shred of sincerity—only obvious malice and intent.
Jia didn't even pause to pick anything up. She strode straight out the front door, and the girls trailing behind her covered their mouths, snickering.
"Pfft, did you see Baek Haeun's face just now? She was totally frozen and couldn't say a word."
Mocking laughter filled the room.
Haeun bit down hard on her lip, unable to speak.
Her hands trembled as she reached down to gather the scattered pens.
It was a humiliating, wretched sight that the old Baek Haeun would never have allowed.
That was when I bent down first.
I scooped up the fallen books and pens before she could.
Tap, tap.
I brushed the dust off the textbook and gently placed everything back on her desk.
"You okay?"
At my low, gentle question, Haeun slowly lifted her head and looked up at me.
"Huh...? ...Yeah. I'm fine..."
She answered in a voice barely loud enough for me to hear, letting out a small sigh of relief.
"Whoa there! Our Woojin here's been causing quite the scene since morning, huh?"
A heavy arm suddenly draped over my shoulder.
I turned to see Kang Minjae grinning with his usual clueless friendliness, throwing an arm around me.
"Ahaha! Hey, Baek Haeun."
Minjae laughed brightly and spoke to the still-rigid Haeun.
"You all right? I saw the hallway on the way to school this morning—someone pulled some nasty pranks. Looked like Choi Jia's crew for sure. Want me to go say something?"
The moment I heard that thoughtless offer, my brow twitched.
...You're the one who spread the rumors that got her into this mess in the first place.
I swallowed the urge to kick him in the gut and took a deep breath.
"No... I'm really okay. Thanks for worrying, though."
Haeun forced the corners of her trembling lips upward and politely, yet firmly, declined his offer.
"Ahem, yeah? Well, if you say so."
Minjae scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
Then his eyes lit up as if he'd just remembered something, and he released my shoulder.
My nerves sharpened instantly. I could already sense another round of his meddlesome nonsense coming.
"Oh, right—wanna eat lunch with us today?"
The sudden lunch invitation caught me off guard.
Haeun's head snapped up from where she'd been staring at the floor.
Her wide eyes wavered, clearly flustered by the unexpected kindness.
"You've been eating alone lately, and it was bothering me. We've got plenty of space anyway, so let's eat together."
It was the typical, clueless generosity of an insider who either didn't know or didn't care.
The moment I heard it, a sharp, unpleasant headache scraped across my nerves.
...Don't. You clueless bastard.
My vision cooled.
I wanted to grab Minjae by the collar, shut that mouth of his right now.
Baek Haeun only needs to look at me. She should only rely on me. She doesn't need anyone else's pathetic rescue.
An uninvited guest trying to step into the world I'd carefully built without my permission.
The headache pounded harder, and the uncontrollable possessiveness boiled inside me.
"Woojin... are you... coming too?"
Haeun's cautious voice reached me.
Her gaze wasn't on Minjae, who had offered the kindness.
It was fixed entirely on me.
That blind question, laced with anxiety and hope, waiting only for my decision.
The moment those words fell, the splitting headache vanished like magic.
"Huh? Woojin?"
Minjae, completely missing the meaning, burst into hearty laughter.
"Oh, of course! He eats with us every day anyway!"
"......"
"So it's settled—lunch together today. Cool? Okay! See you at lunch!"
Minjae smacked my shoulder excitedly and headed back to his seat at the front.
Once the noisy intruder was gone, I looked down at Haeun with a calm gaze.
She was still watching my expression anxiously.
I hid the rising satisfaction and whispered gently with a short sigh.
"...Don't mind him. He's always been that nosy and oblivious. If it bothers you, I'll just say we'll eat alone."
"No."
Haeun shook her head carefully, then looked up at me with the faintest smile.
"...If you're coming too, I think it'll be fine."
Ding-dong-dang-dong—
The bell for second period rang through the classroom.
"Yeah. Let's go together later."
I nodded briefly and returned to my seat.
As I opened my textbook and pencil case, a deep, twisted smirk spread across my lips—one no one else noticed.
That's right, Haeun.
Even though that idiot Minjae had butted in, things had actually worked out better because of him.
For now... this is enough.
***
Lunchtime. Imagining Haeun anxiously watching only me among the popular crowd sent a thrilling shiver through me.
The cafeteria buzzed with noise and warmth.
The roar of hundreds of students, the clatter of trays, and countless glances felt like hellfire tightening around Haeun's throat.
We took a table in the middle of the room.
Haeun clung to the hem of my uniform sleeve with pale fingers, sitting so close her shoulder brushed mine.
Her head hung low, eyes fixed only on her silver tray.
The sight of her frozen in fear of meeting anyone's gaze and becoming a target again was more pitiful than a drenched stray dog.
Across from us sat Minjae and his friends, chatting loudly as they shoveled food into their mouths.
"Hey, Baek Haeun! You like these?"
Minjae's voice rang out suddenly.
With his usual grin, he picked up a large Vienna sausage from his overflowing tray and dropped it onto Haeun's plate.
"Huh...?"
All the boys at the table turned to look at her at once.
Already overwhelmed by the cafeteria's noise, Haeun's lips trembled, unsure how to respond to the sudden attention and Minjae's kindness.
Her eyes darted wildly, unable to settle.
Refusing would ruin the mood, but accepting meant facing the whispers—she was trapped in that suffocating dilemma.
"Uh, yeah... Thanks. I'll enjoy it..."
Haeun forced a smile and answered in a small voice.
Just as she reached for the sausage with trembling chopsticks—
Tap.
I smoothly extended my own chopsticks and snatched the sausage right before hers could touch it, popping it into my mouth.
"Hey, Lee Woojin! Are you crazy? I gave that to Haeun!"
Minjae stared at me in disbelief, pointing accusingly.
I chewed the sausage with a completely indifferent expression.
"She can't even finish her own food anyway. Right?"
I glanced at Haeun.
She nodded quickly, eyes wide like a startled rabbit.
"Uh... yeah! I have a small appetite... I can't eat it all."
"What? Seriously...? Man, my poor sausage. Lee Woojin, you're buying me ice cream from the store later."
Minjae grumbled and pulled his chopsticks back.
Minwoo, who had been snickering beside him, suddenly changed the subject.
"Oh, right. Haeun, you're running for student council president next week, aren't you? I saw the posters in the hallway this morning—they were a total mess. Whose doing was that?"
"Ah..."
Haeun's shoulders visibly tensed at the mention of the posters.
Minjae smacked Minwoo on the head with his spoon.
"Hey, Lee Minwoo. Don't say useless stuff while we're eating!"
Minjae thumped his own chest like some reliable big brother and flashed Haeun a bright smile.
"Now that I think about it... the election's coming up, huh? There are weird rumors going around and all sorts of things happening, but don't worry too much! We'll definitely vote for you. Hey, you guys—if you vote for anyone else, you're dead. Vote for Baek Haeun, got it?"
"Whoa, Kang Minjae's playing the knight in shining armor~ Got it, got it."
The boys laughed and agreed.
Haeun finally relaxed a little, offering a faint smile with her head still lowered.
"......"
But I stayed silent, quietly mashing grains of rice with my chopsticks.
...Annoying.
My gaze lingered on Minjae's carefree smile across the table.
That unnecessary kindness and shallow sense of justice.
He was useful as a shield for my plans, but watching him offer comfort to the dog I'd painstakingly trained made my insides burn.
She only needs one owner. Me. She doesn't need anyone else's pathetic comfort.
I swallowed the icy resentment along with my stew and glanced sideways at Haeun's narrowed shoulders.