A Queen on Her Knees
Even in the Upper School, there was a strict hierarchy between grades. Seong Hayeon stepping boldly into the second-grade classroom without permission from any senior or teacher was practically a declaration that she was giving up on having a peaceful school life.
Has she completely lost her mind...? Of course she had. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have treated her own brother that way. Yet, while everyone's eyes followed her, not a single person tried to stop her. This was because Kwon Juran—who had been radiating a terrifying aura just moments ago—uncrossed her legs and sat up straight the instant she saw Hayeon.
She had mentioned seeing us arrive at school through the window. Normally, I should have felt gratified seeing a woman try so hard to make a good impression on my family, but I felt nothing but anxiety and dread. If there was any saving grace, it was that I had already begged Juran to keep our sexual encounter a secret, and the bag in the seat next to her wasn't mine.
On our way to the classroom after leaving the counseling office, I had given Juran a stern warning. I told her that since she had dragged me into the restroom the moment I walked into the school, I couldn't trust her, so she shouldn't even dream of having me sit next to her. She had complied without a fight. It was probably because she knew she could devour me to her heart's content after school. What happened this morning was completely unexpected and never should have occurred, but I wanted to use it as an excuse to draw a clear line between us. Everything I did was to avoid the wrath of my insane younger sister.
"Senior Kwon Juran."
"Oh... uh, yeah... You're Ha-woon's sister, right?"
"Yes. Then I assume you know why I'm here."
Juran swallowed hard and nodded.
"This must be the place. The place where you humiliated my brother and licked his cock like a bitch in heat."
"Hayeon...!"
"Stay out of this, Oppa!"
Hayeon's furious roar echoed through the classroom, freezing my body in place. In this hellish space, she was the one holding the tightest leash.
Juran stared blankly at Hayeon, looking utterly dazed. Usually, Juran was the one doing the snarling. Ever since she earned the title of the Lion Queen, had she ever faced someone else's wrath so directly?
"Pfft..." A breathy chuckle escaped Juran's lips. The corners of her mouth curled upward. No matter how much she liked me, Hayeon was crossing the line, and it must have seemed absurd to her. That smile, tinged with a hint of madness, was a prelude to violence.
"You're laughing?"
Seong Hayeon, you idiot! You need to pick your battles. You're going to get beaten to death! Bracing myself for the worst, I tensed my legs, ready to spring forward.
"Sigh... Oh, man..." Juran covered her face with both hands and dragged them down. Her fingertips stopped just below her eyebrows.
"I'm sorry. I... shouldn't laugh." She lowered her hands, revealing a face stripped of all amusement. "It's just been so long since anyone talked to me like this... I'm really sorry."
"I'm not so sure. If you're actually sorry, that is."
"Will this do?" She stood up from her seat and—thud!—dropped to her knees. She didn't lower herself carefully, one knee at a time, but slammed both knees onto the hard floor at once.
Hayeon took a step back. She was clearly taken aback.
"Ha... Why are you going this far?"
"If I could, I would have begged Ha-woon for forgiveness just like this. But as his sister, you must know. Ha-woon is the type of guy who would find this kind of gesture overwhelming."
Hayeon seemed utterly speechless, her mouth hanging slightly open. Everyone watching the two of them was in the same state. The bustling noise from the hallway outside the classroom felt both distant and incredibly sharp.
"...Fine, I'll forgive you for this much."
"Thank—"
"For laughing at me, that is." Hayeon cut Juran off the moment she spoke. "But the humiliation you inflicted on my precious brother? This is nowhere near enough."
"...Then what must I do to earn your forgiveness?"
Hayeon raised her index finger. "Your head." She then traced an arc in the air, pointing down at the floor. "Harder than the way you just dropped your knees." It was a cold, absolute command.
My own knees had been throbbing ever since Juran's hit the hard floor. Now, a dull ache seemed to spread from my forehead throughout my entire body. I wanted to stop my sister, but I was too terrified of what would happen if I provoked her. As I stood there, my legs trembling like a newborn fawn, a voice whispered in my ear.
"You really can't do anything without me, can you?" The voice was soft, yet it carried a firm, reassuring confidence. The owner of the voice brushed her long, straight black hair back as she stepped past me. The way her hair swayed looked like a fluttering black cape, making her look undeniably like a guardian knight marching into enemy territory to protect me.
Ji Su-ah. The girl who had betrayed me last night, yet the very same one who had saved me from trouble time and time again, just like this.
"I hate to interrupt, but class is about to start." The fierce glares of the two confronting girls snapped toward Su-ah simultaneously.
"Instead of looking at me, why don't you look over there?" Su-ah stepped aside, bringing me back into their line of sight. "Junior Seong Hayeon. Do you really cherish your brother?" Hayeon's eyes wavered.
"And Juran, you too. You said you know Ha-woon hates this kind of thing. Did you really have to drop to your knees without a second thought?" Juran, however, kept her razor-sharp gaze fixed on Su-ah.
"Sometimes, trying to do something for someone's sake can end up hurting them even more. That's exactly what's happening right now." Only then did Juran turn her eyes toward me, the anger on her face melting into guilt.
Clap! Su-ah clapped her hands. "Alright, this is a classroom. Everyone is watching, and Ha-woon is embarrassed. So, let's settle whatever is going on between the three of you after school, when it's just us."
As expected of Ji Su-ah. It was frustrating, but I had to admit she was right... Wait, "just us"? Is she trying to insert herself into this too...?
"Let's do that," Hayeon agreed. Hayeon, did you not hear her properly? She just casually snuck herself in!
"......." Judging by the way Juran was gritting her teeth, she had definitely caught it. But as the guilty party, she couldn't object when Hayeon had already agreed. Damn it, I'd been played. I was dancing in the palm of Ji Su-ah's hand again. Guardian knight my ass. Even though I couldn't say a word right now because of the suffocating atmosphere, there was no way I'd let things go her way. I would make sure to shake her off.
"I apologize for causing a disturbance, seniors." Hayeon bowed politely to the classmates, then whispered, "See you later," as she walked past me and out of the classroom.
Once Hayeon was out of sight, Su-ah offered Juran a hand. Slap! Juran slapped her hand away and stood up on her own before sitting back down.
"Geez, girl. You've got a sting in your slap." As if you didn't know.
"Keep hovering around me, and next time my fist is going straight into your face."
"Come on, cool down. I think I was pretty helpful, though." Su-ah casually plopped down in the seat next to Juran. "I wouldn't mind slamming my head on the floor for him."
"Oh, stop. I told you, Ha-woon hates that kind of thing."
"You bitch. Do you really want to die? Who said you could act all friendly with me?"
"You want to get on Hayeon's good side, don't you?" Juran froze, completely caught off guard. Su-ah leaned in close and whispered something to her. I couldn't hear what it was.
Ding-dong, ding-dong... The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and the teacher walked in. "Is something going on? Why is it so noisy in here?"
"Nothing, sir! We'll take our seats immediately!" Led by Su-ah's energetic voice, the students scrambled back to their desks.
The school cafeteria wasn't large enough to accommodate the entire student body. Consequently, the third-years, who had self-study sessions before and after lunch, were split into two groups depending on their class, while the first and second-years ate at different times. This was why I could sit across from Juran and eat without having to worry about Hayeon.
It was only for today. If it weren't for me, Juran would probably eat alone, completely ignoring everyone else. Although I had skipped the first period and couldn't even attempt to socialize due to the commotion before the third period, I kept Min Seo-hye's advice—which felt more like a plea—close to my heart.
"If you plan on staying close to Juran, Ha-woon, it would be wonderful if you could help her mingle with her classmates as well."
So while I was sharing a table with her today out of necessity because there were things I wanted to ask, I ultimately wanted to see her naturally blending in with the other girls, in accordance with the school's unwritten rules. Besides, it wouldn't do us any good to be seen together too often. Even if today was an exception, it would be disastrous if word got back to Hayeon that we were eating lunch together every single day.
The best person to help Juran socialize with the other girls would be... "What was Su-ah whispering to you earlier?" ...Su-ah, of course. But I'd rather not do it at all than ask for her help. Hadn't I just been completely manipulated by her today?
"Oh, that... She said that no matter what happened between you two, you value your friendship too much to ever end up with her." Hearing her use Taehyun as a shield made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"She said she saw me in a new light. She knew you'd hate what I did, but she was touched by it. Said she wanted to help me..." What on earth was she plotting?
"My social skills are absolute shit, you know? But I want to get on your sister's good side... and looking at how things went earlier, it didn't seem like she'd listen to you anyway." It wasn't just because I was the victim; it was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that my sister never listened to a word I said and would just force herself on me anyway.
"So, yeah... putting the past aside for now, we're supposed to meet your sister together. Just thinking about the three of us—your sister, you, and me—gives me the creeps." The past? No wonder she was acting surprisingly docile. Is that what she thinks? Damn it. I really didn't want to talk to Su-ah, but I needed to get our stories straight about what happened last night.
"You really can't do anything without me, can you?" Perhaps it was because of that reliable voice from earlier, but I felt like she would at least do that much for me.
"Once you have something precious to protect, you become a coward." Juran looked at me and let out a soft, gentle smile.