Han Ma-hyeon.
Han Ma-hyeon.
Park Ji-hoon wouldn't stop whining about going to the snack bar, so we eventually headed over there.
Countless stares...
Tae-oh and Da-yeon split some of the attention, but most of it was fixed on me.
And the so-called Parting of the Red Sea, a tradition that had continued since elementary school...
The little brats automatically moved aside to the left and right.
After we grabbed a bunch of food, Park Ji-hoon confidently held out his card.
"Today, it's on me."
Park Ji-hoon, holding out his card. He'd always been on the receiving end of free meals, so he probably wanted to treat us for once.
It did make me a little proud, like maybe he had at least a bare minimum of a conscience.
Of course, the words that came out of my mouth were something else entirely...
"What, you sound like you're doing something so goddamn impressive. Get lost~"
Park Ji-hoon's body had gotten a lot bigger than before, and as his body grew, he ate more.
""Whoa...""
No exaggeration, he could pack away twenty servings by himself.
It wasn't just beyond an ordinary person's level—it was overwhelming.
He seemed to eat more than those massively popular eating-show Neotubers like Jiyang or Hipbap.
Just then, someone suddenly burst into the snack bar.
"Han Ma-hyeon and Han Seok-hyeon are fighting!"
Everyone rushed out in a stampede, as if they'd rehearsed it.
Park Ji-hoon started shoving bread into his mouth and tried to go out too, so I grabbed his arm.
"Don't stick your nose in. Just eat."
I'd heard from Jong-hyeon that Han Seok-hyeon was deathly terrified of his dad and older brother.
'Fighting, my ass... He'll be lucky if he doesn't get his ass beat...'
I wanted to eat and then hang out with Da-yeon, but she had to study, so I went back to my classroom.
And Han Seok-hyeon wasn't at his seat.
'Did he actually fight Ma-hyeon?'
I sat down and got ready for the next class. The front door opened and the brat Han Ma-hyeon walked in.
Although, calling him a brat felt a little wrong—he looked older than my dad.
He seriously didn't look like he came out of the same womb as Han Seok-hyeon.
Han Ma-hyeon locked eyes with me, then walked over with a stone-cold face.
Well, I guess I have to play the delicate little thing...
I flinched and slowly covered my mouth with both hands, holding a book.
"What did you say to my little brother?"
"Ah... no... um... Seok-hyeon... he said he was going..."
I kept my eyes fixed downward, deliberately fidgeting and pretending I didn't know what to do with myself.
"My brother and I almost had a falling out because of you. Take responsibility."
A new dumbass has appeared.
What kind of bullshit is that? They're the ones who caused all this ruckus, and he's telling me to take responsibility?
I suddenly got curious about his next words.
I glanced at Han Ma-hyeon, then fearfully lowered my eyes again and hemmed and hawed.
"Huh...? Uh... how...?"
"Go out with m..."
That was when the classroom's back door slammed open.
BANG!
The person who came in was Seok-hyeon. He must've realized I was with Han Ma-hyeon.
If I weren't one of the targets, this would be prime popcorn material...
Han Seok-hyeon looked like he'd made some kind of huge resolution.
"I told you not to mess with her, you motherfucker. Get out here!"
Wow... he really went and did it.
'Our Seok-hyeon's a real man's man, huh?'
And in the silent classroom, Ma-hyeon scraped his chair back and stood up.
"You... what did you just say..."
"I said don't mess with her..."
Ma-hyeon, who'd been loosening up his neck, lunged in an instant, and Seok-hyeon dodged out of the way like a bullfighter.
And then the brawl began.
Ma-hyeon was clearly overwhelming in every way. Physically, technically, all of it.
However, Seok-hyeon's reaction speed was surprisingly good.
Most of all, the fight between these two was way beyond high school level.
I remembered the crispy chocolate that Han Ma-hyeon had given me with his letter, the one I'd been eating this morning and left unfinished, so I took it out and ate it.
'Whoa.'
After dodging for a good while, Seok-hyeon started his counterattack.
Thwack!
Seok-hyeon's fist snapped Han Ma-hyeon's head to the side.
The atmosphere, along with Ma-hyeon's hardening expression, started turning ice-cold fast.
"Seok-hyeon... you crossed the line."
"I told you not to mess with her!!!"
Words with a whole lot left out...
To my ears, it sounded like he was saying not to mess with me, a dangerous explosive, in order to protect his older brother, but to everyone else, it probably just sounded like he was saying not to mess with the girl he liked.
In that instant, Ma-hyeon picked up a chair beside him and threw it.
CRASH!
Then he grabbed Seok-hyeon, who had braced himself for the impact, by the collar and lifted him up with one hand.
Oh...
I thought Park Ji-hoon was the only high schooler who could do that.
And then he slammed him straight down onto the floor.
BOOOOM!!
"Guaghk!"
Spittle flew from Seok-hyeon's mouth...
Han Seok-hyeon writhed in agony, struggling to breathe from the impact he'd just taken.
Han Ma-hyeon, who had been lifting his foot to stomp down on Han Seok-hyeon's head, stopped his movement and looked at me.
I hid the chocolate I was eating behind my back before Han Ma-hyeon could see it.
And I stopped my chewing mouth and flinched.
"You... stay after school..."
Han Ma-hyeon walked outside, and Han Seok-hyeon lay coughing on the floor.
I pulled the hidden chocolate out again, popped it into my mouth, and started chewing.
'Tasty.'
The reason this school is a total shitshow is this:
It wasn't just the students watching what just happened.
Only after the whole thing was over did a teacher emerge from among the students. He cleared his throat and made the brats sit back down.
Seems like the parents of these brats have pretty strong influence here too, because the teachers don't lay a direct finger on anyone.
A thing like this, or probably even something worse, would just end with some demerit points...
Next to me, Han Seok-hyeon was groaning and agonizing alone, furious as hell over something.
I casually wrote something down in my notebook.
- I'll handle it?
Han Seok-hyeon freaked out at my smile and the words, and hurriedly scribbled a reply.
- Just give me one more chance.
- He told you to stay after school?
- Go home first... I'll take care of it.
I smirked, nodded, and started reading a novel.
The next day, I parted ways with Da-yeon to go to our separate classrooms. I sat at my desk and was eating snacks.
Right around when I started to think Han Seok-hyeon was coming in late today...
With a loud 'BANG!', Han Ma-hyeon stormed into the classroom.
And Han Ma-hyeon headed straight for me the instant he spotted me.
"Do I look like a joke to you?"
I immediately jumped into acting mode.
Adding a bit of a dumb-feeling nuance to it...
"...Huh!? No... I'm... s-sorry!"
Still, maybe Han Ma-hyeon had some sucker tendencies, because he wasn't trash who would lay a hand on a girl first.
But even so, his flushed and livid face made the other brats desperately avert their eyes.
"Why didn't you stay yesterday...?"
"Seok... hyeon... he got mad and told me to go home..."
"Ha... he thinks he's some prince on a white horse..."
As I pretended to be on edge, shaking my pupils left and right, Han Ma-hyeon shoved his ugly face right up close.
I almost used my left hand, which has an effect akin to a taser, but I held back with all my might.
"Han Seok-hyeon isn't coming today... so stay..."
"Huh...? I... today..."
BANG!
Han Ma-hyeon slammed his hand down hard on my desk.
Pretending to be as startled as possible, I spoke in a dying voice.
"Wh-why are you acting like thissss..."
"Today what."
When he puts it like that, it's not like I can't say it.
"Um, I have a... drama shooting schedule..."
"Ah...?"
He thought it over seriously for a moment, then nodded.
"Push it back."
"...Sorry?"
"Push it back, I said... It's important."
"...Well... today is the first, script reading... so if I don't go... I have to forfeit 1% of the contract deposit... the penalty alone is 12 million won..."
"".....""
All of that was a complete lie, of course, but I did have a script reading this week.
But the classroom fell silent because of what I said.
Sure, everyone was probably living life throwing around overflowing amounts of money, but they were all brats who still depended completely on their parents.
They seemed pretty dumbfounded by the realization that I was different from them.
Han Ma-hyeon couldn't even bring himself to say he'd pay the 12-million-won amount for me.
"...Then when are you free?"
"This week... I'm busy the whole time..."
"Ha... give me your phone number."
"...My dad said not to give it to just anyo—"
"Are you messing around with me?"
I immediately wrote down my number and gave it to him.
Han Ma-hyeon called the number right then and there, probably to make sure I hadn't given him a different phone's number.
I showed him my Pineapple Phone ringing.
And Han Ma-hyeon, seemingly satisfied on his own, left a message telling me to come to his classroom at lunch and returned to his seat.
I instantly turned off my Pineapple Phone, hummed a tune, and took out my Hanseong Phone, the cell phone I mainly used.
"Not knowing how I feel~ you're so mean~ so mean~"
"".....""
The brats watching me do this couldn't keep their mouths shut.
Lunchtime came. Han Ma-hyeon had told me to come to his classroom, but I obviously ignored that.
Da-yeon, a direct descendant of Hanseong, was using her Pineapple Phone and watching Sheen's Neotube broadcast.
"Si-yoon~"
"Yeah?"
"After exams are over, let's go visit my grandpa's place, and then visit your grandpa's place."
"Shall we?"
"Yeah!"
Da-yeon likes the countryside way more than I expected.
Beside us, Park Ji-hoon was shoveling rice into his mouth.
"Is it good?"
"Supup upasious."
"What the hell are you saying, dumbass..."
Park Ji-hoon suddenly tried to open his mouth and show us its contents to prove it, and I almost drove my fist right into his face.
I failed because of my short reach.
"Why is Ji-hoon like that... the bigger he gets, the weirder he seems..."
"A dumbass who used to be small just turned into a big dumbass..."
"Yeah... he's a dummy."
A brief silence... I almost got to hear Da-yeon swear for the first time, but unfortunately, it didn't continue.
After we finished eating, we went to the snack bar for dessert. I escorted Da-yeon back to her classroom, and only then headed to my own classroom.
The brats of my class were unable to go inside and were standing outside the door.
Wondering what was going on, I opened the door and walked in. A group of third-year guys was sitting at my seat.
I naturally tried to close the door, but it rattled and swung back open.
"Ah... hello..."
"...Come in...?"
"Yep."
A few brats stuck inside the classroom who hadn't been able to leave were walking on eggshells.
Han Ma-hyeon, sitting at the center of the third-years, gestured with his eyes for me to sit in front of him.
"You, why didn't you come when I called you earlier...?"
I unleashed my sixth secret weapon... 'playing dumb.'
"About what...?"
"I definitely... told you before I left... and didn't you see my texts?"
"Ah, well... at school, I keep my phone turned off..."
"Ha... this is getting more X-like by the minute..."
I casually swept my gaze around. Eight pairs of eyes were fixed on me.
"Never mind that. Date me."
"Ah... uh... um..."
"What, are you going to refuse?"
Ma-hyeon sent out an overt look that clearly said he'd start seriously tormenting me if I refused.
"Ah... um... give me a bit of time to think..."
"Tell me now. So I can decide fast, too."
As I rested my chin on my hand and pretended to be deep in thought, Han Ma-hyeon looked at me with eyes full of killing intent, then nodded.
"Oh yeah? I'll take that as a rejection?"
"C-come on, cornering a girl like this... how am I supposed to respond nicely..."
"You're the one who made the situation like this... you can look forward to it."
'Look forward to it', huh... the first person who ever said that to me was Oh Tae-hyeon, and, well... he's not around anymore, you see.
"I'm sooorry..."
The moment Han Ma-hyeon rose from his seat, all the third-year students left too.
"".....""
The classroom fell into silence.
I immediately, naturally, pulled out my phone and fired up a game.
Only the pong-pong sounds of the game echoed through the classroom.
The brats of my class looked at me like I was a genuine, certifiable crazy bitch.
I shot a text off to Han Seok-hyeon. He appeared right near the end of 5th period, after lunchtime was over.
His entire body was wrapped in bandages. He must've gotten his ass seriously kicked.
When break time came, I was playing a game on my phone. I spoke to Han Seok-hyeon.
"Basically a mummy, huh?"
Han Seok-hyeon spoke, quietly enough that no one else could hear.
"...I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?"
"...Don't kill him... at least just... subdue him..."
I let out a snicker and spoke, my eyes still fixed on my phone.
"Obviously not~ you know if I take a hand in it, there's no middle ground~ At least Do-gyun won't be lonely in the afterlife."
I lifted my eyes from my phone, looked at the rapidly paling Han Seok-hyeon, and gave him a bitter, vicious smile.
"....."
GAME OVER Bbbrrrrt~
"Ah, I died... You heard about what went down at lunch today, right? Try to sort it out yourself. I'll be looking forward to it."
When 6th period ended and it was time to go home, Ma-hyeon's crew was waiting in front of our classroom...
I smoothly hid behind Han Seok-hyeon.
"Ha... you thought real hard about it and your choice was Han Seok-hyeon? I gotta admit, you really are an airhead?"
"Big bro, let's seriously stop this."
"Seok-hyeon... if you don't genuinely wanna die, get lost while I'm still letting you go..."
From far down the hallway, Da-yeon, Kim Tae-oh, and Park Ji-hoon were approaching.
Da-yeon took in the situation and started stiffening up, while Kim Tae-oh and Park Ji-hoon watched with deep interest.
That bastard Kim Tae-oh completely erased the word 'worry' from his vocabulary concerning me ever since he found out who I am.
I mean, it's only natural, but he doesn't even take his own gloves off for me in the freezing winter.
I wanted to say my friends were waiting for me, but thinking about it, Da-yeon might get dragged into this.
That is absolutely not an option...
If that happens... I'd have no choice but to deploy Team 7.
"Um... I really can't be late today... I need to go quickly..."
Han Ma-hyeon scoffed, as if remembering the excuse I'd made in the morning.
"Oh, yeah? What a shame? 'Cause you can't go today..."
"Well, you see... if I walk out late without a word, the security guards waiting outside... will probably come in..."
Han Ma-hyeon looked out the window to check.
They were dressed like regular people, but you could see men standing by in black vehicles, four cars parked in the lot.
"".....""
Han Ma-hyeon started assessing the situation, then nodded and spoke.
"Come in one hour early tomorrow. Don't make things worse..."
"Yep..."
"Seok-hyeon, you're gonna have a little chat with your big brother..."
I placed a hand on Han Seok-hyeon's shoulder and spoke in a tear-choked voice, my eyes as innocent and fragile-looking as possible.
"Sniff... I'm sorry... Seok-hyeon, I'm... really... sorry..."
"".....""
Han Seok-hyeon, having grasped that I was passing the hot potato, stared at me with utter horror.
I ignored his stare and gave a full ninety-degree bow to Han Ma-hyeon.
"Well then... goodbye..."
I tipped Kim Tae-oh off with a look and left in the opposite direction from Da-yeon.
Han Ma-hyeon's group watched Kim Si-yoon walk further and further away.
"What the hell is she..."
"Wow, I'm actually starting to feel sorry for Seok-hyeon. Did you pull that crazy shit on your big brother just to protect a bitch like that?"
"Wow... I've seriously never seen a fake two-faced brat like that in my whole life."
"Look at her face. She gets away with it because she's hot."
Han Ma-hyeon didn't focus on Kim Si-yoon. He looked at his younger brother Han Seok-hyeon.
"You really wanna take this all the way, huh? Seok-hyeon..."
"Big bro, give it up... please..."
"I'll make sure you can't show your face at school for a good while..."
"Big bro... please..."
The look in Han Ma-hyeon's eyes was no longer the way he normally looked at his own brother.