Chapter 02
In Yoo Si-eon’s cold pupils, there was no contempt or anger—just plain annoyance.
“Yoo Si-eon.”
I called his name indifferently. Just as I was about to apologize without further delay—
[W-wait a minute!]
The voice in my head stopped me.
[You’re going to apologize here? No way! Do it somewhere else!]
I frowned slightly.
What is this, are you a kid or something?
[I-I just don’t want to apologize in front of everyone like this!]
Even the kids at the orphanage weren’t this stubborn… No, even if they were, they at least knew how to say sorry.
Seeing Min Yu-un’s petty and prideful nature like this, he really did seem like the perfect fit for a villainous role. As if he’d read my thoughts, Min Yu-un shrieked in protest, desperate to find an excuse.
[The cream bun! You’re supposed to give a cream bun too, remember? You didn’t forget, did you?]
Ah, the cream bun.
Min Yu-un’s words made me realize my mistake. I had been so focused on quickly apologizing and finishing the quest that I’d completely forgotten about the ‘cream bun’ condition.
[There’s a snack shop at school. Buy the cream bun later and apologize then.]
I smoothed out the frown that had formed from annoyance. Min Yu-un’s stubbornness was one thing, but the fact that I actually had to prepare a cream bun was another. As I gathered my thoughts, Yoo Si-eon stared at me quietly, as if trying to figure out my intentions.
“Can we talk alone during lunch?”
“You and me? Alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Ha!”
As soon as I spoke, Yoo Si-eon’s face twisted with disdain. He responded with a voice as firm as iron.
“If you’re planning to hit me or threaten me, forget it. I’m not playing along.”
‘So Min Yu-un’s already hit Yoo Si-eon by this point, huh?’
The unexpected realization cracked my calm expression. Even though I’d read the novel, I couldn’t possibly remember every single event and its exact timing.
If Min Yu-un had already hit and threatened Yoo Si-eon, chances were high that he’d also committed worse forms of bullying. If it had escalated to the point of actual crimes, a simple apology wasn’t going to cut it. The situation was more tangled than I’d expected. I gazed at Yoo Si-eon, my expression clouded with complexity.
Despite Yoo Si-eon’s taller frame and superior physical ability, Min Yu-un could still hit him without hesitation. The reason was obvious.
It must’ve been thanks to those cruel followers who hung around Min Yu-un. I should ignore them if I ever run into them.
With that thought, I pressed my fingers to my temple.
“Min Yu-un.”
Hearing my name in Yoo Si-eon’s subdued voice, I snapped back to reality and quickly assessed the situation. No matter how I looked at it, there was no way Yoo Si-eon would easily agree to my request. Whether I begged or pleaded, it seemed unlikely to sway him right now. In that case, I had to use a more forceful method. Knowing Yoo Si-eon’s kind and soft-hearted nature, it was probably the only way.
After reaching my conclusion, I turned away.
“I’ll wait for you at the field later.”
Until you show up, no matter how long it takes. I swallowed the words that almost slipped out and returned to my seat, deliberately ignoring Yoo Si-eon’s gaze that clung to me all the way back.
I had chosen the field on purpose—it was a wide, open space where people constantly came and went. Even the slightest commotion could attract attention, making it a safe spot. In other words, it was a way to reassure Yoo Si-eon.
Hopefully, he understands my intention.
❤️🩹
During a short break, I slipped out of the classroom, leaving Yoo Si-eon behind in his seat. Taking advantage of the spare time, I headed toward the snack shop to buy the cream bun. That way, as soon as the lunch bell rang, I could head straight to the field. I walked leisurely through the corridor.
“Min Yu-un!”
At first, I didn’t realize someone was calling me. Only after a moment did I register that they were addressing me. Just as I stopped in my tracks, a boy approached and casually slung his arm around my shoulder.
“Are you feeling better? Heard you’ve been sick for a while.”
The sudden physical contact caught me off guard, freezing me in place. I wasn’t used to being touched by others—let alone unexpected acts of familiarity like this. Stiffened, I stared blankly at the boy clinging to my shoulder.
“What’s wrong? Not fully recovered yet?”
I wanted to ask, Who the hell are you?—but I kept my mouth shut when Min Yu-un’s voice interrupted.
[Ah, crap. It’s Jin Ha-seong.]
Jin Ha-seong?
I tried to dig through my hazy memory. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but nothing specific came to mind.
Then it hit me—Jin Ha-seong was a minor character who followed Min Yu-un around and supported his bullying. However, because the novel focused mainly on the main villain, Min Yu-un, Jin Ha-seong’s presence was almost forgettable.
Even knowing his name, nothing more came to mind. Jin Ha-seong was just a minor villain whose role barely left an impression to the reader.
In this situation, the only person I could rely on was Min Yu-un.
[Just deal with him casually. He’s only acting friendly to leech off some crumbs.]
Even Min Yu-un’s explanation was lackluster and unhelpful.
‘I guess he’s not that important anyway.’
My goal wasn’t to perfectly imitate Min Yuun or act as if I were him. I simply wanted to finish apologizing as soon as possible and return to the death I had longed for.
“Yeah, sure. Ha-seong-ah.”
I replied soullessly and brushed off the hand that had been bothering my shoulder.
“I’m fine now. I’m perfectly fine, so don’t worry about it.”
“What hurt so much? You never skipped school before, but you missed all those days?”
“Just… It’s nothing.”
I wanted to brush him off and move on, but unfortunately, Jin Ha-seong didn’t seem willing to let me go quietly. Ignoring my indifference, he kept following me and rattled off a string of things I had no interest in.
“While you were gone, Yoo Si-eon was acting up like crazy. We managed to keep him in check, but it’s not the same as when you’re the one dealing with him…”
So they’d diligently bullied Yoo Si-eon even while Min Yu-un was absent. I suppressed the irritation that crept up inside me.
“Ha-seong, you can stop all that now. Cut it out.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Stop messing with Yoo Si-eon. I’m not going to do that anymore.”
I spoke firmly, as if making sure he understood. Jin Ha-seong stood frozen, dumbfounded, before stammering out a response.
“Y-you’re joking, right?”
“And while we’re at it, let’s stop pretending we’re close. We’re not exactly friends, are we?”
I severed the connection between us with a light statement and resumed walking. Just as I was about to head down the stairs, Jin Ha-seong hurriedly ran ahead to block my path.
“Where are you going right now? Aren’t you going to plan how to torment Yoo Si-eon?”
“I already told you—I’m done with that.”
I stepped aside to pass him, but Jin Ha-seong stubbornly followed. Just as I was about to complain about him blocking my way, I suddenly froze. His pupils were staring straight into mine. For some reason, that gaze sent a chill down my spine.
“Where are you going?”
It wasn’t a question I needed to answer, but I figured that giving him a reply was the only way he’d back off.
“To the snack shop.”
“Why? What are you buying, and how much?”
“Three cream buns.”
At my answer, Jin Ha-seong clenched his fists with determination.
“I’ll go get them right now! Just wait here for a bit!”
Without waiting for my permission, he dashed down the stairs. Left behind by the abrupt turn of events, I could only stare blankly at the spot where Jin Ha-seong had been standing.
Frustration and a headache welled up inside me, and I gripped the stair railing tightly. I knew chasing after him would only result in falling far behind, so I chose to wait. After confirming that no one was around, I whispered softly into the air.
“Min Yu-un, is he always like that?”
[Yeah, he’s always like that. He’s just a guy who sticks around for my money. You can push him away—he’s not really a friend.]
A guy who only clings to money. A relationship that couldn’t even be called friendship.
Min Yu-un seemed to genuinely believe that, and the novel also described his so-called followers as nothing more than opportunists. Still, something felt off. The look in Jin Ha-seong’s eyes earlier couldn’t be explained by such a simple label.
“Is that really all there is to it?”
[What do you mean? What else could there be?]
Min Yu-un’s clueless response made me fall silent. Considering his skeptical attitude toward Jin Ha-seong from the start, I doubted I’d get anything more out of him.
The awkward silence lasted less than three minutes. I began to worry that the school bell might ring soon. Just as that thought crossed my mind, Jin Ha-seong returned.
Despite the weather not being hot, his face was drenched in sweat—he must have sprinted all the way there and back. Catching his breath, Jin Ha-seong approached and handed me the cream buns. Only after I accepted the cream buns did he finally start to calm his heavy breathing.
Feeling a bit awkward, I glanced between the cream buns and Jin Ha-seong before mumbling,
“Uh… thanks.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for! I can’t just stay out of what you’re doing, Min Yu-un.”
Jin Ha-seong flashed me a smile and gave me a thumbs-up. At that moment, he looked like a wholesome, good-natured boy.
I glanced down at the crinkling plastic bags in my arms, then turned to walk away. Still catching his breath, Jin Ha-seong quickly followed me.
“So, what are you going to do with those cream buns?”
“I’m going to apologize. To Yoo Si-eon… and the other two.”
“What? Apologize?”
A faint frown crossed Jin Ha-seong’s face.
❤️🩹
Thank you for reading! ♡
