His visit was completely unexpected, and he was the last person I wanted to see. I deliberately turned my eyes away from Jin Ha-seong.
Even after that blatant display of discomfort, Jin Ha-seong did not leave. Instead, he shamelessly sat down in the chair across from me, his eyes shining with a strange, almost religious fervor.
“At school, you only pretended to cut ties with me so you could mess with Yoo Si-eon later, right? I knew it. Min Yu-un, you’re incredible!”
I dropped my gaze to the table and kept taking awkward sips of my chocolate latte. The conversation I had with Min Yu-un earlier was still echoing in my head.
‘Is Jin Ha-seong really just some guy trying to leech off you?’
[I told you, he is!]
‘Then why is he so invested in your affairs? Are the other kids like that too?’
[He’s the only one who’s that extreme. Maybe his family owes me money or something. Not that I care.]
Even Min Yu-un, who was usually oblivious to everything around him, seemed to understand that Jin Ha-seong’s devotion was abnormal. That was exactly why I could not leave him alone. Someone that deeply involved in Min Yu-un’s business was bound to be connected to everything. Even if I stopped tormenting Yoo Si-eon, there was no guarantee Jin Ha-seong would not act on his own.
Min Yu-un’s other followers caused trouble from time to time, but none of them actively harassed Yoo Si-eon. In other words, I had always been the one leading it. I thought that if I simply stopped, that would be enough.
But Jin Ha-seong was different.
He was too unpredictable. Too independent.
“You’re misunderstanding something, so I’ll make this clear one more time.”
For the sake of my future quests, I had to cut him off completely. I could not leave any loose ends.
“I’m serious about cutting ties with you. So stop acting like we know each other.”
“What?”
Jin Ha-seong blinked, his eyes still gleaming strangely, then smiled with a sly little curve of his mouth.
“Min Yu-un, you don’t have to keep acting here.”
“No, it’s not an act…”
“I knew you hated Yoo Si-eon, but I didn’t realize it was this bad.”
Jin Ha-seong abruptly stood, puffing out his chest with a triumphant air as he looked down at me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
“That’s not what I mean! How many times do I have to—”
“See you tomorrow, Min Yu-un!”
Before I could stop him, Jin Ha-seong waved cheerfully and walked off without looking back.
“Jin Ha-seong!”
I shouted after him, but he did not stop. I could not tell whether he truly had not heard me or was simply pretending not to. All I got in return were curious stares from the other customers. After shouting like a lunatic in the middle of a café, I slumped back down and covered my face with both hands.
[Is that guy insane or what?]
For once, I found myself in complete agreement with Min Yu-un.
The exhaustion I had been holding back came crashing down all at once.
I bit my lower lip, desperate to anchor myself to reality. Nothing was going according to plan. I had thought a simple apology would be enough, but then that lunatic had to interfere. On top of that, the system kept forcing these ridiculous quests on me. Even the tiny bit of peace I had tried to steal at the café had been ruined.
‘As if someone like me has any right to enjoy anything.’
From the beginning, I had not even wanted to live. And yet here I was, foolishly running to a café as if I could forget everything for a while.
‘Is there any point to what I’m doing right now?’
I was only trying this hard because I wanted to rest.
I wanted to die.
None of this was supposed to be my problem. If not for Min Yu-un’s past and his stupid threats, I would not be going through any of this.
[Just ignore him. Let him do whatever he wants.]
The thing that had worn me down, the thing that had clung to me so relentlessly…
[That annoying jerk doesn’t even appreciate what I’ve done. Hey! Seong Yu-un!]
I could still hear Min Yu-un’s voice in my ears, even though I could not see him.
All the frustration, anger, and resentment I had been forcing down threatened to break loose. But I did not want to take it out on anyone.
[Seong Yu-un!]
So, once again, I did what had become a habit.
I turned those emotions inward.
[Are you listening? Don’t ignore me!]
“…Sorry.”
The apology slipped out naturally, the way it always did.
I let out a shaky breath, my chest tightening as though the air itself had grown thin.
*****
I arrived at school early the next morning and was immediately struck with horror.
I stopped dead in my tracks, unable to take even one more step toward my desk. My gaze locked on a single spot, and my face twisted into a grimace. The sour stench hanging in the air was unbearable.
Yoo Si-eon’s desk and chair were soaked in spoiled milk.
The smell was revolting.
I quickly looked around. Since it was still early, both the classroom and the hallway were empty, but someone could arrive at any moment. I clenched my teeth in frustration.
“Damn it, Jin Ha-seong.”
This had to be his doing. No one else would go this far.
I had told him over and over that I was not going to bully Yoo Si-eon anymore. But apparently, he just had to pull this stunt anyway. Even though I had not ordered it, I knew I would be the one to pay the price. I did not need to read ahead in the novel to know exactly how this would play out.
Without thinking, I tossed my bag aside and walked over to Yoo Si-eon’s desk. The foul smell grew stronger with every step. I wrinkled my nose and tried to think of a solution.
“Let’s clean this up first. If someone sees this…”
“Min Yu-un?”
The familiar voice behind me sent a chill down the back of my neck.
My body froze on instinct.
Slowly, I turned around. Just as I had expected, it was him.
“What are you doing?”
Yoo Si-eon’s violet eyes flicked from me to his desk, then drifted away. A hollow scoff slipped from his lips.
“I knew it.”
The words were flat and empty, yet they reached me all the same. I stood there blankly for a moment, then took a step toward him.
“Wait, Yoo Si-eon.”
“I was stupid for wavering, even for a second.”
A faint, unreadable sneer tugged at his mouth. Running a hand through his hair, he turned to leave.
“Finish what you were doing. I’ll be back before homeroom starts.”
Yoo Si-eon did not cry or shout. He did not deny what was happening, either. He simply accepted it with a frightening calm, as if he had already resigned himself to this outcome.
If only he had reacted like the protagonists in those shōnen manga, burning with righteous fury. If he had cried his heart out and sworn revenge through gritted teeth, maybe it would have been easier.
Come to think of it, I did not know why Yoo Si-eon had quietly endured Min Yu-un’s bullying all this time.
Without showing even a trace of emotion, he walked out of the classroom. His retreating figure looked completely empty.
That hollow look reminded me of myself.
For all those years, I had fought to make myself numb to everything, clinging to life with my teeth gritted.
My chest ached on its own. I wanted to erase the sudden surge of emotion, but there was no time for that. Without thinking, I rushed after Yoo Si-eon, who had already disappeared down the hallway.
“Hey! Yoo Si-eon!”
At my shout, he stopped mid-step and glanced back at me. His calm gaze held no anger at all. Unable to meet his eyes, I let my own drift to the space beside him.
“…It wasn’t me.”
“Of course. You always get someone else to do your dirty work, don’t you?”
I bit my lip.
Yoo Si-eon stared at me in silence, then turned away again. He disappeared around the corner before I could stop him.
My legs wobbled, and I sagged against the wall, drained of all strength.
I could not even summon a sigh.
[Damn Jin Ha-seong. Damn Yoo Si-eon! Why is everyone always against me?!]
Min Yu-un’s shrill voice had been screeching inside my head ever since Yoo Si-eon appeared. It hammered at my eardrums as if trying to burst them. I nearly snapped back, but instead I bit my tongue and spoke.
“Min Yu-un, you know where the rags are, right?”
[Obviously. In the cleaning cabinet.]
I found the cabinet in the corner of the classroom and grabbed the first rag I saw.
[Hey, wait. Are you seriously going to use my hands to wipe up that milk? No way! I’m not touching that filthy stuff!]
I simply ignored Min Yu-un’s furious protests.
*****
By lunchtime, I was still slumped over my desk, motionless.
The whispers and insults flying at me from every direction were annoying, but not unbearable. I had grown used to that kind of thing long ago. The real problem was somewhere else.
I had scrubbed Yoo Si-eon’s desk as hard as I could, but the sour stench of spoiled milk refused to fade. I had had rotten milk dumped on me before, but I had never been the one who had to clean up the smell, so I had no idea what to do about it.
When Yoo Si-eon returned just before homeroom, he simply sat down without a word. Even as the others threw sharp remarks my way, he remained silent.
‘Should I try talking to him again? How am I supposed to prove I didn’t do it?’
I was still drowning in unanswered questions when Jin Ha-seong appeared during the break. Fortunately, Yoo Si-eon had stepped out of the classroom.
Part of me wanted to punch Jin Ha-seong right then and there, but I squeezed my eyes shut and pretended to be asleep instead. If I reacted, ridiculous rumors would spread, and Jin Ha-seong would only twist my words and stir up more trouble.
As expected, he left without trying to wake me.
No one else approached me after that, so I was finally able to think in peace, though my back ached from staying hunched over for so long. I glanced around cautiously, then straightened up. With everyone gone to lunch, the classroom was finally quiet.
I let out a slow breath.
“…Seriously, what am I supposed to do?”
[Just apologize again. He’ll forgive you, right?]
Min Yu-un’s naive, almost stupid optimism was no help at all.
No matter how hard I racked my brain, no solution came to me. Had all those years of avoiding human relationships turned my mind to stone? Pressing my fingers to my brow, I stared down at the desk.
Before I quite realized what I was doing, my head began to move.
Driven by a reckless impulse, as if smashing my skull open might somehow fix everything, I let instinct take over.
But just before my forehead could slam into the desk, a warm hand gently stopped me.
Someone had appeared out of nowhere and caught my head before it hit the desktop.