MY 30

It would certainly be uncomfortable. Since he had just been injured, it seemed quite difficult for him to walk alone. Having gone through the exact same thing only a short while ago, I understood that feeling better than anyone.

However, after giving a reflexive answer, I thought of Won Wooje. I glanced around the classroom, but he was nowhere to be seen in his seat.

Han Seolwoo slowly walked down the hallway, supporting Bae Junhyeok. He was the type who usually got along well with everyone, but from a certain moment, Bae Junhyeok had begun to feel strangely awkward. It was likely because I had started carrying a personal burden of guilt due to Won Wooje.

“It must be uncomfortable.”

In the middle of the silence where no conversation was being exchanged, Han Seolwoo spoke first.

“I thought I was going to die from the discomfort while I was walking around in a cast too. The stairs were especially hard. If you want to get better quickly, it would be better to carry crutches around. They say it won’t heal as fast if you keep putting pressure on your leg like this.”

He muttered advice as a senior in wearing casts. It was only thanks to Won Wooje following him around like a leech to wait on him that he fared well; otherwise, it would have been extremely inconvenient.

“But you didn’t carry them around.”

At the sudden remark, Han Seolwoo turned his head with a start. Bae Junhyeok, who lifted his gaze to look at Han Seolwoo, shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing and smiled slightly.

“Thanks for the advice.”

Han Seolwoo nodded blankly. Before they knew it, they were in front of the bathroom. Bae Junhyeok left behind a word saying he would be right back and limped away while bracing himself against the wall.

Han Seolwoo blinked vacantly and stared down the hallway. The strange words he had just said circled around in his head.

“What are you doing here?”

Surprised by the sudden voice, Han Seolwoo looked up. When he turned his head toward the direction of the sound, Won Wooje was walking slowly toward him from a few steps away. In an instant, his spine went stiff.

“…Ah, the bathroom.”

“Who doesn’t know this is the front of the bathroom? I’m asking what you’re doing standing here.”

Won Wooje, knowing nothing, naturally put his arm around his shoulders. As the distance narrowed, a fragrant scent of fabric softener wafted out. It was a cozy scent that differed from his fierce face, which looked as though it should smell of cigarettes.

Han Seolwoo hesitated. The situation that would unfold the moment he said he was waiting for Bae Junhyeok was obvious. Oh man, I shouldn’t have been meddling from the start. Regret rushed in as he felt he had done something unnecessary.

“…That.”

“Seolwoo.”

Just as expected, Bae Junhyeok’s voice was heard right on cue. Won Wooje, who had been looking at Han Seolwoo, slowly turned his head. Han Seolwoo’s spine went stiff as a board.

I’m screwed. At any rate, this ghost-like guy somehow manages to show his face at every single timing like this; he was definitely not destined to be a patient man.

“Oh, Wooje is here.”

Bae Junhyeok, who raised his eyebrows, gave a hand greeting. Won Wooje’s brow hardened upon discovering an unexpected person in an unthought-of situation.

Won Wooje’s cold pupils slowly scanned Bae Junhyeok. Then he looked at Han Seolwoo again. His gaze was full of his inner thoughts, telling him to speak up clearly using the six W’s and one H about exactly what he was doing right now.

“Seolwoo, catch me.”

Suddenly, as he reached out his arm and took a step, Bae Junhyeok’s body swayed and pitched forward. In the moment Han Seolwoo’s eyes widened in surprise, Won Wooje reached out his hand.

Urgh. A groan sounded as if his throat were being squeezed tight. Bae Junhyeok’s face, dangling in the air as if he were suspended, twisted violently. It was because Won Wooje had instinctively reached out his arm and grabbed Bae Junhyeok by the collar of his neck and lifted him.

Won Wooje stared down quietly at Bae Junhyeok. His completely rotten face wore an expression as if he had picked up a piece of dirty dung.

“Wooje, I can’t breathe.”

Bae Junhyeok, who pulled his neck back, grabbed his wrist. Won Wooje, with his eyes narrowed, tossed him off with a flick. He flicked his hands as if shaking off dirty dung water while scowling deeply.

Bae Junhyeok, who coughed and hacked, loosely pulled at his disheveled tie. Won Wooje stared at him piercingly. An awkward tension flowed between them and Han Seolwoo, who was staring at Won Wooje. Bae Junhyeok gave a low cough.

“…It was hard to walk alone, so we came together.”

He looked up. It was impossible to tell what his expression was. For some reason, his gaze was directed toward Won Wooje instead of Han Seolwoo.

“Give me a hand.”

Won Wooje remained silent without giving any answer. He stared at him with indifferent eyes and then picked his ear with his pinky finger.

“What… Did I just hear something wrong?”

He said as he blew a “whoosh” over his finger. His scowling eyes turned toward Han Seolwoo. Han Seolwoo, at a loss for words, slowly lowered his gaze to look at Bae Junhyeok.

Bae Junhyeok softly took hold of Won Wooje’s arm. Won Wooje’s eyes, following that touch, hardened as if he were looking at a bug stuck to his skin.

Hey… Why are you doing that, you crazy guy. It was the moment the horrified Han Seolwoo was about to ask out loud.

“…I guess your liver popped out of your stomach while you were falling.”

Won Wooje laughed chillingly. Han Seolwoo, watching this, felt as though he had become a stone statue. His eyes met Bae Junhyeok’s as he bit his lower lip. Han Seolwoo shook his head with a scowl as if telling him to stop.

Bae Junhyeok is strange. He surely knows that Won Wooje doesn’t think well of him, yet an incomprehensible situation was unfolding. It was to the point where I suspected if he had actually hurt his head while falling.

“I’ll.”

“… .”

“I’ll help you. Let’s go.”

Han Seolwoo made the first move. He quickly grabbed Bae Junhyeok’s arm and signaled with his chin to go quickly. However, that was only for a moment; the arm holding Bae Junhyeok was torn away by Won Wooje’s rough touch.

“Don’t touch him.”

He looked at Han Seolwoo with a displeased face. Han Seolwoo, having stopped in his tracks, blinked his eyes vacantly, unable to do one thing or another.

Suddenly, Won Wooje roughly shoved his arm under Bae Junhyeok’s armpit. He applied strength with a “huff” as if lifting him and took a giant stride.

Bae Junhyeok, whose one shoulder was lifted, followed him hesitantly. Han Seolwoo, who was a step behind, could only brush down his chest that had shriveled up in doubt.

During the short time walking down the hallway, Won Wooje had a face like he had chewed on dung. He was dragging him along in a shape that was ambiguous to call supporting. Bae Junhyeok also looked quite uncomfortable. It was completely different from the time he handled Han Seolwoo carefully, as if he might break if dropped.

Rumble, as Won Wooje opened the back door, the students’ gazes turned toward them. Question marks soon appeared in the eyes of those who looked at Bae Junhyeok and Won Wooje.

Park Seongbin and Kim Chanju, who were sitting at their desks and chatting, exchanged glances. It was because the sight of the two being stuck together didn’t just seem strange to Han Seolwoo.

“Oh, when did you two get that close?”

Choi Sangyoon, who had been sitting on the lockers, hopped down. He approached while clapping slowly. Won Wooje tilted his head. Then he lowered his gaze and signaled with his chin toward Bae Junhyeok.

“It seems our Junhyeok…”

“… .”

“…wants to use me as his lackey.”

He gave a snickering smile and grabbed Bae Junhyeok’s shoulder, shaking it slightly. Bae Junhyeok’s body moved along with the strong grip.

“Whoa, Junhyeok-ie has grown up a lot.”

“Yeah, yeah, Bae Junhyeok-ie is a real man, isn’t he.”

Choi Sangyoon and Park Seongbin snickered and laughed. Han Seolwoo stood behind the two at the back door. He had an intuition that Won Wooje’s reaction was unusual.

Just as he was about to say something and go in, Bae Junhyeok made the first move.

“Are you going to be my lackey?”

He looked up at Won Wooje after raising his head. At the unexpected and bold question, the surroundings became quiet as if doused with cold water.

In the alien silence, Won Wooje’s eyes narrowed. Then, having tilted his head diagonally, he looked at Bae Junhyeok. One corner of his mouth was pulled up in a smirk.

“Should I?”

He asked affectionately. Won Wooje’s hand, which had been gripping Bae Junhyeok’s shoulder, slid up. Then he stroked the back of his head slowly and gently.

“What…”

“… .”

“Should I suck your dick or something, you fucker?”

The gnashing voice was rough. Urgh, along with a groan, Bae Junhyeok’s chin was jerked back. It was because Won Wooje had grabbed his hair tightly.

Everyone’s expressions wavered at the out-of-the-blue situation. Han Seolwoo, who had been watching them tensely, grabbed Won Wooje’s arm to stop him.

“Stop, stop. Why are you being like this.”

He spoke as if soothing Won Wooje and pulled him away. Intervening between the two, he pushed them into the classroom with Won Wooje on his left and Bae Junhyeok on his right.

“The piece of shit is crawling all over me, the tiny bastard…”

Won Wooje gnashed out oaths full of anger. Despite Han Seolwoo’s obstruction, he acted as if he would pounce and did not take his eyes off Bae Junhyeok. Bae Junhyeok said nothing while his head was turned away. The children, who had not yet grasped the situation, looked at each other as if asking what was going on.

“Ah, Wooje-ya.”

Han Seolwoo’s arm tightly wrapped around Won Wooje’s waist. He shook his head as if saying no, while giving a soft eye-smile as if soothing Won Wooje, who was suddenly looking at him.

“Let’s go in. Okay?”

As he led him while whispering softly, Won Wooje’s gaze turned toward Han Seolwoo’s arm wrapped around his waist.

Eventually, Won Wooje turned his head and let out an irritable breath. He shook Han Seolwoo off and walked straight toward his seat. Unlike the expectation that a second round would definitely break out, it was an unexpectedly compliant action.