"Sihyun-ah."
"Please don't call me."
Sihyun glanced at Seowoo, who was looking at the phone he held while checking the navigation app, and widened his strides, seemingly attempting to shake her off. Seowoo, seeing this, increased her pace with a smile.
Glancing at Sihyun's phone screen, Seowoo noticed a small red arrow moving as he walked.
"I could just guide you."
"This is more convenient for me."
"Even though I could guide you faster?"
"We have plenty of time. And please, let's decide if you'll use formal or informal speech. It's distracting."
Having left early to avoid Daun and wasted time in what seemed like a chase, it was only 7:30. Although he declined her suggestion due to overflowing schedules until 8:30 at the auditorium, Seowoo, who had been making a fuss, quietly followed Sihyun.
Though they seemed to have agreed to go separate ways, they ended up walking together. Even though they were both students at the same school, there couldn't have been only one route. Nonetheless, Sihyun felt uneasy walking alongside Seowoo.
"Do you know a quicker route?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go that way."
"I prefer being alone. Are you going to use formal speech or keep being vague?" Sihyun responded calmly to Seowoo's ambiguous reply, quickening his pace. Despite widening his strides to discourage her from following, he found himself increasing his speed to shake her off.
"We're both heading to school. Why do you dislike going with me?"
"I just don't want to go with you."
"Did I do something wrong? It's our first time meeting, right?"
It was an inquisitive question, but her tone wasn't sharp. Sighing, Sihyun, unable to answer as bluntly as 'because you’re overly persistent,' asked the question he wanted to voice.
"Why are you so concerned about me when we've just met today?"
They were clearly strangers, yet he couldn't fathom why she was pursuing this so persistently. Ignoring his response, Seowoo blinked and smiled thinly. Her bending eyes intensified Sihyun's impression. Some felt uncomfortable, while others seemed carefree. There was simply no middle ground.
"You seem amusing."
"What on earth?"
"Uh… like a hamster?"
"……."
Seowoo laughed lightly at Sihyun's bewildered expression. Rubbing his forehead feeling a headache creeping in at her chilly assessment, Sihyun shook his head. It felt like dealing with someone who was mistaken in their approach.
"Will she calm down if I see Daun?"
Yoo Seowoo was one of the supporting male leads. Currently finding it amusing and seemingly interested in me, eventually, it would follow the original plot once I meet the female lead. Sighing to suppress his frustration, Sihyun glanced at his phone and resumed walking.
And by his side, Seowoo was still tagging along.
---
The distance from home to school seemed to be around a 20-minute walk, considering it from the alleyway. Sihyun estimated this as he arrived at school a bit past 8:10 AM, delayed by around 10 minutes due to the playful scuffle with Seowoo, who questioned why they used formal language despite being the same age.
He glanced back at Seowoo from a distance as he stood near the school gate, unaware of the countless gazes that might pour onto him once he stepped inside.
There was no desire in Sihyun to be at the center of those stares.
"I'll head in first, so take about 10 minutes before coming in."
"After coming this far with me?"
"Well, you're free to follow or not."
Seowoo's silence followed Sihyun's rushed words. Despite the teasing tone, Sihyun felt a sense of regret, pausing in his steps, which only drew more attention, prompting a furrowed brow.
"Anyway, let's leave it at that. Say goodbye here and pretend we don't know each other."
Anxiousness made Sihyun speak faster, yet Seowoo just looked at him silently. That emphasis on 'pretend we don't know each other' echoed vividly. Seowoo's nonchalant voice somehow made the statement clear, sticking in Seowoo's mind, contrasting Seowoo's unbothered demeanor and reminding him of Sihyun's engaging presence.
Initially unimpressed until the stumble, Seowoo found Sihyun's subsequent actions strikingly odd—acting cool then freezing as if startled, avoiding any interaction, even displaying clear annoyance at getting involved.
For someone actively trying to avoid getting involved, Seowoo found Sihyun's persistent attempts surprisingly intriguing.
It felt like dealing with an overly anxious hamster.
Thinking of Seowoo's disdainful look at the 'hamster' comment, he shrugged it off and decisively walked towards the school gate, where Sihyun had disappeared, barely filling the promised 10 minutes.
***
Perhaps due to being with Seowoo, despite passing through the gate, it felt like students heading to class still cast occasional glances, either because of Sihyun or Kang Sihyun's face.
Feeling like a zoo monkey, Sihyun scratched his neck. Despite a few unexpected variables, successfully arriving at school served the purpose.
Now, the remaining task was attending the entrance ceremony in the auditorium without being noticed by Daun and then moving to the assigned class.
Not yet confirming the class, Kang Sihyun felt he probably didn't share the same class as Daun, as he was a minor character in "This Kind of Ending." Daun, however, was destined to go through all sorts of clichés as the main female lead among the Four Heavenly Kings. Imagining himself at the center of that chaos made Sihyun shudder.
Taking deep breaths, Sihyun headed towards the auditorium. Though he checked for any papers indicating the class, none were visible on the transparent door.
Nervously scanning the surroundings upon entering the auditorium, Sihyun searched for Daun. Amidst the bustling crowd, finding Daun wasn't too difficult. Spotting where attention was drawn, whether by hair color or any other reason, led him straight to Daun.
As soon as he entered, murmurs from some male and female students reached his ears. "Isn't he pretty?" said a male student, pointing at Sihyun. Startled, Sihyun inadvertently gasped, noticing Daun on the edge of the auditorium. He reflexively recoiled, avoiding her gaze, retreating to a corner before standing up straight.
Thankfully, Kang Sihyun was just an ordinary sub-character. If he were one of the Four Heavenly Kings or something similar, with red or blue hair, the stares would have been obvious.
Oh, but Yoo Seowoo had platinum hair. Remembering those shiny locks, Sihyun suddenly felt flustered amidst the commotion, pushing himself deeper into the corner, eyeing the entrance.
"Ahhh!"
As if an idol had arrived, screams erupted, and the world's attention shifted toward the entrance. Whether it was unbecoming or not, Seowoo, with his platinum hair, revealed himself at the entrance.
"Ah! Seowoo-nim!"
Sihyun, with a weary expression at the cries echoing all around, sighed deeply. Amidst everyone’s clamor, he spotted three more figures entering behind Seowoo as if they were strutting down a runway.
One had black hair, another bright blue, and the third silver. Three individuals accompanied Seowoo into the auditorium. Sihyun, instinctively sensing their imposing presence, struggled to identify them.
Could it be…?
In the grip of unease, one of the female students standing beside Sihyun injected a nail of ominousness, "They’re the Four Heavenly Kings, the mightiest of the school!"
Madness.
Startled, Sihyun covered his face with trembling hands. Goosebumps prickled his skin.
The Four Heavenly Kings.
What was once just printed words now heard in flesh and blood, it paralyzed him. Though spoken by the girl, the embarrassment seemed to weigh on Sihyun.
It's fortunate we left earlier. If we hadn't hurried Seowoo out of the gate, we might have encountered these four upon entry.
Even the thought was dreadful. Sihyun hugged himself, avoiding the intense gaze of the four figures, leaning his head against the stern auditorium wall.
Judging by their demeanor, one with black hair and another with blue seemed tough and aloof, while the silver-haired appeared more approachable. Being known as the Four Heavenly Kings suggested they were a force to be reckoned with since middle school.
And high school was set to be a continuation of confrontation, especially with Daun.
Given Daun’s personality so far, if the tough one acted arrogantly, he might receive a fist to the face. That tough guy would probably brush it off saying, "You're the first girl to ever hit me," and Daun would just… brood.
What seemed fine in novels felt unsettlingly real now. Sihyun, biting back his unease, looked ahead, feeling pallid. Fiction becoming reality twisted his insides, making him nauseous.
Only after the Four Heavenly Kings safely entered did the bell chime, announcing 8:30. The grandeur of the military-like bell silenced the once-rowdy hall.
Click! The lights, which had remained off on stage, flickered to life.
A powerful woman, presumably the school principal, emerged on the now-illuminated stage. Despite appearing minuscule from their far seat, her commanding presence was palpable.
As the atmosphere sobered, Sihyun wondered if school inaugurations were usually this weighty. Suddenly, bangs from both sides accompanied firecrackers exploding. Colorful confetti rained down, and the principal’s voice boomed through the speakers.
"Welcome to Mir Military Academy, the mightiest high school!"
"Wow!"
The auditorium buzzed with excitement. Amidst the festive fervor, Sihyun, detached like someone from another world, gazed at the platform where the principal stood with his azure eyes.
"Mir Military Academy."
Those nine syllables resonated, etching into his mind. Regardless of the details, it seemed that the Mighty High School was far from ordinary.
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