Kang Sihyun raced fearfully to make a decision, grabbing the hem of the boy's clothes abruptly. Startled as the boy's ring fell, Sihyun stooped to pick it up. Even though his eyes were hidden behind his hair, he slowly opened his mouth, seemingly about to speak to the boy.
"Hey, have you chosen a partner, by any chance?"
"Huh?"
"Sihyun?"
"Uh, yeah?"
Several responses echoed after the words were spoken. Among them, the one he wanted to hear wasn't there. Looking at the boy, Sihyun saw him slowly nod as he hesitantly responded.
"Um, no..."
"How about partnering with me?"
He didn't want to pressure the boy into anything. He seemed timid and scared, so Sihyun tried to speak as gently as possible, hoping he wouldn't be scared. As he asked, the boy nervously bit his lip.
"Hey, you wouldn't..."
Though there was a murmur from behind by Lee Hamin, Sihyun didn't pay much attention.
Is it because of the new class?
Seeing the boy struggling to answer, Sihyun thought if he pushed further, the boy might end up partnering with someone he didn't want to. Eventually, the boy lowered his head as if finally making a decision.
"N-no, I'm okay with you..."
"That's what I was going to ask. Is it okay if it's me?"
Even though you might not seem like a prominent figure on the surface, you're better than someone forceful. Suppressing what he really wanted to say, Sihyun asked the boy again, who finally nodded his head.
As the boy nodded from top to bottom, a sigh of relief escaped. It felt like a release from the constant pressure.
"I've decided—"
Seeking approval, Sihyun grabbed the boy's wrist and turned to see the disappointed Supreme King. While Haewoon and Geonu remained indifferent, seeing the remaining two looking at him made him feel somewhat satisfied.
Smiling faintly, Sihyun slid the boy's ring onto his ring finger.
"I'll partner with him."
A clear voice emerged from between red lips. Hyuk's expression contorted in displeasure.
"Are you serious?"
Seowoo, who had been smiling all along, lost her smile at once. As she nodded, Hamin, with a frown, looked at the dark-haired boy. Squinting his eyes and furrowing his brows, it seemed as if Sihyun was hiding the taller boy behind him.
"Take it."
Quickly offering the pairing, the silver ring was received hesitantly by the boy. Holding his hand firmly to show his resolve, Sihyun stared at the boy's elongated fingers, pondering where to put the ring.
Where to place it?
The middle finger seemed appropriate, but the boy already had a ring on his left middle finger. Putting two on the same finger seemed odd, and the right middle finger didn't seem fitting. As the pinky finger was not suitable and neither the thumb nor the index finger, Sihyun, in confusion, placed the ring on the boy's ring finger.
"Ah..."
A sigh or a gasp escaped the boy's lips. As the silver pairing settled on their ring fingers, a soft sound indicated, 'Pair registration completed.' Only then did a relieved Sihyun lightly smile and release the boy's hand.
"Please take care of me."
"What a pain."
"...."
Trying to create a friendly atmosphere with a smile, one uttered word ruined it all.
Sihyun turned to Hamin, narrowing his eyes. A seventeen-year-old who seemed to exude dissatisfaction stood at the edge of his vision.
"Hey."
"...."
"Don't hide. Haven't seen you even during the test. Where did you come from?"
As Hamin directed a cold voice towards the boy behind me, the surroundings stirred. Indeed, the boy standing on the stage wasn't in Sihyun's memory.
Intrigued by a valid doubt, glancing at the boy behind me drew everyone's attention, and he, surprised, grabbed Sihyun's clothes like a lifeline. It seemed an instinctual action driven by a sense of danger rather than conscious awareness.
"Well... I already took the test last year..."
"Last year?"
Hamin's pupils contracted at the boy's response. The boy, shivering, spoke as if muttering. His words about being bedridden for a year due to poor health left Sihyun's eyes widened.
He's the older brother?
If he seemed timid like a younger brother, he did indeed look like one, but Sihyun hadn't expected an older brother. After all, to Sihyun, who was originally twenty-three, whether seventeen or eighteen, they were both kids. But if his body was 'Kang Sihyun,' it changed things, starting with the way they were addressed.
"You're the older brother?"
"...Yeah."
Quickly switching to formal language, the boy looked at Sihyun. Despite being taller, he seemed to shrink, making it feel like the boy was constantly looking down at him. It felt strange being stared at like that. Like a small dog wearing boots? Or a big dog wearing boots? It felt like facing an unexpected situation.
"You don't like it...?"
"No, it's nothing."
He uses formal language because he's the older brother. While recalling Confucian teachings about respect, Sihyun casually replied, perhaps relieved. He didn't seem like an older brother, after all.
"You're a troublemaker."
"Why can't he catch this guy?"
He probably meant to partner up, so Sihyun felt it was his responsibility to take care of him in this situation. Despite being eighteen and acting immaturely with informal language, it was rather pathetic. Lost in his righteous thoughts, the impudent one stepped closer to Sihyun.
Normally, Sihyun would have stepped back, but this time, feeling like an older brother who needed protection, he held his ground.
"Back off."
"What did I do?"
Hamin chuckled. It was unfortunate.
"You make a hobby out of hitting on other people's partners?"
Though the words sounded mocking, the tone remained flat. Hamin, frowning at the words uttered in an indifferent tone, cast a disdainful look at the boy obscured behind Sihyun. The disparity in stature bothered him, not just the smaller boy hiding behind. And Sihyun, who had dismissed him to partner with that guy, was no different in Hamin's view.
"What kind of class makes you ditch Dual-Class and pair up with him?"
"Why should I tell you that?"
Truthfully, Sihyun didn't know the boy's class. While he could check via the pairing device if he wanted, he wasn't inclined to indulge Hamin's wishes, especially not in front of others.
"That's not your business."
It was evidently directed at him. Raising one eyebrow in response as if answering, Hamin's gaze shifted to the boy, almost conversing with his eyebrows.
"What class are you?"
"..."
The boy pressed his lips together. Sihyun, noticing his reluctance to reply, signaled Hamin not to pay attention by simply obscuring the boy with his body. From up close, the boy seemed about 185cm, but hiding 185 behind 172 wouldn't make much difference; nevertheless, Sihyun hoped it might change something.
"No reason for me to tell you."
"Hah."
Hamin let out a deflated laugh, reminiscent of a chaebol's in a drama.
Didn't expect things to escalate this far.
Simply should have kept going after the initial conversation without looking back. Though the current situation was ongoing, Sihyun couldn't fathom how he'd handle the aftermath the next day, glaring at Hamin as if he might strike. The boy's intimidating stance had shifted toward him. Unsure if it was fortunate or unfortunate.
But shouldn't someone intervene?
With one of the Four Heavenly Kings bickering like chickens, wasn't it time for someone to step in?
Ordinarily, the female lead would have intervened, but Sihyun was already firmly entangled with her. The start was wrong.
Glancing at Seowoo, Haewoon, and Geonu, Sihyun checked their expressions. Seowoo seemed lost in thought, Haewoon gazed as though watching an amusing movie, and Geonu... uncertain about his thoughts but definite about not intervening.
Might as well give it a try.
After losing parents and sustaining through life on scholarship money from his sister, Sihyun dedicatedly studied, only to face a traffic accident. And now, Reincarnated in this Inso novel world [possibly a virtual world] was the cherry on top of his unfair and tumultuous life.
Even on the first day of school, why were there so many incidents? Frustration surged, tangled in unwanted affairs, making him feel indignant.
It's all their fault.
The female lead was an inevitable childhood friend, but the Four Heavenly Kings were different. As it was their first encounter today, there were ample ways to avoid entanglement. Yet they all approached him, and Sihyun, not wanting to know why, bit his lip, grabbing the boy's hand abruptly.
"Let's go, hyung."
"Huh, huh?"
Bemoaning his situation, feeling awkward facing Hamin, Sihyun dragged the boy toward the exit.
Step by step, the crowd parted again. It was troublesome dealing with Haewoon earlier, but now, in this situation, it was a relief.
"Kang Sihyun."
Though Hamin called my name from behind, I paid no heed. This time, I decided not to turn back.
"You'll regret this."
A chilling warning, yet it had no impact. Regret was overflowing even now. From not running away when I first saw Seowoo to not ignoring Hamin's call, not finding a way out, regret lingered in every decision.
As we continued walking, Hamin's voice faded. Seowoo hadn't said anything since a while ago, seeming lost in thoughts, but I decided to erase all four faces from my memory. Sihyun passed the murmuring students, exiting the auditorium, still holding the boy's hand.
As we left the auditorium, I turned to the boy, still holding my hand, attempting to meet his unseen gaze, and slowly spoke.
"Now's the time. What's your name?"
"I... Ban, Ban Haru."
"What?"
The name struck a chord, though unfamiliar, it carried an oddly profound sense of nostalgia. Sihyun's pupils wandered in bewilderment.
"Even if your appearance may fit a pivotal role in Inso, there's still a chance you're not that person. Yet, compared to the Four Heavenly Kings, you're better off."
The thoughts I had just moments ago flashed through my mind.
Something felt off.
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