4:44 AM
Sihyun, who had checked the time with his phone that lay forgotten on the floor, swung his legs off the bed, feeling as though he'd just come off a rollercoaster ride. He shuffled to the couch, burying himself there and stretching his legs. Each step seemed to bring vivid scenes from his dream flooding back. It was so shocking that he couldn't shake it off.
A sudden memory of it made goosebumps rise, and his hand involuntarily gripped his arm. Even upon reflection, it was inexplicable.
Thanks to a late-night doze, he didn't feel sleepy even in the early hours. Unable to get a good night's sleep, surpassing ten hours, he wondered if he could last until morning like this, eyes flickering with exhaustion, when suddenly, a distant sound of someone in distress reached his ears.
The faint whimpering jolted Sihyun upright. The fragmented sounds of pain were indecipherable, leaving him clueless about whose voice it could be.
He must've been already awake. Curiosity led him toward the sound, but unexpectedly, his steps halted in a place he hadn't anticipated. It wasn't toward his own bed, where he presumed the source of the distress would be—instead, it was the opposite direction.
"Hyung..."
Hamin, his brow furrowed deeply, called out to someone at the end of his azure gaze. Sweating profusely, the boy, seemingly caught in a nightmare, writhed and groaned weakly.
Silently observing this sight, Sihyun's eyes revealed a subtle ripple. Tsk. He bit his tongue and settled back down. The sight of Hamin struggling in his nightmare had evoked memories of someone else.
Twisting around, grabbing a few tissues from the table, Sihyun hesitated as his hand extended toward Hamin's forehead.
What's the use of sympathizing with an unlucky guy?
Reason whispered, yet his heart continued to empathize. Hamin's pitiful state brought forth an inexplicable association, making it hard for Sihyun to be callous. After contemplating, Sihyun sighed. What was the point of hesitating even after pulling out tissues?
Wiping the damp forehead, Hamin's expression remained unchanged. Quietly watching him, with lowered eyelashes, Sihyun realized how eerily quiet the room had become. The subdued sounds of breathing were accompanied by faint ticking from the clock. The tranquility almost made him feel like dozing off again.
After some time passed and the whimpering subsided, Sihyun, noticing the smoothening of Hamin's furrowed brow, got up. Tossing the tissue into the trash and stretching his stiff waist, a crack echoed from his joints after sitting on the floor for a while.
Who's sympathizing with whom? Muttering almost in lament, Sihyun got back to his bed and checked the time. As it approached 6 AM, he installed a mobile game to pass the time, and the dimly lit sky hinted at the rising sun.
By the time he finished showering around 7 AM, those who were still sprawled on their beds began to stir. It seemed only Hamin was deep in slumber, seemingly enjoying his dream world.
Snickering, Haewoon, who had risen earlier, spotted Hamin still in dreamland and lightly teased him. With one swift motion, he pounced toward Hamin, who was still half-asleep.
"Argh!"
173 overwhelmed 183. Startled, Hamin jolted awake under Haewoon's attack.
"Geez, good morning, Hamin!"
"This crazy bastard..."
The voice, gruff from just waking up, sternly confronted Haewoon. Yet, Haewoon seemed immune, chuckling as he just lifted the blanket that Hamin was trying to pull up.
"Let's go have breakfast!"
"It's already 7:20, you maniac!"
"The breakfast starts from 7:25. If we're late, we'll have to wait, right? Hurry up!"
Haewoon urged, shaking Hamin. Every attempt to sleep further resulted in Haewoon constantly waking him up, and finally, Hamin gave in.
"Seems like you've been possessed by a starving ghost…"
An annoyed, almost disgusted tone dripped from him. Despite gorging last night, it seemed sleep was more appealing than breakfast.
Adjusting his tousled hair after getting up from bed, Hamin's current appearance contradicted what one might have expected from an elegant leading man who would look good even after waking up. Seeing this Hamin, Sihyun, embarrassed, glanced away, feeling a pang of embarrassment.
Pushing Hamin into the bathroom, Haewoon glanced at Sihyun. The way things had turned out made Sihyun wonder how they'd ended up like this. Gazing at Hamin, still avoiding eye contact with me, Sihyun's eyes finally settled on Hamin, who seemed embarrassed.
Hesitating to interfere with Hamin's routine, he turned his gaze away, silently acknowledging that today, too, he'd inevitably be dragged along.
After finishing a luxurious breakfast and heading back to the dormitory, a guy standing in front of Room 207 caught the students' attention.
"What's up."
At the guy's nonchalant words, he turned his head. After briefly checking out Hamin, he rolled his eyes and then looked at Sihyun. Sihyun blinked at the precise gaze directed at him. It seemed like the guy had some business with him.
"Are you Kang Sihyun?"
"Yes."
As I confirmed, the guy approached. He introduced himself as a teacher and casually mentioned an interview, prompting me to follow him. That's when I recalled the teacher mentioning the impending interview. Sihyun expressed annoyance through his expression.
With no other option, I followed the teacher. It wasn't a good sign when the morning started with such weariness.
***
"Why are you like this again?"
"Like what?"
As Sihyun left for the interview and Hamin went to shower, Haewoon, lying on the bed, glanced at Hamin.
"You know about Kang Sihyun, right?"
Seowoo knows, and so do you. Why's everyone making a fuss about him?
As Hamin questioned, Haewoon, dressed in the school uniform, lightly tapped the mattress with his toes.
"It's interesting."
"How so?"
Their actions and all the attention around Kang Sihyun.
Not really comprehending, Hamin's expression showed doubt. If eyes could reflect emotions, Hamin, who might've been puzzled, flipped his body on the soft pillow, burying his silver hair.
"Even being the only Quadruple-Class is intriguing, and every action of his keeps drawing attention. Starting from rejecting your partner."
"What's the big deal about rejecting a partner?"
"It's because you're the son of the S Corporation's chairman. You felt bad because of that, right? It was such a good offer that there was no need to reject it."
It made sense. Nodding in agreement, Hamin spoke up. He paid attention to Haewoon's words, akin to a Pandora's box.
"But it's still interesting that he rejected you. It was an opportunity for a massive social rise. There are many more interesting points besides that. Like how he's uncomfortable with people's attention despite his looks. Honestly, Sihyun is undeniably good-looking. We can see that, so imagine what others think. Yet, he finds others' gaze uncomfortable. Isn't it funny? Acting like he's never experienced this before."
None of us are like that.
Even though Geonu might be the most awkward, he's not uncomfortable. It's because he's gotten used to it over time. Thinking of Geonu, Hamin nodded again. Unlike Seowoo, whose words seemed meaningful but enigmatic, Haewoon's words had a certain logic of their own.
"That's why it's intriguing. Every action he takes seems to have an element of surprise. Not knowing much about S Corporation, acting like he knows nothing. Even if he's not stupid, acting ignorant seems interesting. It's almost as if he's hiding something."
Intrigued by Haewoon's excited voice, Hamin tilted his head. Though he could agree, he still had questions.
"Isn't it possible that Sihyun is reserved or dislikes attention? Or maybe he's just unaware of his surroundings."
If that's his nature from the start, Hamin could somewhat understand. Trying to convey that sentiment, he was suddenly met with Haewoon's laughter. Haewoon, tapping the mattress with his palm, laughed heartily.
"Dull?"
Sihyun? Haewoon's laughter intensified.
"Well, from what I've seen, at least in terms of being observant, he seems quick in some aspects. Usually, perceptive people are also attentive to rumors. And even if he's dull, does it make sense for an Awakened Individual to not know about the guilds?"
"Well, it might be possible."
Feeling awkward due to Haewoon's laughter, Hamin made excuses. Haewoon shrugged, saying it could be possible, and stepped back. Hamin, feeling uneasy, furrowed his brows.
"A person who holds substantial power yet tries to avoid standing out too much—sometimes, very occasionally, they exist. But why does that have to be the Quad-Class Awakened Individual of the New Class?"
Wouldn't it be more likely for the world to turn upside down?
Laughter echoed in the room. It seemed like this conversation wouldn't end anytime soon. Seeing Sihyun fall prey to two out of three crazy people he'd encountered in his life, Hamin couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Moreover, the remaining one was likely to turn his attention to Sihyun soon. It was pitiful.
"Are you aware that you both lack a screw or two?"
Haewoon laughed at Hamin's plain observation. It seemed like nothing mattered to him.
"So what? Eventually, you'll become similar to us."
Like it or not, that's how it goes.
A blunt statement carried significant weight. Hamin swallowed hard at the voice that wouldn't leave his ears.
"I'll be waiting."
Clutching his fists, Hamin looked at Haewoon.
"Still, I haven't gone as crazy as you two."
Even though they'd barely met, the fact that Sihyun, weak for good looks, used Geonu to close the gap struck Hamin. Recalling Haewoon, who deliberately displayed a pitiful expression to grab Sihyun's attention, Hamin couldn't help but think they were both crazy. It wasn't normal for both Seowoo and Haewoon to be completely opposite.
"Why did I get involved with you guys?"
Exasperated, Hamin looked at Haewoon while tousling his hair. Haewoon chuckled at Hamin's exasperation. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation.
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