PUPPY 4

“Then get going.”

Oh Dongjae’s pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck. There was power in Cha Juwon’s words, “get going.” He remembered what had happened to Kang Jihyeok, who had defied Cha Juwon’s final warning of “get going” and provoked him.

“Of course I’ll go by myself. Well then, you two be careful on your way to school.”

“Yeah.”

As if Cha Juwon’s short reply was an order to leave, Oh Dongjae quickly disappeared. Juwon and Seowoo started walking side-by-side again, just like in the alley. The only thing that had changed was that now they were on a major road, and the students’ gazes were openly directed at Juwon.

“Do you go to the academy right after school?”

“I only go to a math academy, and I usually study at a study café.”

“You must get home late then.”

“Sometimes I stay late, but the study café is above a convenience store, so it’s a quick walk home.”

Contrary to how scared he had been, his conversation with Juwon continued normally. Juwon was usually the one asking questions, and Seowoo answered diligently.

From time to time, Juwon would stride far ahead with his long legs. Then he would stop in his tracks and wait, staring at the lagging Seowoo. Because of this, Seowoo had no choice but to hurry his steps.

“I’m a bit tired, probably from walking fast.”

Seowoo said as he caught up to Juwon, who had pulled away again. He thought he should drink some water as soon as he got to school.

“Sorry, I didn’t think about how long my legs are.”

A short exclamation, as if he’d had a realization, escaped Juwon’s lips as he said that.

What is this, is he bragging? Or is he nagging me for being a slow walker? Seowoo was lost in thought for a moment.

“No, it’s okay. It’s me who’s… short.”

“Should we walk a bit slower on the way home?”

Before he knew it, Juwon was talking about going home together as if it were a given. Say no. Say no… The answer that came out of Seowoo’s mouth, as he was thinking this, was.

“…Okay.”

An affirmation.

As soon as they entered the hallway, they could already hear a boisterous noise.

“Argh, you crazy bastard. Why are you pressing it? I’ll kill you.”

“Which skin should I choose? This one?”

The sound of things crashing—clatter—as if someone was running in the classroom, mixed with boisterous chatter. Normally, he would be nervous about entering a new classroom, but because he was so tense from being next to Juwon, he wasn’t nervous at all.

As they opened the door and entered, the boisterous noise quieted down. However, after recognizing Seowoo’s face, they started chattering amongst themselves again.

“Ryu Seowoo, why are you so late today? Oh Dongjae just got here…”

“I came early today…”

“Hey—. Why are you…”

Just then, the noisy classroom became as quiet as if cold water had been thrown over it. It was because of Juwon, who appeared slowly from behind Seowoo.

Juwon didn’t look at the three friends standing in front of Seowoo, but instead asked Seowoo.

“Friends?”

“Yeah, friends I’ve hung out with since middle school. Kim Dongwon, Oh Dongjae, Yang Juhyeon.”

“……”

Juwon, who gave no particular reply to Seowoo’s introduction, raised an eyebrow. Then he moved his feet and circled around the three of them.

When meeting people for the first time, he was more comfortable looking them over from behind and then greeting them, rather than making eye contact right away. In his own way, Juwon thought it was better than glaring at them from the get-go, but it didn’t feel very considerate to the three of them.

“The three of them together are Dongdongju.”

“Dongdongju? Ah…”

Juwon let out a short sigh, realizing it was a nickname made from taking one syllable from each of their names.

“……”

“Nice to meet you.”

Juwon looked at Seowoo’s three friends. And very instinctively, he wondered who the leader of this group was. Unlike Ryu Seowoo, who was fair, smelled nice, and was on the thin side, his friends looked average and ordinary. It was hard to tell who led this group.

“Oh Dongjae.”

Dongjae, startled at his name being called, nearly jumped. The three friends had a common trait not just in their looks, but in their personalities as well… which was that they were complete cowards.

“Huh?”

“You’re not in our class, are you?”

“Ah, I just came by to hang out. I should go to my class now. I’m going, bye.”

Oh Dongjae, who finished his words in a flash, disappeared in an instant. His friends clicked their tongues, seeing the usually leisurely Dongjae, who floated around like a jellyfish in the sea, run off so quickly.

“Where are you going to sit?”

Juwon, averting his gaze, looked at Seowoo and asked.

“I’ll just sit in the front for now, and then sit wherever they assign me when they arrange the seats.”

At Seowoo’s answer, Juwon fell into thought. It would be nice to sit close, but the height difference between him and Seowoo was too great. Should he just sit in the front and block the view of the humans shorter than him?

Right, I should be considerate of the humans.

“I’ll sit in the back.”

With a hint of regret, Juwon walked toward the back seats. The other students who were watching him swallowed hard and tensed up.

The seat at the very end of the right side of the classroom was right next to the back door, a spot that Kang Jihyeok’s crew, who came to school only when they felt like it, had claimed as their own.

Juwon, who had no way of knowing this, walked confidently and demurely hung his bag on the hook.

🦴

“There are some familiar faces, and some new faces too, but let’s all work hard together preparing for college entrance exams for the next year.”

The homeroom teacher had been the homeroom teacher of the class next to Seowoo’s last year. The students who had the same homeroom teacher for the second year in a row let out cheers mixed with joy and playfulness.

He was a kind and gentle teacher, but when he needed to be firm, he was scary enough to make grown boys cry their eyes out. Seowoo, happy to have a good homeroom teacher, smiled faintly.

“Well then, shall we pick a temporary class president? Anyone you’d like to recommend?”

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, his friends raised their hands.

“I recommend Ryu Seowoo.”

“I also recommend Ryu Seowoo. He was the class president last year too.”

“How about it, Seowoo? Is that okay?”

“Ah, yes.”

At the teacher’s question, Seowoo gave a small nod. To be honest, he had expected this to some extent. He had become class president by chance in his first year of high school, and from then on, Seowoo had just become ‘the class president.’ He was a temporary one now, but he already knew in his heart that he would soon become the real one.

It wasn’t that he had a strong sense of responsibility or a greedy personality, but Seowoo’s quiet and calm nature played a big part in him continuing to be class president.

“Then let’s have the experienced Seowoo be the temporary class president. I need to bring the admissions materials from the teachers’ office. Can someone help the class president? They’re heavy.”

The teacher’s gaze was overtly directed at Seowoo’s friends, Kim Dongwon and Yang Juhyeon.

“Should the big brother step up?”

“If you go with him, I’ll buy you ice cream…”

It was the moment Kim Dongwon and Yang Juhyeon were about to start messing with Seowoo in earnest.

“I will.”

Cha Juwon, who was sitting at the back of the classroom, answered in a low voice and stood up. The mouths of Kim Dongwon and Yang Juhyeon, who had been joking around next to and behind Seowoo, shut as if on cue.

“Alright… then Juwon and Seowoo, stop by the teachers’ office together later.”

🦴

Leaving behind the students who were rushing to the cafeteria like a herd of Texas longhorns, Juwon and Seowoo, who had started out leisurely, headed to the teachers’ office before class started.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

Juwon was famous not only among the students, but among the teachers as well. It was suspicious that he had transferred from another high school in Seoul, which wasn’t even that far away, right before his senior year.

When it became known that Juwon was from a wealthy family, everyone speculated that it might have been a cover-up for some trouble, disguised as a voluntary transfer. The speculation gained more traction with Juwon’s sloppily worn uniform and the commotion he caused on his first day of school.

So when such a Cha Juwon appeared with the top student in the school, who was quiet, kind, and even good at studying, it was only natural that gazes would gather.

“You can take this. Seowoo, can you carry half of this? Are you okay?”

Under the bookshelf the homeroom teacher was pointing to, there was a pile of bound materials related to college admissions. The thickness of each volume wasn’t great, but all of them together for the entire class seemed like they would be quite heavy.

“Ah… I’m okay.”

As Seowoo answered hesitantly, Juwon walked over to the bookshelf. Then he bent his knees, sat down, and lifted the stack of booklets.

“I’ll take them.”

“All by yourself? It’ll be heavy.”

“No, we’re going to carry them together. There are still some left for Ryu Seowoo to carry, you see.”

Contrary to his indifferent tone, his action of lifting all but a few of the booklets was sweet.

“Alright, then Seowoo can carry the rest. Will that be okay?”

“Yes.”

Embarrassed by the homeroom teacher’s worried concern, Seowoo answered with his head bowed. Juwon, who was looking down at him, also bowed his head and greeted the teacher.

“We’ll be going now.”

“Hey, Seowoo.”

“Yes?”

“If you’re not feeling well, I’ll write you an early dismissal slip, so just let me know anytime.”

“Ah, yes… I understand.”

Seowoo gave a slight nod. Juwon’s eyebrow shot up slightly upon hearing the homeroom teacher’s offer to write an early dismissal slip anytime, even though he hadn’t asked for it. And as soon as they were out of the teachers’ office, he asked Seowoo.

“Are you sick?”

“No.”

To Juwon’s question, Seowoo answered without a shred of hesitation. And in a firm voice he had never heard before.

“…I’m really not sick.”

Seowoo, who added that in a small voice, lowered his eyes slightly. Then, the bulging veins on Juwon’s forearm, revealed by his rolled-up shirt sleeves, came into view. Even though he had done a good deed that Seowoo’s friends would have bragged about for the next three weeks, Juwon was walking silently, looking straight ahead.

“Thanks.”

At Seowoo’s quietly spoken words, Juwon turned his head to look at Seowoo. When their eyes met, Juwon smiled without a word.

It wasn’t a smirk with just one corner of his mouth lifted, but a truly bright smile. He had always thought Juwon’s smile was somewhat scary, but not now.

Things like the black pupils and long, dense eyelashes hidden behind his cool, sharp eyes, only then came into Seowoo’s view.