.

Yi Ruda then replied in disgust, “Ah, don’t you dare to!”

“What if I’m gonna tell him anyway? What are you gonna do, huh?” sneered Ban Yeo Ryung.

After a quarrel, the two descended the stairs toward the station ahead of us. I watched them enigmatically.following

So, Ban Yeo Ryung came to joke around with Yi Ruda following Yoon Jung In. Now she befriended a lot of boys that she could comfortably fool around and play with. It seemed that last year was truly amazing while considering Ban Yeo Ryung’s positive change.

Then I perceived a glance from beside me. Turning my head aside, I found Yeo Dan oppa, who was now left alone, staring at me. Pulling his hand, I uttered, “Sorry, oppa. Wasn’t it boring since we talked about the things that only we know?”

Following meekly as I led him to the station, Yeo Dan oppa slightly shook his head.

“No, it’s fine. I’ve got to know how you’ve been doing.” He then asked with a low voice, “There seems to be a lot of strange kids in your class?”

“Huh? Ah, no, they aren’t that strange, but since it was the first day of the new school year, we don’t seem to know each other that well you know,” I replied. Thinking shortly, I continued, “But… I’m a bit concerned though. I mean I’m okay since many of my classmates in freshman year are now in the same class again. However, those from different classes seem to get involved in trouble just in case.”

Something then flashed through my mind. It was the scene of Ban Hwee Hyul crouching on the seat all the way back in the classroom like a beast in a circus that felt uncomfortable with people’s attention.

Since he was stooping down that way, other kids didn’t seem to notice his existence on the first day of school; however, tomorrow would be the actual beginning of the new semester. Thus, would he be okay?

I shook my head again. Who was I worrying about? In the end, Ban Hwee Hyul was undoubtedly the nationwide Number 1 in the student fighter ranking, so who would dare to attack or harass him? I should rather get concerned about myself.

Then I raised my head again upon Yeo Dan oppa’s remark.

“Those kids…” he uttered.

“Huh? Ah, yeah,” I replied cautiously then observed his countenance. He was looking the most serious today, which made me wonder about what he was trying to say.

At that moment, he continued speaking, “Are they stranger than my friends?”

“…”

After a moment, I replied composedly with a smile, “Nope.”

“Then it’d be fine,” said Yeo Dan oppa.

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Responding way calmer than just now, I grabbed his hand more tightly. He seemed to wonder why I suddenly showed a very comfortable face. However, I wasn’t able to tell him honestly. Considering Yeo Dan oppa’s situation, the struggle I had to go through afterward seemed like nothing.

Going down the staircase where Yeo Ryung and Ruda were now all gone from my sight, I flung a question.

“Oppa, did you have something going on between your friends lately?”

“Ah, we recently grabbed a beverage from the vending machine…”

Continuing our friendly chit chat, the two of us bent our steps.

/>

The new procedure as we encountered during the new school year quickly proceeded. For example, kids who sat nearby became close, formed a group, or gathered to have lunch together.

On the first day, the six of us including Yoon Jung In, Shin Suh Hyun, the Kim twins, and Lee Mina had lunch together. Since we were quite a huge group of people. it was difficult to share a table at the cafeteria. Thus, I thought about the Kim twins and I sitting at a different table, but Shin Huh Hyun grabbed us not to leave.

“If you’re gonna eat separately, please have me with you guys too. Do you want me to get uncomfortable among those couples?”

“Hey, Shin Suh Hyun, are you trying to leave me?” Yoon Jung In whined as he suddenly appeared like a ghost from a distance, which made Shin Suh Hyun grimace.

Yoon Jung In then began to open up an encyclopedia of their memories while complaining about their relationship and the things they had done together in the past. Covering his ears, Shin Suh Hyun showed how sick and tired he was.

“Ah, stop! Stop that!”

“You’re gonna have lunch with me then,” said Yoon Jung In.

Shin Suh Hyun asked annoyingly, “Ah, why do I have to eat with you instead of them?”

Yoon Jung In then threw a desperate and hot glance toward the Kim twins and me. Thus, dividing teams turned into a fail, eventually.

On the other hand, I thought Ruda might also team up with us for lunch; however, once it was lunchtime, he stood up from his seat and said, “I have friends in Class 2-7, so I’m eating with them.”

“Oh, I see. Enjoy lunch!” While I waved my hand with that response, Ruda hesitated for a second before stepping out to the hallway then came back to me.

Slightly lowering his head, Ruda whispered in a very low voice that only I was able to hear, “Hwang Siwoo asked me to have lunch together.”

“What? Uh…”

Why was he telling me that? While I had that question in mind, Yi Ruda slightly grinned and said, “Just to let you know,” then left the classroom.

Scratching my cheek, I soon turned my head as the Kim twins called me, “What are you doing? Let’s go!”

“Yeah, I’m coming!”

/>

On my way to the cafeteria, I kept looking for Ban Hwee Hyul; however, he was nowhere, not in the queue to grab a meal and even inside the cafeteria.

His existence was hardly hideable, but maybe he liked to use the snack bar, so he might not have lunch in the cafeteria. Thinking that way, I gave up searching for Ban Hwee Hyul. Holding the food tray, I just roughly sat down at the table.

As soon as I took a seat, I uttered, “Ruda told me…”

“Yi Ruda? What did he say?” asked Yoon Jung In with wide open eyes.

I glanced around. Having found that there were no familiar faces around us, I looked forward again and said, ” Hwang Siwoo asked Ruda to have lunch together.”

“Oh…”

I was surprised at Ruda’s remark since Ruda had harassed Hwang Siwoo on the first day of school. That was what I heard and knew; however, Yoon Jung In, unexpectedly, looked nonchalant.

As if it was nothing to him, Yoon Jung In showed an apathetic look and moved his chopsticks again. Watching that sight, I asked, “Why? Do you know the reason? I don’t. Doesn’t Hwang Siwoo try to hate Yi Ruda?”

“Well, maybe it’s the same reason that’s in the gangster movie.”

It was, unexpectedly, Kim Hye Hill who responded that way. I tossed a question.

“A gangster movie?”

“When you watch those genres, the one who loses the fight pays respect to the winner. You know, like showing some admiration or trying to provide support.”

“Yeah, that’s true. It’d be like, let’s get close from now on,” replied Kim Hye Woo who was concentrating on eating his meal beside us. Swinging his chopsticks in the air, he continued, “Honestly, Yi Ruda isn’t just an ordinary kid. Well, we don’t know since we never saw him fighting, but according to his athletic ability during PE class, he seems to be no joke.”

I slightly nodded, “Yeah…”

I was the one who actually saw him fighting; nothing could describe his moves better than the word, ‘fantastic.’ I mean, I never knew that I would use the term, ‘fantastic,’ not, ‘violent,’ at the sight of a person fighting with other people.

Kim Hye Woo uttered, “So, in Hwang Siwoo’s point of view, it would be a hundred times beneficial to get close to Yi Ruda instead of becoming an enemy. If he teams up with Ruda, Ruda would fight with others on behalf of him, Hwang Siwoo will get complimented by the upper grade for bringing Ruda, and maybe he’ll also get popular among the girls while being a pair with Ruda such as ‘Oh, the sunbaes in Class 2-8?’ something like that. What would he lose out?”

He then asked, “So what does Yi Ruda say? What is he gonna do?”

With a shrug, I pointed at the direction, where I just checked out, with my chin. It was toward the place where Yi Ruda and his Class 2-7 friends were sitting.

Looking at the spot, Kim Hye Woo said, “Ah, he’s kind of poking around.”

I tossed a question, “Poking around?”

“Since the air between Hwang Siwoo’s group and us are kind of odd, so Yi Ruda is trying to see where he must belong to,” replied Kim Hye Woo.

Eh? That was sincerely an unexpected remark. His words were, of course, true that there was something going on between Hwang Siwoo’s group and us.