.

Then he pointed at Ban Hwee Hyul who was sitting blankly beside me.

Staring at Ban Hwee Hyul for a second, we quickly sat apart from him. That was when all the people began to pay all their attention to Ban Hwee Hyul. With a look of indescribable emotions in his eyes, Ban Hwee Hyul gazed at me. I murmured to myself, ‘Uh, sorry, I have a weak heart.’

Gasping, Jung Yohan continued retorting, “You’re just born strong and talented, so effortlessly… You’ll never EVER know how a person without those things should live and what power means to him.”

Looking at Jung Yohan calmly, Eun Hyung blurted out a response, which sounded unbelievable to Jung Yohan.

“… I’m not gonna step back from the situation I’ve intervened in. However, it’s true that I meddled in this whole thing without understanding it properly. Especially, I only know about the things you’ve done to Ban Hwee Hyul right now, not those that Ban Hwee Hyul did to you in the past.”

Crossing his arms, Eun Hyung added, “So, tell me about it. What exactly happened between you and Ban Hwee Hyul? And what does his brother have to do with the thing?”

All the noise was gone; only a heavy breathing sound resonated around the space. Shortly after Jung Yohan, who was just staring at the floor with downcast eyes, slowly opened his mouth.

“A few years ago… I was just a run-of-the-mill kid who knew nothing about fights.”

Lifting his head, Jung Yohan directed his eyes to Eun Hyung. He continued, “Yeah, just like you, I was a model student. Since I couldn’t refuse others’ favors and had good grades, I always took the class president position.”

Dropping his gaze back at the floor, Jung Yohan lowered his voice. Before I even knew it, I held my breath and paid attention to his words.

“Just because I do very well in school as a student, those who never talked with me and don’t know what I desire just think that I’m quiet, responsible, and an obedient son.”

“I understand what you’re saying. Everyone does that to me too,” replied Eun Hyung composedly.

Listening to his response with an enigmatic expression, Jung Yohan detached his lips again.

“But I’m actually a completely different person from what others think about me. No, I’d say it’s sort of myself having a rebellious mind since even a stranger squeezes me into his own stereotype and expects me to do what he thinks. That was too unbearable… and I wanted to break those things in a cool way…”

Speaking to that extent, Jung Yohan suddenly bit his lips. He soon continued, “… During the PE class, those bastards who have great athletic abilities than others… I always envied them doing amazing movements and skills. At home, I practiced for hours and hours to avoid people looking down on me, but I couldn’t do better than average. Those bastards, however, practice less but easily exceed the requirements and even goes further. Too unfair… So jealous… Also, those who are good fighters and loud in class…”

With a serene look on his face, Eun Hyung kept on listening to Jung Yohan’s confession.

“I was always interested in those folks; I envied them. Honestly, those were whom I wanted to belong to even though I knew that I was standing on their opposite side.”

“…”

“That was when you appeared, Ban Hwee Hyul.”

Blurting out that way, Jung Yohan suddenly turned his head and looked at Ban Hwee Hyul. However, he just tilted his head wordlessly. Jung Yohan showed a dark smile with a sign of frustration.

With darkened eyes, Jung Yohan continued, “Don’t you remember? … no, you won’t, but you know what? You and I went to the same middle school. We were even classmates in the third year.”

What? I murmured in surprise.

But when Ban Hwee Hyul saw Jung Yohan, he looked like he met a stranger. Besides, Jung Yohan also introduced himself to Ban Hwee Hyul that he’s just a friend of his little brother…

Then something flashed through my head. Touching my forehead, I realized that Ban Hwee Hyul was awful at remembering someone. Indeed, he returned a response like a freshly washed laundry.

“Sorry, I have no idea.”

“Didn’t expect that either,” replied Jung Yohan, sneering. Then he said unconcernedly, “Anyway, I’ve been watching you since then. The amazing performances you showed in the PE class, the whole class turning quiet when you stepped inside, and the wild beast-like kids observing the look on your face to impress you or make you laugh… Those didn’t bother me, instead, I loved them. Perhaps, I was imagining myself being you and felt satisfied in my dreams. But doing that too many times seems to be the problem.”

Suddenly heaving a small sigh, Jung Yohan added, “Then one day, Jung Dong Woo noticed it.”

The first floor and the audience seats became noisy when the name, ‘Jung Dong Woo,’ popped out. Since we had been living a life irrelevant to the ranking stuff, we had no idea who that person was, but to others, he or she seemed to be quite famous. Looking at Ban Hwee Hyul sitting among the crowds absentmindedly, I changed my mind, thinking, ‘Dude, at least, you should remember who that person is.’

Then whispers reached my ears.

“I clearly remember who he is. When Ban Hwee Hyul was the nationwide Number one, someone was his right-hand man and the actual influence. That’s Jung Dong Woo.”

“But he suddenly disappeared one day… Can’t see him anywhere…”

“True. Since Ban Hwee Hyul was gone, they said that he ran away in fear of getting revenge.”

My brows met in the middle after their stories. So, were they talking about a few people in the ranking vanishing away wasn’t something serious? Why were so many people missing here? What on earth were the police officers in this world doing?

Looking aside abruptly, I threw a question, of course, to Ban Hwee Hyul.

“Don’t you know Jung Dong Woo?”

He replied in a daze, “Not at all…”

“Geez, put your brain to work.”

“Can’t think of anything.”

“…”

I guess it’d be better now to believe that Ban Hwee Hyul was actually kidnapped by aliens, and he lost all his memories of the past. Having such thoughts in mind, I turned my head back to the front.

Jung Yohan was uttering imperturbably, “At that time, so many kids wanted to be your henchmen, so I understand that you don’t remember Jung Dong Woo. Anyway, he’s the one who’d been the closest to you during that time. Thus, I couldn’t help seeing him as well while keeping my eyes on you.”

“…”

“Unlike you, who’s slow, Jung Dong Woo quickly noticed where I directed my eyes to. As we get to have more eye contact, one day he finally called me out to the backyard. What do you think then happened?”

Watching Ban Hwee Hyul staying silent, I was surrounded by strong anxiety.

With a shrug, Jung Yohan smiled and responded, instead.

“Isn’t it obvious? What else can the biggest bullies do to a nerd except harassing and stealing pocket money from him, huh?”

“…”

“When I was called out, there was also you, Ban Hwee Hyul, so, at first, I had a little expectation on you. Maybe I could have a chance to talk to you, but as soon as I was there, Jung Dong Woo just brutally beat me. You were just watching, leaning against the wall with your arms crossed. Didn’t move an inch to stop him.”

Listening to the story, I felt my face stiffening.

Back then, I asked Ban Hwee Hyul about his wrongdoings, but he said that he wasn’t involved in anything directly. That seemed enough. If he was just one of the numerous bystanders, instead of an offender, to me, it was acceptable.

However, listening to the victim’s voice, I was able to understand that although Ban Hwee Hyul had given no order to Jung Dong Woo and he was just his friend to be there, in Jung Yohan’s eyes, Ban Hwee Hyul’s cold glance and neglect was the same violence as Jung Dong Woo’s brutal harassment. Besides, Ban Hwee Hyul had the power to stop the situation, whereas Jung Yohan didn’t.

The onlooker behavior of the strong weighs differently from that of the weak. As I came to think about it for a moment, Eun Hyung’s voice came from the stage.