Under Creature Chapter 6.2

The next afternoon.

I’m meeting Mr. Bae.

At Seo Dohyun’s sudden message, Yigeom narrowed his eyes, mulling over the sentence several times. What did he mean by that?

He soon sent a text message, just in case.

Why? To kill someone?

After all that persuasion yesterday, if he couldn’t even wait a day before meeting Bae Sangwoo to kill vigilantes, Yigeom thought he was not only inhuman but also hopeless.

I said I refused. But it doesn’t seem like it’ll be easy. Do you want to come too?

“…….”

Checking the reply, Yigeom hurried to get ready to go out.

Was it because Bae Sangwoo might complain about why he was refusing this time, after always doing what he asked? Was it to help Dohyun, who was in such a difficult situation, and persuade Bae Sangwoo together?

It was none of those reasons. He had said he wouldn’t do it, but it was out of suspicion that Dohyun might have changed his mind and was resuming the killings under the guise of spy hunting, and Yigeom wanted to stop him.

Fortunately, the location Seo Dohyun sent was a cafe near his studio apartment, so he could get there quickly.

“Gyeom-ah.”

Approaching the welcoming voice and taking a seat, he saw Bae Sangwoo exclaiming in frustration.

“So why not!? Tell me why!?”

Ignoring him lightly, Yigeom nodded at Seo Dohyun, who was asking him a question.

“You came quickly?”

“It’s right by my place.”

“You were home? Alone?”

“I’m alone in my house. Who else would I be with?”

Dohyun looked satisfied at that.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

As Yigeom stared at him with a puzzled expression, Bae Sangwoo pulled a card from his wallet.

“Oh, Yigeom’s here. Go buy some drinks with this. And get me a refill while you’re at it.”

“Yes, thank you.”

He quickly took the card and stood up, grabbing Bae Sangwoo’s cup. A small errand was nothing compared to him buying the drinks.

As he was placing his order with the employee, he overheard a whispered conversation.

“So why suddenly not? Did something happen?”

“I can’t do that anymore. Ask Yoon Yigeom.”

“What does that punk know?”

Yoon Yigeom silently mused to himself as he waited for the drinks. Well. He knows a lot more than you think. He might know more about Seo Dohyun than Bae Sangwoo, who he’d known for years.

Finally, with the drinks in hand, he returned to the table, where Bae Sangwoo asked him pointedly,

“Hey, Yoon Yigeom. You tell me. Why is he acting like this?”

Yigeom peeled the straw wrapper and answered calmly.

“I told him not to.”

“…What? You? Why?”

He looked at Bae Sangwoo, who blinked in surprise, for a moment before explaining.

“It seems he didn’t tell you. It’s harmful. To the vigilantes.”

“…Harmful?”

Bae Sangwoo’s gaze shifted to Dohyun. He looked as if he was hearing this for the first time. That made sense. Seo Dohyun didn’t think his actions harmed anyone at all.

Yigeom pointed at him and added,

“And it’s harmful to him too.”

“It’s not harmful to me.”

Dohyun, who hadn’t argued despite frowning at Yigeom’s words, said curtly.

“You be quiet. Your shitty personality is harmful enough.”

Somehow, being with Seo Dohyun made him foul-mouthed. But he didn’t care. Yigeom planned to firmly persuade Bae Sangwoo not to encourage him to hunt spies or anything of the sort anymore.

Though he didn’t show it, Bae Sangwoo cherished Seo Dohyun and Seo Doa like his own children. If he realized that his request was harmful, he would be shocked, but he wouldn’t make such a request again. In fact, it was clear he would refuse even if Seo Dohyun offered to do it.

Yigeom pondered how he could persuade Bae Sangwoo while keeping Seo Dohyun’s ability a secret, then opened his lips.

“Mr. Bae. Whenever he does that spy hunting… whatever it is… he gets sick. He’s bedridden.”

The excuse was weak, but it was the best Yigeom could do. He’d lived his whole life with a clear conscience, never having to make excuses to anyone.

“What? Really!?”

Unexpectedly, Bae Sangwoo asked clamorously as if this flimsy excuse had worked.

“Yes.”

As Yigeom answered shamelessly, Bae Sangwoo rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought. Then he accepted the fact.

Yigeom thought, ‘Does this method work?’ but he was relieved that the end justified the means.

“Hmm, alright, I understand. But this Dohyun guy, he’s always been the type to be perfectly fine the next day, even after doing that.”

“…Yes?”

As expected, Bae Sangwoo was quick-witted.

“I guess there are circumstances he can’t talk about? That it’s harmful to Dohyun and our kids.”

“…Yes.”

Yigeom readily agreed. Are the ‘our kids’ the vigilantes?

“Sigh….”

He lowered his head and let out a deep sigh.

“Then…”

“…….”

“You should’ve told me right away!!”

He suddenly raised his voice and lunged at Seo Dohyun as if to flick him on the forehead.

Even in the midst of this, Dohyun leaned back in his chair casually and muttered,

“I never even thought about telling you. What’s there to tell?”

“This punk! You can’t even tell the difference? Sigh… Never mind.”

Bae Sangwoo then slumped back down as if giving up, placing his hands together on the table and resting his forehead on them. His posture seemed to exude unspoken sighs.

“Anyway… It’s harmful. And I can’t easily ask you anymore. I was going to start the search from within, but what am I supposed to do now?”

At his deep concern, Yigeom sipped his drink and asked,

“Mr. Bae. Can you tell me more about the attack? Putting our heads together might be more helpful than doing nothing.”

“That’s true.”

“Or, why don’t you talk to the vigilantes?”

Bae Sangwoo seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

“No… Our guys are busy, and it’s embarrassing to say we were attacked. And if I say we haven’t caught the culprit but let’s start by hunting down any internal spies, the atmosphere will get tense…”

He didn’t suspect the vigilantes. But he couldn’t be sure there were no internal spies. He thought that if he searched from those closest to him, he might find a clue about the attackers.

The vigilantes sometimes had to fight with their lives entrusted to their comrades. But what if they were to search for internal spies, whose existence was uncertain, like catching mice? What if they made such a fuss and still couldn’t find any clues?

It would only cause internal unrest and cracks in their trust in each other. Bae Sangwoo had quietly asked Seo Dohyun to handle the matter because he was worried about this, but now that option was unavailable.

Deep anxieties plagued him.

After much deliberation, he decided to explain the events of that day in detail, feeling like he was entrusting a cat with a fish.

“It happened so suddenly that my explanation might be disorganized, but a few days ago…”

As he had heard before, the incident was simply that he lost consciousness and woke up. Bae Sangwoo explained the date, time, and exact location of that day in detail, down to the minute he was unconscious.

Listening to him, Yigeom felt a strange sensation.

If it was that day, at that time, a few days ago, then surely…

“I was studying at a cafe nearby at that time. Me.”

He had definitely been at the cafe with Kang Taeha because of a group project.

“What? Then you didn’t see anyone suspicious?”

“No… I was just studying…”

‘Oh? It’s Mr. Yigeom. I’m in the neighborhood for a bit of business.’

‘Master is working around here for a while.’

‘I am too. Patrolling the area. I’m not good at combat yet.’

Yigeom wondered why Noh Jeonggyu had come to the cafe where he was that day.

“…….”

Yigeom closed his lips for a moment.

‘Someone broke into the blood storage room. They also deleted the database records.’

‘Imagine a Blood Hunter hiding among us. …And it could be me.’

Certainly, Yeho’s Master, Kim Yiseong’s abilities were reflection and recovery.

What if he inflicted a blow to his own head strong enough to cause unconsciousness and then reflected it onto Mr. Bae? No. Mr. Bae said he was perfectly fine, without a drop of blood spilled.

‘That’s right. I recently underwent a second awakening.’

Come to think of it, what was Noh Jeonggyu’s ability?

“Mr. Bae, I…”

Yigeom faltered, unable to continue. Can I even say this? Can I put someone unrelated on the suspect list just because they passed by at that time?

He felt worried. But the circumstances made Noh Jeonggyu’s words highly suspicious, so Yigeom quickly searched his memory.

Among the CA Area lists released by the Association, there were definitely no CAs occurring at that time, in that place, on that day.

What was Noh Jeonggyu doing there? The thought kept circling in his mind.

“Something bothering you?”

At Seo Dohyun’s question, Yigeom hesitated before speaking.

“It might be nothing, but I know a few Hunters who passed by that place at that time.”

“Really? Who?”

As Bae Sangwoo asked with sparkling eyes, Yigeom stammered,

“Yeho’s Master Kim Yiseong and the rookie Noh Jeonggyu.”

“…Yiseong?”

Bae Sangwoo called his name familiarly.

“Are you two close?”

“Of course! Yiseong isn’t that kind of guy. Look for someone else.”

He waved his hand dismissively, adamantly claiming that Kim Yiseong would never do such a thing.

This irritated Yigeom.

“Mr. Bae. Being sentimental is good, but you shouldn’t apply it in situations like this.”

“It’s not being sentimental, I…”

“See? I told you those Yeho bastards were all suspicious.”

Bae Sangwoo insisted it couldn’t be, Yigeom tried to persuade him, Seo Dohyun asserted that Yeho was definitely responsible, and Yigeom countered that it wasn’t necessarily true without evidence.

Since none of them were willing to back down from their claims, the discussion quickly escalated into a heated argument.

“No! He’s my friend!”

“So what if he’s your friend? Does that exclude him from suspicion? Is that what a vigilante should do? Please separate personal feelings from work.”

Just as ordinary people have the police, the vigilantes were essentially the equivalent of police in the Hunter world.

“…….”

At the somewhat harsh persuasion, Bae Sangwoo realized he was getting agitated. Yigeom waited for him to calm down.

He had been in similar situations. No matter how rationally he wanted to act, it wasn’t easy when a close friend was involved. It was the same with Jooseungtae’s case. He understood how Bae Sangwoo felt.

And Bae Sangwoo’s anger didn’t last long. He couldn’t have risen to a high position in the vigilantes if he couldn’t separate personal feelings from work.

He quickly calmed down and apologized.

“Right… I’m sorry. You’re right, I was being unreasonable.”

“Then let’s go set things straight.”

“Wait! We don’t have any concrete evidence yet.”

Bae Sangwoo seized the opportunity to stop Dohyun, who was about to jump into action, and launched into a lengthy explanation.

“I already investigated the Hunters who were around at that time.”

“You did?”

“Did you think I’d just sit around doing nothing!?”

Bae Sangwoo raised his voice again when Yigeom asked, surprised.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Yigeom apologized and nodded. So, that’s why he ruled out Yeho. He already knew. Then he had also wrongly suspected Noh Jeonggyu.

As he was thinking this, Bae Sangwoo added,

“When I asked Yiseong, he said he was at the guild at that time.”

“…….”

“That’s why I got so worked up. He wouldn’t lie to me…”

Bae Sangwoo groaned.

“Yoon Yigeom. Are you sure about what you saw? Did you really see Yiseong at that time?”

“I didn’t see the Master, but I saw Mr. Noh Jeonggyu. And he said he ‘came with his Master for work.’ If you don’t believe me, you can check the cafe’s CCTV footage from that day.”

His memory couldn’t be wrong. Yigeom spoke confidently.

“Lying and being there at that time… he’s definitely the culprit.”

Seo Dohyun seemed ready to apprehend him immediately, but Bae Sangwoo was being extremely cautious.

Worried, Yigeom asked,

“Is it because he’s your friend?”

Kim Yiseong, whom he had encountered once at the Association, had a strong personality and a loud voice. Even from afar, he seemed like the kind of person who could intimidate even the most timid.

On the other hand, Bae Sangwoo, even when angry, showed genuine concern for others, was kind-hearted, and got along with everyone.

It was hard to imagine how those two could be friends.

‘…Or do they get along well?’

Did they become friends because Bae Sangwoo was friendly with everyone? Or did Kim Yiseong approach him to take advantage of the fact that he was a vigilante?

The possibilities were endless.

“It’s not just because he’s a friend… It’s because I’m not certain.”

“You’re not certain, but he is a suspect.”

Yigeom had initially hoped it wasn’t true, but the fact that he lied about being somewhere else at that time was highly suspicious.

“I need to meet him and talk to him.”

Dohyun, who had been urging him to go and apprehend him, listened carefully to his words for a while before speaking.

“Are you going alone?”

Yigeom’s gaze momentarily shifted to Dohyun. Is he worried after all?

“Well, yes. The others are busy, I can’t bring them along for something like this.”

He knew that the incident where Bae Sangwoo, the second-in-command of the vigilantes, was attacked wasn’t “something like this.”

He knew that if Bae Sangwoo brought the vigilantes along for something uncertain and the suspect turned out to be innocent, rumors about his friend might spread in unintended ways.

But even so, the other party was the Master of a large guild.

“Mr. Bae. What are you going to do if it turns out to be true? This is too reckless. As I said before, personal feelings and work…”

“Hey! How old do you think I am!?”

Yigeom, worried about what might happen, winced at the sudden shout.

“Why does age matter…? If you think rationally…”

“Personal feelings and work? Fine. Rational thinking is good too.”

Bae Sangwoo sighed deeply and muttered,

“But you see, there are things in this world you can’t do even if you want to.”

“…….”

“You might think I’m a pushover… Ah, yes. Just think of me as a pushover. I am one. A soft-hearted pushover.”

Rational. Yigeom fell silent for a moment. The conversation he had with Seo Dohyun came to mind.

‘If you think rationally, that’s what it is.’

‘I’m so fucking envious that you can be rational at a time like this, dammit.’

Then he lamented. Wait, was I about to say the same thing as Seo Dohyun?

Bae Sangwoo waved his hand dismissively.

“I’ll handle this now, so you two can go.”

Every time Yigeom saw these sides of himself, he felt dizzy and scared. So, he blurted out impulsively,

“I’ll go with you.”

“…Huh?”

“I might not be of much help, but…”

Bae Sangwoo was someone he could learn a lot from. He was the one who took in that Seo Dohyun, and he was generally a good person. In short, he was full of humanity. That’s why he was also meddlesome, but he didn’t know that even that could be something to learn from now.

He thought that if he stayed by his side, he would learn something.

“Let’s go together. If nothing happens, that’s good, and if something does happen… two is better than one.”

Bae Sangwoo stared blankly at Yigeom and asked dazedly,

“…Seo Dohyun. Why is he acting like this?”

“I don’t know.”

In the end, he agreed to Yigeom’s firm resolve.

“Sigh, fine. I’ll take you, but you have to wait outside.”

“Okay.”

Bae Sangwoo took out his phone and sent a text to someone, then his eyes widened.

“Huh? Yiseong says he’s in Busan?”

“Busan?”

“Yeah. He said he won’t be coming up here for a while, so it looks like I’ll have to go down there…”

He glanced at Yigeom. He probably assumed they were going to Seoul, but Busan was a different story.

“My grades…”

As expected, Yigeom’s face was clouded with worry.

“Are we going on the weekend?”

“We could go on the weekend and come back during the week, who knows.”

“…….”

After careful consideration, he answered resolutely,

“Yes. I’m fine with it.”

It was a shame to miss classes, but he was going to learn something more important.

“Then when are we leaving?”

Seo Dohyun checked his schedule.

“I have to finish up some work here, so maybe the day after tomorrow… Seo Dohyun, are you coming too?”

“Why wouldn’t I go if Yoon Yigeom is going?”

“These two…”

Yigeom nudged Dohyun and pointed at the cafe window.

“Hey, Seo Dohyun. What are they doing?”

Cha Jewoo and Seo Doa, in their school uniforms, were waving vigorously from outside.

‘Are they on their way home from school?’

“I called them since they were nearby. I can’t leave the kids behind when I’m going all the way to Busan.”

“I could’ve just gone quietly…”

“No. I can’t leave you alone.”

…Just leave me alone. Yigeom glared at the students entering the cafe with a sullen face.

“Mr. Bae! We see each other a lot these days!”

“Oh, hello…”

Cha Jewoo greeted him awkwardly next to the cheerful Seo Doa.

“Oh, hey. On your way home from school? Buy whatever you want to eat.”

Bae Sangwoo kindly handed them his card.

“Wow! Thank you!”

After they got their drinks, they formally discussed the Busan trip.

Jewoo, eating cake, gulped and asked,

“Are we going to Busan? With… Mr. Sangwoo? I, uh, I have to go to school!”

“Then go to school. I’ll submit a field trip report and go!”

“No! I want to go too!”

Unable to resist the temptation of having fun in Busan, Cha Jewoo exclaimed.

“Well, now that there are more people, I can’t just slip away quietly.”

Bae Sangwoo grumbled, scratching his head as if annoyed by the increased number of people. Then Doa shouted with a bright smile,

“Then let’s set a date. How about next Monday, for six nights and seven days? It’ll be fun!”

“Do you think we’re going on vacation? You’re really trying hard to skip school, aren’t you?”

Yigeom chided the two, who were excited, thinking it was a trip, even though he hadn’t properly explained the purpose of the trip to Busan.

“What’s wrong with that? It’s better to have plenty of time than to be rushed.”

“That’s true, but…”

Yigeom closed his lips and glanced at Dohyun. It was a signal for him to say something, but as usual, he ignored it.

‘He secretly likes group activities.’

Or maybe not so secretly.

Bae Sangwoo and Latter’s six-night, seven-day Busan expedition had begun.

🦅࿐

“Student Yoon Yigeom. What did you just say?”

The voice was icy. Yigeom couldn’t bring himself to look up.

He knew what the person in front of him was asking. It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard what Yigeom had just said, but the kind of question asked when something was so absurd that he doubted his own ears.

“That…”

“Wouldn’t it be enough to go on a trip after the semester is over?”

His barely opened lips quickly closed.

“Student Yoon Yigeom, you have good grades and you focus during class, so I didn’t expect this from you… Forget it. I’ll mark it as an absence, so you know. And I’ll be watching to see if you have someone take attendance for you.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

“You may leave now.”

He thanked him, even though there was nothing to be thankful for, and left the professor’s office. His slumped shoulders refused to straighten.

“Do you really have to go, even if it means doing this?”

Kang Taeha, who was waiting by the door, asked with a displeased expression.

“I said I’m going, so I have to go.”

He wasn’t going alone, and Seo Doa and Cha Jewoo were probably writing their field trip reports right now.

And although he had just failed, he had received permission to be marked present for two of his liberal arts classes. The rewards of taking a course known for being easy.

Yigeom was more serious about his studies than people thought.

“Whose professor is next?”

He rummaged through his mental schedule, searching for the professor who should be in their office now.

Kang Taeha nudged him, telling him to focus, and asked,

“Who are you going with?”

“The guys I always hang out with.”

“The one saved as ‘Asshole’?”

“Yeah. Let’s go to 305. That professor should be in their office now.”

Kang Taeha stopped Yigeom as he was going up the stairs.

“Can’t I come too?”

“…What?”

“It’s weird that I don’t know your friend. I thought I could get to know them this time.”

Yigeom replied blankly,

“Why is that weird? We can have friends who don’t know each other.”

But Kang Taeha didn’t back down easily this time.

“They seem to hang out with you often, wouldn’t it be good for us to know each other?”

“…….”

If it were a simple trip, Yigeom wouldn’t have hesitated to ask Latter, but since this was business, it was a bit tricky, even with Kang Taeha.

What if he got caught up in something bad?

As he was hesitating, his phone vibrated.

“Hold on.”

It was an unknown number. He normally didn’t answer calls from unknown numbers, but he used it as an excuse to tell Kang Taeha to wait and answered the phone.

“Hello.”

—Hello. This is ×× High School, are you Yoon Yigeom’s guardian?

×× High School was the school Cha Jewoo and Seo Doa attended.

Telling Kang Taeha it was an important call, he moved to a corner and listened to the speaker.

“Yes. This is about Yoon Yigeom.”

Though I’m not his guardian.

—Ah, hello! I’m Kang Hyejung, Cha Jewoo’s homeroom teacher. Jewoo caused a minor incident with another student, and I’m trying to contact his parents, but they’re not answering. Would you be able to come to the school if you have time?

“…….”

Jewoo caused an incident? His parents aren’t answering? Then why call me…?

Yigeom checked his watch. He had a class in an hour. It was even the class of the professor who had just scolded him.

‘What should I do?’

Seeing Yigeom’s silence, the homeroom teacher asked again,

—Do you perhaps have something urgent to attend to?

Yigeom’s thoughts raced. If I say I can’t go, will they try to contact another guardian? Have they tried contacting Seo Dohyun? Or will the school handle it internally?

Then the words “incident with another student” came to mind. The other student would have called their guardian, he thought, and the image of Cha Jewoo left alone and dejected made him uneasy.

Even though they weren’t really family.

—If you’re busy, we can handle it on our end…

“No. I’ll be right there.”

—Oh, okay. Then please come to the second-year teachers’ office. It’s right in front of you when you come up to the second floor through the main entrance.

“Yes, thank you.”

Yigeom ruffled his hair in frustration. This is crazy. I’m already exhausted from trying to get excused from class, and now what’s happened with Cha Jewoo?

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing Yigeom’s downcast mood after the call, Kang Taeha approached and asked.

“Something came up, I have to go.”

“What about class?”

“…I have to skip it.”

He went up to the club room on the 5th floor and gathered his things. Kang Taeha followed him.

“Do you know which professor’s next?”

“What can I do?”

“What happened? Should I go with you?”

“You have class too.”

“Is it more important than you?”

Yigeom stopped and stared at him. He seemed ready to go with him in a heartbeat if Yigeom just agreed, but this was his business.

“Sorry.”

“…….”

“And I don’t think I can go to Busan with you either. I’m sorry about that too. I have my own things to deal with.”

Kang Taeha couldn’t hide his displeasure as Yigeom patted his shoulder apologetically and hurried away.

‘I guess he has a good reason.’

That was the same answer he had given when Yoon Yigeom asked him previously. He had a good memory and was quick to act, never forgetting what he heard and putting it to use later.

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

His mouth felt bitter.

🦅࿐

Yigeom stopped by a convenience store on his way and bought a box of Bacchus drinks before opening the teachers’ office door.

“Excuse me. I’m Cha Jewoo’s guardian…”

“Hyung! Over here!”

Cha Jewoo waved enthusiastically. Why is he waving so happily? As he slowly approached, he noticed Cha Jewoo’s cheek was swollen and quickly rushed over to examine his face.

“What happened to your face? Did someone hit you? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

He checked his uniform. It was slightly disheveled, but thankfully, besides his cheek, he seemed unharmed.

“Did you hit back…, never mind. Did you just stand there and take it? Who did this?”

“…Excuse me. His guardian is already here, having a consultation.”

Jewoo timidly gestured towards the person who hit him. There wasn’t a separate counseling room, but there was a private area created by panels around a sofa within the teachers’ office.

Yigeom quickly surveyed the area. Water was everywhere, so there was much he could see. And also, the person sitting on the sofa.

“Seo Dohyun?”

At Yigeom’s murmur, Cha Jewoo shrugged and avoided his gaze.

“Did you fight with Seo Doa?”

“No, it’s just that…”

Now it made sense. There was a reason why Cha Jewoo chose to call him instead of Seo Dohyun, even though Dohyun could’ve been called. He was already there as Doa’s guardian.

These guys, making a fuss about how I fight all the time in the office, and they’re fighting at school?

Just as a sharp edge entered his languid eyes, someone called out to him.

“Um… Jewoo’s guardian?”

“Hello. I apologize for the trouble Jewoo has caused. Please accept this…”

Yigeom hurriedly offered the box of Bacchus drinks he bought.

“Oh no! You shouldn’t. We can’t accept things like this.”

“Then I’ll just leave it here. Please have some when you need it.”

“Oh, you really shouldn’t… But how are you related to Jewoo…?”

The teacher asked, remarking on how young he looked.

“My cousin…!”

“I’m a friend. I’m also in frequent contact with Jewoo’s parents. I guess Jewoo called me because he had no one else to call.”

Yigeom quickly interrupted Jewoo.

“Ah, I see. Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule. I was worried because his parents weren’t answering.”

“Yes. Please explain the situation, and I’ll make sure to relay it to his parents.”

“I’d appreciate that. Just a moment.”

Even though he was just a friend, it seemed he had been recognized as a guardian. I heard Jewoo’s parents are in another region, does the teacher not know that?

Jewoo’s homeroom teacher then disappeared behind the panels to talk with Seo Dohyun, Doa’s guardian.

Come to think of it, Cha Jewoo was a Hunter; he couldn’t have been injured in a fight with an ordinary high school student. He had been momentarily surprised by Jewoo’s noticeably swollen injury, but thinking about it, the only person who could do this to his cheek was Seo Doa.

Cha Jewoo and Seo Doa were in the same class. Their homeroom teacher must be busy.

As he waited for the teacher to return, Jewoo tugged at his sleeve and whispered,

“Why didn’t you say you were my cousin?”

“Why would I tell a lie that’ll obviously be exposed? More importantly, why were you fighting?”

“…Seo Doa is totally violent. I just got hit.”

“So why were you fighting?”

“Well…”

Jewoo mumbled his reply.

While writing their field trip reports, an argument broke out between them. Two students from the same class, a boy and a girl, going on a field trip to the same place on the same date looked suspicious, so one told the other to change their destination. One said they had already finished writing it, so the other should change theirs.

Hearing the situation, Yigeom flicked him on the forehead.

“You’re fighting over something so trivial.”

“Ow… It’s really important to us!”

“Sure, whatever.”

At Yigeom’s nonchalant reply, Jewoo grumbled in frustration.

“I already had blood in my mouth, and now my forehead hurts because of you, hyung.”

“It seems Doa was serious.”

That’s right. Knowing Doa’s personality, she wouldn’t have written it carelessly, and he would be angry too if he were asked to rewrite a field trip report that he meticulously filled out. How could anyone redo such a tedious task?

“Seo Doa was kind of cute when she was little, but now she’s totally… Ugh, don’t even get me started.”

Jewoo cradled his swollen cheek and shook his head.

“Jewoo and his guardian, could you come over here for a moment?”

The homeroom teacher called Yigeom and Jewoo from behind the panels.

“Yes.”

Following the guidance, he saw Seo Dohyun sitting on the sofa and a sulky Doa beside him.

Dohyun smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes, when he saw Yigeom.

“Jewoo’s guardian?”

Yigeom’s brow twitched.

“Yes. I’m Yoon Yigeom, here as Jewoo’s guardian. And you are?”

“Doa’s older brother. How are you related to Jewoo, Mr. Gyeom? You have different surnames.”

Dohyun offered a handshake and asked playfully, seemingly not having expected Yigeom’s arrival, while Doa looked surprised behind him.

“We know each other… I’m a close friend. But your Doa gave our Jewoo quite the makeover.”

“Yes. I’ve scolded her about that. I’ll cover the hospital bills. But they say Jewoo broke the classroom door?”

“…The door?”

How violently did they fight? Yigeom looked at Jewoo with bewildered eyes. Jewoo, looking perplexed, pleaded his innocence.

“It just happened! Seo Doa kept chasing me… I just sort of fell against the door… The, the! The hinges were old! It’s the hinges’ fault.”

“That can happen. Let’s take this opportunity to replace it with a sturdier door.”