WWBU - 17

“Ugh, the cicadas are so damn loud.”

“They’re just horny, trying to find mates.”

“Who’s like Kim Hyun-soo?”

The group erupted into laughter at the jab.

“By the way, why is Guk late today?”

“What’s with this ‘Guk’ nonsense? Do you like Yoon Guk too?”

“Who said I liked him? Can’t I even call him by his name? Stop being ridiculous.”

Choi Cheol-ho snapped at the curious girl, clearly irritated over something trivial. One of the boys smirked and casually threw out a provocative question.

“Hey, does anyone know why Choi Cheol-ho hates Yoon Guk so much?”

At that, the others paused their attempts to escape the heat and turned to look at the boy who had spoken. Cheol-ho immediately scowled.

“Shut up and stop talking nonsense.”

“What’s the deal? Why does he hate Yoon Guk so much?”

Ignoring his warning glare, the group continued to chatter freely.

“Yeah, we’ve been wondering too. Yoon Guk is smart, good-looking—what’s the problem? Why does he hate him so much?”

“That’s exactly the issue. Everyone else is messed up in some way, but he’s the only one who seems normal.”

“True.”

“Tch, not to mention, that guy probably has a huge dick too.”

A mix of sighs and laughter filled the air. Cheol-ho, exasperated, shook his head at his friend.

“Don’t tell me... do you like Song Tae-yeon?”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“You’re pissed because Tae-yeon can’t stop drooling over Yoon Guk, aren’t you? Am I right?”

“This asshole is making things up.”

“What? So that’s why you hate Yoon Guk?”

“Turns out you’re a hopeless romantic. Pathetic.”

The kids slapped Cheol-ho on the back and clicked their tongues mockingly. Cheol-ho, now beet red, shouted in frustration.

“No, you idiots!”

“Yeah, yeah, this guy is 100% into her.”

As Cheol-ho raged, the classroom erupted into laughter. The previously quiet room became a cacophony of noise. At that moment, someone entered through the open back door. The students turned in unison.

“...”

Hyun-soo flinched as the chatter abruptly stopped upon her arrival. It was obvious she had interrupted their conversation. Regretting coming into the classroom, she forced herself to ignore it and quickly returned to her seat. Her hurried lunch earlier was sitting heavy in her stomach, and she felt nauseous. She decided to rest her eyes while Young-mi and Juyeon went to the nurse’s office to fetch medicine.

Hyun-soo folded the book she had left open and placed it on Guk’s desk before collapsing onto hers. The cool surface pressed against her cheek, and though her neck felt stiff, lying down was better than sitting upright.

“He looks so innocent, but...”

Cheol-ho’s sharp words cut through the now-silent classroom.

“What’s wrong with you, Cheol-ho? Are you crazy?”

His friends tried to intervene, anticipating what he might say next. But once started, his words couldn’t be reined in.

“The innocent-looking ones are always jerking off, aren’t they?”

“Hey!”

“He’s probably holed up in his room every day, beating off.”

Hyun-soo slowly opened her eyes. Could they really be talking about...? Her hands began to tremble.

“Look at Yoon Guk’s height and build—he’s definitely packing, right?”

“You psycho, shut up. Why are you doing this?”

“She must be struggling to take all of it in.”

Cheol-ho snickered, slapping his friend’s arm playfully.

Unable to move, Hyun-soo could only blink, frozen in place. They were definitely talking about her and Guk. She wanted to cry. Her nails dug deep into her palms as she clenched her fists to hold back tears.

“It’s kind of strange, though. She’s not pretty, and her figure isn’t great either. What did he see in her?”

Even as a joke, it was going too far. The other students glanced at Hyun-soo’s back, ready to step in and stop Cheol-ho. But it was already too late. Turning around, they froze.

“Yoon Guk isn’t bad-looking, but his taste sure is unique. If you’re desperate enough to pick up anything, you’ll end up choking.”

“Hey, keep it down.”

“What? I’m just saying what I think.”

“No... stop, just stop.”

“Does she moan differently? Maybe she’s into that. ‘Ah, it hurts! I’m in pain, ah, I love it!’ So funny.”

While Cheol-ho laughed, the others exchanged tense glances, their eyes fixed behind him.

“We should ask him. I’m curious about what works best for him. You know I can’t resist curiosity.”

“...”

“Or maybe I should let her try sucking mine. Then Yoon Guk and I could become buddies. We’d share—”

“...”

“Hey, where are you looking, you bastards?”

It was then that Cheol-ho sensed something was off. All his friends’ gazes were directed elsewhere. Feeling an icy chill, he turned around—and froze.

Splash! Water from a bottle poured over his head.

“What the hell?!”

Drenched from head to toe, Cheol-ho screamed and spun around.

“Y-Yoon Guk.”

Despite his bravado, his voice cracked as he faced Yoon Guk.

Earphones in, hands in his pockets, Guk stared at him with his usual calm, indifferent expression. The only difference was the crumpled water bottle still in his hand.

“No... no, that’s not what I meant...”

Guk tossed the bottle to the floor and removed his earphones.

“Say it again.”

“What, what do you mean?”

“Repeat what you just said.”

Cheol-ho’s face paled as he darted his eyes around. Though his friends were nearby, he doubted they’d side with him. Still, other students had returned to the classroom, and others were passing by in the hallway. Surely, Guk wouldn’t dare do anything reckless. Besides, wasn’t he just a bookish nerd with muscles?

“Everyone heard it anyway, why pretend otherwise?”

“So that’s where those filthy rumors are coming from.”

“Filthy rumors?”

“You.”

Hearing the familiar voice and sensing the tension, Hyun-soo slowly sat up. Scanning the room, she realized it wasn’t her imagination—Yoon Guk was really there, standing in front of Choi Cheol-ho.

Her chest tightened with unease. Something about the situation felt ominous.

Guk, speaking in a low, deliberate tone, dropped his bag onto the floor.

By now, many students had returned to the classroom, including Song Tae-yeon, the object of Cheol-ho’s affections. Spotting her, Cheol-ho forced himself to stand, shouting defiantly. He didn’t want to lose face in front of her.

“Yeah! That’s right, I said it! What of it?!”

Sadly, the height and size difference between the two made the scene comical. Guk towered over Cheol-ho, who looked up at him awkwardly.

“Do you think I’m the only one saying it? Everyone’s talking about how you two are living together and fooling around every day!”

Bang!

Before Cheol-ho could finish, Guk’s foot connected with his stomach, sending him flying backward. Cheol-ho’s body skidded across the floor until it collided with the cleaning closet. Cleaning tools clattered down on top of him, creating chaos.

“Uh...”

More shocked than hurt, Cheol-ho gaped stupidly.

“You bastard!”

Regaining his senses a moment later, Cheol-ho screamed and hurled cleaning tools at Guk as he tried to get up. His mind raced with thoughts of attacking Guk to save face. But before he could rise, Guk was already in front of him. The entire class held their breath, watching the scene unfold.

After briefly observing Cheol-ho’s pathetic state, Guk knelt between his legs and grabbed his chin with brutal force.

“Urgh!”

Cheol-ho thrashed, trying to push Guk away, but the grip on his jaw was excruciating, as if his teeth and jawbone might shatter. Yet Guk remained as calm as ever, speaking in a measured tone.

“Why do people talk like that?”

With an impassive expression, he raised his other hand and clenched it into a fist.

“Why are you all so certain? Acting like you know something.”

With each word, he drove his fist into Cheol-ho’s face.

“Should I thank you for this, Cheol-ho?”

After just a few punches, blood and foam bubbled from Cheol-ho’s mouth. Unfazed, Guk continued to rain blows. Cheol-ho’s eyes rolled wildly, whites flashing.

“...”

Still, Cheol-ho muttered something under his breath. Noticing this, Guk leaned closer to hear.

“I saw them... entering the same house... together...”

So you saw, huh? Guk straightened up, looking down at Cheol-ho with a faint smile.

“Indeed. You’re quite the liar.”

There are things you shouldn’t acknowledge, even if you see them.

The smile faded as Guk raised his fist again. Just as he was about to strike, someone grabbed his arm.

“...”

Turning, he saw Hyun-soo, pale as a ghost.

“Stop... please, this is serious.”