Is this a school or an Asylum? (3)
As soon as the match ended, I was instantly listed among the top ranks.
Considering I snatched the ranking right after defeating fifth place, it seed that one loss ant imdiate demotion.
At the sa ti, I could hear students talking about .
I was the first to make it into the top ten on the day of entrance.
Thanks to that, even though it was the day of the first class, the atmosphere was still chaotic.
"Ah, hi?"
Kwon Sang-ah, the freshman representative, greeted naturally.
I didn't know if it was a coincidence, but she ended up in the sa class as .
Maybe that's why she seed happier to see .
"Yeah, hi."
"I heard the rumors. You knocked down that student who was in fifth place, right?"
"Yeah."
"You were stronger than I thought, huh? So..."
"So what, are you going to fight too?"
"No...! It's not like that!"
When I shot her a sharp glare, Kwon Sang-ah was startled and shook her head violently.
If she was still thinking of fighting again after getting beat up like last ti, her fighting spirit would really be sothing else.
Of course, from her current attitude, she didn't seem like the type with much fighting spirit.
"Anyway, because of that, everyone's talking about ."
"Well, it's not even just top ten, but fifth place! Of course the place is lively because of what you did."
"Do you think I did it because I wanted to? I would've gotten wrecked if I hadn't fought. But what's that in your hand?"
Kwon Sang-ah was holding a disposable cup in one hand.
It looked like she had stopped by a café for take-out on the way to school.
"Ah... It's a drink a senior from my dorm made for . She gave it to as a welco gift for the freshn."
"What a kind senior."
It was a world of difference from Choi Sangbaek, who tried to force into joining his fanclub.
At first, even Choi Sangbaek had approached with genuine kindness.
If I hadn't talked about that idol, he might not have snapped and turned into a lunatic.
No, wait, was he always a lunatic to begin with?
Anyway, I found myself wishing I could swap that senior for Choi Sangbaek.
"But why haven't you had a sip yet? It looks pretty good."
"Ah, well..."
The contents in the cup looked quite decent.
A bright orange drink, seemingly made from crushed oranges, with ice floating on top.
It looked just like the iced tea you could get at any neighborhood café, and seed like sothing you'd enjoy drinking.
"It's not that I haven't had a sip. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"...."
Kwon Sang-ah stamred, visibly nervous.
She looked like soone who'd never even had a proper conversation with anyone else.
Co to think of it, hadn't she said others avoided her because of her runaway trait?
Just as I was thinking about that—
"Could you try it for ?"
"?"
She handed the cup with the drink.
Kwon Sang-ah's expression as she passed it to was full of concern.
It felt as if she were handing a poisoned drink by accident. Would I really drop dead if I drank this?
Gulp—
I took a casual sip.
It looked just like ordinary orange juice, so my tongue was hopeful as I savored the taste.
But it wasn't orange.
"Phhbt!"
"Are you ok?"
"What is this?! Why does it taste like kimchi?!"
The shocking, utterly unexpected flavor made spit it out by accident.
Since my school pants got wet, Kwon Sang-ah pulled so tissues from her pocket and started to clean it up for .
"Actually, that... it's made by blending kimchi and chocolate."
"What?"
Did I hear that right?
My head spun at the shocking information.
So, the orange color was actually because the original ingredient was kimchi?
"So she just shoved kimchi and chocolate in a blender and pureed it?"
"Not a blender. That senior squeezed it by hand using magic power. She said it would be super delicious, so I tried it..."
Apparently, Kwon Sang-ah had gotten caught like after taking a sip.
I stood up to get rid of this horrible drug.
"Where are you going?"
"Bathroom. I can't keep forcing this down."
"Don't throw it away! She'll notice if you do."
"How could she possibly know?"
"That senior is a Mutamit with butterfly wings on her back. She's like a fairy. She can instantly tell where any of her concoctions get thrown away."
That seed to be her trait.
Because of the fairy's signature light particles, the drink looked so appealing.
I wondered how many students had fallen for the appearance, just like I did.
"So, I have to drink it all. If not, that senior will notice and freak out."
"Why not just knock her down, like I did?"
"No way. If I end up fighting, I might go berserk. And... I finally found soone to talk with, so I don't want to push her away."
With that, Kwon Sang-ah gulped down the drink, practically forcing it down through sheer willpower.
She looked so pitiful, fighting back tears as she strained to swallow the wretched concoction.
"Cough, cough!"
"Are you alright?"
"With this... maybe we can get closer. Since it went down my throat..."
Her face flushed from the vile taste, Kwon Sang-ah forced a smile.
Watching her, I felt both frustrated and... on the verge of tears.
****
During attendance, I kept rembering Kwon Sang-ah forcing down that poison.
Thinking about it now, I can't help but laugh.
If that's the choice she made, I can respect that.
She must have had a sense of duty to drink it even knowing how awful it was.
If it was , I would've flushed it and then dragged that senior to the dueling hall for payback.
Just like that student right there before .
"Eek!"
That evening in the A-10 dormitory.
I was eating a hamburger and watching a TV show when I t Choi Sangbaek's eyes.
The Unity Girls' stickers plastered all over his locker and dresser were still there.
"What are you looking at?"
"..."
"Don't tell ... are you gonna ss with my rch again? Please! Just don't touch my goddesses!"
As my gaze shifted toward his stickers, Choi Sangbaek covered them with his entire body.
He looked as desperate as a parent in a historical drama shielding his child from arrows.
The fact that he was so sincerely trying to protect those things was both ridiculous and infuriating.
"I wouldn't take them even if you gave them to , so just shut up and sit still, okay?"
"Really?"
"Want another beating?"
"No!"
As I raised my fist, Choi Sangbaek obediently sat back on the bed.
There's a limit to paranoia.
Choi Sangbaek must have pressured people to join his fanclub so much that they'd thank for stopping him.
I once saw the used clothes bin behind the school, stuffed to the brim with those weird rchandise t-shirts.
"It's not like I forced anyone to quit the fanclub though. Right?"
"That's true."
"People wouldn't have minded if it weren't for those cursed t-shirts."
"But, those are..."
"What?"
"Nothing...!"
When I showed a hint of threat, Choi Sangbaek quieted down like a rabbit before a lion.
At least he'd developed so manners.
As I tore into my hamburger, I accidentally spilled sauce onto the bed.
Trying so hard not to stain the blankets by eating at the desk had all been for nothing.
"Wet wipes..."
"Here!"
"Thank— huh?"
A male student I had never seen before ca up and handed so tissues.
Startled by his sudden appearance, I watched as Choi Sangbaek greeted him casually.
"Park Sumin. What brings you here?"
"Ca to see the new freshman. Especially to et the guy who knocked you out."
"Sorry, who are you?"
"I'm Park Sumin, class 2-4, sa class as Sangbaek."
After his brief introduction, Park Sumin gave off a reliable and friendly vibe.
He reminded of how Choi Sangbaek had seed at first.
"You're Ma Seongjin, right? I hear you gave our Sangbaek quite the beating?"
"So what do you want?"
"Relax! I just want to be friends with you."
Normally, guys would co at you saying, 'I want to test the strength of the guy who took fifth place!' and pick a fight.
But there was none of that in Park Sumin's expression.
Unbelievably, he seed like a pure-hearted teen with no spirit for fighting at all.
And he was even wiping the blanket for with the tissues.
"Life in the dorm is tough, huh? eting soone like him right away."
Park Sumin gestured at Choi Sangbaek with his eyes.
In response, Choi Sangbaek silently flipped him off.
They didn't seem to have a bad relationship.
"But it's okay. I'll always be there for the freshn!"
His words alone sounded angelic.
No upperclassman ever speaks like that.
It was the kind of thing you'd only hear from a character in fiction.
Which made feel uneasy.
"Hey, freshman. Can I have a bite of that?"
Park Sumin pointed his chin at the hamburger I was eating.
As I hesitated briefly, he gave puppy-dog eyes that seed to beg for it.
"You want to eat this?"
"We're friends now, aren't we?"
At that, I frowned.
Soone asking for a bite just because you're "friends" was not my idea of friendship.
And we had only just t—what 'friends'.
"Just a small bite."
"Thanks!"
The mont I relented, his mouth opened wide like a shark—chawww!
His mouth was way too big for a 'small bite'.
Sensing danger, I quickly pulled the hamburger back.
"What are you doing? Just a bite..."
"How's that a bite? You nearly swallowed half of it!"
"Then how much can I eat?"
"About, like... five percent."
"Aw~"
Disappointed, Park Sumin took only the amount I allowed.
He tried to pass off ten bites as one, and now he's sulking? If I didn't give him any, he'd probably call stingy.
Habits like that, developed from childhood, beco real problems.
"And, freshman."
"What now?"
"Could I borrow your gym clothes?"
"..."
I suddenly beca speechless.
I really didn't want to.
"Just three days. I lost mine."
"Yeah, just let him. Lately, there's been a lot of thieves stealing stuff."
Choi Sangbaek chid in.
After considering for a mont, I relented.
"Thanks, buddy! You're the best!"
Yeah. Just for three days.
****
A week passed.
By now, I'd fully adapted to Hand Middle School.
Just as the rumors said, the athletic training at Middle School 2 was intense.
It was manageable for , but the other kids were dropping like flies from exhaustion.
Because of that, gym clothes got dirty easily and were often thrown away.
It made sense why theft was so rampant.
"Enjoy your al."
On my way ho after class, I stopped by a restaurant next to the school.
The spicy sll of bibim-naengmyeon on the table made my mouth water.
The boiled egg on top looked delicious, as always.
It's a rule—the egg is the last thing you eat.
"Hey, buddy!"
"...!!"
Suddenly, Park Sumin showed up and startled .
When did he even enter the shop or sit across from ? I never saw him, he just appeared.
"What are you, a ghost?"
"It's my trait, 'invisibility.' I can completely hide myself and move around freely."
So that's why he showed up out of nowhere for that hamburger bite.
It looked useful for PvP.
"Why did you follow here?"
"For coffee. Half the place is a café, isn't it?"
Now that he ntioned it, there was a café near the entrance.
Apparently, the place doubled as a snack bar and café.
While my attention strayed to the café, I suddenly felt like sothing was missing.
"Huh? Where's the egg?"
It didn't take long to find the missing egg—it was in Park Sumin's hand.
"I'll just eat this one thing!"
"Hold on—!"
Gulp—
"Yeah, egg's the best in bibim-naengmyeon!"
"...."
"By the way, buddy, those gym clothes I borrowed? They got ripped. Mind if I borrow another set?"
So, even after a week, he didn't intend to return them.
"Haha... hahaha..."
"Hm?"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Uh?"
"Ahahahahahahahaha!!!"
All I could do was laugh.
Not wanting to think about it anymore, I fiddled with my bracelet.
[Requesting a duel.]
"Huh? Buddy?"
Park Sumin still looked confused, but I smiled at him and said,
"Follow , you f*****g bastard."
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
This fucker is a bully.
He needs to get beaten...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】
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