.  The door suddenly opened. Yi Ruda and I looked at each other with our eyes wide open but couldn’t even think about the thought of standing up.

  While we froze like ice, the first one who stepped into the classroom was no one else but Eun Jiho. His distinguishable platinum blond hair shone like gold under the dim sunlight.

  As soon as he saw us… no, when he saw me, a smile lifted at the corner of his mouth. He then spoke with a grin.

  “Hey, Ham Donnie! Why is it so hard to see your face? Bahaha!”


  “Ha… haha.”


  I stood up and glanced over the front door, not the back door where Eun Jiho came in. The meticulous Four Heavenly Kings were, however, fully prepared to surround us, the fugitives.

  The front door opened at once and there came in Eun Hyung. He would usually have a soft grin on his face but now, he looked dark and stiff. He sent a blameful gaze at me. Oh, lord. I hid my face within the palm of my hands.

  Soon, Ban Yeo Ryung, Yoo Chun Young, and Woo Jooin stepped inside. Woo Jooin was smiling more than usual, which made me sweat from all over.

  A heavy silence hung in the empty classroom for a while. It was me who broke the ice. I couldn’t stand the air without flinging the question.

  “How… how did you guys find us? We’ve been running away for 40 minutes.”


  Right. Yi Ruda and I spent 40 minutes to try escaping them during the one-hour lunch break. Since they lost us on their way once, I thought they would no longer run after us… but how did they find us?

  Eun Hyung seemed a little hesitant to respond to my question then he turned back to face Woo Jooin. It looked as though he was asking him if it was good to answer. Woo Jooin nodded and opened his mouth.

  “Yeah, mama. As soon as the lunch break started, something very shameful happened.”


  “What?”


  “The principal took a few teachers to a local restaurant when the fourth class began. Meanwhile, someone broke into his office and messed around.”


  I blinked my eyes. I never heard of such a thing. Well, we were busy running around, so Yi Ruda and I could have missed the announcement; however, something still felt icky.

  How could they know about that happening; besides, what does it have to do with them finding us? As soon as I had those thoughts in my mind, Jooin continued his words.

  “The principal soon knew of what happened because he received a report from a trustworthy student who turned out to be our class president, the smart and well-behaved Eun Hyung. He went to see the principal to discuss something and found out a kid running out of the office in a hurry.”


  “…”


  “The principal wanted to check the security camera immediately, but there might be someone visiting the office earlier for other purposes, so he asked Eun Hyung to go together with them to see the security camera. Of course, Eun Hyung agreed, and I, who was with Eun Hyung at that time, happened to check the camera together.”


  Woo Jooin then pointed himself with an adorable smile, but I could hardly put a grin on my face.

  Woo Jooin gave a refreshing smile and kept on with his explanation.

  “Luckily, when we checked the security cameras, no one visited the principal’s office, so Eun Hyung apologized for getting something wrong but the principal appreciated his concerns. During the ongoing warm conversation, I…”


  “Checked the security camera to find out our escape route.”


  Yi Ruda cut in while looking fed-up. I heard her mumbling through her red lips, ‘meticulously crazy asshole.’ Jooin, however, just showed a full rich smile regardless of what she thought of him.

  Oh, Jesus Christ, I muttered. Excluding the camera set inside the principal’s office, there would be over twenty security cameras installed within the school. It was in every hallway, staircase, and entrance. How could he deduce our escape route by checking all the other security cameras in such a short time?

  I murmured in a pale face, “Why… why are you wasting your brain for such things?”


  What a waste of a gifted brain…


  I could dare to convince myself that all the plans they had, starting from mapping out to practice, that came from Woo Jooin’s mouth was done only inside his head. Geez, why was he using his brain to such a trivial thing… I showed a sad face.

  “Jooin.”


  “Yeah, mama.”


  He nodded like a good boy. It looked like the usual Jooin I knew, so I felt a little relieved.

  “Promise me to never use that brain of yours to hurt anybody, got it?” I said.

  I sent a desperate gaze to Jooin. It shouldn’t be said in this critical situation, but I couldn’t even imagine what kind of trouble would take place when he used that big brain of his to hurt someone.

  I voiced out in concern about his future; however, the overall reaction seemed weird. Eun Jiho and Yoo Chun Young, far apart, began to cough, and Ban Yeo Ryung and Eun Hyung turned pale.

  Woo Jooin also reacted strangely. He kept his smile but the corner of his lips was trembling.

  When I tried to ask, ‘What?’ in wonder, Yi Ruda grabbed my arm suddenly from the back. It made my tension go away. Woo Jooin’s golden eyes glared at me with burning flames, and Eun Hyung’s face turned grim again.

  Yi Ruda said to me, “I told you I’m gonna help you no matter what. I never go back on my word. We can still run away.”


  “Uh… no…”


  She did her best to run around for 40 minutes during the lunch break. I couldn’t burden her any more than this.

  In my thought, Yi Ruda might consider that this situation had puzzled me after she heard my confession. When I tried to reply that I was now fine and would resolve this situation, someone stepped closer to us. I turned my head and found that it was Yoo Chun Young.

  Yi Ruda anxiously scowled at him while Ban Yeo Ryung and the Four Heavenly Kings watched us; Yoo Chun Young stopped exactly a meter apart from me.

  At a distance, reachable if my hand stretched out, he gave out his hand to me.

  I looked up to gaze upon his bluish eyes. Under his long straight lashes, his serene eyes, as usual, were on me without a sign of hesitation.

  “Come here,” he said. The coldness of his distinctively low and deep voice scattered around my ears.

  A moment of silence passed. As I blinked my eyes, still without a word, he called me again.

  “Ham Donnie, come.”


  “…”


  Yoo Chun Young’s blue eyes and my blank sight met in the air. Specks of dust fluttered along with the golden sunlight between us.

  Staring at his shaded face under the dim light captivated my mind that I nearly moved my steps toward him. If it wasn’t for how Yi Ruda tightly grabbed me, I would have done so.

  I turned my head back in surprise. When our eyes met, Yi Ruda spoke quietly.

  “Whatever it is, isn’t what you have in your mind all that matters? If you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to force yourself.”


  I was still feeling surprised while staring at her, whose blue eyes were pointing directly at me.

  Both Yoo Chun Young and Yi Ruda’s eyes had no signs of reluctance.

  Suddenly, I felt the absurdity of such a thing shaking me up. I bit my lip. It was a matter regarding my self-esteem which made me unable to confess my difficulties to my so-called best friends.

  I said, “No. I told you that I’m the problem.”


  Anyone could agree with this. The problem was me. As I said with a smile, Yoo Chun Young’s voice flew toward us from the back.

  This time, he was directing it towards me. My eyes widened in surprise.

  “Take your hand off from her.”


  It was a freezing cold voice enough for one to sense his aggressive and unpleasant mood which he never used to me. I turned my head to him. Yoo Chun Young’s blue eyes were staring at Yi Ruda.

  Their gaze bumped against each other in the air. Yi Ruda then suddenly pulled my arm to her. ‘What’s going on?’ Feeling befuddled, I took a few steps toward Yi Ruda. Then another hand from the opposite side pulled me at the same time. From the shiveringly cold temperature, I could grasp who it was without a stare. It was Yoo Chun Young.

  I caused this troublesome thing since Yoo Chun Young pulled me when I was standing behind Yi Ruda. I was dragged to Yoo Chun Young’s side, but at the same time, I bumped into Yi Ruda, who was in front of me.

  Yi Ruda, who lost her balance when I pushed her, collapsed to Yoo Chun Young. So did I, who lost a human-prop in front. Yoo Chun Young, who held my hand, also stumbled and leaned toward the floor. Then, it happened.