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 seemed that one loss meant immediate demotion.

At the same time, I could hear students talking about me.

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 me naturally.

I didn't know if it was a coincidence, but she ended up in the same class as me.

Maybe that's why she seemed happier to see me.

"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 me 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 time, her fighting spirit would really be something 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 me."

"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 me. She gave it to me as a welcome gift for the freshmen."

"What a kind senior."

It was a world of difference from Choi Sangbaek, who tried to force me into joining his fanclub.

At first, even Choi Sangbaek had approached me 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 seemed like something you'd enjoy drinking.

"It's not that I haven't had a sip. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"...."

Kwon Sang-ah stammered, visibly nervous.

She looked like someone who'd never even had a proper conversation with anyone else.

Come 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 me?"

"Me?"

She handed me the cup with the drink.

Kwon Sang-ah's expression as she passed it to me was full of concern.

It felt as if she were handing me 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 me spit it out by accident.

Since my school pants got wet, Kwon Sang-ah pulled some tissues from her pocket and started to clean it up for me.

"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 me 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 seemed 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 someone 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 remembering 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 me, I would've flushed it and then dragged that senior to the dueling hall for payback.

Just like that student right there before me.

"Eek!"

That evening in the A-10 dormitory.

I was eating a hamburger and watching a TV show when I met 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 me... are you gonna mess with my merch 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 me, 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 me for stopping him.

I once saw the used clothes bin behind the school, stuffed to the brim with those weird merchandise 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 some 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 came up and handed me some tissues.

Startled by his sudden appearance, I watched as Choi Sangbaek greeted him casually.

"Park Sumin. What brings you here?"

"Came to see the new freshman. Especially to meet the guy who knocked you out."

"Sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Park Sumin, class 2-4, same class as Sangbaek."

After his brief introduction, Park Sumin gave off a reliable and friendly vibe.

He reminded me of how Choi Sangbaek had seemed 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 come 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 seemed like a pure-hearted teen with no spirit for fighting at all.

And he was even wiping the blanket for me with the tissues.

"Life in the dorm is tough, huh? Meeting someone 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 freshmen!"

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 me 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 me puppy-dog eyes that seemed to beg for it.

"You want to eat this?"

"We're friends now, aren't we?"

At that, I frowned.

Someone asking for a bite just because you're "friends" was not my idea of friendship.

And we had only just met—what 'friends'.

"Just a small bite."

"Thanks!"

The moment 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 me stingy.

Habits like that, developed from childhood, become real problems.

"And, freshman."

"What now?"

"Could I borrow your gym clothes?"

"..."

I suddenly became 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 chimed in.

After considering for a moment, 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 me, 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 meal."

On my way home after class, I stopped by a restaurant next to the school.

The spicy smell 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 me.

When did he even enter the shop or sit across from me? 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 me here?"

"For coffee. Half the place is a café, isn't it?"

Now that he mentioned 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 something 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 me, you f*****g bastard."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

This fucker is a bully.

He needs to get beaten...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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