COAC 8

“Hyeonjun.”

At Seo Jeong’s voice, Do Hyeonjun lifted his head, which had been facing his textbook.

“Looks like you were so focused you didn’t even realize it was lunchtime. Let’s go together. To the cafeteria.”

“Okay.”

He hesitated for a moment, but eventually stood up with Seo Jeong. Outside the classroom, a tall man was standing in the hallway. Now, he knew who it was without even having to check.

The moment Do Hyeonjun looked, Kim Chayeon also lifted his head. For just a single moment, their eyes met head-on.

“What are you looking at.”

Instead of bothering to turn his head away, Do Hyeonjun asked him outright. Kim Chayeon also stared for a moment, then casually let his gaze drift away, as if he was not worth paying attention to. His interest immediately landed on Seo Jeong. As if it had been clearly decided from the beginning who was meaningful to Kim Chayeon in this place.

“I’m jealous of Kim Chayeon’s class. Seeing how he always comes and waits for us earlier than we do, their class must end early too, right?”

“I guess so. Let’s go.”

Do Hyeonjun took the first step and answered Seo Jeong.

The cafeteria was crowded as always. Seo Jeong chattered excitedly, and Kim Chayeon quietly placed a piece of his own pork cutlet on Seo Jeong’s tray. Do Hyeonjun just ate his meal in silence. The familiar air that flowed between the two still felt strange, but he tried hard to ignore it.

As soon as the noisy lunchtime ended, the kids ran out toward the schoolyard.

Right after lunch was physical education class. The boys, in their prime, couldn’t contain their energy and ran around here and there like wild colts. As if they never got tired, even after class ended, they made a bet on who could get to the classroom the fastest. More than twenty kids started running at once. Seo Jeong did not join the bet and waited for Do Hyeonjun, who was in charge of putting away the equipment.

“I was so surprised earlier watching you throw the ball, Hyeonjun.”

“Me? I was just throwing it casually.”

It was not a boast; he really had held back his strength. His body remembered that he had to be careful except when throwing toward the catcher’s mitt, because if he threw with all his might and hit someone, it could lead to an accident. Even if it was not a baseball.

Seo Jeong, who did not know such circumstances, did not hold back his admiration. He was purely amazed and even wore a proud expression.

“If that’s casual, then I need to learn how to grip a ball again. You really seemed like a pro baseball player.”

“I was preparing for it. But I quit because of an injury.”

At his nonchalant words, Seo Jeong’s eyes widened. He opened and closed his mouth several times as if he did not know what to say, then muttered, “Sorry.”

“Hey. What are you sorry for? I could have done rehab if I wanted to, but I chose this. I don’t regret it now.”

Do Hyeonjun did not say any more. Seo Jeong closed his mouth, then added brightly, as if to lighten the mood.

“So did you throw the dodgeball with a baseball swing today? No wonder the ball was like a bullet.”

“Hey, it wasn’t that much.”

“Or was it because I was good at hitting it back?”

“I have to admit that. You have a talent.”

“If I had known earlier, I would have played baseball too. What a shame.”

As Seo Jeong playfully raised his eyebrows, Do Hyeonjun let out a small laugh and tilted his head back slightly.

The unforced jokes and reactions flowed naturally like water.

Seo Jeong had a knack for making people feel comfortable. Thanks to him, Do Hyeonjun was able to breathe a little in his unfamiliar school life.

Since he started baseball, he always had to move within a set framework. He had to learn how to be mindful of others within the clear hierarchy of seniors and juniors. A single mistake often changed the atmosphere of the entire team. The sense of community in aiming for a common goal was clear, but that very reason spurred on competition. To Do Hyeonjun, for whom human relationships meant tension, a friend like Seo Jeong was a first.

He quite liked the relationship that lacked a cautious distance.

When they arrived at the hallway in front of the classroom after climbing the stairs like that, Seo Jeong spoke first.

“Oh, right. I have to stop by the teachers’ office. The homeroom teacher called for me earlier. Hyeonjun, you go to the classroom first.”

Seo Jeong, seeing Do Hyeonjun just lift his chin slightly instead of answering, gave a short laugh and walked toward the teachers’ office.

Once Seo Jeong was completely out of sight, Do Hyeonjun started walking to the classroom. Was it because it had been a while since he had thrown something? His arm was still tingling. Even though it was a large, soft dodgeball instead of the familiar baseball.

A shadow fell in front of Do Hyeonjun, who was walking while slowly rubbing his shoulder. Kim Chayeon, who had appeared without him knowing when, was blocking his way. It was amazing how a guy with such a distinct presence could move so quietly.

A short silence flowed between them.

“What. Why.”

Kim Chayeon stared for a moment at Do Hyeonjun, who was looking straight at him, then gestured with his chin in a short motion. Then he started walking without another word. Is he telling me to follow? What’s up with the guy who used to treat me like I was invisible when Seo Jeong wasn’t around. Do Hyeonjun, with his eyes narrowed, followed behind him as he walked away without hesitation.

“You’ve been hanging out with Jeong a lot lately.”

Within his blunt tone, only the single word ‘Jeong’ had a slightly different texture. Do Hyeonjun did not miss the fleeting moment that others would not have noticed.

“So?”

He tossed out a reply while looking at Kim Chayeon’s face.

“Don’t get between us.”

It became so quiet that even the sounds of the kids chatting excitedly in the hallway seemed to stop. In that moment, the air warped very slightly.

“Didn’t I tell you last time? To stay away from Jeong.”

Along with a metallic sweetness, the hostile aura unique to alphas spread quietly.

As he caught his breath, feeling a strange tightness in his chest, a hollow laugh escaped him. Do Hyeonjun put strength in his legs and did not back down a single step.

“I don’t want to.”

“What?”

His neat eyebrows twitched minutely, and for the first time, a crack appeared in Kim Chayeon’s expression. Do Hyeonjun slowly pulled up the corners of his mouth, which had stiffened from the pressure of the pheromones, and smirked.

“Why should I stay away from Seo Jeong? I’m going to stick to him even more from now on.”

“I told you not to get between Jeong and me.”

“Then you get out of the way. Don’t give me crap.”

Kim Chayeon did not answer for a while. The silence settled even more heavily than words.

“What a funny guy.”

He muttered in a low voice, as if declaring the conversation was over, and turned his back. His back was still calm, but his steps were slightly faster than before, as if he had no intention of entertaining this trivial conversation any longer.

“Hoo.”

He really is an alpha. It was an expected outcome, so he was not particularly surprised. However, he had realized something for sure from what just happened. Kim Chayeon had probably been pushing away people who approached Seo Jeong one by one like this. Without Seo Jeong’s knowledge.

Do Hyeonjun took a short breath. The metallic sweetness left in his nose held an unpleasant cloyingness. If Kim Chayeon had decided to release his hostile pheromones in earnest, he probably would not have been able to withstand it. He rubbed the back of his neck, where goosebumps had formed, for a good while.

When he entered the classroom, Seo Jeong was already sitting in his seat.

“Where have you been? I came to the classroom and was surprised you weren’t here.”

“The bathroom.”

Do Hyeonjun answered calmly. He could feel a few kids in the classroom glancing this way. They had probably sensed Kim Chayeon’s pheromones on him. On the other hand, Seo Jeong, who was a beta, seemed to know nothing.

“Our Hyeonjun, why are you looking at me like that? Are you so struck by how handsome I am all of a sudden that you can’t take your eyes off me?”

“What nonsense are you talking about.”

Even as he answered as if it were nothing, his mind was in a complicated tangle. Kim Chayeon’s blatant warning and Seo Jeong, who was smiling brightly without knowing anything. What kind of relationship did those two have? What was the nature of this strange relationship where one was desperately trying to protect, and the other did not even know that fact?

*

Fresh green leaves coyly took the place where the fully bloomed flower petals had fallen. A warm breeze was soon carried on the cool air, and summer came in a stride.

Early May, warm sunlight crossed the schoolyard. Today was the day of the sports festival. The first and second years, excluding the exam-takers, were running around the schoolyard excitedly.

“There might be some chocolate bread and sports drinks left. I’ll be right back if the line isn’t long.”

“Should I go with you?”

“The hero who brought our class to victory shall stay put. I will go to the school store by myself.”

Seo Jeong, giving a light wave of his hand, disappeared toward the school store.

Do Hyeonjun watched in that direction for a moment, then closed his eyes. From his forearms to his fingertips, the hot feeling had not subsided. After being dragged into the inter-class dodgeball match and running all the way to the finals, there was no way his shoulder would be fine. At first, he had planned to take it easy, but once the ball started rolling, his hands reacted.

The kids intensively passed the ball to him, so he threw without resting. Since they had already lost in all the other events and only dodgeball was left, all eyes were on it, and the class was cheering their lungs out, so he could not do it half-heartedly.

The wind touching his arms and back was quite cool, but his right shoulder was still hot. The inside of his forearm, which had been throwing the ball throughout the game, was throbbing, and the heat remaining inside his gym clothes would not easily go away.

In the moment he was catching his breath, he felt the texture of the air change slightly. It was too quiet to be a person’s presence, but the presence was distinct.

It must be Seo Jeong, he thought, and the moment he opened his eyes. What filled his vision was an unexpected face. At the white face revealed between the fluttering strands of hair, Do Hyeonjun held his breath without realizing it.