EAR Ch 3

“Don’t you still not have a phone?”

“You said you were going to buy a new one? Aren’t you getting it?”

Oh Seungpyo’s friends were starting to get not just curious but a bit annoyed.

It had been several days since Seungpyo’s phone disappeared. Even if they wanted to play a game together, they needed to be able to contact him, but now that the main person was unreachable, their frustration was growing.

The most puzzling part was Oh Seungpyo’s attitude, acting so nonchalant despite supposedly losing his phone. He hadn’t even bothered to make a single phone call, saying things like he would wait in case the person who found it came to return it, or if he couldn’t find it, he’d just buy a new one, but he didn’t seem to be in a rush to get a new one.

Despite Seungpyo’s insistence not to call, one kid tried to reach him, but only the sound of the phone being off could be heard. It was clear, even to those involved, that Oh Seungpyo’s phone was likely lost for good.

Though they weren’t going to pitch in to buy him a new phone, everyone around him wished that Seungpyo would just get a new one already. However, Seungpyo remained unfazed.

“I’ve been studying hard lately. You guys know what digital detox is, right? Living without a phone isn’t that bad, I think.”

“So, you’re not buying one still? You’re going to buy one anyway, right?”

“A new model is coming out next month. I’ll just wait for that.”

“So, you’re gonna wait for about 2 weeks?”

The conversation smoothly shifted to the specs of the new phone models, and Seungpyo managed to escape the constant pestering for a bit.

Leaning back in his chair, Seungpyo began idly rocking back and forth, when the door to the classroom opened, and students from Class 2 came in. Since English was a subject with rotating classes, students from different classes gathered for it.

Ryu Jaemin, who came in with the students from Class 2, looked around the room before sitting down at an empty spot with his friends and preparing for the class. During all of this, Jaemin didn’t even glance in Seungpyo’s direction.

While the others continued talking excitedly about the new phones, Seungpyo suddenly raised his voice, interjecting with something different.

“I have an old phone I don’t use.”

“Huh? An old phone? Then you can just activate it and use that.”

Even then, Ryu Jaemin still didn’t turn his head. Seungpyo, irritated, lowered his eyelids and shot a look at Jaemin’s dark-haired head with a dissatisfied glance.

Ever since the phones got swapped, Ryu Jaemin had completely ignored Oh Seungpyo. He hadn’t returned Seungpyo’s phone, nor had he asked for his own back.

The day after the phones switched, at the snack bar, Jaemin had stared at Seungpyo, looking as if he were holding a grudge, but after that, he wouldn’t even properly look at him anymore. Although they were in different classes, they were in adjacent classrooms, and they had to pass each other in hallways or at the cafeteria.

There were plenty of opportunities to talk, but Ryu Jaemin acted as if he didn’t even notice Seungpyo, more so than last year. It was as if he didn’t want to get involved. It was baffling.

“Is he mad because I said something in front of him? He’s the one who used to do creepy things behind people’s backs, so what’s he getting upset about now?”

Seungpyo’s expectations of Ryu Jaemin’s reaction were far from reality. Jaemin, realizing the phone swap, should have been frantic and immediately come to beg Seungpyo to keep the secret, but instead, he had been ignoring him. Seungpyo found it amusing, and though he had dropped hints, Jaemin remained dismissive.

“Is he thinking there’s no evidence?”

His SNS account had already been discovered, and there were no photos left on his phone. But whether Seungpyo had taken any screenshots or kept evidence, that was something Jaemin could never know.

It had only taken a few hours for their accounts to be blocked after the phones were swapped, and during that time, Seungpyo had taken the opportunity to look at every picture Jaemin had posted for others to see. Among them, the latest photo, taken in what looked like an abandoned building, showing Jaemin with his shirt slightly open and exposing his nipple, was barely anything in comparison to others.

A photo of him wearing nothing but revealing lingerie, a photo of him turning around to fully expose his buttocks, a photo of him wearing only a school uniform tie draped over his bare body, pulled taut like a dog collar… As he scrolled down the screen and saw a picture with even his penis exposed, appearing like some final boss, he couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

For someone who posted nothing but such indecent photos, the account’s profile picture was unexpectedly subdued—a cozy room with a nighttime city view as its background. A sofa adorned with a few cushions, books placed on a table in front. Having heard before that he lived in an expensive high-end apartment, he initially wondered if it was Ryu Jaemin’s room. But it didn’t seem likely he’d post a picture of his actual room on an account like this. On closer inspection, the view outside the window didn’t seem like Seoul but more like the nightscape of a foreign city.

The self-introduction written like an announcement pinned to the account was even more ridiculous. It was hard to believe it was written by someone running an SNS account filled with explicit selfies.

[We do not respond to offers for in-person meetings.]

[I can’t fulfill every request for photos you send me.]

[This is an anonymous account, so please refrain from overly personal questions. Apologies in advance.]

While the people visiting the account left nothing but garbage comments, Ryu Jaemin’s self-introduction was unnecessarily polite. A fool, really—he may study well, but he’s still a fool. If he truly wanted to hide himself, he should have written just as trashy as the perverts hanging around. Like the comments Seungpyo used to leave when dealing with scum.

Ah, yes—those comments. From the conversations exchanged, he naturally learned where and how a supposedly studious guy like him managed to take such a variety of explicit photos.

“You rude bastard slut, why aren’t you wearing crotchless panties? I’ve been requesting them forever. Are you discriminating against my requests?”

└ As a student, it’s hard to purchase such revealing lingerie. I’m sorry.

“Can’t you upload a video for jerking off? It’s fine even if it’s muted.”

└ It takes time to make videos. I’ll try when I have some free time.

“Are you not into anal play? At least pretend or something😭 Your ass looks so good it’d probably be amazing. Not a request, just a wish.”

└ That still scares me… I’ll think about it later.

The sight of a perverted bastard issuing vulgar demands while he answered them all politely with honorifics could only be described as bizarre. The filthy comments that the freaks left in competition with each other didn’t even faze Seungpyo much. After all, the most insane person there seemed to be Ryu Jaemin himself.

The overly polite responses he left to all that nonsense seemed oddly out of balance. The more Seungpyo looked at it, the angrier he felt for some reason. That day, when he picked up his phone, Oh Seungpyo took it upon himself to diligently reply to the perverts on Ryu Jaemin’s behalf.

Calling the perverts what they were—perverts—riled them up so much that their indignant reactions were entertaining enough for him to lose track of time. He was so absorbed in mocking them with replies that he might’ve stayed up all night, had he not suddenly been logged out.

Even now, just looking at the neatly groomed back of his head made Oh Seungpyo snort in disbelief. At school, he acted like a perfect model student, one in a million, but behind the scenes, he wasn’t doing just anything—it had to be some perverted nonsense instead.

In movies or comics, you’d occasionally see someone pretending to be a loser at school but acting like a thug outside. But this? This was a first. As the saying goes, reality is stranger than fiction.

Even with his face covered, the photos vaguely carried Ryu Jaemin’s aura. Pair that with the Il-Yang High School uniform and the neatly written announcements fit for a model student, and if someone pointed out that the person in the photos was Ryu Jaemin, more people would probably respond with, “Now that you mention it, that does seem likely,” than, “No way, that’s ridiculous.”

— Not that Seungpyo actually intended to tell anyone, of course.

Oh Seungpyo’s life, despite being impressive in many ways, hadn’t always been smooth sailing. “A needle in a bag will eventually poke through,” as the proverb goes—those who excel inevitably draw envy and jealousy. He saw himself as that needle, a person who couldn’t help but stand out.

There had been times when misunderstandings or schemes from other students caused him unfair situations. Still, Seungpyo never resorted to petty tattling to teachers or his father.

That said, he wasn’t one to graciously let things slide when wronged. He preferred to find ways to subtly get back at those who upset him. Whether it was by getting chummy with a girl they liked just to watch them fume or giving them the cold shoulder until they apologized first, he always made sure to settle the score in his own way.

Ultimately, Seungpyo was popular with both boys and girls, so more often than not, his cold treatment left others worrying they’d be ostracized, leading them to apologize first.

This time, too, Oh Seungpyo had no intention of stooping to the level of exposing Ryu Jaemin’s shame to others. But the idea that Ryu Jaemin was the one ignoring him first didn’t sit right, no matter how much he thought about it. While Ryu Jaemin hadn’t done anything wrong to him, it still felt only fair that he should be the one to make the first move and resolve this situation. Grumbling under his breath, Seungpyo muttered,

“Not returning something you found could be reported to the police, right?”

“Now you’re talking about reporting it? Didn’t you say you were buying a new one since the contract’s up anyway?”

Before the children’s mismatched chatter even came to an end, the front door of the classroom opened. “Quiet, quiet!” The teacher entered, standing in front of the podium.

From the start of class to the end, Ryu Jaemin didn’t once glance back toward the seat where Seungpyo was sitting. Like the top pervert he was, he had nerves of steel.

When the particularly stifling and tedious class lasting about an hour finally ended, Oh Seungpyo stood up, noisily shoving his chair back with dissatisfaction. The teacher, who hadn’t yet left the podium, spotted him and quickly waved as though seizing the opportunity.

“Oh Seungpyo! Come here for a moment.”

“Huh? Why?”

Sauntering over, he stopped in front of the podium, where the teacher pointed to two clearly heavy boxes of materials and smiled.

“Take these to the storage room at the end of the hallway.”

“Ah, but it’s break time, teacher.”

“I need to go straight to the teacher’s office today, so I’m counting on you. Oh, and… Jaemin, Ryu Jaemin!”

“Yes?”

Jaemin, who had been about to leave the classroom, turned around with wide eyes.

“Since it looks too heavy for one person to carry, I’ll send a friend along to help. You two are about the tallest here. Just place them on an empty shelf, no need to lock up—just close the door and leave.”

At the teacher’s words, spoken as though doing them a favor, Jaemin couldn’t hide his momentary flustered expression as he glanced at Seungpyo. It was the first time he had made eye contact with Seungpyo, who had been in the same classroom the whole time.

Seungpyo stacked the two boxes and effortlessly lifted them, walking right up to Jaemin’s face. Flashing a rather pleased smile at the teacher hurrying out, he even offered a polite farewell.

“Got it. We’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks, I owe you one!”

Adults who nagged kids not to run in the hallways were always the first to rush when they were in a hurry. As the teacher practically ran down the hallway and descended the stairs, Oh Seungpyo turned to look at Jaemin, still standing there, and nodded his chin.

“What are you doing? Come on.”

“…I’ll just take care of it myself. You can go back to your class.”

“You’re going to carry both of these by yourself?”

Oh Seungpyo let out a derisive chuckle and added dismissively, “Quit the empty bravado and just grab one already.”

Jaemin reluctantly picked up the top box. It was heavier than he expected, and his brows briefly furrowed before relaxing again. Seungpyo tilted his head, motioning toward the storage room with a jerk of his chin.

“Hurry up, will you?”

His tone was nearly commanding. Walking several steps ahead, Seungpyo stopped abruptly when Jaemin didn’t follow and turned to look back.

Jaemin eventually let out a barely audible sigh and shuffled forward with a hesitant, downcast expression, walking alongside Seungpyo. Even as he walked, he kept casting cautious glances at him, his unease evident. Seungpyo felt the need to revise his assumptions about Jaemin.

“Was he just too scared to talk?”

Even after reconsidering, it was still ridiculous. How could someone who had the guts to post obscene photos on the internet, not knowing who might see them or how many, be too scared to speak to him?

…Well, knowing it was incriminating was probably why he cropped his face out and posted anonymously. Internet trolls who messed around online but panicked when faced with real-life consequences were incomprehensible to someone like Seungpyo.

If they knew it could ruin them if exposed, wouldn’t it be easier not to do it at all? Yet they still went through with it—Seungpyo could only conclude their brains didn’t function properly. But seeing someone like Ryu Jaemin, the top student in the school, make a similar mistake, he realized humans weren’t so simple after all.

While these thoughts briefly occupied him, they arrived at the storage room. Seungpyo opened the door and looked down at Jaemin. With a wordless glance implying he should go in first, Jaemin obediently stepped inside. Shifting the box to one arm, Seungpyo clicked the door lock into place. The sound of the lock was loud and clear, but Jaemin didn’t ask why he was locking the door.

“Just put them here.”

Shoving the boxes onto an empty shelf with a rustling sound, the errand was over in no time. Normally, they’d leave the storage room and return to their respective classrooms, but since Seungpyo didn’t move, Jaemin also froze in place, silent as a mute.

“Hey.”

Seungpyo’s low call broke the silence. Jaemin, who had been glancing downward at the floor, lifted his head. Their eyes met again, and Seungpyo, wearing the same faint smirk he had in the classroom, looked at Jaemin.

“Why haven’t you said a word for days?”

Seungpyo asked directly without any roundabout phrasing. If he had intended to wait for Ryu Jaemin’s confession, he would have quickly returned to the classroom rather than ostentatiously locking the door.

“…What are you talking about?”

However, Jaemin’s calm response still carried a blatant air of shamelessness, as if he intended to feign ignorance. That demeanor reminded Seungpyo of the strange interaction patterns he’d seen on SNS.

When people commented angrily or left lewd remarks on the photos, Ryu Jaemin responded politely without getting agitated. But not every comment received a reply. There were many comments without responses, suggesting that Jaemin simply ignored those he didn’t deem worth engaging with.

Realizing this only made Seungpyo feel more irritated.

“There’s plenty to talk about. First, my phone. If you pick up someone else’s property, shouldn’t you return it? How long are you planning to keep it?”

“Sorry. I meant to give it back. I kept forgetting and leaving it at home.”

“And your phone.”

Seungpyo frowned slightly and stepped closer. Taller and bigger than most kids his age, Seungpyo’s imposing presence, coupled with the weight in his tone, was enough to seem threatening.

Jaemin stood his ground, staring back at Seungpyo. Though he tried to maintain a neutral expression, the unsteady flicker in his gaze revealed his unease.

“Why aren’t you looking for your phone? Don’t you need it?”

“My phone?”

Even in this situation, Jaemin widened his eyes innocently and pulled his phone out of his pocket as if he genuinely didn’t know what was going on.

“I haven’t lost my phone.”

“Hmm? You haven’t lost it?”

“Yeah, this is my phone. I’ve been using it for over a year.”

“Oh, so the phone I found didn’t belong to you. I must’ve been mistaken.”

“Seems like it. I haven’t lost anything.”

Seungpyo let out his third scoff of the day. After avoiding him for days, Jaemin’s approach boiled down to blatant denial.

“If it’s not yours, then it’s fine if I show the pictures and posts I saw on that phone to your homeroom teacher, right?”

“Pictures?”

“Oh, wait. Showing them to the teacher might not be a good idea. You’re the top student, so the teachers will obviously take your side. It’d be better to just upload them in a group chat and let the other kids see. Watching their reactions would be more entertaining, don’t you think?”

Despite the mockery, Jaemin didn’t seem particularly flustered. He just blinked in slight confusion, as if trying to make sense of the situation.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about… What pictures?”

“Playing dumb won’t make the pictures disappear, you know? I’ve got everything saved. Even if your face is obscured, anyone who knows you can tell it’s you.”

“I’ve been wondering why you’ve been acting angry every time you see me lately. I think you’ve got me confused with someone else.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

A genuine laugh escaped Seungpyo. Jaemin tilted his head slightly in surprise.

“You’re a damn good actor. Why are you pretending to be scared? You’re not actually afraid.”

“You’re only acting like this because you’re angry….”

“I’m not angry. I’m just telling you what I’m going to do.”

“I really don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Oh, really? Then maybe I should’ve just gone ahead and posted everything instead of giving you a chance to explain. Are you okay with that?”

“Do whatever you want. I just hope you clear up the misunderstanding and calm down.”

Jaemin’s nonchalant demeanor was award-worthy. Seungpyo, who’d been told countless times he wasn’t suited for the entertainment industry because he couldn’t sing or act, found himself despising Jaemin even more. This guy was not only good-looking and the top student but also an excellent actor.

“Fine, then be prepared. Don’t regret it later. I was willing to let it go if you explained yourself first. You were the one who took someone else’s stuff, and you were the one who ignored me.”

“I’m telling you, you’ve got the wrong person. Do whatever you want, but stop being angry….”

“Hey, Ryu Jaemin.”

“I’ve thought about it, and I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong to you. I don’t understand why you’re doing this to me.”

Jaemin’s quivering voice and slightly tearful expression lent credibility to his protest. As he said, Jaemin hadn’t done anything wrong to Seungpyo. Whether he uploaded questionable photos to his SNS or denied doing so, none of it gave Seungpyo a valid reason to be angry.

Seungpyo initially found the situation amusing. The thought of Ryu Jaemin, who had been a constant source of chronic irritation for a year, coming to him flustered and unsure of himself was thrilling in itself.

If Jaemin had behaved as expected, Seungpyo wouldn’t have been yelling or acting threatening toward him. He would’ve just teased him lightly, released a bit of the frustration he’d carried all this time, and then exchanged phones before letting the embarrassing, perverse hobby of Jaemin’s slide into obscurity.

The fact that the school’s top student secretly ran a private account filled with explicit photos of himself was too significant an incident for a peaceful school environment. Even so, exposing such a secret right before the start of their second year wouldn’t benefit Oh Seungpyo in any way.

“But seriously, you’re just pissing me off.”

“What did I ever do to you? This is the first time we’re even having a conversation like this.”

Jaemin mumbled as if genuinely troubled, then glanced at the clock, widening his eyes as if surprised.

“Break time’s almost over. We should head out now.”

“Unbelievable, just unbelievable.”

“Oh Seungpyo.”

There was a sharp, taut tension in the way Ryu Jaemin called his name.

Was it the pressure of the dwindling time? Jaemin’s gaze, which had been guileless just moments ago, turned serious, and his voice dropped as though proposing an illicit deal.

“What do you want?”

“…What?”

“You must want something, or you wouldn’t be so angry. Instead of just being mad, tell me what it is you want.”

What he wanted?

Seungpyo frowned. What could he possibly want from Ryu Jaemin? There was no such thing. Seungpyo was just entertained by the absurdity of the situation fate had thrown his way. He simply wanted to see the always-perfect Ryu Jaemin squirm a little in front of him.

It wasn’t Jaemin’s fault that he was better than Seungpyo, but with this excuse, Seungpyo didn’t feel it was wrong to want to win just this once.

“Are you upset because I keep beating you in rankings? Want me to lend you my notes? Or maybe some of my tutoring materials.”

“What are you even saying?”

At Jaemin’s presumptuous suggestion, Seungpyo’s expression grew even darker. Jaemin wasn’t cowering at all. Instead, he acted troubled, reluctant, and, for the first time today, truly insufferable.

“Who cares about your stupid notes?”

“Then how about my project reports? They’re annoying to do but count toward grades.”

Seungpyo, who was always just a few points behind Jaemin and ranked second in the school, had no interest in Jaemin’s notes or project reports. But the way Jaemin’s tone suggested he thought Seungpyo was some kind of remedial student was utterly infuriating.

“Are you crazy? Shut your mouth.”

“Or I could deliberately let you beat me in the next mock exam.”

For a moment, Seungpyo’s raised voice fell silent as his mouth closed slowly. The once tense and potentially chaotic atmosphere in the resource room became eerily quiet.

With a small sigh, Seungpyo extended his arm abruptly. His large hand grabbed Jaemin’s stiff shirt collar roughly.

When Seungpyo spoke again, his voice was cold, devoid of the earlier excitement.

“Say one more word. If you want to die.”

Jaemin didn’t respond right away but locked eyes with Seungpyo, staring at him intently. Then came a loud knocking on the door from outside.

“Who’s in there? Class has started. Get out, now!”

It was the math teacher’s voice. Annoyed, Seungpyo glanced toward the door, clicked his tongue, and released his grip on Jaemin’s collar. Jaemin, looking dejected, straightened his crumpled shirt collar and brushed his clothes off as if shaking off dust. Seungpyo clicked his tongue again and addressed the model student.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“We’re not done. Don’t think about running off after this class.”

Although there was still much to be said, they were both still high school students. As the school’s top two students, they were expected to dutifully attend supplementary classes during vacation.

Still seething, Seungpyo opened the door with his face stiffened. The math teacher, standing there suspiciously as though worried the students were locked in the room pulling some kind of prank, relaxed and smiled upon seeing Seungpyo and Jaemin.

“Oh, it’s you two? What brings you both to the resource room together?”

“It was an errand for the English teacher.”

“Yeah, go on in. The teachers are coming upstairs.”

“Yes.”

The students, recognized as outstanding by everyone, were released without suspicion. After returning to their respective classrooms, Oh Seungpyo was still grinding his teeth in disbelief at Ryu Jaemin’s audacity. The anger wouldn’t subside. It felt like lava was pooling in his chest, bubbling furiously.

Notes? Tutoring? Losing on purpose in mock exams? Ryu Jaemin had thrown out those crazy suggestions with a tone that sounded as if he were pitying Seungpyo, like he was doing some sort of charity.

Seungpyo could get tutoring if he really wanted. It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it; he simply thought it wasteful to spend money on test prep when he was doing fine on his own.

…He had managed so far without much effort, so suddenly enrolling in academies or getting tutors like others felt a bit off-putting.

Anyway, if Ryu Jaemin thought that Seungpyo couldn’t afford to go to academies or get tutoring because he was poor, he was sorely mistaken.

“This bastard’s seriously ridiculous….”

“What is?”

The classmate sitting next to him quickly responded to his muttered complaint, his eyes filled with curiosity, as if wanting to hear something interesting.

“I fought with my brother.”

Everyone who knew Seungpyo was aware he often argued with his brother. The boy next to him, losing interest, turned his gaze back to the blackboard.

📚

Before the class bell even rang, Seungpyo was the first to rise from his seat.

Walking out through the back door faster than the teacher, he strode down the hallway with long strides, drawing everyone’s attention. Ignoring the stares, he opened the door to Class 2 and made his way toward Jaemin, seated somewhere in the middle rows. The back door, which had a “No Entry for Students from Other Classes” sign posted, didn’t even catch his notice.

“Ryu Jaemin, come out.”

Jaemin, looking puzzled, glanced up at Seungpyo but didn’t argue. He let out a small sigh, as if resigned, and followed Seungpyo out.

As the two disappeared from sight, the students left behind began whispering among themselves, wondering, “What’s going on with those two?” and “Were they even close?” But with no concrete information, their speculation soon petered out.

Making their way silently through the crowded hallways, the pair headed back to the resource room. The room, where teachers frequently came and went, wasn’t a place students usually loitered. Just like earlier, Seungpyo locked the door and shoved Jaemin inside.

Jaemin frowned slightly, seemingly annoyed at being pushed when he would’ve gone in willingly, but he held his tongue.

There was a brief silence. Standing by the door, Seungpyo exhaled deeply and crossed his arms, leaning back.

“If I tell you what I want, can you do it?”

“If I can, I will. I don’t want this situation to continue. It’s scary….”

“Scary, my ass.”

Unfolding his arms, Seungpyo now shoved his hands into his uniform pockets. A smirk, as if sculpted deliberately crooked, adorned his lips. Jaemin, looking genuinely frightened, stared at him.

Instead of immediately stating his demands, Seungpyo stared intently at Jaemin, scanning him from head to toe. It was a slow, deliberate appraisal, like a person evaluating a product they held the upper hand over.

Although Jaemin had never directly faced such a gaze, he had long been subjected to collective voyeurism through the screen. As if instinctively recognizing the nature of the stare, he flinched slightly, his body recoiling just a fraction. At that moment, Seungpyo spoke again.

“Then if I told you to strip in front of me, would you?”

“…What?”

Jaemin’s eyes widened in genuine shock. His lips trembled faintly, betraying his unease, showing that this time, the reaction was no act.

Oh Seungpyo had spent the entire class period thinking about what to demand from Ryu Jaemin to appease his anger. If Jaemin had continued his annoying behavior, he might have truly lost his temper, but Jaemin’s reaction so far was oddly satisfying. It made Seungpyo want to humiliate him further.

“Act like the slut you are in front of me. I’ve been thinking—it’d be fun to see how the top student behaves like a rag. Seeing it in person would be interesting.”

“…….”

“Wouldn’t it be more amusing at school? Be honest, you uploaded those kinds of pictures because you wanted to try something like this, didn’t you?”

“No, Oh Seungpyo….”

Jaemin’s throat bobbed briefly between the crumpled collar of his school shirt, still misshapen from Seungpyo’s grip.

“What are you even saying? How could you say something like that…?”

“You said you’d do anything I asked. Now you’re going back on your word? Don’t want to?”

The images of Ryu Jaemin on his phone from that day, the ones he had spent so much time gawking at, flashed through Seungpyo’s mind one by one.

Seungpyo had a sharp mind and a sharp memory to match. The array of photos was still vivid in his head, but the one that left the strongest impression was a few-second silent video clip that had shocked him the most.

“If you jerk off in front of me just like in the video, but this time without muting the sound, I’ll let it go.”

Silence fell, thick and absolute, as if time itself had stopped.

This only gave Seungpyo more time to scrutinize Jaemin’s expression. Clearly, Jaemin hadn’t anticipated this demand. Though he tried to keep calm, the shock he couldn’t fully suppress seeped out across his face. His lips trembled faintly, and his discomfort was evident in his furrowed brows and tightened jawline.

Seeing Jaemin rendered speechless, his eyes downcast and his body tense, only served to amuse Seungpyo more.

To be honest, watching a fellow male classmate masturbate didn’t excite him. Even if someone paid him to see such a thing, he’d refuse. The reason he had stared at Jaemin’s photos on social media wasn’t because they turned him on; it was out of sheer disbelief and curiosity.

But if it would thoroughly humiliate Ryu Jaemin, Seungpyo figured he could endure watching it live just this once.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Under Seungpyo’s urging, Jaemin weakly dropped his gaze. Seungpyo let out a quiet scoff. Just an hour ago, Jaemin had been aggravating him with his sly provocations. Now, here he was, looking timid and pitiful.

Jaemin finally opened his mouth after a long silence, his voice trembling as if struggling to contain his emotions.

“Oh Seungpyo, why are you doing this to me? I was willing to go along with some of it, but this is too much….”

“So, you’re not going to do it?”

“I can’t. No, I won’t. Please, just stop. You’re blaming me for something you misunderstood… why are you taking it out on me?”

Jaemin’s face was a picture of distress, as though tears were imminent. Seungpyo couldn’t understand why Jaemin was suddenly acting as if he was being wronged when he had voluntarily posted those obscene photos online for anyone to see.

Pretending to be strong and untouchable one moment, only to cower and plead the next—Seungpyo couldn’t decide if it was laughable or pathetic. Even so, Jaemin’s reaction confirmed that the account, with all its lewd content, wasn’t something he could disassociate himself from entirely.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Acting all weak and innocent now? What is this?”

“What?”

“If you hadn’t lied, I would’ve let it slide. But you’re the one who provoked me first.”

“What did I even do…?”

“The tutoring materials? What, do you think everyone else is some loser obsessed with their grades like you are? Of course you’d spew nonsense like that. I don’t do that kind of stuff. Sure, you might have to throw all your money and time at tutoring to keep up your grades, but not me. Whether I beat you in rankings or not, I couldn’t care less.”

Jaemin swallowed hard, his shaken eyes betraying the realization that he’d made a critical error with his earlier words.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Whatever. Just stop wasting my time and do what I told you. If you do, I’ll consider not spreading those pictures.”

“….”

“Break time’s almost over. Hurry up. I’m starting a countdown. Five, four, three, two….”

Sniff.

Seungpyo froze, his countdown halting mid-sentence as his mouth fell open. Just as he was about to say “one,” Jaemin’s shoulders suddenly shook.

From beneath his bowed head, the faint sound of restrained sobbing reached Seungpyo’s ears. For a moment, he stood there dumbfounded, his little finger raised, unable to continue speaking.

“Stop… just stop. It really isn’t me. You’ve got it wrong….”

Jaemin’s words were barely coherent, choked by his crying. He was genuinely crying, rubbing at his eyes with his fists, his shoulders trembling as his voice quivered.

Last year, Seungpyo had noticed Jaemin several times but always in passing. He had been an unremarkable presence—quiet, diligent, and polite. His reputation in school was similarly straightforward: the top student who didn’t flaunt his intelligence, always well-mannered and reserved. He didn’t swear, cause trouble, or act out.

Learning that such a model student had secretly engaged in questionable behavior online had been shocking enough. But now, seeing him cry in front of him, Seungpyo was thrown into an entirely different kind of disbelief.

As Jaemin’s quiet sobbing persisted, Seungpyo stood frozen in place. The absurdity of the situation paralyzed him. But as the seconds ticked by, rationality began to return to him. For all Jaemin’s crying and denial, Seungpyo couldn’t ignore the absurdity of the act. His stubborn refusal to admit the truth only fanned the flames of Seungpyo’s irritation.

“You’re so damn disgusting.”

Sniff, sob. Ryu Jaemin sniffled even louder as if responding. What’s the point of having good grades? You’re just a loser. Seungpyo swallowed the insult under his breath.

The fact that he had been outperformed on exams by someone like this all year suddenly annoyed him even more. Seated crookedly on a library desk, Seungpyo stood up and approached Jaemin, who was still crying.

“You’re not stopping? What do you think you’re crying about?”

Seungpyo reached out with his large hand, grabbed Jaemin’s hand away from his tear-covered eyes, and forcibly lifted his bowed head.

“Ah, damn.”

It was at that moment that Seungpyo truly felt shocked.

The eyes of Ryu Jaemin, who was supposed to be crying, were as dry and clear as ever, without a single tear stain. His face had already returned to its usual expressionless state. Seeing this eerily calm face, Seungpyo felt a chill run down his spine.

“What kind of lunatic pretends to cry?”

He scowled as if he’d seen something grotesque, letting go of Jaemin’s chin in disgust. The shove made Jaemin stumble back a step or two.

A model student? Yeah, right. Ryu Jaemin must really be crazy. Thinking about it, you’d have to be insane to post photos like that. His heart was pounding in his chest. As Seungpyo took deep breaths to calm himself, Jaemin silently looked down at his phone, tapping the screen.

What was he suddenly doing with his phone in this situation? Seungpyo, unable to make sense of the increasingly suspicious behavior, stared at Jaemin defensively. Soon, a familiar voice echoed in the now-silent library.

[Can you really do everything I ask for if I say what I want?]

[If it’s possible, I will. I don’t want this kind of situation with you anymore. It’s scary….]

[Scary, my ass.]

There was a brief silence, followed by rustling noises, and then Seungpyo’s sarcastic voice continued.

[So, if I told you to strip in front of me, would you?]

[…What?]

[Act like a slut in front of me too. During class, I thought about it and got curious. What would it be like to see the school’s top student being trashy, live and in person?]

When Jaemin pressed the stop button on the phone he had been holding up, the playback abruptly ended.

Seungpyo stared at Jaemin with wide eyes, his jaw hanging open as if unable to believe what he’d just heard. He muttered a few short, meaningless sounds, unable to form coherent words. Jaemin looked back at him, calmly and steadily, then spoke first. His voice and tone were as composed as ever.

“You really threatened me. Hearing it played back like this makes it sound even more sinister. It makes me look even more pitiful.”

“You… recorded that? That?”

Jaemin’s voice, which had been trembling earlier, was now calm, while Seungpyo’s voice shook uncontrollably.

“You were threatening me by holding something over me, so I had to have something to hold too. Like you said, scratch someone, and they’ll scratch back.”

Seungpyo, standing there dumbfounded, suddenly reached out toward Jaemin. Grabbing his wrist to snatch the phone, Jaemin didn’t resist much and continued to speak quietly.

“Don’t waste your energy. Even if you delete it from the phone, it won’t matter. It’s synced with a cloud storage service.”

“Hah…”

It wasn’t a sigh—it was more like a laugh born of sheer disbelief.

Ever since he had picked up Ryu Jaemin’s phone that day, Oh Seungpyo had felt utterly dumbfounded at least once daily. But this moment was undoubtedly the peak of it all.

“Ryu Jaemin. Are you seriously insane? You’re a total psycho. What are you going to do with that recording? Show it to your parents? The teachers? The kids? Then you’d have to explain how this situation came about, and then I’d bring up your photos.”

“There’s no proof that those photos are of me, but this recording undeniably has your voice. You even said my name several times during the conversation.”

“Wow.”

“And even if I did take those photos, Oh Seungpyo, do you think it’s justified to blackmail someone with their private life and sexually harass them?”

By now, Seungpyo had long since let go of Jaemin’s wrist. Or more accurately, his grip had slackened entirely. Jaemin tucked his phone back into his pocket and looked at Seungpyo with cold, emotionless eyes.

“If you think so, I’m disappointed. I didn’t think you were that stupid.”

Seungpyo pressed his lips tightly together.

Jaemin was right. Oh Seungpyo wasn’t so foolish as to deny how unjust this situation was.

Even if Ryu Jaemin had posted those perverted selfies online with his face fully visible, using that as leverage to threaten him with spreading already-deleted photos—and even demanding that he reenact such acts in front of him—was nothing short of…

“If you want to get called to the school violence committee, go ahead and spread the photos. There’s no proof that it’s me in those pictures, so no matter what people think, I’ll deny it to the end. Even if you insist I did that, there’ll be far more people who don’t believe you. But there’s solid evidence of you threatening me—this recording.”

“What’s your point? That we both go down together?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Did you think I’d go down alone?”

Now, a faint smirk appeared on Ryu Jaemin’s face. Seungpyo was too dumbfounded to come up with a retort. Jaemin glanced at the clock and spoke again in the same tone as before.

“Break time’s almost over. We should head out.”

“You go. I don’t even want to walk out the door with you. Freak.”

“Suit yourself. I’m leaving.”

Jaemin opened the library door and walked out without so much as a glance back. Only after the door closed did Seungpyo let out a long sigh, grinding his teeth.

“What the hell is wrong with him? Gives me the creeps, seriously….”

He’d lost again.

Not only had he failed to vent his frustration as planned, but he’d also been completely outmaneuvered. Since entering high school and becoming stuck in the perpetual second place, Oh Seungpyo once again had no choice but to admit his humiliating defeat to Ryu Jaemin.

A total maniac. Absolutely deranged. Oh Seungpyo bit his lip. His father, who had spent many years working on ships and dealing with all kinds of people, often shared life lessons with his kids. One thing he frequently said was this: “It’s okay to fight bad people, but if someone’s insane, avoid them at all costs.”

‘Who could’ve guessed Ryu Jaemin was such a lunatic?’

As Jaemin had pointed out, even if he told someone, no one would believe him. That Ryu Jaemin secretly took provocative photos of himself and uploaded them online. That he casually responded to sexual harassment and crude jokes. That when he was caught, he pretended to cry to play the victim. That he recorded their conversation to turn it into leverage against Oh Seungpyo.

Even if he exposed the truth about Jaemin being such a maniac, most people at this school would probably laugh it off, saying, “No way.”

“Oh, right. The phone.”

Amid the ridiculous exchange, he hadn’t even had a proper chance to demand his phone back.

He’d told the others that he didn’t care and would just buy a new one, but of course, Seungpyo intended to retrieve his phone from Jaemin. After all, it contained photos he’d taken, notes he’d written down whenever inspiration struck, and various other data. Not all of it had been backed up.

What a mess. With nowhere to vent his frustration, Oh Seungpyo kicked the leg of a desk. Bang! The desk toppled over, unable to cry out against the abuse.

Muttering curses under his breath, Seungpyo set the desk upright again and stormed out of the library, grinding his teeth. It was a shitty day.