SPM 1.9

“Have a good day.”

Olivia said as she stopped the car in the drop zone in front of the school.

Taking the children to school and picking them up again seemed to be something she originally handled exclusively, as she appeared very natural at it.

“I’ll be back!”

“Love you, mom.”

“…Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Bailey.”

Among Della and Liam who warmly said goodbye to their mom and hurriedly got out of the car, Ian awkwardly expressed his gratitude to Olivia.

Olivia turned her head toward Ian sitting in the back seat and nodded in acknowledgment. Her expression was completely hidden behind large sunglasses.

Trying not to imagine what was behind them, Ian hurriedly got out of the car. Then he stood facing the school gate, leaving behind the cars chaotically tangled due to the school commute time.

Lloyd-Jones School.

The school name was written in elegant lettering on an arch-shaped gate made of solid natural stone and brick. Ian quietly muttered to himself the phrase written in small letters below it.

“Pursuing the character of Christ…”

A life pursuing Christ’s character. It was a motto befitting a mission school.

Ian stared blankly at the sight of countless students in identical uniforms entering under that massive arch.

A uniform worn for the first time, classes heard for the first time in a completely unfamiliar environment, people who were all strangers. Tension rather than excitement was filling Ian completely.

“What are you doing standing there like an idiot?”

Della said, leaving behind Liam who was running toward what seemed to be the elementary school building.

“…?”

Ian tilted his head with a curious feeling. Though her tone was quite nasty, he was more surprised by the fact that Della had spoken to him first, since she usually treated him like an invisible person and he had grown accustomed to that.

She seemed to have something to say.

“Ian, you… At school, please try not to act like you know me.”

It wasn’t surprising words. Ian just nodded while keeping his gaze on Della’s blonde hair sparkling and fluttering in the morning breeze.

“Okay.”

Did she want Ian to be hurt by her words? When Ian agreed with an indifferent expression, Della twisted her pink-painted lips.

“Let’s see how well you do.”

Watching her pass by him quickly after leaving those final words, Ian stood quietly for a long time, unable to move.

Among the busy students entering Lloyd Jones, he alone remained still like a still life, and only when her figure completely disappeared did he finally slowly start walking.

In his ears lingered words Della had said a few days ago. It happened to be when they had dinner alone together because all the family members were away with schedules.

‘I couldn’t even go on vacation with dad this summer. It’s all because of you, Ian.’

Her eyes looked at him as if seeing a robber who had stolen her father.

At the accusation thrown tearfully and resentfully, Ian couldn’t give any answer. Just silently forcing down his meal was the best he could do.

He felt like a cuckoo that had unintentionally taken over someone else’s nest. But there wasn’t anything he could do about it now…

Feeling gloomy from the morning for some reason, Ian walked slowly while looking only at the ground.

Finding the first class classroom wasn’t easy. The guidance he had roughly received on orientation day didn’t come to mind well, so he stopped by the office, and when he finally found the classroom while looking at the map printed on paper they gave him there, the chemistry teacher glanced at Ian over his thick glasses and muttered.

“A transfer student in 11th grade. That’s unusual.”

“…”

“Ian Bailey. Yes, hmm.”

Looking back and forth between the documents he’d received and Ian’s face a few times, he once again mouthed “Bailey…” silently.

Watching the wrinkles around his lips visibly split vertically as he pronounced his newly changed surname, Ian let out an imperceptible sigh. He had a rough idea of what that gaze and reaction meant.

The question of why the biological son of Mr. Bailey, who had recently left his name by donating an enormous sum to expand the library, had continued to live in a foreign country. And the bewildering thought about the existence of an international transfer student who had appeared with only two years left until graduation.

Despite having legitimately taken and passed the entrance exam to enter this school as an honor student, the questioning looks didn’t fade, because the very fact of transferring to Lloyd Jones as a junior was an uncommon occurrence.

That was because this prestigious private school was traditionally a conservative place favored only by certain specific social classes. That is, only by children from wealthy families in the vicinity.

First of all, with tuition approaching $50,000 per grade, it was astronomically expensive, so probably only children from middle-class or higher families could attend, except for a few scholarship students receiving financial aid.

Moreover, one-third of the entire student body had gone through an elevator-style advancement process continuing from elementary through high school. They all knew each other, and by high school, they formed a solid group.

It was truly the typical course for upper-class families who had long established themselves in Nashville. Just like Ian’s half-siblings Della and Liam.

In essence, Lloyd Jones was no different from a class system before it was a school.

The way he learned all this was surprisingly trivial.

It was because one chatty school staff member had cornered Ian during the pre-semester orientation and explained it all with excessive kindness. He said he was also an alumnus of this school. And he seemed very proud of that fact.

‘You’re now the fifth person of color at this school. The only Asian.’

He rambled on about how it was wonderful that students from diverse cultural backgrounds were increasing at Lloyd Jones in line with the global era, but well, it was questionable whether he really thought it was wonderful.

Ian had never anticipated that this school would be so overwhelmingly white. The America he had seen up until now was truly a collection of diversity where various races gathered, but perhaps even that was a bias. He had heard that this was often the case in the Midwest or South, but he didn’t know it would be hard to see even one person with dark skin in this entire vast school.

‘There are so many international students going abroad as exchange students even in 11th grade.’

Song Joo-hee had said that Ian’s mid-year admission to Lloyd Jones as a junior was common, but that was probably just about other general schools. More popular schools in more popular areas. Large public schools… private schools in cities overflowing with diverse races…

Anyway, guessing that even Song Joo-hee couldn’t have imagined a house stuck in the middle of such a closed-off neighborhood and an elite school filled only with white people, Ian fiddled with the hem of his uniform for no reason. And he deliberately ignored the chemistry teacher’s curious gaze boring into his face.

Behind that strange look, there was undoubtedly a check with the Bailey family’s donation amount faintly laid out like a background screen. Otherwise, there was no way the snobbish Lloyd Jones would have accepted the transfer of an international student who suddenly came from overseas at such an ambiguous time.

Of course, Ian had learned this fact too because Della, who was indignant about Ian going on a trip alone with Harrison, had spitefully told him about it.

“Your book is here. Look at the seating chart and go sit down.”

At the chemistry teacher’s words, Ian startled awake from his thoughts and looked for his seat.

The classroom was filled with various experimental tools and machines on the edge shelves, befitting a science lab, and large black desks were arranged in the middle of the classroom. It seemed to be desks for experiments, structured for two people to sit together.

“C-5…”

When he found his name ‘Ian Bailey’, still somewhat awkward, on the seating chart and found the right seat, the first thing he encountered was another student occupying the large desk. He was so big that the entire desk seemed packed.

He was looking out the window on the opposite side without turning his gaze even once when Ian approached.

Ian stared blankly at the student he would be sitting with, then unconsciously opened his mouth.

“Huh?”

A surprised, pleased sound came out naturally. It was a face from his memory.

Well, how could he forget? Not only was it the first time he’d actually seen such a handsome man, but wasn’t this the person who had kindly helped him on the airplane? Ian tilted his head with a newly amazed feeling.

“…?”

And the other person also turned his head to look at him, apparently hearing Ian’s voice. It was natural that their eyes met under the golden-brown hair.

“By any chance…”

Nice to meet you. Didn’t you sit next to me on the airplane? The flight from Atlanta to Nashville. I thought you were a college student, but you’re also a high school student? What kind of connection is this? I’m really glad to see you.

Even though he had so many things he wanted to say, Ian couldn’t say a single word.

The reason was… because after confirming Ian’s face, he had shown a surprised expression with wide eyes, then instantly furrowed his brows and moved his chair to the far edge of the desk.

Screech. The chair with the heavy body scraped the floor sharply.

“…”

“…?”

Even turning his body to Ian’s opposite side and completely turning his back, there was no way to misunderstand it any other way.

‘Does he dislike me…?’

Then he even subtly covered his nose and mouth area with his large hand while pretending to rest his chin. At that sight, Ian, who was already thoroughly intimidated since coming to America, completely shrank. Not only was he convinced that the other person disliked him, but he even began to doubt his own cleanliness.

“Do I smell…?”

Ian sat down glumly. He didn’t forget to stick close to the opposite far edge of the desk and curl up his body as much as possible so the other wouldn’t be uncomfortable. He secretly lifted the sleeve area of his uniform t-shirt and persistently sniffed it, but to Ian’s nose, there was only the scent of fabric softener.

This absurd situation somehow reminded him of a scene from a movie about a love story between a vampire and a girl, but this wasn’t a movie and there was no way such a thing could happen in reality… He even scoffed at himself for thinking of such a movie.

This was more like…

Looking toward the teacher preparing for class, Ian recalled the knowledge he had learned from his father in the forest.

‘Ian. Pheromones are like a person’s unique body scent, so usually they can’t be completely eliminated. Of course, trait carriers naturally learn to control them as they grow up, but only to a certain extent. They inevitably remain faintly on the skin. You know how usually you don’t notice what scent someone has, but when you get close enough to press your nose to their skin, each person has their characteristic body smell? Pheromones are the same.’

Harrison handed the binoculars he’d been looking through to Ian and continued his explanation.

‘But animals have very sensitive senses, so they can detect even the tiny amount of pheromones that humans would only be able to smell by pressing their noses directly to them. Of course, there are some humans with very sensitive pheromone receptors who can detect them like animals.’

Harrison patted his son’s shoulder, saying such humans were as rare to encounter as meeting a movie star on the street. Then he winked at Ian who was earnestly looking through the binoculars.

‘Now, can you see it? That doe between the oak trees?’

‘…Yes.’

‘From now on, you’ll learn how to hide pheromones perfectly. And let’s track that one to the end. Let’s see if it can become the trophy of our trip.’

Even though hunting wasn’t war, Harrison held up his hunting rifle solemnly like a soldier heading into battle. Ian smiled at his father like that and answered,

‘Sounds good.’

“Alright, let’s start class. Look at the screen.”

The chemistry teacher’s voice overlapped like an echo with his own voice from that day at the hunting ground.

In the end, they couldn’t catch that beautiful doe. Perhaps it sensitively detected Ian’s particularly strong and influential dominant pheromones, whenever they tried to get close, the animal would sniff and notice, then hurriedly run away. They chased it for two whole days but couldn’t catch it. Instead, Ian’s trophy was learning just a little bit about how to perfectly hide pheromones.

But it would have been good to learn it more properly.

The large male student next to him must have a very pheromone-sensitive constitution like his dad mentioned. It’s like meeting a celebrity on the street, which they say is so rare… Whether it’s good luck or bad luck. Ian thought to himself while gloomily opening his science book.

‘I learned the technique but it’s still not working well. I should probably keep learning from dad.’

He didn’t know that someone openly disliking and avoiding him would be this depressing.

Moreover, throughout class, every time Ian made big movements like taking out his tablet from his bag or raising his hand to ask questions, the person next to him seemed to flinch in surprise, which made him feel sorry too.

Ian concluded he should make time with his father soon and then focused on the lesson.

It was a time when he thought the only answer was to try harder at everything and study more diligently.

*

Even after attending four classes until lunchtime, strangely no one talked to Ian.

No, to be precise, it felt like no one was trying to get close to Ian.

Certainly when he entered classrooms, he exchanged brief greetings like “Hi.” “Yeah, hi.” with kids sitting nearby, or simple conversations asking names since they were unfamiliar faces, but it didn’t go deeper than that.

‘Do I look hard to approach…’

Of course, he hadn’t unreasonably hoped to become close with someone from the first day, but he didn’t expect to feel this excluded.

Maybe I should have talked more and acted more sociably from my side. Ian pondered endlessly while walking to the school cafeteria.

Since he was naturally far from being outgoing, approaching others first wasn’t easy. Leading relationships and acting socially was one of the things that made him most nervous in the world.

However, the problem wasn’t simply Ian’s unfriendly attitude. At least from his feeling, it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where relationships just couldn’t develop more intimately because he couldn’t approach first.

He felt something unknowably cold from the attitudes of the two or three people he’d conversed with.

Like the red-haired male student who awkwardly offered a handshake saying ‘Bailey? Hmm, Bailey? Ah…! Oh, right! Welcome to America.’

Or the female student who chuckled and looked him up and down with an expression like she knew something about him, saying ‘Oh my, so you’re that kid?’

What exactly was the identity of that unknown sense of discord he felt from them? Ian became more gloomy, not knowing what this was about.

As the school administrative staff and Della had said, maybe because he was an 11th-grade transfer student, which was rare at Lloyd Jones, some unfavorable rumors were circulating. Even thinking about it, he couldn’t find an answer.

Having no choice, Ian gloomily arrived at the cafeteria alone, picked up a tray, and put food on it.

He wanted to skip the meal and hide somewhere with no people. But he didn’t know any suitable place, and he shouldn’t do that today. He didn’t want to deliberately avoid places where he might meet someone.

Wasn’t today just the first day to give up on interpersonal relationships yet?

But since his appetite had already disappeared, what Ian finally picked up after a long time was just juice, a banana, and a salad with slightly wilted romaine lettuce.

Since it was the first day, he was prepared to eat lunch alone, but he didn’t expect to fail at making friends to this extent. His head felt like it might explode from this unexpected difficulty.

When he came to study abroad, he only thought he’d worry about different study methods or class styles, but he’d never once thought about such a situation, making it more bewildering. That was because Ian had never seriously worried about friend problems in his life until now.

It wasn’t an arrogant thought like ‘I want everyone to like me and be close.’ If anything, Ian preferred deep relationships with a few people rather than wide relationships with many diverse people. Even so, there had always been some who approached him first wanting to become friends.

Therefore, Ian didn’t know well how to approach people first and actively make friends. Since it was the first problem he’d experienced in his 17 years of life, the solution was even more unclear.

Moreover, think about chemistry class earlier.

The male student sitting next to him on the plane had avoided him so obviously both that day and today that it was natural for Ian’s confidence to completely shrivel up.

Is my pheromone that unpleasant? Or do I really smell like garlic… With such unnecessary thoughts, he sniffed and dejectedly found an empty seat in a corner of the cafeteria to sit down.

He knew intellectually. That for smooth school life ahead, he should approach some group first, sit down, and start talking. He knew, but he couldn’t muster the courage to do so. Ian’s tiny bit of courage had already been completely used up just coming to this spacious cafeteria alone, and now couldn’t be found even if he searched with washed eyes.

But when he gloomily peeled the banana and took a bite, fortunately someone sat across from Ian.

“Can I sit here?”

Even though he’d already put down his tray before permission was given, at the voice asking out of courtesy, Ian lifted his head that had been hanging down with expectation.

“Hi.”

A smooth and confident voice, a cool and indifferent way of casually throwing out words that made the simplest greeting more stylish. Ian’s face brightened upon confirming who it was.

“Ah… Hi, Dylan.”

Compared to his greeting, mine sounds so awkward and unsightly despite being the same words. Is it because of my slightly trembling voice? Ian looked at the male student sitting across from him and forced the corners of his mouth upward. Then he carefully observed his elegantly curled brown hair and caramel-colored light brown eyes.

The boy’s name was Dylan Burns. He was the only friend Ian had made since coming to Lloyd Jones.

Of course, he wasn’t sure if the other person considered Ian a friend, but Ian thought of Dylan, whom he’d met at the 11th grade orientation, as a friend. Though he couldn’t be more certain since Dylan didn’t seem like the type to get hung up on words that defined such relationships.

Still, the reason he dared to think of him as a friend was because Dylan was the only Omega Ian had met here. A male Omega, just like Ian.

Being grouped together as the minority of ‘male Omegas,’ the smallest population among all, Ian felt a subtle sense of kinship, and it seemed like the somewhat indifferent looking other person felt the same way.

Dylan asked casually while opening the cap of his grapefruit juice.

“We don’t have any overlapping classes in the morning, do we?”

“…No, we don’t.”

So he had looked around to see if Ian was there when he entered his classes too. At his seemingly trivial question, Ian’s heart was already warming up. It was like sweet rain after a drought.

“Have you made many friends?”

Dylan asked while stripping off the sandwich packaging with just a gesture or two, and Ian slowly shook his head.

“Not at all…”

When he answered with an uncertain voice, the other person wasn’t particularly surprised.

“I thought so.”

Rather, he acted as if he had expected this situation, making Ian tilt his head.

“…You thought so?”

Do I look like a total nerd here…? Ian was already getting scared. But Dylan, who looked at him with slightly incredulous eyes and shrugged his shoulders, pulled out his phone from his pocket and waved it conspicuously.

“Don’t you know?”

As the black screen that showed nothing swayed in front of his eyes, Ian was confused. What was he supposed to know?

While Ian was making such a clueless expression, Dylan slightly furrowed his brow and muttered, “It’s not a joke, and she did this secretly, so it’s more vicious than I thought.” Soon, as he moved his fingers, the black screen displayed colorful posts with a few gestures.

“Look here. This is the Lloyd Jones School page on SNS. Of course, it’s not official at all, it’s a public group that’s been around for some time, but there probably aren’t any Lloyd Jones kids who haven’t joined this.”

This virtual space, seemingly created by students to build some camaraderie and have fun, had unclear management but seemed very active, even while Ian and Dylan were looking at it, another post was uploaded in real time. But Dylan ignored that post and scrolled down until he stopped at a certain point.

“Della Bailey posted this a few days ago.”

Dylan pushed his phone toward Ian so he could see it clearly.

Indeed, as he said, the author’s name was that of his stepsister. Moreover, next to it was Della’s face in a circle, unfamiliar due to excessive makeup, confirming it was definitely her and not someone with the same name.

Della bailey

(Photo)

My new big brother is coming to Lloyd Jones soon♡

He’s a pitiful person who lived without a father his whole life, so you’ll welcome him, right?

I hope he adapts well to the land of the free~

The photo Della posted with a few lines of text was familiar to Ian. Harrison’s somewhat clumsy but heartfelt sign reading “Welcome to Tennessee, Ian!” was captured right in the center of the photo.

Since that day when he saw it at the airport upon arrival, Ian had no idea where it had gone, so he wondered where Della had found the sign and even taken a photo of it.

“Hmm…”

The problem was that when Ian first read what Della had posted, he didn’t feel any sense of incongruity at all. Wasn’t it just meant to be welcoming?

But when he read it a second time…

“This is making fun of me, right…?”

“Probably?”

As he had been thinking all along, using English naturally was one thing, but catching the subtle nuances of such text was another matter entirely. It was partly because he came from a different cultural background, and Ian was somewhat ignorant of the slang and abbreviations that actual teenagers used. Moreover, he wasn’t quick-witted enough to keenly detect hidden meanings in such text where expressions and intonations weren’t visible.

Ian read what Della had written once more, then noticed that the emoji at the very end of the sentence was a figure in a qipao bowing its head, and grimaced. His white forehead, which rarely wrinkled, creased into a pitiful shape.

“…I’m not Chinese.”

“I know that.”

Dylan shrugged, apparently remembering that Ian had introduced himself as Korean when they first met.

“…’Land of the free.’ Here she’s written about me like I’m an adopted child from North Korea.”

“I told you. She’s malicious.”

“……”

“I didn’t know, but does Della Bailey have a nasty personality?”

Dylan muttered while drinking his juice and swept his phone that Ian had been staring at obsessively completely off the table. But Ian couldn’t break free from it even though the mocking post had disappeared from in front of his eyes.

“No wonder… Even during orientation it wasn’t like this, but today especially everyone was acting strangely.”

“Someone must have been acting nasty?”

“It’s not that but…”

Ian just shook his head, feeling like he couldn’t explain in words that subtle feeling of being looked at like a strange person. But he could be certain. The reason people treated him strangely was because of Della’s post.

Even though it claimed to be a “welcome,” it didn’t look like a welcoming post to anyone. Even someone who didn’t believe what was written here could probably notice that the person called his sister harbored subtle feelings about her new older brother. And also the fact that their family relationship was very complicated.

As if adding evidence to Ian’s suspicion, Dylan tapped the table with his pale, slender fingers and said,

“You might not know well since she’s just your younger sister, but Della Bailey is quite popular.”

Even though she was only in 9th grade, she stood out because she was a cheerleader, pretty, and mature for her age, and at Lloyd Jones she only hung out with girls similar to her.

“They’re all like that. What they call the ‘popular’ group.”

Ian wasn’t surprised by the explanation that sounded disgusted with how they acted superior and moved in groups. Somehow he’d expected as much.

Della was a blonde beauty who resembled her mother Olivia. She had the exact appearance of what people typically think of as “the most popular girl in high school.”

From her hair to her face and even her figure, she was perfect in every way, and having grown up in a wealthy family with no emotional lacks, she possessed a confident attitude that made it impossible for her not to be popular.

When such a person publicly posted something with subtle nuances about her “brother,” everyone couldn’t help but notice there was something awkwardly unexplainable between them. Ian smacked his forehead with a thud. No wonder her expression this morning had been meaningful.

‘Let’s see how well you do.’

The image of Della saying that with a sneer and running away floated before Ian’s eyes. Ian put down the salad pack he’d been poking with his fork and sighed deeply.

“That’s harsh…”

The plastics clattered against each other on the tray, tangling together messily.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Dylan dusted off his hands while coldly comforting Ian.

“People who care about such ridiculous posts aren’t worth much anyway.”

Dylan, who had gotten up from his chair with his tray, gestured to Ian. Before he knew it, following him, Ian found himself throwing away the leftovers in the trash, leaving his tray at the return area, and going outside in an instant.

When asked if he’d ever been on this walking path, Ian shook his head, and Dylan moved forward telling him to follow.

The small path with trees sparsely planted was perfect for two people to walk. In the distance, the playground, outdoor basketball court, and various sports facilities came into view one after another.

About five minutes later, Dylan, who had been walking silently with his hands in his pockets lost in thought, turned his head to look at Ian.

“I think I can help you out a bit.”

Ian was truly surprised and widened his eyes, never expecting to hear such words in a society where individualism was common.

“…What? Why?”

Especially since Dylan Burns seemed to have not even a speck of interest in other people’s affairs, and even if it was someone he knew, he seemed cold enough in his speech and actions to pass by without batting an eye, making it even more unbelievable that he would say such a thing.

“Seeing your situation reminds me of my old self.”

He explained that he wasn’t originally from this area either, had started attending Lloyd Jones from high school, and described himself as a New Yorker to the bone.

“Besides, I have an annoying sibling too.”

Though he didn’t know who it was, just thinking about them seemed irritating as Dylan frowned mercilessly.

“It’s nothing special to help. Come here.”

Following him as he sat on the bench with still no trace of a smile, Ian slowly sat next to him.

“You buttoned up too properly.”

Pale, long fingers approached and unbuttoned two buttons of Ian’s uniform polo shirt. If he hadn’t been an Omega, Ian would probably have been startled. But Dylan’s hand movements were too indifferent, and his expressionless face remained as apathetic as before.

Then, with his arm draped over the bench back while holding his phone, he said “Look here” and took several photos with Ian.

“Good. You look good no matter how I take it.”

Ian, who had been caught by Dylan’s camera with his eyes wide open in surprise, soon understood what he was doing.

The photos of Ian and Dylan were already uploaded to his personal SNS with the hashtag #Newbestfriend.

Ian took out his phone from his pocket and looked at the two boys with brown and black hair captured in the screen with somewhat fresh feelings.

Though it looked like he took it carelessly, it turned out unexpectedly stylish and sentimental. They looked cool in the photos as if they’d taken a preppy fashion shoot, making their plain uniforms insignificant. It almost didn’t look like himself.

“This should be a bit better.”

He understood the meaning of the words thrown out with an indifferent shrug when he saw his follower count shortly after.

“Wow… Dylan, you really have a lot of friends.”

“They’re not all friends.”

“…You were a famous person.”

“Hmm, well.”

Even with a follower count at the level of a famous influencer, he explained as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“My father is Samuel Burns.”

“What? Samuel Burns? That hero movie protagonist we all know?”

“Yeah.”

When Ian gaped in shock upon learning about his identity, Dylan chuckled and shook his head, saying “I figured you didn’t know.”

“It’s because followers kept accumulating since I was young due to my parents. It’s nothing special.”

Ian never would have dreamed that the son of a famous actor known by virtually everyone in the world would be sitting right next to him. Although Dylan had said he was at an influencer level, Dylan himself was already a celebrity and influencer.

No wonder Ian had thought his appearance, which possessed both beauty and handsomeness simultaneously, was extraordinary. It made sense that he would be such a fine specimen with such an outstanding and wonderful father.

“I thought you were too handsome.”

When Ian muttered in admiration, Dylan burst into laughter for the first time and looked back at him.

“You’re more handsome, Ian.”

“What?”

“No, um. You’re beautiful.”

Ian frowned and shook his head at the unbelievable compliment, and seeing him like that, Dylan bent over laughing.

“Since I have my phone out, show me your schedule.”

When Ian brought up his schedule to show him, Dylan flipped through it and clicked his tongue.

“We hardly have any overlapping classes.”

After checking both schedules alternately, Ian agreed with his statement.

Being a transfer student who suddenly entered 11th grade, Ian had many required courses he needed to complete to graduate from Lloyd Jones. They were mostly unfamiliar subjects like religious studies, which were rare in Korea, and the rest were filled with his specialty subjects – advanced math and science subdivisions. All of them were high-difficulty AP (Advanced Placement) classes.

In contrast, Dylan’s schedule was really typical for a junior, and several AP subjects were all far from science-related.

But fortunately, their next class was the same English Literature class, so Dylan and Ian walked together amicably with their hands in their pants pockets.

“Huh?”

Just before entering the building with the lockers again, something sparkling in the distance caught Ian’s eye, making him involuntarily exclaim.

A man bouncing an orange ball on the outdoor basketball court. It was the male student who had sat next to Ian on the plane, whom Ian had uncomfortably avoided during morning class.

He was already too big and mature-looking to be called a “male student” with such an innocent term. He was casually bouncing toward the ground a basketball that Ian would need both hands to hold, gripping it easily with just one hand.

And when he finally got past two other male students and shot toward the basket, his blonde hair sparkled even more brilliantly under the dazzling sunlight, making Ian rub his eyelids.

“Wow… he’s fast.”

Had he unknowingly stopped walking and started watching? Dylan, who had been walking ahead, came back at Ian’s admiration and looked in the direction of Ian’s gaze.

“Who? Oh, you mean Hunt.”

“Hunt?”

“The guy you’re looking at right now. Terrence Hunt.”

Ian finally learned the name of his chemistry class partner. It was pathetic that he hadn’t even properly learned his name because he was so focused on keeping his distance.

“…So his name is Terrence Hunt. He’s really good at basketball.”

“He’s even better at football.”

Dylan tilted his head sideways and said curtly.

“Football?”

“Yeah. Haven’t you seen it? American football games?”

“No. I’ve seen it once. I went to a stadium with my dad and younger brother recently.”

Actually, the American football Ian saw in person was a much more shocking sport than he had thought.

The American football he had briefly encountered through TV or videos in Korea had given him a very simple impression. It seemed rather ridiculous to his eyes, players in helmets and heavy equipment bending over with their butts sticking out, facing off or grappling with each other on a green field with strange lines drawn all over it. But the actual game was nothing like that.

The American football he witnessed with his own eyes was tremendously violent, big, fast, and even scary.

The sight of a defensive lineman charging into the opposing team’s quarterback like a buffalo and crushing him was appalling, and it even gave him the illusion that his own body hurt from watching.

‘It would be similar to the impact of being hit by a car, wouldn’t it…?’

Watching huge players being knocked flying or crushed by tackles made him dizzy. If it were him, he would probably be ground to powder and scattered across the field by now. To Ian, who was terrified by such imagination, Harrison explained that football was the most violent sport of all, and that’s why players’ careers were also short.

‘The thick helmets and layers of protective gear are football’s characteristics and what differentiates it from rugby. Unlike rugby, football involves charging with your whole body like a bull. Ian, look at that blocking over there. They just rushed in like that, and if there were no helmets, that player would probably be carried off with a concussion.’

Harrison’s voice, filled with excitement as he explained non-stop to his son, passed faintly through Ian’s ears.

“He’s the quarterback of our school’s football team. Or rather, I should say one of the quarterbacks. The current starter is Eric, a senior. But still, he’ll be the next captain soon. From what I hear, he doesn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the captain position himself.”

Dylan rambled on explaining things Ian couldn’t quite understand. Despite his cynical appearance, being somewhat talkative was his characteristic, and Ian was very grateful for that. Thanks to that, he could learn a little about that male student’s name and information.

“Like all football players, Hunt is good at almost all sports. No, he’s outstanding.”

Dylan’s voice mixed with some cheering sounds from the distance. Just then, Terrence Hunt had made a dunk shot, and several female students watching had screamed and cheered.

“Why, are you interested?”

At the whispered question, Ian was startled and waved his hands frantically.

“No!”

He had only looked because that Terrence Hunt was avoiding him like he smelled terrible. Confused about whether to mention this fact or not, he just kept shaking his head, when Dylan shrugged as if asking why he was overreacting.

“Don’t worry. There are probably several classes worth of people at Lloyd Jones who admire Terrence Hunt. One more person like you won’t even be noticeable.”

Ian denied that wasn’t the case, but Dylan chuckled and walked into the building.

No matter how many times he said he really hadn’t looked out of admiration, Dylan didn’t seem to believe him, and by the end Ian was almost sobbing. Of course, at first it was true that he’d looked several times because he was cool and handsome, but now not at all… Rather, he’d been bothered because he felt sorry and awkward, so he felt so wronged he could die.

Like that, his first day at Lloyd Jones School passed chaotically.

* * *

Ian stood stupidly for a moment in front of the Wolves team headquarters building, watching the evening sunset.

“What’s this…?”

He had definitely left work with some unknown resolve firmly set, but there was no one waiting for him.

“Is this Terrence’s clever trap…?”

Ian quickly looked around in all directions. He was searching for suspicious people, objects, or movements.

But as if mocking Ian who was tense and scared, no matter how hard he looked, there was no Terrence waiting for him nearby.

Surely the momentum when he barged into his house from morning to drive him to work wasn’t like this…? He had been waiting with a very terrifying expression like a lion guarding the gates of hell, ready to snatch him up, but he was nowhere to be seen. It was an unbelievable reality.

“Wow, this is unexpected?”

Even that flashy black sports car was definitely not there, as it couldn’t be seen anywhere in the parking lot.

He must have really gone home. Well, all he could do here was exercise anyway, and it would be truly impossible for an off-season athlete to come all the way to team headquarters where he trained and had meetings sickeningly throughout the season just to exercise all day.

So if he had dropped Ian off at work, then finished his personal workout at the headquarters’ indoor training facility and went home early, that would also be natural. Of course, it was a bit suspicious, questionable, and strange that there was no contact unlike the aggressive momentum he’d shown in the morning.

Ian let out a strange sigh that he couldn’t tell was relief or disappointment and walked to his car.

His poor Cadillac, which had been standing in the outdoor parking lot for 24 hours in cold weather, couldn’t hide the traces of time, but it was a very beloved guy and the only thing Ian had brought from Harrison’s house.

Of course, it wasn’t by his own choice, if he left the car behind while abandoning everything else like this, his father had stubbornly insisted he’d circle around Ian until he rode in a more flashy and expensive car as a gift, and Ian had eventually given in.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

When he opened the car door, the cold air rushed in with a force that seemed to chill him to the bone, so Ian quickly started the engine and turned up the heater temperature. However, despite making a fuss, a smile gradually bloomed on his face.

The drive home, rubbing his hands together on the cold steering wheel, couldn’t have been more refreshing.

‘Freedom was this good.’

His hips naturally swayed to the music playing through the speakers.

It wasn’t that he disliked Terrence, but somehow lately he’d felt like a prisoner being marked 1-on-1 by a guard without a minute’s rest, so he couldn’t help being a little excited.

But what greeted him at the home he returned to while humming was absurdly a scene similar to the morning.

“Oh, you’re back?”

Terrence standing in front of the gas stove, stirring inside a pot with a wooden spatula while greeting him. The sight was so natural that Ian almost unconsciously answered, ‘Oh, yeah. I’m back.’

“Wh-what!”

A scream like question was fired along with a wailing sound.

Had he perhaps forgotten something?

Or had they promised to meet at home for dinner?

Ian reached the point of distrusting his own memory. That was because the shameless act of wearing even a black apron, and since Ian wasn’t particularly talented at cooking, no such thing as an apron existed in his kitchen, and tasting the herb fragrant meat sauce looked just like the real owner of this house, no different from this morning.

Suspicions were growing wildly, had he unconsciously nodded when this guy proposed marriage, swept up in the momentum? Or had he signed a marriage registration while sleeping?

“Wh-what exactly are you doing here?”

To the question that came out as if pushed, unable not to ask, Terrence casually wiped his just-washed hands on the apron and pointed to the dining table.

“We need to eat dinner. Sit down quickly.”

He wanted to argue about what he was doing in someone else’s house without permission, but when Terrence brought the entire pot releasing delicious smells to the table, Ian forgot what he wanted to say. Even when freshly baked bread full of butter fragrance was placed from the oven, he was unconsciously sitting down and wiping his hands with a wet towel.

“…Someone baking bread in my house.”

Unable to believe it, he clicked his tongue while tearing the warm bread with both hands, when Terrence placed a large chicken leg on Ian’s plate.

“This can’t be, it’s Southern-style orange chicken…!”

“Eat a lot.”

“How long has it been since I’ve seen this…! Wow, the smell is crazy.”

With just one chicken dish, Ian had now become a perfect slave to food. Or perhaps Terrence’s faithful servant.

If he could eat food like this every day, it wouldn’t be so bad for Terrence to barge in like this… Fluttering and muttering while tasting the food, and when he drank the Dr. Pepper that Terrence poured into his glass, he was truly the picture of a perfect servant. He could have immediately bowed his head and prostrated himself before him.

“You must have been very hungry. Chew thoroughly before swallowing.”

“Yeah. You eat quickly too.”

Not knowing what to think about his mumbling without proper pronunciation, Terrence chuckled and finally picked up his own fork.

“How was work today?”

“Great! I completed the draft of promotional materials to use on draft day. The whole department worked on it this afternoon, and we’re all meeting tomorrow to report on it.”

“Excellent.”

Even though his pronunciation was garbled from chewing and he didn’t seem to have explained properly, Terrence looked quite proud of him.

I used to see smiles like that only from dad. Ian somehow felt déjà vu, as if seeing Harrison’s characteristic smile when he reported that he was doing well at work. Of course, he soon forgot about that too while continuing to chew.

With a satisfied face, Terrence refilled Ian’s already empty glass with more soda.

Fizz, as the black liquid with bubbling foam rose high and sloshed, Terrence casually asked Ian.

“Nothing special tomorrow, right?”

Ian, who was wolfing down meat sauce fragrant with oregano on top of bread, unconsciously shook his head with innocent eyes. Because the food tasted so satisfying, all the neurons in his brain had gone on strike except for the taste sensors.

“Nothing at all!”

Who thought of putting cheese inside the meat mixture? With each bite, the cheese flavor and meat juices flowed deliciously, was this meatball paradise? Ian, whose thoughts and nerves had all gone to his tongue, smiled satisfyingly and stabbed his fork efficiently.

And Terrence didn’t miss that timing.

“Then come somewhere with me. How about it?”

“Great! Of course!”

If it meant following this feast of greasy juices, really anywhere… I can go anywhere, Terrence. All his brain cells clapped and shouted. Clap clap clap! Clap, clap… clap.

Clap! Ian Bailey Song, please come to your senses. Someone slapped the Ian in his fantasy. It was probably that guy called reason.

“What?”

Taking advantage of his tongue getting somewhat used to the taste, his brain that had been on strike was finding its way back.

“Uh, where are we going?”

Terrence didn’t answer where. He just raised the corners of his smooth lips in an attractive smile.

“You promised.”

That was all he said.