The rest of the morning was a blur of monotony. The teachers gave lectures , I took notes and studied , I don't know why but now studying and remembering things got easier then before , and soon the gossip slowly settled into a low hum.
Lunchtime arrived, and I headed to the cafeteria with Sangho and the others. We found a table in the corner, but before we could even start eating, the trio approached which I recognized them instantly. They were the core of the series' early days: Sechan Kang, the leader of the North gangbuk high ; Daniel, the quiet, serious tactician; and Haru, the one whose gender was the subject of endless debate among the readers.
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They sat down opposite us. Sechan had a bright, almost innocent vibe to him, his grin sheepish as he looked at me. He was the one who had carried my "corpse" to the infirmary. Which I can remember from the last memories of Choyun .
"Hey," Sechan said, leaning forward. "Your name is aah..?"
Daniel replied " Choyun -- President of Class 3 "
Sechan said " Ah yes , Choyun "
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral.
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Man, I took you to the infirmary myself. At that moment, I really thought you were dead. There was no heartbeat, no breath... nothing. I was so scared at that time , But now seeing you alive feels like a miracle?"
"I'm okay now," I said. "Thank you for carrying me. I owe you one for that."
Sechan laughed, the tension breaking. "Don't worry about it! I'm just glad you didn't die on my shoulder; that would've been troublesome."
He slid a tray of Tteokbokki toward me. "Here, have some of this. You need some calories man , so you can be strong and healthy ."
I took a bite, the spicy heat of the rice cakes a welcome distraction. We talked for a bit—small talk about the school and the hierarchy—but my eyes kept drifting to the person sitting next to him. Haru was undeniably pretty. Even in this world of high-tier character designs, Haru stood out.
"Hey," I said, interrupting Sechan. I looked directly at the slender figure. "Are you a boy or a girl?"
The table went silent. Sangho choked on his water. Sechan and Daniel stared at me, then at Haru.
Haru blinked, a faint flush creeping onto his face. "I'm a boy, senior. Why are you asking that so suddenly?"
Wait, I thought, looking at Sechan and Daniel. In the original series, didn't these two act like they had a crush on Haru? And Haru is sitting here saying he's a boy... and they aren't shocked? Don't tell me they already knew. Are these two gay or just that devoted?
"No reason," I said aloud. "I was just curious. You're too beautiful for a boy."
Haru's flush deepened. "No... I'm just a boy senior."
The table erupted into laughter, Sechan slapping the table while Daniel offered a rare, thin smile. It felt like a normal school moment, but I couldn't let it stay that way. I let sechan sat here for two reasons :
1st he's a character I liked from the series because of his high potential of ' S 'Rank and he could be my future subordinate.
And 2nd I wanna ask about something and I know he definitely knew that thing .so I leaned in, my voice turning serious and I asked him directly –
"Where is Myeonghoo? I didn't see him today."
The laughter died instantly.
Daniel, the quiet one, was the one who answered. "He didn't come to school. Rumor is he won't be coming back at all. I got a report this morning... his house was burnt to the ground last night."
The atmosphere turned freezing. Sangho and my friends looked at me, their eyes wide with terror.
"Did your family do this?" Daniel asked, his eyes narrowed as he searched my face for a reaction.
I stared back at him, my expression a blank mask. "I don't know. If I knew about this I wouldn't be asking you ."
I wasn't lying. I suspected my grandfather or Mom had handled it, but I hadn't been informed.
I asked Daniel for the address of Myeonghoo's house. He gave it to me, though he looked suspicious of why I'd want to visit a pile of ash. We finished the meal in a strained silence until the bell rang, sending us back to the grind of the afternoon.
When the final bell finally released us, I didn't head home to Alfred and the mansion. I headed toward the address Daniel had given me. It was five kilometers away—a significant distance compared to my house, but Gangbuk was small enough that I could make the trek on foot. As I walked, I realized how concentrated gangbuk was. The center of the district was barely fifteen kilometers in radius.
I finally reached the site. It was exactly as Daniel said. The house was a black, skeletal ruin, the smell of charred wood and melted plastic still heavy in the air. I walked around the perimeter, looking for any sign of life, but there was nothing. No Myeonghoo. No family. Just ash.
I turned away, heading back toward my home through the winding backstreets. I was taking a shortcut through a narrow alley when I caught a whiff of cigarette smoke. Three teenagers leaned against a graffiti-covered wall, laughing quietly.
I was about to turn my head and keep walking, but then I saw the jacket. The posture.
It was Myeonghoo Jin. He was standing there with two of his thugs, looking like a man who had lost everything . And ya he maybe lost his family or something but I don't care I just want to finish my quest and old choyun's revenge .
"Finally," I said, my voice cutting through their conversation like a blade. "I found you, bastard."