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Chapter : 20
“I told you not to do it. I told you not to touch me, not to bother me, didn’t I?!”
A surprisingly sharp, cutting voice burst out of her slender body.
The pent-up frustration she had endured for so long had clearly reached its breaking point; it was vividly conveyed through her voice alone.
Hwang In-woo had tugged at her several times, leaving her half-loosened hair dangling messily.
“Woo—!”
The male students whistled.
“How dare you talk to me like that! I let it slide because you’re cute, and now you think you’re untouchable?”
Hwang In-woo stood up, his large body looming as he grabbed Se-jin’s thin wrist.
Despite the overwhelming difference in their builds, Se-jin didn’t show even the slightest hint of shrinking back.
“Let go!”
She tried to pull her wrist free, but it didn’t budge.
No—if anything, the grip tightened further, and her already pale face drained to an even whiter shade.
Some students watched with frightened expressions, others with curious eyes.
But not a single one stepped forward.
“Do you think you’re something special just because the teachers dote on you? You get praised for being good at studying and suddenly you’ve lost all fear?”
Even as he said it, it was obvious he was enjoying himself.
After all, a kid like him wouldn’t feel much pain from getting smacked with a book.
“I told you to let go.”
“And what if I don’t?”
Hwang In-woo shook her wrist, making Se-jin’s body sway back and forth.
“You’re the one who hit me first.”
“You’re the one who kept interrupting my studying!”
“Then why do you ignore people? Why do you treat them like they’re invisible?!”
At his booming voice, some of the girls covered their ears in fear.
“Want me to make it so you can’t use this arm anymore? Make it so you’ll never hold a pen again?”
Hwang In-woo lifted Se-jin’s arm high into the air.
Even though Se-jin wasn’t short, Hwang In-woo was so tall that she had to rise onto her tiptoes, flailing helplessly.
“First place in the whole school, Jang Se-jin. Why’s a study freak who can’t spare a single second doing this? You should be reading one more line in a book instead of wasting time here.”
“Let go of her hand.”
Normally, I wouldn’t step in.
If I did, it might only make things harder for Jang Se-jin.
Since he liked her, he probably wouldn’t seriously hurt her—but if this went on, she really might not be able to use her arm for days.
With midterms coming up, an injured wrist would affect her grades.
And that would be before she even had a fair chance to compete properly with Jang for first place.
Now everyone’s attention shifted from Se-jin to Yoo-shin.
“What?”
Hwang In-woo turned to Yoo-shin, looking incredulous.
“Don’t act so petty, picking on a weaker girl. Let go of her hand.”
“Petty? Ha—listen to this bastard talk.”
You could hear people gulping in every corner of the room.
“And if I don’t, what are you gonna do?”
He raised Se-jin’s wrist even higher and sneered.
Yoo-shin slowly stood up.
He was taller, but Hwang In-woo was much bulkier.
Yoo-shin had trained consistently since childhood, but someone born with such a solid frame wasn’t an easy opponent.
Still, everyone knew one thing.
No matter how tough Hwang In-woo was, he couldn’t touch Lee Yoo-shin recklessly.
Rumors were already spreading through the school.
They said Lee Tae-shin was a former gangster.
That his body was covered in knife scars.
That he’d shut Kim Hee-rok up for good.
It was the same everywhere.
No one messed with Lee Yoo-shin casually.
Especially those who knew what kind of family he came from.
Sometimes it was annoying.
Other times, it was reassuring—a solid backing.
“Lee Yoo-shin, don’t get involved.”
Even while grimacing in pain, Se-jin refused to bend her pride.
Picking up the English textbook from the desk, Yoo-shin folded it in half and lightly tapped Hwang In-woo’s head with it.
“What a waste of size. Are you an elementary schooler or something? You—do you like Jang Se-jin?”
“What did you say?”
“If you like her, then be a man and confess. Don’t bully her with childish, stupid pranks.”
Hitting a nerve, Hwang In-woo finally lost it. He released Se-jin’s wrist and knocked the book away with his arm.
The book flew across the room.
As he reached out to grab Yoo-shin by the collar, Yoo-shin quickly stepped back.
Even if Hwang In-woo was stronger, Yoo-shin was faster.
“Ha! Look at this—get him!”
Just as the boys hesitated, unsure what to do—
The door opened, and Lee Seol walked in.
“Why are you all standing? Class has started. Sit down.”
Se-jin clutched her wrist and sat down. Yoo-shin returned to his seat as well.
After glaring at Yoo-shin, Hwang In-woo slowly took his seat too—
Throwing a threatening look as he did.
“Class president, did something happen? Why does the atmosphere feel weird?”
“It’s nothing, teacher. Nothing happened. Please continue the lesson.”
Se-jin’s wrist, the one Hwang In-woo had grabbed, was red.
She took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around her wrist.
After easing the tense mood with an English vocabulary bingo game, Lee Seol began the lesson in earnest.
As if nothing had happened, she focused fully on teaching.
Unlike the other kids who stayed up gaming all night and slept through class, Hwang In-woo actually paid decent attention.
Was he really thinking about college?
Yoo-shin also focused on the lesson.
Lee Seol’s classes were popular.
Her pronunciation was good, and she used various activities to keep things from getting boring.
Judging by her Seoul accent, she must have lived there a long time—so how did she end up on this southern island?
“Miss, is it true you don’t have a boyfriend?”
Near the end of class, Hwang In-woo asked with a grin.
Even when Lee Seol pretended not to hear, he kept going.
“I was just wondering why someone as beautiful as you doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
“And why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
“Whoa, whoa. That’s harsh. You’re hitting me where it hurts.”
He clutched his chest dramatically.
“You’re the one who struck first. All right, that’s it for today. Enjoy your lunch, and don’t forget to submit your performance evaluation report next week.”
“Want me to introduce you to a nice guy? My uncle’s strong and rich. Want to meet him sometime?”
Hwang In-woo glanced sideways at Yoo-shin.
Everyone knew who his uncle was.
This was a warning.
You’re not the only one with backing.
“No thank you. I’ll pass.”
Lee Seol declined gently and left the classroom.
“What’s today’s menu?”
“Bulgogi.”
“You can’t say no to bulgogi. Let’s hurry—if we’re late, we might miss it.”
As soon as the bell rang, the students sprinted toward the cafeteria.
They wanted to eat as quickly as possible.
Some students joked that the food was so good, people came to school just for lunch.
Hwang In-woo stood up slowly and warned Yoo-shin.
“Looks like you’re acting tough because you trust your brother. Watch yourself at night. Don’t stick your nose in things and end up getting stabbed.”
He patted Yoo-shin’s back before leaving.
Now only Se-jin and Yoo-shin were left in the classroom.
As Se-jin put her books into her bag, she said,
“Don’t interfere next time. I’ll handle my own problems.”
“Is that you worrying I might get hurt?”
Se-jin’s sharp, intelligent eyes flickered slightly.
“Do you need to go to the infirmary?”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’ll throb for days. Get it treated. It’d be unfair if your grades dropped because of your wrist.”
She turned toward Yoo-shin and asked seriously,
“You heard him mention his uncle earlier, right? Do you even know what kind of person his uncle is? You think everyone else is just stupid for staying quiet?”
“And you?”
“He…!”
“……”
“He can’t touch me.”
“Why. Because he likes you?”
Se-jin glared at Yoo-shin, then looked away.
“It’s not like that. Anyway, getting involved with Hwang In-woo won’t do you any good. I don’t care how strong your brother is—his uncle is a gangster. Not just you, but your brother could be in danger.”
When Yoo-shin let out a small laugh, Se-jin shot him a sharp look.
“What’s so funny?”
If she knew what kind of man Tae-shin really was, she might faint.
Yoo-shin’s father, though weakened now, had once been the boss of an organization that ruled Seoul.
After his father died, Tae-shin took over that position.
And within the organization, there were always those lying in wait, eyeing the throne.
Holding onto the boss’s seat took more than just legitimacy.
“No, nothing. Let’s just go eat.”
“You go ahead. I’m going to study a bit more.”
“Suit yourself.”
But when he reached the cafeteria, an unexpected situation was already unfolding.
