Imagination (9)

“Do it in moderation.”

“What did I do?”

Hamin laughed.

“Is it your hobby to push other people to be your partner?”

It was sarcastic, but the tone was calm. Hamin, who frowned at those words, looked at the boy behind me with a look of annoyance. He didn’t like the way that the boy was hiding behind me, as well as the fact that I partnered with him.

“What kind of class are you?”

“Why should he tell you that?”

To be honest, I didn’t even know what his class was. Of course, I could check by pressing the ring if I wanted to, but I didn’t want to do what Hamin wanted, and I definitely didn’t want to do it in front of everyone.

“I’m not asking you.”

It was a question anyone could ask. Hamin’s eyes turned to the boy and raised his brow. It was as if he was communicating with his eyebrows.

“What class are you in?”

“…”

The boy pressed his lips together. I could see his hand shake as he held my collar. I could see he didn’t want to answer. Looking at it up close, he seemed to be roughly 185 centimeters, so if my 172-centimeter height covered 185 centimeters, how much would be protected?

“I have no reason to tell you.”

“Ha…”

Hamin, who was full of energy, let out an airy laugh. It sounded like a laugh from a second-generation chaebol I only saw in dramas.

I didn’t mean to be this involved.

I should have just escaped and not looked back when we first talked to each other. I’m doing this now, but I couldn’t tell how I can withstand the aftermath tomorrow. Feeling helpless, I stared at Hamin, who glared at me as if to kill me. The mood suddenly shifted. I still don’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate… even though the rest of them didn’t try doing anything.

One of the Four Great Heavenly Kings is picking fights here and there like a fighting chicken, so shouldn’t one person come forward and stop him?

If it was a normal person, the female lead would have stopped him, but I was already firmly taken in by the female lead.

Glancing at Seowoo, Haewoo and Geonwoo, I confirmed their expressions. Seowoo seemed to be lost in thought, Haewoon looked at me as if he was watching a drama, and Baek Geonwoo… I don’t even know what he’s thinking, but one thing seemed certain: he had no intention of stopping.

I already had a hard time before.

After losing my parents and living with the money my sister earned, I studied hard and entered college with a full scholarship, but I had to enlist in the military before I had the time to enjoy my life. My life was hell because of all the assignments and grade management after being discharged from the military.

Like a worker ant, I worked a part-time job and studied, and then eventually died young in a car accident. And now I’m possessed by an Inso. Even up to this point, it was unfair and miserable enough, but life inside Inso was more spectacular.

It’s the first day of school and something keeps happening to the point where I wonder if it’s okay to have so many incidents. None of these incidents were because of my decisions. I kept getting involved in things I didn’t want to the point it felt unfair.

It’s all their fault.

The female lead was a childhood friend. Even if there was nothing I could do about it, the Four Great Heavenly Kings were different. It was our first time seeing each other today, so there were plenty of ways to not get involved. And yet I couldn’t find the reason why it happened. I chewed my lips, before grabbing the boy’s hand.

“Let’s go, hyung*.”

*T/N: A word used by Korean males to address older males.

“Huh?”

After lamenting about my situation, it became difficult to face Lee Hamin, so I grabbed the boy and moved toward the door.

The crowd split splendidly as soon as we moved. It was a bold move, but a lot better now.

“Kang Sihyun.”

Lee Hamin called my name from behind, but I didn’t care. This time, I was going to leave without looking back.

“You’ll regret this.”

A cold voice spoke, but there was no effect. I already regretted many things. From the fact that I didn’t run away when bumping into Yoo Seowoo, to the fact that I didn’t ignore Lee Hamin when he called me, and the fact that I didn’t seize the opportunity to escape were the main factors.

“…”

As I continued to walk, I could no longer hear Hamin’s voice. It was unexpected to see Seowoo not say anything, but at this point, I was tired of paying attention to the Four Great Heavenly Kings, so I erased them from his memory. We passed the students who were muttering about me and left the auditorium.

I turned my head as soon as we exited, opening my mouth slowly whilst trying to make eye contact with his covered eyes.

Now was the right time to ask questions I hadn’t been able to ask because we weren’t in a hurry.

“You know…”

“Yes?”

It seemed he had forgotten how to answer. I usually stammered at every question, but I decided to fix it someday.

Although there was a feeling of uneasiness, it was certain that I would not grab the people’s attention like the Four Great Heavenly Kings. As I thought about it, I released his hand and opened my mouth.

“I don’t think I’ve even asked for your name. What’s your name?”

“Ah…”

Even though it was just a normal question, the boy hesitated and opened his mouth slowly.

“…Ban Haru.”

“…Huh?”

I widened my eyes at the three characters of his name. When I asked for his name in a trembling voice, he repeated his name.

Ban Haru.

It was an unfamiliar name, yet it felt nostalgic. My eyes began to wander.

‘Even though his appearance looked like he would be a person of interest in Inso, there’s still a slight possibility that he’s not, so he’s better than the Four Great Heavenly Kings.’

Thoughts from just a few minutes ago ran through my head.

Yet somehow, something seemed wrong.