Chapter 3

"Cha Seo-un, aren't you glad to see me?"

"......Yeah."

After a month, the first person he spoke to was Cha Haya... Unintentionally, old memories resurfaced. Even on the first day of high school, the first person he talked to was this Cha Haya.

The response he gave could embarrass him, so he couldn't predict what would follow. The only thing he could guess was that he might be asked why he went into hiding.

"Let's have dinner."

Though unexpected, the smell of fried chicken wafting from the grill made it seem plausible.

"I've already eaten."

"Then let's have a snack."

"I'm on a diet."

"Are you aiming to be a skeleton?"

The purpose wasn't really to eat together. It felt more like a parent saying, "There are many eyes on us, so let's go home and talk."

"Anyway, we're going in different directions. You guys are heading northeast, and I'm going southeast."

Seo-un pointed to each area with his fingers.

"We're also going southeast."

Cha Haya pulled up his mask again. He sheathed his sword, which hadn't even a drop of blood on it.

"Guild leader, are you really going to do this?"

Kang San, who had approached, looked disappointed. Seo-un looked at him without showing much emotion.

"Are you doing well?"

"No! I haven't been doing well. What's this all about, bro?"

Kang San, who was two heads taller than Seo-un, took Seo-un's sleeping bag and backpack.

"Since you're strong, just hand them over."

Seo-un said he didn't want to waste his strength.

"I don't want to. These are my hostages."

"I'm going southeast. Your base is in the northeast."

"Your base... Guild leader, are you really going to do this?"

In front of them, a person and a monster were fighting, but Kang San was dramatically holding the stolen items. Thanks to Cha Haya, who had eliminated one of the monsters, it looked a bit easier.

"What snack do you want?"

Cha Haya, who seemed to be deep in thought, suddenly asked. After handing over the choice of menu, he started walking ahead, assuming Seo-un would follow.

"......Damn, why."

His voice was too low for Cha Haya to hear. Kang San, standing next to Seo-un, who had a cold response, was stomping his feet.

"Bro Seo-un, please cheer up. We all think we made a mistake and have reflected a lot. Really. We're all waiting for you. Without you, our guild is a mess."

It's not a good situation, is it? Seo-un swallowed his sarcasm.

"You guys do well. I have to live my own life, don't I?"

Seo-un walked up to Cha Haya, who had stopped. The puzzled look in his eyes made Seo-un's anger rise. Neither Cha Haya nor Kang San seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation.

"Just go to the northeast. I'm going my own way, so don't follow me."

Then the eyes above the mask narrowed. It was hard to tell if he was mocking or just smiling. The mole under his eye, which tickled Seo-un's mood, was annoying. Even though it wasn't on his nipple or genital area, it seemed inappropriate.

Cha Haya bowed his head to Seo-un's height.

"Didn't you know? I'm eating the southeast."

His playful tone brought back more old memories. When Cha Haya straightened up, Seo-un's gaze naturally rose.

"Hey, congratulations. Since you've eaten the southeast, you must be full without a snack."

"Bro Seo-un, don't be like that. Listen to us. If you're still not happy, I won't bother you, really!"

Since it was their fault, Seo-un couldn't even laugh. However, if he went back, he would surely die from the monsters, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't encounter mutants while moving to the southeast.

"Did you really eat the southeast?"

When he asked Kang San, he nodded vigorously.

"......Let's go, then."

Since their destination was also the southeast, it seemed like a good idea. He could get free protection, and he had contributed to the guild before. Survival was more important than pride to survive here.

Seo-un saw the end of his self-justification.

"What about the sword?"

Cha Haya looked at the bag Kang San was carrying and then at Seo-un's bare body.

Seo-un ignored his question and started walking ahead. Cha Haya didn't ask again, and Kang San, who was unusually affectionate, asked how he had been.

Walking together, a wave of nostalgia hit Seo-un, making him feel uneasy.

He remembered going to the PC room with his classmates, getting sick from drinking soju out of curiosity, and being branded a traitor for getting a good score on a mock exam.

'Traitors, why are you mad at Cha Seo-un for not studying?'

When Cha Haya took Seo-un's side, his friends flipped him the middle finger. After punishing each of their fingers, Cha Haya took Seo-un's scorecard.

"Oh, you really did well," he said, amazed.

'I'm not going to college.'

'How can someone who scored better than me not go to college? There are over 400 days left until the college entrance exam.'

'Well, I'm poor.'

Cha Haya chuckled. Strangely, he would say things that could hurt his pride without filtering them.

"I sold it because I'm poor."

Seo-un finally mentioned the sword's whereabouts. It seemed like Cha Haya, who was a bit ahead, was chuckling like that day.

***

Cha Haya was like an alien who suddenly appeared in the middle of Seoul.

His unique name and striking good looks, which were unforgettable once seen, made him the center of attention from the first day of school.

Since the high school was filled with students from the same middle school, the first topic of discussion was where Cha Haya had attended middle school.

Especially the girls were more passionate about finding out which middle school Cha Haya had attended, but for a while, there was no significant progress. Even with the help of his well-connected friend, Jo Jeong-seon, who involved his friends from other regions, no one knew Cha Haya.

Seo-un, who observed this process, was secretly impressed by Jo Jeong-seon's ability to gather information, which extended even to Jeju Island.

"Did you live in Indonesia?"

The truth, which they couldn't find out despite their efforts, came from Cha Haya's mouth. It was a rather anticlimactic answer.

As soon as the first mystery was solved, it seemed like the seal was broken, and numerous curiosities flooded Cha Haya. Fortunately or unfortunately, Cha Haya seemed accustomed to being in the spotlight and didn't particularly maintain an air of mystery.

He answered questions about himself without reservation, so Jo Jeong-seon, who had lost interest, was disappointed. She had expected more.

However, perhaps because of his good looks, which could plant fantasies in others, even his classmates felt a strange admiration for him.

It didn't take long for rumors to spread that he could get good grades with minimal effort, drink with college students, and came from a wealthy family.

In reality, Cha Haya studied hard, only visited PC rooms, and came from a poor family.

Then, rumors started that he was the illegitimate child of a high-ranking politician or businessman. It was even said that his mother was an unappreciated actress. The reasonable explanation was that he had to grow up in Indonesia to avoid attention.

Of course, Seo-un was certain that all these rumors were false. Cha Haya lived with an Indonesian man he called his uncle.

The villa where Cha Haya lived was the highest in the neighborhood, but it was half-buried in the ground. Seo-un learned that it was called a semi-basement at that time.

The floorboards were uneven, making a crackling sound like breaking twigs when walked on. A silver tray with colorful flowers was always spread out in the living room. Seo-un always felt a bit suffocated when he saw it, thinking it was too small for the large Cha Haya and his uncle.

Good-looking friend, come have dinner.

Pretty friend, get along with our Cha Haya.

Cool friend, I'll give you pocket money.

Cha Haya's uncle, who spoke broken Korean, had a missing upper front tooth and a missing lower tooth. Despite his modest means, he occasionally gave pocket money.

Seo-un always felt uncomfortable at these moments. Refusing seemed to ignore his kindness, but accepting made him notice the missing teeth.

In the end, he always took the money and planned to add a bit of his own to get the uncle an implant. Seo-un didn't like how his gaze was always drawn to the empty space when talking to the uncle, as if peering into a tunnel of poverty he had never experienced.

"Does your uncle's teeth bother you that much?"

"What?"

"Every time you talk to him, your pupils seem to have a mini earthquake."

"What are you talking about, kid?"

From Cha Haya's neighborhood hill, Seo-un's high-rise apartment was visible.

Although Cha Haya's house was actually higher, what people admired was the high-rise that had recently set a new record.

"Do you want to come to my house for dinner?"

Seo-un suddenly asked as they were walking down the steep hill.

"Forget it, your dad really hates me."

"Hey, not that much."

Seo-un's father was a 3rd-grade civil servant and a deputy director at the Ministry of Administrative and Safety Affairs.

He owned a few buildings in Gangnam, so friends often asked if 3rd-grade civil servants earned that much. Seo-un always laughed it off, but it was actually thanks to his self-made grandfather.

He was about to say that the house was empty because of a couple's gathering but stopped. If the housekeeper, who helped with the housework, left before Cha Haya's visit, his father would naturally hear about it.

Seo-un didn't want Cha Haya to know that he was living by his father's standards. Perhaps Cha Haya had already guessed.

"If you're not coming, go. Why are you following me down?"

When they were halfway down the stairs, Seo-un pointed back up.

"This neighborhood is really dangerous. Yesterday, some weird guy was showing his penis to kids."

"Ugh. Damn, lucky bastards. If I caught him, I would have beaten him up."

Seo-un hid his rising smile, pretending to be worried.

"Just go. I can handle that scumbag with one hand."

"Come here, let me suck your lips, Cha Seo-un."

Cha Haya grabbed Seo-un's lips with his thumb and index finger and rubbed them as if washing clothes.

"Crazy bastard! Stop it!"

When Seo-un hit him with his fist, Cha Haya groaned and backed away. He jumped up the stairs to put some distance between them and suddenly laughed.

"Oh, right. Jo Jeong-seon also said that about you."

"What?"

"That you look at people like you look at our uncle's teeth."

"My teeth aren't missing."

"Who doesn't know that your teeth are fine? She said she looks at you the same way you look at our uncle's teeth."

"......Why?"

"Because Cha Seo-un is so good-looking, it makes her nervous."

Cha Haya lightly climbed the stairs he had just descended.

"Hey, namaste."

Seo-un knew the difference between India and Indonesia but teased Cha Haya from behind. Cha Haya responded by raising his hands above his head in a prayer-like gesture.

If he acted as unlucky as he looked, it would be one thing, but the kid had a good personality too. Even so, being told he was good-looking by someone who was really good-looking didn't make the feeling of being teased go away easily.

Still, the road home wasn't heavy as usual, and he wasn't sure if it was because his father wasn't there or because Cha Haya was taking care of him. Maybe it was because of the uncle who trusted him so much.

'Thank you for getting along with our good friend, Cha Haya. If anything happens to our Cha Haya, contact me.'

The uncle's voice echoed in his ears.

Could he receive such deep trust from a friend's guardian? The guardians he knew were only his parents, and his father always criticized him and belittled his friends.

'I only trust our good friend.'

Seo-un kept thinking about the uncle, who held his hand and shone with pride.

Even after repeating it ten times, it didn't get boring because each time, he felt a sense of accomplishment.