a/n: hanwool is so ooc in this story istg but i love this side of him

❝ 𝙳𝚘 𝙸 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞? ❞
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An annoyed sigh escapes his lips as he leans down on the floor of the rooftop. His arms under his head, cushioning against the hard concrete. His right cheek still stung, and he curses.

"Damn that guy..." he mutters, one of his hands move to touch his cheek. The audacity Gamin had to punch him in front of everyone... it is awfully amusing, but it'll annoy Hanwool to no end for the next two days.

His hand on his cheek moved up, the back of his palm resting on his forehead. He watches as the birds fly in the sky, chirping happily.

"Wow, look at you guys. So free and happy," he says sarcastically, rolling his eyes at the fact that he feels jealousy towards those birds. "Oh to be you."

"You want to be a bird?"

(Name) appears in his view, upside-down as she stares down at him with an amused smile. He blinks blankly, processing the new sight.

"??!" Hanwool sits up on instinct, and (name) giggles at the shock plasters across his face. He takes in her small laugh before letting out a sigh. "You scared me," he complains, his hand on his chest where his heart is placed, rubbing it softly to ease the fast pace of his heartbeat.

"Sorry~" (Name) takes a seat beside him, the smile still on her face. "You were so focused on the birds that I thought you'd kill them with your glare," she chuckles. He softens his eyes, tilting his head back up to the sky as he leans back down, laying his back on the ground.

"I do envy them."

(Name) turns to him, watching his side profile as he stares at those birds flying. "Well," she joins him, laying by his side. Hanwool notices this and puts his arm right before her head reaches the concrete, not wanting her hair to get dirty. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Are you willing to listen?" He raises an eyebrow teasingly. "I can be a bit poetic, you know? You'll get bored."

She turns to the side, facing him completely. "I'm a good listener, you know? You might feel better after talking to me," she smiles softly at him.

He lets out a soft chuckle as he shakes his head. "It's fine. Just talking about it makes me feel more upset," then he changes the subject. "Let's talk about you instead. I didn't know you're the head prefect?" He mentions, "And yet here you are, skipping the class with me."

(Name) chuckles nervously, lifting her hands in a defeated manner. "In my defense, I was going to the bathroom, okay," she explains. "Plus, right now we don't have any teachers in our class. I was bored, so I extended my journey to the rooftop."

"Not so disciplined now, are you?"

"My position stays in Indonesia, mind you. I'm a normal student here."

Both of them end up in laughter. Hanwool has never thought he would laugh genuinely like that ever again. And yet here he is, lowering his guard, smiling sincerely at the girl that he fell in love.

"That junior of yours," he suddenly mentions after finishing his laugh. "Alen Nevada, right? Is he one of the reincarnations of Albert Einstein?"

Hearing his name, the girl beside him immediately sits up. "You have no idea!" She exclaims, her tone disbelief. "He got a perfect score for his midterms! All subjects are 100%!"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I didn't!"

"Ain't no way," Hanwool sits up. "How the hell does someone score 100% in Biology?" He asks in disbelief.

"I know right?"

"Wait, don't agree with me. You literally got 98% for Biology, genius."

"I---"

He laughs again at the way he makes her speechless. "Damn, Asians sure have big brains. Or maybe it's just this school that doesn't want to get a perfect grade like that."

"Alen is not really an Asian though. He's originally from Canada," she mutters, chuckling at his comment. "He resides in Indonesia to expand his learning. Seems like he really is someone who loves studying," she smiles softly at the thought of her hardworking junior.

Hanwool hums in acknowledgement, his annoyance and anger towards a certain nerd is long forgotten.

He likes knowing more about her. He feels like he's a normal person--- not a terrifying man, not Phi Yeonbaek's son.

A question lingers in his mind.

"Hey," (name) turns to him, humming, a sign of the attention she pays to him. "Do you... know who I really am?"

He watches as she looks at him, raising an eyebrow before she looks back up to the sky.

"Well," she starts, a smile on her face. "Does it matter?"

She always gives indirect answers. He finds it amusing how he has to figure out the answer himself, but he's not having it right now.

"It does to me," he admits, and she turns her head back to him. "You know my position. You know you should avoid me like others--- you should fear me like others," his eyebrows furrow, and he wants the answer now. He doesn't want a bond that has only him holding onto it. "Yet you don't. Why?"

He feels himself looking down, clicking his tongue in process. Why is he being emotional? This isn't like him at all.

Yet he can't help but yearn for her answer. He wants to know why she's still with him even when she already knows who he is. Or maybe she just doesn't know, but that's impossible.

No one is unaware of the White Lead gang. Even Yoon Gamin is already learning about them.

A tap on his forehead snaps him out of his trance, lifting his head in surprise when she pokes his forehead with her index finger.

"Relax," she retreats her hand, a soft smile on her face. "You're tensing up."

In his response, he subconsciously relaxes the muscles on his eyebrows. He shakes his head, a scoff escaping his lips.

"...Can't you give me an answer already?"

(Name) softens her eyes at his resigned tone. Her smile flattens slightly as the conversation with Phi Yeonbaek plays in her mind.

After sending Alen to his class, (name) strolls down the hallway, humming yet another random song. When she reached her class, someone was standing there--- and she immediately recognised him.

Phi Yeonbaek.

Phi Hanwool's father.

He noticed her approaching him and gave him a small nod, which she raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like to have a small talk with you," he muttered. "Could you spare a bit of your time?"

(Name)'s eyes bored at him, the smile on her face was long gone. She glanced inside her class--- there wasn't a teacher in there. She turned to him.

"Of course."

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"How's Yuseong High so far?"

Phi Yeonbaek started the conversation.

(Name) shrugged, "So far so good."

He nodded his head in approval, acknowledging her answer. "Glad this school didn't get on your nerves."

A scoff escaped (name)'s lips. "That's rich coming from you," she raised an eyebrow. "Get to the point. I don't like wasting my time on something that reminds me of work."

Phi Yeonbaek let out a chuckle. "As impatient as ever, (last name)," he turned his head to her. "Just like how I remember you."

She halted her steps, her lips forming a frown. Phi Yeonbaek stopped his track and glanced back at her, silently waiting for her to catch up to him.

(Name) let out a sigh, her hands moved to the back of her head, resting against her soft hair as she walked past him. "If you want to talk about work, I'm not interested. I quit."

"You did?" He continued his walk. "So that's why I have no longer seen you there." (Name) hummed in response. "I'm enjoying my life as a student now. Don't talk about work with me. I'm currently underage."

A breath escaped Phi Yeonbaek's lips--- the way it sounded like a scoff somehow irritated (name).

"Did you even care about your age when you started that work?"

She paused her steps once again.

Phi Yeonbaek halted behind her, a few feet away.

For his safety.

"What the hell do you want?" She asked, her tone was unkind. No more nonchalance in her voice. She didn't even look at him.

If it was anyone else, they would never have the audacity to even walk ahead of him. But he knew, this girl didn't have the audacity. But she wasn't stupidly brave either.

She simply has everything in her grasp to wipe out his very existence at any moment.

She was a threat. A threat for Phi Yeonbaek's life. Not position. Not the title.

Life.

If he said another wrong word, he'd be digging his own grave--- starting from that moment.

Slowly, a sigh escaped his lips. "I was just keeping the conversation longer. I didn't mean to mention a sensitive topic," he muttered. "My son enrols in this school. Just wanted to let you know."

"...Hanwool."

"Yes," he nodded his head. "Please tell me if he ever did something unpleasant. And please excuse him. He's always the problematic one---"

"He's pretty."

"...pardon?"

(Name) didn't look at him. The stern expression on her face disappeared, her gaze softened as she repeated. "He's pretty. But it's not your genes though."

Phi Yeonbaek felt himself deadpanning at her words. She was indirectly saying that he was ugly.

"Oh, no offense. You have a good look too," she laughed apologetically, half-sincerely.

He let out another sigh. "...well, he is. He has his mother's genes, after all."

(Name) hummed, her legs started to walk again. "What about him?" She asked, as Phi Yeonbaek followed behind her.

"He's a bit problematic, you see. He might be making a mess---"

"Your point?"

"...I just want to apologise on his behalf." He finally muttered. "If he ever did anything---"

"He didn't," she cut him off again. "So stop talking bad about him."

He stayed silent, observing her every move. When he was sure she wasn't going to stab him right there and then, he spoke.

"Are you interested in him?"

"I still can't see your point, Phi Yeonbaek."

"...fine," he shook his head. "I was afraid that you'd do something to him if he gets on your nerves. Hanwool is still my son--- and it's only natural for a father to feel worried that his son is enrolling in the same school with an---"

He cut himself off after seeing a warning glare from her. If the look was a knife, he was stabbed dozens of times already.

"I'm not planning to carry on that role here," she muttered, her voice held a threat. "At least not when I'm a student. Not to him. But if you insist on me playing that role, I'll gladly show you the end of the story."

He didn't need more warning. She walked ahead, leaving him on his spot. He allowed it.

It wasn't like he had the power to stop her anyway.

Not against an ability user.

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(Name)'s hand gently cups his right cheek, the one that Gamin punched. It stung, but the warmth of her palm is soothing.

And Hanwool hates to admit that.

"Hanwool," his name sounds so right in her voice, as if it is meant for her to say it. "I know who you are. I know what the White Lead is," she admits. "But it doesn't matter to me. I want to be friends with you."

"...why?"

"Don't ask me why," she chuckles softly. "Do I need a reason to be with you?"

Hanwool can't find the words to counter her question. His eyes soften, and he finds himself leaning into her palm.

"...are you pitying me?"

His choice of words reminds him of Ms Oh Junghwa. He remembers asking that, more to himself as he learnt that his father killed that teacher.

Why... did you pity me?

Her pity only brought death to her. He doesn't need another one.

(Name) shakes her head. "More like I'm curious to know how you truly are," she says softly. "Without that strong mask of yours. Because I know you're not like how the others thought about you."

Her thumb brushes against his cheekbone gently, the gesture sending shivers down his spine. A smile on her face, this time it's welcoming, reassuring.

"Then at least lower your guard a bit around me. Because it's okay to lean on someone even just for a bit." She removes her hand from his cheek, and he already misses the warmth. "Everyone needs someone to hold on to. Even you."

Hanwool knows that. He does, really.

But he's afraid.

Afraid that if he holds on to someone, they will crumble apart.

Like Ms Oh Junghwa.

But the smile on (name)'s face promises him that she won't fall apart if he touches her. A promise that she'll always be there for him.

And for once, he's willing to try.

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chapter five : end

a/n : prove that Alen got a perfect score in his exams :D