Hungry for Trouble

Fortunately, Cha-heon managed to leave school alone that day.

It was thanks to Nam Yun-hwa, the homeroom teacher of Baek Yu-gyeong's second-year class, who had spotted the two second-years and dragged them off for some heavy lifting. She clearly needed strong hands, and there they were—two idle second-year Alphas hanging around instead of heading home. Cha-heon watched the pair trail after her without a word of protest, gave them a light wave of his hand, and prepared to make his own escape.

He decided to tidy his desk drawer before leaving, only to find a chocolate bar and a note tucked inside.

Hyung, this is thanks for the favor last time.

The neat handwriting sat beside a cute little bag of chocolates. Cha-heon found himself glancing toward the door for no real reason.

He could've just handed it over himself. What's with this…

The only person who owed him a favor was Baek Yu-gyeong. Apparently the kid had slipped in and left it while he was gone.

Well, I guess he could be embarrassed.

He was a teenager, after all—it was possible. The thought even struck Cha-heon as a little cute. He tucked the chocolate and note into his bag and stood up.

Still, the handwriting looks strangely different from the last one I saw.

Whatever. It could change a little every time someone wrote. He wasn't a handwriting expert.

Cha-heon shrugged it off and stepped out into the hallway.

Cha-heon genuinely hated this world again today.

What exactly went on inside high schoolers' heads? Was Baek Yu-gyeong just a special case? Either way, one thing was clear: the kid was still half-baked as a human being.

Just yesterday Cha-heon had found the shy little thank-you note somewhat endearing. Watching that impression shatter today was almost impressive.

He already knew a normal school life was out of the question, but he had never once considered vaulting the fence just for a single meal during lunch period.

"Hyung, I'm hungry. Come on?"

"That's why you shouldn't have caused an accident in the first place…!"

The whole mess had started like this:

Yu-gyeong had spotted Cha-heon in the cafeteria and been so delighted he came sprinting over, insisting they eat together. That was the spark. Mid-run, Yu-gyeong's foot must have caught on something, because he launched his entire lunch tray in a magnificent arc—straight onto the head of Cha-heon's homeroom teacher, Ji Seok-hwan. The principal standing beside him was equally doused in food. Both of them were thrown out of the cafeteria for "horsing around."

The truly absurd part was that the one who had fallen remained completely spotless. Yu-gyeong hadn't even sprawled out; he had only flung the tray and then landed neatly on one knee right where he stood.

He rose smoothly, checked the teachers' condition, and only then dusted off his own knee first.

"Oh no. I made a mistake. Are you all right?"

Then he flashed a bright smile, the kind that belonged in an energy-drink commercial—fresh, sparkling, utterly unrepentant. He looked far more thrilled than sorry, which was not the attitude of someone who had just caused an accident.

"Aigoo, but the floor is seriously slippery. That could have been dangerous."

Instead of apologizing properly, Yu-gyeong blamed the floor while beaming at the food-covered teachers. He looked for all the world like the radiant lead of some high-teen romance drama, standing there alone in the spotlight.

Ah. Right. This is a high-teen romance.

It was ridiculous, but that wasn't even the most infuriating part. The real injustice came afterward. Yu-gyeong had been the one running and causing the mess, so he should have been the one scolded. Instead, both of them were kicked out because Yu-gyeong claimed he had been running for Cha-heon's sake.

God, this brat.

Cha-heon was furious and thoroughly wronged, yet he was starting to think it was still better than leaving Yu-gyeong to take the heat alone—when he overheard something strange from the kids still inside the cafeteria.

Apparently this was the first time Baek Yu-gyeong had ever set foot in the cafeteria. Even mid-rage, Cha-heon couldn't help wondering why a growing teenager would skip meals, so he pressed him on it.

"You don't eat cafeteria food? Why not?"

"Just… um…"

When Yu-gyeong mumbled, Cha-heon didn't push further. He simply thumped him on the back.

Fine. He already had a pretty good idea. From everything he had observed so far, Yu-gyeong seemed to have a mild case of mysophobia. Group living would already be hard enough for someone like that; digging deeper would only make things awkward.

Apparently he usually brought simple snacks and had simply forgotten them today. Passing the cafeteria building, he had spotted Cha-heon by chance through the doorway and come charging after him.

And caused a disaster the second he arrived.

Cha-heon shot him a look of pure exasperation, then heaved a deep sigh. Maybe it was the light hair, but the sight of Yu-gyeong barreling toward him from a distance with a tray in hand had somehow reminded him of an overjoyed golden retriever. Cute, even. If he pictured a water-happy retriever racing over with a stick in its mouth, it was almost funny.

…How excited do you have to be to flip a lunch tray mid-sprint? What a ridiculous kid.

The more he thought about it, the less he could actually get angry. A helpless little groan slipped out of him instead, because he was afraid actual laughter might escape.

What a headache of a guy. And yet… in my whole life, no one's ever been this happy just to see me.

Not even family had ever greeted him with that much pure joy.

…Looking at it that way, the kid was almost pretty. And still a complete pain. The mixed feelings kept swinging back and forth.

"I'm seriously starving…. Hyung, is it okay with you that I'm hungry when I'm still growing?"

Yu-gyeong's whining started up again. The headache side of Cha-heon's mixed feelings won out, and he swept a tired gaze over the boy. Yu-gyeong had his head tilted down, staring up at him while he complained about being hungry. It should have been grating by now, but the kid was so unfairly pretty that Cha-heon almost felt sorry for him.

Still growing, my ass.

For someone that pretty, he was already well over 180 cm. Wanting to grow even more from here was just greedy. Cha-heon, still reeling from the absurdity and secretly bitter that "Shin" Cha-heon had somehow shrunk in height, snapped without thinking.

"…What are you planning to do if you get any taller?"

"What else? Hold hyung even tighter."

"Then you don't need to grow any more."

"Uuungh."

"Hey, can you back off a little?"

"You hurt my feelings. My chest hurts because of hyung, so you have to take responsibility. Owie, owie."

Clutching his chest and whining "owie, owie" was not cute in the slightest.

More importantly, why is this brat getting more and more handsy?

Ever since he had said "Do you really like me?" last time, it had gotten worse.

Yu-gyeong was pressing in closer, arms tightening, and the memory of that earlier comment—that he had seemed "a little excited"—flashed through Cha-heon's mind. He hurriedly surrendered.

"Okay, okay. I'll buy you bread from the school store. Bread—no, snacks are fine too."

"School store food is disgusting. I know a really good place outside. Let's go there. Please?"

"Too bad. I only have enough money for school store bread right now."

"Mm, I figured you'd say that, so luckily I happen to have plenty of money. We're fated for each other, right?"

Not fated partners—more like a fated plague. And they definitely did not communicate on the same wavelength.

How long did they bicker near the fence with Yu-gyeong clinging to him? Eventually Cha-heon gave in and was just about to vault the wall cleanly—it wasn't as if he actually lacked the money to feed the kid—when someone called from behind.

"Baek Yu-gyeong."

Cha-heon spun around in pure shock.

Don't tell me a teacher caught us trying to jump the fence.

He had already skipped school once and his grades were terrible; if this got piled on top, he was finished. His face went white.

Fortunately, the one who had called Yu-gyeong was none other than Ji Hye-han. Unlike when Cha-heon had seen him in the gym, Hye-han was neatly dressed in his school uniform and walked toward them with an expressionless face.

No—there might have been a faint trace of anger on that composed face.

"…Hye-han, why are you…"

The thought that Hye-han might have come on student-discipline duty made Cha-heon pale all over again.

Hye-han approached, gave Cha-heon a brief nod of greeting, then fixed his gaze on Yu-gyeong, who was still stuck firmly to Cha-heon's back, and stepped even closer.

"Baek Yu-gyeong."

"Hmm? What is it, Hye-han?"

The moment he arrived, Hye-han seized Yu-gyeong by the collar and glared at him with murderous intensity.

"Ji Hye-han…!"

Cha-heon panicked and moved to intervene, but Yu-gyeong casually nudged him a half-step behind himself and smiled.

"Hyung, it's fine. More importantly, Hye-han—what's wrong? You scared our hyung. If he has a heart attack because of you, are you going to take responsibility?"

Yu-gyeong's soft, gentle question made Hye-han's brows draw tight.

"'What's wrong'? After pulling a stunt like that, you're acting like nothing happened?"

Hye-han's voice started to rise. Cha-heon hurriedly cut in.

"What happened?"

Hye-han only frowned harder, saying nothing.

"……"

"Baek Yu-gyeong, what did you do?"

"…What, hyung? Are you suspecting me?"

When Hye-han stayed silent, Cha-heon had turned to the other side—and Yu-gyeong's expression froze solid. All the earlier brightness vanished. His eyes went wide and round, boring into Cha-heon without blinking.

A second ago he had seemed locked in a half-quarrel with Hye-han; now Hye-han might as well not have existed. Those cream-colored eyes refused to leave Cha-heon's face. They were almost frightening.

Why are you glaring at me? It's obvious you caused trouble and Hye-han came to drag you back.

Cha-heon tilted his head once, then looked back at Hye-han.

"…Then Hye-han, what's going on?"

Hye-han's brows knitted again. Finally he exhaled a long sigh and answered.

"…Baek Yu-gyeong wrote my name on the entire participant list for every sports event at the athletic meet… and then ran away."

Cha-heon's mouth fell open at the completely unexpected confession.