Before heading to school, Sihyeon gave his belongings one last check and put on his uniform neatly, then looked at himself in the mirror. Until just yesterday, it had felt so unfamiliar and unsettling—but looking at it now, it didn’t seem all that bad.
At least, that’s what he wanted to believe.
Opening the door and dragging his suitcase out with him, he stepped into the hallway—only to find Kang Sihyeon’s parents standing there waiting for him, unlike yesterday. Their eyes met. It was the first time they had properly faced each other since his transmigration.
Clench. Kang Sihyeon’s mother tightened her fist against her chest. She looked at him with trembling eyes, then lowered her gaze to the floor. Watching her dark eyes drop, Sihyeon shifted his gaze toward Kang Sihyeon’s father and swallowed slowly.
The one who had changed— The one who could change—It wasn’t just him.
“…I’ll be going.”
At the words he finally forced out after some hesitation, Kang Sihyeon’s mother lifted her head. Their eyes met, and Sihyeon’s gaze wavered briefly before he gave a vague smile after a moment’s hesitation. Just the corners of his lips lifted—barely enough to be called a smile.
Calling them “Mother” or “Father” right now was too much. It might even be impossible for the rest of his life. This was the best he could do for now.
As he quietly met their gaze, the two, who had been stunned into silence, slowly formed faint smiles.
“…Have a safe trip.”
A trembling voice saw him off.
At that, Sihyeon nodded and stepped outside. He could feel their eyes on his back until the door clicked shut behind him.
Only after the door closed did their gaze finally fall away. Letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, Sihyeon pressed his lips together as that unsettled feeling rose again.
For now… this was enough.
But what he had to face wasn’t over yet.
No sooner had he gotten past the first hurdle than the second appeared. As soon as he stepped outside, Sihyeon blinked at the sight of brown hair.
“……”
Their eyes met, and silence passed between them.
Dawoon didn’t threaten him like last time. And Sihyeon didn’t run away like before.
They simply exchanged looks—until Dawoon suddenly turned and began walking off, pulling her suitcase. Watching her go, Sihyeon tightened his grip on his own suitcase handle and parted his lips.
“…Wanna go together?”
Whether it was a request or a suggestion, even he couldn’t tell.
Her steps stopped.
He thought he’d said it quietly, but apparently Dawoon’s ears were sharper than he expected.
She turned her head. Beneath hair glinting in the sunlight, her brown eyes looked straight at him. Under that gaze, Sihyeon swallowed, feeling as though he were being judged. His hand tightened around the suitcase handle.
He still remembered yesterday’s Dawoon.
Would she get angry? Or be happy?
If she asked why he had avoided her all this time… what would he even say?
The bond between Dawoon and Sihyeon had been built by ‘Kang Sihyeon,’ not him. The relationship between ‘Yoo Sihyeon’ and ‘Jung Dawoon’ was unbearably awkward. Blinking, Sihyeon looked at her, waiting for an answer. Dawoon bit her lip.
“…Aren’t you coming?”
After a long pause, her voice finally came.
At that, Sihyeon’s eyes shifted slightly before he began walking toward her.
Up close, Dawoon looked like she might be happy—or maybe just neutral. It was hard to tell.
Step by step, the sound of suitcase wheels rattled along with them.
They walked side by side without a word, heading to school—but it was still better than yesterday.
Satisfied?
Sihyeon recalled someone’s bright smile and glanced at Dawoon. Just like with Kang Sihyeon’s parents, this was the best he could do for now.
The calm, peaceful time that had felt like a dream ended with that walk to school.
It had been fine near their neighborhood, but as they got closer to school, Sihyeon felt more and more eyes turning toward them. Then, in the middle of walking, voices reached his ears, and he frowned.
“Hey, aren’t those the ones from the test yesterday?”
“Those two?”
“Yeah, one’s an air element ability user and the other’s a new class. The Four Heavenly Kings from Strongest Middle were making a huge fuss trying to recruit that new class yesterday. So why are they coming to school together?”
“Are they dating?”
At the whispering voices, Sihyeon faltered mid-step.
He had been so focused on ‘Kang Sihyeon’ that he’d forgotten Dawoon was the female lead.
No matter what he said, they’d just keep gossiping among themselves. There was no need to feed them anything.
Fatigue washed over him. Suddenly, he found himself missing his partner Haru—like a stabilizer for his mind.
As he swallowed that feeling, Dawoon, who had been quietly watching him, turned her head and cast a glance toward the girls who had been whispering.
“…Hik.”
The girls paled instantly, hiccuping in fright upon meeting her gaze.
Only then did the murmuring stop. Satisfied, Dawoon lifted her chin slightly and passed through the school gate with Sihyeon.
They knew their classes now, but hadn’t yet been assigned to homerooms, so students dragging suitcases gathered in the auditorium again.
Day one, day two—this school really loved its auditorium.
Sihyeon preferred a smaller, cozier classroom over a wide space filled with people’s attention, so he hoped the class assignments would come quickly. Arriving earlier than last time, he took a seat near the front and looked around.
He was searching for Haru.
“Dawoon!”
“Oh—Jihye.”
At the voice, Sihyeon turned toward Dawoon and saw her chatting with a short-haired girl. It was the same girl who had tried to calm Dawoon down yesterday.
“Partner.”
As Sihyeon quietly watched the girl, Dawoon explained, holding her hand.
At that, Sihyeon nodded.
So she was the typical “female lead’s best friend” character you’d see in web novels.
“Looks like you made up?”
At Jihye’s question, Dawoon fell silent.
Sihyeon tilted his head, not understanding—then suddenly, he spotted someone in the center of the auditorium, struggling in the crowd.
A boy with messy black hair reaching his shoulders.
The one he had been looking for.
“Wait a second.”
After excusing himself, Sihyeon left his spot and headed toward Haru, who was being swept around by the crowd with a helpless “uh—uh—uh…”
Why stand right in the most crowded spot of all places?
Pushing through the people, Sihyeon grabbed Haru’s thin wrist.
“……!”
Haru flinched in shock at the sudden contact.
Pulling him free from the crowd, Sihyeon showed his face as if to reassure him.
“Haru hyung.”
“Ah….”
Only after hearing his name did Haru relax and look at him. His eyes were still hidden beneath his long bangs.
“If you’re like that, can you even see? Even with glasses, it feels like they don’t do anything.”
“Ah….”
As Sihyeon stared at his long bangs, Haru lowered his head and fidgeted with his hair.
“Lift your head.”
Urged on, Haru slowly raised it—but only briefly.
“Um….”
He hesitated awkwardly, worrying his lips—then dropped his head again.
There was still a long way to go.
He’d have to teach him how to speak without stuttering, too.
And he could barely even face one person properly yet—when would he manage that?
Thinking that, Sihyeon led Haru back to where Dawoon was.
Dawoon glanced at Haru, then looked at Sihyeon as if asking for an explanation.
Meeting her gaze, Sihyeon shrugged.
“My partner.”
“……”
It was the exact same explanation Dawoon had given earlier.
Squirm. Beneath his grip, Haru’s wrist twitched.
Only then did Sihyeon realize he was still holding him, and he quickly let go.
“Ah….”
It was already the third time he’d heard that sound from Haru today.
As Sihyeon turned to check on him, a sudden shriek rang out, and the auditorium grew noisy.
“They’re at it again.”
Looking at the screaming students with clear annoyance, Dawoon frowned as if she couldn’t understand it.
A female lead who didn’t squeal over the Four Heavenly Kings—she really fit the role perfectly.
Sharing her sentiment, Sihyeon turned toward the entrance.
And there they were—
The Four Heavenly Kings, drawing attention wherever they went.
The deafening noise made his ears ring, like he’d walked into an idol concert. Pressing a hand over one ear, Sihyeon watched them enter—
And blinked when platinum-colored eyes naturally landed on him.
Hadn’t it been less than two seconds since they walked in?
Yoo Seowoo’s gaze locked onto him as if guided by a radar.
Caught off guard, Sihyeon parted his lips slightly.
Yesterday and today—
The way those eyes found him so precisely made him wonder if he was imagining it.
Seowoo smiled, the corners of his eyes curving.
At that, Sihyeon found himself absurdly thinking that maybe the “Yoo Seowoo is Mongolian” theory needed to be reconsidered.
He quickly looked away. There was nothing to gain from meeting that gaze for too long.
Yesterday had been chaotic because of the partner pairing, but today, with that already settled, there was no reason to draw attention.
Avoiding unnecessary trouble, he looked at Haru instead.
The sight of his black hair and hidden eyes brought a strange sense of calm.
Someone who wouldn’t stand out no matter where you put him.
Even if his class was somewhat terrifying, the person himself was astonishingly pure and naive—like a child of seven or eight.
…Okay, comparing him to a dog was a bit much.
Sihyeon often thought Haru resembled a large dog, and now that he reconsidered, maybe that comparison had been a little harsh.
With a brief moment of reflection, he looked at the somewhat pitiful eighteen-year-old.
He didn’t know what kind of life Haru had lived, but he was clearly bad with people.
He didn’t attract attention like the Four Heavenly Kings.
And most importantly—
He was someone Sihyeon had personally brought to his side.
In a place where everything was unfamiliar, this was a connection he had chosen with his own hands.
That alone made him feel a strong sense of responsibility.
Taking a breath, Sihyeon thought: If it’s come to this, I might as well raise Haru properly and live comfortably off it later. I’ll raise you well.
“So you better take care of me later.”
“Huh—?”
With no context, Sihyeon’s sudden words startled Haru.
Ignoring him, Sihyeon grabbed his hand again and stared firmly at the thick-framed glasses.
I’ll make you into a proper person.
He planned to help him stop stuttering, to build his confidence so no one would look down on him.
Given his class, Haru probably wouldn’t get beaten up—but if anyone underestimated him based on appearances, Sihyeon intended to deal with them himself.
Holding his hand tightly as he mentally mapped out his “raising plan,” Haru’s head drooped again.
…Didn’t I just tell him to lift it?
Well, everything is difficult and awkward at the beginning.
At this rate, his grand “raising Haru” plan still had a long way to go.
