# Chapter 9
“The Choigang apex is here!!”
The cafeteria, which had been packed with people until just moments before, was instantly emptied except for me and the trio as Shinju High students ran out in a hurry. The many abandoned trays were proof of that.
“Hey. You, get out.”
“Uh, uh… Ah, yes!”
No, don’t go, Changsu! Huhuhu.
The only human who remained frozen like a fossil, even Changsu, had to leave after Jung Ion’s glare. He was my only normal friend…
“Shit, why did you chase Changsu away?!”
“Changsu? You knew that guy? The picky, sensitive, aloof queen Thousand-Year Prince Devil apex Gu Haejin who carefully selects who to associate with?”
Stop talking. You dog.
My face crumpled. Having realized that normal conversations were long impossible in this world, I decided to stop wasting energy on pointless battles. As I closed my mouth, Ion spoke in a rather serious tone.
“We have a big problem. It seems that what you said at the last general assembly has been distorted quite a bit in the ranking world.”
What I said? Oh, that I was quitting?
“Of course I know your intention was to boost Devil’s morale… but there are always a few idiots wherever you go.”
What are you talking about? You’re that idiot.
“I didn’t completely rule it out as a possibility, but anyway, a garbage rumor that apex Gu Haejin abandoned Devil has spread, and it seems like the Choigang apex has invaded, perhaps thinking to crush us in the gap.”
“Show yourself, Gu Haejin!! Today is your funeral day!!”
Even as Jung Ion was reporting the situation, Oh Eundo’s voice rang outside like a barking dog. That temperamental bastard. Next to me, Park Hanseo looked anxious and called out “Sunbae-nim…” a couple of times with a pitiful expression. Bam. I’m the one who wants to cry right now, you know?
“You guys go out first. I’ll… come out a bit later…”
“Gu Haejin apex.”
Jung Ion’s way of addressing me had changed. Is this because it’s now an official situation? The trio hesitated at my words, looking reluctant, which somehow annoyed me, so I waved my hands dismissively.
……
Now I was the only one left in the cafeteria. I covered my face with both hands.
“I just read one book. And I didn’t even finish it. But what did I do wrong to be dragged here and possessed into this ridiculous body? Well, okay, let’s say being possessed isn’t that bad, but this is too much. What kind of record-breaking shitty situation is this? At least give me time to accept this, right? Starting with that crazy grand assembly, now we have a student from another school boldly invading, and during the sacred lunch time at that? This is absolutely insane. How could they do this during lunch time! Wasting that precious time on such useless things. Don’t those guys eat? Let’s at least eat the food for the sake of the cooks who worked hard to prepare lunch! No, just don’t do anything at all. Come to think of it, are there no teachers here either? Shouldn’t the principal be the first to come out and deal with these rude students from other schools? No, this isn’t a place where common sense applies. Fuck! Author, you bastard! I seriously want to grab that god who made me like this by the collar and shake them. Please send me home. I even miss my old unemployed life…!”
Wheeeeeeeeee-
At that moment when Haejin’s mental state collapsed, a fierce wind swept through the sports field.
It was truly an emergency.
The apex of Choigang, the third-ranked Iljinhoe, had invaded Shinju High School, which was Gu Haejin’s school and essentially Devil’s headquarters. There was no rule explicitly forbidding invasions, but implicitly, no one carelessly touched an apex’s school.
Attacking an apex’s school was an action with an enormous risk of being beaten where the maximum force of the Iljinhoe was concentrated. An apex’s school was the final “sanctuary” of each Iljinhoe composed of nationwide high school gangs.
The school where the apex who rules and leads the Iljinhoe attends.
To that place came the third-ranked Choigang apex. Oh Eundo, the “Warrior of Blood Fragrance” who was said to turn any place he appeared into a bloody battleground, had occupied the sports field of Devil’s Shinju High with his Choigang executive members during lunch time, when student movement was at its peak.
With the center of the field as the dividing line, Choigang members stood on one side and Devil members on the other. It was a precarious situation where a major fight seemed imminent. The entire student body of Shinju High, crammed around the sports field, stands, school grounds, and even classroom windows, watched the situation with tense faces and bated breath.
Choigang apex Oh Eundo and Devil number two Jung Ion growled fiercely at each other.
“You dare to invade Devil’s sanctuary… Are you crazy, Choigang? You’re asking for death.”
“Devil number two Jung Ion. I have no business with you, so tell Gu Haejin to come out!”
“Do you think our apex has that much free time, Oh Eundo?”
“Shut your trap! You dare to talk back to me, mere number two?”
“What about you? You dare to provoke our second-ranked apex when you’re just a third-ranked apex?”
“You son of a bitch!!”
Just as they were exchanging fierce greetings, the atmosphere grew chilly.
There was only one person whose mere presence could instantly freeze the air. One side became rigid, while the other broke into proud smiles.
It was the second-ranked Devil apex, Gu Haejin, crossing through the field. The Thousand-Year Prince with an expressionless face and cold eyes.
It was the return of the Iljinhoe’s “flower.”
Sigh… I came out because I felt I needed to, but honestly, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. I never expected the entire student body to be watching this situation. I sighed at the sight of the clusters of what appeared to be gang members. Aren’t those bastards embarrassed by all this attention? I truly felt painfully aware of the enormous gazes fixed on me.
What was even more depressing was how the students parted like Moses dividing the Red Sea whenever I walked by. This continued until I passed through the Devil gang members and stood at the very front, unable to withstand the staring eyes. I never thought I’d directly experience what I’d only seen in dramas. Being an apex is so great, right? Fuck!
Hoo… After a dry face wash, I looked at Oh Eundo standing in front of me.
Oh Eundo appears in “Those School Gang Guys” (fuck that title) as the apex of Choigang, ranked third below Gu Haejin. With that damned epithet, one I’m almost afraid to utter, “Warrior of Blood Fragrance”—ah, it really pisses me off. That naming.
Unlike Kim Pyeonghwa, who’s also eighteen and puts on all sorts of airs, or the somewhat gloomy Jang Seoldam, Oh Eundo was the most honest character with a fiery personality. He’s hot-tempered, easily provoked, and consequently the simplest and dumbest one who can’t think strategically. Maybe that’s why he was the first to acknowledge his feelings and confess to the female lead. Yet despite that, he was a pitiful character who, even with an agonized face, reached out first to the female lead who chose Kim Pyeonghwa, saying they could at least be friends. Therefore, a stupid pushover.
Still, I had liked him because he seemed like the most realistic character among those appearing here. But this guy’s epithet is absolutely garbage. “Warrior of Blood Fragrance”? Oh Jesus…
“You bastard, Gu Haejin!!”
…Ugh?
“Apex!”
As his bleached lemon-colored hair, just as described in the novel, shook, I felt my breath catch. As usual, there’s no normal greeting. Damn it. Oh Eundo suddenly grabbed me by the collar. The desperate shouts of the gang members struck my ears sharply.
“Y-you fuck!!”
Perhaps because my collar was grabbed, Jung Ion cursed in excitement as if caught off guard, ready to hit Oh Eundo. Ah, how annoying. I was displeased. I raised one hand toward Ion, signaling him to stay put, while keeping my eyes on Eundo.
Oh Eundo had an extremely anxious face. The one who grabbed me was trembling more madly than I who had been grabbed. That sight particularly irritated me. Eundo was behaving as if he’d cry if I gave him the slightest push. Didn’t you come here to beat me…? How can you be so spineless? Tsk.
“You fucking bastard!!”
“……”
“…Is it true that you’re quitting as Devil apex?!”
…What??
As Oh Eundo shook me vigorously and shouted in great anger, I briefly wondered how to respond. From his reaction, I could now clearly confirm what Jung Ion had said earlier—my previous statement about quitting had definitely been distorted.
But isn’t this a bit absurd? Didn’t you, you jerk, come screaming at me to come out like you were going to beat me to death? Weren’t you saying it was my funeral day earlier! After bringing your gang members in such a savage way as if you were about to overturn everything, grabbing my collar, and all you ask is that??
I gave a slight glare at Jung Ion beside me. You said a garbage rumor that I abandoned Devil had spread, and he came to crush us in that gap, Ion. Hah… Why did you invade our school with a megaphone if this was all? I’m extremely sick of this novel-class with its tremendous bluffing despite being so trivial.
In contrast to my sourly frozen expression, Oh Eundo was glaring at me with a face that said “I’m more serious than anyone in the world!” As if he’d burn even my soul if I said I was quitting. Before that, let go of my collar, you idiot.
“Let go of my collar.”
“What?!”
“My neck hurts, how long are you planning to hold onto it?”
At my words, Oh Eundo, though huffing and puffing, obediently released his grip. Ah, I feel like I can live now.
“Wouldn’t it be better for you if I quit?”
I muttered as if talking to myself while rubbing my neck. From the start, I couldn’t understand Oh Eundo’s reaction. Let’s say he believed the distorted rumor that I was quitting, but it didn’t make sense that he, an apex, would recklessly invade another apex’s school just to confirm this one thing. And if I quit, it means one less rival, so it should be something to welcome with open arms for these guys who are obsessed with rankings. Hmm.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
What’s with this guy? Nonsense!
“I absolutely cannot accept someone above me withdrawing without a proper reason or fight.”
Well, that’s a commendable spirit.
A fighting maniac with what, sportsmanship? A small laugh escaped me. This was kind of cute. The fact that despite being just a gang member, he could think this way. I smiled softly while patting Oh Eundo’s head, who was about 3cm taller than me.
“That’s cool.”
“Ack! What are you doing, Gu Haejin?!”
“Hmm? I’m just patting your head. It’s admirable that you’re thinking.”
“Are you crazy? Fuck, have you lost your mind?!”
At my action, Oh Eundo spewed curses as if having a seizure. So what? Your face is already bright red. They say even whales dance when praised, my child. Whether it was due to Haejin’s unexpected touch or not, Eundo seemed quite flustered.
Also, contrary to the initial savage atmosphere, now that I was smiling, both sides’ gang members were staring at me with their mouths open like idiots. Clearly, a fistfight wouldn’t have been surprising just moments ago. Tsk. This brother is an adult unlike you green kids. A prime man except for being unemployed!
But strangely, it feels increasingly cold. Even though it’s not midsummer, it’s May and daytime—was it always this cold?
“You must have eaten something wrong! That has to be it!”
“Ah. Uh…”
“…What’s wrong? Why are you like that?”
Why am I what?
Suddenly, with a noticeably stiff face, Oh Eundo was examining my complexion. Damn. I’ve been feeling a strain and tightness around my solar plexus. The guy seems fine, but it’s definitely just me feeling cold. Ah, what’s going on…?
“Apex!!”
“Fuck. What did you do to him, you Choigang apex bastard?!”
“What did I do? It’s you fucking bastards!!”
“Choigang apex. Please calm down!”
Shit. It’s so damn noisy. Just shut up for a bit.
I sat down on the spot as my stomach started burning with pain. Both gang factions went into chaos at my sudden action. The Devil guys were calling out to me as if the sky had fallen, and Jung Ion was acting as if he’d fearlessly charge at apex Oh Eundo with an angry face. At that, Oh Eundo got provoked again, and the Choigang members were restraining him… It was quite a spectacle.
“Apex, are you alright?!”
Park Hanseo grabbed my arm as he squatted beside me.
If you ask if I’m okay, it’s only human decency to answer! …But that’s not the case right now. Cold sweat was flowing from my forehead, and the dirt ground of the sports field before my eyes was spinning enough to make me dizzy. And the continuous stomach pain, judging from what I’ve learned in my 26 years of life…
I have indigestion.
Come to think of it, I was trying to avoid the trio by eating quickly, so I must have eaten too hastily then. Ah, damn. I have indigestion. Fuck. There was no other answer no matter how I looked at it. One hundred percent indigestion. My face paled at the image of a sharp needle that flashed through my mind. Uwaaaah. I don’t want to get my finger pricked!
“Hah… It’s nothing, so don’t worry.”
I bowed my head deeply and spoke in a small voice just loud enough for Park Hanseo to hear. Even I couldn’t say “I ate too quickly trying to avoid you guys, so I’m fucking indigested” because it’s too embarrassing. But Park Hanseo’s face stiffened even more instantly. Ah, really, it’s nothing! It’s obviously indigestion, but as expected of a novel, the overreaction is too much, really.
“Oh Eundo.”
“…Gu Haejin, you’re now!”
“Please go back now.”
How long are you going to stay camped in our school’s sports field? The class bell had rung a while ago. Despite that, nobody—not the gang members or the spectators—went into the classroom. Ha. I never imagined educational authority in South Korea would fall this far. Thank you for your hard work teaching these worthless gang members.
Even after my words, Oh Eundo couldn’t hide his bewildered expression, which made me sigh. Ah, this kid really doesn’t listen. I don’t even have the strength to speak!
“Please! …Just go.”
“……!”
Was my statement that impactful? Why is he so startled? Oh Eundo, who had shuddered, looked quite flustered before hurriedly disappearing with his Choigang members, saying, “Let’s go, guys!” Thanks to that, half of Shinju High’s sports field was emptied with a whoosh. I’m newly realizing how many of those guys came. Did they bring that many people all the way here for such an insignificant conversation? That psycho bastard.
“Gu Haejin apex!”
“Don’t follow me.”
I staggered toward the main gate, leaving behind the gang members calling out to me. My body had become damp as if I’d taken a shower in sweat. Perhaps because it had been a long time since I’d had indigestion, it was quite difficult. I need to go home, take a nap, and then take some medicine.
Teacher, I’m sorry. Please understand that I’m taking an unauthorized leave against my will. Sob.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
