[Yoo Seowoo]
One of the Four Heavenly Kings, known for being kind and gentle. Since childhood, he has never once missed being class president or student body president, and he lives while keeping it a secret that his parents run a famous entertainment agency. He comes to like Dawoon, but upon realizing that Dawoon likes Hamin, he takes a step back.
The moment he saw the name, the character description surfaced automatically in his mind, and the boy’s face came back into focus.
His platinum hair gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight, and his platinum eyes looked almost mystical. With looks like that, Sihyeon really should have suspected something before crashing into him.
If he had known this guy was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, he would have done anything to avoid colliding with him—even if it meant throwing himself backward or slamming into a wall and breaking something.
What was a broken bone, anyway? If he got involved with a main character, he might get kidnapped. He was already stuck living in an unfamiliar place—being dragged somewhere even stranger and having his life threatened by people he didn’t even know would be far worse than breaking a few bones.
Realizing it was useless to regret it now, Sihyeon pushed the thought aside and looked at Seowoo.
He wanted to avoid Dawoon, sure—but that didn’t mean he wanted to get tangled up with one of the Four Heavenly Kings instead. In the first place, why had he ended up in a situation straight out of a female lead cliché—bumping into one of the Four Heavenly Kings in an alley?
…Or maybe, the one who was originally supposed to run into Yoo Seowoo today wasn’t him—but Dawoon. And because he ran ahead trying to escape her…
He had avoided a ghost only to run into a tiger.
With an awkward gaze, Sihyeon looked down at Seowoo, who was practically half-pinned beneath him, then quickly got up and started thinking.
At least, it wasn’t the rude one—Lee Hamin—who looked like he’d eaten three bowls of bad manners for breakfast. But Yoo Seowoo wasn’t much better. Either way, he was still one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
“……”
Should he cover his face? Or knock him out with a hit to the back of the neck? Would his attack even work in the first place? This was one of the Four Heavenly Kings from an internet novel—being good at fighting was basically a default setting.
If they stayed face-to-face too long and this turned into something like, “Oh, you’re the one who bumped into me back then…,” at school later, it would be a headache. Not that there was a high chance of that happening to someone who wasn’t even the female lead—but you never knew.
“Are you okay?”
Instead of Sihyeon, who had gone silent, Seowoo spoke first as he got up from where he had fallen. As expected of the “kind one.” Dusting off his clothes, he checked on Sihyeon.
Sihyeon only nodded—and just as he considered turning around and running even now—
“Kang Sihyeon!”
Dawoon’s voice, calling his name, rang out nearby.
Only then did Sihyeon remember why he had been running for his life. His body stiffened as he turned to look behind him. Dawoon wasn’t visible yet—but it felt like she would appear at any moment.
In front of him was one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Behind him was an enraged female lead.
Trapped with no way forward or back, Sihyeon hesitated. Watching him, Seowoo tilted his head.
“Is someone chasing you?”
“…What?”
“Want me to help?”
“…What?”
It was absurd, one thing after another.
As Sihyeon stared at him in confusion, Dawoon’s furious shout of “Kang Sihyeon!” rang out again at the same time.
Grinding his teeth, Sihyeon looked between Seowoo and the direction behind him.
Think. Think, Yoo Sihyeon. Which is the lesser disaster?
If he got caught by Dawoon, he’d probably get beaten senseless and dragged to school in tatters, only to get swept up in all kinds of incidents. Like one of the Four Heavenly Kings—the rude one—showing up and saying, “So you’re the one who beat me in the entrance exam?” Or the cold one appearing and saying, “You’re annoying.” That kind of situation.
On the other hand, if he asked Yoo Seowoo for help… he had no idea what that would even look like. Why would this guy help him in the first place?
Honestly, it seemed better to just ask Seowoo to move aside and run in the direction he had come from.
“Wouldn’t it be enough if you just step aside and let me run past?”
“……”
Strike while the iron is hot—he said it immediately.
Seowoo smiled.
He looked friendly enough—but didn’t move.
It seemed like he wanted to hear Sihyeon actually ask for help.
So much for being kind and gentle. Maybe the character description was wrong. Or maybe he was only kind and gentle to the female lead.
“It looks fun—want to run away together?”
“No.”
Even in the middle of his dilemma, Sihyeon responded instantly to the nonsense, his face turning incredulous.
Why was he making this so complicated when he could just step aside?
“Can’t you just move?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Hmm… because I like you?”
“…Right.”
He couldn’t exactly punch him.
He was the one in a serious situation, but Seowoo alone seemed playful. Wanting to drop the polite speech he had been using out of courtesy—just to avoid getting too involved—Sihyeon sighed and pressed his forehead.
Seowoo’s smile deepened.
“Kang Sihyeon!”
The voice was getting closer.
Honestly, he could just shove Seowoo aside and run. But if he did, it was obvious this guy would use it against him later.
People had instincts—and Sihyeon’s were especially sharp.
And when it came to bad feelings, they were always worth trusting.
Letting out a sigh, Sihyeon finally spoke with a resigned expression. It would only be this once.
“How are you going to help? She’s still my friend, so don’t hit her or anything. It’d be best if we don’t get caught—and honestly, the best option is still you just moving.”
He spoke in a flat tone, laying out his true thoughts.
Seowoo let out a small laugh, his eyes curving.
Just as expected of one of the Four Heavenly Kings—his looks were absurdly good.
“Have you ever watched a movie?”
“…What?”
“You know those scenes where people pretend to be a couple and fake a kiss to avoid being seen?”
“……”
Sihyeon just stared at him, not even bothering to react.
Seowoo laughed, saying it was a joke, and stepped closer as if asking for some kind of response.
At that moment—
“Kang Sihyeon!”
Dawoon’s voice came even closer.
“Run!”
Suddenly, Seowoo grabbed Sihyeon’s wrist.
Without warning, he started running back the way he had come.
Pulled along, Sihyeon looked baffled—but then, with a whatever happens, happens mindset, he started running again. Two pairs of feet pounded against the ground.
He had thought that, since this body belonged to a track team member, he wouldn’t fall behind—but Yoo Seowoo was just as fast, if not faster. In fact, he even slowed down slightly to match Sihyeon’s pace when he started lagging.
After turning a couple more corners and passing two forks in the road, they finally ducked into a quieter alley. Only then did Seowoo release Sihyeon’s wrist and glance down at it.
“Should be fine around here. Did I leave any marks?”
Sihyeon was too busy catching his breath to even respond properly, while Seowoo—who had been dragging him along—was barely out of breath.
Shaking his head to indicate he was fine, Sihyeon pulled his wrist back.
Still breathing heavily, he bent forward and leaned against the hard wall. Even though this was the body of a track athlete, the fact that Yoo Seowoo looked perfectly fine just showed how ridiculous the Four Heavenly Kings’ buffs were.
…Or maybe Kang Sihyeon was a sprinter—fast at bursts, but lacking stamina.
Either way, it was still far better than his original body’s stamina. He quietly steadied his breathing.
While Seowoo kept watch outside until his breathing returned to normal, Sihyeon loosened his suffocating tie and tilted his head back.
The air of March filled his lungs.
The gentle warmth felt strangely new, and his blue eyes settled quietly.
When he had been hit by the car, it had been the middle of winter—the air had been freezing.
Shaking off the brief thought, he pushed himself out of it.
Once his breathing had stabilized, he walked toward Seowoo and looked around. Dawoon’s voice and presence were nowhere to be found.
Relieved, Sihyeon let out a breath.
“What’s your relationship? With the person chasing you.”
“Ah… just friends.”
“Friends? And you’re that scared of her?”
“…Something happened.”
“Hmm.”
Seowoo hummed at the answer, looking at him with a meaningful gaze.
Feeling uncomfortable, Sihyeon frowned.
“What?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep staring.”
“Hmm… it’s nothing.”
Because you’re pretty.
He added it casually.
Sihyeon’s expression crumpled.
He can say that so easily without even flinching?
Trying not to show his distaste, he inwardly recoiled—while Seowoo let out a short laugh. The faint sound of it almost resembled classical music.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
“What else? I’ll try to make it to school safely. Thanks for the help.”
Though honestly, he could’ve escaped on his own.
Adding that last remark to make a point, Sihyeon adjusted his bag and gave Seowoo a slight nod.
Rather than helping, the guy had only made things more complicated—but since he had also owed him for the collision, he decided to call it even and pretend they didn’t know each other from now on.
“Thanks for the help, but let’s just go our separate ways. We were strangers anyway—so I’d appreciate it if we stay that way.”
He said his thanks and his request, then stepped out of the alley.
A cleaner farewell couldn’t exist—he was just starting to feel satisfied when a voice suddenly stopped him in his tracks.
“Aren’t you an incoming student at Mir Military Academy High School?”
“……”
At the school name he had been actively trying not to think about out of embarrassment, Sihyeon froze.
This guy just said it out loud like it was nothing.
Well… technically, Yoo Seowoo attended the same school.
“Why?”
Slightly scrunching his nose to show he didn’t want to get involved any further, Sihyeon responded curtly.
Seowoo shrugged and pointed at his name tag.
The white name tag with ‘Yoo Seowoo’ engraved on it came into view.
He had already checked it once.
“I’m an incoming student there too.”
“Ah… right. Good for you.”
“Since this is fate, want to go together?”
“No.”
Fate? Yeah, right.
Even if it was fate, it would definitely be bad fate.
Rejecting him immediately, Sihyeon watched as Seowoo—whose expression didn’t change at all—moved his red lips.
“I want to go together, though… Sihyeon-ah.”
“…?”
At the sound of his name, Sihyeon’s eyes widened.
Looking at Seowoo as if asking how do you know my name?, he saw Seowoo smile warmly and tap his name tag with his long fingers.
Sihyeon glanced down at his own chest.
Kang Sihyeon.
Come to think of it—he had a white name tag pinned there too.
