It was an awkward situation—too vague to press for details, yet not something he could simply brush off with an “I see.” Unsure what to say, Sihyeon fell into thought. As he carefully chose his words, Haru asked first if he was curious. Sihyeon nodded and focused on what came next.
Since Haru had shown a willingness to tell him himself, Sihyeon was able to listen without much burden—but what he heard was far from light.
Haru had lost his parents early and ended up in an orphanage. Then, by the orphanage director’s unilateral decision, he was sent to a research facility. There, he underwent training and eventually Awakened, and a year ago, he entered Strongest High. However, when the test determined that he was not a Dual, the director of the research facility he had belonged to forcibly enrolled him in a project to artificially create a Dual.
For an entire year.
At the end of it, he became an unstable Dual, unable to even perform class engraving. As Haru explained this in a tone calmer than expected, Sihyeon clenched his fists.
He thought only the school was insane—but now it seemed the entire world was.
“How old were you when you entered the research facility?”
“…I think I was about six.”
“What kind of training did you learn there?”
“…….”
For the second question, Haru chose silence.
Biting his lip, Sihyeon reached out and ruffled Haru’s hair.
Rustle.
At the sudden motion, Haru blinked. Sihyeon messed up his hair repeatedly, as if trying to ease the frustration building inside him.
What kind of training could it have been?
It had to have been something horrific.
He remembered how Haru had shown no hesitation in killing Wormmen, unlike the other students. Even without using skills, his physical combat ability alone had completely overwhelmed them.
If someone couldn’t guess what kind of “education” he’d received after seeing that, they might as well have no brain at all.
“They’re complete trash.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not talking about you, hyung. Thanks for telling me.”
Letting out a sigh, Sihyeon thought about what they must have done to a six-year-old child for twelve years. Looking at Haru, who had said he entered the school as if running away, he swallowed.
At least he had escaped now—that alone was a relief.
For the first time, Sihyeon felt grateful for Strongest High’s dormitory system, something he had always disliked. If not for that, Haru might still be trapped in that den of lunatics.
Now, everything about Haru’s behavior finally made sense. Why he had been so fascinated by the buffet. Why he was so wary of others. There was no way someone who had essentially been confined in a lab would even know what a buffet was.
They say everyone has their own story—but Haru’s circumstances were pitiful to an extreme, and the people who had made him that way were beyond vile.
“Doing something like that—artificially creating Duals—isn’t that illegal?”
It was practically human experimentation. There was no way society would tolerate something like that.
As Sihyeon asked with that implication, Haru just stared at him blankly. His innocent eyes blinked.
Why am I even asking him?
There was no way Haru would know. Shaking his head, Sihyeon withdrew the question. That was something he’d have to ask someone like Yoo Seowoo or Kang Haeun later.
“…Um, so…”
As Sihyeon continued diligently stroking Haru’s hair, Haru spoke cautiously. Tilting his head at the hesitant tone, Sihyeon watched as Haru scratched his cheek and slowly opened his mouth.
“Should I… cut my hair?”
“…What?”
“You said it’d be okay to cut it a little…”
It was what Sihyeon had suggested earlier. Seeing that Haru had been holding onto those words this whole time, Sihyeon looked at him.
His long hair still covered his eyes and nose.
Sihyeon reached out toward him.
“Let me take a look for a second.”
This time, he asked for permission before brushing the hair aside, meeting Haru’s bare face directly.
Before, he had been too distracted by the mark to really look—but now he saw it clearly.
Lowering his gaze slightly, Sihyeon examined Haru’s face.
His eyelashes dipped as if brushing down, then lifted again.
Beneath thick brows were red eyes—long and slightly sharp at the ends. At first glance, it wasn’t the kind of face you’d call “puppy-like,” but when startled, those eyes would round out, making him seem like one after all.
Even with monolids, the narrow eye shape itself was attractive. His skin, a shade lighter than a warm peach tone, was clear. Even the tear mole under his left eye was perfect.
Sihyeon’s brows drew together in seriousness.
It was far too much of a waste to keep living with this face hidden.
If he were the CEO of an entertainment agency, he’d have handed over a business card immediately.
Wasn’t it practically a loss to the nation to keep this face covered?
It was like Baek Geonwoo wearing a mask and hat 24/7, 365 days a year.
Having reached his conclusion, Sihyeon met Haru’s eyes.
“I think cutting it a bit would be fine… maybe about this much.”
Tracing just above Haru’s eyebrows with his thumb as a guide, Haru’s face flushed bright red.
Since he had been hiding behind his bangs like a curtain, he probably felt embarrassed showing his face. Sihyeon stepped back and lowered his hand.
Covering his mouth with the back of his large hand, Haru nodded.
He meant he’d cut it.
They had reconciled, learned a bit about each other’s past—and now they were even cutting his hair.
A lot had happened in a short amount of time.
At the sound of the bell echoing through the training room, Sihyeon stood up. While they had been talking, eighth period had ended—it was time for dinner.
***
“What, you two came together?”
“Looks like you made up! Oh my god. I’m finally free, Min-ah!”
“Stop clinging and get lost. So, did it work out?”
“Guess he didn’t get sick of you.”
The moment they entered the cafeteria together, the Class A students began throwing out comments—some congratulatory, some teasing.
It had been Sihyeon and Haru who reconciled after a long misunderstanding, but watching Class A make a bigger fuss than them, Sihyeon suddenly felt a shadow fall over him.
“…?”
Looking up at the shadow, Sihyeon met Geonwoo’s gaze—and the thoughts that had been constantly running in his head came to a halt.
“Good.”
That was all he said.
Maybe—just maybe—the corner of his lips had lifted slightly.
When Sihyeon looked again with widened eyes, the faint smile had already disappeared like a mirage. Rubbing his eyes, he awkwardly responded, “Uh… yeah.”
He really needed to stop getting dazed every time he saw him—but no matter how often it happened, he never got used to it.
“So why were you fighting?”
“None of your business.”
“Wow, seriously.”
At Sihyeon’s firm refusal, Hamin’s face crumpled. Watching him, Haeun snickered—only to get punched for it. At this point, it was routine.
Turning his gaze away, Sihyeon suddenly spoke while eating.
“Does anyone here know how to cut hair well?”
“I do.”
“You?”
The moment he asked, Hamin answered, and Sihyeon looked at him in surprise. Gripping the sword at his waist, Hamin smirked.
“Why, want me to cut yours too?”
“…….”
Not that kind of cutting, you lunatic.
Even knowing it was a joke, it wasn’t funny—just pathetic. Watching him with pity, thinking this was exactly why someone like Kang Haeun picked on him, Hamin immediately noticed and started shouting again.
Their bickering had become so common that Sihyeon simply ignored him.
“So seriously, does anyone know how to cut hair?”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Haru hyung said he’s going to cut his.”
“What?”
Everyone reacted in shock.
Was it really that big of a deal? Sihyeon wondered. The reaction was far more intense than expected, and Haru, seemingly embarrassed, lowered his head as if trying to disappear under the table.
“Why are you all so shocked?”
“He said he’s never cut it before!”
“A person has a lot of thoughts in a day—stop holding onto every single one of them.”
At Haeun’s protest, Sihyeon shot back. Only after repeatedly confirming it was true did Jihye slowly raise her hand.
“I’m not amazing at it, but my older sister works in cosmetology, so I’ve tried cutting hair a few times. If it’s okay, do you want me to do it?”
“Me too! I can cut hair too!”
Haeun chimed in from the side, but Sihyeon ignored him and turned to Haru.
“Hyung, Jihye says she’ll do it. What do you think?”
“Why are you ignoring me?”
“…It’s fine.”
“That’s a relief. Could you help us out?”
“Why are you ignoring me?”
Still ignoring Haeun completely, Sihyeon looked at Jihye. Watching the two of them—and Haeun—Jihye burst into laughter.
“Of course. I’ll do my best. By the way… you guys are really close.”
“…?”
Unlike Sihyeon, who looked confused, Haeun immediately brightened at the comment and started bragging about how close they were.
Dumbfounded, Sihyeon looked at Jihye. Scratching her cheek awkwardly, she glanced between Haeun, Hamin, Seowoo, Geonwoo—and then Haru and Sihyeon before speaking.
“It’s just… you feel like really old friends.”
At her clear voice, Sihyeon looked at the Four Heavenly Kings with tired eyes.
Even when he tried not to get involved, he got involved. Even when he stayed still, he got dragged in. At this point, he had given up and was just going with the flow—but apparently, this was how it looked to others.
“We’re not that close.”
He denied it quietly, but Haeun immediately denied that denial.
Letting out a sigh as Jihye laughed again, Sihyeon gave up. It didn’t seem like denial would work anymore.
After finishing their meal, they stood up.
The place to cut Haru’s hair was decided to be his training room, and the eight members of Class A headed there together.
“Let’s start.”
“…….”
Holding scissors and a comb with determination, Jihye stood in front of the full-length mirror. Haru, who had been looking at himself in the reflection, nodded.
Snip, snip.
The sound of scissors repeated as black strands of hair fell to the floor.
The hair that had nearly reached his shoulders was neatly cut away. Without clippers, they couldn’t shave it clean, but it was short enough to tuck behind his ears.
Sihyeon reached out as if to try it—then stopped himself.
It would’ve been nice if they had clippers, Jihye thought regretfully, before moving to the bangs. The others, who had been watching as intently as if it were a performance, leaned forward in unison.
After several more soft cutting sounds, Haru’s features were fully revealed, and Jihye let out a small gasp.
Feeling oddly proud, Sihyeon thought it’d be even more amazing once he opened his eyes.
Following Haru’s request, Jihye cut the bangs longer, then brushed away stray hairs around his eyes with a tissue.
“You can open your eyes now!”
There was a strange sense of anticipation in her voice.
Slowly, Haru opened his eyes and looked at his reflection.
His upturned eyes and red irises were revealed.
“Ah…”
He let out a short, breath-like exclamation.
Then suddenly, Haeun lunged at him.
“It looks way better, Haru hyung! Why did you hide it all this time? And without those weird glasses, it’s even better!”
“The glasses… broke… and I can see fine… without them…”
Flustered by Haeun’s exaggerated reaction, Haru lowered his head and answered slowly.
Even with his head lowered, his expression was now fully visible.
Watching him, Sihyeon let out a faint smile.
Haeun might’ve been overreacting—but his opinion wasn’t wrong.
“It suits you, hyung.”
As Sihyeon stepped closer and said it, Haru’s face turned red.
It seemed he still wasn’t used to compliments.
