Whether it was because we were going on a school trip starting next Wednesday for 3 nights and 4 days, or because the exam had just ended yesterday—what suddenly pierced through the quiet of class time was a challenge to fight the Five Great Kings.
“The top-ranked Five Great Kings in the nation! I challenge you to a fight with our rankings on the line!”
The kids who had been dozing off half-asleep after the exam ended all opened their eyes in surprise. Outside the open window, someone was still shouting.
“Come out here!!”
The voice speaking each syllable clearly was sharp enough to pierce the ears. Lee Seung, who was sitting by the window, leaned his body toward the window.
“Who comes during class time? Do you have no business ethics?”
He shouted just as loudly and looked outside fiercely. He always spoke so clearly, and now I see he uses that good pronunciation for times like this.
“It’s lunch time in 20 minutes, so come then!”
Lee Seung acted bratty and slammed the window shut. The voice of the person who had been shouting something seemed to quiet down in disbelief at the closed window.
The kids returned to a warm atmosphere and murmured among themselves. The teacher also praised him, saying it was excellent. What is this atmosphere even?
But it should be class time for most people right now, so I don’t know how that person outside came. They must have skipped class after all. Our Five Great Kings attend school diligently though.
“I can capture the Five Great Kings-nim’s battle appearance again…”
A fan club member who always carries a big camera muttered. With that, the teacher resumed the interrupted class.
“Let’s move through the material quickly, open to page 128.”
I turned the pages of my book according to the teacher’s words. The kids who opened their books following along seemed to focus on the lesson again, but their eyes clearly showed excitement.
Ding—
Change that bell sound already.
As soon as the monotonous bell sound rang as always, the kids rushed out to the playground. I also mixed in roughly among the kids and went out to the playground. The kids took their positions and formed a circle.
I tried to get a spot with a good view. The kids slowly stepped back, making the circle bigger.
Finally, when the Five Great Kings came out, the challenger spoke while setting the mood. I barely held back the cringiness.
“It was a spring day in April. I was one of those who boldly challenged you and failed.”
He passionately confessed while scanning the crowd once.
“I said I would come back stronger, and I came to keep that promise. Now that I’ve returned from training under my master, the Shadow of the Masked Wind, I’ve become stronger. Kuk, kuk, kuk…”
Come back stronger? I remembered him clearly. That guy who picked a fight on the way home from school, spouted lines full of bravado, and exited in 6 seconds—how exhausted I was that day. Because of that, I couldn’t even go home early.
I looked at him with unfavorable eyes due to past grudges. The kids who also seemed to have a lot built up sent jeers.
“So was that person Baek Ban?”
“It’s Baek Chan! Remember the name of the one who will threaten Aseon High School from now on.”
He spoke pompously, as if he’d learned strange things along with getting stronger. The kids started to stir and murmur.
“The disciple of that ‘Shadow of the Masked Wind’?”
“No way.”
Before long, kids from other classes also came running hurriedly and started joining the ranks. The murmuring grew several times louder.
“The rules are the same as last time. If you’re a re-challenger, we don’t need to explain the rules again, right?”
Lee Seung came out through the crowd and narrowed his eyes.
“That arrogant bastard.”
Seeming to recognize the voice, Baek Chan pointed and muttered to himself. When everyone ignored him, he briefly showed an enraged expression then composed himself.
“Now, everyone spread out more.”
Lee Seung waved his arms and gave a hint to step back. The kids all stepped back at once, creating a wide space. Han Yeo-wol walked in front of Baek Chan with an interested expression.
“This time, I hope you’ll give me, the Midnight Emperor Han Yeo-wol, an entertaining vic. to. ry.”
Han Yeo-wol spoke in a tone incomparably cheesier than the challenger’s cringy words. The way he chewed out his own epithet from his own mouth was masterful.
“We’re starting, one.”
Lee Seung spoke clearly and stepped back.
“Two.”
Han Yeo-wol slowly crossed his arms. Baek Chan became angry again.
“Three.”
I absentmindedly kicked a stone that was in my way. The quite heavy stone shot forward at a fast speed.
“Start!”
Baek Chan leaped forward nimbly. And then…
“Ugh!”
He got hit in the leg by the flying stone and fell. What’s this reaction from getting hit by just one stone?
“…”
A frightening silence flowed. The kids looked toward where the stone came from and all eyes focused on me. I panicked and muttered to myself.
“I didn’t do it. This is…”
I started improvising, pretending I didn’t do it. I shouted loudly.
“This is punishment brought down by the Shadow of the Masked Wind-nim.”
Silence flowed. I shouted loudly so everyone could hear.
“To punish you for daring to impersonate a disciple, the Shadow of the… Wind-nim personally punished the fraud with a stone.”
I fumbled through the name in the middle after mixing it up. I stretched out my arm in a big motion and pointed my finger at Baek Chan. The kids’ gazes flowed toward Baek Chan following my finger like swimming.
“That, that can’t be. I even remember that person’s noble countenance!!!!!! That person had blood-red eyes!!!!!!!!!!”
Ah, using exclamation marks alone.
A vocal capacity that should go to the vocal music department. Baek Chan explosively demonstrated the vocal capacity he’d been hiding and spoke threateningly. I tried hard to hold back the cringiness.
“He has black eyes.”
Han Yeo-wol spoke, breaking the tense atmosphere.
“Ah— To be precise, the left eye is black. Kuk, the right eye was violet resembling violets. Unfortunately, it seems you’ve been de. ceived. by a fraud.”
Yeo-wol! I looked at him with deep emotion. The attention that had been focused on me instantly converged on Han Yeo-wol and Baek Chan. I let out a sigh of relief.
‘Originally, famous people like that only side with the protagonist…’
I gazed into the air with distant eyes. Still, it was a dangerous action that might expose the lie. I added one more thing to be careful about in the future.
Don’t touch or kick just anything.
“But how do we record the seconds? It seems like we need a rematch.”
One capable student raised their hand and asked. Baek Chan, whose face had turned bright red with embarrassment, mumbled.
“Just treat it as me surrendering when I fell. I won’t forget this time…”
He spoke timidly and hurriedly ran away. Laughter burst out among the kids.
“Then how many seconds is it?”
“0.2 seconds”
“Now we have to update the record with 0.2 seconds ding. Got it, everyone?”
I spaced out with a completely unamused expression. Somehow having pushed through the crowd, In-sae came in front of me and waved his hand.
“Can I faint?”
“No.”
“If I faint, you carry me to the nurse’s office.”
“I’ll piggyback you.”
In-sae lowered the hand he’d been waving and stuck his hands in his hoodie pockets. Lee Seung also came out next to In-sae and spoke.
“I was incredibly surprised thinking you did it, but it was a fraud.”
Lee Seung shook his head in disbelief. Well, I did do it though. Since the kids all believe me, I feel kind of strange. I felt guilty, but instead I confidently smiled while making eye contact.
“But I was just so surprised that my legs lost strength.”
“Endure it. When you see the Five Great Kings-nim, your legs will be filled with strength.”
Lee Seung, who immediately became serious and even added encouragement, was like a person crazy about the Five Great Kings. I drew a dazed smile while hearing myself being called just ‘some kid’ among the kids. I’m really fortunate to be treated as extra 1 who was surprised by sudden attention.
I grabbed my trembling legs. And I looked at the kids pitifully and asked once more.
“You’ll really support me and take me to the nurse’s office, right?”
“Yeah.”
In-sae answered quickly. Lee Seung said confidently, as if doing a favor, that he’d go with us too.
The kids parted, and the Five Great Kings slowly walked off the stage. The kids cheered that it was a cool fight. What cool fight when they didn’t even fight?
“Five Great Kings-nim are so cool. Please accept my heart…”
I clapped sincerely and shouted to fulfill my duty as a fan.
***
I’m coming to the nurse’s office for the second time today when I normally never come here. I asked for support, but when we actually went to the nurse’s office, I declined the support.
Lee Seung complained, saying what was the point of that if I was going to go alone anyway. Naturally, Hee-ae followed along cheerfully, and In-sae seemed to be hesitating next to me about whether or not to hold me. I’m telling you it’s not so bad that I can’t walk.
I knocked and then pushed open the sliding door. For some reason, the nurse teacher wearing a white gown was inside the nurse’s office. He’s usually never here, but he greeted us with a refreshing smile.
“What’s the matter?”
It would be a bit strange to say my legs lost strength so I came to rest. I thought about what to say and swept my hair back while taking a breath.
“Changing your bandage?”
The nurse teacher’s gaze went to my forehead. Ah, the forehead—that’s where I banged my head against the wall yesterday and put on a bandage. I do need to change the bandage anyway.
At the word bandage, Hee-ae and In-sae simultaneously checked my forehead. I regretted sweeping my hair back as I saw their fierce expressions. Knowing the two of them would worry, I stood quietly without making excuses.
“Are you hurt?”
“Shi-dan…”
In-sae and Hee-ae spoke in succession. In-sae leaned his body once to check the bandage on my forehead and straightened his body again.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
