"Yes of course I know Chunghoo," Kim Heeson said. He took a bite of the kimbap. The lunch break had been one of the favorite times of the school, no, maybe the whole day. It felt as if he could truly be himself in that short hour.
Lee Dojin's eyes widened slightly. "Is he a household name or what?"
"It's not like that." He placed his food on the table. It had some cheap plastic wrapped around it, so he did not worry about the germs. "We used to hang around the same circle, though he's a year under us. Well, in essence, he's another useless bum. Seems like we get these a lot lately." The boy laughed. "Maybe there's something in this school that creates great delinquents."
"Talk for yourself," Kim Jyejin commented. "The majority here are well behaved. It is still a prestigious school after all."
"Prestigious school, huh? Just some moniker for a collection of rich kids and failed talents." He thought about how the fees alone had turned his mother into a hunchback from all the overtime. A wry smile escaped him, though no one caught it. "Well, putting that aside, I know him quite well. That dude's classroom is right below ours."
"Are you guys friends or something," Lee Dojin asked.
"Hell no: Rather, I doubt he has any at all." He quickly shook his head, clearly not wishing to be associated with him. "And unlike the people I hang around with, he is a genuine second-generation rich brat. I only remember him because of his weird quirk."
"Ah, I know what you are talking about," Kim Jyejin chimed in. She leaned forward as if fearing no one would notice her presence otherwise. "That's why I remembered him too." At the same time, she chewed on the stick of a lollipop she had finished a few minutes ago.
Their unconventional reactions managed to catch Lee Dojin's attention. He brushed his hair out of his face. "Well guys, don't leave me hanging."
"There's not much to it," Kim Heeson said. He took another bite of his kimbap. "Dude's got brain damage, I swear by it."
"That's not it at all," Jyejin quickly rebutted and hit the back of his head. "You're really irritating, you know that?" She harrumphed. "Moving on, that Il Chunghoo. Apparently, he has a bad memory. The first day, he arrived at the wrong school, which is why he started school 2 weeks later."
"That bastard once asked me what my name was. We've been hanging out for three hours already. And he also took my cigarette." Kim Heeson scoffed. "He's got the attention span of a mayfly. That might be why he's always so aggressive. I'd be a pain in the ass too if I kept forgetting stuff."
"Not like you aren't one already," Jyejin gave an off-handed remark. "Oh, there was also a time where he asked a friend of mine to go on a date with him, not realizing he had done so two times already. He's notoriously bad at remembering faces and all that." She laughed. "I mean, it's sad, but I can't help feeling how comically funny this is. That's why ironically, I remember him." She thought back to the words of that couple she met the other night at the restaurant. A hint of worry flashed in her eyes. "You're asking because you are thinking of meeting him, right?"
"Yes. Personally, I don't really care what kind of shady underground business some random high-schoolers are into, or whether that Il Chunghoo one day forgets whether he is male or female." Underneath the table, he gripped his hands. The thought of his former friend, who'd later on become a persistent enemy of mankind, Do Jiwoon, sprung to his mind. "However, there's a guy with whom I have some personal grievances. It would be nice to settle them early."
Kim Jyejin watched him. Those words didn't sound like something Lee Dojin would say. At least not the one she had known until now. She wondered, that person he wished to meet, were they the reason for his change? A great rational part of her wanted him to stop. It sounded dangerous. Yet, at the same time, there was a splinter, small but lodged deep in her heart, which said to let him go. She wanted to find out because she knew it would become interesting. That part of hers, she hated most, the need to alleviate her neverending boredom.
While Jeyjin remained plagued with her inner thoughts, Heeson did not understand the situation. "What did I miss? Why do you want to meet that guy?" A sudden realization dawned upon him as he thought about Lee Dojin's behavior the past few days. He pulled him closer and whispered with a serious voice, "You know, if you murder someone today, you won't see the light until maybe 15 or 20 years. If you are lucky."
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm just going to talk." Though Lee Dojin was pretty sure he could get away with killing someone. Maybe not today, but definitely tomorrow, when it was already the penultimate day of a normal world. "But I'm not going to lie. It's some shady business."
Kim Heeson squinted his eyes, trying to ascertain whether Lee Dojin had been serious. "Damn, how'd a bookworm like you get caught in all that mess? You better tell me next time we go to a PC Bang." He breathed out. "Well, if it's urgent, let's just wait until classes are over."
"Hmm." Lee Dojin thought about it. If he had to wait for long, he might miss the ideal timing to fight the shadows. His mind churned as he rubbed his chin. Strictly speaking, he was ahead of his schedule. And this opportunity was a lot harder to come by after The First Advent. "Sure, let's do it."
...
"There he is," Kim Heeson pointed at a boy with a buzzcut. Even from afar, they could tell he had an irritated face, with the other students walking a big curve around him.
Kim Jyejin cusped her hand over her eyes. "He certainly has a presence."
"Let's go talk to him." Lee Dojin stopped leaning on the wall and approached the boy. "Hey you, Il Chunghoo, right?"
"Who is asking?" The grumpy boy replied. He had his eyebrows down low, a slunched back, and his hands in his jeans. "I don't know you, do I?" The beep of a car horn resounded through the street.
Kim Jyejin and Heeson trailed right behind Dojin. The two of them looked both ways before crossing the road. Their school was right in front of an intersection. Though it wasn't heavily trafficked, they still had to watch for any incoming cars. "No, you don't, but aren't you open to learning?"
Il Chunghoo clicked his tongue. "If you ain't got nothing to do with me then stop bothering me, then piss off," he said and shoved Lee Dojin's shoulder. "You're in my way."
"Relax, I didn't come to fight." He didn't budge and instead grabbed Il Chunghoos' hand. "No need for the hostility, we are next to traffic. I only have something to ask you, wouldn't you help me out?"
"Why do I need to help a stranger," he asked in a hostile tone. He tried retracting his hand, but then realized he couldn't. His eyes widened as he realized he was stuck. How did someone this scrawny boy have so much power in them?
"I'm Lee Dojin. You're Il Chunghoo. We go to the same school." He smiled innocently. "Now we aren't strangers anymore. Will you answer some questions? It's rather important—as in, the fate of the world important—so why don't you cooperate?"
"Fuck, are you a policeman or something?" Il Chunghoo grew increasingly agitated. He didn't quite understand what these people wanted, and he wasn't too keen to find out. However, he couldn't escape Lee Dojin's grip (looking like an animal caught in a bear trap). He began pushing at him, his head lowered and using his shoulders as if a lineman in a football game. "Get the fuck off me."
"Hey, this starting to look a little suspect," Kim Jyejin commented. A car passed them, its tailwind flinging her hair in the air. "This won't turn into anything big right?"
Lee Dojin let his arm go, and Il Chunghoo stumbled forward. His pale face now red over his cheeks. "You piece of shit, fine, let's settle this right now."
At the same time, Baek Ji-ah, who had finished her work for the day and was about to go home, saw Lee Dojin and the group in the distance. She remembered the task her supervisor gave her for the excursion and thought this may be a good chance. Unsure of the happenings, she walked over with a smile.
"Ji-ah," Kim Jyejin said, fearing that they had gotten into trouble.
"That's Seungsengnim for you, miss," she said jokingly. "Dojin, it's good that you are here. Do you perchance have time tomorrow?"
Jyejin held her mouth and her eyes widened slightly. A grin crept up her face. "Oho, what'S this? What's this?" Was she boldly announcing her rendezvous?
Baek Ji-ah tilted her head in confusion. She did not understand what Jyejin was getting at. Yet, she explained anyway. "It's only an excursion. We are going to a museum. It's only because I'm their homeroom teacher that I get to go, otherwise, a math teacher would never be able to leave the grounds, so I'm a little excited," she said with unexpected fervor.
"Sure, if it's not around 12 or 13."
Il Chunghoo cracked his neck. "You bastard, why are you suddenly ignoring me?"
"Hey, Chunghoo, watch your words," Ji-ah chastised him. "That reminds me, were where you during your morning lessons?"
"I forgot them. Now buzz off." He grabbed Lee Dojin's collar and pulled it upward. He heard it rip. "You want to know more about me? Let's go then, I won't make ya ever forget me."
Lee Dojin lifted his arm, and he saw his sleeve torn. "Damn, I hope that wasn't expensive." He sighed. It was a good shirt. "Anyway, that's fine by me, if it makes you listen. Do you know a guy named Do Jiwoon?"
Instantly, Chunghoos eyes widened greatly. "You, how do you know that name?"
Baek Ji-ah was stumped by this sudden turn. "Hey you guys, what are you doing in front of the school," she shouted and pulled Il Chunghoos's arm away. "The audacity!"
"I told you to piss off!" He glared at Ji-ah and pushed her.
It wasn't a great push but coupled with her weak constitution, it was enough to make her stumble, though he could not have known that. But reality did not wait for misunderstandings. She fell back, her left leg caught underneath a branch, and she stumbled into the open road. The next few seconds went incredibly slow for everyone—including the car approaching. The car beeped, but that wouldn't mean Ji-ah would disappear.
"Again?" Lee Dojin let out an exasperated voice, but he made broke out the boy's grip and ran as fast as she could and locked his arms around Ji-ah. But she did not feel relieved. Instead, her eyes remained on the increasingly close headlights. And then, a loud shriek echoed through the intersection.