When we were out of the campus, he was still holding onto my hand when I stuttered, "E... Erm... you can let go now..."
He looked away as he let go of my hand, "S... Sorry... Anyway, I guess those assholes won't call you a worm anymore." I asked, "But why are you doing this...?"
"Because I want to. Deal with it," he walked away quickly and I was dumbfounded.
As I was doing my homework in my room, my mind was preoccupied with the thought of Chanhee who decided to stand up for me when he could have just pretended nothing happened. He went to the extent of threatening my classmates to stop making fun of me.
"Why is he doing this for me..." I mumbled. The number of times I have been sighing today was uncountable, and I thought that maybe I should go for a walk to clear my thoughts.
The park nearby was so empty, probably because it was already late at night. At least I did not have to listen to babies crying or dogs barking. It was a lot more peaceful than I thought, and I took this time to collect my thoughts.
I took a seat on the swing and looked down at my hand. The feeling of Chanhee's hand still lingered on my small one. The moment when Chanhee spoke up for me was still replaying in my head like a broken recorder and it warmed my heart, to be frank.
"Shion...?"
I looked up and I was surprised to see Chanhee standing in front of me. I tilted my head, "Chanhee? What are you doing here?" He said, "I was going home. What about you...?"
"I'm here for some fresh air," I said. He asked, "...Do you want to have supper with me? I could use some accompaniment..."
In the convenience store, it was just the two of us, and the cashier person on duty. We bought cup noodles and settled down on the chairs. As I was slurping my noodles, he asked, "Is something bothering you?"
I looked at him, "Hm? Oh... erm... not really... Just that... I was thinking about what happened just now... You know, in class?" He said, "Oh... I mean what I said... If they continue to call you a worm, I will seriously fight them. You don't deserve to be treated like that."
I smiled sadly, "...Thank you for telling me that though... It's the first time someone ever says it to me..." He asked, "Say what?" I cleared my throat and said, "You said that I don't deserve to be treated like that..."
"Well, it's true. It's ridiculous that you are being bullied for being smart," he grumbled. I sighed, "What can I do...?"
He said, "I can protect you if you are comfortable with that." I was flabbergasted by his words. He tilted his head, "Did I say something weird?"
I shook my head, "N... No! You didn't. It's just... it feels strange that you would want to protect me. I mean, we only just officially met today." He maintained his poker face, "So? That does not stop me from protecting you. Since you saved me from getting beaten up by those hooligans, it will be my oath to make sure that I can protect you from anyone who hurts you."
"Y... You don't have to establish an oath like that," I commented. He said, "It's my choice. In return, you can help me with my studies..."
"Your studies?" I repeated. He nodded, "...well... Mr. Kim... was it... he said he saw my score from my previous school and complained that it was terrible to the point, there's no way I can graduate with those shitty grades... so..."
"Ah... Mr. Kim Inseong? Yeah, I mean he is one of the smartest teachers in this school. If that's the case... sure. I can help you with your grades," I looked at him.
He put out his hand, "I guess, we can shake on it? Like... a way to authorize this oath or something." I chuckled and shook his hand, "Looking forward to helping you with your studies then, Chanhee."
"And I look forward to making sure you get the treatment you deserve," he smiled.
It was just a few seconds when he smiled, but my heart skipped a beat. This is strange...
What is going on with me...?