The rest of the class passed in relative silence. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the class, Lee Hyun gathered his things and left quietly. Song Yujin even tried to follow him and explain the content of the letter, but some of his new classmates approached him.
Some students dared to introduce themselves to Song Yujin and even tried to strike up a light conversation with him, seemingly attracted by his carefree and friendly behavior.
Despite his odd behavior in Mr. Han's class earlier, it seemed that students were finding him amusing and interesting.
He was chatting with them when someone hit him hard in the back of his head he almost bent forward.
Knowing that gesture, he looked back with a pout and puppy eyes, "What was that for?"
Kim Hajun ignored the laughter of their classmates that erupted from his unsolicited action and Song Yujin's sorry face. He barked, "What the hell are you doing getting on the vice president's skin?! You're already a bad shot after you sneaked away yesterday!"
"You sneaked away yesterday? Is that why you didn't come, Yujin?"
Kim Hajun and Song Yujin turned to the guy who asked.
He was as tall as the two, his hands were in his pockets and his grin was wide and playful. His ID card was stashed in the pocket of his long-sleeved polo uniform, and both of his sleeves were folded up to his elbows.
With his hair a bit messy, as though he had just woken up from a long nap, and his eyes twinkling with mischief despite the normalcy of the situation, he appeared a delinquent in both Kim Hajun and Song Yujin's eyes.
Even the way he addressed Song Yujin with his name casually was alerting – like he was talking to someone inferior to him.
Song Yujin grinned back, ignoring the wary, side glances of some of the students. "Right. I forgot my ID, so I had to jump over the fence, but the vice president caught me."
The guy chuckled, his shoulders moved, and that slight movement made the ID card in his pocket slip. Song Yujin stared at the name on the card. His brows raised after reading a foreign name.
Lu Yuze…why does it sound familiar? Song Yujin pondered.
Interrupting Song Yujin's train of thought, Lu Yuze spoke, "Dude, you've got guts pulling that to the school council's vice president! I like you already. What do you think about eating lunch with me?"
Kim Hajun hesitated, seeing that the other students were giving them an avoidant look. However, Song Yujin, being the airheaded and optimistic person he was, easily agreed. Kim Hajun had no choice but to tag along.
Surprisingly, their interests aligned, and they had a good conversation over lunch.
As they were walking back to their room to wait for the afternoon class to start, Lu Yuze noticed the missing ID on Song Yujin's neck and asked about it.
"Ugh, it was on the disciplinary office…maybe," Song Yujin answered with an eye roll.
Kim Hajun furrowed his brows, "Maybe? You're not sure? Where do you think it is except the D.O.?"
Song Yujin replied, "Lee Hyun gave it to his brother—
"The president?!"
The carefree and happy-go-lucky fella looked at the two who answered him in chorus. He raised his eyebrows, wondering what the need for the simultaneous answer was, paired with the same faces.
Lu Yuze walked backward after composing himself again. With his hands clasped together cupping the back of his head, he grinned at Song Yujin with a hint of pity and stated, "Dude, you think it's easier to get it back if it's the student council's president because he looks friendlier and more approachable than his younger brother?"
Song Yujin's face turned paler, "No?"
Kim Hajun answered, "Junyoung told me he's kind and all smiley, but the president's actually the one supervising the punishment given to those who violated the school rules. And he said everyone he watched under those kind yet stern eyes became more compliant after."
"Maybe they felt guilty after wasting the president's time?" Song Yujin responded, still in denial about Lee Hyun's brother's personality. To him, Lee Hoon has the second kindest smile he has ever seen, first is his sister Kim Hajin. He turned to his foster brother briefly and asked, "Who's Junyoung, by the way?"
Kim Hajun replied, "The guy next to me in class."
Laughter erupted from Lu Yuze's mouth. He even inclined his head backward from too much laughter, and then he spoke afterward, "Rather than feeling guilty they were compelled to act accordingly, or else they will have to do more strenuous and bothersome tasks again."
"Strenuous and bothersome?" Song Yujin asked with a nervous tone. Did the president ask them to clean the whole school? Or maybe force them to weed the whole school grounds?
Kim Hajun asked the laughing Lu Yuze, "What kind of punishment are those?"
Lu Yuze shrugged his shoulders. He eyed Song Yujin with a mysterious glint as he responded dismissively, "Dunno. I look like this, but I never get listed in the D.O. book of naughty kids."
"That's quite hard to believe," Kim Hajun remarked.
Lu Yuze grimaced jokingly, "Man~ what do you know?" He whirled around and almost hit another student with his elbow, but the student quickly walked away, not even demanding an apology from him. Lu Yuze followed the male student with his gaze as he continued, "Well, I've been in this school for more than half a year, and I'm really trying to be a good student, so…Song Yujin, don't influence me."
His ending words were said in a humorous tone. Kim Hajun shook his head, seemingly resigned at the fate of Lu Yuze, as a thought dashed in his head, after meeting Song Yujin, I doubt you'd be safe from influence.
Song Hajin asked bluntly, "So, you transferred in the middle of last school year? Is that why the other students are avoiding you?"
Lu Yuze paused for a moment. His face changed into a pallid mask, hiding his bubbly behavior and the traces of laughter on his lips. Kim Hajun looked at Song Yujin who kept staring at the quiet Lu Yuze, scrutinizing the sudden change in the latter's mood.
After a few minutes of silence, Lu Yuze turned to them, then he responded, staring directly at Song Yujin, "No. The reason was…because of the rumors that went around about my transfer. Who would transfer in the middle of the school year anyway? Of course, they'd think I did because I was expelled due to…unimaginable reasons."
Kim Hajun was speechless. He widened his eyes at Song Yujin, signaling to shut his mouth up and just not answer, but his foster brother just straight up spoke again, "Did you?"
Lu Yuze's eyes widened. A flicker of hope flashed in his dull eyes and the insipid mask he wore cracked. He averted his eyes from Song Yujin, his face in disbelief as he covered his mouth with his hands, then after rubbing his nape like a shy kid, he finally answered, "No. That's not true."
Song Yujin smiled and patted Lu Yuze's back a bit hard, "Geez. What took you so long to answer, dude?"
Lu Yuze froze. His eyes shook, but he managed to answer, "I…just didn't expect you to ask. No one asked me about the truth anyway."
Kim Hajun's guarded expression softened a bit from the crestfallen Lu Yuze who was trying to act cool and nonchalant but got betrayed by his eyes and voice. He sighed and hit the back of Lu Yuze's head before walking ahead, shouting, "You should have shouted the truth from the rooftops, dummy!"
Song Yujin agreed. He shouted the same content, but their voices were heard by a passing teacher and got reprimanded big time.
To Lu Yuze, trying to blend in on his new environment after transferring and trying to be a good student despite the negative atmosphere, being reprimanded like that after giving his best to stay out of the teachers' sight, was somehow refreshing.
He watched Kim Hajun and Song Yujin nod along to the teacher's words, bowed and attentively listening, yet their faces showed no anxiety and just the look of being used to that kind of situation was plastered on their stupid faces.
Lu Yuze laughed, and it was a genuine one.