His seat is in front of yours.
Not that it was always this way. Someone sat where you did, four months ago when the school year began. But they were more than happy to swap seats after you asked.
Did he feel the same way I did, when I first saw Julian? You wondered, staring at the desk in front of you. But that shouldn’t be right. These feelings should belong to me only...
You browse idly through your phone, waiting for class to start.
It seems another five gates have appeared in Seoul. Hunters usually take care of them, but sometimes they are left undetected for too long, leading to incidents where parts of the city are ravaged by the invaders and hundreds are killed.
Those accidents rarely happen anymore though. As the days go by, more and more people are awakening. Some gain incredible strength, while others could heal or summon familiars with magic. They are called hunters, and while the majority decide to help society by fighting the monsters that come out of the gates, a small percentage use their power for personal gain. They're known as villains.
But not much can be done to stop them. After all, what can police do against superhumans that can crush steel with their bare hands and are impervious to normal firearms?
“What’s up princess?”
Someone taps you on the back, making you flinch. You feel your hair brushed out of the way before they start massaging your shoulders in smooth, circular motions.
It’s Yvon, a tall guy with messy red hair that sits behind you. He looks like a stereotypical delinquent, but he’s surprisingly kind once you get to know him.
"How's my shoulder massage?"
“Rough and painful.”
“Don’t you think it feels good after a while?
“No.”
“Not even a little bit?”
“No! You’re terrible at it.”
“So cold!” He whines. “It’s a wonder you even have any friends with that personality. Well don’t worry - it suits your appearance perfectly.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Y’know. You look like one of those rich, stuck up tsundere characters... and you act like one too.”
“Stop talking.” You say quickly, glaring at him. “Class is starting soon.”
“You mean Julian is coming soon. Can’t stand to show your real personality in front of your crush?”
“...”
“Okay Okay!” He raises his hands, laughing nervously as he returns to the seat behind you. "It's just a joke, a joke..."
You sigh. It seems you go through this song and dance every morning. But you can’t say you hate it...
Suddenly, you peek up. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot someone walking into class.
It’s Julian.
Darling!
You discreetly watch as he makes his way through the room, dropping down into the seat in front of yours. He’s still wearing the same old shirt and jacket from yesterday, and his black hair is a little bit messy.
But no matter how unruly his appearance is, he’s still so cute!
He gives you a friendly wave and you quickly return it, somewhat nervous when his eyes are on you. After all, you feel more comfortable watching him from a distance...
“Have you heard the news?”
Yvon’s voice interrupts your moment. He slides his chair to your desk, facing you and Julian conspicuously.
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“I heard there’s a serial killer on the loose. He’s apparently an A-rank hunter, so that’s why police aren’t able to catch him.”
“Isn’t that kind of worrying? Another villain on the loose?”
"It is."
“But MC over here is incredibly strong, so we’ll be safe if we stick next to her.” He says, grinning lecherously at you. “You can just freeze him up till he dies of hypothermia, can't you?”
You mumble incoherently, shrugging your shoulders as you desperately wish he would stop using that embarrassing nickname. And just because you’re also a hunter doesn’t mean you can defeat an A-rank! You've never even fought a human before...
“But it shouldn't be a big deal. It’s quite far from our area. Anyways, let’s hit up the karaoke place tonight! We haven’t had fun together in so long.”
"Sorry. I have work."
"Oh right. When do you not have work? Hahaha."
The two of them engage in conversation, while you’re just content to sit on the sidelines, nodding or shaking your head when they ask for your opinion. It’s almost a ritual now, with the three of you meeting up to chat before homeroom.
You wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but you’re kind of fond of these moments. As an introvert, nobody talks to you other than boys who only want to get into your pants. Having Yvon and Julian here makes your heart feel full. It certainly beats living by yourself at home...
“Attention please!” The homeroom teacher raps his desk in quick succession, causing your friends to scurry back to their seats. “Class is starting. Take out your math textbooks and turn to page 152...”
...
Class goes by slowly.
You’re not the best student, but your grades are still respectable. Julian is really smart and is usually top five while Yvon is dead last. But since Yvon’s the type to play games and get into fights all day, it’s hardly surprising.
You do your best to pay attention in class, but it’s quite boring, since you already know most of the material. Instead, you find yourself discreetly staring at the back of Julian’s head. You’ve already really familiar with it though, with all the hours you’ve spent staring at him from behind...
….
….
….
“Hey, sleepyhead!” Yvon shakes you from behind, interrupting you out of your trance. “Fourth period just ended.”
“...Ah.”
It’s already midday.
Julian and Yvon make their way out of the classroom, with you trailing a bit behind them. There's a lot of people here today, and you’re not bulky like Yvon, so it’s tough for you to get through the crowd…
“Ack-”
Somebody cuts in front of you, and you bump painfully into them.
“What the fu-”
A tall guy with spiky hair glares down at you, along with two of his friends. They look like delinquents, judging from all the tattoos and the strong smell of cigarette smoke coming from their clothes.
“Sorry.” You mumble quietly, rubbing your nose. “Please excuse me…”
You try to push past them while you still can, but it’s no use. The guy you bumped into grabs your arm, holding you in place.
“Tch. Look at her trying to get away.” He turns to his friends, yanking you into their midst. “Do you think it’s okay to bump into someone and run away, huh pretty girl?”
“...”
“Haha. I think you scared her, she’s not talking.”
“She’s fucking hot though. Hahaha.”
"Sorry…" You say again, hoping they would just let you go. Lunch time is precious, and you really want to go and join your friends.
“Hey. Don’t apologize so much. It makes us look bad. We just want to talk, right guys?”
“Yeah. Hahaha.”
They completely surround you now, and the guy who grabbed you is still painfully holding onto your arm.
“Hey, isn’t that Tang Kae-Shik? He’s a B-rank hunter.”
You hear murmurs from the other students walking down the hallway.
“Who’s he harassing though? I feel so bad…"
“...It's none of our business. Someone else will definitely help her…”
Their reactions are what you expected, and you don’t blame them. It’s just the way things work here, where the awakened are untouchable and can do whatever they like.
“Are you here all by yourself?” Tahl looks down, leering at you. “You got friends?”
“They’re ahead of me.” You mumble. “There’s three of us, but I’m just slow…”
“Forget about those losers. How about you hang out with us instead?”
“No thanks.”
“Aww. Don’t be like that. Why don’t we go out for some drinks? We’re here to make some good memories. Don’t be so uptight.”
Oh god. You sigh. It’s become like this again. You hate it when people try to ask you these things in public. You hate all the attention and the judging stares...
But there’s a secret weapon you always use in these instances.
“I have a boyfriend.” You say confidently.
It’s a bold faced lie, but it’s the best weapon in these situations. You just hope it’s enough for them to just lose interest and let you go.
“Who?”
“...”
Shit.
“You shy?” He laughs, bending down to meet your eyes. “Don’t worry. I might look scary, but I’m actually quite a nice person on the inside.”
“Julian...”
“Huh?”
“Julian.” You say again, much louder this time. Another lie, but it feels strangely good to say this one. “He’s my boyfriend... So let go already, you creep.”
“Pfft.”
Perhaps it was the unexpectedness of your response, but one of his friends laughs at your insult. The other does too, but tries to hide it, which is worse.
“The fuck?” Tahl goes red with anger, not used to being on the receiving end of mocking laughter.
Oh. You feel like you just made a mistake. You shouldn’t have said anything, especially something that could potentially escalate the situation. Now you only have yourself to blame as you’re roughly pulled down the hallway towards the stairwell.
“Don’t think I’m not going to do anything to you just because you’re a girl.” He says. “I’m going to fuck up your precious boyfriend too.”
“…”
“I hate you dumb bitches. All you girls care about are pretty faces. But what about me? I’m a B-rank hunter. A fucking B-rank.”
He drags you up three flights of stairs and heads towards the rooftop door. It’s locked, since students aren’t allowed up here, but that doesn’t stop Tahl. He simply grunts and tears the entire lock from the door.
It swings open slowly, revealing a large, U-shaped roof.
“Close the door.” He nods to the two friends following behind him. “I don’t want anyone stumbling up here and calling the cops.”
“What are you going to do to her?”
“Nothing to worry yourselves over. Just looking to have a little fun, yeah?”
Oh. You're not sure what his definition of fun is, and you really don't want to find out. This isn't a very good situation to be in. The right move would probably be to just scream for help and run away, but you should have done that ages ago.
But now that you're already on the roof, it’s too late now.
But despite everything, you’re not afraid. Even if Tahl is a B-rank hunter, there’s absolutely no way he can do anything to you.
Since you’re also one of the awakened.